Ramblings of the Eternally Bored

I am alive

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:34:50 GMT

Greetings from hell. Well, it just feels like hell. I haven't posted in a very long tine, so I thought I'd just drop a line to let people know I'm still kicking. I have been battling a cold/flu for what seems like months, and last week, it of course flared up to my usual bout of rockin pneumonia. It only hurts if I move or breathe, so I'll get by.. The whole family is sick, so I suspect the minute one of us starts to get better, the others will immediatly re-infect and we're stuck in a repeating cycle of fevers and phlegm.

On the plus side, the sickness has given me a lot of time to read. I finished the sixth book in the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy trilogy, and loved it. Eoin Colfer was the perfect choice to continue where Douglas Adams left off. Right now, I'm reading an advance copy of the new Stephen King. It's taking a while to get though it, much to the chagrin of my family. Lots of King fans want that book from me. :) From the 3/4 I've read so far, I love it.

Kids say the darndest things.

Sun, 06 Sep 2009 01:21:50 GMT

I went to the mall today to get some new clothes. Didn't find much. Surprise surprise. When I do a lot of walking, my back starts to act up. If I sit for moment, it seems to straighten itself out, and I'm good for awhile. The food court was freaking packed, so I didn't see a place there. I found a bench that had a couple of teen girls sitting on it. There was room on the end, so I asked if they minded if I sat for a minute. They seemed very polite, and didn't mind, and scooched over to make room. They look like the standard 14-16 year old girl.

When I sat down, they went back to their conversation. I was not eavesdropping, they were just talking loud like teen girls do. One of them asks all excitedly, "Ohmygod.. Did you see that video of the guy being fucked to death by the horse?!!!" I laughed, and when one of them turned I apologized. I said I wasn't listening in, but that's just not the sort of thing you're used to hearing in normal everyday conversation. They then all started telling me, in graphic detail, about the video. I was shocked that I haven't heard of it yet. They all agreed the video is gross, but on Youtube, there are tons of videos of peoples reactions when THEY watch the video for the first time. They are better, they said. That made me laugh and I mentioned that another disgusting video was on the internet a while back, and the youtube videos were hilarious. They all asked, pretty much at the same time, "Two Girls, One Cup?" LOL

I'm not a old fuddy duddy, but it was kind of shocking in a way that these very cute little girls, the types you'd expect to see probably in Student Council or something like that, are watching these sordid disgusting videos. Do parent's not monitor their kids internet activity? Or are the parents just cool with it? I just found it amusing. (don't seek out the video. There's some things yout are better off not seeing)

The Middleman DVD

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:54:47 GMT

I just got my DVD of the first (and only) season of The Middleman. I hope the DVD sells well enough that somebody realizes what a fun quirky show this is, and puts it back on the air. (I'm looking at you SyFy) It happened for The Family Guy. It happened for Futurama. Why not The Middleman? If any of you haven't seen it, (which I'm sure you haven't) it's a fun show that is kind of a cross between Men in Black, the cheesiness of Dr Who, and the weirdness of Pushing Daisies with a dash of some Howard Hawkes 40s screwball comedy thrown in. (lots of fast talking) By the time I found out about it, it was already cancelled. :(

Calming the urge to attack

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 00:12:34 GMT

I'm a pretty calm guy. I try to avoid violence and confrontations whenever I can. Today, it took all my willpower to stop myself from leaping off my porch and drop kicking someone in the face. I used to be friends with a couple. My ex girlfriend and I would hang out with them often. After we broke up, I kind of lost contact with them, as me ex was much closer to the wife then I was. I recently found out she passed a year ago. (the friend, not the ex) I was shocked and saddened. Today, her husband stopped by out of the blue. We were also friends, though I was friends with his wife for much longer.

I expressed my sympathy for her passing, telling him I only had heard about it recently. He thanked me, but then it started to get ugly quick. He kept referring to her as a stupid bitch for drinking herself to death. (liver problems) He was saying how much better off their daughter is without a mother that was always drunk. I was getting kind of pissed. This was my friend. And his wife! Shouldn't you show some respect? Anyway, then he said the following - "It's better off this way. We probably would have gotten divorced if she was still alive, so I'd be stuck paying alimony and child support. I'd be the victim in all of this" Holy crap. It took all of my energy not to just launch myself into this jackass. This is the mother of your child for farks sake! I thought it would be best to just remove myself from this situation, so I told him I had something in the oven, and had to head back in.. I didn't want to get into a verbal or physical situation.

