I just watched The Lake House, that time-travel, letter-writing romance from earlier this year starring Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. (See the stars of Speed reunited on screen! Seriously, that was part of the advertising.)
Watching the movie, I kept thinking about how similar it was to that Tom Hanks-Meg Ryan reunion flick, You've Got Mail. That movie, which was also just a feature-length advertisement for the then-cutting-edge AOL, also featured two main characters writing to each other and slowly falling in love through the wit and warmth of the written word. And little do they know that their real lives, off the page (or monitor screen, such as it was), keep intersecting in moments of chance where they *almost* figure it all out, but the moments pass and their mysterious romantic courtship goes on. And on. And on. This part of the formula is best represented by that truly terrible waste of John Cusack, Serendipity. That movie's only redeeming value was seeing and laughing at John Corbett play a totally ridiculous New Age musician.
As my long-time pals know, I am NOT a member of the Tom Hanks fan club, so I am certainly no fan of You've Got Mail. (I prefer Meg Ryan paired up with Billy Crystal, not the Hanks.) Part of my problem with YGM was that Tom Hanks figures out who Meg is first and so he has the upper hand for much of the relationship, and he's kinda a big corporate smarmy jerk. The Lake House also sets up this imbalance in the relationship, since Keanu is able to figure things out and find Sandra long before she knows what's really happening. I still don't like the imbalance, although Keanu's character is blandly likable enough.
But, The Lake House takes the formula and tries to bend it around a Mobius Strip by making it a time warp love story. Eh? Yes, Keanu and Sandra are writing to each other and falling in love 2 years apart. How???? Don't ask. It doesn't make sense. And there are LOTS of holes in this story. I can't imagine what Stephen Hawking's review of this movie would be, cuz it surely doesn't seem to be representing the time-space continuum accurately. But perhaps that's expecting too much from a formulaic romantic drama.
There's not much character development (oh, she was sad when her dad died! he clashed with his own father!) but I admit I'm glad to see that Keanu has finally shed that whole "Whoa, dude!" demeanor and now seems to be an actual adult. It suits him. And I've always liked Sandy B, even when she's in total crap. (Like that horrible movie with Hugh Grant a few years back.)
But still, the appeal of the 2 stars wasn't enough to make this a good movie. It was okay to waste away a few hours on a Friday afternoon, but I'm glad I didn't pay to see it in the theater. I've never seen the original movie in this genre - The Shop Around the Corner - so perhaps I should have rented that instead.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Good German Food Fun
Tonight, in celebration of Scotte's upcoming birthday, DancerInDC, Joyous, Jane Austen, the birthday boy and I made our way over to Capitol Hill for some hearty Bavarian eats at Cafe Berlin.
I haven't been to a German restaurant since my Pittsburgh days, when Brunette and I would often check out the potato pancakes at the Pittsburgh Brewing Company. Back then, though, I was still only eating poultry and fish. So I'd pretty much just stick with the side items or this surprisingly good seared tuna salad with raspberry vinaigrette that they had.
I haven't been to a German restaurant since my Pittsburgh days, when Brunette and I would often check out the potato pancakes at the Pittsburgh Brewing Company. Back then, though, I was still only eating poultry and fish. So I'd pretty much just stick with the side items or this surprisingly good seared tuna salad with raspberry vinaigrette that they had.
Mmmm...potato pancakes!
Tonight, though, was all about me sampling as much meat as possible. (Heh heh heh.) Seriously, it's a much better experience at a German restaurant when you eat all the different varieties of meat. And tonight, sample I did...
Yummy, Beef in Burgundy Sauce with Spatzel.
Creamed Leeks on the Side. They were good! 
I had to try the strudel, of course. In addition to my own meal, I got to taste goulash, and three kinds of sausage, and a tasty smoked pork. All so delicious that I can't wait to go back!
As an added bonus... I'd forgotten part of the fun of hanging out in Capitol Hill at night. We got to play Spot-the-Senator over our dinner table! Ah, I can't imagine anyone outside the Beltway even thinking that's a thrill.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Today's History Lesson
As I've mentioned, I have been learning a lot about the Civil War lately. It's been fascinating to explore the different causes, personalities, and events involved in tearing our nation in two and then putting it back together again. But some of the things I've learned have been hard to incorporate into my public education/pop culture-shaped notion of history and its heroes. It's not a comfortable feeling having your ideals shaken, and having to reexamine what you're just now realizing are myths and seeing the more complicated, dirtier reality of the history behind them.
Yesterday, I learned something that shook me to the core, which now I have to share with you. I'll preface this by saying that my family has never really touted the fact that the only President we're related to is President Buchanan. Now, after learning this, I feel like we should start saying we're adopted.
In February of 1865, Abraham Lincoln approved a Joint Resolution of Congress that by that December had been ratified by the states and became the 13th Amendment. This Amendment states:
The 13th Amendment thus abolished slavery and, along with the Emancipation Proclamation, helped set us on the path to civil rights for everyone. That path was way too long and twisted, and required new legislation nearly 100 years later to legally guarantee rights, but it began here.
What I've now learned is that this was NOT the original 13th Amendment. Oh, no. Here's the scary stuff.
On March 2, 1861, two days before leaving office for Lincoln to take over, President James Buchanan signed a very different Joint Resolution of Congress. This was something that both houses had proposed and approved as an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
The text of this original 13th Amendment is:
So what does that say? That says that the Federal Government could not abolish the laws of a State, even if the laws of a state support slavery. This proposed Amendment to the Constitution would not have just enabled slavery to continue - it would have *protected* slavery, protected any states that wanted to fight with the federal government to keep slavery! This was not some legislation proposed in the Confederacy, this was jointly approved by the Congress and the President of the United States - representing both North and South. This disgusts me.
So the war was fought to protect states' rights? This makes it pretty clear to me exactly which right of the states was on the table.
So what happened to this proposed amendment? Like I said, Buchanan signed it 2 days before leaving office. It went out to the states to be ratified, but during the course of that process several of the states that would have presumably signed it actually seceded from the Union, so they could no longer weigh in. This amendment itself was a casualty of the Civil War. And, thankfully, I can't imagine it any other way.
Yesterday, I learned something that shook me to the core, which now I have to share with you. I'll preface this by saying that my family has never really touted the fact that the only President we're related to is President Buchanan. Now, after learning this, I feel like we should start saying we're adopted.
In February of 1865, Abraham Lincoln approved a Joint Resolution of Congress that by that December had been ratified by the states and became the 13th Amendment. This Amendment states:
Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.
The 13th Amendment thus abolished slavery and, along with the Emancipation Proclamation, helped set us on the path to civil rights for everyone. That path was way too long and twisted, and required new legislation nearly 100 years later to legally guarantee rights, but it began here.
What I've now learned is that this was NOT the original 13th Amendment. Oh, no. Here's the scary stuff.
On March 2, 1861, two days before leaving office for Lincoln to take over, President James Buchanan signed a very different Joint Resolution of Congress. This was something that both houses had proposed and approved as an Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.
The text of this original 13th Amendment is:
Article XIII. No amendment shall be made to the Constitution which will authorize or give to Congress the power to abolish or interfere, within any State, with the domestic institutions thereof, including that of persons held to labor or service by the laws of said State.
So what does that say? That says that the Federal Government could not abolish the laws of a State, even if the laws of a state support slavery. This proposed Amendment to the Constitution would not have just enabled slavery to continue - it would have *protected* slavery, protected any states that wanted to fight with the federal government to keep slavery! This was not some legislation proposed in the Confederacy, this was jointly approved by the Congress and the President of the United States - representing both North and South. This disgusts me.
So the war was fought to protect states' rights? This makes it pretty clear to me exactly which right of the states was on the table.
So what happened to this proposed amendment? Like I said, Buchanan signed it 2 days before leaving office. It went out to the states to be ratified, but during the course of that process several of the states that would have presumably signed it actually seceded from the Union, so they could no longer weigh in. This amendment itself was a casualty of the Civil War. And, thankfully, I can't imagine it any other way.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Front Page News
Several interesting little tidbits on the front page of the Express caught my eye this morning during an otherwise boring commute, running the gamut from the very serious to the borderline ludicrous....
