- Hall of Presidents! One of my favorite parts of Magic Kingdom. I was wondering if they'd updated it yet. Animatronic Obama Going to Disney World With High-Tech Style.
- I'm glad I'm Catholic: From Polygamous Royalty to FLDS Lost Boy. Very glad.
- Hooray for the Smithsonian (of which I'm now a member)! Belle of the Mall.
- A beard contest? Apparently there is one. Imagine the work that has to go into some of these. Alaska Hosts the Battle of the Beards.
- I still love Sesame Street. Not just because it reminds me of my childhood but because it's still clever and funny after all these years. I'm thrilled they have a YouTube channel so I can find all my favorite bits. And Big Bird is still better than Elmo even if the little red guy has pushed him out. My loyalty is with Bird. Happy 40th! How Sesame Street Changed the World.
- And another childhood touchstone: American Girl's Journey to the Lower East Side. And the company's as old as I soon will be. My doll was Samantha, still is, I suppose. She's in a box now though. But still awesome.
- Yay! And now the battle begins. And everything I remember (I hope) from the two Supreme Court classes I took in college will come back during the confirmation process. Should be fun to watch. Obama Chooses Sotomayor for Supreme Court.
- I've started a new needlepoint project and it's brought to mind an interesting occurrance. Colors and names of colors don't always match up. This kit has an orangish background that claims to be tan. It's not. It's orangish. Tan is sorta skin colored. This I suppose could be called fake spray on tan. Or, orangish.
- Wow. Way to completely freak me out Newsweek article. I thought the author had actually lost her mind. Thank goodness for comments. Lithwick: Put Palin on the Supreme Court. By the way, that would be the absolute worst idea in the world, secondary only to electing her to some national office or a place of real influence. Gah. Shivers down my spine.
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label religion. Show all posts
26 May 2009
13 April 2009
Musings, Part I
- So, Jesuits. Pretty cool people usually. Within the myriad Catholic religious orders, they’re the most famously academic. If you see ‘Jesuit’ attached to the name of a college, you know it’s going to be a good one. Most are more than just a priest, they’re encouraged to be in the world and keep going in whatever profession they came into the order with, which was usually something academic. Here’s another reason they’re cool, a sense of humor: God to Man: Get Over Yourself .
- Leave Pixar alone, Pixar’s Latest Film Has Wall Street on Edge. I think Up looks great, then again I like…everything Pixar has done (even Cars which isn’t really my…well, it doesn’t speak to my very limited sports interests and isn’t my music genre of choice). I loved Wall-E. It was adorable and amazing to look at and Up doesn’t look any different. And the cranky old guy? He looks kinda cute. How cool would it be to float away in your house by means of hundreds of balloons?
- This recent NY Time article, Somali Pirates Said to Seize Ship with US Crewmen reminds me of a Daily Show report from last year, from after the election called The Buccaneer Stops Here. One of the many things I love about the Daily Show, besides the irreverent humor that nonetheless makes very good points about, well, everything, is John Oliver’s reports. I’m not sure why he’s my currently my favorite correspondent, possibly the British thing, possibly because he tried to refuse to do Dickensian English during his first reports on the show, during the Queen’s visit to the US, but I find him hilarious. So the whole pirate thing in the news brings to mind his report from November. Watch. Enjoy. Laugh.
- It’s funny how certain things become associated with other things in your mind. I think that’s one of the ways I learn, I link stuff up in my head and it may not make sense, but it seems to work out okay. So the association of today is Vienna Teng’s new album. I love her stuff. Unwritten Letter #1 is one of my top…three favorite songs. Anyway, her third album either came out or I found it when I was studying abroad in London. I, as I always do with new music, listened to it pretty much constantly for a while there. That semester in London was also when I decided to see what the deal was with Doctor Who, since I was in the country it came from. Turns out, the newly revamped series (the only part I’ve seen) is pretty much…awesome. I could go on and on about how cool it is and how great the 10th Doctor’s hair is (it’s pretty awesome) but since I was watching Doctor Who and listening to Vienna Teng’s third album those two are now linked in my brain. I can’t watch an episode without one of the songs sort of starting up in my head and vice versa with listening to the cd. I have the same problem with Eiffel 65 and one of the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? computer games. The game was pretty cool but the show, of course, was better. Oh Rockapella.
- An ode to peanut butter: Peanut Butter: It’s More Than A Sandwich. I like PB. Jif is the best kind, hands down no others need apply. Despite having sort of sworn off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (I decided freshman year of college that 13 years of them in school was quite enough to last a lifetime) I still enjoy PB toast and PB in other things, mostly Reese’s Peanut Butter cups which are my favorite candy. And the article is right, it is very American. You can’t find proper PB in Europe. Not just because we process things different but because they have things like Nutella and don’t understand our fascination with PB. PB is one of those simple foods that is just plain good on, well, quite a lot of things actually. My mom swears the best PB is from the top of a fresh jar, which yeah, is probably true. I’m not sure I’d refrigerate PB like the author of the NPR article does but a friend of mine refuses to refrigerate butter (which is just weird to me) so maybe it’s just a quirk.
- It’s kind of amazing to have friends who remember your quirks and indulge them for you.
- Leave Pixar alone, Pixar’s Latest Film Has Wall Street on Edge. I think Up looks great, then again I like…everything Pixar has done (even Cars which isn’t really my…well, it doesn’t speak to my very limited sports interests and isn’t my music genre of choice). I loved Wall-E. It was adorable and amazing to look at and Up doesn’t look any different. And the cranky old guy? He looks kinda cute. How cool would it be to float away in your house by means of hundreds of balloons?
