Turf Marking

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Things you need to know:
  • Some posts, or the links they contain, are NSFW. This is your only warning.
  • This blog serves the cause of my freedom of speech, not yours. I wield censorship like a 10 year-old boy who just found his father's handgun.
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Tuesday, August 19, 2003

MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY TEST

Yes, yes... late again, I know. I know, ok? Look, I know. Quit yelling at me.

kronos
You are Kronos, horseman of the apocalypse, War,
and ready to rule again. If you can get your
band of brothers together again, you will be
unstoppable.


Which 'Highlander' immortal are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Friday, August 15, 2003

INSIDE JOKE OF THE DAY
The cable router's been going in and out. Would you know anything about that?
  -J.H.
Man, I didn't think I'd come across two in two days.

Thursday, August 14, 2003

INSIDE JOKE OF THE DAY

Here's a new feature. Just random inside jokes between me and the motley crew that are the various and sundry people in my life. If you weren't there or weren't told, you probably won't get it. But, you're free to read into it whatever you'd like.
I've heard of taking it on the chin, but sheesh.
  -Me

Tuesday, August 12, 2003

AGAIN WITH THE "FEMININE SIDE"
I'm standing on the edge of another precipice in life
Gotta face my Steppenwolf
Gotta drag it through the mud
When I get there I will see myself

Pearl
words/music by Paula Cole
Now that I've reached a bit of (serendipitous) success in other areas of my life, I'm poised to move ahead in others. I just hope I can follow through, and with a bit of help, I'm sure I can.

TODAY ON "E"!

Well, today was supposed to be our first officially designated "day off" from each other. We've been together nearly every day for the past three weeks. But there's supposed to be a meteor shower tonight, and we basically said, "what the heck?"

A couple of days ago, we had our first um... "disagreement" so to speak. Nothing bad happened, no harsh words were said, and the situation was no one's fault. But it was an eye-opener for me. I could actually observe myself going through the process of making oneself angry. I don't care how hair-trigger someone's anger is, there's definitely a point at which one decides to make his or her anger manifest, internally or externally. I allowed my anger to get the better of me, but allowed it to fade in fairly short order.

Score one for maturity!

Sunday, August 10, 2003

MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

Am I in touch with my feminine side, or what?


You are as tough as you are beautiful. You have the
grace of a delicate flower and the stopping
power of a 2x4 in the gonads. I love you, will
you marry me?


Which Kung Fu movie star are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Ok, so I guess this feature will now be a Sunday thing, rather than a Saturday one.

Tuesday, August 05, 2003

TODAY ON "E"!

I've spent the past week in heaven. And, I'm still there even if I'm going to be apart from her for the next few hours. Actually, I think it's the first 24 hours I've spent away from her in all this time.

I know I promised more in the way of "gory details" and such, but at this point, I honestly don't know where to begin. I could go with a day-by-day play-by-play of everything said and done since two Sundays ago. I could go and post a million and one song lyrics (mostly by my favorite band with a midwestern name, a fancy logo, and a horn trio).

But, I'm too tired to be cryptic and too shy to be detailed.

I'm happy. 'Nuff said.

Now, maybe next go 'round, I'll talk about the ways this person has definitely changed my outlook on the future. Maybe.

Ok, I will say this. That line from that Liz Phair song a few entries back doesn't quite apply anymore, except for the fact that my head is, in fact, still spinning.

Sunday, August 03, 2003

MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

Sorry that it's a day overdue. I've been pleasantly busy as of late.

Which Big O character are you?
Which Big O character are you?

Personally, I would rather have ended up as Dorothy. Roger Smith would've been out of my league.

Monday, July 28, 2003

SADNESS

R.I.P. Mr. Hope
IF THIS ISN'T A BLATANT VIOLATION OF THE LAWS OF TIME...

The Doctor Who Dance
LESS JUMBLED AND EMOTIONALLY INTENSE INFO

Yes, I caved yesterday and got Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters. This is what happens when you hit Barnes and Noble twice in the same week.

Sunday, July 27, 2003

TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME

I'm utterly speechless. My being - heart, mind, body and soul - is spinning around and around. I'm mired in contradictions. I'm feeling the total bliss of simple contentment. I have finally touched someone I've seemed to know for 100 years. I'm finally feeling a closeness that can only be described as oneness...

I think I'll write more once I'm all sorted out -- which may not be for awhile.

It's still sort of jumbled... but it's so good.

Saturday, July 26, 2003

THOUGHTS AS I COUNT DOWN
Isn't this the best part of breaking up
Finding someone else you can't get enough of
Someone who wants to be with you too
It's an itch we know we're gonna scratch
It's gonna take awhile for this egg to hatch
But wouldn't it be beautiful

Here we go, we're at the beginning
We haven't f***ed yet, but my head's spinning

Why Can't I
Liz Phair
Seventeen hours left.
MY WEEKLY PERSONALITY ANALYSIS

I figured why not make this a regular feature. Everyone should spend time analyzing themselves at least once a week, anyway.



I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi, which Jedi Knight are you???
Take the Jedi Personality Quiz at MHoNiP

This is true, because...
One of the galaxy's most honored and respected Jedi Knights, you were instrumental in galatic events both early and late in life. You were instrumental in awakening the powers of the Force in young Luke Skywalker in the end of your days, but in your younger days, due to your arrogance, you thought you could be a good as Yoda and train Anakin Skywalker to be a great Jedi Knight. He later became Darth Vader. Oops….
Sounds about right.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE AT SUCH A TENDER AGE

Now, this is what I call community service!

At 14, I was still reading Justice League comics. Hell, I read one two weeks ago!
TICK, TOCK, TICK

Thirty-six hours from now, we'll see if life really rebounds, if what goes around really does come around, and if dreams can come true after being broken to pieces.
In the end the love we live with
Is the love that we wait for
And the waiting cuts like a knife
In the end the love we hoped for
Is the love that we learned with
Looking for the love of my life
The love of my life

The Love of My Life
words/music by Robert Lamm/Jim Vallance
perf. by Robert Lamm
I don't care what people say, Robert Lamm is still one of the great American songwriters.

Thursday, July 24, 2003

REVENGE OF MY INNER NERD

I was at Barnes and Noble today buying a "Welcome Home" gift for a friend. I resolved NOT to indulge on this book I've had my eye on for awhile, Mike Nelson's Mind Over Matters. I succeeded!

Instead, I bought Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There by David Brooks. It seems that I keep seeing this referenced just about everywhere as of late. It's an interesting and humorous treatise on "bourgeois bohemians," a class of people the author defines as:
...those who have wed the bourgeois world of capitalist enterprise to the hippie values of the bohemian counterculture
I'd write more about it (and plan to, eventually), but I think I'm going to finish reading it tonight, first. I'm about half-way through it already, proving once again how fast I can read stuff I care about.
MY NEW FAVORITE WEBSITE... NO, I MEAN IT THIS TIME!

The Oracle of Starbucks

It works so well, I'd almost be willing to follow whatever pseudo-cult that's sure to build a religion around it.

Oh, that's right, I already worship at the altar of Starbucks. I forgot for a second.

Wednesday, July 23, 2003

WinMX UPDATE

I finally have it! The 4th live version I have of Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away by Chicago.

Whoop-dee-do. Yeah, I'm not that excited. I probably would've given up on it weeks ago if I wasn't such a compleatist.

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

FINALLY, A TV SHOW BANDWAGON I WON'T JUMP ON

Queer Eye for the Straight Guy on Bravo - I described the concept to a friend who said , "This sounds vaguely offensive." I agreed, but this was the very reason I had to see it.

