Thread Response

Someone for research asked this question on the View Askew boards 'Why is Kevin Smith Influential To You?' I know I have my fan letters, but here's a new response, the one I posted in the thread. I like what I said, so here it is

Got me to see a string of movie she's done or spoken about. Interesting to see someone in the movie biz with an honest opinion, who likes to represent him opinion. the Evenings With, or Boring Ass Life are entertaining.

I'm also a nosy motherfucker who likes knowing about other people's lives too much, but he also willingly puts it out there. He likes hearing him name on tv, or much more so before, as he's said in his books and in the Evenings With.

And he's a strong person. He went out on a limb and made something that many people love. He's been good to his friends which is a positive example for people. He marches to the beat of his own drum, not always caring about what other people think. Though the naysayers are louder, he still gets a lot of love from his fans, which helps him do his own thing. In a way, at times, he's a voice for the normal person. It's not always perfect grammar and enunciation and the big picture, sometimes it's the little things in life, like the movies that we saw as children that still keep us out of the ocean, or the movies that took us to a galaxy far far away.

That's what I thought, and pretty much still do think. I like what I wrote, and wanted to keep the sentiment. :)

Jasmine P.

A Good Day

Today, over all has been a good day.

It's two years to the day...well, by the time this is posted, two years to yesterday that my mother died from organ failure after her body succumbed to pneumonia and cancer. I thought I'd be more upset about it, but I wasn't I took a moment not too long after noon to think about her, then I went back to the rest of my day, thinking my mother would rather have me happy then to dwell on her death. I spent my afternoon straightening up my room because Paul was going to see it. Paul is the guy referenced in the other two journals. I think I can use his name now.

Anywho, today I woke up and chilled. Took care of a few things, and was late to geology because I magically could not get to that class on time this semester. At least I was there, unlike last semester where I skipped. Hell, I skipped it a lot this semester too, but I was there for the last day of class. I went to class and then left so I could hit up the mall to buy AJ a graduation gift.

I got him a $50 gift card to Barnes & Noble then came back to campus. I hung out with Elizabeth for about an hour before I made it back to my own apartment to chill before hanging out with Paul. I made up the certificates then went to meet Paul outside. He was sweet enough to text me saying he'd be late. I assume traffic was a player in that. Then he called, I guess, saying he was there. We walked around for about 40 min, just chatting and walking around campus.

We roll over to IHOP and I tell him about my brothers and father a bit. He tells me a bit about his family. We're the first to arrive at IHOP closely followed by Jay and Allison, then Nick, Casy and Sean. We get a table then others join us. Nicole and Andrew, a friend of Seans. Glenn, A friend of Drew's then Ian and AJ. Dan shows up about an hour later. It's a usualy night at IHOP. Lot's of chatting and lots of fun and perversion.

Our waiter is awesome and splits the bill, two meals per bill seeing as Tuesday's are buy one, get one free. Paul pays for his, but my meal is on his ticket. The group makes plans to go over ot Jay and Allison's and as we're leaving IHOP Paul and I end up chatting with Drew and Nicole about Drew's broken window. This Saturday, someone broke into his car to steal his radio. He wasn't able to get the window fixed today.

We're out there chatting about cars for a while when this homeless man comes up to us and takes twenty minutes to get to his point of asking us for money. We give him maybe three dollars in change, he then keeps talking to us. It was a little awkward.

Paul drives me back to campus and we chat about nothing really. He gives me a hug before I get out the car, and both of us are apparently bad at farewells, because we said good bye a few times, and I wished him luck at his job interview for tomorrow. It was all pretty damn disconnected, but he did say he'd call to tell me how the interview went. And we agreed to make plans to hang out together again, so I think the next time will be more of a date. Yeah. It was nice. Man, I still feel special, and I think really dating him would be nice.

Even though it's been two years since my mother died, today wasn't a bad day. Better than last year, whatever I did. I'm glad I'm not as depressed as I was last year around this time.

Jasmine P.

Happyhappyhappyhappy

So, in another journal I said I was going to tell this guy I think he's cute.

