073 - Young Man, Old Man, Lost Boy.

Me, right now. Tired and staring at my Web cam.

Me as an old man. Some lady's going to be real lucky to have a handsome guy like that fifty years from now. I'll be as lovable as Bill Cosby, with a better-than-Jell-o substitute! Wanna try? Click here

I've kept track of all my purchases over the last week, and have combined them into one image. And just for you guys, I'll post them so that you can see where my money goes. Two parts Booster Juice, two parts Subway, one part random Disney merch, one part computer accessory (or necessity, in the case of stupid printer ink), and the two purchases you don't see, 20 parts US currency exchange and 40 parts Disney resort payment. I'm sure that company made more from me on that payment than they did the Camp Rock USB key I bought - and only bought because I lent mine to my cousin who has yet to return it. Maybe today on our regular post-class Carlingwood Shopping Center outing.

[click for more detail]

Did I mention I'm running on close to no sleep? I did get about 4.5 hours over the 14 hours between work ending Sunday and the exam I had this Monday morning. If restfulness smelled like lilacs and vanilla in a field of freshly baked goods, I would smell like cheap, fuming gas exhaust from a car that's been burning rubber. In the middle of the summer. I am making the best of it though, counting down the minutes until I get home. 240. Maybe more if there's that aforementioned Carlingwood outing.

I am half an hour to breaking the 30 day mark on my trip, a trip I've been thinking a lot about lately. Excitedly so! My "to pack" list is nothing more than mental Post-Its scattered around my disorganized brain (which means I'm likely to forget something vital, like my camera battery charger). It mostly consists of Reactine, board shorts, Nemo towel, and camera battery charger. Within the next week or two, I'll write down as many things as I can and systematically eliminate the things that are absolutely absurd. Do I really need to bring Prashanta's trumpet that's been hiding in my closet for years now? Not really. Wii? That one I'm currently on the fence.

And my watch that I don't need to change timezones for.

I've decided that I like the new facebook layout. It's fairly streamlined and things are posted in such a way that it's easy for me to comment. That's all I need really.

Walking home from school the other day (yes I still do that on occasion, despite the buses running at near full capacity), I found this picture. Paul, 2007.

072 - Disney's (second) Oldest to it's newest! Plus Money!

The Canadian dollar is being my hero! It's been on an upswing for the past week, more or less. While i doubt it'll keep that pace, I would absolutely love it it went up a bit more and stayed there until mid-May. Analysis have been saying the dollar's good fortune wouldn't last too long, so I paid off half of the balance on the hotel and bought some US money for spending purposes. I also went through all my change and found 95¢ worth of US coins, plus another 50¢ in pennies. About 5% of my pennies were American!

This sudden interest in US currency prompted me to check out my quarter collection. I had been keeping US State quarters that I find at work, but wasn't sure how many I had. Turns out, I have 22 different states represented overall (and I scrounged up another dollar in duplicates). If anyone has ones that I'm missing, please can I have them? I'll give you my address and everything (just please don't come and stalk me).


[Click to view my collection]

The new American bank notes are awkward. The newest Canadian designs embrace the colours of the notes of the past. The American ones, are slowly moving beyond their Original Gameboy green-and-black look, and are stuck in a middle "look i have some colour!" state. A note to American currency designers: purple and green are not so nice-looking together.

I've had over 1000 visitors to my blog. I'm no Joseph Mallozzi, but I bet I could be if I ran sci-fi show, ate a lot of exotic food, and had scary, yet adorable puppies to show off. In fact, if that were the case, I would in fact be Joseph Mallozzi. I suspect most of them arrive via google image search finding pics of T'Pol from an entry I made way back. But thank you if you're one of the ones who follows the blog, whether on Livejournal, through my site, RSS feed, facebook links, or any other source that I just can't think about at the moment.

Recently, I watched two movies (in hi-def Bluray!)


I hadn't seen Pinocchio (1940) since I was very young, and I wasn't a fan then. I'm still not a fan. Even though I don't get excited over the movie, now that I'm older, I'm able to appreciate the movie a lot more. The animation is spectacular. The underwater scenes and the scenes inside Monstro are beautiful and detailed, to the point where I can't even believe this movie has been around for 70 years! Also, Figaro has become my favourite Disney cat (sorry, Berlios). He's just so amazing and expressive and little!

The hi-def transfer was very nice, but it wasn't as spectacular as I was expecting; Sleeping Beauty raised my expectations too high. It makes me wonder why Disney is re-releasing two huge old classics one after another (Snow White is due this fall) and not something more modern, like Lion King or Beauty and the Beast to really show off the platform.



Bolt, however, was a fantastic hi-def watching experience. It was just like watching it in the theatres, only on a smaller screen, and three people instead of 70. I actually think Bolt's a great movie, Disney Proper's best CG movie to date. It's not quite on par with a Pixar flick, but in terms of visuals, story, characters, and everything, it's much better than Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons. I wonder how much of that is John Lasseter's influence.