1. I'm no military expert, but it seems to me that if a mission has been "accomplished" and that if an insurgency is being defeated, then we should never be seeing the phrase "sectarian death squads" on the front page of any paper. That's just my humble opinion.
2. Scientists have now genetically-engineered "allergy-free" kittens. They've done something that removes some of a certain protein from the kitty DNA (does the cat actually *need* the protein???) that causes allergic reactions. For $4,000, just one of these kittens could be yours! Or, I did the math... for $4,000, you could also have a nearly-11 year supply of the generic version of Allegra.
3. The TSA has announced that they are relaxing some of the restrictions on banned items in carry-on luggage after that recent terror scare. You can now bring on up to 4 ounces of the following: "eye drops, saline solution, non-prescription medicine, and personal lubricants." Um, wow. You are now free to move about the cabin and....do what?!?!?
1. I'm no military expert, but it seems to me that if a mission has been "accomplished" and that if an insurgency is being defeated, then we should never be seeing the phrase "sectarian death squads" on the front page of any paper. That's just my humble opinion.
2. Scientists have now genetically-engineered "allergy-free" kittens. They've done something that removes some of a certain protein from the kitty DNA (does the cat actually *need* the protein???) that causes allergic reactions. For $4,000, just one of these kittens could be yours! Or, I did the math... for $4,000, you could also have a nearly-11 year supply of the generic version of Allegra.
3. The TSA has announced that they are relaxing some of the restrictions on banned items in carry-on luggage after that recent terror scare. You can now bring on up to 4 ounces of the following: "eye drops, saline solution, non-prescription medicine, and personal lubricants." Um, wow. You are now free to move about the cabin and....do what?!?!?
Monday, September 25, 2006
A Tale of Two Companies With Made-Up Names
As I've mentioned several times over the last few weeks, I've been having phone and cable problems. And this comes at a time when I'm planning to make the switch on my Internet service from a phone-based provider to a cable provider. These experiences have given me a chance to compare two companies' approach to customer service and make a decision for sure on how I'm going to proceed.
The V Company: The problem - phone service goes out twice in two weeks, supposedly related to problems with the "outside line" both times.
The C Company: The problem - cable service goes out on Friday afternoon.
V: When you call, you get this ridiculous computerized "customer service" line that loops in and around itself, doesn't always recognize your spoken commands, cuts in and out, takes you to the wrong menus, and sometimes just cuts the call off for no reason. Then you have to call back and do it again. And no matter what volume, just yelling "help!" doesn't save you.
C: When you call, you get a real live person.
V: The computerized "help" line does some diagnostic test on the phone then tells you that to fix it, they must send a technician to your home and it will cost at least $91. After much punching of numbers and yelling out random things, you finally reach a real live person who says they will schedule a technician but since it's an outside problem they don't have to come in to your home and there will be no charge. It will be 3 days before you can get a technician on-site.
C: The real live person explains that there are outages in your neighborhood, and that if it's still not working the next morning you should call back and they'll schedule a repair.
V: As reported earlier, when the technician is at your apartment building he calls and yells at you for not being home, saying he can't fix anything if you're not there. He says he'll do the best he can. Whatever he does, it does end up fixing the phone service. But it goes down again 2 weeks later.
C: When you call on a Saturday morning, the next real live person you talk to first apologizes that you had to wait from the night before (although you didn't really feel mad about it) and promptly schedules a technician appointment for the next day. The next day being a Sunday morning. And at the beginning of the scheduled window of time, you get a call from the company confirming the appointment, making sure someone will be home, and letting you know the technician is on his way.
V: When the phone line goes down again, you have to deal with the computerized help line again and it takes several tries to get back to a real person. They tell you the problem is something different this time and they again have to schedule a technician for 4 days away. You ask to be very clear that you don't have to be home, and they again say that you do not. Somehow, though, the phone line starts working again on its own the next day. You don't question it and let the technician appointment stand, cuz who knows if it'll go out again. You never hear back one way or the other.
C: The technician arrives about 15 minutes after the call, and he calls you first, too. That makes it 9:50 am for an appointment window of between 9 am and noon. He has the problem fixed within 15 minutes and the picture looks better than ever. Plus then he also talks me through the sales pitch of cable internet, which is what I was thinking about doing anyway, so he shows me where it could be hooked up to work best in my apartment. And I've said thanks, especially for working on a Sunday. He tells me that's his regular workday and that they always have people on weekends, and he's on his way before 10:15.
Well, those are certainly very different experiences! I will be calling both companies again soon - one to cancel the service altogether, and the other to make the full switch.
The V Company: The problem - phone service goes out twice in two weeks, supposedly related to problems with the "outside line" both times.
The C Company: The problem - cable service goes out on Friday afternoon.
V: When you call, you get this ridiculous computerized "customer service" line that loops in and around itself, doesn't always recognize your spoken commands, cuts in and out, takes you to the wrong menus, and sometimes just cuts the call off for no reason. Then you have to call back and do it again. And no matter what volume, just yelling "help!" doesn't save you.
C: When you call, you get a real live person.
V: The computerized "help" line does some diagnostic test on the phone then tells you that to fix it, they must send a technician to your home and it will cost at least $91. After much punching of numbers and yelling out random things, you finally reach a real live person who says they will schedule a technician but since it's an outside problem they don't have to come in to your home and there will be no charge. It will be 3 days before you can get a technician on-site.
C: The real live person explains that there are outages in your neighborhood, and that if it's still not working the next morning you should call back and they'll schedule a repair.
V: As reported earlier, when the technician is at your apartment building he calls and yells at you for not being home, saying he can't fix anything if you're not there. He says he'll do the best he can. Whatever he does, it does end up fixing the phone service. But it goes down again 2 weeks later.
C: When you call on a Saturday morning, the next real live person you talk to first apologizes that you had to wait from the night before (although you didn't really feel mad about it) and promptly schedules a technician appointment for the next day. The next day being a Sunday morning. And at the beginning of the scheduled window of time, you get a call from the company confirming the appointment, making sure someone will be home, and letting you know the technician is on his way.
V: When the phone line goes down again, you have to deal with the computerized help line again and it takes several tries to get back to a real person. They tell you the problem is something different this time and they again have to schedule a technician for 4 days away. You ask to be very clear that you don't have to be home, and they again say that you do not. Somehow, though, the phone line starts working again on its own the next day. You don't question it and let the technician appointment stand, cuz who knows if it'll go out again. You never hear back one way or the other.
C: The technician arrives about 15 minutes after the call, and he calls you first, too. That makes it 9:50 am for an appointment window of between 9 am and noon. He has the problem fixed within 15 minutes and the picture looks better than ever. Plus then he also talks me through the sales pitch of cable internet, which is what I was thinking about doing anyway, so he shows me where it could be hooked up to work best in my apartment. And I've said thanks, especially for working on a Sunday. He tells me that's his regular workday and that they always have people on weekends, and he's on his way before 10:15.
Well, those are certainly very different experiences! I will be calling both companies again soon - one to cancel the service altogether, and the other to make the full switch.
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Pretty Much the Perfect Comedy
I just finished watching the entire second season of The Office on DVD, and I can't wipe the smile off my face. There's just so much to love!Michael Scott (Steve Carell) is fascinating. As obnoxious and boorish as he is, ultimately he's a good guy. He's like a little puppy that keeps trying to do things that will make you love him, and when he realizes he's done something bad he just doubles his efforts to lick your face and wiggle around at your feet. Sure, he may spill the biggest secret you've ever had or unknowingly insult you in the worst way possible, but he'll feel really bad about it once he realizes what he's done.
Whereas I belive Office Space captures all the rage of the modern cubicle dweller, The Office shows the other side - the boredom, the awkwardness, the gossip, the little games, and the horrible pauses that are really what fill most of our days.
And the office romances? I'll get to the main one in a second....(spoilers here), but the storyline that tickled me most in season 2 was the crazy, twisted, secret affair between nutjob Dwight and tightwad Angela! Then there's Michael and his ongoing obsession with Jan, only to be complicated at the end by the appearance of real estate agent / real life wife Nancy Walls. And poor Ryan, practically stalked by Kelly... but from the sound of it, Ryan kept on "hanging out" with her even though she freaked him out. So does Ryan win the Dundee for Office Dog?
