Friday, February 27, 2009

Budgets Suck!

With all the stuff that's been going on lately, it's no surprise that many people have been trying to prioritize their spending. Going on budgets, saving money, cancelling subscriptions to things they really don't need...and so on.

I have also been trying my best to cut down spending. I'm not going all out and saving every penny, though. But I have been trying to cut back on a few things. Specifically...my love for collecting DVDs. hehe Though, truth be told, there haven't been any big releases in the past few weeks that I want really bad. So that's helped me be strong and not buy them. lol And I have tons of DVDs already to keep me entertained. The past couple weeks I've been watching the "24" DVDs (season 5). I'm almost done with it and then I'll move on to the sixth season, which fortunately I already own. :)

This coming Tuesday though...DC Animation's latest DVD comes out! As much as I love Marvel, DC's animated DVDs have, in my opinion, surpassed Marvel's animated DVDs by quite a lot! So when the "Wonder Woman" animated DVD movie comes out next Tuesday, March 3, I don't think I can resist! Hell, after the bad news we got at work this week, I deserve a little treat! ;)

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Joss Whedon Q&A

Via TV Guide: http://www.tvguide.com/News/VIDEO-Whedon-Gellar-1003385.aspx

Listen up children, Papa Whedon has a few things to say!









Tough Times Still

A little over a month ago, on a gloomy Friday, we had some pretty significant layoffs here at the office, and the announcement that two more of our store locations were going to be closing down. Sad times indeed. Fortunately, my job was spared and I was asked to stay on board. A couple of days after that, especially the Monday back to work, I was in this strange mood at work. I mean, who here wasn't!? The office was noticeably emptier and the worker's morale wasn't exactly at it's highest. I told myself I would focus more on looking around for new jobs while I'm still here. But then something happened.

I started to let myself slip back into routine. I started to forget...no, wait...more like "ignore"...the fact that things really aren't going good for us. I just focused on my daily tasks, clocked in and out, then went home and did my own stuff that makes me happy, have fun or just relax. Part of this was just me wanting to "feel" better about the unavoidable event that seems to be getting closer and closer by the day: the end of our company. Pessimist much? Not really. I'm usually a very optimistic person. But I've got to be realistic here. Things have been slowly going down for us a long while now. As one of my coworkers put it, regarding those who were spared their jobs last January, "You're only delaying the inevitable."

I just wanted to feel happy. I started the year off with an awesome week's vacation and had a blast. I would've loved that type of feeling, or some resemblance of it at the very least, to last a while longer. But who am I kidding? I need to remember that things aren't going well for a lot of us. :( Some times I don't even know how this all happened. I know it's been a long time coming, but to me it seems like it all just suddenly hit us recently. Maybe it's because every day I hear more and more about people closing down stores...and then it hit us, too.

Tomorrow, we're having an office meeting with our big boss. He sent an email telling us that "by now you might've heard" so and so. Thing is, I hadn't heard a word. I had to google it! Turns out...we're closing two MORE stores. So that'll officially leave 3 stores that will still be on "open" status. But I know it's only a matter of time. :(

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

TV Theme Songs

They just don't make TV theme songs like they used to! Some shows barely even have a theme song at all now. Back then I think the popular shows were the half hour, mostly family friendly sitcoms. So they were perfect for the catchy theme song to get the mood going. Now, the hit shows tend to be about the law, forensics, medicine and the supernatural. They don't exactly welcome a fun, upbeat and catchy sing-a-long theme song. Hell, LOST's theme is just a quick eerie sound. lol But let's take a little trip down memory lane with the help of Stewie and Brian Griffin...



What was your favorite theme song growing up?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

HEROES 3.17: "Cold Wars"

OK, as usual, SPOILERS SPOILERS AND SPOILERS AHEAD for those of you that aren't caught up to the newest episode. You have been warned. :)


I'm on lunch break right now and it's almost over, so I don't have much time. I'll make it quick and simple, just touch on a few things I wanted to talk about.