As usual, though, whenever something promises to be titilatingly offensive, it ends up being mostly harmless and rather silly.

However, I did like the end bit where the "Fab Five" watch the results of their make-over on video as the straight guy tries to impress whoever thought he needed the make-over in the first place. You know me -- always love that MST3K vibe.

I'll stick to Iron Chef and Trading Spaces. Heck, I'd probably watch another episode of Stripperella first. Ok ok, I wouldn't go that far.
OPPORTUNITY IS "NOWHERE" OR "NOW HERE"?

I saw this referenced in someone else's blog. My apologies, but I just can't remember where.

In any case, whoever green-lit this web address is proof of why one needs degrees in the areas of marketing and advertising.

www.whorepresents.com.

Go on, click it... you know you want to.
AND, STILL NO WEATHER PIXIE!

Since Site Meter tells me that a few more people read this blog than the 2 to 5 people I already know read it, I decided to try a little experiment.

I popped in a Tag Board for general comments and/or polling the masses about whatever random question occurs to me.

So, let's see...
Commenting available on every post - CHECK
Random "What sort of (blank) are you?" quizzes - CHECK
A couple of advertising banners/buttons - CHECK
A link to wilwheaton.net - CHECK
Tagboard - CHECK
A weather pixie - _________

Monday, July 21, 2003

SINCE I'M NOW OFFICIALLY OUTSIDE THE MTV DEMOGRAPHIC, PART IV

Hey, I don't care. I'm watching Doggy Fizzle Televizzle right now and am laffing my @$$ off!
EARLY EXAMPLE OF THE CORRUPTING INFLUENCE OF CORPORATE AMERICA?

I was talking with a friend of mine -- no, no one had "hurt her pride." Get it? Tom Petty and the... eh, nevermind. I was talking to her earlier this morning, and we briefly hit upon the subject of Lee Majors, the Six Million Dollar Man. Don't bother wondering how something like that would come up; that's just how we are. Anyway, I had this epiphany:

Remember the Steve Austin doll and how you'd have to roll back the fake skin of his bionic arm to see the two molded pieces of plastic with stickers of "bionic circuitry" on them? It hit me -- was I being serriptitiously trained on condom use? No wonder I and a few others I know - who are now well outside the MTV demographic - don't seem overly troubled by the issue of "condoms in the classroom." We were already trained in one aspect of their use between the ages of 5 and 7!

Alas, while it was an epiphany for me, I discovered later, it wasn't an original observation.

Sunday, July 20, 2003

SINCE I'M NOW OFFICIALLY OUTSIDE THE MTV DEMOGRAPHIC, PART III

No one bothered to tell me that Snoop Dogg had his own MTV show, Doggy Fizzle Televizzle, or that it would be so damn funny!
ANOTHER PLEASANT VALLEY SUNDAY

I had a bit of time after church and was sitting here rummaging through email.

This month's issue of the WORK IT! Newsletter (it's a job search book written by Allison Hemming, an alum of my alma mater, the University of Dayton) had this piece of advice as to how to get yourself out of a job-hunting rut. I highlighted a key section.

2. Give yourself a break (literally!).

It doesn't matter if it's one day or one week, but you need
to close the chapter of your job hunt that's not working so
you can start another chapter that will. Go to a museum,
pick up a mystery novel, watch all the Tarantino flicks so
you can get ready to deconstruct his new movie, Kill Bill.

I personally can't wait to watch David Carradine in action again!

No, I'm serious!

Saturday, July 19, 2003

LORD, I WAS BORN A RAMBLIN' MAN

I guess the dry spell for blog entries is over, huh?
DUEL AND DUALITY

If you recall, my life was rated...


My life is rated R.
What is your life rated?


This blog, on the other hand is a mere...

pg13
What rating is your journal?

brought to you by Quizilla


Just another example of the bittersweetness of age.
SINCE I'M NOW OFFICIALLY OUTSIDE THE MTV DEMOGRAPHIC, PART DEUX

yatta!
WinMX UPDATE

or, Does Anybody Really Need Another Live Version of the Song Hard to Say I'm Sorry/Get Away by Chicago?

"If so, I can't imagine why," especially someone with 3 of them already.
BIG BROTHER IS STILL WATCHING!

Just for kicks, I've added a sitemeter counter. I've actually had the account for a few weeks but have been too utterly lazy to install it.

Don't worry, I'm not gathering information to launch some nefarious plot for world domination or assume your identity. I vow not to publish any info that I obtain (unless you tick me off), harass you (unless you deserve it), or adversely affect you in any way (unless I'm cranky and run out of coffee).
SINCE I'M NOW OFFICIALLY OUTSIDE THE MTV DEMOGRAPHIC

I've found videos that are more interesting at www.animemusicvideos.org. A friend of mine is actually a member with videos of her own. Check them out.

Friday, July 18, 2003

YOU REALLY WANT INTO MY PANTS?

Then, you may find something stirring within.
THE CURLY SHUFFLE

The "this way to the egress" link above no longer points to my AOL homepage. I don't know why I've decided to do that all of a sudden, truth to tell. Links from there point here, after all, and may stay that way, at least for the time being. I've sort of MacGyver-ed a page for my long-unused geocities space, and since I've started using that email address again as of late, I figured, "what the heck?"

"But, D., couldn't I just click on the links you have on the menu on the bottom left and work my way to the index page?" Well, sure, smart-@$$. Whatever makes you feel like you were in the movie Hackers. Just be assured that it's not your cleverness, but my laziness that allows you to do that.

Anyway, I'm not gonna put the geocities email addy on here right away. I kinda enjoy being surprisingly spam-free at that address. Besides, if you wanna touch base, that's why I've got an enetation account. The geocities webspace isn't quite done yet; I will put up that addy eventually.

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

'TUDE OF THE DAY
I'm like Aquaman and Brown Hornet
I'm like Imhotep, but don't flaunt it

Thought @ Work
by Trotter, Thomson, Hubbard, Gray, Kenney
perf. by The Roots

Tuesday, July 15, 2003

I'VE ALWAYS ASKED, "WHAT DOES THE MPAA KNOW, ANYWAY?"


My life is rated R.
What is your life rated?

Monday, July 14, 2003

NEEDS TO BE SEEN TO BE BELIEVED

I'm not too amazed by the fact that TNN would have a show like Stripperella. I saw my very first episode tonight, as I couldn't reach the remote fast enough when RAW ended. Yes, it's pretty much everything what one would imagine: jokes targeted at Howard Stern's fanbase and blurred out animated images of breasts.

What does amaze me is that it really IS a Stan Lee creation, which he proceeds to defend by saying:
People have asked why I've created Stripperella after spending most of my life doing family-friendly stories. The point is, I feel that Stripperella, too, is family friendly. It's just that she's meant to appeal to a slightly older family.
from Newsarama
Another Polyanna childhood illusion is shattered. This from the same guy who used to provided me with a lifetime of comic book joy and used to wish me a hearty "Excelsior!" at the end of the Incredible Hulk and Spiderman and His Amazing Friends cartoons in the 80s.

Like that's going to stop me getting my X-Men fix.
MY NEW FAVORITE WEBSITE

Appropriately named after my daily mantra: I Need Coffee
Surprisingly informative "non-commercial Caffeination Information."

WinMX Update - The last file of Chicago's 1987 concert at the Concord Pavillion continues to elude me.

Saturday, July 12, 2003

BOIL AND BUBBLE

I'm sitting here engaging in my usual Saturday morning NPR ritual before work and again giving some thought to the various ups and downs of my present life. Money problems abound again, but nothing I won't make it through (I don't think). And, this time around, I have as many, if not more reasons to be happy than sad.

