Saturday, July 29, 2006

The Research Wave begins to end

As people begin to leave, and I finally did buy an airplane ticket home, it's come to the time when I realize I really am going to leave too. Studying abroad will be great, I know it, yet I also know I'll be excited to come back. Only one week left of research for me, and a bunch of people leaving at the end of this weekend here, leaving only a few left. Wow. Better start packing!

Been rewatching a bunch of movies I've always liked with everyone, and finding not everyone enjoys all of them as much as I do. It's quite interesting to see what people like and don't like about certain things. Movies aren't a good judge of anyone, that I know, but I'm just commenting on the interesting factor of it all.

Thursday, July 27, 2006

San Diego for Research, and a Weekend Sunday

Ah. This past Sunday, I went hiking at Griffith Park, which was really nice, and I look forward to when the observatory opens and I can actually visit. Hopefully it'll be sooner rather than later and by the time I get back from abroad. The hike wasn't too bad and Prof Lape suggested a few more trails in the area, that I'll look into when I return from abroad.

Went to San Diego on Monday and Tuesday for Accelrys Training for the Molecular Modeling software, and finally I understand what to do for research and it's becoming really interesting. It's all very exciting!

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Rock Climbing

Or as close to it as I'm going to get. Hangar 18 is a pretty neat place, although with air conditioning, it would have been nicer. Hey -- when it's fairly hot outside, it's got to be fairly hot inside - which is way too much heat considering we were being active.

see here (facebook) or here (google web album) for pictures.

The summer is also finally winding down, and I haven't yet decided what I'll do for the end. Home of course, since my ticket is from there to London, perhaps Florida for visiting the grandparents, and perhaps staying at HMC for a bit more after research as well. Can't decide, can't ever decide....

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

Devil Wears Prada: The book

Ah. A really wonderful book, much better than the movie, and more real. I know in movies they have to cut out all the details because there isn't time, etc., but the nitty gritty really make this book great. And I suppose they cut out the smoking from the movie cause it's just not appropriate, but her smoking causes to burned clothes and hilarity at all moments of the book. It's a girly book, guaranteed, but if you seem the type, you'll like the book. Recap: Book is about a girl who wants to be a journalist, but can only find a job as a fashion magazine editor's assistant, who does random things at her every whim. A horrible, low paying job, and in the end she realizes that friends and family are much more important.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Lists of Things

I found a website, which led to the finding of another, which are sites that hold lists of things in general. Things you want to do, things you've read/watched, etc.

List of Bests... here I've checkmarked the ones I've read or watched, and I found out I'm quite far behind. I'm not wanting to see Psycho or anything scary, but it might be nice to have watched 50% of the top movies instead of only 20. Must get cracking.

42 Things - This website is just a list of things you want to do in general. Quite nice if you like making lists and actually end up accomplishing something or other.

Beware of addiction though, as I did spend some minutes more on checking boxes, etc. learning about myself in the top 100 ranks etc. :) Enjoy.

Sunday, July 16, 2006

BBC News: Long hours unhealthier for women

BBC NEWS | Health | Long hours unhealthier for women: "Professor Cary Cooper, professor of organisational psychology and health at Lancaster University, said men were less likely to be affected by working long hours because they were not expected to multi-task in the same way as women."

A short, yet interesting, article about the effects of long working hours. They say that women who work longer eat more during the day (high-fat, high-sugar junk), drink more caffine, exercise less, and smoke more. Men on the other hand, experience no such changes in their lives, and it seems to be that they like the idea of a long day, yet women have domestic chores after any day, whereas men do not.

Is this what society and our lives have come to? People need to work longer and harder hours to get by in today's society to compete with others who can do the same. Are some traits of genetics just against females?

Lois & Clark and Summer Research

I finally finished watching all of Lois and Clark (at least the first three seasons, the fourth is less than attainable). I guess I have to stop getting hooked on shows, cause I really can't take staying up so late watching. I think it's probably killing off brain cells faster than I'd want them to. Especially since I'd rather spend them thinking or doing something more productive. The show is good, I remember it used to be on cable as reruns sometimes, but that I never really watched it. Eh. Now that it's over, it all seems really sill and far fetched, although I do prefer Dean Cain as Superman over the others, and Teri Hatcher who plays Lois Lane is much less whiny here than in Desperate Housewives. :)

And a breakthrough on research, at least I hope so. Research is interesting, about gas diffusion through polymer membranes, and I've figured out a problem in my modeling strategy -- molecule typing. I supppose I'll have to try it tomorrow during work.

