No need for words (watch it all the way through--you'll thank me for it):
Monday, June 30, 2008
Not a surprise
Since there's been little Geek blogging recently and because I spent much of this afternoon (first sunny day in Berkeley since I got here!) inside a dark bookstore, chatting with the store guy about the latest series of Doctor Who
Your result for The What Middle Earth race do you belong to Test...
Nazgûl
You scored average in size, low in morality, high in aggression and high in intelligence, which are all qualities that you seem to share with the Black Riders of Middle Earth. Oh, and you're most likely male. Once great kings of men, Sauron seduced them through avarice and they're now slaves to his will. Which is not to say that YOU are a slave to someones will but hey, it could happen. Just be extra careful if you meet someone on the street that seems extra charming and offers you a trinket that he says will make you really powerful, okay?
FYI, your polar opposite is the Ent.
FYI, your polar opposite is the Ent.
Take The What Middle Earth race do you belong to Test at HelloQuizzy
Thursday, June 26, 2008
job talk
As part of my job, I had to attend a BBQ today, one where parents and children hung out and chatted with staff/faculty (I'm "faculty").
One woman, whose kid is in my class, was talking to me about Berkeley and calling me "Mrs. Bum" (I was wearing a name tag that clearly specified "Ms Bum"). After a few times of being called Mrs. Bum, I indicated my tag and said, "Not Mrs, just Ms".
The lady, very nicely, said, "Don't worry dear. There's still time".
I'm amused that "Ms." now seems to have the same connotations as "Miss" used to...or, perhaps, this is a one-off.
One woman, whose kid is in my class, was talking to me about Berkeley and calling me "Mrs. Bum" (I was wearing a name tag that clearly specified "Ms Bum"). After a few times of being called Mrs. Bum, I indicated my tag and said, "Not Mrs, just Ms".
The lady, very nicely, said, "Don't worry dear. There's still time".
I'm amused that "Ms." now seems to have the same connotations as "Miss" used to...or, perhaps, this is a one-off.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
dropping by to say Hi!
Fear not, dear readers, I've not abandoned yous. I have loads to say including my new and beloved purchase of a pair of gold, yes gold sandals AND my current inexplicably bruised body. It's so bad that a stranger today stopped me and asked if I were okay...on the streets! Oh, Berkeley :-)
But, not right now. Right now, I've got to go sort out some late-night eating options--burgers? naan and curry? hot dogs? or just beer (does beer count as food?) and try find a 24-hour pharmacy to get some liniment and bandaids for my wounds/bruises.
In the meantime, enjoy the pretty pretty Mr. A.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Affirmation.
So I have a shriveled, black heart, right? I'm pretty okay with that, especially after this week. This week sucked ass.
One of the more bizarre incidents was being stopped in the parking garage at work by a strangely belligerent and yet weepy young woman. She stopped one of the co-workers and I and asked if we had a cell phone. As I was standing around with my cell phone in my hand, I couldn't quite lie. Co-Worker is a Luddite and has no such technology (which is a pain in the ass when you want to call him and complain about sucky-ass things). So Strangely Belligerent Yet Weepy Stranger kind of chased Co-Worker off, saying her problem was too embarrassing and she'd like to make the call in private, but apparently was okay with me standing there. Why wasn't she scared off by the shriveled, black heart? Other people are. Co-Worker was very supportive and kind of Should I leave? Should I call the police? Do you have pepper spray? You realize you're being kind of stupid, right? But, whatever, I could totally take Strangely Belligerent Yet Weepy Stranger in a death match. Hah.
I ended up standing around in that garage for a good 10-15 minutes as she called about ten phone numbers trying to get help as her embarrassing problem was that her car broke down somewhere on the highway, she used up all her money trying to make phone calls, and was now stranded 50 miles from home in a crappy neighborhood. Allegedly. And crying all over my phone. My beeeyoooteefull phone.
I ended up making an excuse (because I felt REALLY uncomfortable at this point), and giving her a dollar in quarters, which was honestly all the cash I had on me. Stranger still, instead of going to the security desk or looking for a pay phone, she walked up to the third floor of the parking garage, where there are no phones, just a few cars. Uh?
This didn't really impact me, just one of those got caught in an uncomfortable situation, but no foul to me, and maybe I helped out someone just a little.
Which brings me to today. I parked on a busy street, trying to get to the Chinese grocery. Stupid Pittsburgh parking meters only take quarters. Guess what I was out of? But just needed a few things, was going to chance it, danger freak that I am. Walked a little ways down the street, and saw the meter maid's car, said shit ever so quietly and reversed my direction. A very nice man in a blue shirt, walking now in the same direction as me said "Quarters?," reached into his pocket and gave me two quarters, refusing to be repaid, without even breaking his stride.
I love this man. After this sucky-ass week (no, really! I have a degree in English Literature!), proof that it all works out, that what you get is what you put in and sometimes people are just kind for no reason at all, that was good.
My shriveled black heart warmed just a little.
Please don't vomit now.
