Tuesday, November 27, 2007

And Where Are YOU Staying, Part II

Right now I'm posting a small blog entry from the Maile Treehouse that I mentioned a few posts back.

Let's just say it's even more incredible than the website gives it credit for.

Pictures to come...

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Let's Do The Timewarp Again...

Ugh. Can't stand the Daylight Savings / Standard Time shift.

It's like making your own jet lag without having to travel. Who says Hiro from "Heroes" is the only one who can time travel? I can do it twice a year!

That extra hour of sleep is pointless if you end up spending the next several days trying to get your internal clock to readjust. It's now 7 PM... oh, 6 PM. It's 8 PM... oh, no, it's 7 PM.

Welcome To Hollywood

I've always found it surreal to be affected by Hollywood issues in a greater way than those who don't live in Los Angeles.

For example, a golden rule here is to never, ever drive through Hollywood on Oscar night. I made this mistake once. Because the Oscars are held at the Kodak theatre, the city takes over Highland Blvd from Hollywood Blvd to Santa Monica Blvd (Santa who? Hollywhat? Go look up the streets on Google Maps) and turns it into the world's largest limo parking lot. Adds hours to your travel time.

Right now the writers are on strike. Again, while I'm affected like the rest of you by having to watch reruns of Letterman and Leno and brace for the fact that the current TV season may get drastically shorter, it's bizarre to see the picket lines. I'm within a five minute drive of NBC, Disney, and Warner Brothers.

I work at a studio. Yesterday, we got a memo from studio security informing us to make the necessary extra accommodations when trying to enter and exit the studio since there will be strikers outside. Again, surreal.

Surreal. Surreal. Surreal. And I love every minute of it!

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

And Where Are YOU Staying?

We're going to Hawaii in three weeks (from the date of this post).

Most of the time will be spent with friends and family on Oahu. However we're going to take a three-day jaunt to the Big Island.

Wanna see where we're staying?

Of COURSE you do.



It's called The Maile Tree House.

Aren't you feeling relaxed just looking at it? I know I am....ZZZZZZZZZZ

Saturday, October 06, 2007

So Post Something Already

Wow, I haven't posted anything in almost a month.

There. I posted something.

Things that are good right now:

- It's October. Summer is officially dead and buried. If we get a 100+ degree day this month, that means earth has shifted closer to the sun and we're all toast.
- It's my birthday this month.
- I'm going to Hawaii next month.
- It's all new stuff on TV again. New Heroes. New Supernatural. New Lost... oh, not 'til February. Best NEW new show? Reaper.

Hope all is good for you!

Monday, September 10, 2007

Big Zach Attack

Was it me or did Zach's nomination speech on Sunday sound like a little kid who never got picked for the team or asked to go to parties and was the one who always ended up eating lunch alone at school.

Zack, would you like some bitter cheese to go with the bitter wine made from your bitter grapes?



I'm not sure if I want you representin' Burbank anymore.

Also, while Dick has made for a Summer of good television, he's living in Delusionland if he thinks he can win. His abrasive game playing pretty much sealed his fate in the game. If he's in the final two (and there's a very good chance he might be), there's no way anybody on the jury would dispassionately think "Well, he did play a good game. He deserves my vote." Instead, the jury will vote by emotion, boiling the vote down to "I will vote for anybody other than Dick."

Indiana Jones

Next year's new Indiana Jones movie now has a title:




Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Ooooooh.

Yeah, yeah. I know Indy (Harrison Ford) is getting a little long in the tooth, but with Spielberg behind the wheel and the fact that Ford could kick the crap out of whippersnappers half his age, this looks to be some good fixins next year.

Those Aren't Cramps...

Woman has 23 needles in body

Ouch!

I'm glad all my Grandmother did was buy me clothes at Christmas.

Friday, September 07, 2007

New iPods!

This past Wednesday, Apple announced new ways to liberate me from my money: New iPods!

First was the iPod Touch -- an iPhone without the phone. Same cool touch-screen interface, including WiFi connectivity and the Safari browser. I have no interest in this one. Why? The two storage capacity options were 8 GB and 16 GB models. I currently have an 80 GB iPod and have loaded almost 50 GB of music on it already.

Second was the new Nano. Looks like the baby brother to the regular iPod. Again, not enough storage room.