Just had to vent.. I'm still gritting my teeth thinking about it, and thought I could blow off some steam here...

Still here

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 03:47:29 GMT

Hey everyone. Just popping in for a quick note. I have been neglectful of this journal for awhile. Just haven't had much to write about. I've been sort of blah for a while now. Not really depressed, just blah. The little time I spend on the internet, I'll pop onto to Facebook, maybe post a silly status message, and then retire back to my boring life. Figured I'd post something, just so nobody thought I was ill again or something. Recovery is going well. I still have some tenderness inside where there was scarring, but it's nothing serious.

Don't know if any of you are watching, but I just have to say TORCHWOOD ROCKED! That was a really well done episode. I can't wait until tomorrow to find out what happens next..

How quick it hits you

Sun, 07 Jun 2009 04:20:14 GMT

I've been dealing with my brothers death pretty well. I still think of him all the time. For example, I laminated one of the cards from his funeral and use it as a bookmark so every time I read something, I'll be reminded of him and our shard passion for books. My brother Steve on the other hand, he can't talk about Bill without getting choked up or breaking down. I've been passed that stage for awhile. Even this week, where Bill would have celebrated his 53rd birthday, it didn't get me full of sorrow. But those feelings sneak up on you when you least expect it. I was watching a documentary about the band Iron Maiden tonight. After they get offstage, they play Always Look on the Bright Side of Life from the Monty Python movie Life of Brian through the PA as the crowd leaves. The minute I heard the song start, i completely lost it. Not just simple crying, but the doubled over in a fetal position and sobbing sort of crying.

The song brought back so many memories of him. The first time I saw the movie was with him when I was quite young. It was a double feature with Blazing Saddles. (first time I saw that one as well) It's a song my brothers and I would sing many times over the years. It's amazing how something like that can uncork a well of emotions so quickly. I think of him when reading. I have some things of his I took from his house after his passing to remember him by. I can look at those every day without breaking down. I can listen to music I know he loves like Utopia or Peter Gabriel. It will remind me of him, but no tears. Who knows why, but that song just did it tonight. It felt good. Like I was bottling it up for awhile. I miss you brother.

Just ranting

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 18:33:52 GMT

I was so bored last night that I actually started to watch the new reality train wreck I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here... Goodness. Where to start. First off, the only reason I even put on this garbage was to see the wife of our former Governor. How badly would she come across? But any hopes of some much desired schadenfreude on her behalf, it was Heidi and Spencer who stole the show. What a couple of Grade A douchebags these two are. My lord. Now, I've never seen their show. I'm way out of the age bracket that would watch, but are they always so loathsome? Are they just playing it up for the shock value? Ick. I didn't see the whole show. The host mentioned the show would be live every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I have no intention of investing that much time into a show like this, so I immediately changed the channel. I spent too many days suckered into Big Brother, and I'm not about to get suckered into this one..

Speaking of being out of the age bracket for a show, I watched the MTV Movie Awards. With so many of awards going to movies involving Twilight, Hannah Montana, and High School Musical, it's clear that show has passed me by. It was fun to see Forest Whitaker singing Dick in a Box, and Eminem getting a face full of Bruno, but the rest of the show might as well had been on Nick.

I've been trying to find something interesting to read for awhile. While cleaning up my room, I came across Galilee by Clive Barker. I bought this years ago, and never even cracked the cover. I'm horrible at that. I buy a book I "must have now", and then by another, and the first one disappears in a pile somewhere. I'm only 50 or so pages into it, but I'm really digging it. It's a pretty healthy sized book. Have any of you read this? Does it keep going as well as it starts, or does it fizzle out, like some other Clive Barker book has been know to do? Luckily for me, the EP Library book sale is this weekend, so I get to load up on lots of books that I'll forget about buying, and I'll have something to read next year or two. ;)

Lastly, thank goodness Pushing Daisies is finally getting its last few episodes aired. I missed getting my Kristen Chenowith fix. They made up for the lengthy delay by having her sing Hello by Lionel Ritchie. Well worth the wait.

