I'm watching the second to last episode of Project Runway right now, and I just cannot escape it. Apparently, 6 months out of law school and unemployment hasn't completely atrophied my brain.
For those not in the know, before Fashion Week (i.e. the finale) Tim Gunn visits the designers in their homes to see how their final collections are going. When he visited Irina (my least favorite contestant who is unfortunately the most talented), she announced her intention to use Coney Island t-shirts she had bought. First off, why isn't that against the rules? Second, my immediate thought was that the artwork on the front was copyrighted, possibly even trademarked (I couldn't see it that well). Sure enough, half way through the episode, Tim calls Irina and informs her of this. It's supposed to be a big "OH NOES!" moment, but my legal education left my underwhelmed about the revelation. The entire season has been underwhelming, so I was kind of annoyed that my big "HA!" moment for Irina was spoiled. *sad face*
Anyway, next season needs some changes if they're expecting me to watch again. For one thing, the judges (especially the guest judges) need brains. That would be nice. Also, it would be fabulous if they judged on actual skill instead of who was most popular - *cough*Chris*cough*. And where are my off-the-wall challenges? Make a dress out of things you find in a pet store or something, please.
Yeah, that's all I have to say. Unemployment is unexciting.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Suspension of Belief
There are precious few movies that I have ever walked out of saying, "That was better than the book." When someone is cutting and trimming a book down to the 2 hours of a screenplay, plot elements are lost and characters become that much flatter. (The travesty called "The Golden Compass" anyone?) In general. But there are exceptions. "Jurassic Park" the movie is much better than the book - Michael Crichton doesn't heavily characterize *anyway*, and the story is so much more enjoyable without meandering chapters about the science of it all. Like, I get it - you did research. I, however, would like to read about the next guy to get gutted by a velociraptor. Besides, I liked Ian Malcolm, and I *know* he makes some miraculous recovery in "The Lost World", but how lame was his ending in the meantime?
Anyway, you ask anyone that knows me, and they'll probably know that one of my favorite movies is "The African Queen". Humphrey Bogart in his only Academy Award-winning role and Katherine Hepburn playing someone perfectly suited for her prim independence - what could be better?
So when I was meandering in Half-Price Books the other day and saw the novel by C.S. Forester on which the film was based, I was surprised at myself for never having read it. Something was nagging at me at the back of my mind (which turned about to be my mother's warnings from long ago), but I ignored it and started reading the quite-identical adventures of Charlie (yes, that's where my dog got his name) and Rosie. There are the Germans of WWI and the rapids and the insects and the really painful bit where they almost die in the reeds. Everything!
... Except the ending. For 17 chapters, Charlie and Rosie were the complete and utter focus of the book (save one that showed exactly how they managed to get past the German fort by switching to the German's point of view). Then, Forester decides that's boring - let's throw in some of the British that aren't supposed to be around, according to earlier bits of the book! And let's wrest the entire remainder of the narrative from the two main characters and have a sudden ending where the only thing resolved is the high level of the reader's mystification! What. The. Eff. It wasn't the "that's my favorite movie" part of me that rebelled - it just didn't make any narrative sense. Like Forester got tired at the end and decided he'd just turn *something* into his publisher, like it was a high school English paper.
"I'm so glad we got a better ending than the book, Rosie!"
No wonder the screenwriters changed the end. I'll take "slightly inconceivable" over "dumb ass" for my endings any day, thanks.
If you have a choice, get in front of the TV and watch it. You'll feel better. It's an awesome movie, and it's better than the book. I told the pup after I was done - "You're named after Humphrey Bogart's Academy Award-winning character, not the book's protagonist." I think he appreciated the difference.
Anyway, you ask anyone that knows me, and they'll probably know that one of my favorite movies is "The African Queen". Humphrey Bogart in his only Academy Award-winning role and Katherine Hepburn playing someone perfectly suited for her prim independence - what could be better?
So when I was meandering in Half-Price Books the other day and saw the novel by C.S. Forester on which the film was based, I was surprised at myself for never having read it. Something was nagging at me at the back of my mind (which turned about to be my mother's warnings from long ago), but I ignored it and started reading the quite-identical adventures of Charlie (yes, that's where my dog got his name) and Rosie. There are the Germans of WWI and the rapids and the insects and the really painful bit where they almost die in the reeds. Everything!
... Except the ending. For 17 chapters, Charlie and Rosie were the complete and utter focus of the book (save one that showed exactly how they managed to get past the German fort by switching to the German's point of view). Then, Forester decides that's boring - let's throw in some of the British that aren't supposed to be around, according to earlier bits of the book! And let's wrest the entire remainder of the narrative from the two main characters and have a sudden ending where the only thing resolved is the high level of the reader's mystification! What. The. Eff. It wasn't the "that's my favorite movie" part of me that rebelled - it just didn't make any narrative sense. Like Forester got tired at the end and decided he'd just turn *something* into his publisher, like it was a high school English paper.
"I'm so glad we got a better ending than the book, Rosie!"No wonder the screenwriters changed the end. I'll take "slightly inconceivable" over "dumb ass" for my endings any day, thanks.
If you have a choice, get in front of the TV and watch it. You'll feel better. It's an awesome movie, and it's better than the book. I told the pup after I was done - "You're named after Humphrey Bogart's Academy Award-winning character, not the book's protagonist." I think he appreciated the difference.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Projects
Things I am amusing myself with until I get my bar results and start applying for the myriad of jobs that require state licensing (and are the ones I want the most, so that works out):
1. Staining, stenciling and finishing my dresser.
2. Staring at the mountains of stuff from my younger years that my mother has made me move out of her house. Wondering what I'm going to do with all of it and where it will go.
