King of Kong was really excellent. And not just because us video game nerds need to stick together or anything (in fact, as this movie shows, that is often times not the case), but because it was just a really well-made documentary with an interesting story. It starts off looking like it’s going to be a bit goofy/tongue-in-cheeky a la Christopher Guest’s documentary spoofs (which was entertaining in itself). But it actually ends up being much more than that, and I very much enjoyed it. It was kind of sad to see Billy Mitchell making an ass of himself, since he really was one of the greatest players ever, and no one can take those accomplishments away from him. But I guess it isn’t always easy to step down and pass the torch with grace. Anyway, awesome movie. Highly recommended!

Also making the afternoon especially enjoyable was spending it with the lovely and enigmatic Miss Dragonslayer. And since she’s had some inside experience on the documentary biz, maybe she’ll have a more thoughful commentary on the awesomeness of Kong (hint, hint).

I know some folks caught my mention in a previous post about the crappy health care we get at the university. Well, the reason I was so incensed was that I went in a few weeks ago because I have a peculiar case of dysosmia. Yeah, I had to look that up on the web–basically, stuff smells funny to me. Like, bad funny. I was reluctant to mention it because I didn’t want anyone (mom) freaking out thinking I had a brain tumor or head injury or something. I’m pretty confident that I don’t. But I could have a sinus infection that I don’t know about, or some other kind of infection in my mouth, nose, or throat that could be making stuff smell funky to me. So, I waited for about two weeks before I first went into the clinic (since you know, they always say that you should wait a few weeks if you have some weird, non-life-threatening symptom before pestering your doctor). There, the moronic RN completely dissmissed my complaint in the most ridiculous ways possible. “Why do you think this is a problem?” “Well, two weeks isn’t a very long time.” “Looks like you’ve got some postnasal drip. Try taking a few Claritin.” I also liked how she said at one point that she’d never heard of anyone having a problem like this before, as though that meant that I must be totally wrong about it because she’d never heard of it! Oh. My. God. Despite my efforts to bore holes into the woman’s head with my evil glare, nothing much came of that appointment.

Anyway, I propmptly made another appointment with one of the clinic’s actual MDs. Mind you, I’ve got nothing against RNs. My regular RN is great. But this particular RN was a dumb ho and I wasn’t going to take any chances of getting dismissed with totally idiotic advice again. So fast forward two weeks to today when I finally had my appointment and guess what? This doctor actually took me seriously. She’d even done some research before I came in! Gasp!! So she thinks it’s probably some kind of sinusitis, bu tshe gave me a a quick little neurological exam just to be sure that I didn’t seem to show and other signs that might indicate neurological problems. She gave me a prescrition, a referral to specialist, and gave me her card and told me to follow up with her after I’d seen the specialist. In short, she was a good health care provider instead of a dumb, bitchy whore who has no place seeing patients!!!

There, now aren’t you glad you know that whole exciting story? Oh yes, I know you are. Rest assured, I’ll have some follow-ups to this one. And I’ll be sure to take lots of pictures when I leave a flaming bag of poo on that RN’s doorstep ;-)

I think I’ve found my calling in life, and it isn’t writing book reviews. No surprise there, even if that realization doesn’t quite help me to finish up the review I’m working on right now. But I know now, beyond a shadow of a doubt that someday, I am going to open a haunted house. This should not really come as a surprise to anyone either. But after spending half the night drawing up plans for an 11 room haunt which I am calling “The Institute,” I feel I might as well make my dream public. Ten years from now, when you’re driving down some lonely road late at night and you see scads of nervous and excited folks lining up to go into Batty’s Institute of Fright, you can say you heard about it here first!

Look, I’ve even found the artist who’s gonna make the perfect portrait of Dr. Batty. He just doesn’t know it yet…

Today, for the first time ever, I had a fiber optic camera shoved up my nose. God willing, this will also be the last time I have a fiber optic camera shoved up my nose. Anyway, the result of this fun exam? Oh, just a prescription for antibiotics and instructions to come back in two weeks if things still smell funny. Is it just me or does it seem like we could have tried that minus the camera up the nose?

Another first for the day: for the first time in I can’t remember how many years, I actually bought some new music. As in, recently released new music as opposed to music released 5 years ago that I’m only now discovering. And let me just stop you smart alecs before you even start: no, it was not Britney Spears.

Finally, I also finished my first book review today. Although I am still a bit ashamed of how much time I spent slaving away over a silly 850 words, it is nevertheless done now. Hopefully a select handful of the übernerdiest of nerds will actually read it someday.* Speaking of which…

[*UPDATE: currently scheduled for release in April 2008]