fat cats and science fiction

spring versus winter

2004-04-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

I love the warmer weather that comes with spirng
and summer. I love opening my windows all the way
and watching my cat bask in the sunlight while I
drink my coffee and blast Coltrane's Love Supreme.
I love sitting on my friend's stoop knitting and talking.
But I'm a much bigger fan of fall and winter than I am
of the warmer weather.

It's easier to be comfortable in fall and winter. An
extra blanket, a mug of hot chocolate, an extra layer
of clothing....in summer it's much harder to keep cool.
I hate turning on the air conditioning because my
electric bill in July is usually three times what it would
be in October. In winter you can bundle up to stay
warm if you have to go outside but there isn't any way
to stay cool when it's 95 and humid outside.

urgh

2004-04-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

I made myself some real nice Thai ginger chicken
for dinner which I don't feel like eating right now
because the pizza I had this afternoon is wrecking
havoc in my stomach. I've also realized that this
is something like my 87th entry since Thursday.
If I may quote Gladiator, "are you not entertained?"

Speaking of Russell Crowe I watched Master and
Commander last night. It was absolutely amazing.
Although the battle scenes were incredible, it was
much more of a character oriented story than is
typical for this kind of movie. It was a very low
key movie. I think that's the reason why it wasn't
more successful during its theatrical run. There
weren't enough battle scenes for the general
movie going public. A lot of times one is sitting
through this kind of movie waiting for stuff to
blow up; it was refreshing to see an adventure
movie in which the least interesting parts were
the battle scenes.

In other movie news, I saw a wonderful movie
at the film festival on Thursday called Wilbur
Wants to Kill Himself. A little slice of life dark
comedy about working class Scottish folk.
Which was odd because the movie was made
by a Danish crew. I would never have seen it
if my friend Crystal hadn't suggested it and I
was quite glad I did.

speaking as a fan...

2004-04-17T10:20:00.000-07:00

I fucking hate Hyperspace, the new subscription-only
service on the official Star Wars website. We go to the
movies, we buy the action figures/soundtracks/posters
coffee mugs or whatever, give us a break already George.
You make enough dough off of us; surely you afford to
post some pictures from the set of episode III without
charging us.

That is all.

meow

2004-04-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

It occurs to me that I have written little if anything
about my fat cats, while I have written plenty about
science fiction. So here's a few things about my cats
because I am bored at work:

General George Anakin Thunk suffers from delusions
of daintiness. For those who have not met him in
person, he ways about 18 pounds. Most of it is not
flab though; he's just a big solid cat. He tries ever
so valiantly to squeeze his bulk into spaces that are
way to small for him. It's pretty funny sometimes.

The light will sometimes reflect off of my cats' eyes,
to the point where all you can see are the glowing
evil irises. Gollum kitties. I usually see the Gollum
kitty phenomenon while I'm stumbling to the bathroom
half asleep in the wee hours of the morning. That's
all for now....

this evening's excitement

2004-04-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

It involves a mug of beer and a viewing of Master and
Commander. I'm kicking myself for not having seen it
in the theatre. I'm finding that it's harder and harder
to find the time to actually go to the theatre and see
all the movies I want to see though. Sigh.

bands you've never heard of

2004-04-16T10:58:00.000-07:00

Or maybe you have. I don't know. At any rate,
the following two bands are kind of obscure but
I love their music and more people should listen
to them. Anyway....

Galaxie 500-after they broke up, the lead singer
went out to form a band called Luna, who achieved
much wider recognition than Galaxie 500 did in
their heyday. G500 are similar to Luna , only I
think they're better. They're kind of swirly and
drony. They put out four records in the late 80's
and early 90's, one of which was a live record
recorded for Danish radio or somesuch. Their
best record is On Fire. My two favourite tracks
are called Decomposing Trees and....shoot, I
forget the name of the second one. It's a
very good rainy record. There's also a great
cover of New Order's Ceremony.

The Heart Throbs-if any of you out there still
remember the Heart Throbs I'll give you a
cookie. I saw them on 120 Minutes sometime
in 1990, which was probably the only time their
video was ever aired. The music is kind of Goth,
lots of keyboards and swirling guitars and dark
lyrics and such. It's very good music for the dead
of winter. So why am I listening to it so much at
the beginning of spring? I don't know.

If any of you who know me in real life would
like to borrow these cd's to burn them let me
know. If any of you out there who don't know
me in real life want to discuss these bands or
any other bands for that matter, feel free to
leave a comment or Email me.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre

2004-04-12T15:32:00.000-07:00

It was great. I loved it. I'm glad I waited to see
this movie on a big screen with a crowd that was
really into it as opposed to watching it by myself at
home.

I'm proud of me!

2004-04-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out how to cast off! After having several
friends show me how in addition to sitting there for a
while with Stitch-n-Bitch I finally got it! I did make one
mistake but I know what it was so I know not to do it
on my next knitting project.

Easter Sunday

2004-04-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Some people are getting together with their families
and eating ham today. Me? I'm going to see the Texas
Chainsaw Massacre tonight. I'm enjoying the fact that
I'm going to see a slasher flick on a religious holiday.

random (kind of sad) memory

2004-04-11T12:17:00.000-07:00

Remember near the end of Indiana Jones and the
Last Crusade when Indy is hanging on to the tank and
the tank goes over the cliff? For a moment there all the
other characters think that Indy is dead. The first time
I saw the movie when I was fourteen I actually thought
that Indy was dead. Just for a moment there I was
crushed. It was such a relief when he came crawling
back over the edge of the cliff.

If I would have seen this movie for the first time
now, at the age of twenty-nine, I would have said to
myself "he's not dead he'll come back any second
now." Chalk everything up to loss of innocence, I
suppose. I can laugh at the naivete of my fourteen
year old self thinking that Indiana Jones had really
died for a moment.

Friday

2004-04-10T10:57:00.000-07:00

Last night after a stressful night at work (Film Festival),
I went home and watched Timeline while I knitted and
sipped a glass of hoegarden, my new favourite beer.
The movie was fun but kind of lame; the perfect thing to
which you can pay partial attention while you concentrate
on trying to cast off.

you have the right to remain silent

2004-04-04T12:28:00.000-07:00

While waiting for the bus sometime in the recent
past, I saw the cops hall a couple of high school aged
people into the paddy wagon. While at the train
station this past Thanksgiving, I saw several cops
arresting a homeless man for allegedly assaulting
them.