Now came the one that made me go "oooooh". The revised (and renamed) iPod Classic. In two delicious options of 80 GB (been there. done that) and 160 GB. 40,000 SONGS. 160 GB. Whoa. Plus a new interface with album cover flows and other fancy stuff.

I'm sure you're thinking, "Dude. You already have an 80 GB that's not filled up. Why do you need another iPod?". Because it's fancy and it has 160 GB of storage space! I would transfer all my music from the 80 GB to the 160 GB, then use the 80 GB to back up all my Mobile Fidelity CDs (90% of which are loooong out of print) -- that way I can listen to the music without risking losing the CDs. Some of those CDs are now well over $200 on eBay to replace.

First, though, I think I'll get an iPhone -- especially now that Apple shaved $200 off the 8 GB model (the 4 GB has been discontinued). And, hey, somebody's 40th birthday is coming up. And, hey, my wife reads these posts. Hmmm. Hint. Hint.

Sunday, September 02, 2007

It's Official: Los Angeles To Be Renamed Los Fuegos

(Psst. Los Fuegos means "The Fires".)

The past week, Los Angeles has been freezing. Frigid. Cold. Icy.

How cold?

105 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT COLD.



It has been so hot that within five minutes of going outside, your will to live has melted away, leaving you a wasted, useless wreck the rest of the day.

Usually, Labor Day is a great three-day weekend to get out, barbeque, have fun, and bid adieu to Summer. This year it's a three-day weekend to cower near the air conditioner, barbeque (using an oven), barbeque (yourself. Not food), and watch small children and the elderly burst into flames when they step outside.

It. Is. Miserable.

Right now, it is 11:04 PM Pacific Daylight Time and Burbank is a brisk 91 DEGREES. Where's my jacket?? (Straightjacket, that is).

Big Brother Mayhem

Lots of stuff to cover...

First off: So long Amber. The house will be a lot dryer without you. I actually found a picture of the jury house Amber's going to:



(Yes, I know it closed in 1997, but you get the point).

Seriously, Amber needs help. Anybody who cries at the thought of crying is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. If she doesn't get some help, she is going to end up snapping, tracking down the other houseguests, and "evicting" them in some brutal and inhuman ways.

You know who I feel really, really bad for? Dustin. He's now stuck in the jury house with Jen and Amber -- the two looniest ladies in Big Brother 8. Suicide watch, anyone?

Is it me, or does everybody think Eric is the biggest dweeb on TV right now? I've been watching "Big Brother After Dark" on Showtime and he's starting to grate on my nerves. Is it to late to choose a new America's Player? Everytime he talks to Jessica, he exhibits every dweeby, geeky never-seen-a-girl-naked tic in the book. The nervous laughter. The odd faces. If Jessica were to flash her breasts at him, he'd go fetal and join Amber at the special "jury house". Have you noticed sometimes when Eric talks to Jessica, Jessica has that far-away look on her face?


"I'm sorry Jessica, but it is illogical for a Vulcan to fall in love with a human."

Dick. Stop spitting. That has to be the single most disgusting nervous habit I've ever seen. Ick.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

The Grinch Who Stole Big Brother 8

Ladies and Gentlemen!

I present:

"Dr. Seuss's Dick Donato!"

YouTube Link

Friday, August 24, 2007

Lost Without Lost

It's almost September. Time for the new TV season.

Except Season 4 of Lost doesn't debut until February.

THHHHPPPPT.

(Well, at least "Heroes" will fill the gap).

While I'm on the topic of TV, here's my "Must See TV" list:

Lost - Crack TV at its finest.
Heroes - Fun. Period.
The Closer - The single best ensemble on TV where the characters are NOT on an island. No other show so deftly balances humor and drama like this one.
The First 48 - Wanna see how REAL homicide detectives work? Engrossing.
Best Week Ever - Swiftly exposing just how silly and stupid the entertainment industry is. Hysterical stuff.

Buh-Bye, Jen. Like, Whatever.

So, Big Brother 8 bid a less-than-fond adieu to this season's resident crackpot, Jen.



She brought an unparalled level of egotism to the house. Clothes labelled with every variation of "Jen" - "Jensa Member", "Jenius", "Jenocide". Crying real tears over her picture on the houseguest wall. Alienating all the other houseguests right off-the-bat by talking about nothing but herself.

