So I really have nothing to say here, but that hasn't stopped me in the past, so why should it now? A couple nights ago the TV was on in the front room and it was the news, and there was a very disturbing story on. I didn't pay enough attention to really figure out what was going on, but I think it was aboutget M-worded in Vegas, and there was definitely a drive through W-word chapel involved. Very disturbing.
I've started the soccer season with my new AYSO team, and that's been interesting. They're 6, 7, and 8 years old, and I don't think I realized what a short attention span that age really has before now. Needless to say by the end of practice, I'm starting to get frustrated, but I am having fun. It's amazing what a difference only a couple practices have made on their skills, and I have hope for the end of the season. Of course, I haven't been able to teach them to spread out yet (even stopping the drill and saying, "Spread out!" doesn't seem to work as they just stand there and seem to have no idea what I'm saying). It does give me a newfound respect for my coaches when I was that age. The good news, though, is that our colors are blue and white, something I'm definitely used to. I wonder if I could get them to name us the Drillers.... probably not.
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Darkly?
On our way back from the wilderness, Billy and I decided to stop off in the Bay Area and visit some family. Which is great because my uncle no only enjoys the same movies and TV shows that I do, but also plays many of the same games that I do. So I enjoyed my time of discussing tactics and what not with him.
I suggested that we all go to the movies, mostly because there are a couple movies out right now that I don't trust to be in Bakersfield (or were here for all of a week). As luck would have it, my uncle also hadn't seen A Scanner Darkly and wanted to, so we all ended up going to the movies. Of course, Billy watched some stupid racing movie with Will Farrell and my aunt saw a different movie, but they all started at the same time, so it was like we were all going to the movies together.
Anyways, watching the movie with my uncle, I again realized that for some reason, I have a much better sense of what is going to happen in a movie than most people. At one point in the movie, a character is about to be revealed, and my uncle told me (correctly) who it really was. I sort of chuckled and said, "Yeah, I've known that for about an hour."
It was only later that he told me he had only realized who it was just before they were revealed. The same thing was true for a couple other "surprises" in the movie.
I think when it comes down to it, I just figure that other people think like I do, but really I should know better. I'm not sure why I always figure that other people are like me, but somehow I'm always surprised when they're not. You think I'd learn by now, but alas, I must be stupid or something.
Anyways, I'm back and you should be seeing me online starting now (if you haven't already), and I will perhaps be telling stories of my trip and maybe posting some pictures. Oh how it's great to be back in hot Bakersfield.
I suggested that we all go to the movies, mostly because there are a couple movies out right now that I don't trust to be in Bakersfield (or were here for all of a week). As luck would have it, my uncle also hadn't seen A Scanner Darkly and wanted to, so we all ended up going to the movies. Of course, Billy watched some stupid racing movie with Will Farrell and my aunt saw a different movie, but they all started at the same time, so it was like we were all going to the movies together.
Anyways, watching the movie with my uncle, I again realized that for some reason, I have a much better sense of what is going to happen in a movie than most people. At one point in the movie, a character is about to be revealed, and my uncle told me (correctly) who it really was. I sort of chuckled and said, "Yeah, I've known that for about an hour."
It was only later that he told me he had only realized who it was just before they were revealed. The same thing was true for a couple other "surprises" in the movie.
I think when it comes down to it, I just figure that other people think like I do, but really I should know better. I'm not sure why I always figure that other people are like me, but somehow I'm always surprised when they're not. You think I'd learn by now, but alas, I must be stupid or something.
Anyways, I'm back and you should be seeing me online starting now (if you haven't already), and I will perhaps be telling stories of my trip and maybe posting some pictures. Oh how it's great to be back in hot Bakersfield.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Internet IV
So I'm back in the land of civilization, meaning that I'll have some internet access for the next couple of days until I come home. Currently we're up in the Bay Area visiting family, and I don't know how long this will last, so I don't know when I'll be home, although it will be sometime this week. Right now I'm sitting in my aunt's house which is full of boxes. We managed to have the perfect timing to come two days before they're moving, but at least the computer is still hooked up.
I have a bunch of stuff to post, but I think I'll leave it for later, once I get home and have a chance to collect all my thoughts (and pictures).
I have a bunch of stuff to post, but I think I'll leave it for later, once I get home and have a chance to collect all my thoughts (and pictures).
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Vacation of sorts
So today was the last official day. And the last unofficial day too, I guess. I've cleaned out my desktop, which we all know is far more important to me than my actual desk (and by desktop I mean in the computer sense) and have all the important files safely stored in Soren or the wild world of the internet.
Anyways, I guess I've got a couple of post to put up here for the time that I'm gone, so read them all in one sitting our pace yourself so you can get your Becca fix when you need it (I know everybody is going to read them at once because honestly, who needs a Becca fix?).