3. Getting into better shape, before I get a job (thinking optimistically!) and I become a couch potato again.
4. Facebook stalking.
5. Reading all those books I bought over the past 3 years and then never read, because I had to study or (more often) use my free time to sleep.
6. Crossword puzzles.
7. Talking to friends about things other than law school, which is refreshing for all parties.
8. Reminding everyone that bar results aren't due until November, and no, the wait doesn't mean I failed.
9. Dealing with the new house's heating and cooling systems, both of which have decided they hate me.
10. Getting up to let the dog in and out of the backyard every 5 minutes. (Soon to be #11 on the list - putting in a doggie door!)
1. Staining, stenciling and finishing my dresser.
2. Staring at the mountains of stuff from my younger years that my mother has made me move out of her house. Wondering what I'm going to do with all of it and where it will go.
3. Getting into better shape, before I get a job (thinking optimistically!) and I become a couch potato again.
4. Facebook stalking.
5. Reading all those books I bought over the past 3 years and then never read, because I had to study or (more often) use my free time to sleep.
6. Crossword puzzles.
7. Talking to friends about things other than law school, which is refreshing for all parties.
8. Reminding everyone that bar results aren't due until November, and no, the wait doesn't mean I failed.
9. Dealing with the new house's heating and cooling systems, both of which have decided they hate me.
10. Getting up to let the dog in and out of the backyard every 5 minutes. (Soon to be #11 on the list - putting in a doggie door!)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
I Watched Bob Ross Too
PBS stopped airing reruns of "Reading Rainbow" a few days ago. One of the columns I read said that PBS wants to concentrate on programs that educate in a substantive way, instead of just encouraging children to read. Why would kids want to read when they can get all their information straight from the television, right?
I once took a stunningly boring class called "Psychology of Reading". It was mostly about the success of phonetic reading as a opposed to whole-word reading. (Even typing that sentence made me sleepy. I promise I won't explain it further.) But before we got into the intricacies of *that*, the professor decided to tease us for a couple days with the actually interesting question of why some kids love to read and some hate it.
My own parents seemed to consciously plan how much I would grow to love reading - I know that it wasn't so deliberate only because I'm the only child and nothing is deliberate with your first and only child, as my mother now says. My father read stories to me at bedtime when I was little - mostly the nauseating Bernstein Bear series that was so popular back then. He didn't care for them, especially as I had only about 15 of them, and made them more interesting for the both of us by adding his own embellishments. The Bernsteins became more like the Simpsons than a bear family that gave sound moral advice. I remember laughing a lot.
My mother, on the other hand, began reading much more difficult books to me from a very early age. She read "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", "Treasure Island" and a number of others to me before I even went into kindergarten. I remember us both crying when Aslan died.
I was lucky to have a series of good teachers. My 3rd grade teacher read "The Witches" by Roald Dahl to us, and I found a favorite author for my childhood. In 5th grade, we were allowed to read whatever book we wanted to - at least 3 per semester. When we moved to Dallas, I was surprised by the idea of being forced to read just one particular book, but I also was made to read what became my favorite novel, "Jane Eyre". I also had to read "The Scarlet Letter" though - a book I still shudder to think about. The NY Times had an article today about the difference between those approaches.
So is it better to have a list of books every child must read? Or should they have the freedom to choose (within limits)? If I had my way, I never would have touched Nathaniel Hawthorne's yawner or "Snow Falling on Cedars". But I probably wouldn't have read "To Kill A Mockingbird" either. Fair trade? Probably - for me, at least. Looking at the books I've been reading lately next to the resumes I haven't sent out, perhaps the whole thing was a bit *too* successful.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Just An Unfun Update
This post was originally long, discussing possible employment prospects and suchlike. I depressed myself writing it. I'll leave you with a brief summary of what I've been up to lately. NYC pictures aren't available yet, since I can't find the cable to hook the camera to the computer. Maybe that post will be more cheerful...
The last couple of months have been full of moving, studying for the bar, taking the bar, and a rather odd, semi-impromptu trip to New York City. The good news is that Charlie loves his new back yard, I think the bar went alright, and I still can find my way around NYC, if my blood sugar hasn't bottomed out and I'm not in Times Square. The bad news is that Jon and I are in Dallas, completely bereft of jobs and, as the school year approaches ever faster, without any prospects for Jon. He's working at Best Buy again, and I'm trying to find anything that will pay me. I really, really don't want the last three years to have been a waste of my time and money.
The last couple of months have been full of moving, studying for the bar, taking the bar, and a rather odd, semi-impromptu trip to New York City. The good news is that Charlie loves his new back yard, I think the bar went alright, and I still can find my way around NYC, if my blood sugar hasn't bottomed out and I'm not in Times Square. The bad news is that Jon and I are in Dallas, completely bereft of jobs and, as the school year approaches ever faster, without any prospects for Jon. He's working at Best Buy again, and I'm trying to find anything that will pay me. I really, really don't want the last three years to have been a waste of my time and money.
Monday, June 8, 2009
On A Feminist Kick, Clearly
So I'm watching "Live Free or Die Hard" at the moment, and I have a question for all two of you that read this. Are there ANY female villains out there that aren't the mastermind's girlfriend or after something completely stereotypical, like a man or fur coats made of Dalmatian puppies?