- This recent NY Time article, Somali Pirates Said to Seize Ship with US Crewmen reminds me of a Daily Show report from last year, from after the election called The Buccaneer Stops Here. One of the many things I love about the Daily Show, besides the irreverent humor that nonetheless makes very good points about, well, everything, is John Oliver’s reports. I’m not sure why he’s my currently my favorite correspondent, possibly the British thing, possibly because he tried to refuse to do Dickensian English during his first reports on the show, during the Queen’s visit to the US, but I find him hilarious. So the whole pirate thing in the news brings to mind his report from November. Watch. Enjoy. Laugh.
- It’s funny how certain things become associated with other things in your mind. I think that’s one of the ways I learn, I link stuff up in my head and it may not make sense, but it seems to work out okay. So the association of today is Vienna Teng’s new album. I love her stuff. Unwritten Letter #1 is one of my top…three favorite songs. Anyway, her third album either came out or I found it when I was studying abroad in London. I, as I always do with new music, listened to it pretty much constantly for a while there. That semester in London was also when I decided to see what the deal was with Doctor Who, since I was in the country it came from. Turns out, the newly revamped series (the only part I’ve seen) is pretty much…awesome. I could go on and on about how cool it is and how great the 10th Doctor’s hair is (it’s pretty awesome) but since I was watching Doctor Who and listening to Vienna Teng’s third album those two are now linked in my brain. I can’t watch an episode without one of the songs sort of starting up in my head and vice versa with listening to the cd. I have the same problem with Eiffel 65 and one of the Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? computer games. The game was pretty cool but the show, of course, was better. Oh Rockapella.
- An ode to peanut butter: Peanut Butter: It’s More Than A Sandwich. I like PB. Jif is the best kind, hands down no others need apply. Despite having sort of sworn off peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (I decided freshman year of college that 13 years of them in school was quite enough to last a lifetime) I still enjoy PB toast and PB in other things, mostly Reese’s Peanut Butter cups which are my favorite candy. And the article is right, it is very American. You can’t find proper PB in Europe. Not just because we process things different but because they have things like Nutella and don’t understand our fascination with PB. PB is one of those simple foods that is just plain good on, well, quite a lot of things actually. My mom swears the best PB is from the top of a fresh jar, which yeah, is probably true. I’m not sure I’d refrigerate PB like the author of the NPR article does but a friend of mine refuses to refrigerate butter (which is just weird to me) so maybe it’s just a quirk.
- It’s kind of amazing to have friends who remember your quirks and indulge them for you.
08 April 2009
Musings, Part H
- I’m not sure how I feel about this idea; Thin and Inexpensive Netbooks Affect PC Industry if only because I want a computer to do more than just access the Internet. I can understand if you just need the internet and need more than a phone but if you’re going to have a computer, have a computer. I myself want an iMac. One with a huge hard drive so I don’t have to worry about space for a few years (at least that’s the hope, depends on how much video I find and no, I don’t really have space on the desk for an external hard drive) and so I can get some stuff off my iPod (namely BSG podcasts) that I put on there to free up space on my laptop. Irony is, now my iPod is full. Which hasn’t happened before…but I’ve gotten a lot more music while having this iPod compared to the last one, which was a 15 GB.
- Thank you writer Raina Kelley: Five Truths About Reality Dating Shows you just summed up why I hate reality shows, the dating ones in particular. I don’t understand why they are so popular. With the most recent Bachelor as evidence (solely gained through reading blurbs on it and never once letting the channel surfing get anywhere close to it with any length of a pole, 10, 11 or otherwise) all reality dating shows do is show the worst sides of people, unfortunately mostly women. I don’t understand why they let themselves be paraded around and given little more consideration than a shirt or tie selection for the guy in question. We watch TV and movies to see people that aren’t us, why would we want to watch our lives, we’re living them and besides, normal people? Boring. All reality shows do is reinforce stereotypes of people in a faux parallel world where the situations are carefully written and tailored so the outcomes are what they are: predictable, embarrassing, usually disgusting, degrading, and a pox on our society. I hope I never become a woman who is so desperate for some kind of comfort, whether it be through an “attractive” or “powerful” guy, each measured by the size of his bank account, that I’ll dump all of my self-respect and hope for real (not reality) love that I attach myself to someone relatively well off in such a painfully atrocious fashion. I may be square, but as Huey once said, it’s hip.
- So, who wants to show this to the US government? Facebook, YouTube At Work Make Better Employees
- Not to keep (rather, again) complaining about this but this article brought to mind some interesting comparisons, Inside the Duggar Family’s Conservative Ideology to what I remember about traditional Hindu culture, and if I remember correctly, often to current Indian culture as well. These families are teaching their daughters to have no concerns, no skills beyond that of a domestic, motherhood centered life (and in this age, unless you are well off, you can’t raise a family on one income alone, particularly a large family). From what I remember, women in India were to be obedient to their father and brothers, then to their husbands, and finally to their sons, keeping the obedience to the husband to his death, if she wasn’t required to do the whole funeral pyre with him thing. One would think that these Christians (I won’t say so-called though I’m sure they’d call me a so-called Christian) wouldn’t like following the practices of a “heathen” culture. The same kind of obedience is found in Islamic cultures as well. I was really hoping that my daughters (when and if I have them, plural or singular it matters not, though I’m not doing more than 3 kids I’d actually like to enjoy them and I’m sure not having to contend with more than two siblings is a good thing for most kids’ quality of life as well [I only have 1 sibling]) wouldn’t have to put up with the cult of domesticity, as my AP US History book called the whole keep women barefoot in the kitchen (whether literally or figuratively) movement. I really hoped we’d gotten past that. But no, history cycles and we’re doomed to repeat it so I guess they will. I only hope that the work of the women in the early parts of the 20th century were enough to override the more pernicious aspects of the Co’D. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. And teach them that yes, babies are cute, but only one or two at a time. And if you’re going to go against your upbringing…get a tattoo or something, don’t go towards a whacko religious movement/cult.