Whenever I see someone getting arrested I very
much wish I were elsewhere. I almost feel as if I'm
violating the privacy of both the arresters and the
arrestee. If those aren' t words, they are now.

I'm tired

2004-04-03T15:50:00.000-08:00

I spent this morning before work helping my
dear friend Crystal pack for her move tomorrow.
I could only help for a few hours before my shift
began at TLA so I'm not sure how much I actually
helped. This is the third time since January that
I've helped someone move. I don't mind though.

I've been watching a wonderful show called
Freaks and Geeks. The entire series is coming out
on DVD Tuesday. It's a lot more popular now than
when it was first on television. Perhaps all or some
of you are out there saying "you're just watching
the show now?! You'd love this show Sam how
come you haven't seen it before?" Hey, better
late then never. Tonight, as I did last night, I plan
on going home, and kicking back with Freaks and
Geeks, my knitting, and a pint of hoegarten. Yay!

yay!

2004-04-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I finally figured out how to cast on
by myself. I just couldn't seem to get the hang of
it when other people would show me how to do it
but I sat there with Stich-n-Bitch until I got it right.
I think part of the problem is that I had a lot of
trouble making a slipknot. But I finally got it right
and scarf #3 is well on its way. Once I know I can
make scarves without any trouble I'll move on to
something more complex.

stellastar*

2004-04-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

The best part about seeing stellastar*, aside
from the music being great, is that there is my
friend Mike doing exactly what he's wanted to do
all his life and being successful at it and having a
great time. It's great to see your friends succeed
by doing what they love best.

that's f****d up!

2004-04-02T10:43:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a friend last night about past
and recent romantic entanglements. She told me
a whopper of a story, and now I share it with you
fine people.

So said friend is on-line and starts talking to
her then-boyfriend via IM. Boyfriend asks if she
has any pictures so he can see if she's pretty or
not, NOT KNOWING THAT HE'S TALKING TO HIS
OWN GIRLFRIEND!

welcome to April

2004-04-01T12:48:00.000-08:00

I'm still trying to figure out what happened to
November.

Thanks to everyone who came and hung out
with me on my birthday. I had a great time.
Here's hoping that 29 goes better than 28 did.

Gotta run now. My break is almost over. I'm
anxiously awaiting going home this evening and
curling up with a beer and my newly bought copy
of Stitch-n-Bitch. Joy!

morning songs

2004-03-26T17:16:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, for myself anyway, the first song or
record I listen to in the morning sets the tone for
the rest of the day. Or perhaps sets up my attitude
towards the day ahead. I like to listen to You and
Whose Army by Radiohead, especially if I wake up
before sunrise. Which is when my mind is clearest.
Stevie Wonder's Inner Visions is a good way to ease
into the work week , as well as being one of my very
favourite records ever. And nothing gets me all pepped
in the morning like the Indiana Jones theme. This
should surprise no one.

random memory

2004-03-26T12:32:00.000-08:00

My high school sweetheart lived in the next town
over. Sometimes her and her friend would drive over
to my parent's house at the asscrack of dawn to have
breakfast with me. Then they would give me a ride
to school. The ride to my high school would usually
involve exceeding the speed limit and playing that
Right Said Fred song too loud for that hour of the
morning. Or anytime for that matter.

a little introspection

2004-03-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine has decided to sell the house in
which he has lived all his life.

I've always envied that kind of stability. I went
to four different elementary schools, and my family
moved to the next town over several days before I
was to start middle school. I knew a lot of children
who lived in the same house their whole lives, who
went to school with the same people from K through
12, and I always wondered what that must have
been like. My family did live in the same place from
sixth grade until I moved to Philly though. My little
brother has that stability that I never had. I don't
suppose either way of living is better or worse, just
different. I may write more about this later; I've had
these thoughts in my head for a few days now and I
had to write them down. However, I'm not feeling
especially introspective right now.

Thursday

2004-03-19T15:51:00.000-08:00

I came home lat night to find that my neighbor's
apartment had been robbed. The downstairs gate
and the door to my building are usually open so that
people can move freely between the dental labs on
the second floor and the dentist's office on the first
floor. The thief probably just strolled in off the street
and picked the lock. No one was hurt, no major
damage was sustained and I don't think the thief
stole anything terribly important. It did put me in a
sour mood for the rest of the evening though. I
did meet my neighbor though; I felt bad that we
met under such stinky circumstances. Turns out
the neighbors are cat people too. Both of the
aforementioned doors which are usually open
were locked today. I'll probably buy another lock
for my apartment door as well.

Yesterday I bought a sketch pad and a set of
markers and started drawing again. I do these
sort of abstract optical illusion kind of things. I
guess it's kind of hard to describe without showing
an actual drawing. I don't really have any serious
artistic intent with these pictures; they're mostly
just fun to make.

Sunday night

2004-03-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

Last night I went home and instead of ordering a
pizza I baked my own pizza even though I really
didn't feel like cooking. Then I watched s strange
little movie called Return of the Jedi (it was okay)
started re-reading Geek Love and went to bed
early.

I've been in my current apartment for two and a
half years. You think I'd get over the fact that I live
alone and am quite pleased with it. Yet sometimes
I find myself jumping for joy about the fact that I
don't have roommates and that the place is all mine
and no one else's.

cell phones

2004-03-14T11:46:00.000-08:00

A woman came up to the counter today to return a
video while yakking away on her cell phone. I heard
her say "I don't know what to do about my roommate,
she threatened to kill herself if I moved out."

I don't need to know this! Keep you private life
private! This is beyond the boundary of the video
rental relationship. If you have to interact with
another human being, tell the person on the other
end of the line you'll call them back.

A long time ago....(potential episode three spoilers for those who still care)

2004-03-13T06:30:00.000-08:00

A few days ago I wrote something about being
disenchanted with all the hype and merchandising
and fandom surrounding my favourite space operas.
Then I saw a picture of Hayden Christensen from
episode three. He was all beaten and bruised and
bloodied, presumably from his duel with Obi-wan.
He was part way through the process of becoming
Darth Vader. All the media bullcrap surrounding
the movies faded away and all I could think about
was OH MY GOD I'VE BEEN WAITING MOST OF MY
LIFE TO SEE ANAKIN BECOME VADER!!!!! It's just
a little over a year to go.

woof!

