You gotta love friends being in town. After I spent Thursday recuperating from my trip home by lazing in my pjs, doing puzzles, and sleeping Friday was a time to get out and get going. I planned to meet Monica and Brooke for lunch downtown but that didn’t quite happen. Brooke came over after lunch and we got to chat a little bit and then headed to the train where we met Dave and then were off to Ba-Ba-Re-Ba for some Tapas and Sangria. Monica and Lakeiya met us there. Hooray for lots of friends! After four pitchers of sangria and delicious tapas, one of which looked like a caramel covered nutty poo (but was incredibly delicious) we though it would be an excellent idea to travel far out west for Karaoke.
Sadly, I had forgotten my check card but since I was with friends they made sure I wasn’t too thirsty during the singing festivities. That’s what friends are for. Brooke and Monica’s band, The Obnoxious Hollering Assholes, made their official debut, which is funny because I am kind of the only friend who isn’t in the band in some way shape or form. Apparently you have to ask them to be in the band and I thought they should just ask me because I am so obviously talented. Guess not. On the way to karaoke Dave became the costume designer and Lakeiya became their lawyer. I was still just chillin. Anyway, I am now at least something since I had a fairly large part in the debut. Our first two numbers were a complete group effort (Brooke’s first time up on the karaoke stage) and were both completely Asshole type songs.
Lakeiya had to go home at around ten because she is a sleepy little girl who likes to go home. Plus she lives in the suburbs and it takes her a while to get anywhere. I guess it was acceptable. Monica and I both did atrocious solo songs. We both decided not to do those songs again. I should have sung The Letter instead. We should know better then to get up and sing when we are afraid. We are never afraid to get up there. It was a sign. Dave and Brooke did an awesome rendition of a karaoke staple, which sealed the deal for Brooke becoming a full fledged karaoke lover. We then closed out the night with a very fast song with hard to pronounce words. I can’t believe we sang it as well as we did. Our voices were totally sore and horrible when we were done but it was totally worth it. 2am it was and obviously time to go home.
It took us a while to get out of there, being that the place is in the middle of nowhere, and it was rather extremely chilly but cabs came and we got in them and then were able to get to our homes. Today should also be a good time. We plan to eat burgers and drink bad sangria (not to be confused with the delicious sangria at Ba-ba-re-ba) at Moody’s. Should be a good time. I have once again made a post and it isn’t yet 2008. However, as I got an awesome laptop for Christmas, it makes posting wile doing other things much easier and therefore possible.
For the songs today I will use the ones we sang for karaoke in the order of which they were sang. This does mean six songs instead of five but it just seems right. Obviously, Monica and Brooke have no business answering these.
1. I pulled into Nazareth/ I was feelin' about half past dead/ I just need some place/where I can lay my head. (sung awesomely by the Obnoxious Hollering Assholes) The Weight, The Band. Identified by Johnny Yen.
2. He went out tiger hunting with his elephant and gun/ In case of accidents he always took his mom (sung awesomely by the Obnoxious Hollering Assholes). The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill, The Beatles. Identified by Johnny Yen.
3. He came from somewhere back in her long ago/ The sentimental fool don’t see/ Tryin hard to recreate/ What had yet to be created once in her life (sung quite poorly by Monica) What A Fool Believes, The Doobie Brothers. Identified by Johnny Yen.
4. Heard of a van that’s loaded with weapons/ Packed up and ready to go/ Heard of some gravesites/ Out by the highway/ A place where nobody knows (sung quite poorly by Natalie). Life During Wartime, The Talking Heads. Identified by Johnny Yen.
5. Twenty-five years and my life is still/ Trying to get up that great big hill/ of hope/ For a destination (sung incredibly awesomely by Brooke and Dave). What's Up. 4 Non Blondes. identified (with the wrong title) by Mom.
6. Harry Truman/ Doris Day/ Red China/ Johnny Ray/ South pacific/ Walter Winchell/ Joe DiMaggio (sung surprisingly well by The Obnoxious Hollering Assholes (although Lakeiya had left)). We Didn't Start The Fire, by Billy Joel. Identified by CS.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Sunday, December 23, 2007
SCRABBLE WITH MOM
I hadn’t planned to write between my last post and 2008 but since I have been home I have played two games of scrabble with my mother and I have won both of them. This is a virtually unheard of occurance. The first game was actually a blowout, 408-277. I scored 247 points in five turns, one of which I lost because I put up a totally made up word. If you are a scrabble player you know this is a rather awesome feat. The second game was a tight one. She was about to beat me, although not by more than 30 pts or so, when I got a seven letter word at a point where only three letters were left in the bag. She was still about ten points ahead and the last three letters that I picked were H, S, and Z. I took a deep breath and asked her if it was ok to play a word that I knew exised but was not in any of the dictonaries that we had. She agreed that if I was sure it was ok. She knows I am no cheat. So I played “za” with the Z on a double letter score, sending me over the edge. I ended with “his” on a double word sore for a final of 358-336. I also informed her that “qi” is now legal.
As I am sitting here in my parents room watching a Mingus DVD that my sister got for Christmas from her roommates I have no ipod and will not post any new songs.
1. Today was the day/ For dancing and for singing/ The birds in the trees/ And all the bells are ringing. Slide Show, by Travis.
2. My head’s been lying dormant like a sleepy little mouse/ What I have inside me it’s enough to fill a house. Swimming Pool, by Camera Obscura.
3. Repair the hull/ Replace the sail/ The monkey wrestles with the ghost. Sea Shanty, by Quasi.
4. City bird/ Haven’t you heard/ hasn’t anybody told you/ the city blocks can hold you/ Your place is in the sky how can I show you. City Bird, by Of Montreal.
5. A wanna be gangster thinking he’s a wise guy/ rob another bank he’s a sock em in the eye guy. If You Have to Ask, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Identified by, Jason.
As I am sitting here in my parents room watching a Mingus DVD that my sister got for Christmas from her roommates I have no ipod and will not post any new songs.
1. Today was the day/ For dancing and for singing/ The birds in the trees/ And all the bells are ringing. Slide Show, by Travis.
2. My head’s been lying dormant like a sleepy little mouse/ What I have inside me it’s enough to fill a house. Swimming Pool, by Camera Obscura.
3. Repair the hull/ Replace the sail/ The monkey wrestles with the ghost. Sea Shanty, by Quasi.
4. City bird/ Haven’t you heard/ hasn’t anybody told you/ the city blocks can hold you/ Your place is in the sky how can I show you. City Bird, by Of Montreal.
5. A wanna be gangster thinking he’s a wise guy/ rob another bank he’s a sock em in the eye guy. If You Have to Ask, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Identified by, Jason.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
THOUGHTS ON 07
2007, it was a year. A year full of stuff and things. A year full of times of various types. It was a year that brought some changes and I have a feeling will be one that will serve to lead me into the next chapter of life, or something like that.
Despite going from Ma’am to Miss I feel that I have done a lot of growing up this year. I feel like I have come to realize that the time for not knowing and just kind of muddling through life with absolutely no direction may be coming to an end. The end isn’t around the corner or anything, probably down the street a few blocks, a mile or so south, and somewhat east. Either way, it is a lot closer than it was before.
