July 14, 2006
Beat
Is this true? Can Dave Wakeling (aka English Beat) be on tour and coming to Houston next week? And there are tickets available for $17.75 including fees? Must I be there? Do I have time?
Countdown
Not that you asked, but...
Normally a source of relief, I have developed a fear of my To Do list. Yes, busy times are upon me again. Amazing how crunch periods come in waves and right before trips or fun plans. Do the trips cause the crunch or does the crunch of things to do bring about the trip? Shh, I think I know the answer. As a bit of an escape I shall recount some facts in my life:
Pavel owns ten t-shirts, one sweater, and several pairs of socks. (Yes, we could argue about his "owning" them--whatever.) He is currently wearing his most recent acquisition from San Antonio.
The drive from Beaumont to Houston is about 90 miles each way and the cruising speed on I-10 averages about 75 mph.
The VW needs new rear brakes ($378) and four tires ($400).
The price of a movie, drink, popcorn, and parking with student ID at the Angelika on Mondays is $6--total!
We have 283 DVDs awaiting us in our Netflix queue, plus 10 more that we've requested be added to the queue once they are released.
The last Netflix DVD I watched (The Lavender Hill Mob) was viewed while also working on my computer.
I love getting email from friends and family.
Each day I receive between five and ten pieces of requested but impersonal email--cartoons, education and political news, volunteer opportunities, travel deals, and sale notices. Most days I delete all but one of these without even reading them.
I have 526 read messages backed up in my personal email inbox and slightly over 500 in my work email box, each waiting patiently for me to file or remove them.
Okay, counting is no longer soothing me. Gotta go....
PS Happy Bastille Day.
Normally a source of relief, I have developed a fear of my To Do list. Yes, busy times are upon me again. Amazing how crunch periods come in waves and right before trips or fun plans. Do the trips cause the crunch or does the crunch of things to do bring about the trip? Shh, I think I know the answer. As a bit of an escape I shall recount some facts in my life:
Okay, counting is no longer soothing me. Gotta go....
PS Happy Bastille Day.
July 13, 2006
Slideshow
Last few days I've played with MySpace (which as I have complained to some of you is rather cumbersome and annoying, but a fun escape too). Part of the amusement of MySpace is posting pics and info about self (and checking out the same for others). I made this little slideshow of self pics and there was an option to embed in blogger too. So here you go...
July 11, 2006
Newsworthiness
What makes something or someone worthy of attention? How about being a singer whose band went on to meteoric heights after you went crazy? Or maybe being a superpower nation and finally figuring out that the rules we agreed to do in fact comprise a good path? Or just being a blogger writing about another blogger, in this case the other blogger's efforts to barter a paper clip for a house, how about that?
Vote now, which of the above is the story of the day? (Warning: Your vote may reveal deep insights into your priorities.)
Vote now, which of the above is the story of the day? (Warning: Your vote may reveal deep insights into your priorities.)
July 10, 2006
Pirates
I'm on something of a cinematic roll, now having viewed three movies in 10 days' time. Alas, I have yet to see Cars (sorry, Tara) and Brick seems now to be out of the local theaters. But I did catch the new Pirates movie almost on opening weekend.
MOVIE REVIEW
I went in with a headache, I came out with the same, but during The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest I was unaware of any internal pounding. There was plenty external, as the movie is full of swashbuckling fights, each carefully staged to elicit laughter and some suspense. In this the second movie we find Will Turner and his beloved Elizabeth Swann again separated and caught up in dangerous adventures that take them into the world of pirates and the undead. Captain Jack Sparrow seems to be off his game in the beginning but soon is up to his old amusing tricks. Sparrow's main concern is a rather large debt owed to one Davy Jones, someone who both he and Will would like to see gone. (As an aside, why was this not called "Davy Jones' Locker"?) There's an island of cannibals, a boat full of aqualife-sailors, and the Kracken to deal with along the way.
Dead Man's Chest is a fun tropical summer flick and pretty well plotted out. (Not that there aren't some head scratching moments. Sparrow's story was strangely disjointed and I am hoping it comes around in the third film.) Though you could have seen the first movie without moving forward with the second, there is no point seeing this second if you haven't seen the first and are not planning on seeing the third (Got all that?). The movie brings back old favorites in the form of characters, scenery, and action, and introduces some new players for part 3.
Though plenty of fun, the movie is a tad long at moments. How much can really be resolved in a middle story, which is about building up the problems? There's even an unsurprisingly dramatic "end" and a bit of a love triangle. It's like in Empire--will Han Solo come out of the deep freeze? Will love and family conquer all? I think we all know the answers. So this movie is not about the suspense, it's about the ride. And don't forget, these movies were based on a ride.
MOVIE REVIEW
I went in with a headache, I came out with the same, but during The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest I was unaware of any internal pounding. There was plenty external, as the movie is full of swashbuckling fights, each carefully staged to elicit laughter and some suspense. In this the second movie we find Will Turner and his beloved Elizabeth Swann again separated and caught up in dangerous adventures that take them into the world of pirates and the undead. Captain Jack Sparrow seems to be off his game in the beginning but soon is up to his old amusing tricks. Sparrow's main concern is a rather large debt owed to one Davy Jones, someone who both he and Will would like to see gone. (As an aside, why was this not called "Davy Jones' Locker"?) There's an island of cannibals, a boat full of aqualife-sailors, and the Kracken to deal with along the way.
Dead Man's Chest is a fun tropical summer flick and pretty well plotted out. (Not that there aren't some head scratching moments. Sparrow's story was strangely disjointed and I am hoping it comes around in the third film.) Though you could have seen the first movie without moving forward with the second, there is no point seeing this second if you haven't seen the first and are not planning on seeing the third (Got all that?). The movie brings back old favorites in the form of characters, scenery, and action, and introduces some new players for part 3.