Noah Bennet - I am so glad that he's still working for the good guys! His actions and methods are always so complicated and it's often hard to tell exactly where he stands. Good or evil? But I love that we finally saw that his involvement with the hunter guy and Nathan is all part of his & Angela Petrelli's team up to try and bring this whole "catch & cage 'em" thing to an end. I know they (Noah & Angela) still believe that some of these people do need to be contained, but not all of them. So I'm just glad he's still a good guy! Now if only little Claire Bear would try and keep out of his way so she doesn't screw the plan up. lol

Daphne - I knew it! I knew our little Blondie Nemesis Speedster couldn't be dead! On shows like these, I always figure that if they don't show us proof beyond doubt that someone is dead, then there's always the chance they never died to begin with. Sure, she got shot a few times. But even us regular non-superpowered people have survived gunshots before. Still, there is one thing I didn't like. Her name in the credits! That kind of ruins the surprise for anyone that really thought she was dead...to see her name pop up in the opening credits. Yes, I know...it's part of some contractual obligations or whatnot...but still. Can't we make exceptions when it's a surprise character making a return or something to that effect. I really think that it kind of kills the excitement a bit when you are already expecting to see the person pop up. But oh well...I don't run the industry. But someday!

Parkman - Wow, "kill" his girl and you bring out the bad ass in him! He's always been more of a softer guy, didn't want to hurt people and eventually didn't even want to use his powers, even though he knew it could help him achieve some life goals. But it was kinda refreshing to see him a bit more tougher on these people that have been making his life a living hell. Those last few paintings he did at the end though, I'll have to look them up or study them closer 'cause I wasn't too sure what they were.

Overall, another episode I enjoyed. Can't wait for more!

Monday, February 23, 2009

Dollhouse: The Target


I finally got around to watching the second episode of Dollhouse, "The Target." I felt that the pilot left me a bit...what's the word...unsatisfied, perhaps? I had expectations of the type of show I'd expect from anything that has Whedon's name attached to it. Granted, I didn't think the pilot sucked. Not by a long shot. It was just that by comparison to Buffy, Angel, Firefly and Doctor Horrible...I was expecting more of the same type of elements, specifically the witty dialogue and humor blended into the drama and action. Here, with Dollhouse, we were given a somewhat more serious tone. So I needed to get used to that.

Now, having watched the second episode, Dollhouse is growing on me a lot more. I really enjoyed this episode and loved the mysteries that are starting to be presented regarding Echo's past(s), the "dollhouse" itself and the various people after them, including the mysterious Alpha. Once I let go of my preconceived notions of what a Whedon project should look and feel like, I was able to enjoy this show more. I just hope others continue to do so as well. I'd love to see where they can take this show beyond the initial episode orders. So who's gonna keep watching with me!?!? Do it! :)

Oscars 2009

So yesterday was the big Oscar Sunday. Having sat through the whole 3+ hours broadcast, I feel it is my duty, as a random blogger among the thousands and millions of other blogs out there, to post my own review of the Oscars. So here goes...

Let's see. It was long. Kind of slow. Didn't care much for those "this is why you are awesome" speeches given by the groups of past Oscar winners to each of the big award nominees. There was singing & dancing. Lots of it. Kinda dug the one with the Indian music & John Legend. The Musicals medley was OK too. The opening one...was just...I don't know. Heath won, happy for that. Milk & Sean Penn won some too...awesome acceptance speeches. I think Wall-E got something too. Aside from that, I didn't really see the other films. Oh and there was some lady that reminded me of Belle (from Disney's Beauty & The Beast) in her yellow dress...that is, if she had aged for many years and never took off that yellow dress. If you saw the show...you must know who I mean. And Hugh Jackman as host...don't have an opinion either way. He's Wolverine, he's hot, he can sing and act...kudos to you, sir!

I honestly only watched it because I was hanging out with Juan & some of our friends. :) Otherwise I'd be watching my 24 DVDs at home instead and just catch any of the "best of" moments on YouTube if I felt so inclined.

So how's that for a deep, insightful review?

Friday, February 20, 2009

25 Random Things About Me

Oh, Facebook! Me, being a person that doesn't like to be left out of what's "hot" in the virtual world...here, for you reading (dis)pleasure, I present my 25RTAM. In no particular order...