- I came across this on the NPR website, it’s a list of the 100 top musical works of the 20th century, originally broadcast in the year 2000 . I like lists like this. I like going through them and seeing which I’ve heard (hopefully a lot) and which I haven’t but really should, and which I just don’t understand how they got on the list. It’s like the AFI movie lists. Looks like I’ll have to set up an Excel list for music now…
- Thank you writer Raina Kelley: Five Truths About Reality Dating Shows you just summed up why I hate reality shows, the dating ones in particular. I don’t understand why they are so popular. With the most recent Bachelor as evidence (solely gained through reading blurbs on it and never once letting the channel surfing get anywhere close to it with any length of a pole, 10, 11 or otherwise) all reality dating shows do is show the worst sides of people, unfortunately mostly women. I don’t understand why they let themselves be paraded around and given little more consideration than a shirt or tie selection for the guy in question. We watch TV and movies to see people that aren’t us, why would we want to watch our lives, we’re living them and besides, normal people? Boring. All reality shows do is reinforce stereotypes of people in a faux parallel world where the situations are carefully written and tailored so the outcomes are what they are: predictable, embarrassing, usually disgusting, degrading, and a pox on our society. I hope I never become a woman who is so desperate for some kind of comfort, whether it be through an “attractive” or “powerful” guy, each measured by the size of his bank account, that I’ll dump all of my self-respect and hope for real (not reality) love that I attach myself to someone relatively well off in such a painfully atrocious fashion. I may be square, but as Huey once said, it’s hip.
- So, who wants to show this to the US government? Facebook, YouTube At Work Make Better Employees
- Not to keep (rather, again) complaining about this but this article brought to mind some interesting comparisons, Inside the Duggar Family’s Conservative Ideology to what I remember about traditional Hindu culture, and if I remember correctly, often to current Indian culture as well. These families are teaching their daughters to have no concerns, no skills beyond that of a domestic, motherhood centered life (and in this age, unless you are well off, you can’t raise a family on one income alone, particularly a large family). From what I remember, women in India were to be obedient to their father and brothers, then to their husbands, and finally to their sons, keeping the obedience to the husband to his death, if she wasn’t required to do the whole funeral pyre with him thing. One would think that these Christians (I won’t say so-called though I’m sure they’d call me a so-called Christian) wouldn’t like following the practices of a “heathen” culture. The same kind of obedience is found in Islamic cultures as well. I was really hoping that my daughters (when and if I have them, plural or singular it matters not, though I’m not doing more than 3 kids I’d actually like to enjoy them and I’m sure not having to contend with more than two siblings is a good thing for most kids’ quality of life as well [I only have 1 sibling]) wouldn’t have to put up with the cult of domesticity, as my AP US History book called the whole keep women barefoot in the kitchen (whether literally or figuratively) movement. I really hoped we’d gotten past that. But no, history cycles and we’re doomed to repeat it so I guess they will. I only hope that the work of the women in the early parts of the 20th century were enough to override the more pernicious aspects of the Co’D. I’ll keep my fingers crossed. And teach them that yes, babies are cute, but only one or two at a time. And if you’re going to go against your upbringing…get a tattoo or something, don’t go towards a whacko religious movement/cult.
- I came across this on the NPR website, it’s a list of the 100 top musical works of the 20th century, originally broadcast in the year 2000 . I like lists like this. I like going through them and seeing which I’ve heard (hopefully a lot) and which I haven’t but really should, and which I just don’t understand how they got on the list. It’s like the AFI movie lists. Looks like I’ll have to set up an Excel list for music now…
06 April 2009
Musings, Part G
- In times gone by, I actually wasn’t too enamored of the idea of going to a rock concert. I’m not quite sure why, maybe because I always appreciated the CD more or the cleaner sound on a recording. Concerts to me were supposed to be serious things, classical things. And part of me still feels that way. However, now that I have taken the opportunity to go hear one of my favorite artists live here in DC and am doing so again in May, I understand the appeal. Granted, in October there were people in a box down the way from me that were awfully loud and really shouldn’t have been drinking but otherwise, the crowd sort of added to the experience, also the slight changes in how the songs were performed were also welcome. I probably am annoyed at them more because I’ve been taught, my entire life, that you don’t make a scene in a concert. You are quiet; you enjoy the music but do so silently. Probably should stop thinking that way. Anyway, the concert I attended and am attending are in relatively low key venues, the DAR Constitution Hall which is no Verizon Center, which is for the bigger (more bombastic acts, like the recent Britney Spears [bleck, I can’t believe I’m typing her name] offering). Even though I’ve had no problems and have made sure to keep my ticket within reason (under $70 in each case for a seat on the box level) I understand the plight of those in the recent NY Times article In Online Era, Fans Need Digital Smarts to Get Concert Tickets. My mom and sister are lucky enough to get to go to Coldplay later this year in a rather large venue. Their tickets were a couple hundred. DC may not get the really popular shows but at least you can find reasonable tickets for the good stuff.
- Even after walking through jello at my fifth grade fun day/class send off and subsequently swearing it off for, well, years this article makes me hungry for orange jello…maybe in the shape of a castle? Their T-Square Is the Jelly Mold.
- Yay Disney!: A Museum to Show Walt Disney’s Human Side. Yes, I grew up in Orlando and yes we went to Disney World several times a year. It is the happiest place on Earth, after all. I like the spirit of the parks, of the company, of the films. In my leadership class in middle school, I even chose good old Walt as my leader of choice to do a project on. So some stuff may be shady, gives him color. Just look at what the guy created and inspired to be created. Good for you, Mrs. Miller, definitely a museum I’d visit. And if I get to California sometime soon (even if it’s not soon) I totally will.