Friday, July 14, 2006

Tipping Point & The World is Flat

A post with two books in one. I do think I'm reviewing too much media on my blog, and not enough other things in life, but oh well. The Tipping Point is another book by Gladwell, the same author of Blink. The book discusses what makes other things happen, including the role of people: Connectors, Mavens, etc. who are the people that make things happen in the world. The examples are numerous, and the book proved to be very interesting discussing all those things. I highly recommend it. It also makes me think that I should be one of those people -- someone who knows everything, or helpful information, or someone who can connect people by knowing a bunch of people and being naturally friendly. Ah, who knows anyway.

The World is Flat discusses that very theory -- that globalization is inevitable and that we cannot stop it, but it's helpful in its own way. Margie (in the beginning of the book) thought that the author was too american in his views and thus biased, but I thought overall he was very balanced and I hope truthful. It was fairly enlightening, cause the news here in America really does only present the one side -- ex. outsourcing. Outsourcing takes place on both sides, and it isn't entirely on the fact that labor is cheaper everywhere else, but lies on the fact that intelligence is increasing everywhere for a lot of people. Such engineers and scientists are now more numerous outside America, and here, there are becoming less and less (especially women). It's all very interesting, and I would have loved to read it in Prof Sullivan's class... aw.

Thursday, July 13, 2006

Pirates of Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Ah. Another sequel movie, only to be followed by one more. Probably to be released next year, and although the cliff hanger does exist, it wasn't to catchy for me, so I'm not too worried about waiting. The movie is about our favorite pirate Jack Sparrow and his quest for the "dead man's chest" which holds a live heart, which will get Sparrow out from under the super evil ugly looking pirate by some name I can't remember. This other guy is some kind of watercreature type.

Exciting, lively, with great action and shootings, etc. A movie to watch in the theaters for 2 dollars, sure, but more than that.... I'm not quite so sure.

Wednesday, July 12, 2006

Arsenic and Old Lace

Watched this movie with Kathleen, who suggested it, and notified me that the library has a "secret" video room where I can get them. Which I didn't know. But now I do! It was an interesting movie, about a man who was the bachelor of them all, got married, and then found out his two aunts were actually sympathy killers (killing old "miserable" men). His ugly, scary looking brother returned home (he'd been killing also), and the Cary Grant (the main guy) debates how to rat out his brother without the aunts. And his other brother thinks he's Teddy Rooselvelt. It's quite funny and the story progresses quite well.

I learned from this that I'm not a laugh out loud-er. When everyone else laughs, I typically smile, if not smile only inside. I guess it annoys some people, asking me if I think something's funny, but I find that in reality -- I do laugh when things are funny. And I think I get most annoyed by laughs of others. Not everyone, mind you, but one in a few.

Sunday, July 09, 2006

Annie Hall

Perhaps this is one of the very few movies we actually own at home that I've never seen. So, it was time to get it from the library and watch it here at school. It was a very... strange movie, about a man Albie (I think that was his name) played by Woody Allen and his relationships, their problems, and all of his manic phobias. He's quite a character in real life and in the film also. The movie didn't have much of a main thought or point except to go about how life unfolds and his relationships, especially the one with Annie Hall who he eventually follows to L.A., the city that he couldn't hate more. New York seems to be the lively hood of the movie, and it becomes idealized often in Allen's films, at least I think so. Interesting, but not worth recommending especially. I can't imagine how my parents love this film. Maybe it has to do with the fact that my mother was from Brooklyn herself, and my father does like NYC. Who knows...

