048 - Of Stamps and Secrets

Photos: Alanis, Chickens, Meaghan Smith and Ron Sexsmith, Pixie Hollow, Snow in October, escalator, Halloween Costume (Joe Jonas, Jonas Brothers), Pramod Dhakal, Wall-E and Eve art, someone's parcel paid in a whack of 52¢, 96¢, $1.15, and $1.60 stamps.

I completed a huge project that didn't involve school. I'll reveal it very soon, as early as next week. It's pretty awesome, but still a secret. That's what I've been up to. I've also been working a lot and doing some school. Oh, and watching television shows! Stargate Atlantis, Dexter, and Pushing Daisies are impressing, and Heroes is getting pretty tricky. It makes me wish that there were two Bryan Fullers, one for Heroes and one for Daisies. And perhaps one for a new Star Trek as well.

Speaking of Star Trek, someone revealed the new original Enterprise (photo) for the 2009 movie. I must say that I really like it, except for how the nacelle pylons' positions. But that's enough geek from me for one day.

Recently, I've seen the following movies: Strange Brew, which I didn't understand at all. It was too 80s Canadiana for me, I suppose. Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, which proved to me that not only is Kevin Smith pretty brilliant at creating a cohesive world and making it entertaining across various viewpoints and characters, but he can also create a spoof that isn't of the terrible quality of spoofs post-Scary Movie. I must see Zack and Miri make a Porno, if only because it's a Kevin Smith film.

Anyway, I must get back to preparing for a presentation for later this week. More later!

045 - I think I'm Going to Need a Bigger Box

The new TV season has kicked off with a pretty epic set-up for Heroes' third season, as well as a nice start to Big Bang Theory's second. I love when shows don't pick up right where they left off, but that's often hard to do when the vast majority of 'em have cliffhanger season finales. Heroes cheated a bit last year by throwing you a few months after the events of the season 1 finale, and then taking a later episode to answer 'how did they get here?" Those are perfectly exciting. I expect a similar filler this year too, at least on a couple of storylines. Up next: Dexter, Californication, Chuck, Pushing Daisies, Corner Gas, and Little Mosque on the Praries, though I have no idea when that one starts - or where I"m goig to find the time to watch all of those. Despite my crazy-expensive cable package, torrents and my PSP may become my best friends.

In the meantime, I need to prepare a presentation of sorts for work. There's a staff meeting this weekend, and I get to discuss, well... magic. I do have a basic guide form which to work, but I hope I'll have the time to really add my own perspective to it, if at all possible.

One big accomplishment I accomplished earlier this week: I finished ripping all of my music to my computer - that's about 220 cds! I've never had such instant access over my entire library (including songs downloaded form iTunes, Puretracks, and other less legitimate sources). I just have to decide what to do with it all. Twenty-five gigs of music might merit the purchase of an iPod, not because I don't have a fabulous mp3 player already (8 Gig Creative Zen Microphoto), but because I use iTunes anyway, and I need something bigger so that I don't have to pick and choose. Apple did just release a cooler, cheaper 32-Gig iPod Touch - but it's still over $400. Maybe after Christmas...

036 - It's a faaaaaaake!

Photos: Hannah Montana mannequin, parking lot at night

What a day indeed! In one mail-checking session, I received money from the government, a notice of bankruptcy and a call for objections for the sale of Disney Store by Hoop Retail, and a letter from Japan. The latter has amazingly colourfully cute stationary! It feels as if it's a letter right out of Animal Crossing, sans exotic furniture present. Oh I really want some exotic furniture! I also reinflated my purple yoga ball thinking maybe I can sit on it when I play videogames in my room. I tried it out by playing some Beautiful Katamari. Man, that game is trippy! I don't know how to roll properly, so I don't end up with big Katamari balls, leaving the King of the Cosmos pretty bummed.

My room is also almost 100% tidy! I will take pictures when it's sunny. I'm out of room for DS games and cds. Uhoh!