2004-03-13T06:23:00.000-08:00

The coolest thing happened last night. A pair of
very friendly stray dogs happened upon TLA video.
A couple came in to rent and the dogs just followed
them in. You couldn't imagine a more friendly pair of
doggies. They hung out at the store until animal
control came to take them away, which was sad.
Apparently there's only a 48 hour waiting period
before they decide whether or not to put the dog
to sleep. However, one of my co-workers may
adopt the pit bull. The dogs were the best of buddies
though. When the one animal control guy was
trying to put the pit bull in the truck, the other dog
(which was a mutt) was standing at the window
yelping. It was nice to have a couple of vicarious
dogs for a while.

randomness

2004-03-12T15:51:00.000-08:00

I finally finished the big green scarf I started in
November. I had a lot of trouble casting off so I
just yanked it off the needle. It'll still keep me warm.
I bought some new knitting needles the other day
and I am anxious to begin my next project. My new
needles are smaller and made of wood and I won't
cast on so tight this time so hopefully it will be easier
to cast off.

I bought the Idiot's Guide to the Perfect Resume
yesterday. Let the job hunt begin.

I was going to buy some Erasure CD's yesterday
because the cute girl who works at the coffeeshop I
like was playing Erasure and it made my bop my head
and be happy. Plus, she's cute. But a friend of a friend,
whom I don't even know, offered to burn me some
Erasure cds. So I went and bought the Cocteau Twins
Heaven or Las Vegas instead. I've listened to it four
or five times already.

I bought a used copy of Game of Thrones the other
day for $1.50. It's good to know people who work at
used bookstores. The book is in great condition too.

Spring is upon us but I'm not quite ready for it. I
want to do fall and winter over again.

merchandising, merchandising, merchandising

2004-03-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

Over the past year or so I've become less and less
enamored of collecting Star Wars memorabilia. For
one thing, all the hoopla about the merchandise can
distract you from the main thing: the movie. There
are Star Wars fans who go about hunting down rare
figures but don't care too much about the movies.
For another thing, Kenner tends to put out a million
different versions of the same figure. There is not
a whole lot of variation in Darth Vader's costume
over the course of the original trilogy; we don't need
eighteen different action figures each with a different
package. For a third thing, it's more fun for me to
spend my money on groceries than on action figures.

This is all part of my larger disenchantment with
Star Wars fandom and Lucasfilm in general. In the
Star Wars Insider the whole issue of the Jar Jar Binks
backlash has never been addressed. Except for one
time when Ahmed Best said that he gets lots of
letters from kids who love Jar Jar. I wish there was
more discussion in the fan club magazine of the
trilogies flaws as well as its virtues. The fan club
magazine shouldn't be a forum for butt kissing.
Then again I suppose the magazine is really there
to tow the corporate line. Yes, I know that there
are far more important things going on in the world
and it's silly on a certain level to rant about Star Wars
fandom but it's my blog:)

Return of the King

2004-03-04T11:58:00.000-08:00

For me, the main thing is not so much that RotK won
eleven Oscars. It's sort of a validation of what us geeks
have known all along: that sf and fantasy can be just as
dramatic and powerful as others genres. As far as films
go at any rate, why does drama always have to be Meryl
Streep dying of cancer or two people in a room arguing
about their marriage? Non-believers (in my opinion)
are often distracted by all the hardware of sf and fantasy
movies. But Spock's death in Wrath of Kahn or Darth
Vader's revelation at the end of Empire Strikes Back are,
for me anyway, just as powerful on a dramatic level as
any Meryl Streep movie. Just because there are dragons
or spaceships doesn't mean it can't be believable.

being sick

2004-02-27T16:45:00.000-08:00

The good part about being sick is that you get to stay
home and watch Hollywood classics and get lots of reading
done. The bad part is that, well, you're sick. I called out
of work sick this past Monday. As Tuesdays and Wednesdays
are my days off I had three days where I did little more than
the aforementioned reading and movie watching. I've come
to enjoy the Once and Future King; for how well known the
King Arthur story is and for how many times I've read it or
seen it, it's still incredibly powerful. I guess that's why it's
endured for so many centuries.

As far as movies go I watched the Bad and the Beautiful,
Yankee Doodle Dandy, and How Green Was my Valley. I
love classic Hollywood.

Been gone a long time...

2004-02-20T15:20:00.000-08:00

I figured I'd update this since I haven't done so in a
while. I'm not sure I have a lot to say at the moment,
at least nothing I want to say in public here. I'm really
tired today because I went to bed an hour and a half
early last night. Consequently, I woke up an hour and
a half early as well. Sigh.

great line george

2004-02-06T17:28:00.000-08:00

The funniest line (unintentionally) in Attack of the Clones
is when Obi-wan says "Good to see you Jar Jar." It's a
sentiment shared by......no one.

Dr. Carol Marcus

2004-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

So at the end of Wrath of Kahn the Enterprise hauls ass
away from the Genesis planet. Savik, Carol Marcus and her
son David are on board. At the beginning of Search for Spock,
we find out that David Marcus and Savik have gone back to
the Genesis planet to study it. Carol Marcus is nowhere to be
found. WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO CAROL MARCUS???!!!
It doesn't really matter, but a little internal consistency would
be nice.

Crisis averted

2004-01-29T12:19:00.000-08:00

I 've settled on the Once and Future King and the
Color Purple as my next two forays into the wide
world of literature. It's always interesting to read
two wildly different books at the same time.

Literary crisis

2004-01-25T12:55:00.000-08:00

Last night I finished my third run through Storm of Swords
and now I need something new to read. In spite of the fact
that I have hundreds of books, I don't want to read any of
them. I guess this is what it feels like when you have cable
with 350 channels and you think there's nothing on. Since
reading Song of Ice and Fire is such a rush, I want to keep
a similar feeling going into the next book. I picked up the
Once and Future King to read on the subway today. I'm a
chain reader; I just don't feel right unless I have something
to read. I read a little bit of the Handmaid's Tale last night
but I don't think I want to read something that political at
the moment although I know it's something I should read
at some point.