Though plenty of fun, the movie is a tad long at moments. How much can really be resolved in a middle story, which is about building up the problems? There's even an unsurprisingly dramatic "end" and a bit of a love triangle. It's like in Empire--will Han Solo come out of the deep freeze? Will love and family conquer all? I think we all know the answers. So this movie is not about the suspense, it's about the ride. And don't forget, these movies were based on a ride.
July 07, 2006
Exposed
A few weeks ago I loaded the back of the Subaru with my collection of aluminum cans. David rolls his eyes at my efforts, especially given the eventual pittance received in payment. On this occasion I hoped to reach the $5 mark, which he found laughable indeed. After I'd loaded the cans I looked down and wondered aloud if I should change clothes before heading out. I'd dressed in a way that might be publicly acceptable but was not my norm, short shorts and halter top. David joked that it might get me an extra dollar. I didn't care enough to change so I headed out. Well, I got $6. Lesson learned.
Vintage
As I add and add to this blog (it's been a year), the archives grow and maybe get lost. The first month was especially good I think. Read from the bottom upward to be chronological. Or check out what might be seen as my proto-blog on the Geilgeni Junction site. It's lovely too.
Materialism
David dismantled and brought my lovely L-shaped desk from house to apartment then "remantled" it (that was our rockin 4th of July). I also brought a storage rack to place my single sized pots and pans on (they've been stored stovetop these last 2 years). A few months back David brought the heretofore-guest bed and out came the futon from the depths of the bedroom to function once again as a sofa. Now that the apartment is full of furniture it feels so homey and not scholarly spartan anymore (a mixed blessing). We planned it so that expendable items would be in the apartment while the house retained those items which we would ship to CA (I see our past basement in our future). Now that these expendable furnishings are all arranged in the apartment I don't want to give them up. What if no one wants to buy our futon? And the old Ikea stereo and TV stands, will someone else see their beautiful utility? The bed is barely used as far as beds go. And maybe other single apartment dwellers have use for one cheap white Ikea bar stool, dining chair, and little piano stool. And what about the bookcase that my dad built when I was like 5 (he's undoubtedly forgotten, but I haven't)? It's been painted so many times the outside layer never really set properly. What if no one will take these things? Once the truck heads to CA, all will be stranded in Houston, given away or sold or trashed. David would give in and let me tow a UHaul trailer behind us if I asked, but maybe I need to let these items go. For a Buddhist, I have awfully strong materialist tendencies. Letting go is good, letting go is good, letting go is good....
July 03, 2006
Twofer
(It's pronounced "two-fer", in case you weren't familiar with the term, as in 2 for 1.) For the first time in a long, long while I saw two movies in one weekend. The first was Wordplay, reviewed earlier, and the second was The Devil Wears Prada.
MOVIE REVIEW
The Devil Wears Prada stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Stanley Tucci in a drama about fashion publishing and, presumably, the pitfalls of selling out. Somehow the integrity-laden Andy/Andrea (Hathaway) ends up as second assistant to one of the most powerful people in publishing, the head of Runway magazine, Miranda (Streep). Andy knows nothing of fashion and doesn't care to. Miranda takes a chance on this bright eyed college grad in spite of the misgivings of the entire staff. Andy must fetch Starbucks, hang coats, and put up with endless comments about her wardrobe and size (a 6, oh dear). But Andy puts up with all of this because, as she is told by the first assistant, she could land any job in publishing she wants if she sticks it out for a year with Miranda. That is, we are led to believe, a big if. Does Andy make it? Is Miranda the devil? Will Andy's friends be around to see her make it?
The movie is visually lovely, charming in parts, and makes a clear point. It's nice and harmless. Streep's white hair and ever-calm voice are perfect. The supporting parts are well cast; the boyfriend is adorably, realistically faithful. However, story development was slow, drama and intrigue were lacking (mainly in the first half), and sympathy fairly low for the protagonist. I didn't especially care if Andy made it through happily. The source of my malaise wasn't the acting and it wasn't the wardrobe or sets (lovely, ah Paris). It was definitely the pace and script. I feel like I, the casual viewer, could have offered several obvious improvements and made this a deliciously fun drama. Alas, it is not to be.
MOVIE REVIEW
The Devil Wears Prada stars Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and Stanley Tucci in a drama about fashion publishing and, presumably, the pitfalls of selling out. Somehow the integrity-laden Andy/Andrea (Hathaway) ends up as second assistant to one of the most powerful people in publishing, the head of Runway magazine, Miranda (Streep). Andy knows nothing of fashion and doesn't care to. Miranda takes a chance on this bright eyed college grad in spite of the misgivings of the entire staff. Andy must fetch Starbucks, hang coats, and put up with endless comments about her wardrobe and size (a 6, oh dear). But Andy puts up with all of this because, as she is told by the first assistant, she could land any job in publishing she wants if she sticks it out for a year with Miranda. That is, we are led to believe, a big if. Does Andy make it? Is Miranda the devil? Will Andy's friends be around to see her make it?
The movie is visually lovely, charming in parts, and makes a clear point. It's nice and harmless. Streep's white hair and ever-calm voice are perfect. The supporting parts are well cast; the boyfriend is adorably, realistically faithful. However, story development was slow, drama and intrigue were lacking (mainly in the first half), and sympathy fairly low for the protagonist. I didn't especially care if Andy made it through happily. The source of my malaise wasn't the acting and it wasn't the wardrobe or sets (lovely, ah Paris). It was definitely the pace and script. I feel like I, the casual viewer, could have offered several obvious improvements and made this a deliciously fun drama. Alas, it is not to be.
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