Narcissus, we found you a girlfriend.

She tried to come off as not caring about whatever happened. Yet she struck me as one of those people whose so insecure and full of anger that the only way they know how to deal with it is to swallow the anger and brush it off with a forced smile and lots of "whatever". The underlying cauldron of anger finally leaked out when Dick (who was merciless to Jen the entire show) started blowing smoke in her face. The expression of rage, hate, pain, and anger was scary.

She made me fear for the boyfriend that dares break up with her. "Fatal Attraction" anyone?

I half-expect her to hide in the bushes outside the Big Brother house, armed with a rifle, picking off one evicted houseguest after another while Julie Chen cowers behind the couch.

Of course you're thinking Amber would be the one to snap. But Amber doesn't bottle her emotions. She cries when she thinks about her daughter. She cries when someone says something mean. She cries because the katsup is in the fridge. She cries when she thinks about crying. When you're always venting your emotions, you're probably not going to snap.

Instead, you're going to have visions from God that you won't get evicted that week.

Okay. Maybe she has snapped.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha

Big Brother 8 Quickie - Third Grade Primer Version:

See Dick Get Nominated.
See Dick Piss Everyone In The House Off To Save His Daughter.
See Dick Win Power Of Veto.



See Dick Save Danielle.
See Dustin Get Nominated.
See Dustin Get Evicted.

Poor Dustin.




Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha.

Trash-ality TV

So I'm sitting here surfing the Internet while my brother-in-law watches a TV show called "American Princess". In this reality contest show, several American women compete to become a "British" princess.

In the wide realm of reality shows, this one's not too bad. To win, the women need to display grace and manners -- things befitting a princess. The women seem pretty normal, not your typical reality/contest loonies.

But it got me thinking about other reality shows. The ones that celebrate the worst in people in the name of ratings. The ones where the uglier the personality, the better TV it "apparently" makes.

Repellant shows like "My Sweet 16", which focuses on America's secret plan to create an army of Paris Hiltons - shallow, whiny, greedy, with no chance of adding anything of value to society.

Shows like "Bridezilla". Watch "Bridezilla". Understand why 1 out of every 2 married couples gets divorced.

Shows like "Flavor of Love" and "Rock of Love" that show even hookers and trailer trash deserve a chance at love and fame.

Why not do something radical? Why not take all these spoiled brats, hookers, trash, and brides of Frankenstein and put them in a reality competition where they have to earn a college degree or help the unfortunate here in America or overseas. The one who starts to think of someone other than herself wins.

And if that doesn't work, we could always do "Survivor Middle Of Nowhere", where they're all abandoned on an island. For. the. rest. of. their. lives.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Hurricanes

First, the good news: Sounds like the hurricane moving towards the Big Island is quickly running out of steam and will most likely grace the southern edge of the island. So, while Kona may get some extra rain and some flooding, that's a lot less damage than what a Category 4 Hurricane could wreak.

Now, the bad news: The hurricane's name is.... ready?... FLOSSIE.

Hurricane Flossie.

That just doesn't sound right. Like naming a hurricane Bozo or Mookie. All fine names, indeed, but not for hurricanes. Hurricanes are powerful, destructive blasts of weather. They should have mean, destructive names. Hurricane Bin Laden. Hurricane Muthaf***ah. Hurricane Kissyoassgoodbye. Hurricane Bush. Got the idea?

I Googled "Flossie" and found this:


Flossie and The Singing Sisters.

Does Flossie look like somebody who could take lives and destroy towns? She looks like a nice, friendly, probably very talented singer.

Naming a hurricane Flossie makes you think that, instead of wanting to destroy your home and everything you've worked for, this hurricane wants to come over, chat, have some tea and those little cucumber sandwiches and maybe sing some gospels with you. So misleading.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Who's Cookin'?

Me, that's who.

I have been taking care of cooking dinner for the past few weeks and I'm having a blast. You would think, after a busy day at work, coming home and cooking would be a tiresome torture, but it's not. I look forward to choosing a recipe, going to the store to get the fixins, then coming home and attempting to make magic.

Plus, I find it very relaxing.

