Pros and Cons of Seeing “Sucker Punch”…

Zack Snyder’s “Sucker Punch” is a pastiche of bad-assery, sword and gunslinging, with a fair amount of latent sexiness entrenched with an overwhelming sense of female empowerment.  But does that make is a “good” movie?  Yes and no, and here’s why:

Pros:

1.  The visuals are amazing. Most theater-goers will probably critique the overuse of slo-mo action sequences that practically drip from every frame of this film.  But the fantasy worlds that Baby Doll and Co. inhabit while “battling” to get the things they need are sequences of utter beauty.  The filme literally transports you to places that are both strange and familiar, and in this context, makes the sequences quite enjoyable.  It’s almost like fusion cooking meets fusion cinema, so if you’re into that sort of thing, this will definitely grab your eyeballs.

2.  The actresses look HOT. Structure is thin, plot is fantastical, but the overall sex appeal that is inherent here works pretty darn well.  Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung — whether they’re in the reality of the asylum, or in the fantasy of a burlesque/sex parlor — look really hot doing whatever it is they’re doing.  but don’t let the tight bustiers and legs fool ya, these actresses bring the best of what they’ve got and you will find yourself rooting for them in the course of the film.

3.  Hot women shooting guns and blowing shit up. This probably should go with the above reason, but I feel that it deserves it’s own category.  The actresses look and feel like they really do use these guns and swords as if it’s second nature.  Plus, its an action film where the men are the weak ones, and women are the true force to be reckoned with, which makes for a nice role reversal of sorts in this type of hybrid-genre.

Cons:

1.  It already feels TOO familiar. We’ve seen this all before:  a girl struggles to come to terms with her fate, and then does something about it before it’s too late.  The hero journey is also mixed in with this film, and that too feels like it’s something that’s been done to death before.  Also, if it were to have come out before “Inception”, I would have said that this film breaks ground in the idea of layered storytelling.  However, it’s a few months past, so now it feels more like a combination of “Alice in Wonderland” meets “Inception”.

2.  It’s live action that should have been a cartoon. Sometimes animation can get away with things that live-action cannot, and this film falls into that category.  There’s a balance between being too visceral and too over the top, and 45 minutes into the film, it’s just too much.  The film itself is trying to send out a message, but it gets lost in itself which then makes the audience go through the motions of the hero’s journey even though we already know the outcome.  Again, this film would have been better if it was a Japanese anime than flesh’n blood actors, simply for the fact that the genre itself feel better suited in that arena, where fantasy and escapism is expected in the shadings and harsh lines of that type of animation.

3.  The ending goes out with a whimper. Again, I won’t give it away, but the ending feels like it was supposed to be as anti-climactic as it felt.  Then again, if everything was so hyper-intense, and you leave the audience with something so plain, it begs to question why I have been on this two-hour journey in the first place.  Don’t get me wrong:  if you ever see it, you’ll understand what I mean.  It’s just that something in the back of my mind is telling me that it could have been done better.  It just needed a little more gas to get it to where it needed to go.

In Short:

The film is visually stunning, but lacks the substance to keep the whole thing from coming apart.  Hot looking women shooting guns might be enough for some, but I expect more from Snyder at this level of the game.  This film will play great in the background, and has some really cool action sequences, but if you need more, then you might need to go elsewhere…

Pros and Cons of seeing the film “Limitless”…

It was no surprise to me that this weekend box office was going to be brutal.  However, even I didn’t think that “Limitless”, starring Bradley Cooper and Abbie Cornish would hit #1 at the box office.  I just thought the premise was trippy and the trailer looked sick.  Anyhow, if you’re still on the fence, here’s some pros and cons about the film for you to consider:

Pros:

1.  Bradley Cooper for the ladies and Abbie Cornish for the guys. Say what you want about plot, plausibility and the overall character development — this is a good looking cast and they’re not afraid to flaunt that in your face as a marketing point.  I mean, we don’t go to the movies to see ugly people, right?  You can nod softly, I won’t tell.

2.  Lots of PG-13 rated sex. I got to admit, I think this movie would have been even more awesome if it was a hard R with visual sex delight on the screen.  But I’ll give the director credit in designing angles where you see sex is happening, but it’s blocked out in a very stylistic way so that you don’t even see it happening, even though you know it’s happening.  It’s like porn for hard-core Christians — there’s a loophole for everything.

