Movies: Precious

Yes. This movie was all kinds of amazing. Performances, storyline, writing, everything. It's not as brutal as I thought it would be, though it is totally and completely heartbreaking. The performances from Mariah Carey, the lead actress Gabi, and a dramatic turn for comedienne Mo'nique were absolutely amazing. Mariah Carey's transformation is astounding, though she wasn't in the film as much as I would've liked. And yes, she can actually ACT unlike some other singer-turned hags that we know of! (yes Madonna, I'm talking to YOU!)



Mo'nique's portrayal as the monstrous mother was so utterly compelling and devastating and horrific to watch.



Brilliance.

SEE IT!

Go See COOPER'S CAMERA!!

Okay, forget what I said about Four Christmases. I thought more about it and I kind of recind my own review of it. I mean, it is pretty much Hollywood treacle. It's drippy with convention and it's all wrapped up pretty in a bow at the end. Blah. I mean, it's cute, but upon more reflection, it's also a bit insulting.

I mean, it starts off with Vince Vaughn and Reese Witherspoon as this cool, hip, DINK couple - Double Income, No Kids. They love their life. They don't want to get married. They don't want children. In fact, they're planning on avoiding their families all together by taking the first flight to Fiji on Christmas morning. Is that so wrong? I guess Hollywood seems to think so, as by the end of the film, everyone is lovey dovey, proposals are thrown about, and then of course, there's a brand spanking new baby in the mix. Now they must be complete!! Barf. I understand the importance of family, sure, but it's too bad they had to hit us over the head with it like this.

Now, tonight, I saw the movie Cooper's Camera, which is also a festive Christmas movie, that also subscribes to the same party line of the importance of family. But it's done way more wittier, and way less offensive to those of us who aren't getting hitched or expecting a kid next week.



A Canadian film, it stars Samantha Bee and Jason Jones from The Daily Show With Jon Stewart. Set in 1985, the Cooper family winds up getting a video camera for Christmas, which the youngest kid gets his hands on and decides to film the day. Hilarity, drama, and just plain silliness ensues. It's a terrific, well done film, that just came out today, so go see it in the theatres and support this Canadian film on its opening weekend!

SEE IT!!

Movies: Four Christmases

Really? A Vince Vaughn movie? I never thought I would see the day where I would willingly watch one. Yet, Reese Witherspoon drew me in. But who made me stay was Kristin Chenoweth!!!



She was SOOO good!! She made me laugh right out loud! So, all in all, a surprisingly amusing movie that's totally fluff but fun enough to help kick start the holiday season!

RENT IT!

Blue Friday

I'm feeling blue today. And I'm not sure why. I'm touchy, oversensitive, and hate everybody in plain sight. I should be happy - it's Friday, after all. And our relentless rain has stopped today and the sun is shining. Yet, I just want to curl up in a corner and cry somewhere. While eating McDonalds. And ice cream.

I guess it's just PMS.

A Swell Evening

Last night the rain was relentless. In fact, there was no reprieve all day. It made it the perfect evening to go for some mellow out music with The Swell Season.



Their show was lengthy but good. I'm glad I got to see them. Marketa is super cute live, borderline shy, it's endearing. I guess compared to Glen, he would make anyone look shy.

Here they are on Letterman from 2007, singing their Academy Award winning song, Falling Slowly, which they did last night in one of their encores:



The sun poked out today, and it's been dry so far. Fingers crossed!

Here Comes The Rain Again

It has been raining for about three weeks straight here in Vancouver. Oy. Today is a torrential downpour. It's just disgusting. I don't like it. We've had a few reprieves but for the most part, it's either drizzle, mist, or downright cats and dogs. Tomorrow the sun is supposed to make a cameo. Keep your fingers crossed.

Movies: Good Hair

So I didn't see any of the movies that I aimed to see this past weekend, though I did wind up staying in on Friday night and watching the Chris Brown documentary Good Hair.



The film is about African American women and their obsession with their hair. It's interesting to see how African American hair is considered undesirable and how the epitome of what's considered good hair is the straighter the better. An interesting look into a culture that's been dictated by Western ideals of beauty and the lengths that some people will go to in order to obtain that ideal. Whether it's the weekly purchase of a jar of hair relaxer or a monthly purchase of a $1000 weave made of hair from India, this was a fascinating journey into a world of wigs, barber shops, and an industry fueled by a minority group's hair complex.

