I went to The Departed this weekend, which is an American bastardization of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs. With that said, I recommend taking the $12 you would have spent at the theater and buying a copy of Infernal Affairs you can watch whenever you want. I bought my copy for $10 at Barnes & Noble. Spoilers follow.
I suppose I should explain exactly why I thought The Departed failed, since it's doing so well in the box office and in the reviews (93% on Rotten Tomatoes as I write). Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Sheen are the only two actors who garner any emotional attachment from the audience. Are we given a reason to care about or even like Matt Damon's character? Should we care about the skanky shrink and her unborn child (also known as the plot thread that was never resolved)? What was the abrasive Digham (played by Mark Wahlberg) doing during the half of the movie he was absent from? Sitting on his hands waiting for the story to resolve?
Scorsese fails to build the tension in certain (almost photo-copied but without the flair) key scenes, and it seems to me that so many details went underdeveloped.
This film reminds me of what's wrong with American consumers: Americans are constantly satisfied with less. It's what we get for eating donuts and drinking beer compared with pastries and wine. Eat an entire "death by chocolate" cake and it will still never be as satisfying as one Godiva chocolate. Someone fooled Americans into thinking that more language and violence makes a movie better. The gross decadence and low expectations of Americans are precisely why so many so-called blockbusters these days suck.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Book Review - A Woman In Berlin
They say that history is written by the conquerors. In "A Woman In Berlin", one of the conquered reveals that she too, has a voice in history.
This short memoir documents 8 weeks in 1945 during and after the fall of Berlin to Allied forces. The author, Anonymous, documents in detail the conditions of Berlin's populace, the mass looting, and mass rape that occured. Even if we did not know Anonymous was an educated, well-traveled journalist, one can tell from her writing alone that she was intelligent as well as observant. While she insisted on staying anonymous for the publication of her book, her voice has become the voice of thousands of women. She is a survivor in every way, and remains hopeful to the end of her memoir. Even when her sweetheart rejects her diary and leaves her to join others who might be more sympathetic to him, she still remarks, "perhaps in the future we might be brought together again."
Recommended for history buffs and women everywhere.
This short memoir documents 8 weeks in 1945 during and after the fall of Berlin to Allied forces. The author, Anonymous, documents in detail the conditions of Berlin's populace, the mass looting, and mass rape that occured. Even if we did not know Anonymous was an educated, well-traveled journalist, one can tell from her writing alone that she was intelligent as well as observant. While she insisted on staying anonymous for the publication of her book, her voice has become the voice of thousands of women. She is a survivor in every way, and remains hopeful to the end of her memoir. Even when her sweetheart rejects her diary and leaves her to join others who might be more sympathetic to him, she still remarks, "perhaps in the future we might be brought together again."
Recommended for history buffs and women everywhere.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Borg Attachments and Casino Royale
To comply with Arnold's new law before I absolutely have to, I ran out and got a Motorola H500 yesterday (a pink one! But only because they don't come in Digger Green). I must say I like it. Plus I discovered that my phone doesn't require me to set-up any voice recognition software (it "reads" the name I've put into my contact list and calls the number associated with it) so I can make calls without fiddling with my phone.
However, I'm weird about how my contacts are listed. Instead ofby [first name], my contact list is [last name], [first name]. The price I pay for organization.
A professor used to joke that cell phones were "Borg attachments". I guess I've really joined the collective now.
Speaking of shiny tech gadgets, I'm very excited for the new Casino Royale movie (releases November 17). I grew up watching Sean Connery and Roger Moore Bond movies, and enjoyed GoldenEye when it released, but the other Pierce Brosnan Bond movies seem to have turned Bond into a womanizing, chauvinistic jerk. Or maybe that's who the character always was, and the Brosnan Bond movies released when I was just finding all of that out.
The same professor who joked about the "Borg attachments" also told me once that Fleming's novels were actually quite good (and I trust this professor's literary taste), and apparently Casino Royale is the first Bond flick since 1989 to be based on Fleming's work. That inspires hope for the masses.
I wasn't really impressed with Daniel Craig as Bond until I saw the trailer the other day. I think he's going to bring cold professionalism to the role, as well as drop the campy chauvinist. He's not sarcastic and disillusioned like Pierce Brosnan's Bond.
However, I'm weird about how my contacts are listed. Instead of
A professor used to joke that cell phones were "Borg attachments". I guess I've really joined the collective now.
Speaking of shiny tech gadgets, I'm very excited for the new Casino Royale movie (releases November 17). I grew up watching Sean Connery and Roger Moore Bond movies, and enjoyed GoldenEye when it released, but the other Pierce Brosnan Bond movies seem to have turned Bond into a womanizing, chauvinistic jerk. Or maybe that's who the character always was, and the Brosnan Bond movies released when I was just finding all of that out.
The same professor who joked about the "Borg attachments" also told me once that Fleming's novels were actually quite good (and I trust this professor's literary taste), and apparently Casino Royale is the first Bond flick since 1989 to be based on Fleming's work. That inspires hope for the masses.
I wasn't really impressed with Daniel Craig as Bond until I saw the trailer the other day. I think he's going to bring cold professionalism to the role, as well as drop the campy chauvinist. He's not sarcastic and disillusioned like Pierce Brosnan's Bond.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Movie Review: Flags Of Our Fathers
I went to Flags Of Our Fathers this weekend, at the cushy new Del Amo 18 Cinema. I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which I feel can base a lot of its "goodness" on Clint Eastwood's direction and score. Or rather we can just say that Clint is "'da Man" and leave it at that.
