There was a story on boing boing about this guy getting hassled by security for trying to take pictures of a public building in San Francisco. Security followed him around the building and tried to prevent him from taking photos from a public sidewalk.
So he responded by doing what any child of the digital age would do and organized a flash mob to meet at the spot and everyone took pictures of the building. I love it.
Friday, August 12, 2005
Movie Rituals
My favorite time to go to the movies is the first Friday matinee. I park in structure across the street where the theater validates and take a spot on the side that faces east and NOT the ramp because it's too hard to get out of.
The theater is mostly empty. Few employees. The same person who takes my money, tears my ticket and tells me to enjoy the show. I don't get food or drinks. I sit in the exact middle of the theater. If there are talky looking people in that area I will go higher.
Last weekend I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which I loved more than I expected. I remember when the first one came out. I loved the book and couldn't wait to see the movie. I remember being with a bunch of kids, perhaps someone's birthday although the release day was June 30, 1971 which means it wasn't my birthday but that my memory of seeing it with Scotty and Stacy is probably correct.
I watched the 1971 version a weekend earlier and it holds up okay for a movie made in 1971. I admit to fast forwarding through all the musical numbers. I don't think it adequately conveyed how miserably cold and poor the Buckets were -- it left out Mr. Bucket completely. The 2005 version is more true to the book and wonderful -- I don't know where to start. I liked Johnny Depp's kooky performance and I loved the addition of Willy Wonka's back story. Tiny spoiler but turns out his dad is Count Dooku/Saruman.
Also last weekend I saw Must Love Dogs which got dreadful reviews but how many critics are women my age? This is certainly a stupid movie but still satisfying for women around my age or older (who were the only people in the half full room with the exception of two grey haired men who arrived with female companions). While we waited for the movie to start the theater did not show "the 20" (endless commercial pimping various other things to watch or buy) nor did it play any music of any kind. I wasn't sure if we were being neglected because our demographic would be likely to complain about Mountain Dew commercials at ear bending volume, or if it was because they didn't want to waste their time playing the stuff knowing we would be unlikely to buy Starburst or Diet Coke or watch a new TV show about a group of large-toothed twenty-somethings grappling with inane problems.
I finally visited Cinetopia a new entertainment complex that opened in east Vancouver. I've been reading about this place and was a bit skeptical -- it's an upscale theater where you pay more money for a better quality experience. I was expecting it to show the latest numbnutz action movies and stupid comedies and was thrilled to see they have a variety leaning more towards the small films that I would actually want to see.
The reason I went today is because they are showing um, Star Wars in high definition. That was viewing #9 and hi def is AWESOME. (I realize it is not a small film but who cares? I was a film I wanted to see.)
The theater is fantastic. The auditorium theaters have big snazzy leather seats that tilt back and lots of foot room. While I was there I checked out one of the living room theaters and they have luxury leather recliners with an ottoman for your feet. And after 4pm they lock out minors and you can enjoy an adult beverage served at your seat. I told Bob I want to go there for our anniversary in a few weeks.
My favorite time to go to the movies is the first Friday matinee. I park in structure across the street where the theater validates and take a spot on the side that faces east and NOT the ramp because it's too hard to get out of.
The theater is mostly empty. Few employees. The same person who takes my money, tears my ticket and tells me to enjoy the show. I don't get food or drinks. I sit in the exact middle of the theater. If there are talky looking people in that area I will go higher.
Last weekend I saw Charlie and the Chocolate Factory which I loved more than I expected. I remember when the first one came out. I loved the book and couldn't wait to see the movie. I remember being with a bunch of kids, perhaps someone's birthday although the release day was June 30, 1971 which means it wasn't my birthday but that my memory of seeing it with Scotty and Stacy is probably correct.