3.  The fantasy sells itself. What person in their right mind wouldn’t want to take a drug that makes you insanely smart and charming at the same time?  It’s so hyper-unrealistic that it completely indulges our fantasies of what is possible.  And isn’t cinema the right medium for this escape?  I certainly think so.

4.  The scenes are exciting and keeps you interested. I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that a certain “vampire” scene where Bradley goes to his dark side is hilarious and awesome at the same time.  And sometimes that’s enough:  awesome situations that look awesome on film that blow the audience’s mind.  How could they do that?  Whoa, there goes two hours of your life.

Cons:

1.  The plot is practically Swiss cheese. Okay, so we don’t exactly get to see how the drug works on everyone else, or why it was developed in the first place, or if its something that makes you so smart, why wouldn’t the first people figure out how to get more of it?  Better yet, why wouldn’t they be able to connect the dots and figure out what makes it tick?  Too many questions to ponder once you leave the theater.

2.  Tangents in the film don’t make sense. Again, without giving anything away, Bradley’s character gets involved with other subplots that seem to be raised and dropped on a whim.  They’re supposed to support the main plot in some way, but end up just making things convoluted or too easy to get out of.  Hey, no script is perfect, but I think they could have done better to raise the stakes.

3.  Although the hero wins, you think he should’ve lost in some way. Its great to see a protagonist triumph, and again, without giving anything away, it just felt like the last 10 minutes of the film allowed for a justification in the fact that here was someone that went through so much, and although he had an arc, he ultimately didn’t learn anything at all.  Shouldn’t hubris be the lesson taught and not the lesson conquered?

Verdict:

For me, I really thought the film was a great escape, and I can’t wait for it to come out on cable and DVD.  The lighting and coloring of the film was also fantastical, and although it will probably still come through on the small screen, seeing a digital print of this film is a pretty cool experience too.  If you need a reason to get out of the house, you can do worse than spend some time and cash on this trippy flick…

Daylight Savings Time:An Excuse To Blog About Bullshit…

It’s been a very long time since the last time I was on U.S. soil during Daylight Savings — I’m not saying that it’s a pain in the ass to adjust all our clocks forward one hour, but when you own more than once clock, it really does become a bitch of a chore.  It’s also the same time of year where you realize how many clocks you actually own:  One in the study, two in the bedroom, 3 in the kitchen because of appliances, and this is only counting the house.  What about your watch?  Or the clocks in your cars?  You forget to reset one of those during the work week and it could seriously sabotage your productivity, or given, that which you may be trying to keep the appearance of having.

I for one am glad that at least some pieces of tech you don’t have to worry about.  My computer, iPhone, and even my DirecTV all handle it themselves.  This makes me really happy for some reason.  It says to the universe that yes, daylight savings is bullshit, but we will make it easier on our owners nonetheless.  To that kind of automation, I thank you.

Now, if there were a way to get my parents to set their own fraking clocks forward, I’d be a happier camper.

The other thing that always gets me is that I’ve voluntarily lost an hour, which also gives me a kind of subliminal jet-lag that’s hard for me to shake for a few days after we make this unnecessary adjustment.  I’m guilty of feeling tired and hungry at the wrong times, and drift through the day in a haze of “What the Fuck” crossed with a dose of “Where the hell did my Sunday go?”  My lethargy level is such that I actually watched 30 minutes of “The Core”, a piece of shit film that doesn’t deserve 30 minutes of viewing let alone 30 seconds.  For that, I am also ashamed that my will was not strong enough to change that channel.  That, and it was on SyFy channel, so it wasn’t even on premium cable, which means that I also watched it with commercials.  My god, somebody put me out of my misery.

But to make the connections come full circle, I had planned for all this to happen.  I knew that I would get less than anything done this weekend, so I decided to watch “Battle Los Angeles” late Friday night.  If you follow my twitter, my critique in 140 characters or less was about an adequate review of a film that borrows from so many movies that to call it a rip-off of plots of other films would be an understatement.  But then again, Michelle Rodriguez and Aaron Eckhart were in it, so how could I possible say no.  Apparently, lots of other people felt the same way, as it was easy for this film to defeat the competition this weekend, as if “Mars Needs Moms” ever stood a chance in the first place.  The people have spoken:  Enough with the feel-good alien stories.  We want to see them blown up, glazed to hell, and hopefully, god willing, by American military forces.  It’s too bad “Battle Los Angeles” couldn’t use this tagline:  E.T. — Go Fuck Yourselves.