Post surgical madness

Mon, 18 May 2009 18:39:09 GMT

Hey all. Just popping in to say hello. Recovery is doing pretty well, though I'm a little concerned that the doctors took out my staples too soon. I won't get into the gory details, but the scar is a little gooey, and I need to keep it covered to keep from ruining my clothes. I have an appointment next Tuesday at the hospital for my surgeon to make sure all is progressing well. I think I'll take the bus this time. My parents drove last visit, and let's just say, it was a nightmare. They shouldn't drive anywhere outside the neighborhood.

I didn't really go into any details about my stay in the hospital in my last post. One event I find amusing, so I thought I'd post it here. When I finally went in for surgery, I remember clearly the cute German doctor talking to me when I was on the operating table. She kept telling me to take deep breaths. The next thing I remember, I was in a curtained area, and my hands are bound to the bed. I wake up kind of startled, and get agitated. The nurse comes in and asks how I'm feeling, and she explains they needed to restrain me because I came out of the anesthetic badly, and was disoriented, and kept trying to rip out all my tubes. She asked my name, and I still wasn't quite clear headed, so she let me rest a few.

I remember laying there, reading the posters on the wall. Trying to gauge what was going on. I was in the hospital, wasn't I? I remembered my enormous lump, and I was able to get a hard in the general area, and felt it was gone. I leaned forward trying to read my wristband. Mark Spencer. Hmm. I know who I am. The nurse walked by and I told her I was Mark Spencer, and I just had emergency hernia surgery. She smiled and said "Good. Now we can get you up to a room." The cute German Dr came by while I was waiting. She asked if I remembered anything from when I woke up. I did have some vague details, but it was all hazy. She laughed and told me that after surgery, when they moved me to the post-op area, I awoke suddenly and started trying to pull out my IV and monitors. I was ranting about how they were trying to steal my identity, and implant a new one from the internet. I was bound and determined to stop them. When she told me, it was like a fog lifting, and I could remember vague details about it. It was something to do with a Govt conspiracy with Monster.com, and they were all in on it. Something about creating a drone work force. LOL. Where the hell did that come from? I apologized, and she laughed it off saying it was not even close to the weirdest thing that happened when someone woke up groggy. The rest of my time in the hospital, I kept apologizing whenever the surgical team came in.

Medical update

Fri, 08 May 2009 04:24:37 GMT

A long delayed update!

It's been so long since I've logged on to visit with my LJ friends. I'm sure a few of you have wondered where I've been. (at least I hope you even noticed I was gone) For those of you who have read my journal for awhile, you know I've had some nagging medical issues. Mainly, and terrible hernia sticking out of my stomach that I could not afford to fix. Well, things came to a head recently. I was rushed by my family to the county Hospital, and the doctors admitted me for emergency surgery.

It actually was an unrelated problem that led me to where I am now. I came down with a hellacious stomach virus. I couldn't hold down anything, and I was throwing up to the point that all my abdominal muscles tightened from the constant strain of the vomiting. That where it ties in with my long standing hernia problem. It seem the muscles all tightened up, and it caused the hernia to constrict, and it completely cut off my bowels. For a few days, I was in pretty bad shape. Luckily, my family is smarted then I am, and they dragged me to the hospital. After flushing out my stomach with a tube don my throat, they did all the tests. (XRAY, CT Scan etc) They determined I was in serious risk, and got me in for emergency surgery.

Well, to make a long story short, I spent a few days in the hospital recovering, and I've been home for a few more recovering. My hernia is fixed! I no longer have an enormous bump sticking out of my abdomen. (no idea how I'll be paying for it though) Things are getting better. I have good day and bad, but more good then bad. Sadly, to spend time online, I have to go upstairs, and sit in this horribly uncomfortable chair. So obviously, I have been offline for the past few weeks. I have updated my friends on Facebook, but I felt I had to get a note to my friends on LJ. I haven't posted in so long, and haven't read any of your journals, so I feel so cut off. I just wanted to you all to know I', thinking of ya, and hope to be back online soon continuing our weird little brand og LJ camaraderie. Hope you are all well, and I'll see ya soon. Mark.

Harold & Kumar Go to the White House

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:56:39 GMT

Well, Kumar anyway.. After his shocking exit from the cast of House this week, actor Kal Penn wasted no time finding himself gainful employment. He now works at the White House. His official title is Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison. When I heard this on the news, I had to glance over at the calender to see if it was still April Fools Day.