I watched the 1971 version a weekend earlier and it holds up okay for a movie made in 1971. I admit to fast forwarding through all the musical numbers. I don't think it adequately conveyed how miserably cold and poor the Buckets were -- it left out Mr. Bucket completely. The 2005 version is more true to the book and wonderful -- I don't know where to start. I liked Johnny Depp's kooky performance and I loved the addition of Willy Wonka's back story. Tiny spoiler but turns out his dad is Count Dooku/Saruman.
Also last weekend I saw Must Love Dogs which got dreadful reviews but how many critics are women my age? This is certainly a stupid movie but still satisfying for women around my age or older (who were the only people in the half full room with the exception of two grey haired men who arrived with female companions). While we waited for the movie to start the theater did not show "the 20" (endless commercial pimping various other things to watch or buy) nor did it play any music of any kind. I wasn't sure if we were being neglected because our demographic would be likely to complain about Mountain Dew commercials at ear bending volume, or if it was because they didn't want to waste their time playing the stuff knowing we would be unlikely to buy Starburst or Diet Coke or watch a new TV show about a group of large-toothed twenty-somethings grappling with inane problems.
I finally visited Cinetopia a new entertainment complex that opened in east Vancouver. I've been reading about this place and was a bit skeptical -- it's an upscale theater where you pay more money for a better quality experience. I was expecting it to show the latest numbnutz action movies and stupid comedies and was thrilled to see they have a variety leaning more towards the small films that I would actually want to see.
The reason I went today is because they are showing um, Star Wars in high definition. That was viewing #9 and hi def is AWESOME. (I realize it is not a small film but who cares? I was a film I wanted to see.)
The theater is fantastic. The auditorium theaters have big snazzy leather seats that tilt back and lots of foot room. While I was there I checked out one of the living room theaters and they have luxury leather recliners with an ottoman for your feet. And after 4pm they lock out minors and you can enjoy an adult beverage served at your seat. I told Bob I want to go there for our anniversary in a few weeks.
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
I don't know if you know about Wikipedia -- this has become a recent ... what's the word I'm looking for. Obsession is too strong. Fixation?
It's a free encyclopedia and anyone can give input. And it covers all kinds of random things. Not just like the economy of Sweden or who invented paper.
I recently ran across a brief discussion about the reading order of the Narnia books and I go along with the folks who believe that they should be read in the order they were originally published and not in Narnia time chronology as they are currently packaged. This brief discussion cited an Wikepedia article that discussed this which you can find: here.
Please read the above because it's freakin hilarious. It's a completely straight-forward, dead serious summary of Narnia as if they were writing about Tunisia or Elizabethan England or other actual real places in history. I've read the Narnia books at least 10 times each and I learned new things. Did you know the Telmarines might have descended from the pirates from the HMS Bounty in our world? There was a portal in a cave on the island. I know, startling new information. I also didn't fully grasp that Narnia is flat -- which is pretty sad considering that Dawn Treader is one of my favorites in the series.
And let's consider for a moment and this is high geek if ever there was such a thing what was going on at the end of Dawn Treader when they were heading for the end of the world: " ... and the sky, a greenish-grey, trembling, shimmering wall and it turned into a wonderful rainbow of colors. ... What they saw--eastward, beyond the sun--was a range of mountains ... these were warm and green and full of forests and waterfalls ... ." and eventually Reepicheep vanishes into a sea of lillies. Contrast this with what Gandalf says in Return of the King, about the end: "The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it ... white shores... and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise."
I don't know. I'm just saying.
It's a free encyclopedia and anyone can give input. And it covers all kinds of random things. Not just like the economy of Sweden or who invented paper.
I recently ran across a brief discussion about the reading order of the Narnia books and I go along with the folks who believe that they should be read in the order they were originally published and not in Narnia time chronology as they are currently packaged. This brief discussion cited an Wikepedia article that discussed this which you can find: here.
Please read the above because it's freakin hilarious. It's a completely straight-forward, dead serious summary of Narnia as if they were writing about Tunisia or Elizabethan England or other actual real places in history. I've read the Narnia books at least 10 times each and I learned new things. Did you know the Telmarines might have descended from the pirates from the HMS Bounty in our world? There was a portal in a cave on the island. I know, startling new information. I also didn't fully grasp that Narnia is flat -- which is pretty sad considering that Dawn Treader is one of my favorites in the series.