I keep coming back to this verse of the song My Thanksgiving:
And I don't mind saying that I still love it all
I wallowed in the springtime
Now I'm welcoming the fall
For every moment of joy
Every hour of fear
For every winding road that brought me here
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving

by Henley/Lynch/Winding

Score another one for maturity, huh?

Wednesday, July 09, 2003

LIVIN' LA VIDA INTERESANTE

I know it's been a dry spell for blog entries. Working, turning 30, and closely following Wimbledon for the first time in about five years were some of the things keeping me occupied over the past week or so. I've also spent a fair amount of time connecting on multiple levels with someone who's quite possibly my mirror image, while at the same time working out various life issues.

Unfortunately, this leaves little time for dwelling on life observations and jotting down sarcastic comments. There just hasn't been room in my head. Perhaps my idiocy threshhold was slightly raised. Or, like a drug addict, it simply takes more and more to motivate me to make cutting remarks.

I'm sure the bug will return soon. But, in the interim, a couple of recent events merit some treatment.

I played with a small group of musicians at my church for the 4th of July. It was a sort of hodge-podge of smooth jazzy (blech), pop and rock instrumental stuff. I was sort of nervous. I did a fair amount of personal preparation, but was unable to attend the single rehearsal that was held. And, I unexpectedly ended up playing on a few songs I hadn't practiced.

All in all, I don't think I did all that badly. Yes, it could've done better. But, it could've been so much worse. I shock myself with that attitude. A friend of mine was slightly shocked when I conveyed this feeling to him. Perhaps maturity is starting to catch up with me.

The other event -- well, I changed my mind about sharing it. Let's just say that it was a situation that had the earmarks of the first five minutes of a soft-core, r-rated adult film and from which I promptly escaped.

Thursday, July 03, 2003

AND THE WINNER IS...

I decided that I'd use a third, different song as my "Birthday Theme." I can't remember if I've mentioned this song before or not. But hey, it's my birthday and my blog :) -- 7/3/MCMLXXIII!
Many reasons that hold you back
Tell you no, make you fall short of what you want to say
Too many voices in my head
Where's the boy who used to take chances
Used to say when I grow up to me a man someday
True to my heart in every way
Seems so simple
Why's it so hard
I'll never know

Take the time seize the moment
Don't let go
The state of mind is everything about
The love you call your own

The Love You Call Your Own
words/music by Robert Lamm & Gerard McMahon


Of course, however, the show still must go on...
And I'm tired of turning my back on myself
Throwing truth away
Let the fire burn down the front door to myself
And give me a season to play

The Show Must Go On
words/music by Bill Champlin
perf. by Chicago


'Nuff said

Wednesday, July 02, 2003

MORE BORROWED LYRICS

For E...
Did you ever love somebody
Did you ever really care
Did you ever need somebody
Just to rub your hair

All the energy we spend on motion
All the curcuitry and time
Is there any way to feel a body
Through fiber optic lines

...

Don't you wanna be right here, right now

Right Here, Right Now by Cassandra Wilson


:x
TURNING

George Carlin on age:
(I highlighted a relevant secion)

And then the greatest day of your life... you become 21.

Even the words sound like a ceremony... YOU BECOME 21... YESSSS!!!

But then you turn 30. Oooohh, what happened there? Makes you sound like bad milk. He TURNED; we had to throw him out. There's no fun now, you're just a sour-dumpling. What's wrong? What's changed?

You BECOME 21, you TURN 30, then you're PUSHING 40.

Whoa! Put on the brakes, it's all slipping away. Before you know it, you REACH 50... and your dreams are gone.

But wait!!! You MAKE it to 60. You didn't think you would!

So you BECOME 21, TURN 30, PUSH 40, REACH 50 and MAKE it to 60.

There was a sort of bittersweet, sad tradition I sort of developed about 4 or 5 years ago. At some point during the day of my birth, I'd find a quiet spot and play the song Birthday Boy by Chicago. It's sort of a sad song that I guess (20/20 hindsight) made me feel like I was being all pensive when I was in reality indulging in a good dose of self-pity.

This year, however, feels different. For all the good and bad times in the past couple of years, some really good things have happened -- some as recently as last week!

So, I've decided that starting this year, I'm going to start listening to something else on my birthday. It's a tie. I can't decide between the song My Thanksgiving by Don Henley (I've posted a link to the lyrics some time back) and the song The Show Must Go On by Chicago, the song I've sort of adopted as my personal theme song over the past year or so. (Sorry, I can't really find a link to any accurate lyrics anywhere).

And, here I have about an hour to decide...

Saturday, June 28, 2003

THE HILLS ARE ALIVE...

It's been a pain downloading all of that Chicago concert, but I've only got one more file left. It's so funny listening to how this band has evolved the way they play some of their songs over the years. The concert is chock-full of all those wierd funny synth effects that EVERYONE thought was so cool back then (Including YOU, if you listened to any music at all in the 80s - admit it!).

There should be a notice attached to this music under the copyright infringement note:
WARNING: This music could cause spontaneous flashbacks of scenes from Miami Vice.

I swear I can see that white Ferrari Testarosa zooming through the streets.

I know what you're asking. "Well, gee, Don, don't you like any music specifically targetted to your demographic? Hey, the Dave Matthews Band has a fiddle and a sax in it -- you like that, don't you? Or are you just too much of a pretentious, hipster, Wynton Marsalis purist jerk to just listen to music and enjoy it like the rest of us?"

The answer is yes, after college I got off my musical high horse and started finding the occassional pop-MTV-VH1-Top 40 song that I find interesting, regardless of musical quality or lack thereof.

Currently, that song is Big Yellow Taxi by the Counting Crows featuring Vanessa Carlton. It's on Winamp at this moment.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go dig up Bitches Brew by Miles Davis.

Wednesday, June 25, 2003

MORE WinMX EXPLOITS

I've got more than half of a 1987 Chicago concert at the Concord Pavillion. Man, I can't remember the last time they played a set of songs from a new album (Chicago 18 in this case). It's also funny hearing all these 80s synth effects that they (and every other band at the time) used.
ALWAYS KNEW I HAD IT IN ME

If I were a Dead Russian Composer, I would be Igor Stravinsky.

Known as a true son of the new 20th Century, my music started out melodic and folky but slowly got more dissonant and bizzare as I aged. I am a traveler and a neat freak, and very much hated those rotten eggs thrown at me after the premiere of "The Rite of Spring."

Who would you be? Dead Russian Composer Personality Test

MOVIE NIGHT

Unsatisfied with Hulk, I rented a flick which I just got around to watching tonight, The Transporter. As good as it is, I think I may take it off my wish list now. It was basically a hodge-podge of movies. Whether intentional on the director's part or not, I saw blatant references to Shaft, Enter the Dragon, Game of Death, and possibly a few others.

Good martial arts stuff thanks to Cory Yuen (the fight choreographer), but not enough, IMO.

That's it. Straightforward movie = straightforward ranting.

Monday, June 23, 2003

BAH! PUNY HUMANS!

Yes, I caught a showing of Hulk this afternoon. As a movie, it was ok. It was definitely Crouching Tiger-style filmmaking. What I mean is that once again Ang Lee tries to take characters and drama with some degree of depth and disguise it as something else, be it a kung fu movie or a comic book film. I think the problem was that it worked almost too well. I think that's why a lot of people have been slamming the movie. I could see why people would be disappointed if they were just expecting a "comic book flick." It was meant to be more than that. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was certainly no Enter the Dragon, but it wasn't meant to do that, either.