Making a career change has been something on my mind since I made the failed change in late 2005 and went back to Jobs For Youth, albeit in a much better position, in 2006. I think the change I have just made is a good one though, one that will not only help me to better construct my life in many ways. I think I am actually around people who want me to grow and change and transform rather than people who just want me to do what I do and do it well. It’s refreshing.
It was also a good year for fun. I’m not the type of person who loves to get out and do things and 2007 provided me many opportunities to have fun without going out and doing things. The PS3 came into my life. I fell in love with Attack of the Show and Ninja Warrior. I was made incredibly happy by two Of Montreal shows. TV was particularly enjoyable this year. I also did get the chance to get out on a regular but not overwhelming basis, which was quite nice. I even got Tony to play a decent amount of scrabble.
Pretty good year.
1. Today was the day/ For dancing and for singing/ The birds in the trees/ And all the bells are ringing
2. My head’s been lying dormant like a sleepy little mouse/ What I have inside me it’s enough to fill a house
3. Repair the hull/ Replace the sail/ The monkey wrestles with the ghost
4. City bird/ Haven’t you heard/ hasn’t anybody told you/ the city blocks can hold you/ Your place is in the sky how can I show you
5. A wanna be gangster thinking he’s a wise guy/ rob another bank he’s a sock em in the eye guy. If You Have to Ask, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Identified by, Jason.
Despite going from Ma’am to Miss I feel that I have done a lot of growing up this year. I feel like I have come to realize that the time for not knowing and just kind of muddling through life with absolutely no direction may be coming to an end. The end isn’t around the corner or anything, probably down the street a few blocks, a mile or so south, and somewhat east. Either way, it is a lot closer than it was before.
Making a career change has been something on my mind since I made the failed change in late 2005 and went back to Jobs For Youth, albeit in a much better position, in 2006. I think the change I have just made is a good one though, one that will not only help me to better construct my life in many ways. I think I am actually around people who want me to grow and change and transform rather than people who just want me to do what I do and do it well. It’s refreshing.
It was also a good year for fun. I’m not the type of person who loves to get out and do things and 2007 provided me many opportunities to have fun without going out and doing things. The PS3 came into my life. I fell in love with Attack of the Show and Ninja Warrior. I was made incredibly happy by two Of Montreal shows. TV was particularly enjoyable this year. I also did get the chance to get out on a regular but not overwhelming basis, which was quite nice. I even got Tony to play a decent amount of scrabble.
Pretty good year.
1. Today was the day/ For dancing and for singing/ The birds in the trees/ And all the bells are ringing
2. My head’s been lying dormant like a sleepy little mouse/ What I have inside me it’s enough to fill a house
3. Repair the hull/ Replace the sail/ The monkey wrestles with the ghost
4. City bird/ Haven’t you heard/ hasn’t anybody told you/ the city blocks can hold you/ Your place is in the sky how can I show you
5. A wanna be gangster thinking he’s a wise guy/ rob another bank he’s a sock em in the eye guy. If You Have to Ask, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Identified by, Jason.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
R.O.U.S LIVES
Remember The Princess Bride? It was a great film and I wanted to hug it. The movie had everything you could possibly want, comedy, romance, suspense, sword fighting, and revenge. It also had the Fire Swamp, a place that terrified me as a young person. The idea of catching on fire was not pleasant, even with the loud sound that warned you of the upcoming conflagration. Then there was the lightning sand. Quicker than quicksand this stuff was seriously dangerous, but as long as you didn’t step in it you were ok. No, the true terror of the fire swamp was the R.O.U.S (Rodent of Unusual Size). This guy was horrible. He was a rat the size of a dog, and not a small dog either. I took heed in the fact that they were not real. Or should I say they weren’t real. Researchers discovered a R.O.U.S in the Indonesian jungle. He is still the size of a dog, albeit a much smaller dog that the original R.O.U.S. Check him out.
On a happier note (I think), while reading Metromix’s review of the top 10 albums of 2007 I was pleased to see none other than Of Montreal’s Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer which I continue to listen to like mad and have even begun to like The Past is a Grotesque Animal and to almost tolerate Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider. Who knew? While I am incredibly glad the album has been recognized I wonder if that will make it inherently less cool. They wrote “A playful yet intense batch of neuroses from frontman Kevin Barnes, indie rock’s prince of fuzzy glam weirdness.” I guess it’s a pretty accurate portrayal. How about the video for Gronlandic Edit (my favorite song on the album) for you all to enjoy. Why? Cause it’s awesome.
1. Today was the day/ For dancing and for singing/ The birds in the trees/ And all the bells are ringing
2. My head’s been lying dormant like a sleepy little mouse/ What I have inside me it’s enough to fill a house
3. Repair the hull/ Replace the sail/ The monkey wrestles with the ghost
4. City bird/ Haven’t you heard/ hasn’t anybody told you/ the city blocks can hold you/ Your place is in the sky how can I show you
5. She called me up today/ Meet me down at the old café/ I jumped into the shower/ I was getting my marching orders. Step Into My Office, Baby by Belle and Sebastian. Identified by Chatty Knitter
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
ADVERTISEMENTS LIE
So I watched about 50% of the Vikings Bears game last night and although I haven’t seen sloppier football played for a while the end result was just fine with me. I always think it is mean when teams who have little or no chance at the playoffs beat teams who have something of a chance. I know they get paid to win no matter what but sometimes I think it is more sportsmanlike to make sure some fellow players get their dream. Actually throwing games may be the epitome of being unsportsmanlike so never mind.
While I was not watching the game I was watching the Extras finale. What a depressing show. It made me want to cry repeatedly while slapping the people who were making me cry. I guess that is something of an accomplishment.
Note to self: stop being taken in by commercials about pizza.
A while ago there was that Dominoes commercial about the garlicky crust pizza with the guys who had extra big sensory organs. They made the pizza look so incredibly delicious. I don’t do Dominoes pizza, it was been pounded into my head that they have some political leanings I don’t believe in (although who knows if that has changed since the mid 80s) and the pizza is relatively disgusting on top of it. Pizza Hut, on the other hand, is a guilty pleasure of mine. Man that stuffed crust is awesome. I do realize that I live in Chicago and if I want a delicious pizza there are far better options but sometimes I just want some of the Hut. Anyway, Pizza Hut had this new double deep pizza that looked pretty delicious in the commercials. I wanted to eat it. While it wasn’t disgusting, it certainly wasn’t as delicious as my typical Pizza Hut pizza. I swear that pizza commercials will not take me in anymore. I am always disappointed when I open the box. Actually, this happens with many food items I see on TV and think look delicious. They never look the same on my plate as on the TV. I take that back, there is one product, the ice cream I have seen on TV is just as delicious if not more so when I try it. I love ice cream.
Note to self: When you get up early to go to a breakfast at work, don’t eat breakfast before you go.
I don’t know what I was thinking. I mean I got up an hour early specifically to go to breakfast. However, as part of my typical morning routine I ate breakfast. What a dumbass. There was fruit at the breakfast though and I hadn’t eaten any fruit already so I had some but not as much as I would have if I hadn’t already eaten. Stupid stupid stupid.