I did.

He told me he thinks i'm pretty.

I'm happy. We exchanged numbers, so hopefully we'll go out...do something...soon... but I'm still just plain happy.

Jasmine P.

Quick Update

I spent today living in the lap of music. Great music. Things I could sing with.

After another grueling days of classes, I ate dinner on my own and walked out to the E. River and smoked some Golds, listened to the last few SMods I had waiting, and watched out over the water. There was lightening dancing through the clouds, which was awesome to see.

After the SMod was done I decided to hang out there for a short time longer and sang with some music. Some great songs that I will never tire of singing with. It was a great evening. So pleasant spending time on my own and singing as loudly as I wanted. I sang with Drunk Again, Sway, Welcome home, Western, Ban the Tube Top and I'm sure one or two others. It was just plain nice.

Tomorrow I'm going to shoot for a glory that I'm not too sure is necessary anymore, but it won't kill me. Maybe I'll finally win one.

Well, nothing interesting has happened, so like the title says, a short update. Cheers bitches.

Jasmine P.

Movie Marathon Dreams...And Men

And so, nothing really special has gone on. I'm currently in the middle of watching my 73rd movie for the year. I understand Donnie Darko a lot better now having watched it with commentary.

I have decided that I much preferred Heath Ledger's performance in Lords of Dogtown than to his performances in both Brokeback Mountian and The Dark Knight. The voice, mannerisms, the character/person. Much more engaging, and a character than one can like more.

I have also thought of a nice little connector for my movies, but I don't have some of them, so I'm more in the middle of the connector than the beginning. If I were to do that, I'd start with Emile Hirsch in Into the Wild, Milk then Dogtown which would segue into Ledger, then after that Brokeback which would lead into Donnie Darko then Zodiac then any friggin Downey movie I could think of to tickle my fancy. That would be a sweet marathon set up.

On another note. Emile Hirsch is a total friggin' cutie, and I'd love to tell him that to his face. Hell, it's not often that I en up fancying a actor anywhere near my own age, that little piece of bombshell is 24. Very attractive, I tells ya.

Another attractive gent is this dude from fencing club. I won' go into details...or hell..this is my journal, and after going into detail about my surgery, I can be as fucking personal as I damned well please. The gent in question is Paul. Not often at practice, but way too fun to tease when he is there. But I also think that's the basis for the attraction. So easily flustered, but that's also what I try to do at times, just plain make him flustered. I think I do it because I crush on him a little. I dunno, maybe if he's at practice on the 28th I'll tell him I think he's cute.

I have decided that Jake Gyllenhaal has an adorable smile. I think that's what I end up liking the most about dides, their smile. Their personality, of course, but their smiles. Mouths apparently.

I've always thoguht I was an eye person, but I love ot smile, so I probably like seeing someone who knows how to smile myself. Makes for a good personality, and good spirits with proper smiling. I dunno. I've waxed on why I liked Ledger in Dogtown but that chatacter ezperienced such a wide array of emotions and such a downfall that he was much mroe interesting. Granted the emotional waves that occurr during Brokeback, but it was still something different and much more intriguing.

I like me some men, but I've never had one. It's a pipedream that doesn't seem as if it'll ever come to fruition. I guess pipedreams don't some to fruition, that's what they're called pipedreams. But the problem is I can't see my future. Normally see something. Well, I do see me moving out to California after graduation. Maybe some part of my dream will come true then.

That would be fun. Having any sort of change onthe relationship front would be pretty alright. From where I'm sitting, it would be a change for the better. Portnetioanlly. Then again, I guess I'm saying I'm not entierly happy with my life where it is.

That's also me saying, or thinking I'm depressed. I tend to think about relationships more when I'm feeling depressed or alone. Considering the movies I end up watching sometimes, that doesn't help anything. I'm a lonely frig. That's what I'll be, pretending I'm not.

My depression writing, these journals, are always full of fail. I end up writing about being forlorn or lonely. Doesn't really help anythijng. Time will grant me things I don't have now, and let's hope that somewhere in my future is love.