I don't feel like restraining myself like I did when I posted on Matrix: Reloaded, so I'm gonna try a trick I picked up on some anime website. This means I'm about to post some SPOILER INFORMATION. If you still wish to read, just drag your mouse in between the horizontal lines.


Hulk's biggest strength, along with all the Marvel Comics movies to come out in the past couple of years (yes, even Daredevil) is the high degree of faithfulness to history. As far as Hulk, we saw some tweaking as expected. But, we also saw the following:

David Banner (played by Nick Nolte), doing some classic TV things including masquerading as a janitor AND subjecting himself to gamma rays.

Some say Jack Nicholson was the perfect choice as The Joker in Batman, and Patrick Stewart was born to be Professor X. Well, Sam Elliot was perfect as General "Thunderbolt" Ross (even though I don't recall him being called Thunderbolt in the movie). I will say that this didn't make itself evident until the last 1/3 of the movie. Only then did you see the classic mix of fear, hate, respect and pity that the character had for the Hulk in the comics.

Ripped purple pants! Who the hell wears purple pants in this day and age that isn't a raver or a pimp? But, the comic book Hulk did, and so did the movie one. Heck, they even had stretchable purple briefs just like Hulk had for awhile in the mid-80s.

Going back to "David Banner" for a second. In a key scene, he subjected himself to the same conditions that created the Hulk to take advantage of the genetic modifications he passed on to his son. I'm not going to explain it further -- see the flick yourself. Suffice it to say that I knew he wasn't going to be another Hulk. But the way his skin changed, I was sure they were going to make him "The Abomination" (one of Hulk's arch-enemies in the comic). I was fooled -- he ended up being "The Absorbing Man."

There might have been no gamma bomb, but there were big, green mushroom clouds.

There was no Rick Jones, per se, but the one fact about Hulk's origin stayed the same: Banner gets nuked while trying to save someone.

It was the ultimate thrill to see the same basic template of all of Hulk's confrontations with the military in the comic books on the big screen, right down to the bending of tank turrets!

Finally, two words from the script: "Puny human!" said by guess who :).



Thus endeth the ranting.

Thursday, June 19, 2003

LATE NIGHT WITH WinMX

Current Music: Tenacious Boogie and The Last One by Howland, Laug, Morrison & Pinnick

Yes, that is Keith Howland, currently the guitarist for Chicago and Chris Pinnick, former lead guitarist for Chicago. It's just sad that music this good (along with The Howland-Imboden Project referenced a few entries back) will never see the light of day in a record store. Check out these tunes for some seriously frightening guitar chops.

It's just a cool concept, though, especially if you're familiar with Chicago's history with guitar players. Now, if only Dawayne Bailey and Donnie Dacus would cut some track together. Hell, even team up with Howland and Pinnick... I shudder to think.

Other Current Music: Chicago - Live by Request

Yes, the whole shebang, available online that I discovered just as I was about to go to bed at 1:30 AM. 14 mp3 files -- looks like MS Office will have to go! Just kidding. Man, it was a rough download with sources that flittered in and out. I was tired.

And before you gasp, "*Gasp* You illegally downloaded mp3s -- that makes you a thief and an all around b@$tard!" let me just say what I said after I downloaded the whole Stone of Sisyphus album. The second it's available for sale, I'll buy it, but until then, I'm enjoying the stuff now.

Wednesday, June 18, 2003

ROUND AND ROUND THEY GO

The way they switch around the schedule willy-nilly on Adult Swim is giving me a headache. They have now bumped Trigun in favor of REIGN: The Conqueror and put Lupin the 3rd in place of Cowboy Bebop. And, they started Lupin at the beginning of the 1971 series.

It took awhile to grow on me, but I think I'm beginning to understand the appeal of Rurouni Kenshin.
MY NEWLY ELECTED FAVORITE WORD
MONKEYPOX

Don't you love how that just rolls off the tongue?

Monday, June 16, 2003

For all those who asked, re: Pet Peeve #624...

PET PEEVE #1

People who leave a roll of toilet paper sitting on top of an empty toilet paper holder.
20 MINUTES INTO THE FUTURE

I love technology, but I've never felt the need to have the newest, latest thing out there. True story: My first computer was a 486 with Windows 3.1 on it. I didn't get Windows 95 for it until the day after Windows 98 is released. I've got a new computer since then -- still running Windows 98. I long for the speed of Windows 95. Heck, I didn't own a CD player or any CDs until about 1997.

I have yet to own a DVD player, but I'm itching to get one. I can't believe the stuff I'm rapidly adding to my Amazon.com wish list (see left). Complete episodes of almost all of my favorite shows -- I just added The Young Ones! I haven't seen them in years! It almost makes me sad the amount of videotape I used taping episodes of Doctor Who off of PBS as a kid.

Then again, I can't be doing all that bad if I've been posting stuff on a blog.

Sunday, June 15, 2003

You've seen the personality quizzes. You've read the deep introspection. You've heard the whining. You know what "Current Music" I'm playing.

Now, prepare for...

THE CD REVIEW

I guess we could go song by song through The Trouble With Being Myself, but I'm too tired. I'll just make these brief points in this preliminary review. As always, all opinions are subject to change.

THE GOOD:
This CD is everything a third album should be -- evidence of musical growth. I don't think there's a song on here that's just "I Try Redux." I always felt The Id, as good as it was, aimed to be a new and improved version of On How Life Is. Consequently, the music -- writing, arranging, the performing, the funk -- was laid on a little too thick for me.

The new album is definitely "retro-cool" at its finest. The songs and arrangements are so much more complex and mature. My favorite thing about Macy Gray's CDs is that they're such a group effort. It's not one person's vocals above a group of muted studio musicians. It's the same core funkiness taken in new directions. Not too far off so as to be a "concept album" -- you know the type. The one that every artist makes to explore new musical territory that no one except 2% of their fans understand, which makes their next album a quick return to the "same old crap" so that the record company can recoup their losses.

If those aren't good enough reasons to dig it: Beck co-writes a song and performs on it!

THE BAD:
My only complaint - no bonus track (at least not on mine). I'll probably need to listen to it about 5 more times before I find something to complain about.

THE UGLY:
I wouldn't change a thing on ANY of her albums. I just have one question -- Can she go through one CD without a song about her killing or threatening to kill someone?
I've committed murder and I think I got away
I've Committed Murder from On How Life Is

Give me all your lovin'
Or I will kill you
Give Me All Your Lovin' Or I Will Kill You from The Id

She gonna hurt you daddy never again,
She wasn't a friend,
So I killed her
My Fondest Childhood Memories from The Trouble With Being Myself


You thought I was joking, didn't you? Like I said, though, I wouldn't change a thing.

Saturday, June 14, 2003

MY OWN PERSONALITY QUIZ

This is one by me, for me.
You found out today that June 10 was the international release date for Macy Gray's third album The Trouble with Being Myself. And, you found it out as you were about to shell out $22.99 at the Virgin Megastore for a copy of the CD and didn't think twice about it until you got to the cash register where you asked about the price and was told it was an Australian import. You bought the CD anyway. This makes you...
a) A really big fan of Macy Gray
b) The worst kind of Western materialist (I got the credit -- gimmie it now!)

Eh, who knows? I'll write more about the music when I'm finished listening to it -- I'm on my second run-through now.

Friday, June 13, 2003

KNOWLEDGE OF THE ARCANE

A few entries back, I posted a quote from the show NewsRadio. I always liked that show; it's probably the closest that American TV will ever come to something as smart and witty as The Kids in the Hall -- and that's only because it had Dave Foley in it.