Post #1 - Potential
Growing up I never understood the importance of the beginning of a month, but my venture into the work world has given me a new perspective. Actually, to be honest, tracking my monthly movie watching has given me the perspective, I'll just tell the adults of the world the part about working to make them feel better.
But closing up the previous month and looking forward to the blank slate of a new one is a great feeling. I feel like I have all the potential in the world looking at the coming TCM calendar and my growth potential. There's an open challenge of "what can I do this month" that excites me and makes me want to jump right in with the movies. Of course, this month is bittersweet because I'm going to miss so many movie watching days, but I'm equally looking forward to spending some time in the wilderness possibly catching up on the books I need to read. But I do love the potential that the first of the month brings.
Post #2 - AS, AD, P, and Q
So lots of people know that I really enjoy economics, so I thought I'd just point out a case of it at work. We've all heard about the bird flu lately, and there have been some serious economics ramifications because birds are being killed because of the danger of them passing along the disease.
Those being especially hit hard are the professional badminton players in the world. Unlike the widely known plastic shuttlecock, professional players use actual feathers in the construction of their shttlecocks (16 goose feathers, traditionally). The price of them has gotten as high as $20 in some places! This is just your traditional example of a decrease in supply causing a increase in price, although it is a bit different because we're talking about the decrease in supply of a part of a final product. The basic idea is still the same, though.
And yes, I do realize that most of you are going to start having those recurring nightmares from Senior year econ, but for some of us, this is fun.
Post #3 - I'm brilliant!
So this past weekend I watched Donnie Darko for the first time. Don't ask me why it took so long for me to see this movie, I am deeply ashamed and sorry for my actions. I did find it fun, though, that illustrated in Donnie Darko is the idea from which I get the title of this blog. So yes, I'm brilliant. But then, we all knew that already.
And if you still don't know what I'm talking about, it's the cool looking thing that occasionally comes out of people's chest and is supposed to indicate where they will be in time. I thought it was pretty awesome.
Post #4 - Disturbing
Gene Kelly isn't my favorite actor, although he's the star in possibly my favorite musical. I've never liked many of his movies, mostly because the musical numbers in them just don't make sense, for the most part. Take An American in Paris, for example. You could shorten the movie by about half if you took out the stupid ballet that it's so famous for, and (in my opinion) make the movie better.
The same is pretty much true of Summer Stock, which is all about a director who puts on a show in a barn and tempts the barn owner (Judy Garland) into show business. But the last part of the movie is them putting on the musical (of which Be Happy is a part) and it plain doesn't make sense. Did people actually go to see shows like so many of the shows within shows? Because I don't see the point, but then, I like plot in my movies (and plays) so maybe I'm weird.
It did have a very disturbing number in which Kelly and Phil Silvers are apparently hickey farm hands with very big feet. I can't do justice to this scene with words, but it ends with a pack of dogs (which Callie loved), and was all very very disturbing.
So that's it. I'll shortly be packing for my adventure into the great unknown, and will hopefully come back with stories of running from bears and the like.
Anyways, I guess I've got a couple of post to put up here for the time that I'm gone, so read them all in one sitting our pace yourself so you can get your Becca fix when you need it (I know everybody is going to read them at once because honestly, who needs a Becca fix?).
Post #1 - Potential
Growing up I never understood the importance of the beginning of a month, but my venture into the work world has given me a new perspective. Actually, to be honest, tracking my monthly movie watching has given me the perspective, I'll just tell the adults of the world the part about working to make them feel better.
But closing up the previous month and looking forward to the blank slate of a new one is a great feeling. I feel like I have all the potential in the world looking at the coming TCM calendar and my growth potential. There's an open challenge of "what can I do this month" that excites me and makes me want to jump right in with the movies. Of course, this month is bittersweet because I'm going to miss so many movie watching days, but I'm equally looking forward to spending some time in the wilderness possibly catching up on the books I need to read. But I do love the potential that the first of the month brings.
Post #2 - AS, AD, P, and Q
So lots of people know that I really enjoy economics, so I thought I'd just point out a case of it at work. We've all heard about the bird flu lately, and there have been some serious economics ramifications because birds are being killed because of the danger of them passing along the disease.
Those being especially hit hard are the professional badminton players in the world. Unlike the widely known plastic shuttlecock, professional players use actual feathers in the construction of their shttlecocks (16 goose feathers, traditionally). The price of them has gotten as high as $20 in some places! This is just your traditional example of a decrease in supply causing a increase in price, although it is a bit different because we're talking about the decrease in supply of a part of a final product. The basic idea is still the same, though.
And yes, I do realize that most of you are going to start having those recurring nightmares from Senior year econ, but for some of us, this is fun.Post #3 - I'm brilliant!
So this past weekend I watched Donnie Darko for the first time. Don't ask me why it took so long for me to see this movie, I am deeply ashamed and sorry for my actions. I did find it fun, though, that illustrated in Donnie Darko is the idea from which I get the title of this blog. So yes, I'm brilliant. But then, we all knew that already.