As a war film, Flags of Our Fathers doesn't glamorize or try to sell the idea of war as being good for the human race. While anti-war is a common theme in war films, Flags of Our Fathers also sympathizes with the Marine-on-the-ground, and reveres the good Marine who served in silence. Rarely does one see a movie that gives you both.
While there is one very funny practical joke that Mike Strank (played by Barry Pepper, of Saving Private Ryan fame - he makes a much better Marine) plays on a one unsuspecting fellow Marine, most of the humor comes from Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) irony and sarcasm at glorifying the simple job of doing what the flag-raisers were told, when "uncommon valor was a common virtue" at Iwo. I must also add that Adam Beach does a fantastic job as Ira Hayes, who was wracked with guilt that credit wasn't given to flag-raiser Harlon Block until after the bond drive and excitement over the flag-raising was over, and the fact a Marine he revered, Mike Strank, did not survive the battle.
A thumbs-up to Neal McDonough (who plays Captain Severence) as well. I've been a fan of his since seeing Band of Brothers.
Casting was wonderfully done, with actors looking like their real-life counterparts. I also really liked the cinematography in the film, with the color being almost washed out of the scenes from the battle.
While almost cliched, a creative shot that was particularly disturbing was a dessert (ice cream, baked alaska, meringue, ?) depicting the flag raisers being topped with a dark red strawberry sauce.
While some may say the film is hopelessly one-sided, I think the film does a great job within the scope of the story it tells - it's about the flag-raising and the aftermath thereof, and not the battle itself. Also, Clint Eastwood directed a second film, back-to-back with Flags of Our Fathers, regarding the Japanese version of the battle, entitled Letters from Iwo Jima (also Red Sun, Black Sand). You can see a combined Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima trailer here. From the rumors, it looks like the movie will be in Japanese with English subtitles (Didn't I tell you that Eastwood was 'da Man?) and the source material is from letters the Japanese soldiers wrote home from Iwo. Expect that one next year.
As a war film, Flags of Our Fathers doesn't glamorize or try to sell the idea of war as being good for the human race. While anti-war is a common theme in war films, Flags of Our Fathers also sympathizes with the Marine-on-the-ground, and reveres the good Marine who served in silence. Rarely does one see a movie that gives you both.
While there is one very funny practical joke that Mike Strank (played by Barry Pepper, of Saving Private Ryan fame - he makes a much better Marine) plays on a one unsuspecting fellow Marine, most of the humor comes from Ira Hayes (Adam Beach) irony and sarcasm at glorifying the simple job of doing what the flag-raisers were told, when "uncommon valor was a common virtue" at Iwo. I must also add that Adam Beach does a fantastic job as Ira Hayes, who was wracked with guilt that credit wasn't given to flag-raiser Harlon Block until after the bond drive and excitement over the flag-raising was over, and the fact a Marine he revered, Mike Strank, did not survive the battle.
A thumbs-up to Neal McDonough (who plays Captain Severence) as well. I've been a fan of his since seeing Band of Brothers.
Casting was wonderfully done, with actors looking like their real-life counterparts. I also really liked the cinematography in the film, with the color being almost washed out of the scenes from the battle.
While almost cliched, a creative shot that was particularly disturbing was a dessert (ice cream, baked alaska, meringue, ?) depicting the flag raisers being topped with a dark red strawberry sauce.
While some may say the film is hopelessly one-sided, I think the film does a great job within the scope of the story it tells - it's about the flag-raising and the aftermath thereof, and not the battle itself. Also, Clint Eastwood directed a second film, back-to-back with Flags of Our Fathers, regarding the Japanese version of the battle, entitled Letters from Iwo Jima (also Red Sun, Black Sand). You can see a combined Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima trailer here. From the rumors, it looks like the movie will be in Japanese with English subtitles (Didn't I tell you that Eastwood was 'da Man?) and the source material is from letters the Japanese soldiers wrote home from Iwo. Expect that one next year.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Airline Honesty
Sitting backward actually would be kind of cool. Maybe we could get those cool olive drab green helmets and suspender-looking seatbelts too? Or maybe I'm just partial to anything that's in olive drab and canvas.
Of course, they wouldn't be able to let fat people on the planes anymore. And in our litigious society, that would be a disaster.
From the Leaders section of the Economist:
“GOOD morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to welcome you aboard Veritas Airways, the airline that tells it like it is. Please ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray-table is stowed. At Veritas Airways, your safety is our first priority. Actually, that is not quite true: if it were, our seats would be rear-facing, like those in military aircraft, since they are safer in the event of an emergency landing. But then hardly anybody would buy our tickets and we would go bust.
The flight attendants are now pointing out the emergency exits. This is the part of the announcement that you might want to pay attention to. So stop your sudoku for a minute and listen: knowing in advance where the exits are makes a dramatic difference to your chances of survival if we have to evacuate the aircraft. Also, please keep your seat belt fastened when seated, even if the seat-belt light is not illuminated. This is to protect you from the risk of clear-air turbulence, a rare but extremely nasty form of disturbance that can cause severe injury. Imagine the heavy food trolleys jumping into the air and bashing into the overhead lockers, and you will have some idea of how nasty it can be. We don't want to scare you. Still, keep that seat belt fastened all the same.
Your life-jacket can be found under your seat, but please do not remove it now. In fact, do not bother to look for it at all. In the event of a landing on water, an unprecedented miracle will have occurred, because in the history of aviation the number of wide-bodied aircraft that have made successful landings on water is zero. This aircraft is equipped with inflatable slides that detach to form life rafts, not that it makes any difference. Please remove high-heeled shoes before using the slides. We might as well add that space helmets and anti-gravity belts should also be removed, since even to mention the use of the slides as rafts is to enter the realm of science fiction.
Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft's navigation systems. At least, that's what you've always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn't sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it. We will have to come clean about this next year, when we introduce in-flight calling across the Veritas fleet. At that point the prospect of taking a cut of the sky-high calling charges will miraculously cause our safety concerns about mobile phones to evaporate.
On channel 11 of our in-flight entertainment system you will find a video consisting of abstract imagery and a new-age soundtrack, with a voice-over explaining some exercises you can do to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis. We are aware that this video is tedious, but it is not meant to be fun. It is meant to limit our liability in the event of lawsuits.
Once we have reached cruising altitude you will be offered a light meal and a choice of beverages—a word that sounds so much better than just saying ‘drinks’, don't you think? The purpose of these refreshments is partly to keep you in your seats where you cannot do yourselves or anyone else any harm. Please consume alcohol in moderate quantities so that you become mildly sedated but not rowdy. That said, we can always turn the cabin air-quality down a notch or two to help ensure that you are sufficiently drowsy.
After take-off, the most dangerous part of the flight, the captain will say a few words that will either be so quiet that you will not be able to hear them, or so loud that they could wake the dead. So please sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. We appreciate that you have a choice of airlines and we thank you for choosing Veritas, a member of an incomprehensible alliance of obscure foreign outfits, most of which you have never heard of. Cabin crew, please make sure we have remembered to close the doors. Sorry, I mean: ‘Doors to automatic and cross-check’. Thank you for flying Veritas.”
Post script: I just learned that TSA stands for "Thousands Standing Around".
Of course, they wouldn't be able to let fat people on the planes anymore. And in our litigious society, that would be a disaster.
From the Leaders section of the Economist:
“GOOD morning, ladies and gentlemen. We are delighted to welcome you aboard Veritas Airways, the airline that tells it like it is. Please ensure that your seat belt is fastened, your seat back is upright and your tray-table is stowed. At Veritas Airways, your safety is our first priority. Actually, that is not quite true: if it were, our seats would be rear-facing, like those in military aircraft, since they are safer in the event of an emergency landing. But then hardly anybody would buy our tickets and we would go bust.
The flight attendants are now pointing out the emergency exits. This is the part of the announcement that you might want to pay attention to. So stop your sudoku for a minute and listen: knowing in advance where the exits are makes a dramatic difference to your chances of survival if we have to evacuate the aircraft. Also, please keep your seat belt fastened when seated, even if the seat-belt light is not illuminated. This is to protect you from the risk of clear-air turbulence, a rare but extremely nasty form of disturbance that can cause severe injury. Imagine the heavy food trolleys jumping into the air and bashing into the overhead lockers, and you will have some idea of how nasty it can be. We don't want to scare you. Still, keep that seat belt fastened all the same.
Your life-jacket can be found under your seat, but please do not remove it now. In fact, do not bother to look for it at all. In the event of a landing on water, an unprecedented miracle will have occurred, because in the history of aviation the number of wide-bodied aircraft that have made successful landings on water is zero. This aircraft is equipped with inflatable slides that detach to form life rafts, not that it makes any difference. Please remove high-heeled shoes before using the slides. We might as well add that space helmets and anti-gravity belts should also be removed, since even to mention the use of the slides as rafts is to enter the realm of science fiction.
Please switch off all mobile phones, since they can interfere with the aircraft's navigation systems. At least, that's what you've always been told. The real reason to switch them off is because they interfere with mobile networks on the ground, but somehow that doesn't sound quite so good. On most flights a few mobile phones are left on by mistake, so if they were really dangerous we would not allow them on board at all, if you think about it. We will have to come clean about this next year, when we introduce in-flight calling across the Veritas fleet. At that point the prospect of taking a cut of the sky-high calling charges will miraculously cause our safety concerns about mobile phones to evaporate.
On channel 11 of our in-flight entertainment system you will find a video consisting of abstract imagery and a new-age soundtrack, with a voice-over explaining some exercises you can do to reduce the risk of deep-vein thrombosis. We are aware that this video is tedious, but it is not meant to be fun. It is meant to limit our liability in the event of lawsuits.
Once we have reached cruising altitude you will be offered a light meal and a choice of beverages—a word that sounds so much better than just saying ‘drinks’, don't you think? The purpose of these refreshments is partly to keep you in your seats where you cannot do yourselves or anyone else any harm. Please consume alcohol in moderate quantities so that you become mildly sedated but not rowdy. That said, we can always turn the cabin air-quality down a notch or two to help ensure that you are sufficiently drowsy.
After take-off, the most dangerous part of the flight, the captain will say a few words that will either be so quiet that you will not be able to hear them, or so loud that they could wake the dead. So please sit back, relax and enjoy the flight. We appreciate that you have a choice of airlines and we thank you for choosing Veritas, a member of an incomprehensible alliance of obscure foreign outfits, most of which you have never heard of. Cabin crew, please make sure we have remembered to close the doors. Sorry, I mean: ‘Doors to automatic and cross-check’. Thank you for flying Veritas.”
Post script: I just learned that TSA stands for "Thousands Standing Around".
Best Of All - It's Pink!
When I moved, my mom mentioned she didn't have a vacuum at the house in Idaho. What's that? Sure! I don't need a vacuum! Take mine!
So I was stuck without a vacuum, which I suppose is all right until the floor starts to feel yucky.
I went to Target yesterday to buy a new vacuum. I just wanted to get something that wasn't going to be too expensive that would last me a couple years.