I didn't know about one cool tidbit concerning the episode titles until I read epguide.com's NewsRadio Titles and Air Dates Guide.

Check out the titles to episodes 20-28 and 41.

Thursday, June 12, 2003

MISCELLANEA

ITEM ONE
For those who informed me about trouble with my blog archives, reposting them seems to have solved whatever problem they were having.

ITEM TWO
Why couldn't I find Macy Gray's new CD anywhere yesterday?!?!
THE SECRET ORIGIN OF THIS BLOG

Well, aside from voracious reading of Fran Lebowitz, Dennis Miller, and anyone else who'd make cutting remarks about the world around them, Bruce Campbell's (yes, the Army of Darkness guy) was the seed that was planted in my brain that eventually drove me to put my rantings in blog form. Hey, that sort of sounds like a B-movie plot, doesn't it?

The things you rediscover as you go web surfing through your Favorites list.

Tuesday, June 10, 2003

PET PEEVE #624

Current Music: Inching Toward...? by The Howland Imboden Project

The blurb of this song reads:
This song from the upcoming release from The Howland Imboden Project features Robert Lamm and James Pankow from the band Chicago as well as drummer Tris Imboden and guitarist Keith Howland. The tune weaves latin, jazz, and rock together in a melodic vehicle for the soloists to improvise over.

This song completely kicks @$$, mostly because of the kick-@$$ musicians on the track. Now, this song features 1/2 of the band Chicago. It should follow that the band as a whole should be able to produce music of equal or greater quality.

But they don't. And, I don't buy any of that "Boo-hoo, we were pigeon-holed in the 80s as a ballad band" crap. Listen to a live show. They can make that "ballad band" stuff rock when they can be bothered to do so. So, why have they released strings of rehashed greatest hits and cover CDs for the past 10 years? The frequency of new songs they'd produce (often as the "bonus tracks" to these CDs) is as sporadic as the quality of the music.

Check out the (hard to find) solo efforts from different band members -- from the originals like Robert Lamm, the vets like Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff, and the newer members like Keith Howland and Tris Imboden -- everything just sounds SO much better. The writing, the vocals, and the instrumentals are of a caliber that, I say, hasn't been heard on a Chicago album for a good 20 years!

Inching Toward...? is a prime example. In it, there's a lengthy trombone solo by James Pankow. Pankow hasn't had a 'bone solo on this good on a Chicago album since Chicago VII. How long ago was that? A long time, since they're supposedly recording Chicago XXVII now.

Just ticks me off. I don't buy Chicago's reasons for why their music just isn't as good as it was in the 70s (You can find them if you do enough web-searching on the subject). I personally chalk it up to what they must be thinking which IMO has to be, "Hey, Chicago has paid our dues for nigh on 40 years now, so why put in the effort of making new music when we can play Saturday in the Park for the 5 billionth time at a show you still paid $30 to see, plus another $20 on a t-shirt?"

It wouldn't tick me off as much if they'd at least have the stones to come out and say that. At least that'd be honest, and I can enjoy their solo efforts without my metaphorical stomach churning.
ON A SAD NOTE

Once again, Adult Swim changes its rotation, and once again the show that gets the shaft is Lupin the 3rd. They could've at least let the new episodes run one more time. Eh, I'll give Kikaider a chance if for no other reason than it's followed by Inu Yasha and Trigun. I might like it -- who knows? The last time this happened, I was introduced to REIGN: The Conqueror.

Monday, June 09, 2003

MUSIC OF THE DAY

DSL is getting to be a bad thing. I'm downloading way too much music that I really don't have the hard drive for. I intended to take a bit of time today to clean it out. And, I just downloaded more, though I may end up deleting most of it. It made for quite the interesting playlist:
Africa and Rosanna by Toto
Kaze wa Mirai ni Fuku, the end theme to the Trigun anime series.
When I See You by Macy Gray (CD comes out tomorrow, though I probably won't have time to get to a store until Wednesday or Thursday)
My Will, the end theme to the Inu Yasha anime series.
Valerie, by Steve Winwood. This one I'll keep -- for me, it has that "songs I grew up with" quality.
ALMOST TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE

Readeth thou the official Blackadder Quote Generator.

Sunday, June 08, 2003

THE LITERARY AGENDA

Last week, I flipped briefly though the next book I intend to purchase and read, Mike Nelson's Mind over Matters, by, you guessed it, Michael J. Nelson, former head writer/host for Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- though, I always missed Joel.

And, on a side note, I'm completely addicted to The Real Folk Blues by Mai Yamane & The Seatbelts. Do a Google search and download it. You won't be disappointed, even if you don't know jack about anime, Cowboy Bebop, jazz or blues.

Saturday, June 07, 2003

COUNTING DAYS AND PENNIES

Three more days to the new Macy Gray CD!

Friday, June 06, 2003

FREEDOM! (ALMOST)
Summertime and the livin' is easy

Summertime
by Heyward & Gershwin

Well, it's summertime, and I'm free from my primary job. Now, I get to subsist on my secondary job. But, provided I can scrape by, I've got my mornings free to do stuff like planning how to breakback into my social work, get my finances in order, and practice kung fu.
WISDOM OF THE AGES
DAVE
Have you ever heard the expression, "When life give you lemons, make lemonade"?

BILL
Have you ever heard the expression, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade and then toss it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you asked for in the first place"?

from NewsRadio: Airport

Wednesday, June 04, 2003

FINALLY SOME GOOD MUSIC

I just completed a download of The Real Folk Blues by Mai Yamane & The Seatbelts. This song is the ending theme to Sessions 1 to 25 of the anime series Cowboy Bebop.
IDLE MUSINGS
These are the thoughts that kept me out of the really good schools.
  -George Carlin

And, you thought Matrix Essays went too far.

ITEM ONE
I'm really digging all these "new" episodes of Lupin the 3rd that I'm seeing. I just have a few questions...

First off, he's supposed to be the grandson of the (fictional) French thief Arsene Lupin. Now, in all the episodes I've seen so far, I don't have any reason to think he's of mixed heritage or anything, so, why is his gang all Japanese? You have Fujiko, Goemon (a samurai), and Daisuke Jigen. Jigen's supposed to be this "Chicago gunman." Hey, I can buy that, I guess. Lots of Japanese in Chicago (?).

I suppose it's the same sort of reasoning that always brings Doctor Who, even though he can travel anywhere in time and space, back to England. Or, how the key to the conquest of the universe in Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers centers around first taking out Angel Grove.

ITEM TWO
24 will undoubtedly go down as one of my favorite TV shows of all time. I realize the difficulties they must've had trying to top the first season, but still. In the last "few hours" of the season, the main character is tortured, clinically dies, is revived, escapes and accomplishes his mission all in the span of about 3 hours.

ITEM THREE
Something I couldn't quite put my finger on always bugged me about Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. When it first came out, comedian Jon Stewart made a disturbing observation. When you boil it down, the plot is about two grown men in pirate shirts and pony tails taking a young boy away from his mother to whisk him off in some "great adventure."

Tuesday, June 03, 2003

I CAVED

I'm now the proud (not) owner of The Very Best of Chris Botti. I feel so unclean. I truly felt like retching when I looked up the listing on Barnes and Noble's lookup thingy and saw that if I liked this artist, I'd also like Kenny G and Boney James. I hate Boney James even more than I hate Kenny G.