To Vaccinate or Not?

Today the H1N1 vaccine has become available to everyone in BC. Since I'm prone to getting sick, I figured I'd be first in line. But now after reading this article, I'm questioning that. In fact, I think I am seriously being swayed into NOT getting the vaccine now. What are your thoughts?

Another Friday Night with Barbie and I?

I think not!! I refuse to spend the third weekend in a row at home, with nothing to do but put up Barbie outfits on eBay! Refuse, I say!! So, I'm taking matters into my own hands and going to a movie, even if it's by myself!!

Sadly, the one movie I was really hoping to see tonight doesn't open until next Wednesday!!!



My second choice was Precious, which also isn't out yet!



So now it's a tossup between going to Prom Night In Mississippi or An Education. Any suggestions?

YVR: Things to do in Vancouver this Weekend

I don't have any solid plans for this weekend, though next week I will be attending the Swell Season concert, which I am looking forward to but am also bummed out about because while I'm there listening to Glen and Martketa sing their hearts out, I'll be missing out on the party happening over at the Biltmore, where the Hidden Cameras will be performing!

Swell Season:


Hidden Cameras:


Meanwhile, for those of you with kids, (and I have several friends with the little beasts), why not go check out the Vancouver Art Gallery with them? It's Family Fuse Weekend, which means kids under 12 get in for free! What a great way to introduce your children to art! Plus, it sounds completely interactive and way cool!

Also, the Eastside Culture Crawl is taking place, starting tomorrow. "This event involves artists in their studios who work on the east side of Vancouver." There will be more than 300 artists opening up their studios and homes to visitors this weekend, so grab the map, stake out a gameplan, and go get your Culture Crawl on!!



Also, advice columnist Dan Savage will be in town on Saturday night, at the Chan Centre.

Interviewing a cast member of New Moon

No one else wanted to do the job. Interview someone from the cheesey Twilight franchise? Really? I for one, jumped at the opportunity. Especially if there was a 50/50 chance of it being the muscle vampire, Kellan Lutz!!!



Alas, it was not so. Instead, I interviewed local boy Bronson Pelletier, and it's in the current issue of The Georgia Straight.



Cute, but a bit young for me.

I'd rather have watched Kellan do his amazing push ups for me over and over and over....

TV: Beautiful People Series 2

Season Two of the UK comedy Beautiful People has begun over in England!!! What's in store for Kylie and Simon? They're starting their own boy band, of course, gurrrlfriend!

Are you ready!?!?

Here's a montage of some of Kylie's best moments from Season 1:

Come Here, My Mitties!

I'm not sure what the big fuss is over these 2010 Vancouver Olympics mittens. I guess the $10 price tag is appealing because it's affordable compared to some other stuff. And the fact that a portion of the proceeds go to the athletes is nice. Plus, they actually look pretty cool. But they've been selling like hot cakes and the Adult Size S/M ones are completely sold out at most places.

Krista asked me to pick her up a pair, while citing the fact that they're going for about $15 - $20 on Ebay! WTF?! The Bay has ordered more and I checked in on them yesterday and some had arrived! I ended up buying a couple of pairs - they're gonna make good little stocking stuffers!

Movies: Up

I think the last Pixar film I watched was Ratatouille, which I loved. So I wasn't all that keen on seeing Up, because really, how can you top a cooking rat in the heart of Paris?

Turns out, you kinda can! Up is the story of an old man trying to fulfill his dead wife's wish of visiting a place called Paradise Falls. He ends up tying a million balloons to his house and floating away to get to his destination. I know, it sounds hokey, which is why I didn't want to watch it. However, along for the ride is a little Chinese boy scout who is downright hilarious. Later, we meet up with Doug, a talking dog, who acts just like a real dog down to the bone! Plus, he's just too adorable not to like!



There were some very adult themes in the film though, i.e. father issues, miscarriages, and death. I guess this isn't the Disney we used to know. An entertaining movie for both young and old nonetheless!!

See It!!

Movies: Inglourious Basterds

We had a rain/wind storm in Vancouver last night, so the best plan for the evening was to stay in, sit back, and enjoy a couple of movies. First up was Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, which I have been waiting to see since the summer.