Bah, any time I think about men, my writing goes to crap. It's so depressed and boring.

And to voice a lament I've voiced before-I wish someone here would choose me. However...I can't wait until I'm more than just a bench warmer of life. Maybe this fall. Heh, I keep pushing my time back further and further. Time is a whore of a mistress. Things you want never last as long as you want them. And things you're waiting for take too long to arrive.

Jasmine P.

Commendable Strengths

I just finished reading the story 'Me and My Shadow' the story of Jason Mewes cleaning up from drugs as told by Kevin Smith. I think both of them were commendable. I know Mewes cleaned up on his own, but Smith was still an inspiration for him. Not so much showing Mewes what he was hurting, but showing Mewes just how much he was still loved, and as he did his soul searching and everything it took for him to get clean, Mewes realized what he really wanted in life, in part to live, but also to spend more time with Smith.

I think Kevin was as commendable as he was for spending time for those long years with Mewes, bailing him out, but accepting him back after ever relapse. Yeah, he was not always in the right in what he did, but it helped, which is more important to a degree. He was strong enough to turn his back, but also supported Mewes and helped in the end, not just as an inspriation and giving him a home, but he never gave up.

I myself, don't know if I could ever go that far. I pray I never have to go that far for someone, and if I ever have to, that I have the strength to do whatever's necessary. I love and support my friends, but I don't know how far I'd go. It is inspiring to see just how far one would go for another. I know one person I might go to such lengths for, but I also hope I never have to. I don't know if I'm that strong.

Jasmine P.

A So Called 'Simple Explaination'

Kutner's death was irritating because out of the New Team, I like him the most. He was the most interesting and we knew the lease about him. The moderate lack of knowledge is one of the things that made him a more interesting character. That, and he was the most positive character on the whole fucking show!!! He wasn't like Cameron with the uber compassion, but the innocence is one of the things that made him more interesting. Fucking downer.

FREAKIN' FUCKING HELL!!!

le sigh. There's my rant. Short and disjuncted. Cheers, bitches

Jasmine P.

Speculation on Entertainment

I dunno. I love movies. That's how I escape from this sometimes abysmal reality. I also use movies for inspiration. I also watch for certain actors. New to my radar is Emile Hirsch. The cutie from Milk and The Lords of Dogtown. Noticed him first in Milk, but then rented Dogtown from the Naro, and will purchase it, and rent the other movies about the Z-Boys. I want to check out the documentaries about them because they are excellent references for Idrissa and maybe some generic charactes skating, but Dogtown did capture my imagination, but most movies are good at doing that. Then again, sometimes I'm just miles away, I guess that's what people would call a 'bad movie' one that doesn't keep the audience as engaged as it should. I dunno, I'm no movie critic, but I can find something enjoyable from most flicks I see.

That last part came up because I bought 'How To Lose Friends and Alienate People'. The issue with that movie is the main character isn't believable. It shouldn't take a guy months to stop making tremendous fuck ups at work and to be as alls to the wall idiotic as he was. Truly, I enjoyed the movie in the third act when everything picked up and the character was successful. I guess I lik stories that are deeply seated in reality, or just seated enough that I can belive it could happen. I mean, not everything that happens in a movie could, but if the characters are likable then...it was just very cartoony. Some things could have ben executed better, but it did what it was meant to. Entertain enough, distract from the doldrums of life fore a few hours.

Will I watch it again, quite probably. But to go back to the beginning, I still love me some Emile Hirsch and hope to see him in more things from the future. I have a slew of thumbs that I sketched up during Dogtown to work into real pictures, so I think I'll use at least one of them at some point. And I'm just plain a fan of being entertained and watching movies. Hell, documentaries entertain me. That baffles my brothers. Yeah, they teach me something, but it's still fascinating, or else I would be watching it. I'm enthralled sometimes, and it's onver the simple thing of how something is made. It answers a question I never knew I had.

Not terribly sure where this was going, but it's been written now, and I can totally go to sleep. No plans until tomorrow afternoon, so this girl is sleeping in! Good night world, don't stop revolving.