Thank God I had some Miles Davis CDs with me to listen to so I could cleanse myself. OK, OK, the CD wasn't all that bad. It was the thought that I'm now a mere two or three steps away from damnat... I mean, buying a Boney James CD that made me ill.

Monday, June 02, 2003

AN APPROPOS QUOTATION
Pardon me, I have nothing to say!
-George Carlin


Maybe I spent more on the last few posts than I thought I did.

Sunday, June 01, 2003

FIRST OF THE MONTH

No, I will not be getting any sort of check. Just a new month, and an old 1967 song lyric from the Spencer Davis Group to share with you.
Well, if I had my choice of matter I would rather be with cats
All engrossed in mental chatter showin' where our minds are at,
And relating to each other just how strong our will can be
In resisting all involvments with each groovy chick we see

I'm a Man
by S. Winwood and J. Miller
perf. by the Spencer Davis Group

Saturday, May 31, 2003

"TOO MANY VOICES IN MY HEAD"
or, "Continued from Last Night..."

ITEM FIVE
Earlier this week, I got to page through a copy of the Bulletproof Monk graphic novel. Man, the reviews were right -- it wasn't all that great. The flick was actually better.

I also got to leaf through a copy of some Lupin the 3rd manga. I've heard of fanservice, but damn. Monkey Punch must've had some serious childhood repression when he wrote this stuff.

ITEM SIX
Ten days until Macy Gray's new CD is released.

ITEM SEVEN
Apart from Adult Swim, my secondary addiction is the BET On Jazz channel. It makes me LONG for the days when I used to play. It also made me remember how STUPID I was trying to play under the influence of alcoholic beverages that probably could be properly classified as chemical weaponry.
ITEM SEVEN-A
I'm really confused about something. Every once in awhile, they do a rundown of Billboard's top jazz albums. Someone answer me this question: How in the blue hell did Norah Jones get a contract with Blue Note-freakin'-Records?

I'm not down on her music or anything. Musically, it really is decent stuff. But, I don't like it. Frankly, I tried listening to her CD and all I could think of was, "Half these songs will probably end up on the next Dawson's Creek soundtrack." But -- and Lord, forgive me for saying this -- Kenny G is more "jazz" than Norah Jones!

I've definitely matured past the Wynton Marsalis 'tude of "If it don't swing, it ain't jazz." I do idolize Cassandra Wilson, after all. But still, exactly what makes Norah's music "jazz"?

ITEM SEVEN-B
This is an appeal to anyone out there who might know. I ask this question out of sheer lack of knowledge and the sincere desire for an answer: Do I really need to know who Peter Cincotti is? I have neither the time nor the inclination to hear another Sinatra knock-off. I already have enough Harry Connick, Jr. music (good as it might be) as it is; I don't need to clutter up my CD collection with his clone.

ITEM EIGHT
I may have mentioned before about my sickening realization that "smooth jazz" is starting to grow on me. Lord help me, I might actually break and buy some soon.

Here's my justification. It looks like sometime in the near future, I'm going to be tapped to play lead/solo for the worship team in my church. In other words, me on trumpet in front of a rhythm section. Trouble is, most people aren't used to hearing trumpet; at my church, the lead horn player is a sax guy. Plus, I'm a jazzer. I (attempt to) play with a jazzer's tone and phrasing. On top of that, the style of music is 99% "contemporary Christian" which basically means pop and rock with a bit of smooth, contemporary jazz thrown in.

I tried using Miles Davis's You're Under Arrest album from 1985 as my guide, but his style of jazz fusion (not the smooth crap) is a bit too hardcore. So, maybe I need to get a couple of (shudder) Chris Botti CDs? Rick Braun, maybe?

I think I'm going to be ill.

ITEM NINE
A new Battlestar Galactica? A remake with a female Starbuck? Who, though the writers deny it, will probably end up in the sack with Apollo if the show lasts long enough?

I am going to be ill.

ITEM TEN
I forgot to mention something eerie about last week. Last week, I saw something on VH-1 having to do with New York, Tribeca, Robert DeNiro, something. There were some live shows and I saw The Roots with Cody ChestnuTT playing The Seed (2.0). The Roots kick @$$! Anyway, the eerie part is that I hit the remote button accidentally and flipped it to MTV where [insert Twilight Zone music here] The Seed (2.0) video was playing at the same time.

Spooky.
TODAY IN MY BRAIN...

ITEM ONE
Believe it or not, I've spent way more time actually filling this blog thingy in than I originally envisioned. I'm now wondering if I should actually, somehow, someway start trolling for some sort of audience beyond the two to three people who actually read this. That, or just shut it down. Decisions, decisions.

ITEM TWO
I wonder if I should cop Adult Swim's new format.
Do you think Williams Street would actually mind?
Could I actually go white print over a black background?
Maybe I should try something original.

But, as Fran Lebowitz once said,
Original thought is like original sin. Both happened a long time ago to people you could not possibly have met.

Or, maybe I could go all Space: 1999 with the Century Gothic font?

Nah.

ITEM THREE
A few entries back, I posted a snippet of the song My Thanksgiving by Don Henley. I finally ripped it from a friend's CD. I've grown attached to this lyric:
And I don't mind saying that I still love it all
I wallowed in the springtime
Now I'm welcoming the fall
For every moment of joy
Every hour of fear
For every winding road that brought me here
For every breath, for every day of living
This is my Thanksgiving

Really, this has become one of those songs where you can directly relate to at least 90% of the lyrics. In order that I avoid breaking copyright laws any further, I'll provide a link to the lyrics of the song in its entirety -- let Henley's lawyers go knocking on their door.

ITEM FOUR
Incidentally, that song has made it onto my .mp3 playlist of songs whose lyrics I can relate to. They're mostly songs about self-examination and the process of searching. They reflect my search for the hows, whys and wherefores of where my life's been, where it's going, and where I want it to go.

I have no idea why I think this might be of interest to anybody, but I'll list them anyway. If nothing else, it's all good music. The list isn't complete and the order constantly changes. But as of today, these songs are...
How Great Is Your Love - Promise Keepers Live/PK2002
Man In Me - Peter Cetera
Sleeping in the Middle of the Bed Again - Robert Lamm
Same Old Song - Bill Champlin
Desperado - The Eagles
Overkill - Men At Work
The Heart of the Matter - Don Henley
They're Only Words - Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
Watching the Time - Robert Lamm
A Moment To Myself - Macy Gray
Skinny Boy - Chicago
The Love You Call Your Own - Robert Lamm
Life in Motion - Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
Today - Beckley-Lamm-Wilson
Plaid - Chicago
My Thanksgiving - Don Henley
Peace of Mind - Boston
Right Here, Right Now - Cassandra Wilson
Cry For The Lost - Chicago
When Will The World Be Like Lovers - Chicago
In the Stone - Earth, Wind & Fire

I may add...
Sacrifice - The Roots
Almost There - Mercy Me

Buy the CDs, download the .mp3s -- find the lyrics and pore over them with a yellow highlighter like the Zapruder film, or just enjoy the tunes.

Friday, May 30, 2003

MUSING OVER MUSIC

Current Mood: None of your business :)
Current Music: My .mp3 playlist of all-time favorite tunes, one of which contains the following lyric:
I remember when you learned about love
In the back of a Chevrolet
No good for an old memory
To mean so much today

When You Close Your Eyes
words/music by Blades/Fitzgerald/Gillis
perf. by Night Ranger

Incidentally, my current mood is probably "sleepy." Not only does "Adult Swim" have cool shows and that interesting new format, but they've had these short "Not For Air" segments. They're carefully chosen clips from the old Challenge of the Superfriends cartoons with dialogue carefully bleeped out to make it seem like swearing. I always dreamed of hearing Robin say "Holy [bleep], Batman!" The best one is Batman saying, "Grodd did a masterful job of f[bleep]ing us."