Mind you, I'm still new at it. I can't improvise like the best cooks can ("Hmmm... a little more oregano.", "This is missing kidney beans"). I have to follow the recipe to the letter. But, so far, everyone has enjoyed the results. Most of the recipes are along the lines of "cut everything up, put in a pot, heat", but even that can get botched if you're not careful.

Are there any dishes I'm particularly proud of? Yep. I am very proud of two dishes that required a little bit more work, but came out great:

Tomato Bisque (goes great with grilled cheese "dippers")



and

Pork Guisantes (A Filipino pork n' peas dish. Veeeeery tasty)

Friday, August 10, 2007

The Others May Be Bad, But They Can Act

I was perusing some of my old blog posts and I came across one from last year. I had posted it during the time Emmy nomination predictions were heating up and I mentioned that Michael Emerson (Ben Linus, or Henry Gale, or Benry -- you decide) from Lost deserved a nod for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series.



He didn't get one.

Last year, that is.

This year he did. Yay! Ironically he's up against Terry O'Quinn, whose character, Locke, is being set up as Ben's arch enemy. Hopefully, Michael Emerson won't shoot Terry in real life and leave him to die in a ditch of past Emmy nominees...

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Big Brother 8

More from the Big Brother front...

- I'm liking Evil Dick more and more. I appreciate anyone who has a zero BS tolerance. He's smart enough and observant enough to win this thing... if it wasn't for his abrasive manner. Unfortunately, that's going to keep landing him on the eviction block.



- Looks like the Big Brother Twist for 2007 -- sleeping with the enemy -- fizzled out pretty quickly. The first two evictions removed two of the three pairs of enemies and nary a tear was shed. The remaining pair, Dick and Danielle, seems to be steadily moving away from enemy territory and into an actual reconciliation. It was nice to watch a distraught Danielle turn to the one person she could trust - her dad. Even if neither of them wins this season, they'll be the biggest winners in the end... hopefully!

- Is it me or is this whole "America's Player" concept pretty dull? Who should Eric vote for? Snore. Who should Eric campaign against? Yawn. The only part I find remotely fun is the weekly "What practical joke should Eric play and against whom?" challenge. It's not Eric's fault the concept is dull though. He's a likable guy, though I wish he'd give the Mr. Spock/John Belushi raised eyebrow a rest when he talks to us.

- Jen proves you don't have to be blond to be a bimbo.

P.S. - I Googled "Evil Dick" to get a picture of Dick for this post. Guess who's picture came up the most? Dick Cheney. Hahahahaha.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Big Brother 8

It's time again for America's Favorite Televised Fishbowl.



Big Brother is something I could never do. It has nothing to do with being televised. I can act the fool right along with the next person. However, I don't know if I could handle the crippling boredom for $500,000. And as houseguests get bumped off week-after-week and the house gets quieter and quieter, the boredom must get worse and worse.

A few observations:

- Is Les Moonves padlocking the fridge? Julie Chen is looking awfully undernourished. It might be time to place an intervention call to Sally Struthers. I'll donate my 30 cents. Pretty soon there won't be anything left to put the body glitter on.

- How 'come only three houseguests had to pair up with their enemies? I would have loved to have seen a 50/50 split. Maybe that's a hidden surprise - if an enemy gets voted out, a new enemy enters the house.

- If "America's Player" wins, do I get a cut of the winnings?

- The helium sucker award this season goes to Jessica. If the current voice actress for Minnie Mouse ever retires, Jessica's a shoe-in.

- Is it me, or is Joe more a caricature of a gay man than an actual gay man?

- I feel very bad for Danielle. Yes, casting her estranged Dad as her enemy makes for good television, but yikes! If I were her, I would swear Mom had an immaculate conception. In fact, I'd love the show to allow us to meet Mom, because that's gotta be where Danielle got most of her genes from.

- I watched a few minutes of Big Brother After Dark on Showtime. If you're way into people puttering around the backyard for hours at a stretch, you're gonna LOVE this broadcast!

Right now I have no favorite to win. After a few of the weaker ones get bumped off, then I'll know who I'm behind. Hopefully there's a latent Dr. Will in the house ready to start acting like a puppet-master. THAT makes for good Big Brother watching.

I'm Gonna Blog EEEEEVERY Day

I'm also going to...