1. Across the lines/ who would dare to go/ Under the bridge/ Over the tracks/ That separate Whites from Blacks. Across The Lines, Tracy Chapman. Identified by Mom.
2. Today was the day/ For dancing and for singing/ The birds in the trees/ And all the bells are ringing
3. Goodbye Cruel World/ I’m leaving you today/ Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye. Goodbye Cruel World, Pink Floyd. Identified by Auld Hat
4. My head’s been lying dormant like a sleepy little mouse/ What I have inside me it’s enough to fill a house
5. Repair the hull/ Replace the sail/ The monkey wrestles with the ghost
While I was not watching the game I was watching the Extras finale. What a depressing show. It made me want to cry repeatedly while slapping the people who were making me cry. I guess that is something of an accomplishment.
Note to self: stop being taken in by commercials about pizza.
A while ago there was that Dominoes commercial about the garlicky crust pizza with the guys who had extra big sensory organs. They made the pizza look so incredibly delicious. I don’t do Dominoes pizza, it was been pounded into my head that they have some political leanings I don’t believe in (although who knows if that has changed since the mid 80s) and the pizza is relatively disgusting on top of it. Pizza Hut, on the other hand, is a guilty pleasure of mine. Man that stuffed crust is awesome. I do realize that I live in Chicago and if I want a delicious pizza there are far better options but sometimes I just want some of the Hut. Anyway, Pizza Hut had this new double deep pizza that looked pretty delicious in the commercials. I wanted to eat it. While it wasn’t disgusting, it certainly wasn’t as delicious as my typical Pizza Hut pizza. I swear that pizza commercials will not take me in anymore. I am always disappointed when I open the box. Actually, this happens with many food items I see on TV and think look delicious. They never look the same on my plate as on the TV. I take that back, there is one product, the ice cream I have seen on TV is just as delicious if not more so when I try it. I love ice cream.
Note to self: When you get up early to go to a breakfast at work, don’t eat breakfast before you go.
I don’t know what I was thinking. I mean I got up an hour early specifically to go to breakfast. However, as part of my typical morning routine I ate breakfast. What a dumbass. There was fruit at the breakfast though and I hadn’t eaten any fruit already so I had some but not as much as I would have if I hadn’t already eaten. Stupid stupid stupid.
1. Across the lines/ who would dare to go/ Under the bridge/ Over the tracks/ That separate Whites from Blacks. Across The Lines, Tracy Chapman. Identified by Mom.
2. Today was the day/ For dancing and for singing/ The birds in the trees/ And all the bells are ringing
3. Goodbye Cruel World/ I’m leaving you today/ Goodbye Goodbye Goodbye. Goodbye Cruel World, Pink Floyd. Identified by Auld Hat
4. My head’s been lying dormant like a sleepy little mouse/ What I have inside me it’s enough to fill a house
5. Repair the hull/ Replace the sail/ The monkey wrestles with the ghost
Monday, December 17, 2007
SO VERY FESTIVE
I’m getting the holiday spirit in full force. I spoke to my friend, Friend, and found out that she will be here for a nice chunk of time and I will be able to hang out with her as I have no work and I am incredibly excited about that. I also found out that friend Lakeiya is coming to town for a week or so as well. YEAH! I miss Lakeiya so much. Monica and I will have to do something fun with her. I feel all festive and warm and fuzzy thinking of their smiling faces.
Tony and I made reservations for New Years Dinner at MK, a swanky type spot. We opted for the earlier dinner seating because eating at 7 costs about 35 less than eating at eight although Tony was hoping for a slightly later meal. Oh well. We are only allowed 90min at the table before they kick us out but that is a pretty long dinner for the two of us. We are not slow eaters. We opted for MK because the samples of dinners on the prix fixe menu sounded yummy to Tony and they also have a vegetarian prix fixe option. Two years ago we went to The Green Zebra, a 90% vegetarian restaurant, for New Years (which was 100% vegetarian) I loved the food but Tony wanted some meat. This will work out well. Plus, Tony really wanted a reason to wear a suit. That means when we show up to Dave’s party we’ll be all swanky. That might suck as we head to the beach for fireworks…. Oh well, make it work. Awesome.
And now for something completely different, a very short and very hilarious video spot courtesy of “Tim and Eric Awesome Show Good Job”.
By the way Tim and Eric to have an awesome show and every time it is over I want to say, "good job". They have wonderful guests like Fred Willard, Bob Odenkirk, and John C Riley. They are on adult swim. You might like it.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. The Mariner's Revenge, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still. Fast as You Can, Fiona Apple (I know people don't laugh)
3. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through. Song of Joy, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Identified by Brooke.
4. Sleepwalking through the all night drugstore/ Baptized in fluorescent light/ I found religion in the greeting card aisle/ And now I know Hallmark was right. Superhero, Ani DiFranco. Identified by Brooke.
5. Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as /parklife/And morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as/ parklife. Parklife, Blur. Identified by Brooke.
Tony and I made reservations for New Years Dinner at MK, a swanky type spot. We opted for the earlier dinner seating because eating at 7 costs about 35 less than eating at eight although Tony was hoping for a slightly later meal. Oh well. We are only allowed 90min at the table before they kick us out but that is a pretty long dinner for the two of us. We are not slow eaters. We opted for MK because the samples of dinners on the prix fixe menu sounded yummy to Tony and they also have a vegetarian prix fixe option. Two years ago we went to The Green Zebra, a 90% vegetarian restaurant, for New Years (which was 100% vegetarian) I loved the food but Tony wanted some meat. This will work out well. Plus, Tony really wanted a reason to wear a suit. That means when we show up to Dave’s party we’ll be all swanky. That might suck as we head to the beach for fireworks…. Oh well, make it work. Awesome.
And now for something completely different, a very short and very hilarious video spot courtesy of “Tim and Eric Awesome Show Good Job”.
By the way Tim and Eric to have an awesome show and every time it is over I want to say, "good job". They have wonderful guests like Fred Willard, Bob Odenkirk, and John C Riley. They are on adult swim. You might like it.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. The Mariner's Revenge, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still. Fast as You Can, Fiona Apple (I know people don't laugh)
3. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through. Song of Joy, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Identified by Brooke.
4. Sleepwalking through the all night drugstore/ Baptized in fluorescent light/ I found religion in the greeting card aisle/ And now I know Hallmark was right. Superhero, Ani DiFranco. Identified by Brooke.
5. Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as /parklife/And morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as/ parklife. Parklife, Blur. Identified by Brooke.
Friday, December 14, 2007
IT'S ALMOST TIME
I finished all my x-mas shopping this morning. I even stayed under budget by a whopping $6.50. Everything is being shipped to my parent’s house because while my stuff is all guaranteed to arrive by Dec 24th, I will be leaving my home on the 21st so that would be no good. How glad am I that I didn’t wait until the shipping guarantee was about to expire. I was truly afraid that I was going to fall into that your stuff can’t be delivered on time so you will actually have to go to the store trap. I actually tried to go to the store yesterday for some things but even with a 30% discount stuff was cheaper online. Not a good sign for stores.