I haven't heard such masterful editing since the dearly departed good vs. evil TV show.

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

ALL KIDS OUT OF THE POOL

Even if you don't like any of the cartoons currently showing on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim, I sort of dig their new look. They used to have these parodies of those Worst Case Scenario books between their shows. I thought that was cool. Now, they just have these white letters on a black screen set to ambient/techno stuff. Saves a ton on editing and effects, I'm sure.

At first, I thought it was kind of arrogant. I thought to myself, "I bet some geek college kid thought this thing up, thinking "Oooh, let's go all minimal and put in a bunch of smarmy, smart alec quotes and stuff to show off how hip we are." It's the kind of thing my friends and I would've thought up back then. But, some of the stuff they write is funny. Example...


2 trains leave from Atlanta.
Who rides trains?
Are there still word problems like that?

[Forgive the poor HTML facsimile I've created here.]
Just random little bits of silliness and sarcasm. And, I'm all about sarcasm, as you know.

Tuesday, May 27, 2003

NEXT ON THE MOVIE AGENDA

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. No, I've never read the comic -- excuse me, "graphic novel." I hear the movie will differ from the comic, anyway. I am hesitant about this one, though. If any movie has potential to suck big time, I think it's this one. I also forsee the possibility that it'll end up as one of those weekend tv shows you see wedged in between Adventure, Inc. and reruns of Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda.

I'm also looking forward to The Hulk. It'll be worth seeing for no other reason than the fact that it was directed by Ang Lee. At first, I didn't know if I liked what I saw of the Hulk rendered a la Scooby Doo. But, I'll live.

Friday, May 23, 2003

MR. ANDERSON...

Hey, as eye candy, I thought Matrix Reloaded was as good as the first, not better. Why? Well, remember the broomstick scenes in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone? They had a few shots of an obviously computer-generated Harry flopping around in the sky. That's exactly Neo and others looked in some of those fight scenes. It occurred to me why Neo's outfit had no real detail. I don't believe it was for that "Superman's cape" effect or an homage to Wong Fei-Hung's Once Upon a Time in China costumes. Being a black mass of cloth with a head on it just makes the FX people's jobs easier.

Fight choreography: Kick @$$, but from Yuen Wo Ping, anything less would've caused me to demand my money back. The close quarter fight sequences (in a car and later in a hallway) were especially good! Neo even got in some Filipino double-stick fighting moves.

Best of all, for me anyway, this story actually had a PLOT TWIST! That's right, something that actually gives me another reason to see Matrix Revolutions beyond the fighting.

Speaking of which, in my opinion, I probably could've lived without sitting through 10-12 minutes of credits just to see the 30 second trailer for the new film.
HOT-HANDED SUPER TEST

I'm officially a quiz whore, but I don't care. This test is too damn cool!

The Killer
You are Jeffrey, the iconoclastic hitman from
The Killer. You have a very particular
personal code which governs your actions, and
will not deviate from it. Your enemies admire
your integrity, and your friends rely on your
loyalty. You're occasionally given over to
sentimental musings and give corny nicknames to
friends.


Which Chow Yun Fat Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Thursday, May 22, 2003

THE MOST ACCURATE TEST...

...because I like the results the most.

Avon: less human than the aliens (he thinks)
AVON: "I relied on other people." -- You
perfected the snarky, amoral geek act when
Seamus Harper was still a zygote. You've
always got an eye out for number one, and you
don't even try to hide your contempt when your
coworkers can't keep up. Yet, somehow, you
keep on coming through for them in the end.


Which Season One Blakes 7 Character Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla
PERSONALITY TEST BATTERY

Here are the results of a recent battery of tests.

[This was somewhat surprising, yet not.]

rk6y
You are PATRICK TROUGHTON!


what doctor who are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

[Couldn't I have at least been a Dalek?]

sontarran
Sontaran. People laugh at you when you walk down
the street in your purple boiler suit, but
they'll be laughing on the other side of their
faces when you finely conquer Gallifrey. Fat?
Rubbish, the Sontarran figure is "at the
height of fashion."


Which Doctor Who monster are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

[I find nothing wrong with being a season from the Pertwee era]

A Sea Thing. With a String Vest.
You are The Years of Pertwee. Sorry about that,
would you like to try the quiz again?


Which Doctor Who Season Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

[Muahahahahaha!]

master
You are the Master! You like black. And phallic
shaped destruction rays. When you're not
trying to prevent the signing of the Magna
Carta, you're just being yo' badass evil genius
self. We salute you o' villian of the strange
facial hair.


Which Time Lord are you? (a mildly novel Doctor Who quiz)
brought to you by Quizilla
NOW I KNOW THESE TESTS ARE WHACKED

You are Neo
You are Neo, from "The Matrix." You
display a perfect fusion of heroism and
compassion.


What Matrix Persona Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Don't I wish?

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

REALITY IN SCI-FI

I got this from the Happy Fun Pundit via wilwheaton.net -- from the Top Ten Things I Hate About Star Trek:

5. Rule by committee.
Here's the difference between Star Trek and the best SF show on TV last year:

Star Trek:

Picard: "Arm photon torpedoes!"
Riker: "Captain! Are you sure that's wise?"
Troi: "Captain! I'm picking up conflicting feelings about this! And, it appears that you're a 'fraidy cat."
Wesley: "Captain, I'm just an annoying punk, but I thought I should say something."
Worf: "Captain, can I push the button? This is giving me a big Klingon warrior chubby."
Giordi: "Captain, I think we should reverse the polarity on them first."
Picard: "I'm so confused. I'm going to go to my stateroom and look
pensive."


Firefly:

Captain: "Let's shoot them."
Crewman: "Are you sure that's wise?"
Captain: "Do you know what the chain of command is? It's the chain I'll BEAT YOU WITH until you realize who's in command."
Crewman: "Aye Aye, sir!"
This is only a test of the emergency blog-moving system. Had this been an actual blog entry, you would've seen a title and some musings only slightly less banal than this one.

Tuesday, May 20, 2003

GOOD OL' COLLEGE TRY

I will try to forego my nightly dose of Adult Swim and go to bed early. Well, maybe after Lupin the 3rd...
RETRACTION

Flipping through channels just now, I see that Trigun has been moved to 1 AM, even though the commercials I've seen tonight still state that it's on at midnight.
MISH MASH

ITEM ONE
Saw X2: X-Men United this afternoon. I'm dying to rave about it, but I don't want to spoil it. Suffice it to say, it was almost like Chris Claremont wrote the script -- old school Claremont, that is, not that stuff he put out in Extreme X-Men.

ITEM TWO
Good news: Lupin the 3rd is back on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim. Bad news: I don't see Trigun there anymore.

I'd research it, but I was too lazy, as you can see by this entry's utter lack of links.

Monday, May 19, 2003

SHATTERED INNOCENCE

I remember when Huey Lewis & The News was one of the biggest bands on the planet. I remember not being able to walk into a record store without seeing that poster of Huey in the red suit/black t-shirt outfit looking over his sunglasses. I have all of their albums, even their latest one.

Today, I listened to the album Fore!. I've listened to that album a million times since it first came out in 1986. In 17 years, I never thought twice about a line from this one song, and never realized what it meant until earlier today.
I'm tired of these girlie magazines
I want to get back to the real thing.
Late last night I read the letter you sent
Woke up this morning under a tent
Uh huh, we've got a whole lotta lovin' to do

Whole Lotta Lovin'
words/music by Johnny Colla & Huey Lewis

Woke up this morning where?? And to think, I used to sing this out loud during recess in 7th grade.