All quiet on the western front

2004-01-24T06:29:00.000-08:00

Nothing much going on right now. I'm staring down the
barrel of a twelve hour shift right now but at the moment
I'm feeling okay. I've got my coffee (Gevalia hazelnut) and
I'm blasting Tchaikovsky fifth symphony. Life is good, for
the moment.

you never know what's going to help

2004-01-18T08:14:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago I was having one of those deep
soul searching conversations on the phone with my
friend in Boston. She was really really down in the
dumps; I won't get into why. Out of the corner of
my eye I noticed one of my cats scooting across the
floor on his butt. Ewww. I excused myself from the
conversation for the moment and yelled at kitty for
leaving a poo trail across the living room rug. Now,
I know that none of you out there need to be told
about my cat's butt in any detail; however, there is
a point to all this so stick with me.

I got back on the phone and told my friend what
happened and apologized for the conversation being
interrupted by the kitty butt scoot. She just started
cracking up and immediately felt better. Sometimes
all it takes is some well placed scatology:)

It's that time of year again

2004-01-17T11:38:00.000-08:00

The Girl Scouts are out in full force, in their annual
attempt to turn unsuspecting citizens to the dark side
of the force with their yummy baked goods. There were
several of them selling their cookies outside of Pathmark
this morning. Instead of plonking down all of my grocery
money on a case of thin mints (oh yes, they are sold by
the case) I went inside and bought fruits and veggies
and other nutritious foods first. I did get a box of thin
mints on my way out. What I'd like to do is buy them
in bulk and store them so I can have thin mints all year
round and not just for a couple of weeks in January.

the way-back machine

2004-01-17T10:50:00.000-08:00

Last night I spent several hours on the phone with my
friend Meredith. I've known her for almost fourteen years.
We don't have a whole lot in common but when you've
known someone that long it doesn't really matter. We
spent our time on the phone talking about high school.
You don't want to dwell on the past, but sometimes there's
nothing quite like going over old memories with an old friend.
It was very comforting.

quote of the day

2004-01-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

This comes from a friend of mine who doesn't have a
single ounce of sci-fi/fantasy geek in him:

"The only thing I want to know about elves is what
tree they're in and where they hide the cookies."

it makes me mad.....

2004-01-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

.....when people deliberately fail to stop or move aside
for ambulances or firetrucks. Sometimes there is nowhere
drivers can go, but when they hear the sirens and just sit
there when they can clearly get out of the way is just plain
wrong.

Gabriel

2004-01-12T12:28:00.000-08:00

Gabriel, for those who may not know, is my tubby
orange tabby cat. I'm busy so I don't spend as much
time with my cats as I'd like. Anakin doesn't seem to
mind so much, but Gabriel gets insistent when he
wants attention. He doesn't understand that I'm
rushing to get to work on time, or that I'm tired or in
a bad mood. He just sees me shooing him away. I
feel bad about this sometimes.

Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings

2004-01-10T10:44:00.000-08:00

One of my Christmas presents from Linda was a book
written by Andy Serkis which chronicles his experiences
working on Lord of the Rings.

While reading said book, it occurred to me that one
of the things that LotR has over the Star Wars movies,
especially the prequels, is the dedication the actors and
filmmakers feel towards the story and the character.
Granted, there is a lot more detail to the characters and
the world in Tolkien so there is more for an actor to work
with. But on the Star Wars movies, George Lucas would
only give an actor the five pages of the script in which
his or her character appears, and then fail to give much
in the way of the character's history and how he or she
fits into the overall story. This may account for some of
the less than stellar acting in the series. Even though
they both had small parts in the Phantom Menace, it
would have helped if Terrance Stamp and Samuel Jackson
had been given more information on their characters and
where they fit into the Star Wars universe. The cast and
crew of LotR had a lot more to go on as far as where
the characters fit into the grand scheme of things.

random memory

2004-01-08T12:00:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, about 11 or so, there was a big
tree in front of my house. Its branches reached up to
the front window on the third floor, which is where my
bedroom was. I used to tie strings around my Star Wars
figures and throw them around the branches of the tree
and pretend they were having adventures. About a year
after my family moved in, the city of Bethlehem decided
that they were going to repave Seneca street and cut
down not only the tree in front of our house, but all
the other huge lovely trees on the block. My parents
started a petition against this. They of course wanted
to preserve the nice tree lined street. Granted, the
roots of these trees were tearing up the sidewalks,
but it was worth it. Anyway, my parents eventually
met with the city planners in an attempt to dissuade
them from their plan. There was even a story about
all this in the local section of the paper. The city
went ahead with their plans ad Seneca street was
repaved, the sidewalks were re-done, and all the
trees were uprooted. As a sort of consolation, the
city planted some trees that were much smaller
along the part of the street that was reconstructed.
I remember the city planner saying at the time that
in 15 years these trees would grow taller and provide
shade and what not. And they did, though not as
much as the huge oak tree did. That was one of the
issues that my parents had: they liked the fact that
the huge tree shaded the whole front of the house.
At any rate, I remember thinking at the time that I
could not possibly envision 15 years in the future.
I don't think most people can when they're 11.
Well, here we are. !5 years later on and those
little trees they planted have grown taller.

Sam gets introspective

2004-01-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

Nearly everyone who is important to me has a song or
even a bunch of songs that remind of them. Not that I
consciously set out to assign songs to my friends or the
women I'm dating; it's usually something I was listening to
a lot at the time I met the person or a record or song that
brought comfort when something big went down. Some-
times it's something I listened to with the person at some
key moment in the relationship.

Sometimes I'll sit and listen to a bunch of songs that
remind me of various people and just try to remember
how it felt. You don't want to dwell on the past, but
sometimes it's important to remember how it felt at the
time. It can be difficult when you're listening to a song
that reminds you of someone who is no longer in your
life for whatever reason. Sigh. I'm writing this now
because I'm listening to Hyacinths and Thistles by the
6ths, a record that reminds me of someone who is very
important.

untitled

2004-01-03T15:45:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my first blog entry of 2004. It's getting
off to a rocky start, but I have hope that things will get
better.

something silly

2003-12-28T06:24:00.000-08:00

Stormtroopers vs. orcs. Who would win and why?

Christmas, hobbit style

2003-12-27T15:37:00.000-08:00

I pretty much rolled into Bethlehem on Christmas Eve
and proceeded to stuff my face until I left on the morning
of the 26th. My sister Erica and her boyfriend Jeremy
a huge steak dinner on Christmas Eve. After that, the
rest of the family went to see my brother Elliott play his
trumpet in a Catholic service. Neither of us being up to
sitting through a Catholic service on Christmas Eve,
Jeremy and I stayed home, polished off the bottle of
wine that was started at dinner, and prepared the
scalloped potatoes for the next day's meal.

