Oh, the humidity!

I've been out there. Out there where men don't go, not men what have something to live for. You can say what you will, but those of us who've had a taste ourselves aren't taken to puffing our chests. Don't serve you nothing. Truth be told, I wouldn't have gone myself if I didn't have to. But I did. And I came back.

There are folk who think it hits you all at once, like that waitress who heard one too many a flattering word. I suppose sometimes it does. Take too fiery a step, and you might find yourself on your back not wanting to get up. It can be strange like that. It'll start out coming in quick, and just when you think you've got it figured, it'll wait a bit. Lets you feel like you might have it beat.

Mind what I'm telling you, friend. You don't go out if there's a way around it, honest or otherwise. It's no place to be. You hear of it, you run. You feel it coming, you hide. And if you're of the unlucky sort that can't get away, you fight your way out and pray you never have to go back.

Honestly, can't we give all this extra moisture to those who might want it? I doubt Australia would mind.

So, I saw "Over the Hedge" about a week ago. Decent movie, I guess. Got a few laughs from me. But the previews disturbed me. Not in the usual way that makes me wonder if, like cartoons from my childhood, I've begun to finally see how many movies suck. No, this was a specific disappointment in the American animation industry. You see, over half of the previews were for animated movies, but not one was drawn. It was all CG, and I find that very sad. I can appreciate the great strides achieved in computer graphics, and how efficient it's become to use for movies, but I dearly, dearly hope it's just a fad. Judging by the previews, none of the movies seem particularly creative or meant for more than pushing merchandise. What Pixar started, everyone has copied. Disney shut down it's main animation studio, for crying out loud! I can't see it as a financial issue, either. The Japanese have digitized traditional animation, sinking its cost and flooding anime fans with new show after new show. They even incorporate computer graphics in very impressive ways (see "Wonderful Days", "Last Exile", and most anything by Gonzo). Only SquareEnix really seems to have embraced the all-digital route, and that's only been for squeezing extra Yen from Final Fantasy fanboys (although the success of Appleseed raises concern).

I think there's a certain magic in hand-drawn animation. An extra degree of artistry that helps suspend disbelief and draw you into the fantasy of the story. It's sentimental, I know, but so am I, and there's something romantic about characters that only ever exist in a sketchbook and, with a little luck, your heart.


I'm really starting to like dog-girls...


Twilight out.