I like Maggie Q (who plays Mai, the main evil chick). I'm all for girls that kick some butt, even the evil ones, but why do these mentally unbalanced women need mentally unbalanced men to lead them through plans of chaos and destruction? Why are they all sidekicks that simply have the added benefit that the villain is probably not going to turn on his love monkey?
I want a female Hans Gruber. I want a villainess who is evil for little more than greed and power. A mastermind that works alone.
Extra points if she doesn't use her sexuality as a weapon!
(I have to say, I adore Kevin Smith in this. I always adore him though.)
I like Maggie Q (who plays Mai, the main evil chick). I'm all for girls that kick some butt, even the evil ones, but why do these mentally unbalanced women need mentally unbalanced men to lead them through plans of chaos and destruction? Why are they all sidekicks that simply have the added benefit that the villain is probably not going to turn on his love monkey?
I want a female Hans Gruber. I want a villainess who is evil for little more than greed and power. A mastermind that works alone.
Extra points if she doesn't use her sexuality as a weapon!
(I have to say, I adore Kevin Smith in this. I always adore him though.)
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I Don't Get It
ALV and I were discussing feminism last night and decided that we're "old school" feminists. You know, the kind of feminists that think women should be able to make their own choices about what they do in life - i.e. be focused on career, be a stay-at-home mom or anything in between. This is opposed to the newer face of feminism - the mindset that if a woman doesn't do all that she can to exceed men in power, wealth and all those other areas where The Man (literally) has excelled in the past, then she is the ultimate failure and a disgrace to anyone with girl parts.
But I think that, in general, most women of any feminist or even anti-feminist group can agree on one thing - we're not meant to bear litters. Don't get in a huff. I don't mean that big families are a bad thing. I mean that having six or eight babies AT ONCE is not biologically sound. Human women are not dogs, cats, ducks or any other species that has multiple births on a regular basis. It's not just unnatural - televisions, forks and my comfy jeans aren't natural, and I wouldn't want to live without any of them - it's dangerous. It's dangerous to the babies, the mom and my sanity.
Unless you've been in a coma, solitary confinement or Tahiti, you've seen the hoopla over "Jon & Kate Plus Eight". I'm going to avoid deep analysis (Jon is a hapless bore and Kate is a neurotic control freak), but I have to wonder why we're rewarding these people for spawning like Scottish Terriers. Scottish Terriers do it all the time! And let's take a quick inventory of the damage their TV show has done to this family - exposed possible affair of Jon, exposed possible affair of Kate, taken Kate out of the house for her promotional book tours, left 8 children to live under constant scrutiny (which has worked so well for many child stars of yore) and earned a look from the government for possible violations of child labor laws. That's just the stuff directly attributable to the show. Then there's that whole "life" category of things that normal people have to deal with.
But, you know what? If these people want to destroy their lives with celebrity, that's fine. From what I've gleaned, Jon & Kate at least seemed able to support a household of 10, even if it would have become tight.
Today, however, I read this headline - "Octuplets' Mom Inks Reality TV, Book Deals".
UGH. The woman has serious issues. And a burden on society. While these deals might remove her from welfare, do you really think she's going to stop? She needs *help*, not affirmation.
Tell me that, along with "Twilight" and gladiator-sytle sandals, these multi-kid, multi-exploitation reality shows will go away.
But I think that, in general, most women of any feminist or even anti-feminist group can agree on one thing - we're not meant to bear litters. Don't get in a huff. I don't mean that big families are a bad thing. I mean that having six or eight babies AT ONCE is not biologically sound. Human women are not dogs, cats, ducks or any other species that has multiple births on a regular basis. It's not just unnatural - televisions, forks and my comfy jeans aren't natural, and I wouldn't want to live without any of them - it's dangerous. It's dangerous to the babies, the mom and my sanity.
Unless you've been in a coma, solitary confinement or Tahiti, you've seen the hoopla over "Jon & Kate Plus Eight". I'm going to avoid deep analysis (Jon is a hapless bore and Kate is a neurotic control freak), but I have to wonder why we're rewarding these people for spawning like Scottish Terriers. Scottish Terriers do it all the time! And let's take a quick inventory of the damage their TV show has done to this family - exposed possible affair of Jon, exposed possible affair of Kate, taken Kate out of the house for her promotional book tours, left 8 children to live under constant scrutiny (which has worked so well for many child stars of yore) and earned a look from the government for possible violations of child labor laws. That's just the stuff directly attributable to the show. Then there's that whole "life" category of things that normal people have to deal with.
But, you know what? If these people want to destroy their lives with celebrity, that's fine. From what I've gleaned, Jon & Kate at least seemed able to support a household of 10, even if it would have become tight.
Today, however, I read this headline - "Octuplets' Mom Inks Reality TV, Book Deals".
UGH. The woman has serious issues. And a burden on society. While these deals might remove her from welfare, do you really think she's going to stop? She needs *help*, not affirmation.
Tell me that, along with "Twilight" and gladiator-sytle sandals, these multi-kid, multi-exploitation reality shows will go away.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Summer is Over
Time to start studying for one of the most important tests of my life - second only to PC III, which would have sent me into hysterics if I'd failed it. (I predict only the normal volume of tears if I fail the bar, which I don't think I will. Shouldn't my fear level between the bar and PC III be switched? Hm.)