And if you still don't know what I'm talking about, it's the cool looking thing that occasionally comes out of people's chest and is supposed to indicate where they will be in time. I thought it was pretty awesome.
Post #4 - Disturbing
Gene Kelly isn't my favorite actor, although he's the star in possibly my favorite musical. I've never liked many of his movies, mostly because the musical numbers in them just don't make sense, for the most part. Take An American in Paris, for example. You could shorten the movie by about half if you took out the stupid ballet that it's so famous for, and (in my opinion) make the movie better.
The same is pretty much true of Summer Stock, which is all about a director who puts on a show in a barn and tempts the barn owner (Judy Garland) into show business. But the last part of the movie is them putting on the musical (of which Be Happy is a part) and it plain doesn't make sense. Did people actually go to see shows like so many of the shows within shows? Because I don't see the point, but then, I like plot in my movies (and plays) so maybe I'm weird.
It did have a very disturbing number in which Kelly and Phil Silvers are apparently hickey farm hands with very big feet. I can't do justice to this scene with words, but it ends with a pack of dogs (which Callie loved), and was all very very disturbing.
So that's it. I'll shortly be packing for my adventure into the great unknown, and will hopefully come back with stories of running from bears and the like.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Inefficiency
So I like things to run efficiently. Mostly because efficient things allow me to be lazy. And get done quicker, which allows for more movie watching or video game playing. But I don't just like efficiency in my time - I also like energy efficiency, and some things I just don't understand.
So working in an office I understand that there's going to be different temperature preferences, and that compromise will have to be found between people who like it cold, and those who like it hot. But I can't understand how people can be using floor heaters during the peak of summer. All that means is that somebody else is being selfish and has turned the AC down way too much. Seriously, I know two people in my office use floor heaters regularly (and there's a total of 8 people in the building) and I've seen ladies in the other building with theirs on, too.
Then there's the fact that I know lots of people (my entire family) who leave lights and TVs on all night. I'd really like to do a study to see how much energy it takes to leave a TV on all night. Anybody know? Anybody know how to test it? There's got to be a website out there that tells you how much energy certain appliances use (and how much that costs!).
All I can say is that in the middle of hearing people complain how much energy costs, there are some pretty simple things that are beginning to really annoy me about how others are inefficient with their energy. After all, increased demand is a surefired way to increase price (and the converse it true).
I think I like Mr. Nelson's idea of hooking up a generator to a bike to power a television. Think my family would buy it? And now this has become a really long rant. Sorry.
So working in an office I understand that there's going to be different temperature preferences, and that compromise will have to be found between people who like it cold, and those who like it hot. But I can't understand how people can be using floor heaters during the peak of summer. All that means is that somebody else is being selfish and has turned the AC down way too much. Seriously, I know two people in my office use floor heaters regularly (and there's a total of 8 people in the building) and I've seen ladies in the other building with theirs on, too.
Then there's the fact that I know lots of people (my entire family) who leave lights and TVs on all night. I'd really like to do a study to see how much energy it takes to leave a TV on all night. Anybody know? Anybody know how to test it? There's got to be a website out there that tells you how much energy certain appliances use (and how much that costs!).
All I can say is that in the middle of hearing people complain how much energy costs, there are some pretty simple things that are beginning to really annoy me about how others are inefficient with their energy. After all, increased demand is a surefired way to increase price (and the converse it true).
I think I like Mr. Nelson's idea of hooking up a generator to a bike to power a television. Think my family would buy it? And now this has become a really long rant. Sorry.
Enough talk!
So apparently I don't talk enough because after teaching (and talking) all morning, my throat is definitely sore. It didn't help that I woke up this morning with a sore throat (well, I have all this week, but this morning was worse).
Also, apparently I can also add in my head better than other people (although I don't understand how 1800 + 600 can be hard to add).
In other news, I've become obsessed with the Veronica Mars soundtrack. It has a lot of names I recognize from other soundtracks and mixes I've seen recently, and also some new names for me to look into. I think I shall have to aquire some new music for all the car time I'm going to be spending with my brother shortly.
And coming soon: what I will be doing in less than a week!
Also, apparently I can also add in my head better than other people (although I don't understand how 1800 + 600 can be hard to add).
In other news, I've become obsessed with the Veronica Mars soundtrack. It has a lot of names I recognize from other soundtracks and mixes I've seen recently, and also some new names for me to look into. I think I shall have to aquire some new music for all the car time I'm going to be spending with my brother shortly.
And coming soon: what I will be doing in less than a week!
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Good times, great oldies
I love TCM Scene It. Part of me is disguisted at myself when Chris and I play it (and Patrick was definintely disguisted), but it's the same with any specialized trivia game like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings Trivial Pursuit, so I guess it's nothing new. Plus there are occasionally clips of movies that I haven't seen. So it's educational, too.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Cowabunga!