- Eat my weight in popcorn every day.
- Swim to the sun.
- Learn at least two dead languages in the next month.
- Sprout wings.
- Age backwards.
- Look up "committment" in the dictionary.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Gorillaaaaahz

So is this what the Gorillaz meant by "Feel Good, Inc."?

Friday, June 08, 2007

Paris Is Burning

Did I say "Other than her DUI for which she is obediently serving her time for" in a previous post?

My bad.

Screaming Paris Hilton sent back to jail

Thursday, June 07, 2007

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

I Have An Eating Problem

It's called "Cannot get food from plate to mouth".



So now my blue shirt is spattered with dark red Chili Colorado sauce. I tried my best to wash it out, but there's definitely some remnants. And I did this during lunch, so I couldn't put on a clean shirt.

Why is it that your chances of spilling food on yourself increase in direct proportion to either how white your clothes are or by the number of people who will see the spilled food on your clothes prior to you being able to change?

Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Melissa Etheridge

I'm currently listening to Melissa Etheridge's first album, appropriately titled...

*drumroll*

"Melissa Etheridge"

And it makes me think back to the Grammy telecast a few years ago when she and Joss Stone performed a musical tribute to Janis Joplin. Melissa, recovering from breast cancer, wiped the floor with Joss and blew the roof off the dump with one of the greatest. Grammy. performances. ever.

Watch

We'll Always Have Paris

Dear Nightly News,

Are we really going to have to endure 23 days of Paris Hilton jail coverage? Let me look into my crystal ball and predict your next few reports:

"Today, June 5th, Paris stayed in her cell for 23 hours and went outside for her one hour break".

"Today, June 6th, Paris stayed in her cell for 23 hours and went outside for her one hour break".

"Today, June 7th, Paris stayed in her cell for 23 hours and went outside for her one hour break".

"Today, June 8th..."



Why are people so fascinated with this girl? Think about it. Yes, she's about as smart as a brick and her day-to-day life appears to be as fulfilling as a bowl full of marshmallows. But other than partying a lot and posing for pictures, has she done anything incredibly newsworthy? Other than her DUI for which she is obediently serving her time for, she's not the slow-motion suicide attempt that Lindsey Lohan is. She isn't the white trash, hair-razing, breakdown diva that Britney Spears is. Despite the fact that she isn't exactly college degree material, people who have met her say she's very friendly and well-mannered. Aren't these social skills you want in a person?

Are we jealous because she has lots of money with none of the responsibilities? Think like the educated person you are. Is that really the life you'd want? Sure, it would be nice to have more than enough money and, at first, having zero responsibilities would be a nice break. Think of it as the ultimate vacation. But haven't you ever gone on a longer-than-normal vacation? Don't you start to go out of your mind wanting to accomplish something??

Monday, June 04, 2007

L.A. Is Crawlin' With Celebs

Yesterday I went to Pinkberry1 to get some yogurt for my wife. Guess who's standing behind me? C'mon. Guess!

Ali Larter!2

Very cool.




1 Pinkberry is a chain of minimalist yogurt shops in L.A. They only serve two flavors: regular (looks like vanilla, but has a tart berry taste) and green tea. You can also select from a variety of toppings, including fresh fruit, chocolate chips, and some kiddie cereals (like Cap'n Crunch). Let Wikipedia guide you to enlightenment.

2 Ali who? She's Nikki/Jessica on Heroes. You know... the one who can care for her kid and break someone's spine in two all at the same time.

Diving In

Okay, I'm finally joining the chorus of bloggers who, at least once in their blogging lives, shout out: "I'm going to blog something every day!!".

There's so much interesting stuff happening in the world, as well as my home town, as well as my life, that my brain is overflowing with things to write out. Plus, I just love to write. Sometimes there's nothing more satisfying than a well-constructed post (even if I, myself, am not always capable of it).

So no more of this blog-once-a-month dry spell nonsense.

There. I've blogged something for today. See you tomorrow...

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Blowing Dust

I have to accept I will never be one of those people who blogs every day. But an almost two month gap? That's too much.

Don't you just love coming back from a vacation, only to have a three-day weekend the following weekend? Yeah!

Tonight is the Season Finale of LOST. No new episodes until February 2008. OUCH! That's way too long between hits of crack.

Heroes' finale was pretty good. Nice to see there wasn't really a cliffhanger to be tortured over for the next three to four months.