So for the next several weeks, I'm taking BarBri. I'm exceedingly glad we're having these preview workshops for a few days though. (I'm delightfully skipping over the oddities of listening to a lawyer who decided to regale her DVD audience that her 9 year old was having difficulty learning her multiplication tables, and that, for some reason, this meant that we had to work especially hard in memorizing our elements of negligence.) I have forgotten a lot. Torts, for instance.
Then there's that whole job search thing. I wish I could trace the entire path of my career goals throughout law school - I'm sure it'd be highly amusing. There was an entire stretch during PC that it went right off the 'lawyer' map and onto the 'anything else!' map of jobs, but I've recovered. Mostly. I'm still figuring it out though, and while I have a clearer picture of what I want to do with my life than just a month or so ago, I am really reticent to dive into the serious job search without more focus. It's probably just my own brain dancing its own little avoidance dance, but I'll let it have its fun for the time being.
I hope no one is expecting any startling realizations for the time being. The one with the most excitement in this family is Charlie, who has many stories about how he and the little Yorkie mix across the way keep missing each other on their trips outside. He sulks every time. He has a hard life.
So for the next several weeks, I'm taking BarBri. I'm exceedingly glad we're having these preview workshops for a few days though. (I'm delightfully skipping over the oddities of listening to a lawyer who decided to regale her DVD audience that her 9 year old was having difficulty learning her multiplication tables, and that, for some reason, this meant that we had to work especially hard in memorizing our elements of negligence.) I have forgotten a lot. Torts, for instance.
Then there's that whole job search thing. I wish I could trace the entire path of my career goals throughout law school - I'm sure it'd be highly amusing. There was an entire stretch during PC that it went right off the 'lawyer' map and onto the 'anything else!' map of jobs, but I've recovered. Mostly. I'm still figuring it out though, and while I have a clearer picture of what I want to do with my life than just a month or so ago, I am really reticent to dive into the serious job search without more focus. It's probably just my own brain dancing its own little avoidance dance, but I'll let it have its fun for the time being.
I hope no one is expecting any startling realizations for the time being. The one with the most excitement in this family is Charlie, who has many stories about how he and the little Yorkie mix across the way keep missing each other on their trips outside. He sulks every time. He has a hard life.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Assuming I Passed Non-Profits
I. Am. Done.
No more finals. No more classes. I have the gown - complete with the *doctoral* hood - in my closet, and the bar is the last hurdle before I'm a lawyer. And after PC, the bar really doesn't scare me.
I'm 24, and I've completed my schooling. My joy was well illustrated after finishing the Secured Transactions final by going over to ALV (who also is finished) and squealing like a pair of 13 year olds who had sighted their favorite boy band.
As ALV has pointed out though, this is the point where it gets terrifying if you don't have a job. But I choose not to think about that quite yet. (In my mind, I'm only going so far as May 12th, when I'll see NIN for the second time in the span of a year.)
What's known about the future - after BarBri in Waco, we're headed back to Dallas and moving into a real house with a backyard and everything. Charlie will be blissed out to have his own grass to roll around on, and I'll have a kitchen bigger than a closet. Other than that, everything's uncertain, but I still can't be bothered to worry about it.
I'm finished with law school! I hope! :P
No more finals. No more classes. I have the gown - complete with the *doctoral* hood - in my closet, and the bar is the last hurdle before I'm a lawyer. And after PC, the bar really doesn't scare me.
I'm 24, and I've completed my schooling. My joy was well illustrated after finishing the Secured Transactions final by going over to ALV (who also is finished) and squealing like a pair of 13 year olds who had sighted their favorite boy band.
As ALV has pointed out though, this is the point where it gets terrifying if you don't have a job. But I choose not to think about that quite yet. (In my mind, I'm only going so far as May 12th, when I'll see NIN for the second time in the span of a year.)
What's known about the future - after BarBri in Waco, we're headed back to Dallas and moving into a real house with a backyard and everything. Charlie will be blissed out to have his own grass to roll around on, and I'll have a kitchen bigger than a closet. Other than that, everything's uncertain, but I still can't be bothered to worry about it.
I'm finished with law school! I hope! :P
Friday, April 10, 2009
Just To Share The Ridiculousness
I've been a bit absent lately, I know. I wish I could say something exciting happened in the last few weeks, and I was extremely busy with that, but frankly, the only difference about me is that I now have my very first speeding ticket. Woo...
Yeah, so as I'm smarting from the concept that wiping the ticket off my record will cost roughly FOUR TIMES the amount of just paying the fine, I come across proof that others have learned nothing from the error of their ways. I know that's a vague phrase in these times, but I'm talking about that monolith of backwards thinking - the record label companies.
YES! What an awesome idea! Make a site with a dumb name that is exactly like YouTube, only put more advertising in it and make sure no one can share the videos! That *does* sound like a winning business model. And perfectly in sync with what today's computer-savvy consumer wants.
I don't know what the perfect model IS. But I can say that the one the record companies are clinging to is *failing*. I'm not smart enough to solve their problem, but there are people out there that are. Perhaps it's time to abandon the sinking ship and listen to the people they've been suing the pants off of, eh?
Yeah, so as I'm smarting from the concept that wiping the ticket off my record will cost roughly FOUR TIMES the amount of just paying the fine, I come across proof that others have learned nothing from the error of their ways. I know that's a vague phrase in these times, but I'm talking about that monolith of backwards thinking - the record label companies.