And let's consider for a moment and this is high geek if ever there was such a thing what was going on at the end of Dawn Treader when they were heading for the end of the world: " ... and the sky, a greenish-grey, trembling, shimmering wall and it turned into a wonderful rainbow of colors. ... What they saw--eastward, beyond the sun--was a range of mountains ... these were warm and green and full of forests and waterfalls ... ." and eventually Reepicheep vanishes into a sea of lillies. Contrast this with what Gandalf says in Return of the King, about the end: "The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass. And then you see it ... white shores... and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise."
I don't know. I'm just saying.
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
I leave work at 6pm and now especially with the new commute situation (e.g. taking the train) I don't get home until almost 7pm which means making me in charge of dinner preparation is not practical. Plus Bob's commute is about 5 minutes (when he's working and he's off this summer) and he gets done with work (most of the time) way earlier than that so on weeknights Bob is in charge of dinner.
We usually figure out the menu in the morning. On weekends I try to make things with leftovers and we have a freezer full of Trader Joes stuff and we always have a big bowl of salad going so we figure out some ideas of things he can make. Bob is good cook and learning more all the time but he doesn't do recipes that require lots of steps or advanced skills.
Last night I came home and he had the leftover chicken thing in the oven and some pots on the stove and I opened one and there were about 4 tablespoons of peas being steamed within an inch of their lives.
I had harvested the last of the peas from the garden over the weekend and taped a note on the refrigerator that said: "eat corn peas" so we wouldn't forget to eat the fresh yummy stuff.
I was a teeny bit disheartened that he'd opted to cook the living shit out of my fresh pretty peas but it was done so I replaced the lid without comment. He saw me and proudly points to the sign on the fridge: "I saw your note."
"Good," I said.
"Yeah … that's the last of the frozen peas. We only had a little bit."
"Frozen peas?"
"Yeah." He taps the note again.
"Why would I want to finish the frozen peas?" I go to the fridge, open the produce drawer and show him the bag of the fresh peas. "I meant these peas." (Also note that the corn was still in there not being eaten.)
"You taped the note on the list with the stuff from the freezer."
And this is true. I have a list on the fridge that roughly represents the contents of the outdoor chest freezer so we know what we have when we're planning.
"So?" We spent the next several minutes doubled over in laughter. Then he said:
"I ate some last night, too."
--
In a completely unrelated story, yesterday I walked to REI from my office which is a VERY LONG WALK because I wanted to get some new yoga clothes and WTF – they had hardly anything and it seemed like it was all on clearance which means it was all either XL or ugly colors so I went over there for nothing.
On my way back to the office I stopped at See's and bought a pound of candy as a consolation prize.
Bob said, "I love it. You went to buy yoga clothes and came home with See's instead."
We usually figure out the menu in the morning. On weekends I try to make things with leftovers and we have a freezer full of Trader Joes stuff and we always have a big bowl of salad going so we figure out some ideas of things he can make. Bob is good cook and learning more all the time but he doesn't do recipes that require lots of steps or advanced skills.
Last night I came home and he had the leftover chicken thing in the oven and some pots on the stove and I opened one and there were about 4 tablespoons of peas being steamed within an inch of their lives.
I had harvested the last of the peas from the garden over the weekend and taped a note on the refrigerator that said: "eat corn peas" so we wouldn't forget to eat the fresh yummy stuff.
I was a teeny bit disheartened that he'd opted to cook the living shit out of my fresh pretty peas but it was done so I replaced the lid without comment. He saw me and proudly points to the sign on the fridge: "I saw your note."
"Good," I said.
"Yeah … that's the last of the frozen peas. We only had a little bit."
"Frozen peas?"
"Yeah." He taps the note again.