After opening presents the next morning we went
to my aunt and uncle's house for fondue. I got to see
some friends and relatives I hadn't seen in a while.
After that it was back to my parent's house for a huge
turkey dinner, which was followed by generous portions
of pumpkin pie and cookies. I ate good:)

Return of the King

2003-12-19T10:34:00.000-08:00

Most of you who read my blog were there so I won't
go into a whole lot of detail about the LotR marathon.
It was amazing. My calves hurt afterwards. My girlfriend
was not only envious of me but she could not have gone
anyway because she has the flu. That's okay because
we're going to see it on Tuesday. Of course I had to go
out the next day and buy the soundtrack, just like I've
done for the past two years. It's great except for the
Annie Lennox song. Then again I don't really like her
music anyway.

I'm super, thanks for asking

2003-12-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

I'm having a great day.

First of all, I spent a good three or four hours knitting
last night. During that time I watched the League of
Extraordinary Gentleman. It was a lot of fun but it fell
apart about halfway through. There was one plot point
around which the whole movie centered and it just didn't
make any sense. But as I said, it was still fun. I also
watched Seabiscuit, or at least as much of it as I could
take. I got the feeling from this movie that the cast and
crew were wearing signs around their necks which read
"will gladly give oral sex in exchange for Oscars." I only
lasted about 45 minutes.

When I got into work today I found that over the
weekend a customer had left me a whole box of Swiss
Miss and a can of whipped cream. This morning, another
customer gave me a cute little ceramic bear for Christmas.

Tomorrow is LotR day. Needless today, I can't wait.
I've been listening to the Fellowship of the Ring soundtrack
all day. The only bad thing about tomorrow is that I'm
finally dating a woman who could give me a run for my
money in the geek department and she won't be able
to be there:(

they DO exist

2003-12-12T09:21:00.000-08:00

Holiday oreos. With red cream in the middle.

Be prepared movienighters:)

clarification

2003-12-11T10:19:00.000-08:00

I want to clarify something I said in yesterday's
post. Upon reading it again, someone might take it
to mean that I was not in favor of the ethical treatment
of animals. Which is most definitely not the case; I
just don't approve of the way PETA does things some
of the time.

PETA and Jesus freaks

2003-12-10T16:56:00.000-08:00

I used to get angry when the aforementioned folks would try to
give me pamphlets. Now I just smile and say thank you when they
give me their literature. It's just easier that way, much as I might
not agree with either groups' agendas. Also, both myself and the
pamphlet pushers feel better when you smile and take their pamphlets
as opposed to when you scowl at them.

the scouring of the Shire

2003-12-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Here's why I hate that chapter in Return of the King:
Imagine of after the battle of Endor they showed the
Rebels helping the Ewoks clean up litter in the forest.
That would've been pretty boring, right? That's what I
think Tolkien did with the scouring of the Shire. It should
have been in the appendicies.

it's official

2003-12-05T10:54:00.000-08:00

Linda and I are boyfriend and girlfriend. I know it seems
a bit sudden, but if you're comfortable with someone and you
like them why wait around? Wish me luck:)

life is good and here's why.....

2003-12-04T11:34:00.000-08:00

1. I'm rahter proud of the fact that I'me learning to knit.
I'm not that great at it yet, but I'm getting there. It's
nice to be able to look and something and say hey I made
this.

2. I had a candy cane today. Candy canes are one of my
favourite things about Christmas.

3. I have a date with Linda tonight.

Bruce Almighty

2003-11-30T06:58:00.000-08:00

This movie came out on video this past Tuesday. My
question to you is WHY THE FUCK DO PEOPLE WANT TO
RENT THIS STINKY TURD OF A MOVIE SO DAMN MUCH???!!!
Sorry to scream but Saturday night at work all I heard was
do you have any copies of Bruce Almighty? Everybody
wants it; it cuts across all possible demographic groups.
I can't understand why people think it's funny or worth
watching. I tried to watch it. I didn't laugh once. Are
all my customers on crack? Do people just have no
quality control? Either way, if I hear one more damn
question about Bruce Almighty I'm cracking skulls.

joy!

2003-11-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

Ridley Scott is directing a movie about the Crusades
starring Orlando Bloom. I can't wait.

have a holly jolly etc.

2003-11-29T10:58:00.000-08:00

On Friday I put up my Christmas tree. It's just a little
plastic tree; it's about two feet high or so. It might not be
anything special but I like it. I have some garland and a
string of lights and some sanrio ornaments and some glass
balls. For the tree you perverts:) I never had my own tree
until last year when Big Sam got me this tree and the
ornaments as a gift. It's very relaxing to come home at
night during the holidays and plug in the lights on your
own Christmas tree and just relax with s beer or some hot
chocolate or something. I've always favoured live trees
but it woudln't be very practical for me to have a live tree
so I just have my little plastic one which I adore.

food hangover

2003-11-27T14:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the third annual pre
Thanksgiving feast. I hope everyone had fun. I am very tired
after two marathon days of trips to the grocery store and
cooking. I should go home and sleep tonight but I'm going to
a friend's house for turducken. That's a duck stuffed into a
chicken and then the chicken's stuffed into a turkey. Yum.

Urgh

2003-11-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

I forgot my glasses today. Things are blurry and I have a
headache.

the Two Towers extended version

2003-11-23T09:13:00.000-08:00

Oh joy. It's just a better movie. The Ents attacking the
Orcs at Helm's Deep. The scenes with Boromir, Farimir and
Denethor at Osgiliath. I was especially happy about that
sequence because Boromir is my favourite character (with
the possible exception of Gollum) so I was happy to see
more of him. It also rounded out Faramir's character a bit
more, thereby making the changes done to his character
from the book to the film make a bit more sense. The new
scenes made the movie feel more like an adaptation of the
book and less like Braveheart in Middle-earth. There was a
little bit more humor in this new version, most of which didn't
quite work. Do we really need more Gimli humor? For my
money, Gimli in the Two Towers is more annoying than Jar
Jar Binks. But it's a matter of minutes in a movie that's nearly
four hours so it doesn't make that much difference.

read the damn book!

