About the survey you just took...

If you didn't see it, somehow, I posted up a survey for my English class. If you'd like you're still welcome to take the survey, what I'm about to tell you won't skew the results or anything...

First off I'd like to thank everyone that answered, for answering! And if you didn't answer...well...I still like you.

If my intro to it put you off I'm sorry :P I posted it to Livejournal first I have no patience for that place anymore so that's what happens when you fuck with me too often--you get PUNCHED IN THE EYE.

All that aside, let me tell you exactly what this is for. In my English class I'll be working on a research paper for the rest of the semester. As you may have garnered it's got something to do with religion/spirituality and medicine right? Close.

The purpose of the survey was to explore my options. Unfortunately at that time I'd not yet narrowed my topic down to something concrete. The survey questions were composed of all the paths my research took--looking at alternative medicines, prayer, religion as a mental illness, etc. Everything I asked, I researched. I know right.

I wanted to judge reactions to figure out which path I'd go down. What would be more interesting? What would I be able to successfully argue? Would I be able to get behind this? What people are behind this option? I had a very awesome 9th grade English honors teacher that told the class, even if you don't agree with the argument, if you can write it do it. And that certainly is time-saving advice if slightly...unethical in a way. To me.

So I put the survey up on Facebook, LJ, and here because I know you guys (and even if I don't that's okay) and I wanted to see your answers to help me along with my paper. I'm not going to use anyone's answers as quotes and as far as I'm concerned you're all technically anonymous so you're not party to any plagiarism. I don't think. I decided early on that I'm a little tired of the "let's keep religion out of medicine!" because frankly there are other options to go over, and judging from the answers I've gotten I'd say the lot of you say the same. So I know it's a little weird but again thanks to everyone that answered, you've saved my ass and maybe my grade. As for what I actually decided to go with, I'm going to look more into usage of alternative/traditional medicine in complement with modern cures. This takes all that silly religious element out because if I focus on that there will BE no paper. Y'all know me...

This also works much better because I have to do a proposal in December. A proposal for...research. As you can see, it never ends.

Boxing Helena take II

Wow, you never realize how layered and complicated a movie can be until you...you know, sit down and try to write about it in depth. Professional-like.

Not that this movie is horribly deep--in fact, I'll tell you the problem with it: It's not so much deep as it is see-through but at the same time it juggles so many damn things. The undercurrent that ties it together is obsession. Unfortunately, with all the blatant imagery and symbolism, the other themes running rampant and the asi-asi story line, just having the one thread tying the bundle together isn't enough to keep everything from spilling out, not just in terms of writing a paper but in terms of a movie *d'oh!*

Also, I have to be really careful not to give my best Ebert and give a 2 page review when I'm supposed to be examining. This is so easy it's hard...

You want to hear the weird thing? In addition to making a short outline of it, I also watched an episode of the Night Gallery called She'll Be Company For You. Starring Leonard Nimoy (yeah, he did other shit besides Spock y'all) and Kathryn Hays, it's the story of a lonely widower haunted by his wife's memory--and strange cat. He's driven to madness and you know, bad stuff happens.

Why did I watch this episode other than the fact that I love the Night Gallery? Comparison. Kept my thoughts in order, interestingly enough, comparing this surreal, bloated movie with this short, kinda-to-the-point if still odd episode. Both men are greatly effected by the women in their lives. Both men are eventually driven crazy as fuck with different results. It's interesting...and deserves to be another paper entirely! Hmph! I'm too brilliant for this!