I'm proud to say that I'm metaphorically a card-carrying member of the Jim Halpert Fan Club. I love Jim. I am in love with Jim. And so is Pam, even though she never wants to admit it! I mean, really, what does Roy have that Jim doesn't have? (The answer is not: two hotels.)
Yes, I did skip ahead and watch the season 3 premiere this week, so I know how that cliffhanger ends... though it really hasn't resolved itself, has it? We'll all just have to tune in and see what happens. I'm hoping that now it's Jim's turn to find someone else and Pam will slowly realize how much she does love him and want him back. They could go at least another 2 seasons with that kind of David-and-Maddie tension!
Do I Have Reverse Polarity?
Something funky is going on with the technological portion of my life.
Two weekends ago, my digital camera broke. Now I just keep getting this error message and it won't open the lens or do anything. A quick cost-benefit analysis has me thinking it'll be cheaper and more satisfying to just buy an upgraded camera that's on sale rather than get this one fixed.
Last weekend, my phone line went out AGAIN. So all those plans I had of working at home prior to my biggest work week of the year? Yeah, that couldn't happen, and it made the earlier part of this week even more stressful. It was back by Sunday night, but I still lost the weekend.
Last night, my cable went out! It's still out and I'm playing phone tag with Comcast trying to figure out what's wrong and when they can fix it. I still get the local networks, but none of my cable channels at all. And I purposefully made no plans for this weekend so I could just relax and veg out in front of the tv. Thank goodness for Netflix!
So I've gotta ask myself, is this all just annoying coincidence? Or have I suddenly got an X-Files-like electromagnetic vibe around me that causes all my stuff to break?
Plus I have had a crazy eye twitch all week. Yeah, it's enough to drive me a little bit nuts.
Two weekends ago, my digital camera broke. Now I just keep getting this error message and it won't open the lens or do anything. A quick cost-benefit analysis has me thinking it'll be cheaper and more satisfying to just buy an upgraded camera that's on sale rather than get this one fixed.
Last weekend, my phone line went out AGAIN. So all those plans I had of working at home prior to my biggest work week of the year? Yeah, that couldn't happen, and it made the earlier part of this week even more stressful. It was back by Sunday night, but I still lost the weekend.
Last night, my cable went out! It's still out and I'm playing phone tag with Comcast trying to figure out what's wrong and when they can fix it. I still get the local networks, but none of my cable channels at all. And I purposefully made no plans for this weekend so I could just relax and veg out in front of the tv. Thank goodness for Netflix!
So I've gotta ask myself, is this all just annoying coincidence? Or have I suddenly got an X-Files-like electromagnetic vibe around me that causes all my stuff to break?
Plus I have had a crazy eye twitch all week. Yeah, it's enough to drive me a little bit nuts.
Friday, September 22, 2006
The Countdown Continues!
Only 850 days left until Inauguration Day 2009. It's going pretty quickly, as I started this clock at more than 1000 days to go.
Tick tock.
Please God let there be light at the end of this tunnel.
Tick tock.
Please God let there be light at the end of this tunnel.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Nothing Ruins a Good Party Like a Nazi
Last week, I had the opportunity to be MH's stand-in "date" for a performance of Cabaret at Arena Stage. Even though it's a very well-known show with a movie and several popular cast recordings, I walked in without knowing what the actual plot was, but now I'm a fan and I recommend everyone make a point to go see it. (Spoilers ahead....)
Cabaret puts you in the front row for the highs and lows of Berlin in the 1930's. Life at the Kit Kat Klub is wild and carefree - the girls and boys are singing, dancing, and looking for love. A young American has just come to town looking for inspiration to write his great novel. A saucy young free spirit named Sally Bowles is wowing the audiences with her husky voice, her high kicks, and - oooh! - her costumes that show off her thong. A lonely landlady and a quiet fruit vendor surprise themselves by falling in love at middle age.
The first act is rollickin', with scantily-clad ensemble members extolling the virtues of the bohemian life in song. But Act 2 brings real changes. The writer and the showgirl face a crisis in their relationship, the older couple faces prejudice and doubt, and the affable friend who recruited the young American into some work for "the cause" reveals the swastika on his arm and the hatred in his heart.
The folks behind the show make some clear allusions between the gathering storm in Germany in that era and some of the very stories that we've seen unfold over the past few years. The Kit Kat Klub itself is the setting for an obvious Abu Gharib reference - but, knowing as you do which way I lean, I have to say the statement works.
It almost feels like you're watching two different shows, as the frolicking tone of Act 1 evolves into the horror of hatred and genocide. But it flows together almost too well, pointing out how easily the entire world could change around us without really noticing.
What good is sitting alone in your room, indeed?
Cabaret puts you in the front row for the highs and lows of Berlin in the 1930's. Life at the Kit Kat Klub is wild and carefree - the girls and boys are singing, dancing, and looking for love. A young American has just come to town looking for inspiration to write his great novel. A saucy young free spirit named Sally Bowles is wowing the audiences with her husky voice, her high kicks, and - oooh! - her costumes that show off her thong. A lonely landlady and a quiet fruit vendor surprise themselves by falling in love at middle age.
The first act is rollickin', with scantily-clad ensemble members extolling the virtues of the bohemian life in song. But Act 2 brings real changes. The writer and the showgirl face a crisis in their relationship, the older couple faces prejudice and doubt, and the affable friend who recruited the young American into some work for "the cause" reveals the swastika on his arm and the hatred in his heart.
The folks behind the show make some clear allusions between the gathering storm in Germany in that era and some of the very stories that we've seen unfold over the past few years. The Kit Kat Klub itself is the setting for an obvious Abu Gharib reference - but, knowing as you do which way I lean, I have to say the statement works.
It almost feels like you're watching two different shows, as the frolicking tone of Act 1 evolves into the horror of hatred and genocide. But it flows together almost too well, pointing out how easily the entire world could change around us without really noticing.
What good is sitting alone in your room, indeed?
Monday, September 18, 2006
Remembering the First Time
I'm starting to make some technological changes in my life, upgrades and all. And this has started me thinking about how much computers have taken over the world. This led to a funny email thread with another blogger about how it makes us feel old to realize that people 10 years younger than us - people graduating from college - have never known life without computers!
Along the same lines, Jon Stewart had a whole bit about how we've become so accustomed to computers in our lives that Y2K had us all freaked out thinking about life returning to the way it was.... in 1982!!!!!!
I remember the first time I saw a computer. I was in 4th grade, way back in 1984. I was a math geek when I was a kid, and I was in a special advanced class with 2 other kids that was taught by the curriculum coordinator, Miss Barone, who later became Mrs. Greer. (Mock me if you must - but trust me I couldn't do calculus now if you paid me a million dollars!)
Mrs. Greer was very excited one day to take the 3 of us on a field trip - yes, a math class field trip! The high school had just gotten its very first computer, and she took the 3 of us up there to see it. There we were in a special classroom that, as I recall, just had that computer in it. It was an Apple (a IIc? is that possible?), with the green monochrome screen. Mrs. Greer hit some keys and some DOS language appeared (very LOST, I know), and all I really remember was it started doing lots of wavy lines on the screen kinda like that Windows screensaver of today. That was it, the amazing technology of the day.
Within a few years, the elementary school had a computer lab filled with Apples that now had color screens. The most popular use of those computers was to play this game called LOGO (I think), where there was a little triangular "turtle" on the screen, and you had to type in commands to get it to move, to draw lines, to change the background color of the screen, etc. You had to type in the command in some code at the C>: prompt, and if it was a proper command it would execute it. If the code was wrong, it would say "I don't know how to" followed by whatever you'd entered.
Well, you can guess what a bunch of adolescents did with this. Nothing brought on fits of hysterical laughter as reliably as:
C>: FUCK
LOGO: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FUCK.
Oh, hours and hours of fun!
Along the same lines, Jon Stewart had a whole bit about how we've become so accustomed to computers in our lives that Y2K had us all freaked out thinking about life returning to the way it was.... in 1982!!!!!!