Harold & Kumar Go to the White House

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 05:47:05 GMT

Well, Kumar anyway.. After his shocking exit for the cast of House this week, actor Kal Penn wasted no time finding himself gainful employment. He now works at the White House. His official title is Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Liaison. When I heard this on the news, I had to glance over at the calender to see if it was still April Fools Day. Bizarre.

Book Meme that everyone else is doing.

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 05:30:59 GMT

#1 What author do you own the most books by?
Probably Terry Pratchett. There are a ton of Discworld novels.

#2 What book do you own the most copies of?
Le Morte d'Arthur by Mallory

#3 Did it bother you that both those questions ended with prepositions?
No. I didn't even notice that. I'm a bit dim at this hour.

#4 What fictional character are you secretly in love with?
Jody, the vampire from the book Bloodsucking Fiends and You Suck: A Love Story.

#5 What book have you read the most times in your life?
Probably Le Morte d'Arthur by Mallory. I'm a sucker for Arthurian legend.

#6 What was your favorite book when you were ten years old?
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. When this book first came out, I was an immediate fan. I loved the books, the radio drama, the mini-series, but not the Hollywood version. Too watered down. I'm actually looking forward to the next book, which is being written by Eion Colfer (Artemis Fowl). I think he'll be able to capture that Douglas Adams spirit.

#7 What is the worst book you've read in the past year?
Probably Twilight. When the movie was getting all the hype, I decided to read it to see what all the fuss was about. I guess I'm not the target audience.

#8 What is the best book you've read in the past year?
I really liked The Drop Edge of Yonder by Rudolph Wurlitzer. I'm not normally a big fan of western themed books or movies, but I couldn't put this one down.

#9 If you could force everyone to read one book, what would it be?
Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. I love that book.

#10 Who deserves to win the next Nobel Prize for literature?
Gabriel Garcia Marquez

#11 What book would you most like to see made into a movie?
I recently read the book Jumper, and would love to see that made into a movie. Not the crappy thing with horrible acting they came out with last year.

#12 What book would you least like to see made into a movie?
The Great and Secret Show by Clive Barker. They could never recreate the images I had in my head when reading that book, images that are still stuck in there years after reading it. Anything they tried to do in Hollywood would be a letdown.

#13 Describe your weirdest dream involving a writer, book, or literary character.
I one had a dream that I was at a store, and was being followed by Stephen King. He was just looking at me, and I'd walk away, and he'd keep popping up. He's kind of freaky looking, so the dream was weird.

#14 What is the most lowbrow book you've read as an adult?
Hmm. Just the other day I read a book called Taken. A friend told me I might like it when I mentioned I had nothing to read. She said it was a fantasy book. Funny thing is, this girl is as straight laced Christian conservative as you could ever imagine. This book however was just page after page of sex, rape, bondage, and gratuitous shagging. I was laughing the whole time that she even gave this to me.

#15 What is the most difficult book you've ever read?
Probably A Game of Thrones by George RR Martin. I've had this book recommended by numerous people, but it was just so damn wordy. So many characters. I didn't know what the heck was going on, so I just gave up.

#16 What is the most obscure Shakespeare play you've seen?
Titus Andronicus. It wasn't a very good production.

#17 Do you prefer the French or the Russians?
The Russians.

#18 Roth or Updike?
Roth.

#19 David Sedaris or Dave Eggers?
Definitely Sedaris.

#20 Shakespeare, Milton, or Chaucer?
Shakespeare.

#21. Austen or Eliot?
Eliot.

#22. What is the biggest or most embarrassing gap in your reading?
I am really out of date on modern fiction. I only read the books that are highly recommended by someone I trust, so tons of good books just pass me by.

#23. What is your favorite novel?
I'm copping out here. The Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian. I can't just pick one book. I love this series, and have read them all multiple times, and will probably re-read them many more.

#24 Play?
Arsenic and Old Lace

#25 Poem?
Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe

#26 Essay?
The Ill-Tempered Clavichord by S.J. Perelman

#27 Short Story?
The Inhuman Condition by Clive Barker. Haven't read that one in a long time, but its fresh in my mind.