I am so excited to go home for the holidays and this next week will be a hard one. I have plenty to keep me busy at work but I am still yearning for my vacation. Tony and I will be apart yet again on x-mas day. I want to go home and he wants to go home and we haven’t figured out a way to compromise. We are toying with the idea of trying to do both next year. Who knows, it might work. Our next challenge is to find somewhere to eat for New Years. We better get on that stat. I am sure it will be hard to get a table anywhere. After dinner it will be all about Dave’s party, which probably means going out to the lake to look at “fireworks”. Should be fun.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still
3. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through
4. Sleepwalking through the all night drugstore/ Baptized in fluorescent light/ I found religion in the greeting card aisle/ And now I know Hallmark was right.
5. Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as /parklife/And morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as/ parklife
I am so excited to go home for the holidays and this next week will be a hard one. I have plenty to keep me busy at work but I am still yearning for my vacation. Tony and I will be apart yet again on x-mas day. I want to go home and he wants to go home and we haven’t figured out a way to compromise. We are toying with the idea of trying to do both next year. Who knows, it might work. Our next challenge is to find somewhere to eat for New Years. We better get on that stat. I am sure it will be hard to get a table anywhere. After dinner it will be all about Dave’s party, which probably means going out to the lake to look at “fireworks”. Should be fun.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still
3. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through
4. Sleepwalking through the all night drugstore/ Baptized in fluorescent light/ I found religion in the greeting card aisle/ And now I know Hallmark was right.
5. Confidence is a preference for the habitual voyeur of what is known as /parklife/And morning soup can be avoided if you take a route straight through what is known as/ parklife
Thursday, December 13, 2007
3 UNRELATED THINGS
There are a few things of interest for me to say today.
1. Ike Turner is dead.
Typically when I read about the deaths of people who have had some sort of musical influence I get pretty sad. Sad wasn’t really an emotion that I initially felt when I read about good old Ike. I’m not saying that I was happy to hear of it either. Just because someone was a bad abusive beater doesn’t mean that I think they should necessarily die. Basically I was confused. I was confused that I wasn’t sad and I was confused that I didn’t feel bad about not being sad and then I decided that I would just let it go. So I did.
2. Sticky Toffee Pudding Ice Cream is awesome.
Some time ago Haagan Dazs had a contest to find a new ice cream flavor. They narrowed it down from five finalists who got to create three versions of their product, get it reviewed by judges and then choose one ultimate example of what their flavor should be. The five finalists were: Chocolate malt, Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle, Something with Fig, Cannoli, and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Out of those I wanted to taste the fig, the brittle, and the Sticky Toffee Pudding. I absolutely hate chocolate ice cream so the malt was out of the question and I have never been a huge fan of cannolis. At the first elimination the fig and Malt got the ax so the remaining three went cross country for taste tests. Apparently Sticky Toffee Pudding blew everyone out of the water and was ultimately named the winning flavor thus being put into production.
Sticky Toffee Pudding is sticky and there is some toffee type thing going on but it is definitely not a pudding in the sense that I would think of pudding. It is more like cake. In fact, it is like a moist delicious spice cake. It is then topped with a sticky toffee sauce. In fact, it is remarkably like Dave’s Gravy cake but with different flavors. It also has a name that you just can’t help but say. I wanted some!
Our neighborhood store doesn’t have the largest ice cream selection and I have not seen Sticky Toffee Pudding there. Months and months passed since I watched the pick a new flavor special on the food network and I had essentially forgotten about it. Then, while picking up my prescriptions I walked past the ice cream case and there it was. I had to pick some up. I want to hug it. The spice cake is simply wonderful and spicy and great. The Sticky toffee sauce is very sugary but simply divine. I am so glad they made it.
3. I heart dinosaurs
When I was younger I loved Dinosaurs. What kid didn’t? Last night on the National Geographic Channel there was some great dino stuff going on. First they found a pit of dinosaur fossils in China. There were hundreds of dinosaurs on site and in one particular pit they found five (4 different species) piled one on top of the other. How cool. Unfortunately, I was falling asleep and only got to understand some parts of the show. Luckily it taped so I can learn more later. That show was followed by one where they found a “dinomummy” and were going to put it though a cat scan. Awesome. I was totally asleep by that point but I watched a little this morning. You could see scales and everything and they learned that this species had a much bigger ass than was previously believed. It also had different sized scales which lead them to reconstruct a striped pattern on its body. I can’t wait to see what else they uncover. It made me feel five again.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. To me/ Coming from you/ Friend is a four letter word/ End is the only part of the word/ That I heard. Friend is a Four Letter Word, Cake. Identified by Phil
3. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still
4. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through
5. Sleepwalking through the all night drugstore/ Baptized in flourescent light/ I found religion in the greeting card aisle/ And now I know Hallmark was right.
1. Ike Turner is dead.
Typically when I read about the deaths of people who have had some sort of musical influence I get pretty sad. Sad wasn’t really an emotion that I initially felt when I read about good old Ike. I’m not saying that I was happy to hear of it either. Just because someone was a bad abusive beater doesn’t mean that I think they should necessarily die. Basically I was confused. I was confused that I wasn’t sad and I was confused that I didn’t feel bad about not being sad and then I decided that I would just let it go. So I did.
2. Sticky Toffee Pudding Ice Cream is awesome.
Some time ago Haagan Dazs had a contest to find a new ice cream flavor. They narrowed it down from five finalists who got to create three versions of their product, get it reviewed by judges and then choose one ultimate example of what their flavor should be. The five finalists were: Chocolate malt, Toasted Coconut Sesame Brittle, Something with Fig, Cannoli, and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Out of those I wanted to taste the fig, the brittle, and the Sticky Toffee Pudding. I absolutely hate chocolate ice cream so the malt was out of the question and I have never been a huge fan of cannolis. At the first elimination the fig and Malt got the ax so the remaining three went cross country for taste tests. Apparently Sticky Toffee Pudding blew everyone out of the water and was ultimately named the winning flavor thus being put into production.
Sticky Toffee Pudding is sticky and there is some toffee type thing going on but it is definitely not a pudding in the sense that I would think of pudding. It is more like cake. In fact, it is like a moist delicious spice cake. It is then topped with a sticky toffee sauce. In fact, it is remarkably like Dave’s Gravy cake but with different flavors. It also has a name that you just can’t help but say. I wanted some!
Our neighborhood store doesn’t have the largest ice cream selection and I have not seen Sticky Toffee Pudding there. Months and months passed since I watched the pick a new flavor special on the food network and I had essentially forgotten about it. Then, while picking up my prescriptions I walked past the ice cream case and there it was. I had to pick some up. I want to hug it. The spice cake is simply wonderful and spicy and great. The Sticky toffee sauce is very sugary but simply divine. I am so glad they made it.