Tonight's the end of American Idol. Who's gonna win? My money (okay... funny money) is on Jordin. She's a perfect fit for the American Idol style of music. The winner's song (the one we (in other words, not me) voted on) is "a'ight, dawg". Still sounded as bland and sappy as the previous winner's songs. I'm glad Melinda got the boot -- she's been spared the sappy, over-commercialized first album from the winner. Now she can go and have a Daughtry-esque kick-ass career.

Went to Walt Disney World for nine days. If you go, stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge. Enjoy the Giraffes, Zebras, Ostriches, and myriad antelope from your hotel balcony. Amazing!

'Nuff for now.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

So What's The Truth, Keef?

Now Keith Richards says he was joking about snorting pops with some coke.

The irony is had anyone else said they do that, we would have laughed it off as a joke. But when Keith says it, we all stop and go, "Hmm... maaaaybe...."

Vague

Maybe because SO much news exists to report that properly editing every single headline is difficult, but Yahoo occasionally tosses out a headline that's totally open to misinterpretation.

Hence...

Man shot by pistol thrown in the trash



So, was the guy shot by a pistol that had been thrown in the trash or was the poor guy shot by an pistol, THEN thrown in the trash??

Tuesday, April 03, 2007

How Do YOU Say "EEEEEEEWWWW"?

Keith Richards: "I snorted my father"

The article's posting date is today, not April 1st.

This truly proves that Keef is one of the living dead.

Friday, March 23, 2007

I Think I'll Stick With The Tree-Based Stuff

Elephant Poo Poo Paper

At least now, when someone says your writing stinks, you have a cop-out excuse!

Friday, March 16, 2007

I Love People. They're Funny.

From today's Rolling Stone newsletter:

CHURCH LEADERS LOSE SLEEP OVER ELTON JOHN'S JAZZ HANDS
ELTON JOHN's upcoming headlining appearance at the Plymouth Jazz Festival in the Caribbean nation of Tobago is facing protests from church leaders who worry John will influence the country's sexual orientation.


Isn't there some remote continent with padded walls, lots of quiet, and nurses who bring the red and blue pills every six hours, that we can move these people to?

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

Chiquita Bin Laden?

When you were a kid, did you ever use a banana as a pretend gun?

Apparently you knew more about bananas than you were letting on.



Chiquita charged in terror investigation

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Posting SOMETHING, At Least...

Wow! I haven't posted a blog entry in over a month. What an empty, boring, little life I lead. Okay, that's not true. It's just been really busy.

So.. 'sup?

Rob & Amber (or Romber as the entertainment media calls 'em. Or Rob and Ambah, as Rob calls them) just got eliminated from the Amazing Race. Hahahahaha. Yay! Karma's a beyotch, boy!

See what happens when I don't post? Britney Spears shaves off all her hair and embarks on a yo-yo-like excursion through L.A.'s finest rehab centers.

I've been filling up the iPod with some good stuff (yes. yes. In my opinion). Gruff Rhys' "Candylion", !!!'s "Myth Takes", Of Montreal's "Hissing Fauna...", Lily Allen's "Alright, Still", Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible", Apples In Stereo's "New Magnetic Wonder", and Norah Jones' "Feel Like Home". Good stuff.

Speaking of filling up the iPod, did you know Costco rocks? They sell $50 iPod gift cards for $44.

Got a new 37' Sharp Aquos LCD flatscreen TV this past week. To quote Borat: "Niiiiiice". Finally figured out how to run our cable box through the AV to get surround sound from TV shows. Again, all togehter class: "Niiiiiice".

The application I work on survived the premature Daylight Savings Time shift. I still think DST is useless and stupid and extending it is just another sign that our current government has virtually shaved off all of its hair and is hopping from rehab center to rehab center.

There. That should make up for a month's lack of posts. I feel better now. Don't you?

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

My Country Is Nutz


Passport Now Required to Canada, Mexico




Apparently, we gotta keep them crazy Canadian and Mexican terrorists out of the U.S. They're always coming over and blowing up stuff.

I can't wait 'til we drop a big, plexiglass dome over the entire country like how you use one of those food tents to keep ants away from your food while you're at a picnic.

After 2008, when the madness ends, I think the U.S. deserves a big, long vacation...