1 - When eating out, I usually prefer to stick to my own plate and don't always offer up a taste of my food to others...not even my bf. And no, I'm not greedy! It's just a (bad?) habit.
2 - In junior high, I tripped over someone that fell in front of me while jogging during P.E. I scrapped my elbows and it left a bad mark on one of them that to this day I hate.
3 - I rarely sleep naked. I saw this video long ago on America's Funniest Home Videos, where a woman is filming her baby and then an earthquake strikes and the dad comes running out of a room scared & naked. I live in an earthquake prone city! 'Nuff said. :)
4 - I can be a picky eater. I especially don't like most sea food and asian food, or just about any food with a weird smell, look or texture...which can make me a tough person to have dinner with.
5 - The extent of my drug experience is limited to just a couple of bites from a bud brownie.
6 - I've been in love with the same person for more than seven years, yet still get random innocent office crushes.
7 - From my 28th birthday (Nov 2007) through today, I've lost a total of 30lbs. Started with a change in eating habits and then joined the gym last summer.
8 - Every Thursday night I sleep over at my bf's house. It's become a sort of work week tradition.
9 - I used to hate eating brocoli with the passion of a thousand burning suns! Now, I don't mind it. My favorite is from the side salads at Chick-Fil-A.
10 - I don't hold grudges or stay mad for long. I don't think I even have any enemies.
11 - I stand on the "for" side on the "having kids" debate. So much so that I often have dreams where I have a child, usually a beautiful little girl.
12 - I'm not one that follows politics, sports and word news that closely. When they come up in conversation, I just smile and nod politely.
13 - I would love to have a bromance. A straight male friend to just hang out with. Don't get me wrong though...still got nothing but love for all my gay amigos! lol
14 - When I was younger I always lost touch with friends, which is probably one reason why I cherish my friends a lot now and do my best to always keep in touch.
15 - I'm bad at song lyrics, but I can sing along to many classic Disney songs...and damn proud of it! lol
16 - I have no fashion sense and dread having to shop for clothes, which explains a lot if you were to see how I dress for work.
17 - Kinda...randomly...been playing with the thought of whether I'd be willing to get a tattoo some day. What of? Not sure.
18 - I tend to have a bad memory. Can't always remember names, faces, occurences or things that were said in general. Don't take it personally!
19 - The scent from a freshly cut lemon is, thus far, the only food item that can literally make my mouth water.
20 - I have a "thing" for accents. I love them! Especially European accents (British, Spanish, Irish, etc.).
21 - I have been to a nude beach before...and yes, as a participant.
22 - Buffy The Vampire Slayer is my all time favorite show. AS IF you all didn't already know that one.
23 - I sometimes wish I could shorten my arms a bit. Shopping for long sleeve shirts sucks!
24 - What I often can't bring myself to say to people verbally, I'll end up writing in novel-like length.
25 - Making other people smile, laugh, feel good or just be happy brings me more joy than you know. I want all my friends, family and my loved one to be happy.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Non Ti Prometto Niente

Directions:
1. Put your iPod on shuffle
2. Put the answer to the title of the song to each answer
3. No Matter how stupid it is pass it on
FUN!!!

IF SOMEONE SAYS “IS THIS OKAY” YOU SAY?
Song: "Change Your Mind" - All-American Rejects
Comment: In other words...it's NOT okay!

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
Song: "Silence With The Moon" - Quetzal
Comment: Yep...there can be a lot of silence with me. Moon, sun & everything in between. Just means I'm having non-stop conversations in my head. lol

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Song: "Hard To Beat" - Hard-Fi
Comment: Lies! I'm a pacifist...don't wanna beat anyone!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Song: "American Terrorist" - Lupe Fiasco
Comment: Of all possible song titles for this question...I get this one!? LOL

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Song: "Amame" - Juanes
Comment: Awww. I love to be loved. Got plenty of love for others, too.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Song: "Una Noche Mas" - Jennifer Lopez
Comment: What can I say? Friends just can't get enough of me. lol

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
Song: "Todo Lo Hago Mal" - El Canto Del Loco
Comment: I guess I do think about what I might've done wrong, but for the most part I'm happy with my choices.

WHAT IS 2+2?
Song: "El Cantinero" - Jose Alfredo Jimenez
Comment: El cantinero is probably the only one that'd know what 2+2 is in a bar full of borrachos!

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Song: "Trick Me" - Kelis
Comment: Trick me once, shame on you. Trick me twice....and umm....I won't be tricked again!