Jasmine P.

100 and Epic

So, this is my 100th journal, and do I have a lot of things to say. I seriously don't have the time right now to write, but here are some bullets that will give you a small taste of what's to come, and it will remind me off the many things I'd like to cover.

Well, this has taken me so long to get around to writing, that it has ended up being more more epic recant of my past week, for the most part. So, here we go, after putting it all off, let's get this ball rolling.

On Sunday I got a text message from Glenn asking someone to go to some meeting that Rec Sports is having on Monday. I think nothing of it, and say I can go. Monday rolls around and I'm so bone tired I fall asleep in three of my four classes, and I don't think my teacher's really noticed. I do my usual of hitting up the apartment to get my things for my afternoon math class because the meeting is 3-4 and that class starts at 4:20. I get into the meeting a few minutes late after reading more pages of 'My Uncomfortably Boring-Ass Life'. I walk past a small group of students and think nothing of it. Inside the meeting room Dr. Holt and some other people from the Rec Sports President's meetings that I've been to once a month are there and we're finally told that this is an appeals council.

Over Spring Break, Mar 9-13 our Crew club broke some rules and allowed a suspended member of the team to go on the trip, have an under age kid drive a rented truck, and another kid who hadn't passed the swim test to get into a boat on the water. It's a country and probably world wide rule that you need to pass a swim test which is swimming a few laps and treading water, before being allowed into a boat. These kids we were seeing on Monday were regular members of the club, not officers, but this is also the first I'd heard of anything so I was eventually filled in on what had happened back in October.

In October, it got back to ODU that members of the crew team were rowing without lights on their boats, and with many people who hadn't passed their swim test. Last semester's president and vice president were suspended and barred from ever holding an office at ODU ever. So this is some heavy shit that the same club has come back under fire so soon for some more stupid shit. We eventually decide that these kids lift their suspension for the rest of the semester, so only 4 weeks, and I think we gave them a probation for this coming fall semester, so if they're in the rowing club and some shit goes down that they're a part of, their infractions from this semester could cause them to have a more severe punishment. So Monday's meeting ended and we dispersed. The punishment isn't read to them until the following day because we ran out of time on Monday. For the sake of the story, I'll continue onto Tuesday's proceedings.

On Tuesday during Activity Hour we see one more member, hand down the same punishment, from the previous group. He had a class and was unable to make the initial meeting. We see the officers on Tuesday and we start from the club secretary who has failed her swim test and prior to the suspensions being handed out, was told by the other officers she was not allowed to participate because she had failed her swim test. But she was still on the water and in trouble when Rec Sports handed out their suspensions, this was an appeals process because these students didn't seem apologetic for putting ODU into a bad public light and giving their club the biggest black mark damn near available, well, given it's a student run organization, their idiocy was supreme. This girl knew about two days prior that the suspended president from the fall was going on the trip and did nothing to prevent him from coming. Her punishment was upholding her suspension and putting her on probation until December 2009. She also has the special requirement for completing all club paperwork and having to complete a swim test before being allowed to do anything really with the club.

The club Treasurer found out the ex-pres was going on their training trip when he was going over who had paid, so he knew only a few days prior to the trip. His punishment was just upholding his suspension and a fall semester probation. The VP knew the ex pres was going a full week before the trip. He accepted the President's [faulty] decision to allow this other kid to go because he knew more than what the current members did. His punishment was the same as the treasurer, but i think there was one other thing.

The President was the ring leader of this little charade. She decided on her own to allow this suspended kid to go on the trip because she figured he could help an outside coach at the place they were headed as a second pair of eyes. This coach they were going to has had some Olympic training, and a slew of other credentials, but this current president figured it wasn't enough and brought a suspended kid, who had been 'rowing in his own boat at the same time and same location as the club boats' on the trip. The suspended kid also drove a rented vehicle, and you can't drive rented vehicles until 21, he was 19. He was a liability issue, and she fucked with the honor code. That's all some pretty serious shit. Our pronouncement for her was she's not allowed to be an officer in that club ever again. She is suspended the rest of this academic year, and on probation until this December. We decided not to send her to the Honor Council, but Rec Sports still has the ability to have her referred to them because they went around the heads of their own department for a few reasons. They went to the Dean of Students to be allowed on this trip, they tried to get sent to a different department of ODU because they thought the black marks from the fall would be erased, but learned that is not the case. She also allowed the suspended kid, only 19, to drive the rented vehicle full of club equipment, and if there had been an accident, they would have fucked with some other Dead at ODU because he paid for the truck rental with his own card. So they were all sorts of wrong.