- Another human portrait of a big historical figure can be found in the op-ed The Origin of Darwin. Three cheers for Darwin. Happy birthday. Well, belated.
- The strange: R. Crumb Zaps the Bible. Genesis via comic strips? Hmm…wonder if he’ll try to make it funny.
- What is wrong with the electorate that we keep having these problems: Ruling Favors Franken in Minnesota Senate Contest I’m all for Franken getting seated in the Senate, I think it’d be great. Well, only because I know he is seriously interested and involved in politics. But seriously, get it over with one way or another people, geez. I apologize for Florida, I have before and can continue to do so, we started this whole mess back in 2000 but that doesn’t mean you should follow our example. It means you really, really shouldn’t. Get it together people, seriously.
- Even after walking through jello at my fifth grade fun day/class send off and subsequently swearing it off for, well, years this article makes me hungry for orange jello…maybe in the shape of a castle? Their T-Square Is the Jelly Mold.
- Yay Disney!: A Museum to Show Walt Disney’s Human Side. Yes, I grew up in Orlando and yes we went to Disney World several times a year. It is the happiest place on Earth, after all. I like the spirit of the parks, of the company, of the films. In my leadership class in middle school, I even chose good old Walt as my leader of choice to do a project on. So some stuff may be shady, gives him color. Just look at what the guy created and inspired to be created. Good for you, Mrs. Miller, definitely a museum I’d visit. And if I get to California sometime soon (even if it’s not soon) I totally will.
- Another human portrait of a big historical figure can be found in the op-ed The Origin of Darwin. Three cheers for Darwin. Happy birthday. Well, belated.
- The strange: R. Crumb Zaps the Bible. Genesis via comic strips? Hmm…wonder if he’ll try to make it funny.
- What is wrong with the electorate that we keep having these problems: Ruling Favors Franken in Minnesota Senate Contest I’m all for Franken getting seated in the Senate, I think it’d be great. Well, only because I know he is seriously interested and involved in politics. But seriously, get it over with one way or another people, geez. I apologize for Florida, I have before and can continue to do so, we started this whole mess back in 2000 but that doesn’t mean you should follow our example. It means you really, really shouldn’t. Get it together people, seriously.
03 April 2009
Musings, Part F
- I rambled on a couple entries back about Pride and Prejudice and how I feel about re-imaginings. I think for this ramble I’ll turn to Star Trek, mostly because of the article ‘Star Trek’ Sequel Is Coming (Wrath to Be Determined). A) Pretty gutsy of Paramount to already greenlight a sequel when they were so wishy-washy with the actual series and the later TNG (The Next Generation) movies. That being said, kudos to holding onto the franchise. B) I am not an Original Series (TOS) fan. Don’t get me wrong, I respect the every series’ canon and Spock is awesome but I like the movies more than the series itself for Kirk and the gang. Granted, I haven’t watched much but I’m going with the gut reaction on this one. Since I’m not a fan of TOS I’m not dreading what they do to the characters. By going back to the beginning with Enterprise they already mucked about with ST canon so no, I don’t care if Spock and Kirk never met in the Academy. Like with Watchmen (which I watched for the story and revisionist history as opposed to the violence and sex, which didn’t throw me like it did some but only because I have the graphic novel and I know Moore’s style) I’m watching for the world created and because well, it’s Star Trek and the trailers look awesome. Though I’m still perplexed about the whole classic car over the cliff thing but I was also upset with Casino Royale for destroying part of Venice (and the wrecking of JB in the most recent movies shall come later in this entry) so…it’ll just be a small mark against it. Besides the movie looking cool I think we could use some hopeful visions of the future right about now. Because that’s what Star Trek does well, it is a hopeful future. Yes, I imagine this movie will make things a little darker, as is the style of re-imaginings of late (see Batman and Battlestar Galactica [2003] for reference) but they can’t muck with the core of the franchise: different beings and backgrounds coming together for a common goal, and Earth becomes a paradise. Just look at what they did from TOS to TNG, they turned the Klingons, the enemies and Big Bad of TOS and most of its movies (perhaps all, it’s been a while since I’ve seen them, and Voyage Home with the whales? Totally the best one) into allies and part of the Federation, mostly through Worf but once DS9 came around the head of the Klingon Empire was best buds with most of the series’ regulars. I suppose there’s also an argument to be made about the changing nature of diplomacy and politics in there too but that’s cool with Star Trek, there’s plenty to grab from and it’ll probably be relevant to today’s world no matter where you stick it.