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Song: "I Miss You So Much" - TLC
Comment: Oh, how I've had those moments. Such a sad song. But my life story? Hardly.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Song: "Self Esteem" - The Offspring
Comment: We all want some self esteem when we grow up. (Riches would help with that, too!)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE A PERSON YOU LIKE?
Song: "One Night Man" - Ricky Martin
Comment: I swear this was a random song! I'm not the one-night-stands type. lol

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Song: "Goodbye" - The Coral
Comment: Are they secretly trying to get rid of me or something?

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Song: "Streetcorner Symphony" - Rob Thomas
Comment: This is actually a nice, feel good, come together type of song. Not sure if it'd make a good wedding song though.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Song: "Hoy Llueve, Hoy Duele" - Alejandro Sanz
Comment: How fitting a song title.

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Song: "Crying Shame" - Jack Johnson
Comment: Hmmm, I don't tend to do much that brings me shame.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Song: "La Marcha Del Golazo Solitario" - Los Fabulosos Cadilacs
Comment: Not exactly sure how to take this one. I'm a good soccer player?

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Song: "Follow Me" - Craig David
Comment: I'd much rather you not follow me, but instead stand side by side and we'll go together. :)

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Song: "Autumn" - Paolo Nutini
Comment: At one point, as a kid, Autumn meant the end of summer vacation and back to school....so yeah, it probably was the worst thing to happen. lol

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Song: "Better Days (And The Bottom Drops Out)" - Citizen King
Comment: "I've seen better days", the song says. If I'm going to die, I'd certainly say so.

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
Song: "Santiago" - Ozomatli
Comment: I don't remember a Santiago. Unless I was super drunk??? lol

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Song: "Home" - Jay Brannan
Comment: My home is the source of many funny moments, gotta agree with that.

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Song: "The Horror Of Our Love" - Ludo
Comment: Hell, if love was full of horror it'd definitely make me cry.

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Song: "Dance 2night" - Madonna
Comment: I'll definitely dance with joy if I get married.

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Song: "Love It All" - The Kooks
Comment: Love? Scare me? Ha! Nevah!

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Song: "For Those I Love" - Darude
Comment: Those I love...BETTER at least like me. lol

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Song: "Open Ur Mind" - Jason Nevins
Comment: I'd definitely want to make people through history more open minded.

WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Song: "This Velvet Glove" - Red Hot Chillie Peppers
Comment: I knew I should've gone with the fleece glove instead! hehe

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Song: "Non Ti Prometto Niente" - Eros Ramazzotti
Comment: Translated, I believe means "I promise you nothing".

P.S. BONUS TRACK (OF YOUR LIFE)
Song: "Crazy In Love" - Beyonce
Comment: And proud of it!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Back In My Day

I've noticed that now, more and more, I'm often comparing my chilhood to those of "kids these days." You know, how things were "back in my day".

Kids these days think Wikipedia is a reliable source for school research at the click of a mouse. Back in my day, I used to have to walk several blocks to the library, then go through catalogs and stacks of books to get the information I needed.

Kids these days don't know what good television is. Back in my day, we had the TGIF lineup, Disney afternoon and actual good Saturday morning cartoons.

Kids these days think they need a cell phone while in school. Back in my day, we were happy enough having these things called calculators!

And so on...

Damn...if this isn't one of the early signs that I may be getting old, then I don't know what is. LOL But fuck it...I feel young and a kid at heart and that's all that matters. The grey hairs can suck it! Right!?

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

X-Men Anime

I loved watching the X-Men animated series on FOX during the 90's, always looked forward to the new episodes on Saturday mornings. Recently I found out they had alternate opening theme songs and sequences for the Japanese translations of the show. Via wikipedia:

The opening intro was replaced with a new, Japanese-animated segment of the characters as well as a new Japanese theme with vocals called “Rising,” by the Japanese band Ambience. Starting with episode 46 an alternate anime intro was used, featuring the new theme “Dakishimetai Dare Yori Mo.”




The Simpsons: In HD!

How did I miss this!? I'm always reading up on my favorite shows and movies along with online pieces related to technology, electronics and whatnot. But somehow I missed hearing about The Simpsons finally making the move to the HD world. :) This past weekend's episode was their first to air in HD. Yes, it's aired on the HD signal before but the program itself wasn't created in HD before. So if you're a little techno-entertainment-geek like myself, it was a big deal. And I missed it. Grrrr.