This all taught me, and the fencing club, who i recounted these tales of crime and punishment to quite promptly at practice Tuesday evening, to a) don't do stupid shit to go up in front of the council in the first place. b) make sure there's no photo evidence. c) just plain don't do it, it's stupid dangerous bullshit.
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To round out Monday, I decided I've been spending too much time on my computer and not just reading, so I take my time and read more of Kevin Smith's second book, My Uncomfortably Boring Ass Life until House Starts. Monday's House was interesting since the perspective was from inside the patient's head. Not hearing the differentials nor the character interaction, aside from how they acted at the bedside, was different. Then, right when House was going to drop some science and finally declare what the disease, my Glenn finally calls. I'd sent him a vague text message talking a bit about the meeting, but he doesn't have the chance to call me until then, when I miss House saving the same. Boo. I rounded out my evening reading until ten-thirty then decide 'fuck it, i need sleep' and hit the bed early.

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Tuesday, Mar 31
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I sleep until 9:30 which is sweet. I get sidetracked by the internet, and don't go to my geology class. I go the part 2 of the epic meeting of drama and punishment then head over the hospital to have all my joyful stitches removed from two, three weeks now, ago from my surgery on the 12th.

I get there and when I check in my appointment has disappeared from the books. What happened is when I went in the week after my surgery because I was worried about how I was healing and in pain that I needed more percocet my real appointment for my stitches to be removed was erased. I got to sit around for about 45minutes, so I read, waiting for my name to be called. Finally, as I'm getting really bored with just waiting, and wanting to go to sleep, and I'm incredibly hungry at this point having not eaten anything all day, I get called. Dr Reed removes the stitches and seriously, one stitch from each set, under each arm, and on his side of my groin, hurt like all hell. I was good about not flinching, but it hurt.

I giggle to more SMod while I hit up WalGreens for more gauze, bandages and some candy. Snacks in tow, I get back to campus and eat my other piece of sirloin I made on Sunday. The mirowave is apparently broken, so I heat my food in the oven, just waiting to eat. I haven't eaten since the previous evening, so this was like, epic hunger. I read a bit more before practice then walk to the gym to hang with the fencers and tell them about everything with the rowing club and their terrible faux pas, but I seem to be the only one to understand the brevity of the situation. Yeah, it wasn't us, but if it ever is, it's highly awkward, and embarassing because the majority of the college campus totally knew about it, the suspensions. I'd rather not have people know that shit happened to us if it did. We're still working at making a good name for ourselves before we go and make a bad one.

I'm feeling hungry, so I hit up IHOP with Nicole, Andrew and Nick. The four of us get out awesome waitress from when the Ficus and I were at IHOP over Spring Break. She was just as snarky, so just as much fun to have.

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Wednesday
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Wednesday is a painful day. I'm just getting used to not having the stitches, so every gat damned motion hurts, again, but now because grativy is taking it's toll on my aching flesh. I go to class on perc because I decide I won't do it without the painkillers. This is a day I decide I need them and by dammit, I have them. I make it through english, they start to kick in at Borjo where I just get sluggish. Not really tired, I'm just not really responsive. I get through the time, then I have a happy fun-time test in Logic. Fucking sucks. I blast through it in bout 30 min, then sit in psych early. Today we learn about Levinson's theory of adult develpment which follows the importance of having a dream. There's also Super, and some third dude, but the third dude is one I find intriguing because back in 2007 i think, I wrote a journal about me andanalysing myself and my career options. This makes me want to write, so I curse that I need to get off campus because the following day is my sister's birthday, and I had yet to buy her a gift.