YES! What an awesome idea! Make a site with a dumb name that is exactly like YouTube, only put more advertising in it and make sure no one can share the videos! That *does* sound like a winning business model. And perfectly in sync with what today's computer-savvy consumer wants.
I don't know what the perfect model IS. But I can say that the one the record companies are clinging to is *failing*. I'm not smart enough to solve their problem, but there are people out there that are. Perhaps it's time to abandon the sinking ship and listen to the people they've been suing the pants off of, eh?
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Also, the Name is Obnoxious
There are many things I don't understand - why the good die young, how people find clowns at all entertaining, and how my grades are inversely proportional the amount of time I've spent studying for the exam. One day, I hope to find the answers to these questions. But there's one thing I do not understand and have no wish to - Twitter.
What narcissistic sociopath thought up Twitter? From what I can tell, it's addictive, constant and has even ensnared the upper echelons of our government representatives. Since when was anything that a decrepit congressman did cool? It would only have been worse if Obama himself was updating Twitter during his own speech - "Barack Obama is *rocking* this", "Barack Obama OMG! almost lost his place!", "Barack Obama thinks Nancy Pelosi might try to hug him soon - creepy".
Does anyone but me realize that it's just Facebook statuses on steroids? Don't we have enough people that update their status with frightening consistency? Why are we rewarding that behavior? Seriously, if you go to the Twitter homepage, under the "Why?" tab, it has "Eating soup? Research shows your mom wants to know." NO. I can ASSURE you that my mother does not care about my dietary habits on a minute-to-minute basis. I have never called her to list out my meals to her, unless you count when I went to Scotland, and I emailed to her - "I ate haggis and actually liked it!" (There was a whole lot more to that email.) And, people, my mother loves me.
Let's face it. Twitter is the ultimate vanity - more than even, say, having a blog where you preach to everyone about how certain things are stupid. It's a frivolity and a complete self-indulgence. I mean, chocolate cake is too but at least it takes only 5 minutes to eat a slice and doesn't annoy the crap out of the people around you.
What narcissistic sociopath thought up Twitter? From what I can tell, it's addictive, constant and has even ensnared the upper echelons of our government representatives. Since when was anything that a decrepit congressman did cool? It would only have been worse if Obama himself was updating Twitter during his own speech - "Barack Obama is *rocking* this", "Barack Obama OMG! almost lost his place!", "Barack Obama thinks Nancy Pelosi might try to hug him soon - creepy".
Does anyone but me realize that it's just Facebook statuses on steroids? Don't we have enough people that update their status with frightening consistency? Why are we rewarding that behavior? Seriously, if you go to the Twitter homepage, under the "Why?" tab, it has "Eating soup? Research shows your mom wants to know." NO. I can ASSURE you that my mother does not care about my dietary habits on a minute-to-minute basis. I have never called her to list out my meals to her, unless you count when I went to Scotland, and I emailed to her - "I ate haggis and actually liked it!" (There was a whole lot more to that email.) And, people, my mother loves me.
Let's face it. Twitter is the ultimate vanity - more than even, say, having a blog where you preach to everyone about how certain things are stupid. It's a frivolity and a complete self-indulgence. I mean, chocolate cake is too but at least it takes only 5 minutes to eat a slice and doesn't annoy the crap out of the people around you.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Elvis Has Left the Building
Like roughly half of BLS, I went to Vegas last week. We stayed at Planet Hollywood (our room's theme was "Empire Records", in case you were wondering) and in our roughly 48 hours on the Strip, I learned several things:
1. I want the job of designing fountain shows choreographed to music for the Bellagio. I'm probably fooling myself into thinking this is a relatively stress-free job.
2. When going anywhere in Vegas, take your camera, for Pete's sake. Can't take it out on the casino floors, but if you don't, you miss your opportunity to have a picture with either Penn or Teller after their show.
3. Hearing Teller actually talk three feet away from you is somewhat akin to your team having won a championship with the odds against it - you're pleased with something that had nothing to do with you, but is rather surreal all the same.
4. Do not fool yourself into thinking that winning at roulette once means you have some special skill at winning again.
5. In fact, winning at anything means you will soon lose at everything.
6. On the other hand, free drinks are fabulous no matter what you're playing and losing at. And it makes those silly penny slot games extremely distracting.
7. Finding a cheap place to eat is the biggest win you'll have in Vegas.
8. When feeling too anxious about the money you've lost or spent, spend more money ($14) and take a ride on the New York New York roller coaster - I giggled like mad, anyway.
9. If you see your husband with lots of chips at the poker table at 2 pm, resign yourself to the fact that he'll come up to you without any chips at all at 6 pm. Smile and ask where you're going to dinner instead.
10. Two nights are not enough to see everything - plan a return trip on the plane ride home.
1. I want the job of designing fountain shows choreographed to music for the Bellagio. I'm probably fooling myself into thinking this is a relatively stress-free job.
2. When going anywhere in Vegas, take your camera, for Pete's sake. Can't take it out on the casino floors, but if you don't, you miss your opportunity to have a picture with either Penn or Teller after their show.
3. Hearing Teller actually talk three feet away from you is somewhat akin to your team having won a championship with the odds against it - you're pleased with something that had nothing to do with you, but is rather surreal all the same.
4. Do not fool yourself into thinking that winning at roulette once means you have some special skill at winning again.
5. In fact, winning at anything means you will soon lose at everything.
6. On the other hand, free drinks are fabulous no matter what you're playing and losing at. And it makes those silly penny slot games extremely distracting.