#28 Work of non-fiction?
Dersu The Trapper by V. K. Arseniev. I loved the movie Dersu Uzala, so I sought out the book. The book is much better then the movie.

#29 Graphic novel?
Ed the Happy Clown by Chester Brown

#30 Who is your favorite writer?
Far too many to list here. Depends on my mood. It could be Christopher Moore, Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett if I'm in a humorous mood. Clive Barker, Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe if I'm in a macabre mood. Etc..

#31 Who is the most overrated writer alive today?
Stephenie Meyer

#32 What is your desert island book?
Le Morte d'Arthur by Mallory

#33 And ... what are you reading right now?
Me Cheeta: The Autobiography by Cheeta. It's a great parody of the autobiography books of Hollywood's golden age.

hello

Sat, 28 Mar 2009 17:33:17 GMT

Just saying HI to all my LJ friends. I feel I've been negligent on keeping up on this journal and reading everyone elses. The little time I spend online, I'm usually checking facebook. When I first joined, I looked to see if anyone I knew from school was on there, and there was nobody. So I never went back. In the last month or two, I've gotten friend requests from tons of people. Everyone from my first childhood friend, to girls I had crushes on in high school. It's been interesting to hear from everyone. Who's married. Who's passed away. Who's in jail etc.. The best part for me is hooking up with some old musician friends I haven't talked to in well over a decade. We're getting a jam session together soon, and I'm so excited to play again, especially with some of these people. My friend Bob is the best drummer I've ever met. Just a world class musician. But sadly, we never really played together. We messed around a few times in the garage, but we never found the time to be in a band. I look forward to seeing how we gel.

My depression is not as deep lately, so that's a good thing. I took my brothers death pretty hard. We were closest in the family. He was the one that if I was reading a good book, I'd pick up the phone to tell him about it and have him pick it up. I'd get a call about some movie on cable he was watching. I love my other siblings, but we have none of that in common. I can call them to say hi, but we won't get into hour long conversations about some obscure 70s British prog band. I miss it. I miss him. Though I am dealing with it much better, I think next month will be tough. We are heading to my sister in laws house for Easter. It will seem so empty without him there. I'll probably just want to go sit in his office and go through his books.

Double power trio

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:42:50 GMT

King Crimson - Dinosaur
Uploaded by manon42

I've always loved this song. I think this is King Crimson at it's best. The double power trio concept is odd, but it works here..

American journalists detained by North Korea

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 03:19:42 GMT

When I heard the teaser on the news saying two American female journalists were taken into custody by the North Koreans, my first thought was "I bet it's Laura Ling". Sure enough, when they came back with the story, Laura Ling and Euna Kim were the journalists. Whenever I see Laura Ling on Current TV, her reports are great. She'll be reporting from the Kurdistan/Turkey border about the ongoing civil war or something like that. She seems like a throwback to when journalists actually do some journalism. Nowadays, you get an Iraqi camera crew to go out and film some local destruction, then the "journalists" will so their voice overs from a safe and secure spot in a heavily fortified zone miles away. Current TV gives a lot of great "boots on the ground" reporting. Laura and Euna were filming on the border about the refugees fleeing the oppresive regime of North Korea to head for China. (how bad to things have to be for you to choose to live in China? Seems like trading on oppresive dictatorship for another) Tensions between the US and North Korea are pretty high right now, so I hope this can be resolved quickly, and get the women out of there.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/northkorea/5016053/North-Korea-detains-two-US-journalists.html

Yes, I'm still alive

Sun, 08 Mar 2009 03:42:46 GMT

Just a quick note to say "Hello" to everyone, and apologize for not posting more often. I've just been a in serious funk lately, and haven't had much to write about. I don't want to just post about how sad and depressed I am, so I just refrain from posting anything. Hopefully I'll snap out of this soon, and get back to my usual jolly old self.

Weirdest...band...ever....

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 05:18:40 GMT

I wonder how this band ever came together. Who thought of putting these guys in the same room? Bun E. Carlos from Cheap Trick on drums, Adam Schlesinger from Fountains of Wayne on bass, James Iha from Smashing Pumpkins on guitar, and Taylor Hanson singing. Bizarre. Yet, I dig this song. It's very simple, but I have a real soft spot for this kind of stuff. Pure power pop. I look forward to hearing the entire album to see if it's all in this vein.