Today, Feb 17th, is the date when ALL TV broadcasting signals in the US were supposed to switch from analog to digital. But apparently they felt not everybody would be ready...blah blah blah...so it was postponed until June. I read that some areas are going ahead with the full switchover anyway. I don't think L.A. is one of them though.

Anyhow, to celebrate the transition to HD, The Simpsons' opening title sequence, which by now we're all very familiar with, finally got a fun little makeover! Check it out:

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Happy 1st Birthday!


It was a year ago today that I started this blog. Awwww. Happy Birthday! :) I'm glad I've been able to keep up with it so far, and hope to continue to do so. As long as someone continues reading, of course. :)

Friday, February 13, 2009

DOLLHOUSE: First Reactions


I just finished watching the series premiere of Joss Whedon's return to television, "Dollhouse", staring Eliza "Faith the Vampire Slayer" Dushku. What did I think of it? Well, if you know me, do you really have to ask? Whedon could create a show staring a stick figure against a white background and I'd still watch it! hehe That's how much faith (no pun intended) I have in the man's work.

Dollhouse, in a nutshell, is about this organization (or company? not sure yet exactly) that has these people..."actives"...that they can wipe their memories clean one moment and then give them a whole new character, personality, set of skills, knowledge and even physical/emotional programming. Dushku plays Echo, one of these actives. These actives...aka dolls...can pretty much be whoever they want to program them to be, depending on what the client who hires them is requesting. This is all hush hush, of course. So there are people out there looking for this place...this dollhouse. And what happens if one of these actives suddenly starts to remember things, after her memory is wiped?

So far, I'm really liking the show. It's too early to tell if I'm going to LOVE it like I did with Buffy, but I have a good feeling about it. I just hope that they treat the show well, both audiences and FOX executives, and they let it stick around for a long while.

I was a bit surprised at one thing I felt was missing from the show, which I've always loved from Whedon's work. And that would be the quirky, comedic, pop-culture type elements. I felt that, from the one episode I saw, the series seems to be a bit more serious and dramatic in tone. The action and suspense is still here, which I love. But I couldn't help but miss the funny one-liners and quirky characters that have stood out among Whedon's other programs. But hey, can't always be exactly the same...right?

I can't wait to see what happens next. And a major plus: limited commercials! Love that!

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Dollhouse Terminator

This Friday can't possibly get here any quicker! I can't wait! :) I love this grindhouse styled promo they've been running for the Terminator/Dollhouse Friday night lineup...

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

HEROES: Trust and Blood

Another Monday, another new Heroes came and went. So of course that means another entry of my random comments, thoughts and ramblings on the episode. So, as always, STOP READING NOW if you haven't seen the episode, since there'll be SPOILERS from here on.

Ok, first off just gotta say I was once again pleased with this episode. Sometimes I feel like my opinions on each episode may not even matter, since I always like them. Can I ever even dislike or, God forbid, hate an episode!?

Anyone else feel just a bit cheated though that we didn't get to see some big plane crash landing sequence? When the episode starts, that's already taken place and the prisoners have all been scattered and running away. But then again, this is still a TV show and I know they have to try to cut costs whenever they can, so it's understandable. I actually liked how they used Nathan's conversation on the phone about the incidents to tell the episode's story. I also liked how his scenes were in black & white and then eventually turn into color once we're all caught up to the present and it's revealed who he was talking to all this time. I actually thought he'd be talking to the president, for some reason...maybe explaining to him why everything went wrong.

So Noah. Is he only involved in all this to protect his daughter? To keep her out of this and safe from capture? I kept getting that vibe through all this episode, as if he's got his own agenda within this mission, just like he's always had in the past. Noah can really be a bad ass (in a good way) when he wants to be, so hopefully he's still on the good side.

And Daphne (aka speedster, aka nemesis)...oh, poor "not faster than a speeding bullet" Daphne. :( I actually liked her character. And I loved her for Parkman. So it was sad that she got shot. Notice I didn't say "killed"...because on this show you just never know for sure. Hell, I still think Elle and Isaac have a good chance of coming back! lol Or...maybe not so much. There's always time travel cameos, though. :) But yeah, I never take a character's death scene as 100% certain until I get some solid proof. You know...such as the whole Sylar burning Elle's body. We saw Daphne get shot, fall and then left for dead. But I hope she somehow survives. I don't know...maybe her internal body parts have acceleration properties as well and can speed up her healing in some way. Just a thought. I'd just love to see her back and have her and Parkman have a happy ending with cute little mind reading speedy babies! Is that too much to ask for?

