Do Yourself a Favor

If you have Netflix streaming through your PS3, or what-have-you, you know that the selection of instant movies is extraordinarily poor; however, tonight I stumbled upon a documentary film which forever changed my mind.

An illustration of "The Vivian Girls"

The documentary called "In the Realms of the Unreal" is based on the life's work a Henry Darger, a reclusive janitor from Chicago. Darger was born in 1892 and, from his early years, knew an existence of labor, loneliness, and love-lost. After all his family was gone, Darger was placed in a sort of mental asylum for boys and, after escaping, he walked for days and days back to Chicago where he set up permanent residence. Darger took menial jobs and lived a seemingly isolated life.

The belief that Darger was a loner was upheld until just before his death, when his kind neighbors transferred him to a Catholic mission home. While Darger was wasting away, his landlords found Darger's wide breadth of work, which included thousands of paintings, tons of journals, an autobiography, and what may be the longest novel in history: a tale that is over 15, 000 pages long and details the fictitious battles of the "Vivian Girls". The novel is called The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion. 

I urge you to watch this documentary because it tells the story of a unique mind that created an unfathomable amount of art and literature. I'm always intrigued by the things people do when no one is watching and being that no one ever watched Darger, he had a lot of time to express his innermost visions without critique. Darger, though denied anything he wanted, still kept his faith in God, loved children, and kept busy because there was no other option for him - it was his life. The documentary left me sobbing and pining, and wanting to know every person who surrounds me. This outsider artist is unparalleled in his devotion to the subjects in his art. I am sad that he did not receive acclaim in his lifetime, but I am comforted by the fact that his legacy will prevail. If, like Darger believed, we are judged at the end of our lives, he will be pleased with the praise he'll get from his maker. 

I am stunned.

Mel Gibson, You Really Blew It.

Once upon a time, there was a version of Mel Gibson that I liked. Let's call this the Braveheart Era. In this golden age, Mel played riveting characters like William Wallace, which left me sobbing and forced me to retreat to my computer room where I decided I would name my first born child, male or female, William Wallace. Shortly after this eponymous fit, I won the evil level of Snood for the first time ever. This was surely a sign from God that Mel and I had something real.

Then Mel started directing films like "The Passion of the Christ" and "Apocalypto". I sort of liked both movies and ignored the fact that he was an anti-semite because I didn't have PerezHilton.com to tell me how I should feel on the matter. 

Around this time, my favorite Mel Gibson of all emerged: the wasted one. First off, I loved the mugshot from the DWI incident and I really ate up the fact that he called a female police officer "sugartits". God, I thought that was just about the funniest thing to ever happen and I figured that's a pretty good drunk personality to have if you're gonna have an inebriated alter-ego. Also, this episode inspired me to call my friend Jen "Sugartits"and I think that's a sweet nickname for someone close to you to have. 

Then it went downhill and I can't recall the particulars. More drinking. Blah. Divorce. Blah. Russian fetus-of-a-girlfriend. Blah. Baby Momma. Blah. THEN...he beat her up and made scary phone calls to her and now I can barely laugh at the sugartits incident. This is not to say that Jen loses her moniker. She doesn't. 

The Sugartits Mugshot

Unexpected Delights

Since I've been so overwhelmed this year, I've had to find solace in the little things because I'm too tired for big things. Here's a few gestures and happenstances that have made recent days brighter:

• Finding a few bucks in my back pocket
• Getting the "Final Jeopardy" clue right
• Making the green light at my exit off of Sunrise Highway
• The perfect TBS movie
• Crumb cake in the faculty room
• A giant rainbow
• Getting flowers 
• A thank you note from my friend's little sister
• Finding out that an old friend got engaged 
• My dad texting me "OMG"
• Needing to wear a sweater that happens to be new and very cute
• Rita's spike collar