Deep Space Nine's season six In the Pale Moonlight is probably the greatest hour (well, 44 minutes) of Star Trek. It's captivating storytelling. If anyone decides to ever make, or even pitch a new Trek series in the future, they absolutely have to watch and learn from DS9 because it has it all: drama, sci-fi, homages, relevance, comedy, consequences, villains with depth, multi-faceted main characters that grow, likable and useful satellite characters, romance (well, pretty good romance for sci-fi), even music moments. It's hard to believe that it ended almost ten years ago.

I think I need to get me some tarps, some lights, and an external flash for my camera... I'm starting to feel inspired to try new things with my photography. Also a blow torch and some peanut butter.

031 - Beauty, Beast, and Mrs. Pot

Photos could be summed up with one phrase: Again with the eye pictures!

So I was thinking today about the words "once" and "ounce". They're so similar in appearance and lettering, but they sounds very different from one another. A linguist could probably tell you that the words are very dissimilar with the parts of the mouth and throat used to pronounce them, all because of one letter. Think of the difference U can make. It would be borderline remarkable if the English language didn't resemble what would result if you left a four-year old in a white room with a bucket of chocolate and a fresh set of Crayola markers. Or crayons.

Happy Easter!

I've managed to stuff all kinds of things into this long weekend: Smash Bros., babysitting, work, movies, and television shows. Some of these activities overlap. Weeds is a great show. I might dare to say fantastic. After watching the first season on a couple of sittings, I might have to buy it and the second season to add to my scifi-heavy tv-dvd collection. And third, and fourth apparently. And I've watched Pirates I, II, and III (minus the first hour for which I fell asleep). They don't wow and amaze me, but it is a fun ride while it lasts (the latter one lasts too long, i fear). My cousins are entertaining. And Smash Bros is grand.

Oh yes, and I've been watching Star Trek The Original Series Remastered Season One. I hadn't seen much of the original show, so the polished episodes and new, yet still retro effects are fun for me. Plus, it's a great way to examine just how television had changed in 40 years, everything from how people act to camera angles... I was telling my mom the other day how in the 50-minute episode The Enemy Within, Kirk's captain's log tell you right from the start what's happened - a doppleganger of sorts was created by a transporter accident, unbeknownst to anyone. If that were made today, that fact would be the big twist that you've been trying to figure out (or had figured out a good 25 minutes ago, depending on the writing and direction quality) that gets resolved in the last 5 minutes of the 42-minute episode. Huh.

The Children's Place announced recently (link) that as part of their effort to "strengthen" their "core business", they are exiting the Disney Store retail space. The Walt Disney Company might purchase back 2/3 of those stores. Interesting news indeed. I'm not yet sure what it means, but I'd love to work for a huge multimedia beast with it's hands in the gaming industry. And maybe I should dust off (well, figuratively. computer files don't really get dusty. Though maybe they should... maybe in MAC OS XI) my resume.

And I think maybe, if it's possible, I've had too many cupcakes today.

022 - Me, Wii, and Tee Vee

Dance Dance Revolution now for Wii


Night time


Jack Skellington, what a stud.


Jack Sparrow, Mighty Pirate


Slackers with a view (without heads?)


What happens if you ever eat a rotten lemon


What happens if you have your birthday at Lonestar, as my manager did last weekend. That isn't her.


Someone thought the escalator was sick. I hope!


Mario can't come soon enough!


I'm sleeping on the bus. Sleep-photography is a hidden skill of mine.

Television. For the first time in a number of years, I feel like this fall has a number of interesting shows. How ironic that I don't have the time to watch any of them. It's surprising how little the tv landscape has changed, despite all the HD this and widescreen that. Sure, DVD-RW, PVR, and TiVo have just about replaced the "when I was a kid" blank videotapes (or tape over the tab if you're in dire need) - and they've certainly added some functionality - but I just don't understand why everything in 2007 isn't on demand.