- So, James Bond. I’ve seen every one of your films (except that random Sean Connery one that isn’t in the official canon of films). I even watched them, up until the last 3 or so, in chronological order the summer after high school. While I dislike how women are treated in the first several films I understand they are a product of their time and of the novels themselves (and yes, I have read Casino Royale and will be reading the others as they come available/I get my hands on them). I even like the two Timothy Dalton contributions because I see that as the major turning point in how the women are treated. However, I can’t really bring myself to completely get behind the latest two Daniel Craig offerings. It’s not the violence (I don’t think I needed that torture scene in Casino Royale) and it’s not that he’s blond, which is a whatever thing, it’s the lack of quintessential Bond elements. The lines, mainly. “Bond. James Bond” and “Shaken, not stirred.” And of course the lack of Q. How can you not have Q? If you have Brosnan’s M, which I think they intimated was the first female M of the agency, then how can you dump Q? Yeah, yeah, going back to the beginning, blah blah blah. Q is Bond. What happened to the spy gear that made the other movies so awesome? So it’s over the top, all of Bond is over the top. Villains giving long monologues detailing their plans while setting up an elaborate method of killing Bond that of course he’ll get out of…this doesn’t happen in the real world. Real world is more like Indiana Jones facing the whip guy and just shooting him. Bond is cool gadgets, whacko villains, and quips. I miss Q. I want him back. Bring back some levity. Bond also, though it’s not a trait that should be copied by others nonetheless defines his character, doesn’t hold on to women. This whole still ticked off about a betrayal in the next movie thing? So not Bond. Get over it already. Yeah yeah, just starting out, whatever. And you don’t repeat a stunt like they did in Quantum of Solace with the girl covered in oil. Seriously? That was an iconic image from Goldfinger and probably the one thing most people remember and has certainly hammered home the idea that you leave space for the skin to breathe if you’re going to go for the whole body paint thing. You don’t repeat methods of killing people in Bond. Creativity, people, creativity. And with that creativity, get better opening credits. There’s another hallmark of Bond films, great credits. Casino Royale’s were okay, with the card suits and such but the dunes in Quantum? Lame. And it was a bad theme song. Okay, ish, on it’s own but tied into the credits just bad. There’s another missing element, truly great theme songs. My favorite will always be Goldeneye from Tina Turner (which is also my favorite Bond film) but those that came before were also quite good. So, to sum: put back in the classic lines (they’re classic for a reason, put Q back in, make Bond himself again, fix the opening credits, and get a good theme song(s). We’ll have to see what they do (if they do one) to the next one. Better fix stuff though. And don’t destroy part of Venice again.
- So, Jesuits. Pretty cool people usually. Within the myriad Catholic religious orders, they’re the most famously academic. If you see ‘Jesuit’ attached to the name of a college, you know it’s going to be a good one. Most are more than just a priest, they’re encouraged to be in the world and keep going in whatever profession they came into the order with, which was usually something academic. Here’s another reason they’re cool, a sense of humor: God to Man: Get Over Yourself.
- So, James Bond. I’ve seen every one of your films (except that random Sean Connery one that isn’t in the official canon of films). I even watched them, up until the last 3 or so, in chronological order the summer after high school. While I dislike how women are treated in the first several films I understand they are a product of their time and of the novels themselves (and yes, I have read Casino Royale and will be reading the others as they come available/I get my hands on them). I even like the two Timothy Dalton contributions because I see that as the major turning point in how the women are treated. However, I can’t really bring myself to completely get behind the latest two Daniel Craig offerings. It’s not the violence (I don’t think I needed that torture scene in Casino Royale) and it’s not that he’s blond, which is a whatever thing, it’s the lack of quintessential Bond elements. The lines, mainly. “Bond. James Bond” and “Shaken, not stirred.” And of course the lack of Q. How can you not have Q? If you have Brosnan’s M, which I think they intimated was the first female M of the agency, then how can you dump Q? Yeah, yeah, going back to the beginning, blah blah blah. Q is Bond. What happened to the spy gear that made the other movies so awesome? So it’s over the top, all of Bond is over the top. Villains giving long monologues detailing their plans while setting up an elaborate method of killing Bond that of course he’ll get out of…this doesn’t happen in the real world. Real world is more like Indiana Jones facing the whip guy and just shooting him. Bond is cool gadgets, whacko villains, and quips. I miss Q. I want him back. Bring back some levity. Bond also, though it’s not a trait that should be copied by others nonetheless defines his character, doesn’t hold on to women. This whole still ticked off about a betrayal in the next movie thing? So not Bond. Get over it already. Yeah yeah, just starting out, whatever. And you don’t repeat a stunt like they did in Quantum of Solace with the girl covered in oil. Seriously? That was an iconic image from Goldfinger and probably the one thing most people remember and has certainly hammered home the idea that you leave space for the skin to breathe if you’re going to go for the whole body paint thing. You don’t repeat methods of killing people in Bond. Creativity, people, creativity. And with that creativity, get better opening credits. There’s another hallmark of Bond films, great credits. Casino Royale’s were okay, with the card suits and such but the dunes in Quantum? Lame. And it was a bad theme song. Okay, ish, on it’s own but tied into the credits just bad. There’s another missing element, truly great theme songs. My favorite will always be Goldeneye from Tina Turner (which is also my favorite Bond film) but those that came before were also quite good. So, to sum: put back in the classic lines (they’re classic for a reason, put Q back in, make Bond himself again, fix the opening credits, and get a good theme song(s). We’ll have to see what they do (if they do one) to the next one. Better fix stuff though. And don’t destroy part of Venice again.
- So, Jesuits. Pretty cool people usually. Within the myriad Catholic religious orders, they’re the most famously academic. If you see ‘Jesuit’ attached to the name of a college, you know it’s going to be a good one. Most are more than just a priest, they’re encouraged to be in the world and keep going in whatever profession they came into the order with, which was usually something academic. Here’s another reason they’re cool, a sense of humor: God to Man: Get Over Yourself.
28 March 2009
Musings, Part C
- It takes all kinds: The Oddest Book Titles Have Their Aficionados, Too. What I want to know is if the How to Avoid Huge Ships is available for my Kindle. I’d even take the Waterproofing Your Child or People Who Don’t Know They’re Dead: How They Attach Themselves to Unsuspecting Bystanders and What to Do About It. For the latter, hasn’t that been covered in countless horror/thriller flicks, notably The Sixth Sense?