But Target sells Dysons.
Of course, I have seen the commercials with the British guy. "The only vacuum cleaner that doesn't lose suction." I even had a pamphlet that told me all about it.
But they're pricey. You have to really want a vacuum.
I was standing at the back of the store, trying to decide if I should really spring that much money for a vacuum, when I saw it. A pink one. $40 goes to breast cancer research. I thought, "well, why not? $40 going to a good cause, I can justify spending that much for a vacuum cleaner." Talk about great marketing. A girl will buy almost anything if it's pink.
When I got to the checkout stand it was about $80 less than what I thought it was going to be. Yay!
Putting it together was a bit of a challenge, and I haven't used it yet (I know!), but I have high hopes.
Now you know what I'll be doing in my apartment tonight.
So I was stuck without a vacuum, which I suppose is all right until the floor starts to feel yucky.
I went to Target yesterday to buy a new vacuum. I just wanted to get something that wasn't going to be too expensive that would last me a couple years.
But Target sells Dysons.
Of course, I have seen the commercials with the British guy. "The only vacuum cleaner that doesn't lose suction." I even had a pamphlet that told me all about it.
But they're pricey. You have to really want a vacuum.
I was standing at the back of the store, trying to decide if I should really spring that much money for a vacuum, when I saw it. A pink one. $40 goes to breast cancer research. I thought, "well, why not? $40 going to a good cause, I can justify spending that much for a vacuum cleaner." Talk about great marketing. A girl will buy almost anything if it's pink.
When I got to the checkout stand it was about $80 less than what I thought it was going to be. Yay!
Putting it together was a bit of a challenge, and I haven't used it yet (I know!), but I have high hopes.
Now you know what I'll be doing in my apartment tonight.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Church & State
Church & State, like beer & tequila, should never, ever mix.
Romney camp consulted with Mormon leaders
I guess the big fear that most people have regarding political candidates who belong to organized, hierarchical religions is the idea that the candidate's leadership would be tainted by the leader of their religion. Wasn't that the fear when Kennedy ran for president? That the pope would use Kennedy to promote the Catholic faith?
My big fear is not necessarily a mormon becoming president, but the repercussions in Utah of a mormon becoming president. An already warped and wacky place will become even more warped and wacky when they have an LDS president to gloat about.
Romney camp consulted with Mormon leaders
I guess the big fear that most people have regarding political candidates who belong to organized, hierarchical religions is the idea that the candidate's leadership would be tainted by the leader of their religion. Wasn't that the fear when Kennedy ran for president? That the pope would use Kennedy to promote the Catholic faith?
My big fear is not necessarily a mormon becoming president, but the repercussions in Utah of a mormon becoming president. An already warped and wacky place will become even more warped and wacky when they have an LDS president to gloat about.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Nicknames
The fellow who lives in the office next to me calls me "Montana", which is amusing because we all wear badges with our names and smiling faces on them, and I'm not a Montana native. I guess you just reach out to something that identifies the person and go with that. If we named people by where they've been, my office roomie would be called "U.S.C." and my office roomie who moved would be called "Minnesota".
Or maybe "Montana" has a wild, romantic sound to it that other place names don't. At least I'd like to think so.
Or maybe "Montana" has a wild, romantic sound to it that other place names don't. At least I'd like to think so.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Boots On The Ground
Iraq 1
Iraq 2
Marines In Fallujah
I was wandering on YouTube and found a couple (a lot, actually. I'm just posting a couple for brevity) of videos that have, uh, wartime footage not sponsored by CNN or FoxNews.
Looking at a couple comments on these videos, there's a lot of hate and general misunderstanding regarding them. I have not been there, and I don't know what war feels like. But I do know a couple people who have spent some time over there, and I do believe (from what they've told me) it's the closest thing to Hell on Earth someone can experience in this day and age.
These guys don't care about the politics of the situation. They care about getting home. They care about their brother next to them. They care about killing insurgents, because if they don't the insurgents will kill them.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about this recently. I think in a lot of ways this war is more complicated than what the average American thinks. I think that yes, war is not a good thing. I also think that now the U.S. has dug itself into this situation that we need to throw all the resources we can into stopping the insurgency and stabilizing Iraq so these guys can come home. Because believe it or not, the United States has a responsibility to Iraq to finish what we started.
Iraq 2
Marines In Fallujah
I was wandering on YouTube and found a couple (a lot, actually. I'm just posting a couple for brevity) of videos that have, uh, wartime footage not sponsored by CNN or FoxNews.
Looking at a couple comments on these videos, there's a lot of hate and general misunderstanding regarding them. I have not been there, and I don't know what war feels like. But I do know a couple people who have spent some time over there, and I do believe (from what they've told me) it's the closest thing to Hell on Earth someone can experience in this day and age.
These guys don't care about the politics of the situation. They care about getting home. They care about their brother next to them. They care about killing insurgents, because if they don't the insurgents will kill them.
I've spent a lot of time thinking about this recently. I think in a lot of ways this war is more complicated than what the average American thinks. I think that yes, war is not a good thing. I also think that now the U.S. has dug itself into this situation that we need to throw all the resources we can into stopping the insurgency and stabilizing Iraq so these guys can come home. Because believe it or not, the United States has a responsibility to Iraq to finish what we started.
What is Beauty?
The Evolution of Beauty
There is a Photoshop how-to book on plastic surgery I browsed through once. How to make eyes bigger, how to make eyelashes longer, skin clearer/darker/lighter/etc., how to make breasts bigger and waists smaller. How to give someone six-pack abs.