7. Finding a cheap place to eat is the biggest win you'll have in Vegas.
8. When feeling too anxious about the money you've lost or spent, spend more money ($14) and take a ride on the New York New York roller coaster - I giggled like mad, anyway.
9. If you see your husband with lots of chips at the poker table at 2 pm, resign yourself to the fact that he'll come up to you without any chips at all at 6 pm. Smile and ask where you're going to dinner instead.
10. Two nights are not enough to see everything - plan a return trip on the plane ride home.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
I'd Have Thanked My Dog Too
So I have to do a post-Oscars blog. I promise this one won't be all about fashion! Only mostly about it.
The Academy tried to switch things up this year, and along with the lovely ALV, I judged every aspect mercilessly. On the whole, it wasn't a bad show, but... well, I love to judge things. :)
Cons:
1. Belts! WTF? Why did every otherwise lovely dress have some hideous, pointless belt taped around the center, as if they weren't all heavily corseted on their own? SJP, Marion Cotillard, Miley Cyrus... all had belts around their itty bitty waists. Hardly necessary, ladies. You're thin as reeds. We get it. Thanks for playing.
2. Beyonce. Can we all just agree that she's a talentless hack? Really. Please? I want my wonderful childhood memories of "Over the Rainbow" back.
3. Beige (to continue the 'B' motif). Everyone wore it. Yawn. As ALV said - apparently 'color' is out. In general, although some women looked really lovely, there were no knock-outs this year.
4. Heath Ledger - you know, that guy that won the flippin' Oscar??? - getting left out of the memorial slide show! And no, he wasn't in it last year.
5. Oh, Sophia Loren. You used to be so beautiful. What happened?
6. The "what the heck are they doing here?" group. Robert Pattinson of 'Twilight' infamy was the most obvious - he sat closer to the front than Tina Fey and half of the best director nominees. Not only was he there - he presented! At least Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgeons were in the unfortunate Beyonce debacle.
7. I don't really care about Mickey Rourke (except I looked forward to the inevitable drawn-out, doggy-memorial speech). But I care even less for Sean Penn - and he forgot to thank his wife in his speech. Dude, she was sitting twenty feet in front of you. Her name is Robin.
Pros:
1. Hugh Jackman was adorable. Some of it was a tad ridiculous, but he attacked it with such sing and dance gusto that I wanted to hug him.
2. Angelina Jolie's jewels. I've never adored emeralds, but good grief, gorgeousness.
3. I think the little tributes by past winners to the nominees was kinda cute, if a bit rambling.
4. The winner of Best Animated Short - who was Japanese - trying to express his thanks in English and finally ending with something in his own language that everyone understood - "Domo Arigatou, Mister Roboto". Hehe.
5. Despite the obvious omission of Heath Ledger, Queen Latifah's singing for the memorial was fabulous. She's fabulous in general. And she wore color. Maybe not the best cut, but honey, if you got it, flaunt it.
6. Kate Winslet. What can I say? Oh yeah - FINALLY. Cute speech too.
7. 'Slumdog Millionaire' - the greatest movie I've seen in ages actually got all the honors it deserved. They seemed genuinely happy to receive every award they got too, which is always nice to see. The wins for Best Score and Best Song were especially fantastic - he told silly jokes referring to his wife (who I'm sure just smiled and rolled her eyes) and shook slightly during his 20 minutes onstage, including a rather clever compilation of the 3 nominated songs.
The Academy tried to switch things up this year, and along with the lovely ALV, I judged every aspect mercilessly. On the whole, it wasn't a bad show, but... well, I love to judge things. :)
Cons:
1. Belts! WTF? Why did every otherwise lovely dress have some hideous, pointless belt taped around the center, as if they weren't all heavily corseted on their own? SJP, Marion Cotillard, Miley Cyrus... all had belts around their itty bitty waists. Hardly necessary, ladies. You're thin as reeds. We get it. Thanks for playing.
2. Beyonce. Can we all just agree that she's a talentless hack? Really. Please? I want my wonderful childhood memories of "Over the Rainbow" back.
3. Beige (to continue the 'B' motif). Everyone wore it. Yawn. As ALV said - apparently 'color' is out. In general, although some women looked really lovely, there were no knock-outs this year.
4. Heath Ledger - you know, that guy that won the flippin' Oscar??? - getting left out of the memorial slide show! And no, he wasn't in it last year.
5. Oh, Sophia Loren. You used to be so beautiful. What happened?
6. The "what the heck are they doing here?" group. Robert Pattinson of 'Twilight' infamy was the most obvious - he sat closer to the front than Tina Fey and half of the best director nominees. Not only was he there - he presented! At least Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgeons were in the unfortunate Beyonce debacle.
7. I don't really care about Mickey Rourke (except I looked forward to the inevitable drawn-out, doggy-memorial speech). But I care even less for Sean Penn - and he forgot to thank his wife in his speech. Dude, she was sitting twenty feet in front of you. Her name is Robin.
Pros:
1. Hugh Jackman was adorable. Some of it was a tad ridiculous, but he attacked it with such sing and dance gusto that I wanted to hug him.
2. Angelina Jolie's jewels. I've never adored emeralds, but good grief, gorgeousness.
3. I think the little tributes by past winners to the nominees was kinda cute, if a bit rambling.
4. The winner of Best Animated Short - who was Japanese - trying to express his thanks in English and finally ending with something in his own language that everyone understood - "Domo Arigatou, Mister Roboto". Hehe.