- I love musicals. I’m impressed by them, when written well I find myself humming the tunes and getting the soundtracks. Sometimes things are really better when random/not so random musical numbers are added in. However, why make one out of Little Women? I guess it could work but why would you do it? There’s nothing wrong with leaving Little Women to the book and the movie versions. I haven’t yet seen the earlier version(s) but I really enjoyed the Winona Ryder one in the 90s. Christian Bale was in it, with longer hair and a happier disposition to his character, Gabriel Byrne, a much younger Claire Danes and Kirsten Dunst before both got big. And Susan Sarandon as Marmie? Excellent.
- Democracy has color. Perhaps one of the best illustrations I've found recently of this is the blog And the Pursuit of Happiness with it’s entry on Alexis de Tocqueville Mixing history, a description of a Vermont town’s town hall and a student council meeting in the Bronx it gets at a pretty good description of the character of democracy, it is personal, it is colorful, it is vibrant, and yes, it can be used for everything from lunch to nuclear power plants. And the illustrations remind me of books I read as a kid. Like the Hundred Dresses or that one book about the bridge in NYC as a necklace because the girl could fly or something. Something like that. She has done children’s books…just not the ones I remember.
- People are lovely: Kansas Church Says It Will Protest at Whitman High in MoCo Seriously? Doesn’t this church have something else to do? The only thing the name of a school can lead it is maybe a leg up professionally if you go to a nationally recognized one. Otherwise, a school is a school. And Walt Whitman? One of the country’s best poets ever. You people need to grow up.
- Finally, something unites my love of movies with my love of Legos: Lego Movie Stills/. The Blues Brothers dance in the church one has to be my favorite. The find is all thanks to Pop Vox, Newsweek’s entertainment blog. Who knew blogs were so useful in finding weird, random stuff? Yes, that would be apparently everybody.
- It’s Cherry Blossom season (well, few weeks) here in DC. The Tidal Basin turns into the picturesque area you always see in pictures, not that it isn’t pretty otherwise it’s just that the flowering trees add so much to the picture that it’s like a whole other area during the season. For allergy sufferers like myself it depends on the day, sometimes, whether you shake your fist at the trees or welcome them with open arms. We’ll see how it goes on my end. At any rate, cheers Japan.
- I love musicals. I’m impressed by them, when written well I find myself humming the tunes and getting the soundtracks. Sometimes things are really better when random/not so random musical numbers are added in. However, why make one out of Little Women? I guess it could work but why would you do it? There’s nothing wrong with leaving Little Women to the book and the movie versions. I haven’t yet seen the earlier version(s) but I really enjoyed the Winona Ryder one in the 90s. Christian Bale was in it, with longer hair and a happier disposition to his character, Gabriel Byrne, a much younger Claire Danes and Kirsten Dunst before both got big. And Susan Sarandon as Marmie? Excellent.
- Democracy has color. Perhaps one of the best illustrations I've found recently of this is the blog And the Pursuit of Happiness with it’s entry on Alexis de Tocqueville Mixing history, a description of a Vermont town’s town hall and a student council meeting in the Bronx it gets at a pretty good description of the character of democracy, it is personal, it is colorful, it is vibrant, and yes, it can be used for everything from lunch to nuclear power plants. And the illustrations remind me of books I read as a kid. Like the Hundred Dresses or that one book about the bridge in NYC as a necklace because the girl could fly or something. Something like that. She has done children’s books…just not the ones I remember.
- People are lovely: Kansas Church Says It Will Protest at Whitman High in MoCo Seriously? Doesn’t this church have something else to do? The only thing the name of a school can lead it is maybe a leg up professionally if you go to a nationally recognized one. Otherwise, a school is a school. And Walt Whitman? One of the country’s best poets ever. You people need to grow up.
- Finally, something unites my love of movies with my love of Legos: Lego Movie Stills/. The Blues Brothers dance in the church one has to be my favorite. The find is all thanks to Pop Vox, Newsweek’s entertainment blog. Who knew blogs were so useful in finding weird, random stuff? Yes, that would be apparently everybody.
- It’s Cherry Blossom season (well, few weeks) here in DC. The Tidal Basin turns into the picturesque area you always see in pictures, not that it isn’t pretty otherwise it’s just that the flowering trees add so much to the picture that it’s like a whole other area during the season. For allergy sufferers like myself it depends on the day, sometimes, whether you shake your fist at the trees or welcome them with open arms. We’ll see how it goes on my end. At any rate, cheers Japan.
26 March 2009
Musings, Part A
- Ever notice how on TV when there’s a company that deals with new/wacky/cutting edge/sorta out there science it’s always ____ Dynamic? On Eureka its Global Dynamic, shortened to GD. On Fringe its Massive Dynamic. And now on Better Off Ted its Veridian Dynamic. Is the Dynamic supposed to indicate the company’s cool and forward thinking? And since on Fringe the company’s kinda mysterious and murky, does the blank fill in of Massive indicate its imposing or something?
- I’ve come to think that if you belong or identify with a group you should be embarrassed by at least one thing the group does or advocates. No group or community is perfect and there are things that should just be slightly offensive to the sensibilities. Mine? This: Vatican Official Criticizes US Bishops on Abortion In case you were wondering, I’m on the pro-choice side of the debate. I want control over myself and my life and while I completely agree abortion is being used as a kind of birth control by many, there’s a certain quality of life argument that can be made for both the mother and the child and women deserve the right to not be forced back to back alley practices of old. Safe, legal, and rare. And if you’re going for the “it’s a life” argument, go the Catholic route and do life in everything. You can’t be pro-life in one area without being pro-life in all, like many Republican Catholics are, at least those who support the death penalty. I can more easily live with being a bad Catholic in regards to the pro-choice/pro-life debate than being a bad liberal, strange as that might sound. I’m against the death penalty though so this whole bit just now might be the pot calling the kettle black. Whatever. I accept my own dichotomies and force anyone, besides myself, to follow them. I am large, I contain multitudes as the poet wrote.