My cousin had a friend who was getting married and sent one of those invitations that included a photo of the happy couple. My cousin's sister (who is also my cousin, incidentally) mentioned that the bride-to-be was pretty. When I looked at the photo, I saw a too-thin girl with a long nose. A girl wearing eye makeup that didn't suit her, a girl whose smile was contrived and unnatural. The girl wasn't ugly, but I didn't think "pretty" would have been the right word to describe her.
Perhaps my standard of beauty is different from my cousin's, and I am by no means a judge of beauty, but it seemed strange to me to call the bride-to-be "pretty".
For some reason I tend to tie (or at least try to) personality to physical attractiveness. There are some relatively physically attractive people in the world who are selfish, who hate. People who aren't kind. And that reason alone keeps them from being beautiful in my eyes.
There is a Photoshop how-to book on plastic surgery I browsed through once. How to make eyes bigger, how to make eyelashes longer, skin clearer/darker/lighter/etc., how to make breasts bigger and waists smaller. How to give someone six-pack abs.
My cousin had a friend who was getting married and sent one of those invitations that included a photo of the happy couple. My cousin's sister (who is also my cousin, incidentally) mentioned that the bride-to-be was pretty. When I looked at the photo, I saw a too-thin girl with a long nose. A girl wearing eye makeup that didn't suit her, a girl whose smile was contrived and unnatural. The girl wasn't ugly, but I didn't think "pretty" would have been the right word to describe her.
Perhaps my standard of beauty is different from my cousin's, and I am by no means a judge of beauty, but it seemed strange to me to call the bride-to-be "pretty".
For some reason I tend to tie (or at least try to) personality to physical attractiveness. There are some relatively physically attractive people in the world who are selfish, who hate. People who aren't kind. And that reason alone keeps them from being beautiful in my eyes.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Blog Addiction
It's relatively easy to get addicted to reading others' blogs.
While most blogs are sappy, not intellectually nutritional, and/or unreadable, there are still lots of good blogs out there.
One of my new friends is an Iraq War veteran, and I was looking into what the World of Blogs had in store by way of people in Iraq.
This is what I came up with.
Today In Iraq
Baghdad Burning
Sgt Hook
Boots In Baghdad
A Day In Iraq
There's lots of other good stuff out there, too, but this is what I found on short notice and appeared to be worthwhile to read.
Now I want to pick up a copy of Blog of War.
While most blogs are sappy, not intellectually nutritional, and/or unreadable, there are still lots of good blogs out there.
One of my new friends is an Iraq War veteran, and I was looking into what the World of Blogs had in store by way of people in Iraq.
This is what I came up with.
Today In Iraq
Baghdad Burning
Sgt Hook
Boots In Baghdad
A Day In Iraq
There's lots of other good stuff out there, too, but this is what I found on short notice and appeared to be worthwhile to read.
Now I want to pick up a copy of Blog of War.
Daily Adventure - Bubble Tea!
When I found out I was moving to California I told everyone the first thing I would do is get myself some Bubble Tea.
Turns out that "first thing" takes a month for me to accomplish!
I ended up going to BobaLoca on the corner of Sepulveda and Crenshaw because Boba Paradise on the corner of Crenshaw and PCH had a "B" food service rating (and I was told to never, ever go to a place that had anything less than an "A"). I must also add that BobaFind isn't completely accurate; there is no Lollicup on Crenshaw (unless it's hidden near Izakaya Yuzen Kan, which is completely possible because I *have* driven past a Home Depot here before and not know it).
I must say I was very happy with my large cup of Bubble Milk Tea with chewy boba in it. Unfortunately they don't have Passionfruit juice, which next to milk tea is my favorite beverage to have floaties in.
Maybe I'll have to go on another quest to find the Passionfruit Juice. Unfortunately West L.A. is where the closest Volcano Tea is located, which is just too far for me. Maybe I'll have to explore the shopping center Izakaya Yuzen Kan is located and hope that Lollicup will magically appear and satisfy my exotic juice craving.
Note: Also check out FuRaiBo on Redondo Beach Blvd. in Gardena. Excellent fried chicken there.
Turns out that "first thing" takes a month for me to accomplish!
I ended up going to BobaLoca on the corner of Sepulveda and Crenshaw because Boba Paradise on the corner of Crenshaw and PCH had a "B" food service rating (and I was told to never, ever go to a place that had anything less than an "A"). I must also add that BobaFind isn't completely accurate; there is no Lollicup on Crenshaw (unless it's hidden near Izakaya Yuzen Kan, which is completely possible because I *have* driven past a Home Depot here before and not know it).
I must say I was very happy with my large cup of Bubble Milk Tea with chewy boba in it. Unfortunately they don't have Passionfruit juice, which next to milk tea is my favorite beverage to have floaties in.
Maybe I'll have to go on another quest to find the Passionfruit Juice. Unfortunately West L.A. is where the closest Volcano Tea is located, which is just too far for me. Maybe I'll have to explore the shopping center Izakaya Yuzen Kan is located and hope that Lollicup will magically appear and satisfy my exotic juice craving.
Note: Also check out FuRaiBo on Redondo Beach Blvd. in Gardena. Excellent fried chicken there.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
On Being Ex-Mormon & Relationships
Sometimes I feel out-of-touch with the ex-mormon community, because I was never as indoctrinated as most of those who post on the Recovery from Mormonism bulletin board or because I don't necessarily have something "mormon" to discuss.
We can never escape where we've been, or who we are or who we have been.