I guess the point I’m making is that Aaron Eckhart pretty much filled up my weekend, concluding on this fine and lovely Sunday with “The Core”, of which he was also sadly part of, but in fact, by having him in it was a saving grace from all the scenes with Hilary Swank trying to be butch and graceful under pressure.  Also of note:  I saw her in “Amelia” yesterday night, so I guess her want of needing to be a flying ace will always be in the backburner of her career.  That, and having short-cropped boyish haircuts.  God, make a sequel to “Boys Don’t Cry” already…

So in conclusion, hope you used your time more wisely than I did.  But if you didn’t, we can all get through this jet-lag crap together.  I for one and reaching for the online Netlfix.  And there’s plenty of room on the couch for you too…

5 Signs That The Steelers Would Lose Super Bowl XLV…

Like an idiot, I thought that the Steelers would go all the way.  That it was going to be a done deal from the get-go.  I was wrong.  And my moustache paid the price.  As Tom Tuckerson would say, “It feels so cold.”

5 Signs The Steelers Would Lose The Super Bowl:

1.  Christina Aguilera butchered the Star Spangled Banner: All she had to do was be coherent, be vocally ready, and oh yeah, sober.  By screwing up the lyrics, she had put a jinx on the team from the beginning.  If they had just done a backup recording, none of this would have happened.  Come one people, this is the same shit different day — get it together.

2.  Fergie screaming louder  and louder and passing it off as singing: I know that she wants to stand out among the Black Eye Peas, but did girlfriend have to pretend that her feedback monitor was broken?  It would have broken my halftime concentration/rest period for sure.

3.  They played in Dallas: The Steelers don’t fair well indoors, and they absolutely thrive in cold weather conditions.  The more rain, sleet, snow the better, and there was none of that in the finely domed, heavily enclosed, weather conditioned stadium.  Oh yeah, snow from the roof almost killed 6 people this past week, so if that wasn’t another sign, I don’t know what is.

4.  They lost the coin toss: Every little bit helps, and losing your first choice at the start of the game can mentally throw you off your usual self.  I mean, who the heck chooses “tails” anyway?  And having Deon toss the coin?  Double bad juju right there.

5.  Roethlisberger ran two plays on his own ’cause NO ONE WAS OPEN: You are the quarterback.  Your job is to throw the ball towards someone that is open.  That being said, your team has to find ways of being open.  Short of handing each wide receiver an uzi and grenades, they really needed more footwork on the field to get around the Greenbay defense, and alas, they could not.  And when the quarterback has to start running some plays on his own, well, there’s the chink in the armor right there.

All right, so this isn’t the most accurately detailed or justified list of reasons in the world.  But I LOST MY MOUSTACHE!  And so I’ve got to vent somehow, and this is what came out.  I sorta feel better.

Well, better than the Steelers feel today, for sure…

They Don’t Teach This At The DMV…

I was driving with my mother in the car yesterday afternoon.  Granted, that in and of itself is not exactly mind-blowing news.  But what is interesting about our little car trips are the strange things that only happen when only the two of us are in the vehicle.

Case in point:  I was coming up to a left turn lane at a busy intersection.  Now, usually you’d wait for oncoming to pass and then you’d make your turn.  However, at this particular junction, the city had recently installed a new left turn signal light, so it was green for ongoing and left turn drivers.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could spot two dumbass tourists crossing the road.  The signal was clearly flashing the “don’t walk hand”, but apparently, they don’t seem to understand our city’s traffic hieroglyphics.  So they continue to walk at a brisk place, unbeknownst to them that we left turn lane people have the immediate right of way and are about to plow right into them.

My mother sitting next to me in the passenger side is screaming “Stop! Stop!”, and I’m like “No way!”.  I was caught in the Bermuda Triangle of Traffic Stupidity.  And there was no way I was going to ease up on the pedal.  And because of this, I believe that this is why robots will never be able to replace us meat-bones.

As time slowed down in my perspective, I analyze everything around me:  If I slowed the car or worse, hit the brakes, the car behind me is going to crash into me because we’re all following too close.  However, at my current rate of trajectory, I’m going to get tourist all over my windshield in about 3 seconds.

So what do I do?

I hit the gas, ignore my mother’s cries to stop, and swerve away from the tourists just in time.  I don’t know about the car behind me, but I think the crazy idiots must have jumped back in time because I did not hear the sound of flesh and metal colliding together at relative to medium high speeds.

For the next hour or so, my mother argued with me about what happened, and I think I was clearly justified.  But you see, that’s the thing about traffic laws — they are there for our protection, but they never seem to cover these cosmic loopholes that come up from time to time.  So I might have been right and wrong at the same time.