- Along the same lines, the condom thing is equally annoying. When the time comes, I intend on using birth control. I’m not sure I care that it goes against the Bible. As that one speech in The West Wing points out, we do a lot of things these days that are forbidden in the Bible. Everyone decries the presence of condoms in schools or birth control being used it seems at any age but if proper Christian fundamentals were really being followed, protection wouldn’t be an issue as no one would be having sex before being married. The whole abstinence thing, remember that bit? The same thing is happening around the world. I still remember a discussion in my Religion, Politics and Civil Rights class (amusing enough held over the dinner hours and all topics you shouldn’t discuss over dinner in polite company, as the maxim goes) {Professor Peach, rest in peace and I’m hoping you’re having a fun time in whatever afterlife you wound up in…do Buddhists ascribe to an afterlife? Probably should have paid more attention during that lecture…} about strict non-use of birth control or protection in the Philippines because they were Catholic and yet there was this huge problem of families living on maybe two yards square worth of space with about eight people. And plenty of unwed mothers with several children. What happened to the first rule of abstinence? The world is doing just fine on being peopled (it isn’t a must as Benedict once said) and we’re multiplying just fine. Perhaps now we can turn more fully to quality of life not quantity? I’m not advocating for restrictions on births like the Chinese have (or had?) just planning, I guess. Which is why I think groups like this are insane: Quiverfull Movement .
- I’m reading a lot more news since I got a job. It’s a slow week and my supervisor is out on leave so I’m basically in a holding pattern until someone needs help with something. Washington Post.com, NY Times.com, NPR.org, Newsweek.com you are my friends. I just wish I could justify staying up for the Daily Show. Ah well, Hulu.com you’re a lifesaver in that respect. And the show’s website which is one of the best network-cally run ones around. Comedy Central, in my opinion, has no equal when it comes to ease of access to video clips or full videos. Then again, I’ve only used it for the Daily Show and the Colbert Report, other shows could be different. Still, the player is one of the best. I’m looking at you, ABC, because your player still has a tendency to hate me which is why I have to watch your stuff live. *shakes fist* That and because it’s hard to find your stuff elsewhere, unlike Fox and NBC. And CBS? If you haven’t put The Mentalist back up on your site, do so immediately.
- Pearls Before Swine, I love you. I love your sometimes dark humor, I love the adorableness of Pig, the cynicism of Rat, the unfailing failure of Larry, your little Viking people that read Cosmo, your animation of inanimate objects, the homicidal tendencies of the sea anemone, the guard duck who really just wants a little war, Mr. Snuffles, the summer romance of Larry’s son and the girl zebra next door, your fairly regular breaking of the “fourth wall” as it is on TV by characters going to berate the cartoonist, the list goes on. I love you even more now that I’ve found your cartoonist has a blog: the Official Pearls Before Swine Blog . Added to that joy is the news that you have plush toys. I see a Pig in my future. Maybe even a Rat.
- During the election I was sick of hearing about it. I was sick of hearing about it back in January 2003 when I was in London and they were already talking about it. Now, I’m sick of hearing about the economy. I know, I know I should be more concerned as a now responsible adult but really, I’m just not.
- A really annoying song to get stuck in your head is “Camptown Races”, especially when it’s only the first verse.
- It’s probably pretty nerdy to be thrilled to be wandering around the building of a Federal department. The Department of Agriculture is huge though. Seven wings in the larger building (South), six floors and a basement in each, at least 3 elevators per wing too. And there’s a sub-basement that’s a promenade. It has two gift shops, a post office, a credit union, a gym, a smoothie place, and a pretty nice cafeteria in it. And it’s an older building too so there’s wooden doors and signs for stuff. It’s like being part of history, in a very political science nerd kind of way. But right now? I really don’t care. The cafeteria has vanilla coke, ergo I am set. Oh, and men still wear bow ties. I had a sighting today.
- I’m reading the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka ARRA, aka the Recovery Act. There are more zero’s in this thing than I’ve seen in a long time. It’s also 407 pages long, granted it’s a Congressional bill so it’s all centered with quite wide margins but still, long. Also, there’s a space in the word government between the n and the m on one page in the 40s. Not sure they meant for that to happen.
- It really sucks when both of your pendant watches’ batteries die in the same week. Even more so when your favorite/normal one dies while you’re in transit on your first day of work. At least I have a nice wristwatch, even if I hate wearing them. I’m too used to my necklace watch. And I don’t really have time to go hunt down a watch shop to get the batteries replaced. And the one wasn’t supposed to be able to die, you were just supposed to wind it. Grr.
- It’s really annoying when you’ve pretty much thought that caffeine didn’t really effect you all that much and it’s partially confirmed when after downing a bottle of Coke you still fight to keep your eyes open. Not fair. And I’m not about to take up coffee. Force of will it is then. Just in case, I’ll keep up with the chocolate and Coke. Who knows? It may have been an off day.
- Not all chicken salad is created equal. The best is with chunks of chicken instead of looking like whiter tuna salad. Booeymongers, I salute you.
- Why is that when I have no page limits I tend towards verbose? Case in point, this entry.