Apparently there's a new TMNT movie in the works. Now, I know there are many of you out there who, like me, lived for Leo, Donny, Mikey, and Raph when we were younger. I'm not going to deny it; I definately did my fair share of jumping off the jungle-gym doing kicks and yelling, "hi-ya!" to my heart's content. So while I'm not getting my hopes up due to the abusurdly lame movies that have come out recently, I still am going to hide a little bit of excitement from the now jaded 22 year old that I have became.
So while the excited 5 year old and the sceptical 22 year old in me battle it out, I think I'll take another look at the trailer. Because it just looks cool.
So while the excited 5 year old and the sceptical 22 year old in me battle it out, I think I'll take another look at the trailer. Because it just looks cool.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Exodus
So this past weeked marked an Exodus from Bakersfield. Rachel started off with her journey over seas - spending a day in Frankfurt and then going on to bigger and better places. Then, Chris and I both decided to go down and visit people in the LA area (seperately).
Friday night I got down here and Rob and I decided that we felt like pizza (this turns out to be a bad idea). To go with the pizza, Rob made a pitcher of margaritas. Then we played some GS and opened a bottle of wine that I had from last summer (Laura's white zin - yum!). Pretty soon, Natalie joined us, having just finished work. So the three of us goofed off and had a very enjoyable evening.
Now, the reason the previously mentioned pizza was bad is that it somehow managed to give us food posioning. So Saturday was not a really fun day, although we did manage to make a trip to Dreamplay and Robert showed me all the various ways he gets payed to play. Then we came back and oozed while watching some Veronica Mars episodes (which I am now hooked on).
Luckily I'm feeling much better today and will (hopefully) be able to make it home without any problems.
Friday night I got down here and Rob and I decided that we felt like pizza (this turns out to be a bad idea). To go with the pizza, Rob made a pitcher of margaritas. Then we played some GS and opened a bottle of wine that I had from last summer (Laura's white zin - yum!). Pretty soon, Natalie joined us, having just finished work. So the three of us goofed off and had a very enjoyable evening.
Now, the reason the previously mentioned pizza was bad is that it somehow managed to give us food posioning. So Saturday was not a really fun day, although we did manage to make a trip to Dreamplay and Robert showed me all the various ways he gets payed to play. Then we came back and oozed while watching some Veronica Mars episodes (which I am now hooked on).
Luckily I'm feeling much better today and will (hopefully) be able to make it home without any problems.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
PopWatch
So lately I've been hooked on ew.com's daily PopWatch blog. A lot of the posts aren't interesting to me, but the guys that write it are funny, and there's usually about three interesting posts per day on there. So anyways, I think I'm going to try to post daily about the more interesting stories and links that I find there. Here are a couple from recently.
Shock the man - I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but I was definately laughing when I first found the site. Of all the ways to make money...
Oh dear Lord! - Just watch and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Pretty pretty please! - I'll copy what the PopWatch writer had to say about this link:
Arrested Development: The Movie?
There's still money in that banana stand: Maebe says there'll be an Arrested Development movie. Maybe.
Alia Shawkat (who played the ambiguously-monikered, super-jaded, movie-producing, cousin-kissing teen on the short-lived but much-beloved and altogether over-hyphenated Fox comedy) has the following to say about a possible AD leap to the big screen: "Mitch actually recently told us that there is a good possibility for a movie, and that he's talking to Ron Howard about it."
Well, they did end the show with a movie pitch to series producer/narrator Ron Howard. If they pulled it off, wouldn't that, like, totally be the metaness to end all metanesses? No, that would be an Arrested Development movie about the Arrested Development movie, told from the perspective of the guy who's programming Arrested Development: The Movie: The Videogame. ("Play as GOB. Play as Michael. Play as The Loose Seal.")
In any case, my head will happily explode, and when it does, I promise to YouTube it for your enjoyment.
Shock the man - I'm still not sure how I feel about this, but I was definately laughing when I first found the site. Of all the ways to make money...
Oh dear Lord! - Just watch and you'll know exactly what I'm talking about.
Pretty pretty please! - I'll copy what the PopWatch writer had to say about this link:
Arrested Development: The Movie?
There's still money in that banana stand: Maebe says there'll be an Arrested Development movie. Maybe.
Alia Shawkat (who played the ambiguously-monikered, super-jaded, movie-producing, cousin-kissing teen on the short-lived but much-beloved and altogether over-hyphenated Fox comedy) has the following to say about a possible AD leap to the big screen: "Mitch actually recently told us that there is a good possibility for a movie, and that he's talking to Ron Howard about it."
Well, they did end the show with a movie pitch to series producer/narrator Ron Howard. If they pulled it off, wouldn't that, like, totally be the metaness to end all metanesses? No, that would be an Arrested Development movie about the Arrested Development movie, told from the perspective of the guy who's programming Arrested Development: The Movie: The Videogame. ("Play as GOB. Play as Michael. Play as The Loose Seal.")