3. I heart dinosaurs
When I was younger I loved Dinosaurs. What kid didn’t? Last night on the National Geographic Channel there was some great dino stuff going on. First they found a pit of dinosaur fossils in China. There were hundreds of dinosaurs on site and in one particular pit they found five (4 different species) piled one on top of the other. How cool. Unfortunately, I was falling asleep and only got to understand some parts of the show. Luckily it taped so I can learn more later. That show was followed by one where they found a “dinomummy” and were going to put it though a cat scan. Awesome. I was totally asleep by that point but I watched a little this morning. You could see scales and everything and they learned that this species had a much bigger ass than was previously believed. It also had different sized scales which lead them to reconstruct a striped pattern on its body. I can’t wait to see what else they uncover. It made me feel five again.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. To me/ Coming from you/ Friend is a four letter word/ End is the only part of the word/ That I heard. Friend is a Four Letter Word, Cake. Identified by Phil
3. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still
4. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through
5. Sleepwalking through the all night drugstore/ Baptized in flourescent light/ I found religion in the greeting card aisle/ And now I know Hallmark was right.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
MA'AM NO MORE
When I was 22 I started working in downtown Chicago. I was your typical commuter putting on my business type clothes, getting on the train, and walking to one of the many tall buildings that populate the area. I would generally go to lunch sometime between noon and one with all the other downtown working types. Sometimes, after work, I would do a little shopping and was often accompanied by other after work shoppers. It was during this time I began to be referred to as Ma’am.
It made sense, I was obviously a grown-up. I worked in a grownup area, wore grownup clothes, and traveled during peak grown-up hours. Even as I got more comfortable at work and the grownupness of my clothes may have become a little more casual I was still a member of the grownup team.
I hate being called Ma’am. Granted, at this point I am pushing 30 and maybe the term applies. Even if it does apply I still think it is gross. However, at 22 I don’t think the term ever applies. The thing is I have never looked particularly old. I think I look my age. Some people tell me that I look younger but I think they are either just people who look older than they are or people that think we are still in the times of Love Connection when 21 was the new 40.
Now that I work primarily on a college campus filled with undergrads the terminology has changed. I have become Miss again. It is entirely awesome. Yesterday I went to pick up a prescription and handed the pharmacist my new insurance information. “Is this in your name or your parent’s,” he asked me. I almost fainted. I haven’t been eligible for my parents insurance in almost seven years. It felt wonderful. I walk down the street or stop into a shop and it is Miss this and Miss that and I don’t feel like an old lady anymore.
The perks of this job just keep on coming.
As Monica guessed almost everything on the shuffle yesterday here are a bunch of new songs.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. To me/ Coming from you/ Friend is a four letter word/ End is the only part of the word/ That I heard
3. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still
4. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through
5. I’ve never known a girl like you before/ Just like in a song from days of yore/ here you come a knocking knocking on my door. A Girl Like You. Edwin Collins. Identified by The Doc
It made sense, I was obviously a grown-up. I worked in a grownup area, wore grownup clothes, and traveled during peak grown-up hours. Even as I got more comfortable at work and the grownupness of my clothes may have become a little more casual I was still a member of the grownup team.
I hate being called Ma’am. Granted, at this point I am pushing 30 and maybe the term applies. Even if it does apply I still think it is gross. However, at 22 I don’t think the term ever applies. The thing is I have never looked particularly old. I think I look my age. Some people tell me that I look younger but I think they are either just people who look older than they are or people that think we are still in the times of Love Connection when 21 was the new 40.
Now that I work primarily on a college campus filled with undergrads the terminology has changed. I have become Miss again. It is entirely awesome. Yesterday I went to pick up a prescription and handed the pharmacist my new insurance information. “Is this in your name or your parent’s,” he asked me. I almost fainted. I haven’t been eligible for my parents insurance in almost seven years. It felt wonderful. I walk down the street or stop into a shop and it is Miss this and Miss that and I don’t feel like an old lady anymore.
The perks of this job just keep on coming.
As Monica guessed almost everything on the shuffle yesterday here are a bunch of new songs.
1. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
2. To me/ Coming from you/ Friend is a four letter word/ End is the only part of the word/ That I heard
3. I let the beast in too soon/I don't know how to live/ Without my hand on his throat/ I fight him always and still
4. Have mercy on me sir/ allow me to impose on you/ I have no place to stay/ And my bones are cold right through
5. I’ve never known a girl like you before/ Just like in a song from days of yore/ here you come a knocking knocking on my door. A Girl Like You. Edwin Collins. Identified by The Doc
Monday, December 10, 2007
JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I COULDN'T BE NERDIER
After I got home on Friday, Tony and I decided to have a little mini celebration in regard to my new job. We had been holding off until the magic day of three checks; last check from old job, vacation paycheck, and new paycheck. It was a nice day. We decided to go get the new Ratchet and Clank for PS3. We have been waiting for this game since before we got the system and were super excited to start playing. We bundled up and headed to Game Crazy.
Unfortunately, they had none. While we could have got on a bus and went to another game store that really wasn’t something we were planning to do. The five block journey had been all we were planning for. The game guys were quite apologetic and they started making suggestions. Tony had been eying Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune since he played the demo a few weeks ago. I wasn’t as excited about it because I had only played the demo once and was pretty bad at it. Tony played it about eight times and was pretty ok. I had been yearning for Assassin’s Creed since months before we got the system even though the game wasn’t coming out for a month after we got it.
They had a Limited Edition copy of Assassin’s Creed that came with an action figure, penny arcade comic, mini strategy guide, a bonus stuff CD, and an awesome tin case for only $10 more than the regular game. They also had a used copy of Drake’s Fortune which was about $10 less than the regular game. What were a girl and a guy to do? They were to buy both games, obviously. We then took our games, went out for Thai food (where Tony pointed out that I had said "Awesome" about eight times in one hour), picked up some breakfast for the next day, got home around 9:30, and settled in for some hardcore gaming.
As issue we sometimes have is getting too many games at once. We are the types that really need to only have one game to play because if we have more than one a favorite will invariable arise to the top and the others won’t get touched for months. We decided to try Drake’s Fortune first and I am so glad that we did. After we played a few levels (and I got better at shooting) Tony asked if we should pop Assassin’s Creed in. I decided against it because we were having a blast. At around 5:30am we were on level 12 or so and had a feeling we were close to halfway done with the game. We figured at that point we would just beat it before starting Assassin’s Creed thus eliminating any competition between games.
We got up relatively late on Saturday but considering what time we went to bed it made sense. We had our breakfast, hung around for a little while and started back on the game around 4pm. After taking a break for dinner we wrapped it up around 2 or so. We had never before finished a game in such a short amount of time. It wasn’t that the game sucked, it was quite awesome, just relatively short. However, if it had been much longer I don’t know if I would have enjoyed it as much. The length made sure that nothing got too repetitive (because there isn’t much more to the game than hiding behind things and shooting bad guys with a little jumping over chasms thrown in) and the story was excellent but could have become really drawn out. It was time for Assassin’s Creed.
I was almost jumping out of my skin with excitement as we put the disc in the system. The game promised to have everything I love; graphics, story, blood, strategy, and general awesomeness. The system told us an upgrade was needed before we could play. We clicked ok. The system began to upgrade, and froze. We tried again, it froze. I was about to throw something against the wall. Finally after about the 8th try it upgraded fully and the game loaded. We began to play.
If you have been watching TV at all in the last month you have an idea of what this game looks like. It’s the one with the crusades looking guy running over rooftops and killing people in most excellent ways. The game itself looks just as good as the commercials. The story had elements I was completely unaware of that were incredibly unique. Even though it is primarily set at the time of the crusades there are some very futuristic elements that are just great. We finished about 90% of the first level and decided to head to bed around 5.