- I’ve come to think that if you belong or identify with a group you should be embarrassed by at least one thing the group does or advocates. No group or community is perfect and there are things that should just be slightly offensive to the sensibilities. Mine? This: Vatican Official Criticizes US Bishops on Abortion In case you were wondering, I’m on the pro-choice side of the debate. I want control over myself and my life and while I completely agree abortion is being used as a kind of birth control by many, there’s a certain quality of life argument that can be made for both the mother and the child and women deserve the right to not be forced back to back alley practices of old. Safe, legal, and rare. And if you’re going for the “it’s a life” argument, go the Catholic route and do life in everything. You can’t be pro-life in one area without being pro-life in all, like many Republican Catholics are, at least those who support the death penalty. I can more easily live with being a bad Catholic in regards to the pro-choice/pro-life debate than being a bad liberal, strange as that might sound. I’m against the death penalty though so this whole bit just now might be the pot calling the kettle black. Whatever. I accept my own dichotomies and force anyone, besides myself, to follow them. I am large, I contain multitudes as the poet wrote.
- Along the same lines, the condom thing is equally annoying. When the time comes, I intend on using birth control. I’m not sure I care that it goes against the Bible. As that one speech in The West Wing points out, we do a lot of things these days that are forbidden in the Bible. Everyone decries the presence of condoms in schools or birth control being used it seems at any age but if proper Christian fundamentals were really being followed, protection wouldn’t be an issue as no one would be having sex before being married. The whole abstinence thing, remember that bit? The same thing is happening around the world. I still remember a discussion in my Religion, Politics and Civil Rights class (amusing enough held over the dinner hours and all topics you shouldn’t discuss over dinner in polite company, as the maxim goes) {Professor Peach, rest in peace and I’m hoping you’re having a fun time in whatever afterlife you wound up in…do Buddhists ascribe to an afterlife? Probably should have paid more attention during that lecture…} about strict non-use of birth control or protection in the Philippines because they were Catholic and yet there was this huge problem of families living on maybe two yards square worth of space with about eight people. And plenty of unwed mothers with several children. What happened to the first rule of abstinence? The world is doing just fine on being peopled (it isn’t a must as Benedict once said) and we’re multiplying just fine. Perhaps now we can turn more fully to quality of life not quantity? I’m not advocating for restrictions on births like the Chinese have (or had?) just planning, I guess. Which is why I think groups like this are insane: Quiverfull Movement .
- I’m reading a lot more news since I got a job. It’s a slow week and my supervisor is out on leave so I’m basically in a holding pattern until someone needs help with something. Washington Post.com, NY Times.com, NPR.org, Newsweek.com you are my friends. I just wish I could justify staying up for the Daily Show. Ah well, Hulu.com you’re a lifesaver in that respect. And the show’s website which is one of the best network-cally run ones around. Comedy Central, in my opinion, has no equal when it comes to ease of access to video clips or full videos. Then again, I’ve only used it for the Daily Show and the Colbert Report, other shows could be different. Still, the player is one of the best. I’m looking at you, ABC, because your player still has a tendency to hate me which is why I have to watch your stuff live. *shakes fist* That and because it’s hard to find your stuff elsewhere, unlike Fox and NBC. And CBS? If you haven’t put The Mentalist back up on your site, do so immediately.
- Pearls Before Swine, I love you. I love your sometimes dark humor, I love the adorableness of Pig, the cynicism of Rat, the unfailing failure of Larry, your little Viking people that read Cosmo, your animation of inanimate objects, the homicidal tendencies of the sea anemone, the guard duck who really just wants a little war, Mr. Snuffles, the summer romance of Larry’s son and the girl zebra next door, your fairly regular breaking of the “fourth wall” as it is on TV by characters going to berate the cartoonist, the list goes on. I love you even more now that I’ve found your cartoonist has a blog: the Official Pearls Before Swine Blog . Added to that joy is the news that you have plush toys. I see a Pig in my future. Maybe even a Rat.
- During the election I was sick of hearing about it. I was sick of hearing about it back in January 2003 when I was in London and they were already talking about it. Now, I’m sick of hearing about the economy. I know, I know I should be more concerned as a now responsible adult but really, I’m just not.
- A really annoying song to get stuck in your head is “Camptown Races”, especially when it’s only the first verse.
- It’s probably pretty nerdy to be thrilled to be wandering around the building of a Federal department. The Department of Agriculture is huge though. Seven wings in the larger building (South), six floors and a basement in each, at least 3 elevators per wing too. And there’s a sub-basement that’s a promenade. It has two gift shops, a post office, a credit union, a gym, a smoothie place, and a pretty nice cafeteria in it. And it’s an older building too so there’s wooden doors and signs for stuff. It’s like being part of history, in a very political science nerd kind of way. But right now? I really don’t care. The cafeteria has vanilla coke, ergo I am set. Oh, and men still wear bow ties. I had a sighting today.
- I’m reading the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, aka ARRA, aka the Recovery Act. There are more zero’s in this thing than I’ve seen in a long time. It’s also 407 pages long, granted it’s a Congressional bill so it’s all centered with quite wide margins but still, long. Also, there’s a space in the word government between the n and the m on one page in the 40s. Not sure they meant for that to happen.
- It really sucks when both of your pendant watches’ batteries die in the same week. Even more so when your favorite/normal one dies while you’re in transit on your first day of work. At least I have a nice wristwatch, even if I hate wearing them. I’m too used to my necklace watch. And I don’t really have time to go hunt down a watch shop to get the batteries replaced. And the one wasn’t supposed to be able to die, you were just supposed to wind it. Grr.
- It’s really annoying when you’ve pretty much thought that caffeine didn’t really effect you all that much and it’s partially confirmed when after downing a bottle of Coke you still fight to keep your eyes open. Not fair. And I’m not about to take up coffee. Force of will it is then. Just in case, I’ll keep up with the chocolate and Coke. Who knows? It may have been an off day.
- Not all chicken salad is created equal. The best is with chunks of chicken instead of looking like whiter tuna salad. Booeymongers, I salute you.
- Why is that when I have no page limits I tend towards verbose? Case in point, this entry.
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