Most of the time, the fact that I am an ex-mormon doesn't show up in my daily life. I wake up (early!), miss taking a decent breakfast, commute to work, work, commute back home, and then do whatever it is I do that takes up the rest of the day. No one needs to be ex-mormon to do what I do every day. I hope that some day there are no more ex-mormons, because what that religion does to people is an ugly thing and I do believe it would be a good thing if someday there is no such thing as Temple Square in Salt Lake City; no theocracy in Utah and no more black-suited missionaries on the streets of the world. That world doesn't exist today, but I can hope.
Sometimes, however, the fact that I spent a critical part of my youth in Utah does appear, and I have to deal with the quirkiness of that. Most of this quirkiness deals with mormon gender roles and mormon stereotypes regarding women being dissonant with the type of person I am, the type of person my parents raised me to be. I've (possibly not single-handedly) ruined more than one relationship because of LDS-cultural expectations of women, and I've possibly alienated a lot of my LDS friends because of my opinions regarding their religion.
Please don't misunderstand me; I respect choice of religion and I respect my friends. I don't respect a religion. I don't tie the two together, which many LDS adherents seem to do.
Sometimes I have to bite my tongue when I'm with my LDS relatives when they say something like "polygamy isn't practiced today the way Joe Smith envisioned it to."
I alienate old LDS friends, too, when I say something that's culturally "not right" to them. For example, I've been chatting with an old high school friend online for the past week or so. He's recently married, and was expounding the joys of being married and telling me that I needed to get married. After getting more than slightly irritated, I said, "I'm young, I'm happy with my career and my life, why do I need to get married now rather than later?"
My friend said, "Kids". I responded, "Hmm. Kids? I only want two. Even if I got married at 30 (I'm 23 now - an old maid by LDS standards) I would have enough time."
To this my friend said nothing.
A related conversation with this same person revealed that his wife is expecting a child, and he was feeling insecure about his abilities as a father. When I asked for the due date, let's say it was about eight-and-a-half months from the wedding date. I said to my friend, "I know this is really absolutely none of my business, but the math doesn't seem right." He said, "I know, it's a honeymoon baby; we were planning to wait two years but plans change."
From this additional conversation and similar conversations with a couple other (female) LDS friends, it seems to me that birth-control/sexual education is non-existent in Utah (or at least in the school district I attended). The attitude seems to be, "we had sex, and oops! Now we're going to have a baby." It's like someone took the plus sign from 2+2=4. Hello?!? Did you *think* to use some B.C.? There's no logic or responsibility.
I definitely am not against marriage, I think marriage between the right people is a beautiful thing. I think little ones (kids) are wonderful. But I also think that I'm not ready to be a wife or a parent. I want to be the best mom I can be when I have kids, and I can't offer kids that right now. Why should I have kids if I can't give them the best person, the best mom that I can aspire to be?
We can never escape where we've been, or who we are or who we have been.
Most of the time, the fact that I am an ex-mormon doesn't show up in my daily life. I wake up (early!), miss taking a decent breakfast, commute to work, work, commute back home, and then do whatever it is I do that takes up the rest of the day. No one needs to be ex-mormon to do what I do every day. I hope that some day there are no more ex-mormons, because what that religion does to people is an ugly thing and I do believe it would be a good thing if someday there is no such thing as Temple Square in Salt Lake City; no theocracy in Utah and no more black-suited missionaries on the streets of the world. That world doesn't exist today, but I can hope.
Sometimes, however, the fact that I spent a critical part of my youth in Utah does appear, and I have to deal with the quirkiness of that. Most of this quirkiness deals with mormon gender roles and mormon stereotypes regarding women being dissonant with the type of person I am, the type of person my parents raised me to be. I've (possibly not single-handedly) ruined more than one relationship because of LDS-cultural expectations of women, and I've possibly alienated a lot of my LDS friends because of my opinions regarding their religion.
Please don't misunderstand me; I respect choice of religion and I respect my friends. I don't respect a religion. I don't tie the two together, which many LDS adherents seem to do.
Sometimes I have to bite my tongue when I'm with my LDS relatives when they say something like "polygamy isn't practiced today the way Joe Smith envisioned it to."
I alienate old LDS friends, too, when I say something that's culturally "not right" to them. For example, I've been chatting with an old high school friend online for the past week or so. He's recently married, and was expounding the joys of being married and telling me that I needed to get married. After getting more than slightly irritated, I said, "I'm young, I'm happy with my career and my life, why do I need to get married now rather than later?"
My friend said, "Kids". I responded, "Hmm. Kids? I only want two. Even if I got married at 30 (I'm 23 now - an old maid by LDS standards) I would have enough time."
To this my friend said nothing.
A related conversation with this same person revealed that his wife is expecting a child, and he was feeling insecure about his abilities as a father. When I asked for the due date, let's say it was about eight-and-a-half months from the wedding date. I said to my friend, "I know this is really absolutely none of my business, but the math doesn't seem right." He said, "I know, it's a honeymoon baby; we were planning to wait two years but plans change."
From this additional conversation and similar conversations with a couple other (female) LDS friends, it seems to me that birth-control/sexual education is non-existent in Utah (or at least in the school district I attended). The attitude seems to be, "we had sex, and oops! Now we're going to have a baby." It's like someone took the plus sign from 2+2=4. Hello?!? Did you *think* to use some B.C.? There's no logic or responsibility.
I definitely am not against marriage, I think marriage between the right people is a beautiful thing. I think little ones (kids) are wonderful. But I also think that I'm not ready to be a wife or a parent. I want to be the best mom I can be when I have kids, and I can't offer kids that right now. Why should I have kids if I can't give them the best person, the best mom that I can aspire to be?