Be that as it may, I figure that these things are happening around me almost every second, and it really is a miracle that we haven’t blown ourselves up in oblivion by now.  You know, a butterfly flaps it’s wings in Borneo and all that.

So maybe the solution is to be less stupid.  I don’t know, that’s the best I can come up with.  That, or I need to anticipate stupid more.  Though I’m sure I’m going to stick with what I use already — common sense, rules of the road, and driving with The Force…

 

Tiger Moms: Tough Love, Or Just Plain Tough?…

I was reading over an article in Time Magazine that was talking about this new phenomenon called “Tiger Moms.”  More than one person has asked me about this, and wondered, “What is this?”

In short, Tiger Moms are Asian mothers, or any mother in general, that is very strict with their children when it comes to learning and overall education.  They use lots of strict discipline and some borderline “drill sergeant” tactics in order to achieve what they believe is the ability for their children to overcome obstacles and achieve greater success in life.

Now, I’m all for tough love and training, but I can safely say that it’s not the greatest end all, be all solution for raising a child.  I remember when I was younger that it was my mother who pushed me so hard to learn to play the piano.  And even though I was terrible at it, she still pushed me to do it.  I never saw music as a joy, but rather, a prison that I could never leave.  To this day, I still don’t really like the piano much.

However, I still do love music.

You see, by the time I got to High School, my parents still wanted me to be musically inclined, so on a lark, I told them that I wanted to learn guitar.  That lead to finding a guitar teacher, and you know what?  I fell in love with the guitar right away, and as a bonus, the teacher also taught piano, and whether I liked it or not, I still managed to play both for a couple more years.

I think in the long run, it’s not the strictness and discipline that makes the most sense, but the idea to come up with something that you can call your own that makes tough love worth it in the first place.

As with any method, there are advantages and drawbacks from too much tough discipline.  Resentment of one’s own parents is one, but by and large, it’s because they were raised with the same kind of discipline when they were younger.  Ergo, they’re just passing down the style that they know.  Some children thrive in a very free environment, where both parents might be hippies, and it’s the child that becomes super-responsible just because their temperament was written in their genetic code before they were ever born.

I guess one could say that having a Tiger Mom isn’t the greatest thing in the world, nor is it the worst thing in the world either.  Parenting style debates are as old as time, and at last count, it seems that even the Chinese are taking less of a firmer stance on straight discipline and trying the more relaxed Western style of parenting because they don’t want their children to grow up with no sense of social skill and or personality.

I’m sure we’ll continue doing what has always been done in parenting:  Winging it, and trying to meet somewhere in the middle…

 

Steve Jobs’ Sick Leave: Should We Worry?…

The news of Steve Jobs taking an extended medical leave kinda shock the tech and stock market world.  As this is his third announced leave in the last few years, people are worried that if he goes, so will Apple.   And to be honest, I’m a bit worried too.

As of right now, I can only think of one other company that is as  reliant on a single person to guide the collective vision of the company’s journey — Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.  So much is the stock and shares riding on the young billionaire that he’s got cameras and surveillance on his ass at his new house 24/7.  If he takes a bad crap, I’m sure his toilet will Update Status his personal physician PRONTO.

But in the case of Steve, I’m also sure that in his return as the prodigal leader of the company that he co-founded, has found a way to safeguard his legacy.  Kind of like the concept of Apple’s own backup software “Time Machine”, I’m sure old Jobs has come up with a contingency plan to activate in place to ensure that Apple remains what it is — an innovator and leader in it’s field of making the coolest shit on the planet.

As iconic as the man can present himself, with that black turtleneck and blue jeans, he’s passed on his ideas and directions to his closest lieutenants.  Tim Cook immediately springs to mind, as he has managed the day-to-day stuff during Steve’s other absences, and so far, that’s still working.  And just like a backup doing it’s thing, I’m sure other people in the woodwork are going to step up their game to make sure that Apple doesn’t collapse from lack of consumer confidence.

It’s daunting to think that the death of one man — neigh, even the mention of declining health — could effect the market so drastically.  I mean, when Jobs sneezes, the NASDAQ index drops 3 points.  And at 6% drop off the current stock price, it’s clearly making investors nervous enough to think about keeping the finger on the trigger when it comes time to jump ship.

But is Apple really just “all about Steve”?  Can the legacy move on without the man that pulled it by it’s bootstraps over 14 years ago?  I would dare to say yes.  Why?  ‘Cause I know what everyone on the street knows:  Steve Jobs doesn’t like to lose.