I remember the first time I saw a computer. I was in 4th grade, way back in 1984. I was a math geek when I was a kid, and I was in a special advanced class with 2 other kids that was taught by the curriculum coordinator, Miss Barone, who later became Mrs. Greer. (Mock me if you must - but trust me I couldn't do calculus now if you paid me a million dollars!)
Mrs. Greer was very excited one day to take the 3 of us on a field trip - yes, a math class field trip! The high school had just gotten its very first computer, and she took the 3 of us up there to see it. There we were in a special classroom that, as I recall, just had that computer in it. It was an Apple (a IIc? is that possible?), with the green monochrome screen. Mrs. Greer hit some keys and some DOS language appeared (very LOST, I know), and all I really remember was it started doing lots of wavy lines on the screen kinda like that Windows screensaver of today. That was it, the amazing technology of the day.
Within a few years, the elementary school had a computer lab filled with Apples that now had color screens. The most popular use of those computers was to play this game called LOGO (I think), where there was a little triangular "turtle" on the screen, and you had to type in commands to get it to move, to draw lines, to change the background color of the screen, etc. You had to type in the command in some code at the C>: prompt, and if it was a proper command it would execute it. If the code was wrong, it would say "I don't know how to" followed by whatever you'd entered.
Well, you can guess what a bunch of adolescents did with this. Nothing brought on fits of hysterical laughter as reliably as:
C>: FUCK
LOGO: I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FUCK.
Oh, hours and hours of fun!
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Our Date With Jon Stewart
Last night, four ladies made their way out to rustic Merriweather Post Pavilion, met up with another lady and her posse of guy friends, and sprawled out on the lawn for an evening of comedy. And really expensive beer and concessions, but that's neither here nor there.
The opening act was great. I believe his name was Mike Berbaglia (sp?). Thanks to him, we shall all now refer to the President as Whiffleball Tony. Remember, nobody wants Whiffleball Tony in charge of anything!
Then Jon came out, and boy did he deliver. He was everything we wanted him to be - timely, topical, snarky, self-deprecating, a little geeky (who knew he's addicted to computer games?), warm, and most of all, funny. He riffed on politics, race, religion, science, evolution, technology, and dog vomit. Some parts - like the idea of a "Judas egg" in every carton at the store - were more laugh-out-loud funny than others, and some parts - like most of the politics and foreign policy stuff - was less laugh-inducing and a little more, well, depressing, cuz it rang so true.
Jon totally endeared himself to the whole crowd, making fun of the concession-stand sushi (???) and gracefully tossing aside a fan's loud suggestion of "Jon Stewart for President!" I didn't think it was really possible, but I daresay that after spending a night together under the stars, I even love him more. :-)
Friday, September 15, 2006
Friday Morning Tidbits
I have just a few minutes this morning folks, so a quick hello and....
1. This is my super-craziest time of year at work. It will be over by the middle of next week. But until then, I have very little time for posting, reading, commenting, breathing... I am, however, collecting future post ideas, so stay tuned for reviews of Cabaret, the new BNL album, "Rescue Me," Season 2 of "The Office," and our Saturday night date with Jon Stewart very soon!
2. The "world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism". Welcome back, Colin Powell. We've missed you. Truly.
3. Thank you again for the love from the Express. I'm glad to know we've recovered from that little flip-flop flap. I'm wearing them again today, btw... :-)
1. This is my super-craziest time of year at work. It will be over by the middle of next week. But until then, I have very little time for posting, reading, commenting, breathing... I am, however, collecting future post ideas, so stay tuned for reviews of Cabaret, the new BNL album, "Rescue Me," Season 2 of "The Office," and our Saturday night date with Jon Stewart very soon!
2. The "world is beginning to doubt the moral basis of our fight against terrorism". Welcome back, Colin Powell. We've missed you. Truly.
3. Thank you again for the love from the Express. I'm glad to know we've recovered from that little flip-flop flap. I'm wearing them again today, btw... :-)
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Metrobus Math
How is it possible that on one of the busiest streets in the city, which has three regular morning bus routes, TWENTY MINUTES can go by without a single bus in sight?!?!? And meanwhile, hundreds - yes, hundreds - of people are gathering every few blocks and getting more and more bitter waiting at their bus stops in the rain. And then, after those grumbly twenty minutes, SIX BUSES all arrive on top of each other?!?
It's not like yesterday, when there was a real reason for delays even though I didn't actually perceive any. What is it? Just the drizzle? Washington can't handle a little water?
Shouldn't there be some management science or operations model to keep the buses running on time and spread out? I mean, I never took those classes in grad school, but I certainly know they were offered!
It's not like yesterday, when there was a real reason for delays even though I didn't actually perceive any. What is it? Just the drizzle? Washington can't handle a little water?
Shouldn't there be some management science or operations model to keep the buses running on time and spread out? I mean, I never took those classes in grad school, but I certainly know they were offered!
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Civic Pride
It's still a wee bit too early to know who won today's primary races, so for now I'll still remain hopeful that we're going to see the signs of a nation ready for change.
I couldn't help but feel sad walking into Marie Reed Learning Center this morning (my correct polling precinct, of course!) and remembering the last time I was inside. On that morning, November 2, 2004, there were lines going out the door and up the block as the DC hopeful showed up in force to voice their desire for change. Alas, it wasn't enough, and we've stayed on this course for the last 2 years and have probably veered farther than most people could have imagined just 6 years ago.
Today, while there weren't any lines and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, I actually felt a little more inspired. For this time, my voice as a DC resident actually does make a difference, as today we had the opportunity to decide on a direction for our own city. Having a voice in our government is a pretty amazing thing. What the government decides to do after they're elected, well, that's where we have a bigger challenge...
But back to DC's big race. I don't know who's going to win. I had a very hard time figuring out who I wanted to vote for myself. But I went with my gut instinct, rather than with the polls, and I feel pretty darn good about that.
I couldn't help but feel sad walking into Marie Reed Learning Center this morning (my correct polling precinct, of course!) and remembering the last time I was inside. On that morning, November 2, 2004, there were lines going out the door and up the block as the DC hopeful showed up in force to voice their desire for change. Alas, it wasn't enough, and we've stayed on this course for the last 2 years and have probably veered farther than most people could have imagined just 6 years ago.
Today, while there weren't any lines and I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, I actually felt a little more inspired. For this time, my voice as a DC resident actually does make a difference, as today we had the opportunity to decide on a direction for our own city. Having a voice in our government is a pretty amazing thing. What the government decides to do after they're elected, well, that's where we have a bigger challenge...
But back to DC's big race. I don't know who's going to win. I had a very hard time figuring out who I wanted to vote for myself. But I went with my gut instinct, rather than with the polls, and I feel pretty darn good about that.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Nothing Makes Me Feel Old
Like learning that next year is the 20th Anniversary of Dirty Dancing! Where in the heck has the time gone??? Conan O'Brien's 10th anniversary celebration even feels like it was just yesterday.
A friend just sent me a link for a special Dirty Dancing weekend deal at Mountain Lake, where much of the movie was filmed. (Brunette, is this where you went?) It sounds like fun...ah, I'd love to recreate all those priceless scenes for myself. Particularly dancing on the log over the creek, and doing lifts in the water. But I'd need a Johnny of my own, of course.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have the vacation time or the fundage to dance the last dance of the season with someone really special. No charades in the west lobby for me, even though I am such a joiner. Alas, instead I'll be stuck reading all alone in my room at night (and I really do have a lot of books in my room.) But no matter what happens, you can bet that I will never, ever, ever carry a watermelon.
A friend just sent me a link for a special Dirty Dancing weekend deal at Mountain Lake, where much of the movie was filmed. (Brunette, is this where you went?) It sounds like fun...ah, I'd love to recreate all those priceless scenes for myself. Particularly dancing on the log over the creek, and doing lifts in the water. But I'd need a Johnny of my own, of course.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll have the vacation time or the fundage to dance the last dance of the season with someone really special. No charades in the west lobby for me, even though I am such a joiner. Alas, instead I'll be stuck reading all alone in my room at night (and I really do have a lot of books in my room.) But no matter what happens, you can bet that I will never, ever, ever carry a watermelon.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Adams Morgan Day
Since summer has decided to stick around for a while, today was the perfect day for another festival! Onyah, AS and I gladly spent the day right here in the hood.