Post Psych class, I run off campus and by my sister a 20$ gift card to gamestop, and this awesome card that's like a banner. I decide I have the time, so I hit up Local Heroes and buy a few new trades, Empowered and Kev Smith's first Green Arrow trade. I wanted to get Joe Quesada's book that had to do with his interaction with Hollywood, but that book was $35, and I was also spending 30 on two trades. I was also going to grab Frank Miller's second Daredevil since I'd read the first trade last year, but had to hold off because that was another $20, and i needed to save a little.

Get back to campus, go to math and dose midway through the class. I also doodle me in the Invader Zim style on something I have to turn in, thinking it's my personal notes. We're having a homework test on Monday, maybe I'll actually do my work for this one....maybe. Won't hurt my grade. After class I decide I don't want another cafeteria meal, so I call Za and Nicole and we hit up La Herradura. Well, it's me and Nicole because Za's apparently not feeling too well. Dinner was good, I got some burritos. It was all awesome until paying because our friggin' waitress left us sitting for at least 30 min before picking up the tab. What the hell? Bad tip because of that.

Nicole asks me to be a part of a little stidy for her english class. All I have to do is take a fish oil pill every day for two weeks, and a prelim quiz and another in two weeks. It was easy enough, aside from the sudoku, and one or two questions, I believe i got everything else correct. It was just a tedious hour.

I head back to the apatment, play on the internet for an hour then go to bed deciding I need sleep.

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Thuesday
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I get up today and end up wasting a whole mess of time because my roommate's 9:30 has been canceled. I would have taken an early shower and lounged around until my 11:00 class, I end up waiting. Shower's don't take forever, it's drying enough that tape will stick to me so my bandages actually work for the following ~24 hours. I BS some more then go to class, and get there late. I'm also busy trying to get some stuff together, I mail my sister's gift, so she should get it tomorrow, I hope. Hmm, I'm bored in geology then I print out some stuff during Activity Hour before hitting up Del Vich's for two slices of cheese pizza. I carry them to yhe geology building because I have class at 1:30 and it's after 1 as is. I listen to SMod 52 while eating before my class.

Lab is mad easy, then I go off campus...why....I remember. I rented Slacker, Sold Out a Threevening With Kevin Smith and The Lords of Dog Town from the Naro for the weekend. Get back to campus and decide to spend some flex points before the semester is out on some ice cream and some vitamin water from Whitehurst. I run into Za and Josh, her boyfriend before getting back to the apt. We three chat for a time, then I watch Slacker. I end up dosing while watching the movie, so I back track and re-watch half the movie while I made some frankfurters for dinner, and some fries. I'm mildly annoyed because I have no ketchup because, I assume, the MB used it, the cunt. I use hot water to warm up from nacho cheese and eat that on my franks and the fries I'd made. it works out well enough, but not the same as that awesome tomato-y sauce of delicious.

Hit the internet until practice. I'm very uninspired and melancholy at practice tonight and just sit on the side barely watching people practice. It's annoying a little because I've corrected and explained so many times, but there were things that they still do wrong. In my mild depression I decide Reel Big Fish is the band for me, and start off wtih Drunk Again, which I mouth along to twice. I then just let my player play RBF for the next twenty minutes and after locking up the studio and returning the key I just leave. I say 'good bye' but no one seems to notice, which is well enough considering my mood. I spend an hour and a half writing this and feel better, before deciding to go to bed early and write my stupid psych thing in the morning.

My Dream thing will be written later. I want sleep now, and some drugs. Sleep and pills. Tis a sad life I lead.

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Inspired by current topics in Psych class, talk about having a 'dream' and what my current dream is.

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enjoy the peek of what i've been wanting to write for days but haven't had the time to
Jasmine P.

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So, it's all finally been written. I do feel better and ...well, nothing really important for this 'and' but this was written, and now it's also all been put to rest. Just the dream thing, and that I might be fine with not elaborating on. I also feel better since I've jsut plain needed to write.