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Devil Wears Prada

A movie about fashion, fashion magazaine workers, and doing what you want to do. I do suppose every movie needs a moral after all. It's about Andy who can't find a job as a journalist, so takes a job as an assistant to the magazine editor at Runway (fashion mag.), where she spends all her time helping out the boss, only to find her life falling apart, her sense of fashion growing, and in the end losing sight of her main goal. The movie is quite cute and Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep do wonderful jobs portraying their respective characters. Not a classic movie, nor one that's going to go down in history somewhere, but I've downloaded the audiobook, the book for which the movie was based on (of the same name), and think it's worth a read/listen.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Arrested Development

I finally finished all THREE seasons. Holy moly. I've gone psycho again watching television, but now that it's done I'll... move on to something else I'm sure. Anna suggested that I watch the show, cause I might enjoy the humor of David Cross, who plays the brother-in-law of the main character Michael, who spends a few years (the three seasons) trying to keep his family together. It's quite amusing, and the jokes, if not laugh out loud humor, are right on. The show was cancelled, which is quite sad, except for that fact that I've finally finished. :) I better go look up David Cross himself. Anna and I have similar types of humor, so I do trust her on this one. If you think you might like an odd laugh, check the show out, and you might just enjoy it.

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Billy Elliot

Shelley told me to watch this movie, and although I only half remember watching, I couldn't remember the end. But I love it! About a boy, Billy, who wishes to dance ballet, while perservering through family trouble (money), people thinking he's gay, etc. It's quite good, touching, and the dancing is just too fun. And the music is ab fab. I now have to listen to the Billy Elliot soundtrack for the musical before seeing it in London.

Super excited about London too, now that some people are already abroad, and I'm the one missing out. It'll be sad to leave HMC, cause I do like it here, but it'll be an adventure I'm ready for. So I hope.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Settlers of Catan

This is a fabulous game by Mayfair Games, which plays a bit like Risk, or so I'm told, and a bit like Monopoly. There's dice rolling to get the resources you need, and then you can build with them. The goal: 10 Victory Points from a combination of settlements, cities, roads, development cards, and soldiers. It's quite fun, and I have to say I may be addicted. Found the computer game version as well, and although it's not quite the same, it's very fun as well.

Monday, July 03, 2006

About a Boy & Monster's Ball

I've seen "About a Boy" many many times, and finally I give into writing about it. I always thought it a great, interesting, and unique movie, and I do love Hugh Grant. If you haven't seen it you really should. It's about a man and a boy and their interactions with one another and a lot of talk about the line - "No man is an island." It's quite, quirky, funny, witty, and just wonderful. And the soundtrack is to be listened to quite often from now on. :)

Monster's Ball is a different type of movie about the relationship between a corrections officer and the wife of the man he he put to death a bit earlier. It's very touching and calls upon all sorts of emotions - love, sadness, etc. and although no one else seemed to appreciate it, I did like the lack of plot of the movie, and how it just seemed real.

My Neighbor Totoro

Finally, another movie... haha. This movie is really about nothing except the two small girls who enjoy seeing Totoro, who is essentially a huge fuzzy animal. Only children can see him, and he helps the older sister find the younger one, and is their friend for a while. It's really just entertaining with the plot sort of hidden away. It's animated, very cute, and the music is quite catchy. Not a Academy Award winning movie, but very good nonetheless. Watch it for fun!

Sunday, July 02, 2006

Brokeback Mountain

A movie I'd put off watching for a long long time, finally got watched tonight. It was fabulous, well done, and very scenic. A touching movie about two men who fall in love while sheep hearding and their trials in trying to keep together even through marriages to others. Touching, and recommended for those times when a sappy movie will do. Aw...

On a side note, it reminds me a lot of Cold Mountain, another long scenic movie that I loved. If you haven't seen either, I advise you to do so. :)

Superman(s)

The old superman movie from 1979 was quite interesting, and it was definitely a smart move in watching it before the newer one. Superman I was very slow and very long, but the plotline was clever at best, as it was probably based upon the comic books after all. A few good lines, and not too bad after all. Although it definitely makes me appreciate the actor who played in the Lois and Clark TV show more.

The newer one has an even more gorgeous actor playing superman, although the plot line is a bit more serious and ends on a sadder note than the traditional happy way. Saw it in the IMAX giant screen with bits of the movie parts in 3D, most of which were cheesy, but in a good way. Definitely recommended (even more so for the IMAX version).