We started with brunch at Meze, watching folks fire up the grills and set up tents all up and down 18th St. Then we made our way up and down both sides of the festival, checking out some of the fabulous and talented artists set up on Belmont, running into some people we knew, drinking some lemonade and smoothies, and even having a face-to-face conversation with the non-entrenched mayoral candidate, Marie Johns. (Verdict: We liked her, a lot.)After 2 hours, we were tired, sweaty, and ready to say goodbye to the crowds, but overall we had a great time celebrating the neighborhood!
We started with brunch at Meze, watching folks fire up the grills and set up tents all up and down 18th St. Then we made our way up and down both sides of the festival, checking out some of the fabulous and talented artists set up on Belmont, running into some people we knew, drinking some lemonade and smoothies, and even having a face-to-face conversation with the non-entrenched mayoral candidate, Marie Johns. (Verdict: We liked her, a lot.)After 2 hours, we were tired, sweaty, and ready to say goodbye to the crowds, but overall we had a great time celebrating the neighborhood!
Saturday, September 09, 2006
My Six Degrees Secret Weapon
Remember the Kevin Bacon game? You know, that fun mental test of trying to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon in 6 degrees or less? It's based on the theory of centrality, aka the idea of "six degrees of separation."
Well, this theory is just one of the many little tidbits in the backstory of LOST, and watching the DVDs the other night got me thinking about how I'd like to figure out just how many degrees away I am from some of my favorite celebrity crushes. (Yes, these are the kinds of things I think about alone in my apartment at night....)
My two targets: Sawyer, aka Josh Holloway from LOST; and Ron Livingston, aka Peter Gibbon or Jack Berger or that guy on Swingers or whatever you first loved him in.
I had my initial "six degrees" strategy all figured out, starting with the fact that one of my good friends is actually good friends with a certain famous reality tv show host. That's 2 degrees right away, but I was starting down the road of how to get to Sawyer and Ron and I figured that Sex and the City was going to be the key. Ron himself had been on SATC and Evan Handler, aka Harry, had done a great guest spot on LOST and so I saw that as being the best road for me to go down.
But then, in an otherwise boring night of watching bad Friday reruns.... A moment of inspiration! I had totally forgotten that I had a secret weapon of my own!
Well, this theory is just one of the many little tidbits in the backstory of LOST, and watching the DVDs the other night got me thinking about how I'd like to figure out just how many degrees away I am from some of my favorite celebrity crushes. (Yes, these are the kinds of things I think about alone in my apartment at night....)
My two targets: Sawyer, aka Josh Holloway from LOST; and Ron Livingston, aka Peter Gibbon or Jack Berger or that guy on Swingers or whatever you first loved him in.
I had my initial "six degrees" strategy all figured out, starting with the fact that one of my good friends is actually good friends with a certain famous reality tv show host. That's 2 degrees right away, but I was starting down the road of how to get to Sawyer and Ron and I figured that Sex and the City was going to be the key. Ron himself had been on SATC and Evan Handler, aka Harry, had done a great guest spot on LOST and so I saw that as being the best road for me to go down.
But then, in an otherwise boring night of watching bad Friday reruns.... A moment of inspiration! I had totally forgotten that I had a secret weapon of my own!
I've met David Conrad! Recognize him? He's an actor who's been in tv and movies for about the last decade or so, and he's actually a Pittsburgh native. He'd been in a few shows at the theater where I began my career and I met him several times at opening night parties. As a total aside, I think I can safely say he is the best-looking person that I've ever actually seen in person. Gorgeous, truly.
Anyway, he's my lynch pin! My own direct link to my favorite celeb hotties! Check it:
From me to Sawyer in 4 Degrees
Me
I've met David Conrad, who stars in The Ghost Whisperer with
Jennifer Love Hewitt, who starred in Party of Five with
Matthew Fox, who's stranded on that darn island with
Josh Holloway, my beloved Sawyer!!!
Fun! But perhaps even more impressive, my secret weapon gets me even closer to target #2:
From me to Ron Livingston in just 3 degrees!
Me
I've met David Conrad, who starred in Relativity with
Lisa Edelstein, who stars in House, which featured a fabulous guest role for
Ron Livingston, as a crusading doctor trying to eradicate TB in Africa.
That's 3 degrees, baby! Actually, a quick look at IMDB showed me that David Conrad has also guest-starred in House, but I'm going to stick with this line-up cuz I know for sure that Lisa E. and Ron were in the same episode. That was a darn good one, and I believe Ron was nominated for an Emmy for it.
Sigh. Little mental flights of fancy. They just make me happy. :-)
Who do you connect with????
Friday, September 08, 2006
What's In a Name?
Here's another post that's going to clue you guys in as to why I'm still so hopelessly single... the truth is, I'm a dreamy romantic at heart who still believes in the fantasy. Just in general, you know, not really any particular fantasy. (That's subject matter for an entirely different kind of post.)
So, anyway, my story...
There is a certain name that always gives me a little thrill. The dreamy romantic in me believes that it just might be the name of my, dare I say it, "soul mate." (Laugh if you must.) Why?
Well, a long time ago, I had a series of dreams in which that name featured prominently. For several nights in a row, I dreamt of falling in love. The circumstances in each dream changed, the "how we met" story changed, even the type of guy kept changing in each dream. But one thing stayed the same - the man's name.
Each morning I would wake up with that name on my mind, and it's stuck with me. Maybe it means nothing, maybe I'm silly to hold onto it, but I still have a tiny little hope that one day I'll meet a man with that name and suddenly - Pow! - my world will change, the trumpets will sound, the angels will sing, you know...the whole package.
Well, today, I had a meeting with a guy by that name. I'd met him a few months before in a somewhat interesting circumstance, and while no little bells or whistles went off my silly heart did sort of go wooooosh just at being introduced and learning his name. Nothing ever came of it, but today we reconnected working on a project and it sounds like we'll probably be talking again. I still don't think anything's going to happen there, but I admit that before the meeting I still had a tiny little woooosh of anticipation. Just because of his name.
Am I crazy for still hoping for the fairy tale?
So, anyway, my story...
There is a certain name that always gives me a little thrill. The dreamy romantic in me believes that it just might be the name of my, dare I say it, "soul mate." (Laugh if you must.) Why?
Well, a long time ago, I had a series of dreams in which that name featured prominently. For several nights in a row, I dreamt of falling in love. The circumstances in each dream changed, the "how we met" story changed, even the type of guy kept changing in each dream. But one thing stayed the same - the man's name.
Each morning I would wake up with that name on my mind, and it's stuck with me. Maybe it means nothing, maybe I'm silly to hold onto it, but I still have a tiny little hope that one day I'll meet a man with that name and suddenly - Pow! - my world will change, the trumpets will sound, the angels will sing, you know...the whole package.
Well, today, I had a meeting with a guy by that name. I'd met him a few months before in a somewhat interesting circumstance, and while no little bells or whistles went off my silly heart did sort of go wooooosh just at being introduced and learning his name. Nothing ever came of it, but today we reconnected working on a project and it sounds like we'll probably be talking again. I still don't think anything's going to happen there, but I admit that before the meeting I still had a tiny little woooosh of anticipation. Just because of his name.
Am I crazy for still hoping for the fairy tale?
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Did Y'All Hear the One...
about the mailing that went out to tens of thousands of people in DC telling them to go to the WRONG place to vote on Primary Day?
Yep, the District of Columbia Voter Guide put out by the D. C. Board of Elections and Ethics includes the instructions that voters have to go to their assigned precincts, but then their mailing label info gave most people - including ME - the wrong precinct number! I have always voted at the Marie Reed Learning Center, Precinct #24, which is just a few blocks away from my apartment. But this mailing said my precinct is #2, which is somewhere on the GW campus. I can't go for that (no can do).
I first learned of this big goof in an email from my Councilman, Jim Graham, that went out to all the neighborhood yahoogroups. In the email, with a subject line that starts "Election Snafu....", Graham tells us what happened, and shares that this is not the first time a mistake like this has occurred:
Of course, Graham then promises to raise hell when the Council reconvenes to make sure it doesn't happen again, etc., etc.