The opening sequence, which shows the filming (with real-time editing and special effects I might add) of the Bolt show is spectacular, as is the set disaster bit. The region-specific pigeons deserve a lot of credit. They're all hilarious! Also, this movie boosts my love for Malcolm McDowell (Mr. Linderman, the guy that killed Kirk, for you sci-fi nuts), the voice of Dr. Calico, the green-eyed Man. Rhino, the little break-out hamster starlet from the movie gets an all-new short, much like how Pixar makes shorts for their feature releases. This one was pretty forgettable, but cool while it lasted.

071 - Green Revolution Weekend

Last night, I received an email from some random tech solutions company, giving me a user name and password. The user name was for an email address that I use for important business purposes, so I decided to log in. It was registered to my email address, but by a Brandon Wood from Alabama. Huh? So I edited his information to say "This is not your email address." But I quickly realised that if I have his password, he dosn't have it (it looked automatically generated). Fortunately, after being on their website for a few minutes, a CSR chat window popped up! Brilliant! I can just complain to her. It went a bit like this:

Please wait while we find an agent to assist you...
You have been connected to Cindy .
Cindy : Hi ! Thank you for your interest in Supportrix. You can chat with us now and let us know what you need help on, or you can call 1-877-787-8749 for free consultation.
Customer: hello
Customer: I just got an email with a username and password for your web site, but I didn't register for anything.
Cindy : Can I have your name, phone and email address?
Customer: my email address is [gives email address]
Cindy : Oh I see
Cindy : Let me check our database.
Customer: i just wanted to make sure that it's not spam and that if someone else registered, that he knows that i have his information.
Cindy : I do understand.
Cindy : We do apologized for the inconvenience.
Customer: no problem
Cindy : I've just check our database.
Cindy : Since you were transfer to us by Linksys Tech for OUT OF SCOPE concern you already have a record here in our database. Don't worry sir, since you did not avail any support package from us, there should be no problem.
Cindy : The email you received from us is because you already have a record but there will be no charge for that.
Customer: with linksys?
Cindy : No sir. with Supportrix.
Customer: I'm not sure it's me though. My name isn't Brandon. It's possible a client entered the wrong email address.
Cindy : Oh I see.
Cindy : Because what we have in our record is under Mr. Brandon Wood and the phone number is 215*******.
Customer: That's not me, My name is Ben and I live in the 613 area (Ottawa, Canada). That's why I'm looking into this email I received
Cindy : Ok
Cindy : We do apologized for the inconvenience. Don't worry, we will address this call so you will not received any email again.
Cindy : Is there anything else I may help you with?
Customer: no, that's perfect. thank you for your time!
Cindy : Your welcome Sir.
Customer: have a good night

Ok, it went exactly like that. Nothing out of the ordinary and Internet-post worthy, but now you're part of the experience. And being called Sir is kinda strange. I wonder if that will go away over time, or us cool young people who like to be called by their first names will grow to be all stuffy and want the title, regardless if whether the Queen (or King by then I'm sure) had anything to do with it.

Over the weekend, I attended the (first annual?) Ottawa Go Green Expo. The Aberdeen Pavilion was packed wall to wall with trade show booths, and people trying to peddle off their latest products and innovations, which ranged form green-like to next-gen green. I tried organic hemp beverage - don't ever try that. It's pretty gross, despite the "new and improved taste" label, and chocolate didn't help it at all. I also sat in a Smart car. It was black and white though, not Wii-ized or bumble-beeed. If I had an extra $14 990 in my pocket, I would buy one. And a bullet bill decal for the side. Or for a tenth that price, I could get an electric-assisted bicycle. I could bike to work and let the motor take me home... biking after 8 hours of work doesn't sound too appealing, but if the bike pitched in...

With the dollar quite a bit higher than it was last week, I should go and buy some money for my trip. IN 37 DAYS. Just saying.

Photos: One last snowfall, trying on swimwear, collapsable electric bike, Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Susma in a Smart car, Segway, soup, kiss.

070 - Harold, Kumar, and Barack, all at once!

I finally returned a movie to ZIP.ca, I think it was The Manchurian Candidate. I've had three titles for a long time now (it, along with Tron and The Prestige) and no desire to watch them... so I had to cut my losses somewhere and return one. ZIP, probably thrilled that I'm still alive, promptly sent me Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay.



Harold and Kumar 2 was an enjoyable, but not-as-much-as-its-predecessor comedy. As Harold and Kumar hopped from one improbable disaster to another, I couldn't decide exactly what kind of movie it was, and I think that imbalance kept the movie from being better than it should have been. It around a lot from smart comedy, to slapstick comedy, to fart jokes, to a hilarious-yet-touching poem about the square root of three. I haven't seen White Castle in ages, though I'm pretty sure it's a better movie. Though Neil Patrick Harris with unicorns AND rainbows? That deserves some mention.

I still don't know what I think of John Cho as Sulu in the new Star Trek movie. He does make a great Harold, but Sulu? I'll have to wait until May 8 to find out, but I still think James Kyson Lee (Ando of Heroes fame) would have been my #1 choice. But isn't he cute as a 90s pre-emo?