In any case, my head will happily explode, and when it does, I promise to YouTube it for your enjoyment.
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
Network Neutrality
Lately I've been seeing some links online regarding this issue called "Net Neutrality." In an effort to make sure that all of my readers are informed (and since it involves all of us who use the internet) I thought I'd point it out to people if they haven't heard of it already.
Now, I'm not sure if I really understand the issue, but here's what I've gathers of the gist of it. Basically, non-neutrality would entail that the ISP could decide who and what gets the best and most bandwidth. They could choose to give certain sites better quality, while pushing others to the backburner. Neutrality would basically leave things as they are.
A couple pros and cons that I can see right off:
Pro-neutrality pros - The flexibility and freedom of the internet is protected. Sites like YouTube, blogger, myspace, and P2P servers are protected.
Pro-neutrality cons - If bandwidth gets tight, people could "hog" all the bandwidth with streaming and P2P programs. You could also have to start paying per bandwidth amount, rather than per month. Consumer prices will increase because of the increase demand of bandwidth.
Anti-neutrality pros - ISPs can better allow for certain streaming of voice and video files, giving you a better experience. There would be tiered pricing by ISPs, allowing you to only pay for what you want.
Anti-neutrality con - Obviously, the reason that certain ISPs would allow premium bandwidth to certain companies and site would be because they would pay the ISPs. Since in the conceivable future everything will be coming to us through the internet (cable, phone line, etc) this could mean that you can only use certain service providers, creating geographic monopolies, which are bad for consumers. Also, sites that focus on freedom and sharing of information are going to be at a disadvantage (sites like YouTube, especially).
For more information, go here and try to figure it out for yourself. And if I've figured this wrong, please let me know. This seems to be a pretty important issue, potentially changing the future of the internet, which is going to get even more important than it already is, I think. If that's possible. Anyways, here are the websites for the various sides For Neutrality and Non-neutrality.
Now, I'm not sure if I really understand the issue, but here's what I've gathers of the gist of it. Basically, non-neutrality would entail that the ISP could decide who and what gets the best and most bandwidth. They could choose to give certain sites better quality, while pushing others to the backburner. Neutrality would basically leave things as they are.
A couple pros and cons that I can see right off:
Pro-neutrality pros - The flexibility and freedom of the internet is protected. Sites like YouTube, blogger, myspace, and P2P servers are protected.
Pro-neutrality cons - If bandwidth gets tight, people could "hog" all the bandwidth with streaming and P2P programs. You could also have to start paying per bandwidth amount, rather than per month. Consumer prices will increase because of the increase demand of bandwidth.
Anti-neutrality pros - ISPs can better allow for certain streaming of voice and video files, giving you a better experience. There would be tiered pricing by ISPs, allowing you to only pay for what you want.
Anti-neutrality con - Obviously, the reason that certain ISPs would allow premium bandwidth to certain companies and site would be because they would pay the ISPs. Since in the conceivable future everything will be coming to us through the internet (cable, phone line, etc) this could mean that you can only use certain service providers, creating geographic monopolies, which are bad for consumers. Also, sites that focus on freedom and sharing of information are going to be at a disadvantage (sites like YouTube, especially).
For more information, go here and try to figure it out for yourself. And if I've figured this wrong, please let me know. This seems to be a pretty important issue, potentially changing the future of the internet, which is going to get even more important than it already is, I think. If that's possible. Anyways, here are the websites for the various sides For Neutrality and Non-neutrality.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Who are the 4400?
A better question would be, "How come I didn't start watching this earlier?"
This show made a tiny blip on my radar last year, but didn't really stick (it also didn't help that I had a very changing schedule last summer, and couldn't regularly watch TV). But this summer I decided that I would start watching it, and this weekend I did.
Basically, this show has everything that I love in TV. Compelling characters, writers and producers who aren't afraid to kill of main characters (making any suspense they create more real), and (most importantly) philosophical issues in every episode. Let me tell you a little about it:
The premise of the show is that since about 1940, people have been disappearing from all over the globe. Then, all of a sudden, they all reappeared in a big ball of light at the base of Mt. Reiner. None of them have aged a day, and they can't remember a thing that happened while they were gone.
So obviously, the first idea (since the ball of light came from space) is aliens. And this isn't put to rest any when some of them start to develop pretty awesome powers. The great thing, though, is that the show isn't technically about the 4400, it's about two NTAC (National Threat Assesment Center, part of Homeland Security) agents who have to investigate these people. Of course, it's not that simple, and these two agents find themselves tied up pretty tightly into the lives of many 4400. So there's action (they're basically the equivalent of FBI agents), Sci-Fi elements, philosophy (especially later they get into matter of ethics - or I could just be reading into it), and interesting characters who have to learn to deal with all sorts of new situations. And because of the nature of the people taken, it's not all about adults learning to deal, there's also teenagers and even kids. And did I mention that the writers aren't afraid to mess people up (emotionally, physically, relationshiply) and even kill them.