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Next Time, On A Very Special Celebrity "Intervention"

So I'm sitting here watching E! Television (not my choice... but I'm too lazy to grab for the remote) and it's reporting on nothing but Lindsey, Britney, and Paris.

Show of hands: who's tired beyond tired of those three names? I can understand why the entertainment shows focus on them. TV loves to document celebrities imploding under the weight of their problems. TV has no sympathy or concern for them. It gets off watching the day-to-day decline: drunk here, rehab there, firecrotch here, no panties there.

But enough's enough. It's just plain boring. I'm glad Lindsey's checked into rehab. If you strip away the celebrity, she's a girl from a very broken home (c'mon - Dad's been to jail). She's has been thrust into the celebrity machine with a lot of money, no privacy, and no therapy. Of course she's gonna snap. Of course she's going to drown her pain by partying like a maniac. I wish her the best and hope she comes out healthy and happy.

I know entertainment news shows are not expected to report on world events like Iraq and who might be running for President in 2008 (which can't come soon enough), but there's a LOT more going on in Hollywood than Lindsey, Britney, and Paris. For once I'm actually thankful the awards shows are coming up (the Globes just finished, the Oscars coming up) -- it distracts the TV machine from it's current prey.

Sunday, January 14, 2007

Mr. Toad's Lit Ride

Somebody took pictures of Disneyland's Mr. Toad's Wild Ride with the lights on after a mechanical failure occurred. Pretty cool stuff. That ride freaked me out when I was six - I thought the on-coming train light was a real train.

Link (via BoingBoing)

Many, many years ago I got to ride Space Mountain with the lights on after a mechanical failure. We had to sit on the ride, lights on, for half-an-hour while a faulty brake sensor was fixed. Once it was fixed, they ran us through the rest of ride at full speed with the lights on. Talk about scary. You don't realize how close the tracks are when you're in the dark. Of course this was before the big, year-long refurbishment in 2005, so the tracks might be totally different now.

Random Musings

Well, so far January hasn't been a very bloggable month. I think my brain made a New Year's resolution to not think about anything...

So, what do we do when the ideas dry up? Talk about movies!

Saw "Pan's Labyrinth" - excellent.


(Peek-a-boo!)

Don't let the advertising angle fool you (which feature pretty boy above). It's not a fantasy movie full of monsters and magic. It's a much deeper story about a girl trying to survive in a civil war torn Spain under fascist rule. If you don't mind subtitles (unless, of course, you're fluent in Spanish), it's a worthwhile film.

Saw "Night at the Museum". One word: cute. Definitely geared towards kids. If you can get past the very formulaic script, there's some funny moments and I always enjoy watching Ben Stiller and Robin Williams. Take a kid with you.


(Make a wish)

Right now, we're watching "Cold Case". You know what makes you feel old? When you see the episode is dated 1996 and you think "Wow... that's not that long ago", and then you realize that it's over a decade ago. And then you feel old.

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Practice Safe Sex...

...or I'll pop a cap in yo ass.

Fiddy's makin' condoms.

Link (via Yahoo)

Wednesday, January 03, 2007

And I Thought I Liked The iPod

Apparently the fine folks in Dubai love 'em, too. They're going to construct an iPod-themed building...

Link (via BoingBoing)

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

Mmmm. Toys.

I got my iPod Connector Kit for my Bose radio today at work.

So now I have a little docking station that I can plug my iPod into so it plays through the Bose radio instead of having to own a separate SoundDock for the iPod and a Bose radio for the CDs.

And I'm in a great building. The ceiling is very, very high so I can crank up the volume without bothering my cubemates.

2007 is gonna be a cranked up musical year.

2007 Will Be Your HAPPY Year

Okay, class - we're going to try something differently this year.

You're still going to experience challenges and surprises and advancements and setbacks and shocks and oodles of joy just like last year and the year before, etc.

But this year we're going to view everything, the good and the bad, with a sense of joy and appreciation. We're going to believe that even the bad stuff that happens needs to be happen in order to guide us towards even greater joy and happiness.

Instead of viewing a setback as a SETBACK, we're going to view it as an indicator to either challenge ourselves harder to make the setback a victory or we're going to see it as a sign to take a different path to an even greater victory in our lives.

Give it a try this year. Think differently. Let's see if you don't look back on 2007 and say it was the best year you ever had.

Awright then. Off you go.