"Why would I want to finish the frozen peas?" I go to the fridge, open the produce drawer and show him the bag of the fresh peas. "I meant these peas." (Also note that the corn was still in there not being eaten.)
"You taped the note on the list with the stuff from the freezer."
And this is true. I have a list on the fridge that roughly represents the contents of the outdoor chest freezer so we know what we have when we're planning.
"So?" We spent the next several minutes doubled over in laughter. Then he said:
"I ate some last night, too."
--
In a completely unrelated story, yesterday I walked to REI from my office which is a VERY LONG WALK because I wanted to get some new yoga clothes and WTF – they had hardly anything and it seemed like it was all on clearance which means it was all either XL or ugly colors so I went over there for nothing.
On my way back to the office I stopped at See's and bought a pound of candy as a consolation prize.
Bob said, "I love it. You went to buy yoga clothes and came home with See's instead."
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Good Freaking God, what happened to today?
I was up early and super industrious. Working on all these loose ends that I've been procrastinating on forever. I did a bunch of online things that necessitated my opening at least 6 new user accounts with usernames and passwords -- I only have about 10 trillion of those right now. Yay, isn't the Internet making life easier? And how about having to click a half million times to buy my 6 items? Yeah, only a teeny bit easier than actually going to the store. (If the store was close by and had a competent person standing there just waiting to help me.)
I was doing all this stuff and suddenly it was 4:30pm so ran to the kitchen to make peach pie (which turned out godhead, by the way. I used Cook's Illustrated, except I didn't like the spices or the sugar ratio, so I read the Betty Crocker recipe, except I didn't want the flour in the filling. I used less brown sugar and more white sugar plus 2 t. lemon and 1 t. lemon zest and 1/4 t. cinnamon and tapioca for my thickener. I've never made a peach pie before but this is going in the rotation. I guess I'd better write down what I did while I'm thinking about it.) (I mean write it on a recipe card. I'm never going to remember to look here for my peach pie tips.)
After the pie I made this baked chicken recipe which was easy but had lots of steps including "browning" it on the stove top in a pan which means "get oil splattered everywhere" so I figured while I was there I'd just disembowel the entire stove top and clean it all.
And after that was done I had to get started on the watering. What a fantastic day. I never turned on the air. I just had the windows open and the breeze felt great. Watering still needed to be done. I've modified my watering routine to do intensive watering every other day rather than half-assed watering every day. But intensive watering takes forever so while I was out there I did yard work and by the time I finished it was almost 9pm. Then I had to eat my chicken and pie.
I'm completely filthy and smell like a stinky hippy but it's too late to bathe now. (I'm sure 90% of you are appalled. Yes, I'm fastidious but I will go to bed stinky and dirty with barely a second thought.) I'm also sort of wound up. Sitting here at the computer typing is not helping.
Point being: I still don't have your train pictures - I did start working on them this morning. And I don't have my Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story or any of the other stuff I have jotted on scraps of paper that are scattered all over this room. Maybe later this week.
Meanwhile. I'd just like to point out that something I didn't do this weekend is go to the Willamette Writers conference. I think I've attended at least part of it every year but one for the last 4 or 5. Wow, and I'm not feeling totally humilated or like I wasted my money. Coincidence? I think not.
I was up early and super industrious. Working on all these loose ends that I've been procrastinating on forever. I did a bunch of online things that necessitated my opening at least 6 new user accounts with usernames and passwords -- I only have about 10 trillion of those right now. Yay, isn't the Internet making life easier? And how about having to click a half million times to buy my 6 items? Yeah, only a teeny bit easier than actually going to the store. (If the store was close by and had a competent person standing there just waiting to help me.)
I was doing all this stuff and suddenly it was 4:30pm so ran to the kitchen to make peach pie (which turned out godhead, by the way. I used Cook's Illustrated, except I didn't like the spices or the sugar ratio, so I read the Betty Crocker recipe, except I didn't want the flour in the filling. I used less brown sugar and more white sugar plus 2 t. lemon and 1 t. lemon zest and 1/4 t. cinnamon and tapioca for my thickener. I've never made a peach pie before but this is going in the rotation. I guess I'd better write down what I did while I'm thinking about it.) (I mean write it on a recipe card. I'm never going to remember to look here for my peach pie tips.)