It was only okay. It's got its usual Tarantino staples : bloody violence, endless dialogue, nicely shot scenes. I know this was Tarantino's passion project and he's been working on it for years, but compared to his other films, it just wasn't as interesting. I couldn't quite get into the characters as I did in Pulp Fiction or the Kill Bill series. The only character I thought was cool in this movie was Shoshana, the Jewish girl whose family gets murdered by Nazis right in front of her and who sets out to exact revenge on them by locking hundreds of them into a movie theatre and burning it to the ground.

Everyone else just wasn't fleshed out enough. Like, Brad Pitt's character? What's he all about? Why is he the way he is? Things just felt pretty one-dimensional, so unless you're a hardcore Tarantino fan or Brad Pitt fan and you need to see this movie for those reasons alone, then by all means. Otherwise, meah, no big loss if you don't see it.

Skip It

My Umbrella, Ella, Ella, Ella...Eh Eh Eh

In a city that rains constantly, an umbrella is an important item to have.



And some people like to make fashion statements with their umbrellas, whether it's matching to their outfit of the day, or perhaps it's some namebrand like Louis Vuitton or something silly.

To me though, an umbrella is just a necessity. I don't really feel the need to make a statement with mine. In fact, I hardly ever buy them. Umbrellas are meant to be lost, and then of course, found.

I like the finding part.

I found an umbrella on the bus a month ago and was delighted with my find! It was of the longer variety, the kind that you can use like a cane should you feel like breaking out into song and dance. It also acts as a pretty good weapon, should you ever find yourself amidst a jousting tournament.

Upon opening it, I was pleased to see it was sturdy, large and encompassing - sure to keep me dry! It definitely is a step up from my sad beat-up old scarecrow that I like to call my umbrella.

This morning, while crawling under a table at work in an empty meeting room, what do I come across? Another umbrella!! This one has a sleek smooth wooden curved handle, with a metallic button that you press to open it up. It's black and looks neat and tidy, well taken care of, borderline sophisticated. And it's the perfect size to fit into my bag! Loves!!

1 + 2 = A Bloody Penis

So a friend of mine was telling me about a recent trip he took to the ER.

What happened was that he was in the can, doing his business, but because he was in a hurry, decided that he ought to try and force his Number Two out, while he was doing a Number One.

So basically, he was peeing, but needed to poo as well, so instead of waiting till he finished peeing, he sat there trying to do both at the same time.

This then resulted in a burst blood vessel in his penis. Blood was coming out of his dick, it was all over his shorts, and he had to go to Emergency.

Apparently, this is a common thing, the doctors told him. Lots of people do this. Which is why I am recounting this story for you here, so that THIS DOES NOT HAPPEN TO YOU!!

Got it, gentlemen?

No wonder women are always wondering why men take so long in the crapper. It's cause we're trying to avoid injury!!!

Going Offline

When it comes to the dating world, I've been taking myself offline. Literally. I've deleted all or any of my online ads and profiles that I've had up. Whether it's Gay.Com, Craigslist, Manhunt, Plenty of LavaLife, whatever. It's gone. And if it's not gone yet, it's coming down.

Why?

I haven't had time to scour the scores and scores of endless dick shots and torsos, weeding out the "No Asians!" declarations, trying to find some semblance of a decent human being that I would actually want to meet.

Granted, my ads of recent months have been geared towards more...immediate fulfillment as opposed to the long term. But even in the world of one-night stands, it's pretty desolate and lonely.

So, that's it. I'm logging off. No more hunting. If it happens, it happens. And if not, well I guess I better head towards the closest SPCA to pick me out a nice kitty or 3.

I'm still hung up on The Guy, but even that I'm slowly weaning myself off of. My shrink told me to just enjoy the moment, but it's hard because I'm the type of person who wants to know where things are headed, if there's a point to any of this, and if I should give up hope altogether. Enjoying the moment is harder than it sounds, when you're brought up to always be conscious of the future and to have a plan in place. I don't really have a plan in place, in terms of love or money or career. It's hard to enjoy the moment when you're busy worrying about tomorrow, but I guess all I can do is try.

Oh Flash Mobs

Here's one from Australia that Kylie Minogue recently tweeted about!

Bake Sale!

Chris has opened up shop online! Bake Sale is his catering business that he's been building up for the past few years.