I think this might be taking the place of Alias. Too bad it's only on during the summer and has really short seasons. But oh well, I suppose it's a start.
This show made a tiny blip on my radar last year, but didn't really stick (it also didn't help that I had a very changing schedule last summer, and couldn't regularly watch TV). But this summer I decided that I would start watching it, and this weekend I did.
Basically, this show has everything that I love in TV. Compelling characters, writers and producers who aren't afraid to kill of main characters (making any suspense they create more real), and (most importantly) philosophical issues in every episode. Let me tell you a little about it:
The premise of the show is that since about 1940, people have been disappearing from all over the globe. Then, all of a sudden, they all reappeared in a big ball of light at the base of Mt. Reiner. None of them have aged a day, and they can't remember a thing that happened while they were gone.
So obviously, the first idea (since the ball of light came from space) is aliens. And this isn't put to rest any when some of them start to develop pretty awesome powers. The great thing, though, is that the show isn't technically about the 4400, it's about two NTAC (National Threat Assesment Center, part of Homeland Security) agents who have to investigate these people. Of course, it's not that simple, and these two agents find themselves tied up pretty tightly into the lives of many 4400. So there's action (they're basically the equivalent of FBI agents), Sci-Fi elements, philosophy (especially later they get into matter of ethics - or I could just be reading into it), and interesting characters who have to learn to deal with all sorts of new situations. And because of the nature of the people taken, it's not all about adults learning to deal, there's also teenagers and even kids. And did I mention that the writers aren't afraid to mess people up (emotionally, physically, relationshiply) and even kill them.
I think this might be taking the place of Alias. Too bad it's only on during the summer and has really short seasons. But oh well, I suppose it's a start.
Friday, July 07, 2006
It's been that long?
I remember when Billy and I bought our family its first DVD player. It was our Junior year (in high school) Christmas, and we decided that we wanted a DVD player, and the only way to get it would be to "give" it as a present to the whole family. That way we killed two birds with one stone. I know when it was because at the same time I got The Matrix on DVD (because I knew it would look awesome through the DVD player). Now I'm thinking about buying a second DVD player in addition to my dual VCR/DVD player because it can play DivX movies (also the DVD part of my player doesn't work since the remote is broken, so I'm not being excessive).
It's amazing how much growth the home entertainment industry has seen in the past 6 years. And how much my movie collection has grown in the past 3 years.
It's amazing how much growth the home entertainment industry has seen in the past 6 years. And how much my movie collection has grown in the past 3 years.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Year in Review
So the half year mark has come and gone, and it's a little disconcerting. Usually, I have my school schedule to keep my sense of placement in the year real, but not this year. So it was a little strange when I realized about a week ago that it should now be closer to the end of the year than the beginning. And as such, I've decided to post my Year in Review.
Now, most of what this will be about is movies, because the events of my life for the past six months have been pretty mundane and repetitive. So I won't bore you with them. But I will give my opinion on the movies that I've seen in the past six months. And shock you all with their sheer number (and I will show you what a complete loser I am and how much time I spend alone in my room watching movies by the number). But I don't care.
First off, I've seen 139 movies this year. Now, these are movies that I've seen for the first time, so it doesn't count repeat viewings of the same movie. This is actually more like 128 movies, because some of them I didn't see the whole thing (stupid 25 minute drive home from work). To break this up a little bit, I've seen 6 movies in theaters (four that have been released this year), 12 on HBO, and 27 on DVD. That leaves the rest to be seen on TCM. That leaves about 83 to be seen on TCM for those of you who are counting. 87 of the movies I've seen this year have been on one AFI list or another. So that's the numbers, now on to content.
I really think I'm going to be unable to pick a favorite movie seen this year, mostly because of the sheer number of really great ones that I've seen, but I'll break it up into categories and hopefully make some desicisions.
First, on the AFI lists:
Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Thrill: Rear Window
Comedy: Bringing Up Baby
Passion: It Happened One Night
Hero: Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
Villain: Hannibal Lector (The Silence of the Lambs)
Non-AFI movie: Dark City
Close runners up were: Some Like It Hot, Ball of Fire, The Quiet Man, On the Waterfront, and To Have and Have Not.
My favorite book has been: The Once and Future King
Favorite Season of TV: Firefly
So there's my boring recap of the year - hopefully the rest of the year will see me doing something other than sitting around watchign more movies.
But I doubt it.
Now, most of what this will be about is movies, because the events of my life for the past six months have been pretty mundane and repetitive. So I won't bore you with them. But I will give my opinion on the movies that I've seen in the past six months. And shock you all with their sheer number (and I will show you what a complete loser I am and how much time I spend alone in my room watching movies by the number). But I don't care.