Today, I received a follow-up postcard from the Board of Elections explaining the mistake and giving the correct info. But I worry that a lot of people aren't going to notice that tiny little nondescript postcard and will be showing up at the wrong precincts and then turned away without being able to vote.
Stories like this, with DC bumbling and proving yet again that it has a terrible municipal system, just make me sad. I worry that even if we are ever able to earn ourselves voting rights, we just won't know what to do with them. Come on, folks, our nation's capital can do better than this!
If you are a DC resident and want to double-check where you should actually be voting for the primary on Tuesday, check out the Board of Elections web site to be sure.
Yep, the District of Columbia Voter Guide put out by the D. C. Board of Elections and Ethics includes the instructions that voters have to go to their assigned precincts, but then their mailing label info gave most people - including ME - the wrong precinct number! I have always voted at the Marie Reed Learning Center, Precinct #24, which is just a few blocks away from my apartment. But this mailing said my precinct is #2, which is somewhere on the GW campus. I can't go for that (no can do).
I first learned of this big goof in an email from my Councilman, Jim Graham, that went out to all the neighborhood yahoogroups. In the email, with a subject line that starts "Election Snafu....", Graham tells us what happened, and shares that this is not the first time a mistake like this has occurred:
Last week, a vendor for the DC Board of Elections and Ethics mailed voter information guides to all registered Democrats in the District. This guide contained a list of polling places - with the boldface instruction that "You must vote at your assigned polling place for your vote to be counted." These voter guides went out with each voter's precinct number on the mailing label. But the precinct numbers were wrong for a great many voters, including mine. This is outrageous. I know I'm not supposed to vote in Foggy Bottom. But how many voters will take the Board's instructions for true? The Board put out a statement last Friday saying it couldn't reach the vendor, Toucan Printing and Promotional Products, Inc., to find out why this happened. This isn't the first time. In 2002, the Board sent 200 registered Ward One Democrats to polling places in Ward Two. In 2004, the voting guides arrived at many homes after the D.C. primary.
Of course, Graham then promises to raise hell when the Council reconvenes to make sure it doesn't happen again, etc., etc.
Today, I received a follow-up postcard from the Board of Elections explaining the mistake and giving the correct info. But I worry that a lot of people aren't going to notice that tiny little nondescript postcard and will be showing up at the wrong precincts and then turned away without being able to vote.
Stories like this, with DC bumbling and proving yet again that it has a terrible municipal system, just make me sad. I worry that even if we are ever able to earn ourselves voting rights, we just won't know what to do with them. Come on, folks, our nation's capital can do better than this!
If you are a DC resident and want to double-check where you should actually be voting for the primary on Tuesday, check out the Board of Elections web site to be sure.
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Getting LOST
While the season premiere of THE BEST SHOW ON TELEVISION I DON'T CARE WHAT EMMY VOTERS THINK is still a few weeks off, I'm totally morphing back into my role of Obsessed Lost Fan. You knew it was only a matter of time, right? Mwah-hah-hah-hah!I got my Season 2 DVDs today! Right there on the cover it's promising me EIGHT HOURS of bonus features. I can't wait! Scotte already got his discs yesterday and assured me that there's great stuff on there, so I'm about to dive in and learn whatever island secrets they're willing to share. Plus I hear there's a whole feature about my beloved bad boy hotness, Sawyer. Mmmm.
And, to top that off, I've actually just started reading the marketing campaign / hoax / novel Bad Twin in preparation for the fall season. This is the novel that is supposedly written by Gary Troup, an author who was on the ill-fated Flight 815. Troup (whose name is an anagram of purgatory, that plot theory that was discarded by the presence of those scientists at that icebound research station... or was it?!?) wrote this story as a mystery about the Widmore family, and so far the detective novel isn't the greatest thing I've ever read but I'm having fun looking for connections to the story of the show. I love that Troup the fake author dedicates his book to Cindy, the fake airline attendant who survived on the island as a Tailie but then mysteriously disappeared right around the time Ana Lu-lu "encountered" Shannon. Ah, the mysterious web LOST weaves...
Okay, off to more obsession... I'll pipe up with any exciting new things I learn on the bonus DVD!
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
It's Finally Here!
My fall tv season started tonight! Hooray for my favorite curmudgeon. I just watched the season premiere of House M.D. and I still love the prickly misanthropic genius doctor. I have never seen Hugh Laurie in anything else (I know, how can I call myself a fan??) but his performance in this show combined with his hilarious awards show appearances make me seriously consider adding him to my laminated list.
I just barely made it home in time to watch the show after a great, much-needed happy hour with Scotte, Dancer In DC, and Jane Austen. (Yes, that is to be your nickname.) It was one of those really escapist evenings, where we talked a wee bit about work but then really just waxed poetic about movies, tv, and the books we're reading obsessively. Let's just say that *one* of us has gotten very into creatures of the night lately!
One of the funniest parts of the evening was that at this particular bar we chose for the evening, we happened to be seated next to a total testosterone-fest. About 20 butch straight guys were all hunkered down at the next table making all their fantasy football picks. It was so funny to watch and listen! Guys trash talking about their favorite players, making their choices before someone yelled "Time!" and the accountant-looking guy entering everything into his laptop. Hilarious! And they were kinda cute.
But, indicative of my life, I was having much more fun talking about pop culture at our table of gays and girls than I ever would have with a bunch of straight sporto guys. Oh well, that's probably why I am where I am!
Either way, it's a pretty darn perfect night!!! :-)
I just barely made it home in time to watch the show after a great, much-needed happy hour with Scotte, Dancer In DC, and Jane Austen. (Yes, that is to be your nickname.) It was one of those really escapist evenings, where we talked a wee bit about work but then really just waxed poetic about movies, tv, and the books we're reading obsessively. Let's just say that *one* of us has gotten very into creatures of the night lately!
One of the funniest parts of the evening was that at this particular bar we chose for the evening, we happened to be seated next to a total testosterone-fest. About 20 butch straight guys were all hunkered down at the next table making all their fantasy football picks. It was so funny to watch and listen! Guys trash talking about their favorite players, making their choices before someone yelled "Time!" and the accountant-looking guy entering everything into his laptop. Hilarious! And they were kinda cute.
But, indicative of my life, I was having much more fun talking about pop culture at our table of gays and girls than I ever would have with a bunch of straight sporto guys. Oh well, that's probably why I am where I am!
Either way, it's a pretty darn perfect night!!! :-)
Labor Day Weekend Movie Wrap-Up
How I spent my Labor Day weekend: watching movies! Here's the long and the short of it, from Netflix to in the theater....
The Rules of Attraction
I somehow missed this movie when it came out and it's been in my queue for a long time. I usually like stories of disillusionment and ennui among upper-middle-class private school kids (heck, two of my favorite books are The Secret History and Prep), but this one just seemed to be too much about the sex and the drugs and not enough story. I've never seen an episode of Dawson's Creek, but I have to imagine that JVDB made a point to play the anti-Dawson here. He was okay as the sexual predator / drug dealer, but now I don't think I'll ever want to see him as a sweet romantic high school kid. And our beloved Boone made for a good Rob Lowe-lookalike gay student who fell in the love with the wrong man. But the rest of the movie? Eh, not so much. Cool camera tricks, I'll give it that, but I was bored.
The Thin Man
I finally took the time to introduce myself to those cinematic icons, Nick and Nora, and I thought they were a hoot! William Powell and Myrna Loy ended up playing the pair in something like 6 films, and I've got to add them all to my queue right away. :-) This first in the series is a film about several unsolved murders that keep racking up, and cosmopolitan marrieds Nick and Nora get on the case to try and figure out whodunit. These two characters are a lot of fun, flirty and sarcastic and always with at least two cocktails going at a time - things that we don't see very often now in this PC age. Although right as I was thinking "Wow, Nick and Nora were so ahead of their time!" they cut to the bedroom scene and I saw the Code at work, as the happily married couple said goodnight from separate twin beds. Pfffflt. I also loved seeing so many typical "whodunit" tricks in what must have been their first, seminal uses.... particularly inviting everyone to a dinner party to try and root out the culprit over the main course. That's a device well-used in one of my all-time favorite spoofs, and I could just imagine everyone taking a bite out of their monkey's brains.... this is, after all, Washington, DC!