A cake Chris made for his annual Xmas Party - just one of many that night!

I've already used him for his catering services when I've thrown bridal and baby showers, and some of my friends have called upon him to cater their weddings as well! If you've got an office party coming up, a celebration, a party, a social gathering of any kind, or if you just want to stuff your face with some of the city's best cupcakes, check out Bake Sale!!! Do it!!! Now!!!!

Canine Equipment

Calling all dog lovers! Check out my friend Iris' stuff, over at Canine Equipment, a company dedicated to dog accessories and equipment. She's in charge of coming up with new dog products and designs! What a fun job! Especially if you love animals the way Iris does!

Castor Reigns

Today I'm plugging things.

First up is the newest addition to Canada's fashion landscape, a boutique design company that a friend of mine started up called Castor Reigns. Check out their site for their first collection, which consists of classic t-shirts done with a twist.

Black Boys and White Boys

I watched the movie version of the musical HAIR this past weekend. After seeing it on Broadway, I was curious how they possibly could've made a movie out of it. However, they seemed to do a good job, and dare I say, I may have enjoyed it more, if only for the linear storyline it sorta has. Compared to the stage version, there is a bit more flow in story. However, you can't recreate the energy and passion and infectious love that comes with the stage show and the actors running around in the audience hugging and dancing with you.



And who knew that Everwood star Treat Williams was in this?

Then:


Now:


Not only that, but there's also a cameo by Charlotte Rae - yes, Mrs Garrett from The Facts of Life! She was actually in the original Broadway production - nude and all!

Here's a clip of the song Black Boys/White Boys, which is not the best song out of the whole musical, but is one of the more entertaining. And yes, that IS Nell Carter!!

The Weekend in Photos

Here's a photo of my Maskatron doll that I picked up for $50 last week. It's totally complete with the doll and all its accessories, instruction booklets, and the box is perfect condition!! I wasn't going to buy it because I thought, $50 for a doll? Really? Then I looked online and discovered it sells for $100 - $150, so I thought I had a pretty good deal here! I absolutely am loving it!

Maskatron

Maskatron is a villain from the 70s TV show, The Six Million Dollar Man. I think he's basically a robot that has three different "faces" that he can put on. The toy comes with all 3 of these faces/masks!!

Here's an artist's rendering of me (i.e. Photoshop) all snuggled on the sofa underneath my Mexican blanket that Momma bought me years ago. It was a chilly and rainy Friday night and so what else is there to do but snuggle under a blanket and prepare some night cheese?

And here I am on a Saturday night testing out these groovy headphones that I picked up for $1 at the Salvation Army. They kinda smell. You know that old smell? But I was willing to overlook that (maybe soak them in an essential oil or something) just because I love the way they look!! Unfortunately, they don't really work. I DID test them out at the store before buying them and they SEEMED to work fine then, but when I got them home, they totally went kaput. Bah!!

(And for anyone who cares, I was listening to "Defying Gravity" from Wicked.)

Today it is pouring rain. In fact, it's been pouring rain all week long off and on, but today it is endless. Know what else is endless? This upcoming week's weather report. More rain and more rain. So what better excuse to put on a pair of rain boots and go out for an exhilirating late Autumn walk? I loved splashing in the puddles and thought I'd share a moment with you!

Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Eating: Shanghai River

Philip took me out to Richmond yesterday where we had a feast of a lunch at Shanghai River, a Shanghainese restaurant that's been getting rave reviews from people.

We ordered way too much food for two people but managed to pluck our way through all the soup dumplings, fish broth soup, fried onion pancake, chicken, crab shrimp claws, and deep fried onion dumplings. It's dim sum stuff all day long there, so if you've got a hankering for that, give this place a try. It was quite high end inside as far as Chinese restaurants go, but then again most of the places in Richmond are pretty nice.

Like Looking into a Crystal Ball

So, for the second weekend in a row, I've spent both Friday and Saturday night at home, doing nothing. Well, not nothing. I've spent both weekends going through my Barbie collection, identifying Barbie outfits, and putting them up on Ebay. Yes, I'm THAT guy.

Also, I watched this segment on 20/20 yesterday about this documentary on cat ladies. I'm pretty sure this is going to be me in the near future. Sigh.