And people that work at Apple don’t like to lose either.  They are a scrappy corporate electronics company that not only likes to set the bar, but make it smooth and awesome and the ONLY bar in which all things are measured.  Apple will survive because the people at Apple WANT it to survive.  They will continue the good fight, and know that something can always be better.

If Steve never planned for the day he wouldn’t be able to do all this, then he’s a bigger egomaniac than I thought.  If Steve goes, then Apple will fall, and once again, we’ll be plunged back into the depths of the consumer electronic’s Dark Ages, where things are clunky and cheap, and only sorta work to let us get by because we can’t have the choice to tell the difference.

So for now, I keep positive thoughts for the man.  I like the cool tech I’ve got from Apple.  I so badly don’t ever want to have an Android phone.  In the end, I think we’re all gonna be all right.  But it’s a good thing I still remember how to use a PC, once in awhile…

10 Things I Love And Hate About COSTCO…

Hate, and or, really don’t like:

1.  The massive amounts of people that drive around like zombies and then get out of their cars and walk as slow as ZOMBIES.

2.  The dude that is so lazy he won’t push his cart back to the stall, bu instead, leaves it right at the area which will scratch your car when you pull in

3.  People that take 30 minutes to get the stuff from their cart into their tiny trunk, which they realize couldn’t hold all the crap they bought

4. The people who check IDs at the front and who are uptight.  You’re an employee at Costco, not a bouncer outside of The Viper Room

5.  People that sneeze all over the cart handles just because they think it’s funny

6.  People that go around the free sample area picking up enough samples that constitute a “meal”.  It’s for whether or not you’ll buy it, people!

7.  Having to purchase a ticket stub for pricey electronics, then going to the tiny cage and picking it up, thus, making me a target for theft when I walk to my car

8.  Not having any regular sized boxes to pack my stuff in, so they give me the containers they use to store artichokes and then all my stuff smells funky

9.  The walk-in freezer that stores the salad and other vegetables.  I think the temp. is set to “Freeze Nuts Off”

10.  The guy that checks your receipt on your way out.  Yes, make that mark with your highlighter — you’re an employee, not Border/Customs Patrol.  Stop staring at my massive amounts of dental floss

What I LOVE about the place:

1.  The cleaniest, dirtiest fast food you can buy before shopping.  The Chicken Bake WILL give you a heart-attack

2.  The Camera and TV displays in the front, which make you pretend you have your very own Batcave full of monitors

3.  The photo film collection area.  Disorganized like crazy, but the best way to find dirty pictures of couples doing nasty stuff.  What, you judging me?

4.  All the attractive women working the cash registers.  Apparently, everyday is tight T-shirt day

5.  The ability, and or want, to buy 9 T-Bones for the cost of one at a fancy restaurant.  Sick.

6.  Taking a break at the electronics section and wailing on the Rock Band setup that’s missing one drum stick

7.  The hard liquor and spirits aisle.  I feel like a drunk at a candy store

8.  The wholesale toilet paper section.  Nothing beats stocking your bathroom like you’re a janitor of a High School

9.  The 1,000 buffalo wing pack.  Enough said

10.  Being able to buy 1 crappy DVD loaded with 4 Crappy movies.  It makes a B-Movie Night done right…

Somewhere:A Film That Kinda Goes Places…

In Sophia Coppola’s latest film, “Somewhere”, a veteran actor has hit an emotional rock-bottom, spending his days at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood, his career in the limbo that is “between projects.”  Between sex, drugs, drinking and the occasional press junket, he takes a lot of time lounging, lounging in the pool, and basically, lounging around before passing out to sleep.

Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) is at once moving forward, but sublimely directionless.  That is, until his daughter is in the picture.  Clio (Elle Fanning) is his real compass.  Despite all his faults and quirks, Clio is Daddy’s girl, and Johnny is most happiest when they are together.  And this love, is what holds this film together.

You can’t help but think of “Lost In Translation”, another film of Coppola’s that was also semi-autobiographical in nature, while watching this film.  The grizzled, tired actor; the search of love and acceptance, and the behind the scenes look at the glamour behind the faux-glitz — all elements that seem strongly displayed in Sophia’s style that it borderlines on boredom, but just fresh enough to keep an audience’s attention.  Ergo, instead of Tokyo, we’re in Los Angeles, and instead of an actor on the way out, it’s an actor that’s in the height of his career.  But nevertheless, Coppola takes us into these worlds where only the deft touch of an insider could ever give us the truth behind the facades of show business.  And believe me, Sophia has been on the inside since she was born.