One of the more bizarre incidents was being stopped in the parking garage at work by a strangely belligerent and yet weepy young woman. She stopped one of the co-workers and I and asked if we had a cell phone. As I was standing around with my cell phone in my hand, I couldn't quite lie. Co-Worker is a Luddite and has no such technology (which is a pain in the ass when you want to call him and complain about sucky-ass things). So Strangely Belligerent Yet Weepy Stranger kind of chased Co-Worker off, saying her problem was too embarrassing and she'd like to make the call in private, but apparently was okay with me standing there. Why wasn't she scared off by the shriveled, black heart? Other people are. Co-Worker was very supportive and kind of Should I leave? Should I call the police? Do you have pepper spray? You realize you're being kind of stupid, right? But, whatever, I could totally take Strangely Belligerent Yet Weepy Stranger in a death match. Hah.
I ended up standing around in that garage for a good 10-15 minutes as she called about ten phone numbers trying to get help as her embarrassing problem was that her car broke down somewhere on the highway, she used up all her money trying to make phone calls, and was now stranded 50 miles from home in a crappy neighborhood. Allegedly. And crying all over my phone. My beeeyoooteefull phone.
I ended up making an excuse (because I felt REALLY uncomfortable at this point), and giving her a dollar in quarters, which was honestly all the cash I had on me. Stranger still, instead of going to the security desk or looking for a pay phone, she walked up to the third floor of the parking garage, where there are no phones, just a few cars. Uh?
This didn't really impact me, just one of those got caught in an uncomfortable situation, but no foul to me, and maybe I helped out someone just a little.
Which brings me to today. I parked on a busy street, trying to get to the Chinese grocery. Stupid Pittsburgh parking meters only take quarters. Guess what I was out of? But just needed a few things, was going to chance it, danger freak that I am. Walked a little ways down the street, and saw the meter maid's car, said shit ever so quietly and reversed my direction. A very nice man in a blue shirt, walking now in the same direction as me said "Quarters?," reached into his pocket and gave me two quarters, refusing to be repaid, without even breaking his stride.
I love this man. After this sucky-ass week (no, really! I have a degree in English Literature!), proof that it all works out, that what you get is what you put in and sometimes people are just kind for no reason at all, that was good.
My shriveled black heart warmed just a little.
Please don't vomit now.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Very Late Review - Harold and Kumar Escape Guantanamo Bay
Bum asked me to blog about this a while back. I only recently actually made it to the theater, as movie-watching seems to have fallen off my things to do, which is sad. Especially sad since I only see really bad movies when I do go (this weekend I saw Baby Mama. Enough said?).
I have been looking forward to the Harold & Kumar sequel for a very long time. I loved, loved, loved the first one. Thought it was so very funny, so very spot on with racial commentary in contemporary US culture. Also: someone has sex with a giant bag of weed. How does one not love it?
So...big expectations, but prepared to love, even if not so good. Like the way you kind of like the idiot brother of someone you really love. They share the same genes, so there's something there, right?
Except...oh, this was disappointing. It felt like the creators/directors/writers/whoever got a pile of money based on the cult status of the original and were determined to use every last dollar of that, to utterly shoot their load, Michael Bay-style, rather than sticking with what worked in the first one.
The White Castle one was, at its heart, kind of a sweet story about two friends on a pretty mundane adventure who get caught up in these absurd moments. And a lot of the charm was that they were so very different, but really got each other, had a backstory and a tolerance for each other's bullshit. My brain's not working very well, but it's kind of like the relationship in Good Will Hunting between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The background relationship between the two leads is an integral part of the story.
Guantanamo Bay...well, that's like John Candy and Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. They don't respect each other much, and like each other even less. It seems like Harold and Kumar are two people just kind of stuck together on this wacky, wacky adventure. It's all absurdist, there's nothing much relatable, because while I have been on road-trips to find the perfect food, I do not have friends who have bottom-less parties. Or at least friends who invite me to bottom-less parties. Thank you, friends.
There are funny moments in this film. There are. But there's no replacing the original.
However, Neil Patrick Harris rocks the house.
I have been looking forward to the Harold & Kumar sequel for a very long time. I loved, loved, loved the first one. Thought it was so very funny, so very spot on with racial commentary in contemporary US culture. Also: someone has sex with a giant bag of weed. How does one not love it?
So...big expectations, but prepared to love, even if not so good. Like the way you kind of like the idiot brother of someone you really love. They share the same genes, so there's something there, right?
Except...oh, this was disappointing. It felt like the creators/directors/writers/whoever got a pile of money based on the cult status of the original and were determined to use every last dollar of that, to utterly shoot their load, Michael Bay-style, rather than sticking with what worked in the first one.
The White Castle one was, at its heart, kind of a sweet story about two friends on a pretty mundane adventure who get caught up in these absurd moments. And a lot of the charm was that they were so very different, but really got each other, had a backstory and a tolerance for each other's bullshit. My brain's not working very well, but it's kind of like the relationship in Good Will Hunting between Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. The background relationship between the two leads is an integral part of the story.
Guantanamo Bay...well, that's like John Candy and Steve Martin in Planes, Trains and Automobiles. They don't respect each other much, and like each other even less. It seems like Harold and Kumar are two people just kind of stuck together on this wacky, wacky adventure. It's all absurdist, there's nothing much relatable, because while I have been on road-trips to find the perfect food, I do not have friends who have bottom-less parties. Or at least friends who invite me to bottom-less parties. Thank you, friends.
There are funny moments in this film. There are. But there's no replacing the original.
However, Neil Patrick Harris rocks the house.
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