The Private Lives of Pippa Lee

Robin Wright Penn is fantastic in this movie about a woman who is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. How did she get to this point? The movie delves into her past to find out what exactly happened along the way that led her to where she is today. Also starring Winona Ryder, Julianne Moore, and Keanu Reeves, this was a great quiet little film that's sure to have some sort of Oscar buzz this year!

See It!

Grey Gardens Three's Company

This made me chuckle today.

I Want Love

But It's Impossible.

I Want Love
. - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Cheyenne Jackson on 30 Rock

Why did no one tell me that Cheyenne Jackson was going to be on 30 Rock? I nearly fell off my sofa this evening when I was watching it and saw him come up on the screen!!!



6"4, 220 lbs, openly gay, and can sing the hell out of anything on Broadway.... why did I not go see Finian's Rainbow when I was in New York again?? Oh that's right, I chose to watch a singing donkey over at SHREK instead.

Argghh!! Here he is in this online spoof called Legally Brown:



Yes I have homothuggish thoughts about him too!!!

And yes, if you watched the clip above, that IS Glee's Matthew Morrison!! Here's more of him!

The new Lady Gaga video is BRILLIANT

Holy Shit I can watch this video over and over. LOVES it! Now THIS is a video, folks!!



I love everything from those fingernail covers to the liquor bottles to the crown hats and the hat that looks like it's made from those fake crystals that hang on those cheesey 80s lamps! And of course the guy with the gilded chin, the crotch stretch and moan at 2:20, and last but not least, that polar bear. Amazing.

So Wrong But So Funny

If you're a fan of The Family Guy, you need to see this. It's Seth McFarlane looking damn sexy alongside Alex Borstein, as they do one of the most inappropriate sketches ever, in typical Family Guy fashion!

Feeling Bad and Mad

I was pretty depressed most of the weekend. Been feeling like I'm not good enough for anything or anyone. I'll be stuck in a job that I detest for the majority of my life, and I'll never meet anyone. You know, the usual.

So, other than going to eat out twice on Saturday, I spent the rest of the time at home camped out in front of the television.

I started off watching the entire first season of Breaking Bad, which stars Malcolm In The Middle dad, Bryan Cranston.



It's the story of a high school chemistry teacher who is suffering financially and who gets diagnosed with lung cancer. In an effort to provide for his family, he decides he has nothing to lose and ends up forming a partnership with a former burn-out student of his and setting up a crystal meth production business.

It's dark, fun, and well-written/acted. And of course his brother-in-law is a DEA officer. And of course nothing turns out as planned.

A satisfying 7 episodes make up Season One.

After that, it was onto last night's Season Finale of Mad Men.



I did not want this show to end!! Sigh. Jon Hamm as Don Draper calling his wife a whore? Hot. And I can't get enough of Christina Hendricks as Joan!! More Joan! More Peggy! More Sal! More everybody!!!

What will happen next season? With a new advertising agency being run out of a hotel suite? With Don and Betty's marriage on the rocks? What about the folks left at Sterling Cooper? Will they be featured at all? Become enemies with their former colleagues? I am mad for Mad Men!

Eating: Pourhouse

I visited Pourhouse in Gastown on Saturday night for a late dinner and some drinks.



It was about a 30 minute wait for a table at 9pm. I didn't mind too much. The drinks we were having were helping the time pass. I started with The Prospector which was a very strong drink at first, but ended up easing its way into me. Next up was a drink NOT on their official drink list, called the Twentieth Century, and it is DELICIOUS!!! SOOO good!! I could drink those all night long if they weren't $12 a pop.

The food was pretty decent, I just had a beef brisket sandwich with their homemade potato chips. The place wasn't what I expected. It was a lot darker and smaller than I had imagined. I guess I was envisioning a crowded, bright, lively pub type of atmosphere, but it was more of a mellow and subdued vibe on the restaurant side, and a bit more noisy over by the bar.

Eating: Cabin 5555

Philip took me to eat at this Taiwanese restaurant in Kerrisdale on the weekend. We had a nice lunch of beef noodle soup with some fried salted pepper chicken and an oyster omelette.

Free Mac Apps

Got a Mac computer?

Go here and get some free apps they're offering for a limited time!

http://www.macheist.com/

TV: V

Are you watching V?