Whether or not the “Coppola Magic” has rubbed off from her famous father and brother, Sophia’s style and direction continues to mature in that pseudo-European film style that makes watching her films interesting, but also trying, for the audience.  Long takes that have no real cut-off point, slow pans in and out to isolate the audience in the moment she wants us to see, or even going so far as to insert us in the middle of something, not giving the audience any time to figure out what’s going on but it’s happening so we have to figure it out quickly.  Basically, if you’ve never seen a Sophia Coppola film, you’re better off starting with “The Virgin Suicides” or “Marie Antoinette” as primers, to get your “feet wet.”

Despite a plot that you could spot from here to the moon, “Somewhere” is really great at exploring the bonds between a father and daughter, and what it means to love something more than yourself.  Dorff and Fanning are quite believable in their roles, and at times you really do forget that they’re just actors playing these parts.  Well, at least for Fanning.  Elle, the younger sister of Dakota, has that subtle yet nuanced performance that makes her acting seem effortless a.k.a. the family talent doesn’t fall far from the tree.  And Dorff — well, let’s just say that I think he didn’t have to dig real deep to play an actor that’s in and out of the limelight.  Though I will hand it to him, Stephen’s on a trajectoral arc similar to Keifer Sutherland and Harrison Ford — where once they were just handsome, now they’re starting to grow into their ruggedness and swagger that makes them all the more cool to see on film.

I’m not going to give away the ending, but I will say this — it will either leave you content, or baffle the crap out of you.  And maybe, in this case, it’s a good thing.  Sophia might be up to her same old tricks, but she’s definitely trying something new here, and I for one applaud her for that.

Now, if she could come up with one more film to tie up this “Famous-Actor-Hotel” trilogy, then she might have finally gotten everything out that she wants to say about all this.  At least, I think she’s got one more in her, and I’m still dying to see it…

Long Distance Relationships:Going To Bed Angry…

When engaging in an LDR where both parties are in different time zones, to say it’s a challenge is a complete understatement.  Even with so much technology bridging us closer, I can’t help to feel like I screwed something up.

My baby and I prefer using WhatsApp, an iPhone app that allows us to instant chat each other using cellular data without Intl.  charges.  I know, why don’t we use Skype?  Or Fring?  Well, where I’m at I can use both cell and wifi, but she can only use cell because she doesn’t have wifi.  In this case, the only thing faster than texts is Morse Code, so we stick with what works.

The main drawback is when she takes a call, I have no idea that she’s left the conversation, especially if I’ve said something that she might misconstrued, or something I think she might not understand clearly.  I’m left with a feeling of doubt and worry, wondering if she’s ignoring me for some reason.  Then she comes back, out of the blue, and I realize that I’ve been waiting by my phone like an Eskimo huddled over a hole in the lake while ice fishing.

Then later on, I might have used the wrong phrase or something, and she might have taken it the wrong way.  My only guess?  We like to sign off with kisses, and when she didn’t send me any back, I instantly feel like I’m in the doghouse.  As an emotional hypochondriac, I will probably continue to apologize profusely until I know what I did wrong.  And maybe, just maybe, she was just so tired that she passed out.

SO MUCH SPECULATION!!!!

I know what you’re thinking.  This is probably a communication breakdown, a slight romance glitch.  And you’d be correct.  But has this ever happened to you?

I offer this advice about what you could do to avoid my pitfall:

1.  Be Open and Honest.  You usually catch your partner at a decent time, but if you’ve got something to do, and they’ve got something to do, try and keep the conversation brief, or mention when the next time would be good for them to chat.

2.  Try Not To Take Calls During Your “Special Time”.  Nothing kills a tender moment more than some friend of yours drunk calling you and pouring their heart out at an inopportune time.  But if you do have to take the call, tell your partner that you have to take it, and they should understand.  But don’t just leave them guessing.

3.  Don’t End Conversations Badly.  How can I tell when my baby is mad at me?  The total silence she gives me.  And since I’m on the dayside, I have to live with this feeling for several hours.  It makes me a wreck, and it’s unfair.  If you have an argument, find a way to table it for later if you can’t resolve it at the moment.  Sometimes you just need get into your respective corners for a bit, and then speak your mind.

As of writing this, I have already sent an apology letter to her.  I’m hoping that it’s just all in my head, but you can never be too sure…