Back at HMC: Watched enough, now back to work!

Well, school and classes are well underway. Due to the lack of lab this week (I think), it's turning out quite nicely in fact. The classes I'm taking seem interesting, and at least are holding my interest for now, which is sufficient enough. Tia and I spent the days before class started watching movies: Rumor has it, and Closer. Closer was the more serious of the bunch, about relationships, or so Margie said, but I think it just a bit strange. People can really be so confusing and fickle (even to themselves) which the movie displays very well. It's tastefully done which always adds to the movie itself, and overall the movie was: good.

Life gets busy quick, and these businesses change my focus quick.

A Million Little Pieces, the book I'm now skipping...

So, I saw this book once in the bookstore, well once or maybe a few more than one times. I also read reviews online thinking that in due time, as in eventually, I'd like to read it. Now, I know books about drugs and their results are typically depressing overall, but the reviews looked good.

Now I'm wholly dissapointed. Sales went way up after an Oprah recommendation. An Oprah recommendation means absolutely zero to me, but not to the rest of our intelligent America. And now the book is highly disputed as pure fiction sold as fact. Oh well. I don't like hubbub about my books anyway. Oprah has ruined my favorite book of all time, making it into an American fueled classic rather than the true classic it once was. Poor poor East of Eden.

Anyway, back to life, and soon back to Harvey Mudd and classes that have become closed. Damn them all!

In two wonderful days: Three Movies

Two days with enough movies to keep me happy. The days were fun and enjoyable and to those-- thanks!

Casanova: Semi-good, whatever that means. A bit cheesy, although good entertainment nonetheless, and I am always a sucker.

Pride and Prejudice: A tried and true classic. Wonderful as always albeit a bit longer than I remember (5 hours for those who haven't been as lucky). And I never did before notice a few things in the movie including a drunken husband who is always passed out in quite a few scenes. :)

Constant Gardner: The saddest of the bunch. A fabulous movie, that everyone should see. Highest Recommendations! It's about a man who tracks down until he finds the story behind the death of his wife. And what did it? Drug testing on humans in Kenya. Sad and touching and just a wonderful film.

Empire Falls (the novel)

A truly wonderful book that took me quite a while to read. Still debating whether I should watch the miniseries they made for HBO based on the book, or if I should skip it entirely. It's about a town "Empire Falls" that really went down the drain and the people who stayed when they should have left, only to remain under the old Mrs. Whiting's thumb. It really is sad, touching, and well written, and brings up all the right emotions in the right places. And then end is pretty much bittersweet, but it's really a fabulous book.

To Recommend: YES

Violent games 'affect behaviour', now proven?

BBC NEWS | Health | Violent games 'affect behaviour'

It's an interesting article. People always assumed this was true, but now they've got some brain activity. Seems this could effect more things that thought before. Judges who played video games might be those harsher on punishments for the "evil guys," although it might turn out that they are less harsh for things like murder. I suppose only time will tell.

Celebrities boo.

Something that amazes me is people's obsession with celebrities. Our news is full of them, and the People magazine on the airplane was really boring. I mean how many colorful pages are really interesting without any words. The few words there were about boring things to boot - the Lacy Peterson case (old and tired I'll say), some girl who fundraises to give "prehugged" stuffed animals, and articles about new babies, weddings, etc. between the stars. Bah Humbug I'll say. I do like watching these people in movies and shows and so forth, but I really good give a rat's ass about them in real life. They are just people after all, and though we report them doing drugs and getting in trouble, shouldn't we be concerned with the average Joe?

frozen

Well, back in Chicago, and I hate to say it's cold again. Florida was warm and sunny as usual, and it makes me miss California. And now there's only a few days left until I get back, and everyone gets back in fact, and I don't know if I'm really ready. Aw.

Other than that, ready to see more movies and study more french before school begins. And hopefully read all the books I've checked out from the library. Or not. Haha. Whoo.

WIFI Rabbit

This is crazy...

http://www.nabaztag.com/vl/FR/nabaztag_whois.jsp

picture

Kristen and Elaine having fun (?, haha)

home for now

Still here in Chicago. Been hanging around the house mainly, and becoming fairly bored as is regularly obvious.