It's filmed here in Vancouver, and yes it's a remake of the old 80s camp classic where aliens come to Earth disguised as humans, eat rodents, and then rip their faces off to reveal a lizard-like being underneath.

Unfortunately, they didn't keep those hot sexy outfits from the 80s. Remember Diana?



Anyway, as it's filmed here in my city, I was still giddy to see that my work building was featured in the first few minutes of the show! Yes, one of those buildings that is reflecting the spaceship in its windows downtown? That's my work building!!!

You can catch V on Tuesday nights on ABC.

LOST SPOILER:

Yes, that's Juliette from LOST in the show. However, I'm told that during V's hiatus, she DOES go back to LOST to film her scenes as Juliette, so it looks like Juliette is still going to be on LOST!! JUST FYI!

TV: Sons of Anarchy

A show about a gang of bikers? You bet I'm watching this crap!!



It also stars Katey "Peg Bundy Forever" Segal as the Biker Mom. Pretty good casting, though Roseanne Barr would've fit as well, lol.

Anyhow, the show airs on the FX network which we don't really get, so I have to download this shit. Anyway, it's not a great show, but it's good enough for me. It's kind of like The Sopranos except instead of the mafia, it's a biker gang. Also, it's probably not as well written as The Sopranos was (I never watched it). I just like to see bikers!!

You're a Bad Man, Chris Brown

No Way Out

So yeah i'm totally bummed now that i didn't get the job. I was seriously hoping for it. I was hoping it would let me escape the IT Hell Desk job that I have. I was hoping to tell the Douchebag Big Wig to suck it.

I shouldn't have hoped. It never gets me anywhere. With anything.

Oh well.

Back to my soul-sucking job answering phones and listening to retards bitch about their computers.

I Didn't Get The Job

The one I was really hoping for, the one I thought I had a chance at, yeah, that one.

Sigh.

TV: Hung

Yeah, I'm watching it. Hung is an HBO show about a guy with a big dick who goes into the escort business because he's going broke as a teacher during the day.



It stars the very delicious Thomas Jane, as well as Anne Heche, who is quite watchable in this.



It's not a must-see but it's entertaining enough to help me pass the time when I'm laying about trying to get well again!

Remedies

I've been trying to shake off this cold that's been lingering for several weeks now. I first began with taking daily doses of Oil of Oregano and that kept most of it at bay.



But I still developed a sore throat and a cough. From there, I used a throat spray and that took care of the sore throat. Two bottles of Buckleys later, and I found myself eating cloves of garlic in an effort to get rid of the cough, which is still haunting me.



Do I have the post-nasal drip cough thing? My ears and sinuses are all plugged, too. I'm now doing the Sinus Rinse, which is an odd and weird invention but somewhat effective. My nose is no longer running but my ears are still plugged. I was told
eating walnuts was good for coughs as well.



Another remedy someone told me to try was to put Vicks Vaporub on my feet, put on some socks, and go to bed. I'll give that a go tonight!

Eating: Prado

Chris and I went for coffee last week over on Commercial Drive. It was pouring rain outside, and this was a great escape from the raindrops.

We hit it up at Prado, a charmingly stark and chic coffee shop that usually is bustling with Macbook users but on this particularly wet night, had a few stray customers, some chatting in the corner, another reading a book, and some student types working on their homework.

It was a really cute place, from the brick interior to the large windows that look out onto the Drive to their seemingly home-made light fixture involving folder clips and pieces of blank white paper. I'd definitely want to go back there to hang out and chit chat over a cup of hot chocolate or java.

Prado is open 7 days a week from 7am - 8pm at 1938 Commercial Drive.

David Sedaris in Vancouver

Went to the David Sedaris reading this past weekend. This was my second time seeing him and I found that the novelty was wearing off a bit, or maybe it's because I was feeling under the weather still. Anyhow, it was a good reading, though I had more fun when I first saw him a few years back. Perhaps it's that thrill of the first time?



We lined up and got our books signed and he was as pleasant as ever. I asked him for his email address and he told me to email him at fatchance.org.

He will be releasing a new book soon, a book of fables - illustrated, featuring woodland creatures. I've heard some of these animal stories of his read on This American Life and they're okay. Nothing like the ones about his life or his family.

Here's a recent story from The New Yorker that he wrote; it too is not as humorous, but rather, more nostalgic and sentimental.