Oh and why didn't Parkman, as soon as he saw Daphne right at the scene where she gets shot in his painting, do something to warn her instantly, have her speed away and hide or at the very least...duck! Do all that hugging and whatnot later, give your girl a little heads up first! I'm just sayin'. Who knows though, maybe this all served a purpose. Maybe Parkman is meant to play a big role in taking down these people. This could be the match that ignites the fire within him. He's wanted nothing more than to just lead a normal life and try to forget about this whole world of powers. But now, more than ever, he may have to embrace them. Already we saw him do it, when he mind-controlled the agents and had them shoot each other.

And can't forget about Sylar. Crazy-as-hell yet oh-so-damn-cool Sylar! Off to find his daddy dearest. But best of all, he's got a little Sylar Jr along for the ride now. lol It's like Batman & Robin...if they had gone evil, that is. Can't wait to see what those two get into.

By the way, who do you think Claire's mystery texting friend is? The only two people I could think of were her mother and her friend from school, I think his name was Wes (that kid who could fly). I really doubt it's Wes, though. Her mother...hmmm...could be. Yes, she supposedly died in that fire. But she's the firestarter after all! Fire comes out of her, you'd think she could survive the fire, no? We'll see. I'm not placing any bets though because I am 99.9% of the time I am wrong on my guesses and theories. Although, I did pick up on the fact that Peter can only keep one power at a time now in my last Heroes blog, which he himself confirmed in this episode. Way to go for that .1% of the time that I'm right! :)

I'm still waiting on the episode where we find out what Mr. Muggles powers are and where he's been lately. You just know that little guy is hiding something!

Monday, February 9, 2009

Double Standard


I was walking to my car today after work, climbing up the 4 levels of stairs in the parking structure. In front of me there was an older lady, by which I just mean she was somewhat older than me. She left the stairs on the third floor as I proceeded up one more level, and looking back at me she said something like, "Thank goodness I was able to get up fast because I saw how tall you were and thought you'd be taking two stairs at a time with those long legs!" Now, granted, this is usually true. I do like to climb two steps at a time and I do happen to have long legs. hehe So I wasn't really insulted or anything. I just found it funny that she'd actually say this to a total stranger.

Now, let's pretend I was way shorter, and had really short legs, and this lady was actually behind me. If she then had to slow her pace a bit so that I can get up the stairs in front of her, would she have then said to me something like, "Thank goodness I was able to slow down because I saw how short you are and thought you'd take forever to climg the stairs with those short legs!" Of course she wouldn't! (Unless she was just some evil person!)

It's funny how people...random absolute strangers...will often point out to me that I'm "soooo tall" or have "long legs" or "long arms". But what if I was super short. I'm sure nobody would say a word, right? So is it ok to point out the obvious to others, often at their expense or maybe even slight humiliation, as long as you yourself think you're not really insulting them? If that person seems to have the better end of the stick, is it ok to comment on it?

Another scenario: a really petite thin woman sitting at a restaurant orders a huge meal and eats it all. An onlooker comments, "Wow! How can you eat all that!" The woman probably feels a bit embarrassed by the comment. But what if it where an overweight woman who ordered the same meal. People may be thinking stuff but I doubt anyone will say anything.

So is it really ok to comment on stuff about complete strangers as long as YOU feel it's not a bad thing? Cuz honestly...sometimes I think people should just keep things to themselves. Like our mommas always said..."If you can't say something nice...don't say anything at all."

Friday, February 6, 2009

Dream Job

I dreamt about work last night. Or rather, changes at work. I don't remember everything at this moment, just bits and pieces. I was still working where I do now, at present time (after the layoffs from January). For whatever reason, I was given a new position within the company. I think it was something in the Human Resources department, since I was moved and seated in a cubicle near that area. Right now I work within the Product department. Long story short, I wasn't really enjoying my new job. It brought back all those feelings of confusion and nervousness that I tend to get when I start a new job. And plus, my boss was a lunatic! She wasn't someone that I actually recognized from my real life job though. She came by at one point and pretty much just dropped a giant yellow phone book into my desk, opens it up to the "T" section under Telephones and points at this big one page add for a company that sells office phones. She scribbles some weird note on the page (more like a glyph that I couldn't understand) and says, "Get me two certificates!" Then she just waddles away and says nothing else. I had no idea what she wanted. I noticed there was a number on there and it said "For a free brochure call..." Was that what she meant by certificates, that she wanted a brochure? Of course, the easy thing to do would be to follow her and ask. But for some reason she gave me the impression that she wasn't the approachable type and hated to be bothered. Plus, I tend to like solving my own problems using my creative thinking skills, which, mind you, have been praised before in the workplace. hehe