5. Despite the obvious omission of Heath Ledger, Queen Latifah's singing for the memorial was fabulous. She's fabulous in general. And she wore color. Maybe not the best cut, but honey, if you got it, flaunt it.
6. Kate Winslet. What can I say? Oh yeah - FINALLY. Cute speech too.
7. 'Slumdog Millionaire' - the greatest movie I've seen in ages actually got all the honors it deserved. They seemed genuinely happy to receive every award they got too, which is always nice to see. The wins for Best Score and Best Song were especially fantastic - he told silly jokes referring to his wife (who I'm sure just smiled and rolled her eyes) and shook slightly during his 20 minutes onstage, including a rather clever compilation of the 3 nominated songs.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
We Have a New Contender!
Until tonight, my top 5 worst-movies-I've-ever-seen list was fairly static:
1. Mr. Wrong
2. Ultraviolet
3. Eragon
4. Star Wars Episode III
5. Star Wars Episode II
Don't get me wrong. I haven't seen "Gigli" or "Glitter" or... well, anything with Jessica Alba (except "Sin City", which I did not care for). "Mr. Wrong" probably should be removed for the simple reason that *no one* has ever seen it, but I digress...
We have a new contender! And it's making its debut at no less than the third spot! Congratulations should be extended to the former #3 and #4 for bumping down a notch and a big thumbs up to Episode II for not showing enough of Hayden Christensen to stay on the list.
And the new number three? "Confessions of a Shopaholic", which I saw tonight with some of the girls (Lacour escaped unscathed).
I'm not sure which part was worse. Perhaps it was the creepy mannequins that kept talking to and winking at the main character. Perhaps it was the Lucille Ball-esque slapstick comedy. (I swear that some of those gags I had actually *seen* in "I Love Lucy"... except it was funny back then.) Perhaps it was the way the debt collector harassed the main character to the point of stalking, thus ruining the stalking "joke". Perhaps it was the way that the main character wasn't just a compulsive shopper, but a compulsive liar. Or perhaps it was because I spent the entire movie wanting to strangle the main character for being a total twit. And, no matter the reason it was awful (*cough* all of the above *cough*), I think that a movie about shopping should showcase more fabulous high fashion.
In all, I think I might have cracked a smile once. I *know* that this was the first time I've ever sent a text to someone in the middle of a movie and desperately wished for the answer so that I would be distracted for a moment.
The text summed it up really: "Jon! This is terrible!!!"
1. Mr. Wrong
2. Ultraviolet
3. Eragon
4. Star Wars Episode III
5. Star Wars Episode II
Don't get me wrong. I haven't seen "Gigli" or "Glitter" or... well, anything with Jessica Alba (except "Sin City", which I did not care for). "Mr. Wrong" probably should be removed for the simple reason that *no one* has ever seen it, but I digress...
We have a new contender! And it's making its debut at no less than the third spot! Congratulations should be extended to the former #3 and #4 for bumping down a notch and a big thumbs up to Episode II for not showing enough of Hayden Christensen to stay on the list.
And the new number three? "Confessions of a Shopaholic", which I saw tonight with some of the girls (Lacour escaped unscathed).
I'm not sure which part was worse. Perhaps it was the creepy mannequins that kept talking to and winking at the main character. Perhaps it was the Lucille Ball-esque slapstick comedy. (I swear that some of those gags I had actually *seen* in "I Love Lucy"... except it was funny back then.) Perhaps it was the way the debt collector harassed the main character to the point of stalking, thus ruining the stalking "joke". Perhaps it was the way that the main character wasn't just a compulsive shopper, but a compulsive liar. Or perhaps it was because I spent the entire movie wanting to strangle the main character for being a total twit. And, no matter the reason it was awful (*cough* all of the above *cough*), I think that a movie about shopping should showcase more fabulous high fashion.
In all, I think I might have cracked a smile once. I *know* that this was the first time I've ever sent a text to someone in the middle of a movie and desperately wished for the answer so that I would be distracted for a moment.
The text summed it up really: "Jon! This is terrible!!!"
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
He Has a Son Named "Root"
A Sussex Spaniel won Westminster last night - his name is Stump and, at 10, he's the oldest winner of Westminster by almost 2 years. (The next oldest winner was in 1999, a Papillion and the first show where I established my habit of watching every year.)
I didn't see it last night though, because of the dratted storm - we lost power about 10 times in 20 minutes and then the cable didn't come back until long after midnight. It made me a sad bear to miss it.
Thank goodness for reruns - I saw the Best in Show judging in my break between classes this morning. That funny little Stump is rather endearing. Congrats, Stump! :D
(I apologize for the picture with more people than puppies, but this was the only one I could find that didn't have a lot of feet in it...)
I didn't see it last night though, because of the dratted storm - we lost power about 10 times in 20 minutes and then the cable didn't come back until long after midnight. It made me a sad bear to miss it.
Thank goodness for reruns - I saw the Best in Show judging in my break between classes this morning. That funny little Stump is rather endearing. Congrats, Stump! :D
(I apologize for the picture with more people than puppies, but this was the only one I could find that didn't have a lot of feet in it...)