Obama was fantastic on Leno last night. I think if all politicians had the sincerity and down-to-earth realness that he presented, then politics would be better off. We would be better off. Just hearing his take on presidential life and living in the white house was truly interesting. The poor guy wasn't allowed to walk 750 yards. But that quip about the Special Olympics, well I expect it to be headlines when I walk pass the newspaper machines.

Also, I don't get why so many people are complaining that he should be "at work dealing with the important issues, not gallivanting on talk shows." He was on for half an hour, and I doubt Leno was his only stop out West. Plus, haven't people heard of multi-tasking? I know women are better at it then men, but still. i should be doing homework right now, or getting ready for work. Besides, how much vacation time did Bush take while in office? It's not like things were less busy back then.

069 - Race to Average Sci-Fi Kid-Friendly Movie Starring Not-The Rock

I drew a landscape, and was told that I'm not all that disheartened by misfortune, that I'm peaceful, that I think life is about existence and co-existence, that I'm precise and meticulous, and that I have a cheerful disposition, among other things. All based on my landscape, which, for your information, is loosely based on the Mushroom Kingdom. It didn't tell me I was a gamer. That would have been my first observation! I guess it's pretty neat. Try it.

Tonight, I saw Race to Witch Mountain, starring Dwayne Johnson and a couple of alien kids. It was a decent watch, I might even say a fun film, but I felt there was something missing that kept it from being more than mediocre. The comedy was enjoyable, the visuals ranged from really cool to "10 years after the Matrix and this is the best bullet time they can do?" And there wasn't as much action as I'd expect from a movie with The Rock (which I guess he doesn't want to be called anymore, since he isn't billed as such). I guess to keep it a kids movie (and it's a good kids movie), they had to keep violence down to a minimum - or at least close to minimum. There was lots of glass breaking and shooting going on!

The kids were awesome! Wasn't a fan of the woman. Alex something.

Also, I can't remember any names from the movie.

I would choose it over The Game Plan, but barely.

068 - Angus burgers Look Kinda Gross When Photographed Half-Eaten

Usage Stats for the last month:
Text message sent: 1007
Picture messages sent: 64
Internet bandwidth use (60GB max): 60.95GB

I think the bill is available tomorrow, so I'll get more details. It's just a good thing I have MY5 because that many texts and picmessages could otherwise be very expensive.

Also, I should be in class right now, but I kinda slept in.

Photos: inspiring graffiti, waiting for Prashanta, bus, wine, lights, burger.

067 - Downtown Mini-adventure

Pictures: Downtown adventure with Prashanta, Jen, and Mika.

This time going downtown, I didn't get thieved. No Eeyores were stolen, no backpacks taken, no car change missing. We had planned to go skating on the canal, which I enjoy for a short period of time, before it becomes a painful experience. But for that initial 10-15 minutes, it's a lot of fun! The weather was very warm, though, and the canal's last day simply wasn't.

Also, playing Mairokart offline is so much easier than playing it online. Never once have I bounced around in front of the finish line thanks to bullet bills, red shells, invincible stars, losing 8 positions in the process. That was almost as bad as that one time someone hit me with a red shell going over a jump in the final lap of Waluigi's Stadium, effectively knocking me out of the running for an arcade machine. I coulda taken them!!! I could have an arcade machine in my room right now! And probably nothing else.

Though those 150cc computer opponents, if memory serves, are a nightmare.

Wine ranking so far:
- Pinot Grigio
- Sauvignon Blanc
- Riesling
- Merlot

I know that Sola Nero wine I had over a year ago ranks high on that list. The sauvignon blanc I had the other day (which has a story, which may or may not be all that exciting. I'll tell it next time) was palatable, albeit strong. It didn't have that sour apple afterkick that the riesling did. Ick. My next wine will be a zinfandel-vidal. One, it's pink. Or should I say rose? Two, it's a blend of two different grapes, so maybe the taste will bounce. Or maybe I won't even notice. We'll see later this week.

066 - Gloom

Pictures: Pluto, wine, traffic accessories, ice photos from the gloomiest day ever

Today was the greyest day I've ever seen. With the melting snow, overcast sky, salted pathways... there wasn't a colour to be seen. It was enough to depress Winnie the Pooh, or to at least show him the gloom that Eeyore experiences on a daily basis. Instead of waiting 25 minutes for the bus, I chose to walk home surrounded by the dread that is Ottawa pre-spring. Musicless, I managed to take a couple of breaks along the way to take pictures. Of the dread. They turned out so grey that I used Photoshop to help them out a little bit.

Plans were to go skating tomorrow. Tomorrow is supposed to be gloomier than today, 10C and raining.

On the upside of things, I'm off for the next 2 days! Disney is in less than 55 1/2 days! My sheets are a bright and cheery yellow! And Tigger is bouncing on the mug I was using earlier.

Mad Men is a compelling show. It doesn't hit you hard or fast, like other dramas might... but the slow burn is worth it. Here's hoping for a season 3, and sooooon! I recently watched all 6 episodes of Drive, an action character-based show that was cancelled well before it should have been. While I have my reservations of how a second season would have worked, it could have told a great story over the course of one season. I also feel bad for Nathan Fillion, who seems to be in these shows that get cancelled. Speaking of Nate, Castle starts soon!