So what's with the name? A word of explanation is due regarding the name of the blog. It is named after both my white male Chihuahua, Harley, and his favorite squeaky toy, a stuffed hedgehog. Speaking of Harley, this morning I had to endure yet another ordeal of taking him to the vet. The way Harley acts at the vet you'd think I was taking him to have his toenails pulled out or something! He just had a rash on his inside haunches, so I wanted to have it looked at. First there's the tug of war actually getting him into the building. He sits down like a rock and won't budge! So in order to avoid a hassle, I pick him up and carry him inside. One of the advantages of a ten-pound dog! Then, once inside the exam room, Harley squeals every time the Doctor touches him. He had to examine his anal sacks, so the Doc is holding on with one hand, the lab assistant with two more, and me with two hands. This wasn't too bad, from a squirm factor, but this just made him hyper-sensitive to everything that came next. Two shots of anti-biotic: Harley squeals even when the Doc gets a bit of his skin between his thumb and forefinger! Then the next step is rubbing ointment on the rash spots. No sir! This is one little white dog who has had enough of the big guy in the white coat even touching him! I'm holding his upper body, while the lab assistant is holding his legs. Harley tries to wiggle out of the situation like an otter in an oil slick. Well, we finally got it all done, and I walk him out into the lobby, while all the other dog owners look at me like I was just having him drawn and quartered! We're back home now. Harley has to take two pills a day and have the ointment applied twice a day for 10 days. The bad news is I'm leaving town for 4 days soon and my neighbor, who has agreed to look after both my dogs while I'm gone, will have to participate in a little Chihuahua wrestling. Maybe he'll be alright as long as my friend doesn't wear a white coat! Now I just need a little rest, and maybe a drink.

I am now officially a wuss. I used to exist on a diet of action movies, but in the last year or so, I have found most of these films, especially Hollywood's recent action output, to be very unsatisfying. I am growing more sensitive in my old age, or do modern action movies just suck? I think this disillusionment began with the horrid Kill Bill and was cemented by watching the even worse The League of Extraordinary Gentlementhis weekend. What's the problem? First, Kill Bill was wall-to-wall action, but it was also the most boring action film I have ever seen. The movie was packed with meanness, violence and profanity with no redeeming moral character. Even Uma Thurman's victim turned heroine was unlikeable. I didn't care if she vanquished her foes or not. The film was all style, no substance, and also nothing more than a "greatest hits" package of ideas and motifs stolen from other films. Not a "homage" as Tarantino would claim, but a repackaging of things Tarantino would never be smart enough to think of on his own. This film made me think there are no original ideas left.
That's one reason I was so hopeful about The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I thought the idea of putting together great literary characters like Allan Quartermain, Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray, Doctor Jeckyll and Tom Sawyer was very original and clever. Unfortunately, the movie is a total bust. It starts off well, with some nice period detail, then degenerates into a by-the-numbers plot of an evil genius trying to take over the world. The acting is fine, but there are so many main characters with special traits that none of them ever really get to shine, nor do we care a lick about any of them. The film could have benefited by a more gothic, gritty style, but instead, thanks to an over-reliance on some often very dodgy looking special effects, it ends up looking and feeling like a bad computer video game. Again, it just becomes a series of action scenes we've all seen before.
On the other hand the two best movies I've seen recently are Something's Got to Give and Love, Actually. Both films deal with people we can relate to, situations many of us have experienced in our lives, and genuine human emotion. Something's Got to Give is one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while, mainly because it gives us well fleshed-out characters who we grow to love and a storyline that requires only a little suspension of disbelief. Nicholson is his usual wonderfully funny, outrageous self, but Diane Keaton really shines here. By allowing herself to look her age, appearing in a surprising nude scene,and reveling in her character's pent-up sexuality and emotion, she delivers what I think is the best performance of her career. Yes, it has a feel-good ending, but it was the first movie I've walked out of in ages actually feeling good!
Love, Actually is a much cornier, less genuine film, but in it's telling of the clumsy, silly ways people stumble into and out of love, it has a refreshingly hopeful and heart warming quality. There are too many stories here to provide fully drawn-out characters, but its' insights into how stupid most of us are when it comes to human relationships really hits the emotional mark. I especially enjoyed the scenes involving the recently widowed Liam Neeson helping his young stepson woo the girl of his dreams. These scenes were very sweet without being overly sappy. Much of the rest of the movie wades in sap, but movie's optimism and it's message that "love is all around" got to me.
I guess I'm just getting to like movies in which people actually enjoy human encounters that don't involve severing a limb or heads exploding.

A few words of introduction, to get the party started. My name is John Hoffsis. I am in my early 40s, never married and run a book shop in a tourist area of Albuquerque, New Mexico known as Old Town. I have lived in Albuquerque since I was 14. I was born in El Paso, TX and have also lived in Abilene, TX, Santa Fe, NM, Aurora, CO, Casper, WY and Billings, MT.
I received a BA in Speech Communication-Radio/TV Emphasis at the University of New Mexico. I have had experience in radio news writing, radio DJ-ing, television news production, camera work, editing and master control operation. I have also been involved numerous public access television programs including public affairs programs, live music shows, music video shows (as a VJ), an improv comedy show and a free-form variety show. I have also done many film reviews for public radio, public access television and fanzines. I better cut this part short as I didn't intend for this to become a resume.
I have owned my own business for 5 years and have enjoyed being my own boss.
My mother passed away two years ago, and this set me on a spiritual journey. I ended up going to our local Unity church and have become very active in it, especially the singles group. I tend to think that this church, it's philosophy of positive, practical
Christianity, and the wonderful people there have totally changed my life for the better. If you would like to view the website I created for our singles group, go to:

Christ Unity Church Unity Singles

I am currently pursuing my own personal spiritual, mental,and physical evolution. I am learning to juggle, practicing the guitar, taking classes in Qi Gong and Yoga. I am also planning on taking a stand-up comedy class and I want to pursue writing mysteries.
My hobbies include mystery fiction, bike riding, movies (especially cult and foreign films), British TV comedy, and music. Favorite writers are Kinky Friedman, Robert B. Parker, Michael Connelly, Tim Cockey, Rhys Bowen, and Janet Evanovich. Favorite
musicians include John Prine, Nancy Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Van Morrison, and Rickie Lee Jones. Have been known to crank up the Parliament/Funkadelic and Tower of Power CD's on occasion as well.
Well, that's me in nutshell. 'Nuff said for now.

Why, oh why, oh why, am I creating yet another blog to clog up the internet? Well, because this is a bit of a first for me, personally. I have written film reviews for public radio and public access television in the past, and have been incubating a desire to write a mystery novel for years. This site will provide me with a tool for tightening up my writing skills and for blowing off a bit of steam about life, the world, film, television, music and just about any little pebble of annoyance that gets into life's sneaker. I hope this will be an experience I can get into, and one that will be as fun to read as it will be to create. The next few posts will provide some background on myself and my interests, so check back soon!