Monday, February 9, 2009
Westminster Time Again
Usually I have to take a few hours out from studying for finals to see the Westminster Dog Show, but this year, finals were over beforehand. It's nice not feeling guilty for watching one of my few weird annual traditions. And this was definitely not the year to take off from studying, even for a those few hours.
In case you were wondering, the Pedigree commercials are killing me. Charlie is wondering why I keep giving him desperate hugs.
Some of the actual show is difficult for me too, though. Bulldogs - both English and French - and pugs often require C-sections to be born. (These I know, but there are others, I think.) Pugs need to be artificially inseminated - selective breeding has made it nearly impossible for normal mating. I find this not just excessive but downright cruel to take away from an animal's nature. It doesn't even improve the breed - several of these breeds have problems that extend far beyond birth complications, including cherry eye (a third inverted eyelid! sounds fun, eh?) and cleft palettes. EW.
I guess my tradition of watching this show every year is a bit ironic then. I get sad at the commercials and some of the content of the show too. I do love most of it though. Right now, the rough collie (the Lassie dog) is showing. She's beautiful and looks happy. And that makes me feel better.
So does Uno, last year's winner, who made a cameo earlier tonight. :)
In case you were wondering, the Pedigree commercials are killing me. Charlie is wondering why I keep giving him desperate hugs.
Some of the actual show is difficult for me too, though. Bulldogs - both English and French - and pugs often require C-sections to be born. (These I know, but there are others, I think.) Pugs need to be artificially inseminated - selective breeding has made it nearly impossible for normal mating. I find this not just excessive but downright cruel to take away from an animal's nature. It doesn't even improve the breed - several of these breeds have problems that extend far beyond birth complications, including cherry eye (a third inverted eyelid! sounds fun, eh?) and cleft palettes. EW.
I guess my tradition of watching this show every year is a bit ironic then. I get sad at the commercials and some of the content of the show too. I do love most of it though. Right now, the rough collie (the Lassie dog) is showing. She's beautiful and looks happy. And that makes me feel better.
So does Uno, last year's winner, who made a cameo earlier tonight. :)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Bye-bye to My Year
Happy New Year, all! It's the first day of the new year of the ox. If you're an ox (which you are if you're born a multiple of 12 years back from this year), you're supposed to be dependable, hardworking, logical and modest. You can also be stubborn and materialistic.
... Yeah, that pretty much describes what you would imagine as an anthropomorphic ox. Anyway, marrying into a Chinese family, this sort of thing was always a favorite past-time. My mother-in-law (with help from *her* mother-in-law) would run through all the attributes of one or another of the kids based on their zodiac animal, and we'd all laugh about who matched their description. Then there was the inevitable match-making round where their zodiac was compared to that of their significant other.*
Either way, the Chinese New Year would end in eating lots of food, especially chicken (I don't know why) and little peanut butter pastries I forget the name of. In the last few years, the family hasn't gotten together as much, but I still enjoy thinking about it and hoping it'll happen again. Maybe one day I'll attempt to make the peanut butter things. (Probably not.)
*Jon and I, as a pig and rat respectively, got the stamp of approval.
... Yeah, that pretty much describes what you would imagine as an anthropomorphic ox. Anyway, marrying into a Chinese family, this sort of thing was always a favorite past-time. My mother-in-law (with help from *her* mother-in-law) would run through all the attributes of one or another of the kids based on their zodiac animal, and we'd all laugh about who matched their description. Then there was the inevitable match-making round where their zodiac was compared to that of their significant other.*
Either way, the Chinese New Year would end in eating lots of food, especially chicken (I don't know why) and little peanut butter pastries I forget the name of. In the last few years, the family hasn't gotten together as much, but I still enjoy thinking about it and hoping it'll happen again. Maybe one day I'll attempt to make the peanut butter things. (Probably not.)
*Jon and I, as a pig and rat respectively, got the stamp of approval.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Our Life
My entire semester was summed up in a binder and an afternoon today - i.e. a trial notebook and some awesome cross examinations. Yes, kids - it was Big Trial day. We actually won, closing out the PC season for team ALV & Yee at 3-1. More important than that - it is OVER. Woo! A weight has lifted. I was literally grinning in the car and then babbled into the phone to my mother for ages, hardly taking the time to breathe.
Now we have 2 1/2 weeks to... outline, study and try to pass the final exam. Wait a minute...
Now we have 2 1/2 weeks to... outline, study and try to pass the final exam. Wait a minute...
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Skewed Priorities
The apartment complex caught fire today. Not my section, but a neighboring one. Apparently, even kitchen fires (I assume it was something minor like that, as firefighters were quickly switching out of 'oh noes!!!1!!' mode) require the entire Waco Fire Department to show up. No less than FOUR firetrucks showed up, plus the fire chief's SUV. I mean, I know it's not always indicative of the severity of the fire, but I didn't see smoke. I also saw the trucks pulling away 5 minutes later. The girls whose apartment it was were running around like Armageddon had decided to pay a personal visit though.
The thing is - I wasn't that interested. I was running late for class. The most pressing thing on my mind was how likely it would be that my professor accepted the excuse of "my apartment complex caught on fire and the firetrucks were blocking the only exit gate". And then I could only thank God that those girls decided to light their place on fire *after* PC, not before...
The thing is - I wasn't that interested. I was running late for class. The most pressing thing on my mind was how likely it would be that my professor accepted the excuse of "my apartment complex caught on fire and the firetrucks were blocking the only exit gate". And then I could only thank God that those girls decided to light their place on fire *after* PC, not before...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