Sunday was a calmer day. Dave came over in the late afternoon; we showed him Assassin’s Creed and played around a little bit. Then he and I went to meet Jamie (but not Monica because she is a lame) to watch The Darjeeling Limited, which was quite enjoyable despite how much I want to slap Jason Schwartzman. I tend to like his work but having seen him in many interviews I wish I didn’t. What a pompous ass. We got a large popcorn and found out there were free refills. Who needs refills on popcorn though? Apparently it was us. We essentially killed two of those things. It was disgusting but oh so yummy.
I have an iPod again so let’s name that song.
1. On candy striped legs/ The Spiderman comes/ Softly through the shadow of the evening sun. Lullaby, The Cure. Identified by Monica
2. I'll start this off without any words/ I got so high I scratched 'till I bled/ I love myself better than you / I know it's wrong so what should I do? On a Plain, Nirvana. Identified by Identified by Monica
3. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
4. To me/ Coming from you/ Friend is a four letter word/ End is the only part of the word/ That I heard
5. All My Friends know the low rider/ The low rider is a little higher. Low Rider, War. Identified by Identified by Monica
Unfortunately, they had none. While we could have got on a bus and went to another game store that really wasn’t something we were planning to do. The five block journey had been all we were planning for. The game guys were quite apologetic and they started making suggestions. Tony had been eying Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune since he played the demo a few weeks ago. I wasn’t as excited about it because I had only played the demo once and was pretty bad at it. Tony played it about eight times and was pretty ok. I had been yearning for Assassin’s Creed since months before we got the system even though the game wasn’t coming out for a month after we got it.
They had a Limited Edition copy of Assassin’s Creed that came with an action figure, penny arcade comic, mini strategy guide, a bonus stuff CD, and an awesome tin case for only $10 more than the regular game. They also had a used copy of Drake’s Fortune which was about $10 less than the regular game. What were a girl and a guy to do? They were to buy both games, obviously. We then took our games, went out for Thai food (where Tony pointed out that I had said "Awesome" about eight times in one hour), picked up some breakfast for the next day, got home around 9:30, and settled in for some hardcore gaming.
As issue we sometimes have is getting too many games at once. We are the types that really need to only have one game to play because if we have more than one a favorite will invariable arise to the top and the others won’t get touched for months. We decided to try Drake’s Fortune first and I am so glad that we did. After we played a few levels (and I got better at shooting) Tony asked if we should pop Assassin’s Creed in. I decided against it because we were having a blast. At around 5:30am we were on level 12 or so and had a feeling we were close to halfway done with the game. We figured at that point we would just beat it before starting Assassin’s Creed thus eliminating any competition between games.
We got up relatively late on Saturday but considering what time we went to bed it made sense. We had our breakfast, hung around for a little while and started back on the game around 4pm. After taking a break for dinner we wrapped it up around 2 or so. We had never before finished a game in such a short amount of time. It wasn’t that the game sucked, it was quite awesome, just relatively short. However, if it had been much longer I don’t know if I would have enjoyed it as much. The length made sure that nothing got too repetitive (because there isn’t much more to the game than hiding behind things and shooting bad guys with a little jumping over chasms thrown in) and the story was excellent but could have become really drawn out. It was time for Assassin’s Creed.
I was almost jumping out of my skin with excitement as we put the disc in the system. The game promised to have everything I love; graphics, story, blood, strategy, and general awesomeness. The system told us an upgrade was needed before we could play. We clicked ok. The system began to upgrade, and froze. We tried again, it froze. I was about to throw something against the wall. Finally after about the 8th try it upgraded fully and the game loaded. We began to play.
If you have been watching TV at all in the last month you have an idea of what this game looks like. It’s the one with the crusades looking guy running over rooftops and killing people in most excellent ways. The game itself looks just as good as the commercials. The story had elements I was completely unaware of that were incredibly unique. Even though it is primarily set at the time of the crusades there are some very futuristic elements that are just great. We finished about 90% of the first level and decided to head to bed around 5.
Sunday was a calmer day. Dave came over in the late afternoon; we showed him Assassin’s Creed and played around a little bit. Then he and I went to meet Jamie (but not Monica because she is a lame) to watch The Darjeeling Limited, which was quite enjoyable despite how much I want to slap Jason Schwartzman. I tend to like his work but having seen him in many interviews I wish I didn’t. What a pompous ass. We got a large popcorn and found out there were free refills. Who needs refills on popcorn though? Apparently it was us. We essentially killed two of those things. It was disgusting but oh so yummy.
I have an iPod again so let’s name that song.
1. On candy striped legs/ The Spiderman comes/ Softly through the shadow of the evening sun. Lullaby, The Cure. Identified by Monica
2. I'll start this off without any words/ I got so high I scratched 'till I bled/ I love myself better than you / I know it's wrong so what should I do? On a Plain, Nirvana. Identified by Identified by Monica
3. We are two mariners/ Our ships sole survivors/ In this belly of a whale. _________, The Decemberists. Partially identified by Identified by Monica
4. To me/ Coming from you/ Friend is a four letter word/ End is the only part of the word/ That I heard
5. All My Friends know the low rider/ The low rider is a little higher. Low Rider, War. Identified by Identified by Monica
Wednesday, December 05, 2007
BYE BYE BOOKS
I have got to weight in on this thing that is Kindle. As a book and gadget lover, I am both excited and horrified by this product. In case you didn’t know, Kindle is a wireless device developed y Amazon.com that can download and store up to 200 books from a database of 90,000. It can also receive magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Kindle is about the size of a standard paperback and has a very high resolution and quite readable screen. Downloads take about one minute. I hear that the color resolution isn’t the best but unless you are reading science or children’s books that probably won’t be much of an issue. You can download first chapters of books for free and the most expensive titles are $9.99.
As a gadget this thing is pretty awesome. Sure the price tag is a little high ($399) but, like most gadgets that will very likely lower in the next few years. Kindle has a reported battery life of about 6 hours and that is extended if you turn the wireless features off. It fully recharges in two hours, which is a little long but could be much worse. It is light and thin and uses cell phone networks so you don’t’ have to be in a wi-fi hotspot to download your materials and it doesn’t have any wireless charges. You can even email yourself files for reading anything you wrote or some business type stuffs on the go. Everything you purchased is stored online so if you needed to clear space for a particular book you won’t be deleting something forever. You can click on a word you don’t know and look it up instantly. You’ll never need to bookmark a page, Kindle remembers
So why does it scare me? The answer is simple. I think we may be witnessing the downfall of the printed page. Any avid reader knows there is something about holding a book in your hand. You turn the pages and new stories unfold. As you read you can measure your progression by how many pages have moved from one side of the book to the other. You can tell how loved a book is by the creases in its binding and the notes scribbled in the margins (if you write in your books like I do). All of this is impossible with a machine. Well all except the notes, you can make annotations with this thing too.
Remember the smell of old books? Cherish it. In two generations it may be gone. I will always remember the smell of Happiness is a Warm Puppy. I don’t know if they used some kind of special paper or what but no other book I have ever read has smelled that way. Think of the way libraries look, both at home and in the public. The bookshelf could become an obsolete piece of furniture. There is a lot at stake here. Sure we love our books now but what about the kids who grow up with these things. How much cheaper would getting your books for college be with one? In 20 years how hard will it be to buy a real book?