Movie Review - Chungking Express
I bought this movie off of YesAsia because I wanted to see something else that had Takeshi Kaneshiro in it. I usually don't purchase stuff "blind", but I really liked Takeshi in House of Flying Daggers (even though the movie wasn't that great) and everything on the internet seemed to point to Chungking Express as a good start to the rest of his filmography.
The copy I bought was a VCD copy, because it was the only "Chinese" copy with English subtitles I could find (according to the edition notes on YesAsia) and wasn't the Quentin Tarantino version. I ended up buying the Quentin Tarantino version at Barnes & Noble last weekend because it was in widescreen and all on one disc (the VCD version is on two discs). I haven't watched the DVD copy through all the way, but there are some translation differences that I'm somewhat disappointed in, most notably in Cop 223's password to his message service: it's "Undying Love" on the DVD, and "Loving You For 10,000 Years" on the VCD. For some reason, "Loving You For 10,000 Years" sounds more appropriate. You'll understand if you've seen the movie. I think the Quentin Tarantino DVD also uses a slightly different cut of the movie, which bothers me. Maybe one of these days I'll get really good in Mandarin and Cantonese that I can watch the movie without subtitles so I can buy a "Chinese" DVD version of the film. But then I'll have to get a Region 5 player, and that causes all sorts of other problems.
Strangly enough I held off watching the movie until after I moved; this was the first movie I watched in California. There's so much stuff I really liked in the movie that it'll take much too long to put it here (and probably ruin the movie). I realize the first part of the film may drag, but it does a great job at setting up the more memorable second part of the film.
There's an idea expressed in the second part of the film (and in the first, to an extent) that I really related to. Cop 663's girlfriend has left him, and he envisions his apartment as sharing the emotional loss with him. "You used to be so chubby!" he tells a thinning bar of soap. "You've lost a lot of weight; you need more self-confidence!"
Then Faye (played by Faye Wong) breaks into Cop 663's apartment and redecorates (among other things), which I believe encourages Cop 663 to get over his heartbreak and helps bring him and Faye together.
Hopefully I haven't given too much away. But I really like that Wong Kar-Wai has expressed this concept - that our surroundings are a reflection of what we are going through internally - so well. There's a lot of hope in this movie, and a lot of hope for refinding lost love. It's beautiful.
There's also the cliched "isolation in the city" theme working here, but it's not too bad to deal with. This is a movie to rewatch just for the little gems of interesting stuff to see and think about. I really like the handheld camera shots, especially when they're choppy (probably just a low shutter speed).
To summarize, I'd recommend finding a copy that Quentin Tarantino didn't touch, although his DVD isn't necessarily bad. The translation differences do bug me, though. It's not that expensive to get a "real" copy from YesAsia, and I think the extra trouble is worth the effort. Watch this on a lonely rainy night with lots of popcorn.
The copy I bought was a VCD copy, because it was the only "Chinese" copy with English subtitles I could find (according to the edition notes on YesAsia) and wasn't the Quentin Tarantino version. I ended up buying the Quentin Tarantino version at Barnes & Noble last weekend because it was in widescreen and all on one disc (the VCD version is on two discs). I haven't watched the DVD copy through all the way, but there are some translation differences that I'm somewhat disappointed in, most notably in Cop 223's password to his message service: it's "Undying Love" on the DVD, and "Loving You For 10,000 Years" on the VCD. For some reason, "Loving You For 10,000 Years" sounds more appropriate. You'll understand if you've seen the movie. I think the Quentin Tarantino DVD also uses a slightly different cut of the movie, which bothers me. Maybe one of these days I'll get really good in Mandarin and Cantonese that I can watch the movie without subtitles so I can buy a "Chinese" DVD version of the film. But then I'll have to get a Region 5 player, and that causes all sorts of other problems.
Strangly enough I held off watching the movie until after I moved; this was the first movie I watched in California. There's so much stuff I really liked in the movie that it'll take much too long to put it here (and probably ruin the movie). I realize the first part of the film may drag, but it does a great job at setting up the more memorable second part of the film.
There's an idea expressed in the second part of the film (and in the first, to an extent) that I really related to. Cop 663's girlfriend has left him, and he envisions his apartment as sharing the emotional loss with him. "You used to be so chubby!" he tells a thinning bar of soap. "You've lost a lot of weight; you need more self-confidence!"
Then Faye (played by Faye Wong) breaks into Cop 663's apartment and redecorates (among other things), which I believe encourages Cop 663 to get over his heartbreak and helps bring him and Faye together.
Hopefully I haven't given too much away. But I really like that Wong Kar-Wai has expressed this concept - that our surroundings are a reflection of what we are going through internally - so well. There's a lot of hope in this movie, and a lot of hope for refinding lost love. It's beautiful.
There's also the cliched "isolation in the city" theme working here, but it's not too bad to deal with. This is a movie to rewatch just for the little gems of interesting stuff to see and think about. I really like the handheld camera shots, especially when they're choppy (probably just a low shutter speed).
To summarize, I'd recommend finding a copy that Quentin Tarantino didn't touch, although his DVD isn't necessarily bad. The translation differences do bug me, though. It's not that expensive to get a "real" copy from YesAsia, and I think the extra trouble is worth the effort. Watch this on a lonely rainy night with lots of popcorn.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Interesting Nerdy Stuff
An aspiring computer scientist looked up the e-mail addresses of some influential minds in the business and asked them 10 questions. Here is his report.