2003-11-23T09:02:00.000-08:00

One thing I hate about working in bookstores, and also
here at TLA, is having to do homework for people. Lately
we've been getting lots of students coming in and asking
for the movie version of Othello that is closest to the play.
I understand how school can suck the joy out of literature,
but you'll get a better grade if you read the book. Now I'm
sure that some people are watching the movie in addition
to the reading, but you can tell when that's not the case.
You'll never fool the teacher if you just watch the movie.

It was even worse when I worked at Tower books. A
high school student came in one time and asked for Cliff
Notes to Slaughterhouse Five and 2001. First of all, there
are few authors who are easier to read than Arthur C Clarke
and Kurt Vonnegut. You can read Slaughterhouse Five in an
afternoon. You can probably read the 2001 in an afternoon
as well.

worried about my friend

2003-11-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

I have a friend who suffers from mental illness. It's not so
bad that she needs to be institutionalized, but she does need
some serious medication. She's just taken a medical leave from
school for the fourth or fifth time. I'm worried because she
recently moved several hours away from her hometown to
make a new start at her new college. She's miles away from
her parents, her fiance, and any kind of immediate support
base. She has a doctor out where she lives but I think
medication can only go so far. You need your loved ones
around to support you in situations like these. What she
wants to do more than anything is become a music therapist.
How can she keep doing that if she keeps taking medical
leaves from school? I love my friend. I want her to succeed.
She does have some very real problems but I think that
sometimes she uses her mental illness to drop out of life
whenever things get too difficult. Part of me thinks she
needs a good swift kick in the ass but that's one thing
that people who suffer from mental illness don't repsond
to very well. It just seems to me that she keeps making
the same mistakes over and over. I want to help but I
don't know how and I'm not sure if she'll listen. sigh.

potential Return of the King spoiler

2003-11-14T15:49:00.000-08:00

Rumor on the interweb is that the Saruman and Grima scenes
are not going to be in the theatrical version of Return of the King.
I am saddened by this, and so are Christopher Lee and Brad Dourif
I imagine. I was hoping they'd have the scene in which Gandalf
treats with Saruman amongst the ruins of Isengard. I guess I'll
have to wait for the expanded dvd to see those scenes.

Matrix Revolutions

2003-11-13T12:43:00.000-08:00

I absolutely loved it. Which is surprising because the way I
feel about the first two Matrix movies is very similar to the way
most people feel about the Star Wars prequels. I didn't think I
would like Revolutions very much but I figured I've seen the
first two so I might as well go the whole nine yards.

Maybe I liked it more because it was much more of a big war
spectacle thing than the other two. Revolutions had a kind of
epic sweep that wasn't present in the first two movies. It also
used several mythical archetypal things (don't want to give any
spoilers) much better than say a certain virgin birth in that movie
with the orange frog. They did some really interesting things
with Neo's character. And the final confrontation between Neo
and Agent Smith.......it's one of the coolest things I've ever seen
in a movie. I love Agent Smith. You can tell that Hugo Weaving
had so much fun playing that part.

There definitely were parts that made me wince. There were
parts where I got patient with the phony-baloney emotional
stuff. That's not why you buy a ticket for the Matrix. Some of
the philosophical mumbo jumbo was actually interesting. I
loved the character of the Train Man too. I wish he would have
been in the movie a little more. And unlike the first two movies
where I get a headache trying to figure out how it all works
logically, most everything in Revolutions made sense. I mean,
you have to give in to movie logic but it was definitely more
coherent than the first two movies.

something I've been wondering about....

2003-11-13T12:28:00.000-08:00

When you're friends with a couple who breaks up, is it
possible to remain friends with both parties? Or are you
inevitably forced to pick a side?

I have two friend; let's call them Bob and Jane. Jane
dumpe Bob recently, and quite suddenly. Although not
without reason. I spend more time with Jane than I do
with Bob, mostly because Bob has odd hours is is not a
very social person. Oh, they live together too. So I
know Jane's side of the story very well and I've offered
to let her stay at my place if she needs too. But since
Bob's also my friend I feel obliged to help him too. I
don't know; there isn't really an answer. I'm just airing
out my thoughts. Isn't that what blogs are for?

more Return of the Jedi stuff

2003-11-09T07:49:00.000-08:00

So as eight year old boys in 1983, our focus was probably more
on the action and the spectacle rather than the finer points of the
story. We were still blown away by the whole twin thing but I
remember many conversations along the lines of "Luke did that
awesome triple back flip during the battle at the Sarlaac pit!"
Those kinds of things didn't impress me so much. I think that
even as a kid I knew that it was the story and the characters that
mattered, even if I couldn't articulate that at the time. The action
only matterd because you loved those characters and care deeply
about what happened to them, which is one of the reasons why
I'm not a Matrix fan. You don't give a squat about any of them as
characters. But I'll save that rant for after I see the new movie.

Right now my favourite part in Jedi is probably when Luke
talk to Kenobi's ghost on Dagobah. Because of the prequels
that scene has even more dramatic weight to it. It'a also
because I think that Obi-wan is my favourite character in the
whole saga. He carries around a tremendous burden of guilt
through the whole thing, which I don't think is entirely justified
on his part, and that scene on Dagobah is really a sort of
coming to terms with his burden. Obi-wan may not have been
as good a teacher as Yoda, but I think the blame lies largely
with Anakin being a bad pupil rather than Obi-wan being a bad
mentor.

I also love the scene in which the Rebel fleet arrives at the
Death Star. They're ready to blow the thing to kingdom come
but they can't because the shield is still up. I love the music in
that scene too; and sometimes the lead-up to the battle can be
just as exciting as the battle itself, if not more. And Vader sans
mask. Just as powerful as Spock's death in Wrath of Kahn.

So in 1983 the story was finished, but not really. In 2005
the story really will be finished. Episode 3 will contain all the
stuff that we've been looking forward too since we knew there
was a back story. I think this also accounts for the generally
negative reaction to the first two prequels but that's another
rant entirely. I think I'll need to strapped into my seat for the
final confrontation between Anakin and Obi-wan. That's it for
now.

big long rant about Return of the Jedi-you've been warned

2003-11-08T11:03:00.000-08:00

I usually only watch RotJ about once a year or so, it being my
least favourite of the original trilogy. Which really isn't saying much
for those of you who know me in real life. At any rate, I've watched
it four times in the past few months. I suppose this is largely
because episode 3 finished filming not too long ago, and the
anticipation for that is very similar to the anticipation which lead up
to the release of RotJ in 1983. Only this time it really is the end of
the Star Wars saga, whereas in 1983 it was sort of that's it for
the immediate future, but there's more of the story to tell and maybe
I'll get to it someday.