I can’t promise I will never go digital. This product looks pretty amazing. I didn’t understand how awesome mp3 players were for years but my iPod has changed my life. Kindle could do the same thing for books that mp3 players have done for CDs. Who am I to say this is a bad thing? I can’t go into the bookstore and buy a brand new book for $9.99. I am safe for now because not only are they expensive but they are sold out on Amazon. Not to mention that the thought of having one kind of makes me want to vomit. The revolution is now.
As a gadget this thing is pretty awesome. Sure the price tag is a little high ($399) but, like most gadgets that will very likely lower in the next few years. Kindle has a reported battery life of about 6 hours and that is extended if you turn the wireless features off. It fully recharges in two hours, which is a little long but could be much worse. It is light and thin and uses cell phone networks so you don’t’ have to be in a wi-fi hotspot to download your materials and it doesn’t have any wireless charges. You can even email yourself files for reading anything you wrote or some business type stuffs on the go. Everything you purchased is stored online so if you needed to clear space for a particular book you won’t be deleting something forever. You can click on a word you don’t know and look it up instantly. You’ll never need to bookmark a page, Kindle remembers
So why does it scare me? The answer is simple. I think we may be witnessing the downfall of the printed page. Any avid reader knows there is something about holding a book in your hand. You turn the pages and new stories unfold. As you read you can measure your progression by how many pages have moved from one side of the book to the other. You can tell how loved a book is by the creases in its binding and the notes scribbled in the margins (if you write in your books like I do). All of this is impossible with a machine. Well all except the notes, you can make annotations with this thing too.
Remember the smell of old books? Cherish it. In two generations it may be gone. I will always remember the smell of Happiness is a Warm Puppy. I don’t know if they used some kind of special paper or what but no other book I have ever read has smelled that way. Think of the way libraries look, both at home and in the public. The bookshelf could become an obsolete piece of furniture. There is a lot at stake here. Sure we love our books now but what about the kids who grow up with these things. How much cheaper would getting your books for college be with one? In 20 years how hard will it be to buy a real book?
I can’t promise I will never go digital. This product looks pretty amazing. I didn’t understand how awesome mp3 players were for years but my iPod has changed my life. Kindle could do the same thing for books that mp3 players have done for CDs. Who am I to say this is a bad thing? I can’t go into the bookstore and buy a brand new book for $9.99. I am safe for now because not only are they expensive but they are sold out on Amazon. Not to mention that the thought of having one kind of makes me want to vomit. The revolution is now.
Tuesday, December 04, 2007
I LOVE HEROES
It’s time to talk Heroes. If you are someone who watches the show and has not yet seen the Chapter 2 finale you should stop reading. If you are not someone who watches the show…what is wrong with you?
I have spoken to many people who had a lot of complaints about this season, mainly that Hiro was in 17th century Japan for a large part of it. Maybe it’s because I am a sappy romantic type girl or maybe Hiro can simply do no wrong in my opinion but I thought that particular storyline was one of the best of the season. There was romance, fighting under ridiculous odds, issues of conscience, communication with an alternate timeline, and the introduction of a villain. What more do you want from a superhero story? Plus, Kensei/Adam is an incredibly well developed awesome character and I am so glad he was brought to the show.
If people were going to complain about something why not talk about Syler, Maya and Alejandro? I have never in my life been less invested in a character than I was in those two. Maya’s power is only remotely cool. If she can master it more and target specific people rather than an entire room we may have something. Alejandro couldn’t do anything except help her control her power and the two of them took up far too much air time. Really they were only there to give Syler someone to talk to. Now Syler is a great character what with his eating brains and all but Syler without powers is almost as bring as those stupid twins. If you ask me that arc could have taken all of half an episode.
I spent the last week wondering who the two heroes to die would be. I had my fingers crossed for Maya and Nikki. Unfortunately, Maya will live on. Thankfully, Nikki went up in a huge explosion. Sadly, Micah is now without any parents but he has his awesome cousin Monica and Grandma Uhura to take care of him so it will be just fine. Nathan Petrelli was another story though. I almost cried. Nathan has never been the wonder that is his brother Peter but he is no slouch and to never see Hiro shout, “Flying Man,” again will be a sad thing.
The battle between Peter and everyone else could have been way cooler. I wanted to see some hero fireworks. The last few episodes of the first season really delivered with some good battles. This one only teetered on the edge of awesome superhuman conflict. It worked within the story but left the 12yr old boy in me wanting more. Hiro burying Kensei and leaving him there to suffer was simply priceless but if Angel could get out of a coffin at the bottom of the ocean Kensei can get out of one six feet down. If he and Syler unite they will certainly be a force to reckon with.
All in all I was pleased with the season and am eagerly awaiting the next Chapter. I am on the fence if the writers strike hurt this season or not. Yesterday James Kyson Lee (Ando) was co hosting Attack of the Show on G4 and he claimed that this chapter was only supposed to be 12 episodes in the first place (it ended with episode 11) so not much was done to shorten it because of the writers strike but that this would wrap up the second chapter. I am wondering if that is true or if they just ended up splitting Chapter 2 into two parts and this episode was supposed to be the mid-season climax vs. a season finale? Then again it doesn’t really matter. I simply love the show.
No random songs for a while. My iPod is stuck on My Bloody Valentine. Typically I would plug it into my computer and it would unstick itself but as my computer is down no luck. I’m going to have to go over to Dave’s.
I have spoken to many people who had a lot of complaints about this season, mainly that Hiro was in 17th century Japan for a large part of it. Maybe it’s because I am a sappy romantic type girl or maybe Hiro can simply do no wrong in my opinion but I thought that particular storyline was one of the best of the season. There was romance, fighting under ridiculous odds, issues of conscience, communication with an alternate timeline, and the introduction of a villain. What more do you want from a superhero story? Plus, Kensei/Adam is an incredibly well developed awesome character and I am so glad he was brought to the show.
If people were going to complain about something why not talk about Syler, Maya and Alejandro? I have never in my life been less invested in a character than I was in those two. Maya’s power is only remotely cool. If she can master it more and target specific people rather than an entire room we may have something. Alejandro couldn’t do anything except help her control her power and the two of them took up far too much air time. Really they were only there to give Syler someone to talk to. Now Syler is a great character what with his eating brains and all but Syler without powers is almost as bring as those stupid twins. If you ask me that arc could have taken all of half an episode.
I spent the last week wondering who the two heroes to die would be. I had my fingers crossed for Maya and Nikki. Unfortunately, Maya will live on. Thankfully, Nikki went up in a huge explosion. Sadly, Micah is now without any parents but he has his awesome cousin Monica and Grandma Uhura to take care of him so it will be just fine. Nathan Petrelli was another story though. I almost cried. Nathan has never been the wonder that is his brother Peter but he is no slouch and to never see Hiro shout, “Flying Man,” again will be a sad thing.