After the pie I made this baked chicken recipe which was easy but had lots of steps including "browning" it on the stove top in a pan which means "get oil splattered everywhere" so I figured while I was there I'd just disembowel the entire stove top and clean it all.
And after that was done I had to get started on the watering. What a fantastic day. I never turned on the air. I just had the windows open and the breeze felt great. Watering still needed to be done. I've modified my watering routine to do intensive watering every other day rather than half-assed watering every day. But intensive watering takes forever so while I was out there I did yard work and by the time I finished it was almost 9pm. Then I had to eat my chicken and pie.
I'm completely filthy and smell like a stinky hippy but it's too late to bathe now. (I'm sure 90% of you are appalled. Yes, I'm fastidious but I will go to bed stinky and dirty with barely a second thought.) I'm also sort of wound up. Sitting here at the computer typing is not helping.
Point being: I still don't have your train pictures - I did start working on them this morning. And I don't have my Charlie and the Chocolate Factory story or any of the other stuff I have jotted on scraps of paper that are scattered all over this room. Maybe later this week.
Meanwhile. I'd just like to point out that something I didn't do this weekend is go to the Willamette Writers conference. I think I've attended at least part of it every year but one for the last 4 or 5. Wow, and I'm not feeling totally humilated or like I wasted my money. Coincidence? I think not.
Friday, August 05, 2005
I have so many notes here of things I want to add, but I'm not quite there yet. Also, still to come: photos and narrative on the train journey.
Here's a tidbit for now:
We rec'd an item in the mail this week that our waranty on our KitchenAid mixer was about done and do we want to extend it. I set it aside to examine more closely although, don't they tell you to buy the KitchenAid mixer because it lasts about 30 years?
It comes with an addressed "no postage necessary" envelope and while I was gathering together a weeks worth of stuff that I'd "set aside" I noticed that the envelope was for "Priests for Life" in Staten Island, NY. There's even a boldfaced notice with three (3) exclamation points informing me that my stamp will help PLF save more Moms and their babies.
I can't tell you how long I looked back and forth at the KitchenAid form and the envelope -- trying to figure out why the Priests are running the warranty program. Finally Bob comes up and says: the direct mail company screwed up. That's the wrong envelope.
Here's a tidbit for now:
We rec'd an item in the mail this week that our waranty on our KitchenAid mixer was about done and do we want to extend it. I set it aside to examine more closely although, don't they tell you to buy the KitchenAid mixer because it lasts about 30 years?
It comes with an addressed "no postage necessary" envelope and while I was gathering together a weeks worth of stuff that I'd "set aside" I noticed that the envelope was for "Priests for Life" in Staten Island, NY. There's even a boldfaced notice with three (3) exclamation points informing me that my stamp will help PLF save more Moms and their babies.
I can't tell you how long I looked back and forth at the KitchenAid form and the envelope -- trying to figure out why the Priests are running the warranty program. Finally Bob comes up and says: the direct mail company screwed up. That's the wrong envelope.
Monday, August 01, 2005
I'm still not in the mood to recreate my train trip post and I still haven't posted the photos (well, I've posted 2 but that happened by accident and I wasn't in the mood to fix it).
So, who can we buy this shirt for?
This weekend I continued my bitter project of tossing writing crap. I don't think my attitude is completely healthy but whatever gets you through. I'm making tons of rooms on my shelves and drawers and getting a tiny smug sense of satisfaction. It reminds of this relationship I had in my mid-20's that ended with particular tragedy and the guy gave me a cassette of Edie Brickell and something else, I think a folk singer. I *STILL* can't listen to Edie Brickell. I taped over what he gave me with Megadeth and Racer X.
Petty, childish and strangely satisfying.