Movie Meme

Sat, 14 Feb 2009 00:47:27 GMT

First Movie you ever saw in the theater: I'm sure it was a Disney movie, probably Bambi.

Fave movie as a kid: Star Wars

Movie you have seen the most times: Probably Life of Brian

Biggest Movie Star crush as a kid: Erin Gray. It was those skin tight spandex outfits she had to wear on Buck Rogers..

Fave 80's teen Movie: 3 O'Clock High. That movie still holds up well.

Fave song from a movie: Sweet Transvestite from Rocky Horror Picture Show. They should just retire that play. I can't imagine anybody ever doing a better version of this song then Tim Curry. He nailed it.

Fave Love/Romance Movie: You've got Mail. Yes, I like a chick flick. Make fun of me all you want...

Fave Horror Movie: Dracula. Sure, I could go with any number of modern gory movies, or the latest Asian mind-farks, but there's just something about this classic version of Dracula that stays with me. The incredible sets, the atmosphere, the great quotable lines spoken by Bela Legosi. I've been watching this one pretty much my entire life, and I still enjoy it.

Fave Drama: The two Godfather movies. There were just two of them.

Fave Sci Fi movie: Dark City.

Fave Fantasy movie: The Lord of the Rings trilogy. (especially the extended editions) Despite the complaining of the geek crowd about all that was left out of the books, I think Peter Jackson did an amazing job with these films.

Fave Musical Movie: West Side Story.

Fave Comedy Movie: It's a Gift. W.C. Fields at his best.

Fave Action/Adventure Movie: Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Movie that Scared You as a Child: The Exorcist. That makeup by Dick Smith literally haunted me in my dreams. Fantastic makeup.

Movie that makes you cry every time you see it: Field of Dreams

Worst movie you ever saw: Date Movie/Epic Movie/Meet the Spartans. I don't think I laughed once during these films.

Movie you walked out on in the theater cause it was so bad: I don't think I've ever walked out of a movie due to it being bad. I've stayed till the end.

Most sexual movie you ever saw (non porn): Two Moon Junction. I can't remember the story or any of the dialogue, but I can picture the sex scenes. ;)

Most disturbing movie you ever saw: Irreversible. The rape scene is so shockingly brutal that it sickened me to my core. I don't think I'd ever watch the movie again.

Movie that supposedly sucks but you love it: CJ7. Most people I've talked to thought this was the worst movie Stephen Chow has made, but I thought it was a fun movie, geared for children.

Favorite actors: Christian Bale, Russel Crowe, Brad Pitt, George Clooney.

Fave Actresses: Cate Blanchett, Maggie Cheung, Gong Li, Mariska Hargitay, Pauley Perrete

Movie you wanted to see the most as a child but were not allowed to: My parents pretty much let me see anything.

Sexiest movie star of all time (male): Cary Grant

Sexiest movie star of all time (female): Angelina Jolie

Movie that could/might as well been written about your life: Jackass

Favourite villain in a movie: Barnaby from Babes in Toyland. He freaked me out as a kid.

Last movie you saw on TV/rented: Jumper. What a disappointing movie. The concept is really good, but the acting and execution was god awful. I'm going to pick up the books the movie was based on tomorrow to see if they are better then this lackluster movie. Hayden Christensen shouldn't be allowed to act anymore.

Last movie you saw in theater: Coraline. Quite good. Hearing French and Saunders together again was worth the price of admission alone. Do another show gals...

Movie that you really, really wanted to mention, but just couldn't find a category for it: Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. Defintely meant for a younger audience then his last few films, this is yet another great movie by Hayao Miyazaki.

Need something to read!

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 23:58:20 GMT

I've been trying to find something interesting to read. After all the drama going on around here the last month or so, I just want to read something light and easily digestible. I've re-read all the Harry Potter books. I've read the Artemis Fowl series. I've read the Bartimaeus trilogy. I've read the new Christopher Moore. I've re-read my Robert Rankin books. Now I'm to the point that I'm probably going to go back and either re-read all the older Christopher Moore books, or the Dresden Files series. Anyone have any suggestions of book along this vein? Light, humorous, fantasy, etc?

Fun cover version

Thu, 05 Feb 2009 00:52:24 GMT

I think this is a pretty impressive version of one of my favorite songs. I think using the voice recorder really put it over the top for me.