There were all sorts of questions that we wanted answered in
Jedi, as well as characters we heard about in the first two movies
but never met up to that point. Will Luke finish his training? What
is Han's fate? Is Vader really the father? How will the Rebellion
triumph over the Empire? (come on, there was no doubt in 1983
that the good guys were going to win.) I remember also being
really excited because we finally got to see Jabba the Hutt and
the Emperor. And who can forget the great big grand-daddy of
all the really cool stuff the Rotj would inevitably contain: seeing
Darth Vader with out his mask. I mean, holy shit! Oh yeah, and
the whole twin thing.

I remember that back then for some reason my parents
wouldn't take me too see the movie. I didn't actually get to see
it until it had been out for two months. Of course by then I had
already read the comic book and listened to the other kids at day
care endlessly talk about the movie. No matter. I don't really
remember what my first impressions were of the movie at the
time. I do remember thinking it was really funny when the Ewok
conked himself in the head with the slingshot thingy. Of course
it's so entrenched now that it's a moot point what my first
impression of it was then. OKay time to go to work. More
later...

Alien

2003-11-07T10:47:00.000-08:00

When you've only seen a movie on home video for most of
your life, seeing it on the big screen is like seeing it for the first
time. This was most certainly the case with Alien. Yay Jesus
for making it his movie night pick. Now if they would only
re-release Star Trek II in theatres I'd be happy....

Next!

2003-11-07T06:55:00.000-08:00

Halloween is over (sigh), now it's on to the Thanksgiving
Christmas New year's rush. I wish these holidays could have
been spaced out a little more evenly. With Thanksgiving and
Christmas it is sometimes difficult to relax and just have fun;
not so with Halloween.

Henry David ball

2003-11-02T06:44:00.000-08:00

Oh so much fun. I was walking around the whole like Harpo Marx
just gawking at all the costumes. There was even another Indiana
Jones there. I thought he had the better costume but he thought
mine was better. There were about half a dozen people dressed as
Wonder Woman. There were dozens of pimp costumes; it got played
out after a while. I saw a kick ass Boba Fett. Lots of Carmen Mirandas.
One couple dressed up as Darkness and Lily from Legend. A group
of people went as the fat ballerinas from Fantasia. They were fun.
I think the best costume I saw all night was the couple who went
as the fountain from Rockafeller center.

And I got my picture taken with Ed Rendell! He was there working
the crowd and me friends and I introduced ourselves. Later on we
went up to get our picture taken with him and I was going to take it
but then he said hey Indy get in here and he had his security guy
take the picture. I met Sam Katz too.

Oh joyful day!

2003-10-31T15:29:00.000-08:00

I have gotten many comments on my costume today. A couple
of people weren't sure what I was dressed as until they saw the
whip dangling from my belt. I do kind of wish Dr. Jones had a
trademark line though; alas there isn't really a "here's looking at
you kid" or "may the force be with you" in the Indy flicks.

Is it too early to start brainstorming for next year? I've got so
many costume ideas. I almost wish Halloween were twice a year,
but it might not be as special if that were so. One of the reasons
that Halloween is so much fun is that it's a relatively stress free
holiday, costume anxiety aside. Some kind of family bad juju or
stress pops up at Christmas, you're worried about what to get
everyone, should you do Christmas with you friends or go and
visit your family; Thanksgiving is pretty much the same thing but
without presents. With Halloween it's just dress up like a freak
and go wreck havoc. Yay havoc!

I've been working with porn for too long

2003-10-30T06:53:00.000-08:00

I was in line at the drug store yesterday and I noticed a new
snack food from Planters called nut poppers. Oh the self control
to keep myself from laughing....

Yay Halloween the most wonderful time of the year to heck with Christmas!

2003-10-27T12:03:00.000-08:00

Much praise goes to Neil for an awesome Halloween party.
On the actual day itself I'll be going to the Henry David ball. The
only downside of that is that it's supposed to be sunny and seventy
degrees on Friday and I'm supposed to walk around in a leather
jacket all day. Oh yes, I do plan on wearing my costume to work:)

Halloween

2003-10-24T15:56:00.000-07:00

Today I found the jacket for my Indiana Jones costume. No doubt
some of you reading this will see it tomorrow night. I found it at Kmart
and it was 40% off. Then I went to I-Goldberg and they were playing
the Empire Strikes Back soundtrack over the PA system. Not a bad way
to start the day.

No time for love Dr. Jones

2003-10-23T12:39:00.000-07:00

I spent my days off this week watching the Indiana Jones dvds.
Raiders is still the best of the series. I think that by the time they got to
Last Crusade the well was running a little dry but it's still a great movie.
Temple of Doom has the weakest script and a heroin who has no real
reason to be there except that there needs to be a girl in this kind of
movie. In Raiders, Marion had the headpiece to the staff of Ra and in
Last Crusade Dr. Schneider was a Nazi looking for the Grail. Willie
Scott was there just to scream and get bugs dropped on her. A lot
of people complain about the stereotypes in Temple of Doom; I can
definitely see their point. Still, I don't watch an Indiana Jones movie
for an accurate reflection of reality. It's an adventure story. All in
all though, Temple of Doom has the weakest script of the three.
Raiders has a kind of Grant/Hepburn feel to it which is why it's
my favourite. Part of me wishes that they wouldn't do Indy 4.
After all, the third movie was called the Last Crusade. Still,
Indy 4 is supposed to come out the same summer as epsiode III
and that's just too much for me to pass up.

2003-10-19T07:46:00.000-07:00

The following was prompted by Sarcasmo's entry from a couple of days ago.

I don't want children of my own. I've got nothing against them, I just don't
want the responsibilty. I'm barely responsible for my own life; I don't think I
can be responsilbe for the life of a little person who can fend for him or her self.
Honestly, I'd also worry about making mistakes that the kid would be blaming
me for in therapy thirty years down the road.

Forutnately, my parents aren't the types to wonder where the grandkids
are. A friend of my mother's asked her once if I planned on getting married
and raising a family. I think mom repsonded with a polite chuckle. While I
do want to get married a family is very much out of the question. However
much I don't understand the impulse to want to have babies, I do have a
very healthy repsect for those who do have children. It's tough. Just
looking at the faces of some of the parents who come into my store ......
I don't know how they do it but more power to them.