Little Miss Sunshine
This is one of the best movies I've seen all year. I loved everything about it! Greg Kinnear and Steve Carell should be in many more movies together. Can you imagine what the Daily Show and Talk Soup alums were like to hang out with on the set? Yet they played such lovable losers. Really, if Steve Carell can make a gay suicidal Proust scholar funny, then the man can do anything. And Toni Collette again proved herself to be the actress I think I'd most want to be friends with, based on the characters she chooses to play. And, oh yeah, I will never, ever, ever be able to watch a beauty pageant again without thinking of "Superfreak." Well done by all!
25th Hour
This is a Spike Lee joint from a few years ago, with Ed Norton as a man who's trying to make amends and tie up all his loose ends in the 24 hours before going to prison on a drug charge. The movie was a little bit too bleak for me, but I think it had a good story. Norton is great, as always, continually proving he's one of the best actors of our generation. There are strong supporting performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper as his childhood best friends, Brian Cox as his dad, and Rosario Dawson as his girlfriend. I have to admit, Rosario is hot, and she just might need to be added to my "other" list. The only real downside to this movie was the presence of Anna Paquin, whom I firmly believes ruins every single movie she's in. Why do casting agents still hire her?!?!?
The Rules of Attraction
I somehow missed this movie when it came out and it's been in my queue for a long time. I usually like stories of disillusionment and ennui among upper-middle-class private school kids (heck, two of my favorite books are The Secret History and Prep), but this one just seemed to be too much about the sex and the drugs and not enough story. I've never seen an episode of Dawson's Creek, but I have to imagine that JVDB made a point to play the anti-Dawson here. He was okay as the sexual predator / drug dealer, but now I don't think I'll ever want to see him as a sweet romantic high school kid. And our beloved Boone made for a good Rob Lowe-lookalike gay student who fell in the love with the wrong man. But the rest of the movie? Eh, not so much. Cool camera tricks, I'll give it that, but I was bored.
The Thin Man
I finally took the time to introduce myself to those cinematic icons, Nick and Nora, and I thought they were a hoot! William Powell and Myrna Loy ended up playing the pair in something like 6 films, and I've got to add them all to my queue right away. :-) This first in the series is a film about several unsolved murders that keep racking up, and cosmopolitan marrieds Nick and Nora get on the case to try and figure out whodunit. These two characters are a lot of fun, flirty and sarcastic and always with at least two cocktails going at a time - things that we don't see very often now in this PC age. Although right as I was thinking "Wow, Nick and Nora were so ahead of their time!" they cut to the bedroom scene and I saw the Code at work, as the happily married couple said goodnight from separate twin beds. Pfffflt. I also loved seeing so many typical "whodunit" tricks in what must have been their first, seminal uses.... particularly inviting everyone to a dinner party to try and root out the culprit over the main course. That's a device well-used in one of my all-time favorite spoofs, and I could just imagine everyone taking a bite out of their monkey's brains.... this is, after all, Washington, DC!
Little Miss Sunshine
This is one of the best movies I've seen all year. I loved everything about it! Greg Kinnear and Steve Carell should be in many more movies together. Can you imagine what the Daily Show and Talk Soup alums were like to hang out with on the set? Yet they played such lovable losers. Really, if Steve Carell can make a gay suicidal Proust scholar funny, then the man can do anything. And Toni Collette again proved herself to be the actress I think I'd most want to be friends with, based on the characters she chooses to play. And, oh yeah, I will never, ever, ever be able to watch a beauty pageant again without thinking of "Superfreak." Well done by all!
25th Hour
This is a Spike Lee joint from a few years ago, with Ed Norton as a man who's trying to make amends and tie up all his loose ends in the 24 hours before going to prison on a drug charge. The movie was a little bit too bleak for me, but I think it had a good story. Norton is great, as always, continually proving he's one of the best actors of our generation. There are strong supporting performances from Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper as his childhood best friends, Brian Cox as his dad, and Rosario Dawson as his girlfriend. I have to admit, Rosario is hot, and she just might need to be added to my "other" list. The only real downside to this movie was the presence of Anna Paquin, whom I firmly believes ruins every single movie she's in. Why do casting agents still hire her?!?!?
Monday, September 04, 2006
Test Your Politics
Feeling bored? Check out this political ideology quiz that Scotte sent me. I came out as a Socialist, which doesn't surprise me a bit. On the "famous people" chart, I ended up right smack dab on Hillary Clinton and pretty close to Bono. How about you, feel like playing?
| You are a Social Liberal (75% permissive) and an... Economic Liberal (6% permissive) You are best described as a:
Link: The Politics Test on Ok Cupid Also: The OkCupid Dating Persona Test |
Summertime Is Catching Up With Me
Aaaargh, the finances are not looking so great. This is to be expected, as summer is always the season when I spend the most money. I'm a lot more social in summer, meeting folks for happy hour and dinner and going to wineries and ballgames and the like. This does happen every year. But it still hurts to see those low balances in my Quicken accounts!
It's a good thing that the fall tv season is starting this week, cuz that then gives me a reason to be happy about just staying in at night... and that means spending less money! And when the weather starts to turn, then I'm not as interested in going out for lunch... and that means spending less money!
I had an interesting conversation with a friend a few days ago (over lunch where I spent way too much, natch!) about how we socialize. She and I were in total agreement that we both prefer to catch up with friends *in person* and we're not big phone talkers or emailers. It's a lot more fun to see your friends face-to-face and that's really the best way to stay involved in each other's lives. While that is all still true, I think I need to push (myself) for more phone and email time with my friends, cuz all this socializing is getting darn expensive! So who's in for keeping the cell phones charged??? :-)
While I'm not quite to the Little Women stage of selling my hair, I'm also trying to figure out how to simplify my material life and thus rein in the finances. I think I'm sitting on a potential gold mine of hundreds of used books, in very good condition. Anyone know of Metro-accessible places that will trade cash for books?
It's a good thing that the fall tv season is starting this week, cuz that then gives me a reason to be happy about just staying in at night... and that means spending less money! And when the weather starts to turn, then I'm not as interested in going out for lunch... and that means spending less money!
I had an interesting conversation with a friend a few days ago (over lunch where I spent way too much, natch!) about how we socialize. She and I were in total agreement that we both prefer to catch up with friends *in person* and we're not big phone talkers or emailers. It's a lot more fun to see your friends face-to-face and that's really the best way to stay involved in each other's lives. While that is all still true, I think I need to push (myself) for more phone and email time with my friends, cuz all this socializing is getting darn expensive! So who's in for keeping the cell phones charged??? :-)
While I'm not quite to the Little Women stage of selling my hair, I'm also trying to figure out how to simplify my material life and thus rein in the finances. I think I'm sitting on a potential gold mine of hundreds of used books, in very good condition. Anyone know of Metro-accessible places that will trade cash for books?
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Thought Question
I was watching a documentary about the Civil War earlier tonight and the narrative raised a question that I'm now struggling with.
The specific situation discussed in the film - as they presented it, remembering that our perception of history is open to interpretation - was Lincoln's early reluctance to address the issue of slavery, and his initial proposals to free slaves but only in a form of exile by creating a colony in Africa or South America. Lincoln of course eventually decided that there was no other possible course of action than emancipation, which ennobled and energized the Union's fight, gave a symbolic and moral framing for the war itself, led to the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment and, with the conclusion of the war, finally the freeing of all the slaves.
But, one of the historians discussing Lincoln's approach to the issue of slavery challenged the notion of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator, as the almost sacred figure that he's become. She said (paraphrasing) that she doesn't believe the "excuse" that a man - even a Great Man - is bound by the context of his time, and that we should not consider those social / cultural constraints as factors in our judgment of a historical figure. She called Lincoln to task for those years of trying to avoid the issue of slavery, for trying to work within the politics of a divided nation, and for his addressing the topic only when it was seemingly necessary to win the war. In other words, while many historians and our "pop" history see Lincoln as a hero for working within the context of the time to bring about a great moral victory, this historian instead faults him for not rising above the politics and prejudices of the time to attack slavery from the very beginning.