Really?

Sun, 01 Feb 2009 17:19:02 GMT

This weekend, the 36th annual Annie Awards were held. The Annies are the Oscars for animation. Surprisingly, Kung Fu Panda swept through the awards, and took home 11 trophies, completely shutting out Wall-E. Wall-E actually won less awards then Jar Jar Binks, who won for his appearance on Robot Chicken. I thought Kung Fu Panda was a fun movie, but nothing ground breaking or special, so I'm kind of shocked by this. I thought Wall-E was as brilliant as pretty much all the other Pixar movies. I wonder if all the predictions that Wall-E is a lock for the Animated Feature Oscar might be a bit premature..

Letter Meme

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 06:11:29 GMT

Rules: Copy, erase my answers, enter yours.

Use the first letter of your name to answer each of the following questions. They have to be real . . . nothing made up!

If the person before you had the same first initial, you must use different answers. You cannot use any word twice and you can't use your name for the boy/girl name.

1. What is your name: Mark

2. A four Letter Word: Mist

3. A boy's Name: Matt

4. A girl's Name: Missy

5. An occupation: Master of hounds

6. A color: Mauve

7. Something you wear: Mittens

8. A food: Meat

9. Something found in the bathroom: Mr. Clean

10. A place: Manchester

11. A reason for being late: Meandering

12. Something you shout: Motherf***er!

13. A movie title: Monster of Piedras Blancas

14. Something you drink: Mithering Bastard

15. A musical group: Moxy Früvous

16. An animal: Meerkat

17. A street name: Michgan Ave

18. A type of car: Marquis

19. The title of a song: My Baby Loves a Bunch of Authors

20. A verb: masticate

I must own this NOW!

Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:25:05 GMT

This is great. A few years ago, a band called the Easy Star All Stars released an album called Dub Side of the Moon, a reggae/dun version of Dark Side by Pink Floyd. It's an awesome album. I think since getting the dub version, I haven't listened to Dark Side once. I've listened to the Dub version many times.. I didn't know until tonight that they came out with another album. It's called Radiodred, and it's a Reggae/dub version of OK Computer. I can not wait to hear this album. I found it online, but it's downloading ridiculously slow, so I may just head to the record store tomorrow to buy a copy. Enjoy this live version. (not as reggae as they normally are, but it's one of my favorite songs, and I really dig this version)

Our long national nightmare is over

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 18:21:49 GMT

President Bush is now ex-President Bush. All kidding aside, I have to admit I've been very impressed with the class shown by the former President and First Lady. I'm sure many of you remember the contentious transition between the Clinton administration and the incoming Bush administration. All the rumors of keyboards with missing letters, and missing phones etc.. From all I've read and heard, the transition between Bush and Obama has been smooth and cordial.

A couple of quick thoughts my viewing of the Inauguration.

The cheers that former President Clinton and soon to be Sec of State Hilary Clinton received was loud and enthusiastic. It was much louder then either Carter or Bush 41, and the Fox News commentators seemed to be taken aback by it. They never seem to remember that while they hate everything to do with the Clintons, the people loved them. Even during the height of the impeachment process, Bill Clinton had an approval rating somewhere in the 70s. I know that burns their hides..

This is a day to celebrate the amazing history of our nation, and isn't really the time for partisan sniping. (despite my journal title) Even though, I had to smile when President George W Bush was introduced for the last time, you heard a small chant in the crowd of Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey-ey, goodbye. He earned it.

The calm and cool Barack Obama seemed to get a little flustered during the oath of office. I imagine I'd be completely tongue tied if it were me.

Right wingers are still obsessed about the name Hussein. I'm listening to talk radio as I type this. They are talking about the Inauguration, and they are angry that they were criticized for pointing out his middle name is Hussein, yet he uses it for the oath of office. "Why are liberals so afraid of us saying it? It IS his name.. We're only saying the name his parents gave him! Yes. You are so concerned with getting formal names right. Let's check the archives and see how often you used the name Hillary Diane Clinton or Sarah Louise Palin. It's all in the intent, jackasses.

Cheney in a wheelchair makes him look even more sinister, if that's possible.

The things you learn

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:25:11 GMT

All the times I've seen this video over the years, and it wasn't until today that I learned it was Henry Rollins playing the Vanilla Ice clone in this video.