The battle between Peter and everyone else could have been way cooler. I wanted to see some hero fireworks. The last few episodes of the first season really delivered with some good battles. This one only teetered on the edge of awesome superhuman conflict. It worked within the story but left the 12yr old boy in me wanting more. Hiro burying Kensei and leaving him there to suffer was simply priceless but if Angel could get out of a coffin at the bottom of the ocean Kensei can get out of one six feet down. If he and Syler unite they will certainly be a force to reckon with.
All in all I was pleased with the season and am eagerly awaiting the next Chapter. I am on the fence if the writers strike hurt this season or not. Yesterday James Kyson Lee (Ando) was co hosting Attack of the Show on G4 and he claimed that this chapter was only supposed to be 12 episodes in the first place (it ended with episode 11) so not much was done to shorten it because of the writers strike but that this would wrap up the second chapter. I am wondering if that is true or if they just ended up splitting Chapter 2 into two parts and this episode was supposed to be the mid-season climax vs. a season finale? Then again it doesn’t really matter. I simply love the show.
No random songs for a while. My iPod is stuck on My Bloody Valentine. Typically I would plug it into my computer and it would unstick itself but as my computer is down no luck. I’m going to have to go over to Dave’s.
Monday, December 03, 2007
SO FUN I DIDN'T MIND THE WEATHER
This weekend was Monica’s birthday celebration. I had been looking forward to it because I haven’t been to a proper karaoke spot for ages and Monica is always fun to hang out with. However, when I woke up and looked at the weather report I was somewhat dismayed. There was a winter weather advisory, it was snowing, and it promised to rain later. Dave opted out of the festivities pretty early in the day. Tony and I sat there and hoped that the weather would get better but it didn’t look good. I called Monica to make sure that things were still on because if I was going to go out into the nasty that is a wintry mix there better be something good at the end of the tunnel. Monica let me know things were still on and was happy to know that I was still planning to come. We were going and that was all there was to it. Tony mentioned that it was strange how we stay home every night of the year and decide to leave on the worse one. I guess tht is just how it goes.
Jamie opted in so we planned to meet up with her halfway through the bus route. I had checked online to see when the bus was coming and had everything mapped out but Tony wasn’t quite ready to go when I had planned to leave so things got pushed back a little. We left the house at 9:30 with rain above and ice below. The bus didn’t’ show up until 9:59. Once we were on it was ok. We got off and met Jamie on the corner, the second bus came relatively quickly. All was going well until the bus driver stopped and told us she went no further. Had we left earlier the bus would have gone all the way to our destination, but we didn’t and we had to walk.
The driver told us it was about three blocks. It was more like seven. As we walked I told a tale of three weary travelers trudging through the ice and snow. The neighborhood was empty, not a place that young childless types would oft frequent. We came upon a mouse who was quite cute. Jamie chanted a constant, “crunch, crunch, crunch,” throughout our tale to further set the mood. Eventually I saw some shiny lights in the distance that had to be out destination. It was. We vowed to kick Monica in the ass once we arrived but we didn’t.
It took quite a while for our names to get called to sing but once they did we were up there time and time again. Monica started things off with a nice rendition of Long Train Running (Doobie Brothers), I followed with my staple The Humpty Dance (Digital Underground) which was immediately followed by Jamie, Monica, and I doing Dancin’ with Myself (Billy Idol). Throughout the night various permutations of the group did, Weak (SWV), Gin and Juice (Snoop), Truckin (The Grateful Dead), What a Man (Salt n’ Peppa), Livin on a Prayer (Bon Jovi), and What’s Up (4 Non Blondes). Essentially we sang a whole mess of songs. I don’t mean to brag but our group was way more awesome than the other people singing. Not that we didn’t have our points of struggle, cause we did but we were still pretty good and also better looking than most other people there. Man I am a jerk.
Tony and Pete, a co-worker of Monica, left the singing to play darts and were eventually joined by the rest of us. At around 3am Tony and I decided to get a cab and head home. We picked up some Mexican food from the delicious hole in the wall on the corner and watched some TV. It was a good night. By the time we got home we admitted the night was a great success and were glad we didn't stay in bed because of the weather.
1. Make a list little Lars never seen a star/ Put his fans behind bars/ Can’t you see mp3 means you’re stealing from me/ you should have bought a Cd. Internet Sandman, Weird Al
2. Daddy’s ghost behind you/ sleeping dog beside you/ You’re a point of mystery/ You’re the prayer inside me. Faded From the Winter, Iron & Wine
3. Does it make you happy to ignore me on streets/ I guess by now you think I’m weak/ I wish you could have said something before now. Keep it Clean, Camera Obscura
4. So I go/ Though it hurts me so/ I'm crying/ For your love. One Summer Dream, ELO
Jamie opted in so we planned to meet up with her halfway through the bus route. I had checked online to see when the bus was coming and had everything mapped out but Tony wasn’t quite ready to go when I had planned to leave so things got pushed back a little. We left the house at 9:30 with rain above and ice below. The bus didn’t’ show up until 9:59. Once we were on it was ok. We got off and met Jamie on the corner, the second bus came relatively quickly. All was going well until the bus driver stopped and told us she went no further. Had we left earlier the bus would have gone all the way to our destination, but we didn’t and we had to walk.
The driver told us it was about three blocks. It was more like seven. As we walked I told a tale of three weary travelers trudging through the ice and snow. The neighborhood was empty, not a place that young childless types would oft frequent. We came upon a mouse who was quite cute. Jamie chanted a constant, “crunch, crunch, crunch,” throughout our tale to further set the mood. Eventually I saw some shiny lights in the distance that had to be out destination. It was. We vowed to kick Monica in the ass once we arrived but we didn’t.
It took quite a while for our names to get called to sing but once they did we were up there time and time again. Monica started things off with a nice rendition of Long Train Running (Doobie Brothers), I followed with my staple The Humpty Dance (Digital Underground) which was immediately followed by Jamie, Monica, and I doing Dancin’ with Myself (Billy Idol). Throughout the night various permutations of the group did, Weak (SWV), Gin and Juice (Snoop), Truckin (The Grateful Dead), What a Man (Salt n’ Peppa), Livin on a Prayer (Bon Jovi), and What’s Up (4 Non Blondes). Essentially we sang a whole mess of songs. I don’t mean to brag but our group was way more awesome than the other people singing. Not that we didn’t have our points of struggle, cause we did but we were still pretty good and also better looking than most other people there. Man I am a jerk.
Tony and Pete, a co-worker of Monica, left the singing to play darts and were eventually joined by the rest of us. At around 3am Tony and I decided to get a cab and head home. We picked up some Mexican food from the delicious hole in the wall on the corner and watched some TV. It was a good night. By the time we got home we admitted the night was a great success and were glad we didn't stay in bed because of the weather.
1. Make a list little Lars never seen a star/ Put his fans behind bars/ Can’t you see mp3 means you’re stealing from me/ you should have bought a Cd. Internet Sandman, Weird Al
2. Daddy’s ghost behind you/ sleeping dog beside you/ You’re a point of mystery/ You’re the prayer inside me. Faded From the Winter, Iron & Wine
3. Does it make you happy to ignore me on streets/ I guess by now you think I’m weak/ I wish you could have said something before now. Keep it Clean, Camera Obscura
4. So I go/ Though it hurts me so/ I'm crying/ For your love. One Summer Dream, ELO
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