2003-10-13T06:28:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the Columbus Day parade was going all up and down Broad Street,
which was amusing for a while but then it just got on my nerves. I had to leave. I
thought I'd go see Kill Bill, which I had reservations about but I wanted to see it
because I loved Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. I should have listened to my
reservations. I HATED it. Hate hate hate. It was nothing but an exercise in style.
There was no point to any of it other than to splatter lots of blood across the screen.
And there was hardly any dialogue! That's what I loved about his other films! The
words in this movie made me long for the divine poetry of the Phantom Menace and
Matrix Reloaded. There was an anime sequence too. Can't stand anime. There was
no moral center to the movie ala Samuel Jackson's character in Pulp Fiction. Maybe
it's just me; I never was a fan of the cheesy chopsocky flicks which inspired Kill
Bill. There was just lots of violence with no point. And it was sooooo slow. I mean,
Fellowship of the Ring is three and a half hours long and it moved quicker than
Kill Bill. Speaking of which, they did show the Return of the King preview. Perhaps
I should've just left after that. I'd already gotten my $7.50 worth.

2003-10-11T15:53:00.000-07:00

Big Sam just came down on my break tonight and gave me a mix cd and drove me
to Burger King. I'm feeling pretty good right about now.

2003-10-08T09:41:00.000-07:00

My boss played a cruel joke on the new girl yesterday.

He told her to ask me what my favourite movie was.

2003-10-05T08:52:00.000-07:00

So far today I've had to listen to 2 records by the Mahavishnu Orchestra. URGH!
Max is getting an earful of the Star Trek II soundtrack when my turn for music comes
up.

2003-10-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

I spelled cardamom wrong in yesterday's entry. Mmmmm, cardamom.

2003-10-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

So when we all get together and open the geek mall, we have to have a restaraunt that serves sf and fantasy
food. Sometimes I'm reading books and they describe the food and it just sounds so tasty. For instance, the butter
beer from the Harry Potter books. The spice beer and spice coffee from Dune. I think if you mix cinnamon and
cardoman you'd come pretty close to what melange might taste like. And of course you'd have to serve the blue
milk from Star Wars.

2003-09-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

http://elfwood.lysator.liu.se/zone/c/o/corya/skygun.jpg.html

2003-09-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

I think I'm already used to the glasses. Which is good because I'll need them to
read Quicksilver on Tuesday! Yay!

2003-09-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

I saw Christmas lights on sale at Walgreen's this morning. This is the earliest
I've ever seen Christmas stuff on sale. It freaked me out a little. Not that I don't
like Christmas; I do very much. Especially last Christmas because it was the first
time I ever had my own tree. It's just that I'm still wondering what happened to
June; I can't think about Christmas yet. I'm not even done figuring out what I'm
doing with Halloween.

2003-09-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

I got my glasses today. I didn't realize how blurry the world was until I put them
on. I really needed them and I probably should have gotten them much sooner.

I watched House of 1,000 Corpses again last night with my friends Will and
Crystal. I think I deserve a medal or something. It's not quite so bad once you've
had a couple of beers; however, that doesn't make it Citizen Kane. I hope I don't
have to see it again.

2003-09-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

A Jewish guy came in the store last night to rent Jerry Seinfeld's
Comedian and Triumph of the Will. Much laughter ensued.

2003-09-13T10:39:00.000-07:00

I bought new music today, for the first time since the last time I bought new
music. Well, neither of the cd's I bought are new; Uncle Tupelo broke up 10 years
ago and the Ben Folds solo record is two years old. I was already familiar with
Uncle Tupelo but I hadn't heard the Ben Folds cd before. It's hardly different from
Ben Folds Five. I like the way he manages to be exuberant and sad at the same
time. Sometimes I'm not sure if I want to cry or jump for joy when I play one of
his records. It's a tricky thing to do and I can't think of very many bands who can
do it well.

2003-09-11T06:51:00.000-07:00

Two years ago today was my first day to realx in my new apartment.
I had a bubblebath and went out for coffee. I didn't even find out what
happened until I called Jill around 10:30 that morning. She said she was
freaking out and I asked why and I didn't believe what she said at first.
I mean, this sort of thing only happens in movies, right? I spent most of
the rest of the day wathcing the news. I remember feeling somewhat
guilty about going to the grocery store that afternoon but life does go
on, right? I got so caught up in watching the news that I even forgot
about two of my oldest friends who live in New York who were okay
as it turned out.

2003-09-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

The teller at the bank I go to for TLA just had a baby boy.
The doctor swore up and down that she was going to have a
girl. All of the woman's friends had a baby shower and got her
stuff that's all pink and frilly. My suggestion was that the kid
could get a head start on being a drag queen.

2003-09-07T09:02:00.000-07:00

It is absolutely dead today at TLA. The good side: I can spend
lots of time messing around on the Internet. The bad side: this day
is going to go by soooo slow.

2003-09-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

I would have rather spent the day in the park reading Dune: Butlerian
Jihad. It was a lovely day outside and I like the Dune prequels a lot more
than the last couple of Dune books that Frank Herbert wrote. Heretics was
pretty good, but Chapterhouse stunk. Sure, Dune prequels aren't really
neccessary, but they make for good reads. Probably nothing you'll want
to read more than once but they keep one occupied while taking public
transportation.

2003-09-04T11:25:00.000-07:00

Oh, I did find one flaw in Casablanca. In reality it is highly improbable
that a key figure in the French resistance would be able to roam around
freely in Vichy occupied territory. He would've been put in a concentration
camp the minute the Nazis knew he was in Casablanca. But it's movie
logic versus reality. The story works so who cares?

2003-09-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, it's the little things that get you through the day.
For instance, first thing Sunday morning a customer came into
my store carrying her pet rabbit. Lots of customers bring in
their dogs, far fewer bring their cats, but nobody ever brought
in a rabbit. It cheered me up for the whole day.

2003-08-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, I went to the trouble to set this up so I might as well post here. Everybody should watch Casablanca, especially
if you've never seen it. If you've seen it doznes of times, watch it again. It's a perfect movie. Not a single false note or
weak scene in the entire movie. It's not neccessarily my favourite movie ever but it's far up on the list. Besides, very
few movies are perfect. Even the ones that I love.

2003-08-27T19:56:00.000-07:00

This is my fisrt post here. Please by kind. I just wanted to break in my new blog. Bye for now.