First off, I've seen 139 movies this year. Now, these are movies that I've seen for the first time, so it doesn't count repeat viewings of the same movie. This is actually more like 128 movies, because some of them I didn't see the whole thing (stupid 25 minute drive home from work). To break this up a little bit, I've seen 6 movies in theaters (four that have been released this year), 12 on HBO, and 27 on DVD. That leaves the rest to be seen on TCM. That leaves about 83 to be seen on TCM for those of you who are counting. 87 of the movies I've seen this year have been on one AFI list or another. So that's the numbers, now on to content.
I really think I'm going to be unable to pick a favorite movie seen this year, mostly because of the sheer number of really great ones that I've seen, but I'll break it up into categories and hopefully make some desicisions.
First, on the AFI lists:
Film: Lawrence of Arabia
Thrill: Rear Window
Comedy: Bringing Up Baby
Passion: It Happened One Night
Hero: Atticus Finch (To Kill A Mockingbird)
Villain: Hannibal Lector (The Silence of the Lambs)
Non-AFI movie: Dark City
Close runners up were: Some Like It Hot, Ball of Fire, The Quiet Man, On the Waterfront, and To Have and Have Not.
My favorite book has been: The Once and Future King
Favorite Season of TV: Firefly
So there's my boring recap of the year - hopefully the rest of the year will see me doing something other than sitting around watchign more movies.
But I doubt it.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
I miss the cold
I think summer officially starts soon, and I’m definitely missing my winter. Don’t get me wrong, I love the summer. I love that it stays light until 9:00 (even if it does make it so I never want to go to sleep) and I love playing games outside in the heat. I love all the fun things that go along with summer – outside concerts, swim parties, and camping. But winter is my season.
For one, it’s always associated with soccer for me. High school soccer season ran all winter long, and even if it wasn’t technically winter when I played up on Spokane, it still felt like what a Bakersfield winter feels like. Then there’s all the snow activities of the winter, even if I haven’t had much of them lately. Snowball fights, snow football and soccer, and most importantly snowboarding are only possible in the winter.
Of course the winter also has its drawbacks. Fog means waking up earlier than I would like, and the fact that it’s still dark until about 6:30 makes waking up early difficult. Living in Spokane during the winter meant adding at least half an hour to any drive time, not to mention digging cars out of the snow and walking carefully because of ice. Actually, ice was awesome because you could have contests about who would fall the least and the most because of ice, and watching it happen is great, but still inconvenient.
I miss wearing layers. Winter is my favorite clothing season (did I just say I have a favorite clothing season? Wow), mostly because it’s the easiest. It’s very easy to dress appropriate for the weather (you don’t have to guess if it’s going to be warm or cold – it’s going to be cold), and I love wearing long sleeves. And scarves and beanies. And especially sweatshirts and vests. And gloves. And mittens. I wish I could wear winter clothing all year long.
So here’s to decreasing marginal time until it’s winter again, now that spring is over. Yay for winter being close than it is far awayFriday, June 30, 2006
Non-stop party
Wednesday night officially kicked off the non-stop party that is going to last a week around here. What started out as a random small trip down to LA to go to Hotel Café turned into a random big trip. Monday night, Chris, Rachel, and Jessica were sitting around playing cards and listening to some music when somebody (Jessica, I think) said, “I really like her (the musician playing). We should go and hear her play!” As it turns out, she was playing in Hotel Café (an old stomping ground of Jessica’s) and a trip was planned.
I decided at about 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon to join the trip down, even though it meant getting little sleep on Wednesday night and suffering through two more days of work, and somehow convinced Robert to join us down there, also. So we all went down to Hollywood and had a very enjoyable night. I was thinking about sleeping on the drive back (Chris was driving, not me) but seeing how we hadn’t seen each other for half a week, we had way too many movies to talk about, and I didn’t manage to take a nap.
Last night was my break from the party, because it’s very dangerous for me to hang out with people on Thursday nights. I think the weekend feels way too close, so I figure that I can stay up later than I probably should, and I didn’t want to compound Wednesday night with a late Thursday night.
Saturday I should be going to the beach with some of my family (not sure who’s going to go) which should be relaxing. I look forward to being cold (somewhat) again. Then on Sunday I’m trying to put together a poker night (for any who are interested), Monday night is our official freedom celebration (because we won’t be able to have a late night on Tuesday) with everybody, and Tuesday night I’ll probably be doing something small.
I’m hoping to somehow manage to fit in seeing Superman Returns, and perhaps even Cars this weekend, as well as finish up my last season of Gilmore Girls, maybe watch an AFI movie or two, and finish up all the interview write ups for my aunt by Wednesday.
So it’s going to be a very busy week, and I hope that I manage my sleep well enough that I don’t need to sleep through any of the festivities. After all, who needs sleep? It’s way overrated.