Also I cleaned out my closet and I FINALLY hung up the giant vinyl signs that Steve and Denise gave me for the Attack of the Clones DVD sales. I now have a giant Boba Fett that looks over my desk and a giant Yoda and light saber in my yoga handstand practice area. It's awesome. I hung the Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin one in the laundry room. It pleases me greatly that I have better Star Wars stuff than pretty much all the other kids. I have an Obi-Wan bank, talking Yoda, life-sized cardboard C3PO cutout, Darth Vader phone, and R2D2 mini-robot and a photo of me and young George Lucas that was a photo on the wall at a Cafe 50's type diner in San Francisco. (Mel's?). I know. Sad but all true.
I also have a moleskine that I put a retro Princess Leia sticker on and I got a great compliment in line at the movies the other day. Also an awesome Anakin Skywalker backpack that Bob got for me in Chinatown in LA. The clerk asked if it was for his son and he said, "No, my wife."
If Revenge of the Sith is still on big screen this weekend I'll see it again. It will be #9. I saw (big screen) Phantom 13 times and Clones a mere 7. I saw the special editions on big screen: Ep IV (5), Ep V (3) and Ep VI (3). I have no ideas how many times I've seen them on DVD or VCR. I'm not a TV in the background type of person but I often plug in one of those movies when I'm doing an extended cooking project. I watched IV and V the past few weekends -- the old "before special" edition and thought it was cool.
I have no idea why I'm writing out this extended Star Wars confession. I feel perfectly healthy and at relative peace with the world.
Also, completely unrelated but I think I've discovered my pie crust problem. It's the fat. I went back to my Betty Crocker recipe this weekend and was extra generous with the shortening and it was about 90% more successful. Yay.
So, who can we buy this shirt for?
This weekend I continued my bitter project of tossing writing crap. I don't think my attitude is completely healthy but whatever gets you through. I'm making tons of rooms on my shelves and drawers and getting a tiny smug sense of satisfaction. It reminds of this relationship I had in my mid-20's that ended with particular tragedy and the guy gave me a cassette of Edie Brickell and something else, I think a folk singer. I *STILL* can't listen to Edie Brickell. I taped over what he gave me with Megadeth and Racer X.
Petty, childish and strangely satisfying.
Also I cleaned out my closet and I FINALLY hung up the giant vinyl signs that Steve and Denise gave me for the Attack of the Clones DVD sales. I now have a giant Boba Fett that looks over my desk and a giant Yoda and light saber in my yoga handstand practice area. It's awesome. I hung the Yoda, Obi-Wan, Anakin one in the laundry room. It pleases me greatly that I have better Star Wars stuff than pretty much all the other kids. I have an Obi-Wan bank, talking Yoda, life-sized cardboard C3PO cutout, Darth Vader phone, and R2D2 mini-robot and a photo of me and young George Lucas that was a photo on the wall at a Cafe 50's type diner in San Francisco. (Mel's?). I know. Sad but all true.
I also have a moleskine that I put a retro Princess Leia sticker on and I got a great compliment in line at the movies the other day. Also an awesome Anakin Skywalker backpack that Bob got for me in Chinatown in LA. The clerk asked if it was for his son and he said, "No, my wife."
If Revenge of the Sith is still on big screen this weekend I'll see it again. It will be #9. I saw (big screen) Phantom 13 times and Clones a mere 7. I saw the special editions on big screen: Ep IV (5), Ep V (3) and Ep VI (3). I have no ideas how many times I've seen them on DVD or VCR. I'm not a TV in the background type of person but I often plug in one of those movies when I'm doing an extended cooking project. I watched IV and V the past few weekends -- the old "before special" edition and thought it was cool.
I have no idea why I'm writing out this extended Star Wars confession. I feel perfectly healthy and at relative peace with the world.
Also, completely unrelated but I think I've discovered my pie crust problem. It's the fat. I went back to my Betty Crocker recipe this weekend and was extra generous with the shortening and it was about 90% more successful. Yay.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