However, I heard on the radio this morning that Rogers was just given the ok by the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC for all those acronym peeps) to put television shows on demand with commercials embedded within them. Regular network shows available 24/7. I wouldn't mind a couple of Geico and Zellers spots between Pushing Daisies acts if it means I can watch 'em whenever I want (for less hassle than it is to look for torrents... not taht it matters because it's the American population that affect ratings, not me). Provided it doesn't cost more since I'm already paying for the cable. And watching the ads.

014 - Claire Bennet should be the newest Disney Princess

My lack of updates lately have less to do with a lack of excitement than it does me avoiding my computer for anything other than basic email. My computer has to die. It's already dead. I'm typing on an undead laptop, running Windows Zombie. There might be a silver bullet labelled "reformat" in it's future... or would that be more of a "bring me to life" pill, akin to Viagra? Do silver bullets even stop zombies, or is that more of a werewolf kinda thing? Either way, my computer has to be fixed soon, or I'll become even more crazy.

In fact, there's been much excitement on my end since my last update. So much so that I can't put too many things on at once, your browser might explode. Like mine does! First things first, I started working part-time at the Disney Store (note the lower-case "the"; it isn't "The Disney Store," it's "Disney Store"). Someone, after a summer of joblessness, has hired me just as the fall swing of things start up. But so far, I'm really enjoying it. The store itself is really busy, and has all kinds of Disney goodness, but I'm picking it all up really quickly (I now know all my Disney Princesses). SO yeah, it's busy and a lot of work, but pretty fun. You hear horrors in retail, but this seems to be pretty horror-free. Though there was the one time i set off an alarm by opening the emergency door in the back. Haha. Oops.

I'll keep it through the fall and do the whole job and school thing that I've been avoiding forever and ever. And if I survive the Christmas shopping season, then I can handle anything. Maybe. Just don't cut my arm or anything... that would hurt. I'm not a cheerleader or anything...

Which of course brings me to my newest DVD acquisition: Heroes season 1. Sooooo good. Rewatching the earlier episodes is a bit of a treat since you get to notice all the little things you missed the first time around. And by you, I mean me. I'm disappointed in the episode commentaries and the cheesy mind reader game, but the deleted scenes are a treat. I really can't wait until season 2.

That is all for now because I have to go.

013 - Eyes Glued to the TV Tube

A few things I've learned in my travels through this crazy little thing called life - One, A morning of awkwardness is far better than a night of loneliness. Two, I probably won't go down in history, but I will go down on your sister. And three, While I'm down there, it might be nice to see a hint of pubis. I'm not talking about a huge 70s Playboy bush or anything, just something that reminds me that I'm performing cunnilingus on an adult. But I guess the bigger question is, why is the City of Angels so hell bent on destroying the female population?

So blogs David Duchovny's character Hank Moody in Californication, a new series that I've been watching for the past couple of weeks - a show where the Cali part isn't the important part of the title. I don't know that I'm completely convinced by his character, but it's easy to see how playing an apathetic writer who's life isn't what he wants it to be is a good fit for him. Plus I'm sure that in three episodes, Moody has had sex with more women than Mulder did in nine years of the X-Files.

Another surprisingly great show that I've watched over the past couple of days (at IGN's Peer Schneider's suggestion) is Dexter. Completely awesome story about a blood spatter specialist who works for the Miami police department who moonlights as a serial killer. If there is an art to killing, then Dexter is a canvas on which great (fictional) personalities create their works. I can't wait for season 2.

Part of the excitement of fall is the television lineup, transiting from a summer of reruns had half-baked reality shows into fresh (well, if you're lucky) stories for familiar faces. I've noticed that I only watch a few series concurrently, but throughout the whole year. This summer was full of ReGenesis, Big Love, and This American Life. This fall will bring me new Heroes, Stargate Atlantis, Corner Gas, Dexter, the rest of Californication, and maybe a new comedy or drama or something. I really don't know beyond that what I'll be watching, or if I'll even have time for that much.

Beyond that, I'm stuffed up - probably due to allergies. I have pictures that I'll post either later today or tomorrow. There's an interesting story, but I don't know if I should post it prematurely for fear of it getting to a specific person. In time.