I decided at about 2:30 on Wednesday afternoon to join the trip down, even though it meant getting little sleep on Wednesday night and suffering through two more days of work, and somehow convinced Robert to join us down there, also. So we all went down to Hollywood and had a very enjoyable night. I was thinking about sleeping on the drive back (Chris was driving, not me) but seeing how we hadn’t seen each other for half a week, we had way too many movies to talk about, and I didn’t manage to take a nap.
Last night was my break from the party, because it’s very dangerous for me to hang out with people on Thursday nights. I think the weekend feels way too close, so I figure that I can stay up later than I probably should, and I didn’t want to compound Wednesday night with a late Thursday night.
Saturday I should be going to the beach with some of my family (not sure who’s going to go) which should be relaxing. I look forward to being cold (somewhat) again. Then on Sunday I’m trying to put together a poker night (for any who are interested), Monday night is our official freedom celebration (because we won’t be able to have a late night on Tuesday) with everybody, and Tuesday night I’ll probably be doing something small.
I’m hoping to somehow manage to fit in seeing Superman Returns, and perhaps even Cars this weekend, as well as finish up my last season of Gilmore Girls, maybe watch an AFI movie or two, and finish up all the interview write ups for my aunt by Wednesday.
So it’s going to be a very busy week, and I hope that I manage my sleep well enough that I don’t need to sleep through any of the festivities. After all, who needs sleep? It’s way overrated.
Tuesday, June 27, 2006
I know who it's going to be!
I so knew it. Harry and Hermoine are going to bite it, leaving the road clear for Ron and Ginny to express their true feelings for one another. Or is it the other way around?
And yes, I'm so starting a HP Death Pool. Details will be forthcoming, so starting thinking about who you're going to pick. It will probably be connected with my HP The Series Death Pool (meaning the publication of the last book). Okay, so we all know it's not going to be the death of the series, but then the pools will go together so nicely.
And yes, I'm so starting a HP Death Pool. Details will be forthcoming, so starting thinking about who you're going to pick. It will probably be connected with my HP The Series Death Pool (meaning the publication of the last book). Okay, so we all know it's not going to be the death of the series, but then the pools will go together so nicely.
Monday, June 26, 2006
Joseph Campbell is my hero!
There are a couple of reasons that I think Gilmore Girls is one of the best TV shows (still) on. Two obvious reasons for this:
1) In the episode on Spring Break, The Power of Myth was used as a running joke. Rory's character has seen it five times.
2) While discussing movie night, Lorelei has to ask Luke which movies he has seen and lists (in this order): Casablanca, Chinatown, Bonnie and Clyde, It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Those writers have amazing taste.
And the original Gone in 60 Seconds was on tonight - lots of old mustangs are ugly. Am I un-American for saying that? I think I should re-watch The Power of Myth in celebration of the fact that Superman is coming out soon. Because what is a cooler myth than the story of Superman? That's right, nothing.
1) In the episode on Spring Break, The Power of Myth was used as a running joke. Rory's character has seen it five times.
2) While discussing movie night, Lorelei has to ask Luke which movies he has seen and lists (in this order): Casablanca, Chinatown, Bonnie and Clyde, It Happened One Night, His Girl Friday, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Those writers have amazing taste.
And the original Gone in 60 Seconds was on tonight - lots of old mustangs are ugly. Am I un-American for saying that? I think I should re-watch The Power of Myth in celebration of the fact that Superman is coming out soon. Because what is a cooler myth than the story of Superman? That's right, nothing.
Sunday, June 25, 2006
Ice cream and one-handed cartwheels
Rite Aid is a very interesting store. When I worked at camp, it was pretty much the only store that you had to go to if you needed something, and my roommates and I would take many a late night trip down there (mostly for ice cream). I was very saddened to hear that in Washington the Rite Aids don't have ice cream. And I got some very weird looks the first time I suggest Rite Aid for ice cream.
Lately I've been thinking about watching Silence of the Lambs, because I had never seen the whole thing. I had seen the beginning, but that was about it. So last night in my dream I invented a plot for it, and decided it was finally time to watch it. The dream was very interesting, though. It involved Anthony Hopkins doing one-handed cartwheels (I'm sure they're called something else) and a very long wooden, suspended walkway over a bay to the house that he was hiding in.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with the actual movie, but it was fun. Then I was woken to the sound of my dad doing yard work at 7:30, and had a great morning.
Lately I've been thinking about watching Silence of the Lambs, because I had never seen the whole thing. I had seen the beginning, but that was about it. So last night in my dream I invented a plot for it, and decided it was finally time to watch it. The dream was very interesting, though. It involved Anthony Hopkins doing one-handed cartwheels (I'm sure they're called something else) and a very long wooden, suspended walkway over a bay to the house that he was hiding in.
Of course, none of this had anything to do with the actual movie, but it was fun. Then I was woken to the sound of my dad doing yard work at 7:30, and had a great morning.
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