Saturday, May 17, 2003

DISAPPOINTMENT

Macy Gray's new album did not come out on 5/15 like I had read. It won't be out until 6/10.

Friday, May 16, 2003

DEVELOPING THEME

Here's yet another quiz I took. Remember when I first took the Trigun character quiz and tried too hard not the end up as you-know-who? Well, I took this one and didn't even know this was a possible answer. Yet, the result speaks for itself...



What's Your Anime Weapon?

No one would ever see it coming. In the series, Vash's robotic (yet not noticably robotic) arm would turn into a gun when he would lose his pistol. This weapon is great because it is easy to conceal and very difficult to knock away from it's user.

I'm starting to see a pattern here. My hair's already kinda spikey. Some hair dye and a red trench coat would be all I need.

Tuesday, May 13, 2003

IT'S A POST, POST, POST, POST-MODERN WORLD

Hey, I'm a big fan of literary deconstruction, too. But it is possible to take things too far. Case in point: Matrix Essays.

Oliver Stone didn't go this far with the Zapruder film, for pete's sake.

Sunday, May 11, 2003

AM I REALLY THIS BAD??

Why do I keep coming out as the bad guy?


Which Cowboy Bebop Character are You like?
Take other quizzes at Newsies Meets Anime...Anime Meets Newsies...
CONFIRMATION

I tried to retake this test, being as honest as possible. Guess it must be true...


Which Trigun Character are You like?
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A BIT OF RESOLUTION

I didn't really notice until recently the slow increase of Don Henley music I've been listening to lately. I always dug his music, I have a few CDs, and The Heart of the Matter is on my .mp3 mix of my favorite songs of all time. But, I'm finding a lot of songs resonate. Didn't I put a few lyrics on here a few entries back?

Here's something that hit me regarding the recent issues I've been slowly trying to resolve. I just heard it earlier tonight.
Have you noticed that an angry man
Can only get so far
Until he reconciles the way he thinks things ought to be
With the way things are

Here in this fragmented world, I still believe
In learning how to give love, and how to receive it
And I would not be among those who abuse this privilege
Sometimes you get the best light from a burning bridge

My Thanksgiving
Don Henley/Stan Lynch/Jai Winding


That last line is my favorite.

Friday, May 09, 2003

CINEMATIC AGENDA

X2: X-Men United
Ok, it's gotten pretty low to average reviews. Of course it won't stop the comic book ner... I mean, "afficianados" like me from seeing it. Sequels are generally bad enough to begin with; it's almost expected in comic-book movies. It's sort of sad, actually. Everyone automatically says, "God, I hope it doesn't turn into another Batman." (That's an entirely separate blog entry right there.) But, I'll give it a chance.

What I'm really worried about is the Spider Man sequel. Doc Ock and the Lizard? Sounds like having The Riddler and Two-Face. God, I hope it doesn't turn...

The Matrix: Reloaded
I must've been the only one in existence who didn't go ga-ga over The Matrix when it first came out. I don't think I saw it until a few months after it came out on video. When I finally got to see it, I sort of liked it, but still failed to see why people went nuts over it. Props to the effects people, and all that, but still.

I remember the suspense (not) as I asked myself, "Gee, could Neo be the One?" Apparently the Brothers Wachowski didn't want to take the risk that you couldn't see that one coming a mile away. They had to advertise it. I haven't seen ugly, blatant foreshadowing like that since Heathers. Still, the main reason I saw it and the main reason I'll see "M2" is Yuen Wo-Ping's fight choreography. And, even then, most of the moves in the original Matrix I automatically recognized from the Once Upon a Time in China series.

I know it seems I'm really down on the film, but I'm really not. It's probably jealousy that my 5'6" @$$ will never look good in those long black trenches.

Thursday, May 08, 2003

FURTHER DOWN THE SLIPPERY SLOPE

Or, Music: Lots of stuff by lots of people

I always wondered why that seems to be such a standard on blogs. There were many random things on my CD player today. Trouble is, music tends to ellicit all kinds of reactions in me. I can rarely listen to anything just to tap my foot to it. I either criticize the technical or overpersonalize the lyrics. Cases in point, these represent facets of my... issues.
Knowing that you would have wanted it this way
I do believe I'm feelin' stronger every day

Feelin' Stronger Every Day
words/music by Peter Cetera & James Pankow
perf. by Chicago

That's me, most days. Other days...
Every time I see her face
On the street in the hollow on the hill
Another time and another place
I feel her in my heart still
Every time I see her face
On the street in the hollow in the bend
I see her in my mind and then
I go down the road not taken...again

The Road Not Taken
Bruce Hornsby


I'm learning to opt for the middle ground, assuming whatever attitude is necessary to get me over it:
yeah you, you tell me that you love me but boo
if this is love
it's a good thing you don't hate me

boo
Macy Gray


Her new album comes out next week, by the way.

Wednesday, May 07, 2003

PLUMBING THE DEPTHS OF MY SOUL...

...with the intellectual equivalent of Liquid Drano. Hey, aren't blogs all about self-examination anyway?

The Dante's Inferno Test has banished you to the Second Level of Hell!
Here is how you matched up against all the levels:
LevelScore
Purgatory (Repenting Believers)Low
Level 1 - Limbo (Virtuous Non-Believers)Very Low
Level 2 (Lustful)Extreme
Level 3 (Gluttonous)High
Level 4 (Prodigal and Avaricious)Very High
Level 5 (Wrathful and Gloomy)Very High
Level 6 - The City of Dis (Heretics)Very Low
Level 7 (Violent)Very High
Level 8- the Malebolge (Fraudulent, Malicious, Panderers)Extreme
Level 9 - Cocytus (Treacherous)Extreme

Take the Dante's Divine Comedy Inferno Test

Tuesday, May 06, 2003

THIS BLOG'S LOSS OF DIGNITY IS COMPLETE

This time, I tried to take the test as honestly and accurately as possible, no matter how the answers might have turned out.


Take the Which Lupin III character are you? quiz.
Created by Bicky Flannigan and Edward Tivrusky


Ed. note: At least with Lupin's pic, the quiz people missed putting a subdirectory in their generated link. I had to fiddle before I got it up. You're smart; you'll figure it out what you have to do.

Friday, May 02, 2003

I HAVE BEEN ASSIMILATED

I finally succumbed. I so wanted this blog to have at least a semblance of dignity, at least at first glance. But, I said to myself, "Self... what the heck?"


Which Trigun Character are You like?
Take other quizzes at Newsies Meets Anime...Anime Meets Newsies...

I'm not sure I like the answer. Maybe I was trying too hard to avoid those answers that I thought would make the answer come out to me being Vash the Stampede himself.
FINALLY...

I saw Bulletproof Monk this afternoon! As it turns out, the idiot who posted spoiler-type information that I ranted about a few entries back actually didn't spoil the whole movie. Ok, so the plot had a few holes and the fight choreography was hardly Yuen Wo-Ping stuff, but still. Chow Yun-Fat kicking butt is all I need. I swear his english has gotten a bit better, too.

Thursday, May 01, 2003

BORING DAY

How boring is my life? So boring that I take time to document how boring it actually is. Today's big task: Getting a new antenna for my cell phone.

Tomorrow's big task: See a matinee showing of Bulletproof Monk. The reviews I read haven't been all that great, but hey -- Chow Yun-Fat holding two guns in both hands, playing another bad ass. What more could you ask for?