This is a simplified view, and it reflects only my own surface-level knowledge of the history of the time -- but it still struck a bit of a nerve with me and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Putting the specifics of this Lincoln scenario aside (although I am enough of a believer in Abe that it does trouble me to hear reasonable doubts about him), this raises a really interesting question in general - not only for the great leaders of any given time, but for how we live our own lives, day in and day out.
This may come out muddled, but here's what I'm now struggling to think about....
Does the context of a given time - including the prevailing social and political beliefs - dictate or "excuse" one's behavior if one chooses to follow the established path rather than fight for a dissenting belief? Or does that context create the challenge that a person needs to rise above -- with the moral obligation to create change a higher command? Or, put another way, is it equally right to try to create change from within a flawed system, knowing that it may be incremental change rather than a complete victory, as it is to try "swimming upstream" to buck the current system and bring about radical change, even if a more extremist position means less ability to effect the change itself?
Hmmmmm. I think I've usually held the view that trying to effect change from within is a good and noble thing, as you're still striving for that ultimate goal of positive change. But, could it be said that working from within a problem situation is still *supporting* that problem, and immoral as well?
The specific situation discussed in the film - as they presented it, remembering that our perception of history is open to interpretation - was Lincoln's early reluctance to address the issue of slavery, and his initial proposals to free slaves but only in a form of exile by creating a colony in Africa or South America. Lincoln of course eventually decided that there was no other possible course of action than emancipation, which ennobled and energized the Union's fight, gave a symbolic and moral framing for the war itself, led to the Emancipation Proclamation, the 13th Amendment and, with the conclusion of the war, finally the freeing of all the slaves.
But, one of the historians discussing Lincoln's approach to the issue of slavery challenged the notion of Lincoln as the Great Emancipator, as the almost sacred figure that he's become. She said (paraphrasing) that she doesn't believe the "excuse" that a man - even a Great Man - is bound by the context of his time, and that we should not consider those social / cultural constraints as factors in our judgment of a historical figure. She called Lincoln to task for those years of trying to avoid the issue of slavery, for trying to work within the politics of a divided nation, and for his addressing the topic only when it was seemingly necessary to win the war. In other words, while many historians and our "pop" history see Lincoln as a hero for working within the context of the time to bring about a great moral victory, this historian instead faults him for not rising above the politics and prejudices of the time to attack slavery from the very beginning.
This is a simplified view, and it reflects only my own surface-level knowledge of the history of the time -- but it still struck a bit of a nerve with me and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Putting the specifics of this Lincoln scenario aside (although I am enough of a believer in Abe that it does trouble me to hear reasonable doubts about him), this raises a really interesting question in general - not only for the great leaders of any given time, but for how we live our own lives, day in and day out.
This may come out muddled, but here's what I'm now struggling to think about....
Does the context of a given time - including the prevailing social and political beliefs - dictate or "excuse" one's behavior if one chooses to follow the established path rather than fight for a dissenting belief? Or does that context create the challenge that a person needs to rise above -- with the moral obligation to create change a higher command? Or, put another way, is it equally right to try to create change from within a flawed system, knowing that it may be incremental change rather than a complete victory, as it is to try "swimming upstream" to buck the current system and bring about radical change, even if a more extremist position means less ability to effect the change itself?
Hmmmmm. I think I've usually held the view that trying to effect change from within is a good and noble thing, as you're still striving for that ultimate goal of positive change. But, could it be said that working from within a problem situation is still *supporting* that problem, and immoral as well?
Bed, Bath & Beware
When I sold my car 2 1/2 years ago, there were several things that I had to learn to live without because I no longer had the wheels to make them possible.
One of those things was my routine of heading to Target about twice a month for fun shopping trips. You know how those trips would go - you'd have 2-3 things in mind that you really needed, but you'd still end up spending over 100 bucks and buying candles, and a book or a CD, and some new shampoo that smelled good, etc.
Honestly, even though I missed the fun of these trips once I was carless, I knew it was good for my budget to not be spending all that $$$ on random stuff each month. And I was amazed at how quickly I was able to adapt and learn that I didn't actually *need* 3 different scents of candles at a time, etc. Anything I really needed could be found at the grocery store or CVS, or in a pinch I could order something online and just pay for the shipping. That's still cheaper than paying the usual car ownership costs, or even paying the $10/hour to rent a Zipcar to make the 3-hour round trip to the nearest Target.
So, for the past 2 1/2 years, I've been living without those random household decor / gadget shopping trips and feeling fine with it, and probably a little bit richer for it. Until lately.... when I have discovered the wonder and the joy of the new Bed, Bath & Beyond on 7th Street!
I'd never been to a BB&B before, so I had NO IDEA that they had so much amazing stuff! How is it possible that one store can stock so many fun things? Housewares, bedding, furniture, fun new beauty products to try! It's like a cross between Target and IKEA, and it's just a few blocks from work! Happy happy joy joy! It's also just a few blocks from my bus line, or even if I want to buy a ton of stuff and take a cab home, it's still 1/3 the cost of a Zipcar trip!
Okay, yeah, so all that stoic stuff about having adapted and not needing random fun household stuff? I never realized how much I missed it! Yesterday, I ventured in just wanting to buy a new pillow, and I ended up spending 100 bucks on kitchen gadgets like these cool Oneida tongs I'd been eyeing online and a new mattress pad, plus that pillow I wanted. Would you believe I spent $50 on a new pillow? Sure, for people who are used to spending real money on their household things, that's not a lot of money. But I'm cheap! So 50 bucks is a lot, but my oh my that pillow is so comfy. :-)
Really, the only reason I didn't spend more money yesterday was because the store was packed with college freshmen and their parents buying everything on the college shopping list to outfit their dorm rooms. I wanted to get out of their way, cuz it was overwhelming even to me to see their 2 & 3 cart caravans of stuff. But I was so happy cabbing home in Ernesto with my new goodies!
Yeah, it could be a real problem for my wallet to have such a great store so close and accessible. I could really use a new blackberry candle......
One of those things was my routine of heading to Target about twice a month for fun shopping trips. You know how those trips would go - you'd have 2-3 things in mind that you really needed, but you'd still end up spending over 100 bucks and buying candles, and a book or a CD, and some new shampoo that smelled good, etc.
Honestly, even though I missed the fun of these trips once I was carless, I knew it was good for my budget to not be spending all that $$$ on random stuff each month. And I was amazed at how quickly I was able to adapt and learn that I didn't actually *need* 3 different scents of candles at a time, etc. Anything I really needed could be found at the grocery store or CVS, or in a pinch I could order something online and just pay for the shipping. That's still cheaper than paying the usual car ownership costs, or even paying the $10/hour to rent a Zipcar to make the 3-hour round trip to the nearest Target.
So, for the past 2 1/2 years, I've been living without those random household decor / gadget shopping trips and feeling fine with it, and probably a little bit richer for it. Until lately.... when I have discovered the wonder and the joy of the new Bed, Bath & Beyond on 7th Street!
I'd never been to a BB&B before, so I had NO IDEA that they had so much amazing stuff! How is it possible that one store can stock so many fun things? Housewares, bedding, furniture, fun new beauty products to try! It's like a cross between Target and IKEA, and it's just a few blocks from work! Happy happy joy joy! It's also just a few blocks from my bus line, or even if I want to buy a ton of stuff and take a cab home, it's still 1/3 the cost of a Zipcar trip!
Okay, yeah, so all that stoic stuff about having adapted and not needing random fun household stuff? I never realized how much I missed it! Yesterday, I ventured in just wanting to buy a new pillow, and I ended up spending 100 bucks on kitchen gadgets like these cool Oneida tongs I'd been eyeing online and a new mattress pad, plus that pillow I wanted. Would you believe I spent $50 on a new pillow? Sure, for people who are used to spending real money on their household things, that's not a lot of money. But I'm cheap! So 50 bucks is a lot, but my oh my that pillow is so comfy. :-)
Really, the only reason I didn't spend more money yesterday was because the store was packed with college freshmen and their parents buying everything on the college shopping list to outfit their dorm rooms. I wanted to get out of their way, cuz it was overwhelming even to me to see their 2 & 3 cart caravans of stuff. But I was so happy cabbing home in Ernesto with my new goodies!
Yeah, it could be a real problem for my wallet to have such a great store so close and accessible. I could really use a new blackberry candle......
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