Hachiko

My co-worker and I were discussing about how much it sucks when you have a very distinctive emotional response to something as a child but you can't remember the name of it. Pretty much, the only way you can rediscover it is by happenstance.

Lo and behold - Richard Gere is remaking Hachiko!


Hachiko was a Japanese film my parents happened to watch when I was REALLY young and all I could remember mainly was watching an adorable little dog waiting for his master by the train station. Eee. The homogenized white-washed remake will probably be craptacular but actually having official documentation on a fond memory (and being brought to tears) is kind of worth it. Yay.

Wiki Entry of the Actual original story: Squee

Dog video

Cause they are awesome

Wait For It

I've been watching a lot of HIMYM and last night's repeat viewing featured the "Oh" moment - when you find out one detail about a person that's going to be a deal breaker. Since I've never been on a date before, Barney's awesome profoundness isn't something that I can utilize on a regular basis but still blog-inspiring nonetheless. If I were to be conversing with a dude, what would be the thing that turns off all prospects of attraction to him?

Now, before commencing, some finer notes:
a) I'm only focusing on aesthetic attributes. Once I delve into personality stuff, then I'm taking hypothetical dating way too seriously and just adding unnecessary mileage past the overstepped boundary of "time to get a life".
b) Attributes have to be of the more subtle variety. No point in being a deal breaker when there's no chance of a deal being made. [i.e. excessive obesity, hairyness are NOT "oh" moment inducing].
c) Yes. I'm being shallow. I know. But if you actually knew me, I do have sporadic moments of depth and sincerity. I think.

So. A couple of attributes.
1. The Wonky Eye
Background
Wonky eyes can have a range: from the ultra-obvious lazy eye of Paris Hilton to the more subtle indirect single-eye contact variety of Robert Sean Leonard. Note, wonky eyes are different from crossed eyes since in the former case, one eye DOES focus on a target and in the latter, both are focused inwards no matter what.

Reason behind the Oh Moment
Aside from going against the whole "people are prone to symmetrical faces" instinct, wonky eyes are just distracting. For one thing, they have the tendency to give off (or reveal) the appearance that a guy's only half-interested in what you have to say since his goofy eyeball is too distracted and will never focus on you. Plus, there's the perpetual dazed and confused look that you have to constantly deal with and the constant annoying question on why the two eyeballs just can't match. I mean, one eyeball lined up fine, what genetic purpose does it serve to have the other one stare off in another direction? So, cute guy and good actor RSL is, he's off the list.

2. The Snaggle Tooth
Background
Can also be referred to "Why I Can Never Lust on an English Musician". Granted, the picture of Steve doesn't really pose as a great example of a deal being made in the first place, but snaggle teeth can do a pretty decent job of remaining hidden. I just didn't have the stomach to do a google search and scan through the real extreme varieties just to find a more subtle example.

Reason behind the Oh Moment
Snaggle teeth suck. Seriously, let's say I meet this totally cute, focused-eye fellow and I realize I've just hit the golden personality standard - same sense of humor. So I'm cracking up, he's cracking up and instead of focusing the joke on hand, all I can think about (with every jagged teeth-revealing guffaw) is why the hell he couldn't invest in a set of braces . When we grab a bite to eat, a little snide voice in my head tells me, let's hope he doesn't order the salad because the visual of a loose leaf getting caught on his errant canine is enough to make me lose my appetite. So, decreased enjoyment of comedy and food? Yeah, not going to work.