The Island: An interesting idea (the cloning), but the movie itself was just so-so. Watched the first quarter with two of them running, thinking there was something really wrong with the movie, but it really was just stupidity on my part.

Brothers Grimm: Not at all what I expected, but good. I liked it a lot, and although the bugs always freak me out, it was semi-interesting. Not really satisfying in the end, but that's allright. None of the movies I've been watching have really been fabulous.

Haha. Will post pictures soon. Whoopdeedo.

driven up the wall.

The Company: I don't know what I expected, but a true dissapointment unless you want to watch them dance around for most of the movie. Thought there'd be more revealing stuff about the dance company, but no. Pretty colorful though.

Serenity: OK. Better after the show for the movie itself was lacking. Good to end the show though, considering it didn't end with anything really. And satisfying for the cult I suppose.

The party season is almost over thank goodness, and I'm seemingly ready to go. And I've bought more books, always a highlight. Still still to bored to read them. And my huge magazine stack is almost finished, so I'll be off and reading them soon enough.

More movies...

Mad Hot Ballroom: very cute, very happy for the kids who were taught dance in grade 5. Makes me kind of sad that I dislike the dance teacher at Claremont so.

King Kong: Big and loud and long. And great. It really is such a touching story, although everyone knows what's to happen to our friend the gorilla in the end. Beautiful nonetheless.

Spirit in the Sky!

Twas the night before Christmas... and oh man, I don't do that.

Instead went to see King Kong. A terrific movie, a bit ashamed to go with my brother, but this is life.

In the words of Norman Greenbaum

Going up to the spirit in the sky;
That's where I'm gonna go when I die.
When I die and they lay me to rest,
I'm gonna go to the place that's the best.

(without the jesus bit, because I'm not one of those Jews for Jesus.)

dodo what?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/4556928.stm

The dodo was found, or at least its bones were. I remember this bird being discovered in the dictionary perhaps and was the creativity for a game invented a long time ago. It was also the butt of our jokes. Poor bird becoming extinct and all.

Christmas, ah.

Saw this link:

(if you like audio books, and are dutifully celebrating the upcoming holiday)
http://thepenguinpodcast.blogs.com/podcast/



Reminiscent of the story of Jesus' birth we heard on NPR. ON NPR. How's that for non-religious america.

the sun.

So. The power extends beyond friends. To mother nature! And the sun. It melted a good bit of the ice, so now it's just dirty dirty Chicago as usual. And with the sun comes happiness? We hope so.

Saw Memoirs of a Geisha. I thought it excellent. Anna thought it colorful and pretty looking. She thought it was good too, but it really was just too wonderful for words. And since we didn't know what was coming, it really makes the movie better. Happy too, making it fabulous!

the power.

Turns out friendship is a mighty fine thing. And it's power is fabulous. Thanks to all of you who really care.

Watched Sense and Sensibility, which is a good movie I suppose given that I think I've seen it before, and never took the time to finish the book. But at least I tried to read the book, and that's a good thing of course.

If only I wasn't feeling so lazy, then I could start the stack of books I've got piled all up pretty like...

Symmetry in a mate?

A BBC news article:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4550000.stm

They said it was not clear whether it was the degree of symmetry itself, or an associated characteristic such as co-ordination, or the abilities needed to perform a complicated dance move - or better rhythm, was the key.

They add: "Does dance ability correlate with reproductive success? We plan to address this question with long-term data from the same study population."

Dr George Fieldman, a psychologist at Buckingham Chilterns University College who specialises in research into sexual attraction, said: "It's certainly true that people look for symmetry in a mate.

song

You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Lennon/McCartney

Here I stand head in hand
Turn my face to the wall
If she's gone I can't go on
Feeling two foot small
Everywhere people stare
each and every day
I can see them laugh at me
And I hear them say

Hey you've got to hide your love away
Hey you've got to hide your love away

How can I even try?
I can never win
Hearing them, seeing them
In the state I'm in
How could she say to me
"Love will find a way?"
Gather round all you clowns
Let me hear you say

Hey you've got to hide your love away
Hey you've got to hide your love away

Sad

No - this isn't seasonal affective disorder. Just the regular kind. Plain ole sad, perhaps with a bit of torn up as well.