I'm of the opinion that a strong background in math and problem-solving in general is really important in today's society. I know it sounds weird, but the more math you have, the more things make sense. I don't count economics.
Oh, yeah, and the ability to think for one's self. But I may be asking for too much.
I'm of the opinion that a strong background in math and problem-solving in general is really important in today's society. I know it sounds weird, but the more math you have, the more things make sense. I don't count economics.
Oh, yeah, and the ability to think for one's self. But I may be asking for too much.
Monday, October 09, 2006
Migrating
I recently migrated to Blogger beta, which has all sorts of interesting stuff like labels. Actually, labels were the only thing that really jumped out at me; I'm sure Blogger has all sorts of other functionality in beta besides the labels.
Anyway, I was adding labels to all of my older posts, and I noticed that a lot of my posts from late last year, and even some from early this year, showed a very unhappy person. Wow. I apologize.
When I started blogging the last thing I wanted to do was turn this into another one of those "woe is me" blogs.
I think now, today, I'm very happy. I've moved 1000 miles from where I started blogging (maybe we never can escape ourselves, though), and I've started the next great new chapter in my life. I've cleaned up emotionally, and hopefully I'll be able to write and contribute new and interesting things to this.
Anyway, I was adding labels to all of my older posts, and I noticed that a lot of my posts from late last year, and even some from early this year, showed a very unhappy person. Wow. I apologize.
When I started blogging the last thing I wanted to do was turn this into another one of those "woe is me" blogs.
I think now, today, I'm very happy. I've moved 1000 miles from where I started blogging (maybe we never can escape ourselves, though), and I've started the next great new chapter in my life. I've cleaned up emotionally, and hopefully I'll be able to write and contribute new and interesting things to this.
Can Anyone Identify This Photo?
I'm a big fan of photography, and have been wanting to start a collection of prints for some time. Not in any particular genre, just stuff that I like.
Anyway, I thought a particular photo of a Marine running along the beach on D-Day would be a nice companion piece to the Flag-Raising at Mt. Suribachi. Except I don't know who took the photograph, or even if it has a title.
Here is a link to a poster from the National WWII Museum. And here it is on the cover of Norman Mailer's "The Naked & The Dead". (which is a good, if not great book, btw)
Since my googling hasn't come up with anything, I thought maybe someone else might know. I tried looking on the back of my copy of the Mailer book, but no luck.
Anyway, I thought a particular photo of a Marine running along the beach on D-Day would be a nice companion piece to the Flag-Raising at Mt. Suribachi. Except I don't know who took the photograph, or even if it has a title.
Here is a link to a poster from the National WWII Museum. And here it is on the cover of Norman Mailer's "The Naked & The Dead". (which is a good, if not great book, btw)
Since my googling hasn't come up with anything, I thought maybe someone else might know. I tried looking on the back of my copy of the Mailer book, but no luck.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Traffic
One of the things I find incredible here is the traffic. Granted, L.A. is infamous for its bumper-to-bumper traffic on the 405. And yes, the drivers here will pull some insane stunts, for example, cutting across six lanes of heavy traffic to make their exit.
But I think there's also something beautiful about the traffic here, especially at night. An artery of red lights going one way, a vein of white going the other. Automobiles of every shape, size, age and color weaving between one another, flowing faster than the speed limit most of the time.
Do I trust this guy behind me to let me in this other lane? How soon should I start thinking about getting into the right lane for my exit? Should I signal? If I signal will he close the gap?
It's all very intricate, like dancing. Which reminds me I haven't elaborated on my tango lesson yet. I learned a lot that night, about dancing, about following, about trust, about relationships in general. One particular man was very helpful in teaching me some of these things.
"Lean on me," he whispers. "No, no, lean on me. That's better."
"Don't anticipate. If you anticipate it's like dancing by yourself."
"Perfect! That's perfect! You are going to be good."
What I find truly incredible is that, once you trust the fellow you're dancing with, it becomes much easier. He wants you to do "the ochos", he is going to twist your hips and hold you in a way that it's very simple to accomplish. Dancing becomes more fluid, more beautiful.
You never learn that in the movies.
But I think there's also something beautiful about the traffic here, especially at night. An artery of red lights going one way, a vein of white going the other. Automobiles of every shape, size, age and color weaving between one another, flowing faster than the speed limit most of the time.
Do I trust this guy behind me to let me in this other lane? How soon should I start thinking about getting into the right lane for my exit? Should I signal? If I signal will he close the gap?
It's all very intricate, like dancing. Which reminds me I haven't elaborated on my tango lesson yet. I learned a lot that night, about dancing, about following, about trust, about relationships in general. One particular man was very helpful in teaching me some of these things.
"Lean on me," he whispers. "No, no, lean on me. That's better."
"Don't anticipate. If you anticipate it's like dancing by yourself."
"Perfect! That's perfect! You are going to be good."
What I find truly incredible is that, once you trust the fellow you're dancing with, it becomes much easier. He wants you to do "the ochos", he is going to twist your hips and hold you in a way that it's very simple to accomplish. Dancing becomes more fluid, more beautiful.
You never learn that in the movies.
National Depression Screening Day
It's October 5th! If you're not feeling like "yourself", go get checked out! Especially if you have any (or multiple!) of these symptoms:
- Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood.
- Feelings of hopelessness, pessimism.
- Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, helplessness.
- Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed.
- Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down”.
- Difficulty concentrating, remembering, making decisions.
- Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping.
- Appetite and/or weight loss or overeating and weight gain.
- Thoughts of death or suicide; suicide attempts.
- Restlessness, irritability.
- Persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain.
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