Then another man walks by collecting the "time sheets", which I guess was a form that I had to fill out declaring what hours I worked. Again, I was confused, since I currently just clock in and out using a time clock machine. When he saw I didn't have mine, he just demanded I have it ready soon and walked away. Again, I was just left confused. I walked back to my old desk to try to gather some of my things, not having been given the chance to get them when I was sent to my new desk. As I got to it, I noticed there was already a woman throwing my stuff into a box, clearing the desk for herself. Damn...they move quickly here! lol

I don't know what the whole point of the dream was. All I know is that it was full of those "new job" feelings I always dread. Being the "new guy" and not knowing yet how everything works, whose nice and who isn't, what it is exactly I'm meant to do, etc. I know this job I have now very well and am so comfortable in it, which can be a good and bad thing depending how you look at it. Regardless, I have a feeling I'll be somewhere new before the year's up.

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Just Another Blog

When I first started this blog (which is actually my second one! Or...third one if you count my MySpace one) I planned to use it more as a place to jot down my thoughts, feelings, observations and anything going on in my life that I felt was worth writing about. But then I realized my life can be pretty dull and ordinary most of the time. Who wants to read that? It's hard enough convincing even my own friends to read all this, much less strangers. lol

So lately I tend to just put up random, funny, weird or just plain silly things I come across and write a few things about them. Or just post videos, pictures, etc. Every now and then I may sound like some commercial for a person, product or thing that I love. Though trust me, I don't get paid for any of that. lol

I have fun though. If nothing else, it's a way to entertain myself. To write more. To kill some when needed. And if I'm lucky, maybe actually entertain a couple of people out there for a few seconds. hehe I may be just another blog...but it's MY blog. And that's what makes it special. **cue a collective "awww" from the audience and some sentimental strings music**

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Superman Themeow

Ok, sorry in advance for posting this one. LOL But, for some reason, it makes me laugh! Not just that, it gets stuck in my head and I found myself suddenly "hearing it" in my mind at random moments after the first time I heard it. lol It's nothing but the Superman movie theme song...as sung by a cat.

Are You Ready?


You know those annoying ads that keep popping up everywhere on TV reminding you that as of February 17th, 2009 all television signals in the US will be completely digital. No more analog (aka rabbit ear antenna) TV signals. If you didn't have digital cable/satellite, digital HDTV or an analog-to-digital converter box...then your tv would stop showing any programming as of 2/17/09. You'd just get white noise and static. They kept hammering that into our minds, running ads, full infomercials, scrolling marquees and who knows what other ways they tried to remind us.

Well, yeah...turns out all that wasn't so much true after all. lol Via MSNBC:

The House voted today 264-158 to delay the analog TV shutdown until June 12.

The nation was two weeks away from the original date of Feb. 17 for the digital transition, allowing broadcasters to replace analog TV signals with digital ones.

But the Obama administration and many Democrats asked for the delay, saying millions of people are not ready for the switch. The bill, already approved by the Senate, now goes to the president for his approval, considered a given. Still be resolved is the funding needed for more coupons to help consumers offset the cost of converter boxes. That issue will likely be considered as part of the economic stimulus legislation.

The Nielsen Co. said recently that while 85 percent of households are ready for the digital transition, nearly 6 percent are not at all, and another 9 percent are “partially ready.”


(Full article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29003127/?GT1=43001)

I, for one, am all ready for this! My bedroom & living room TV are HDTV. The other two TVs in the house that aren't already have the converter box (purchased, of course, with help from the coupons lol). Being a television fanatic, I love watching shows in digital HD. I don't know how I ever did without it! If only some of the shows I loved, such as Buffy, could've been in HD too. :)

So, my question to you...ARE YOU READY!?

Tuesday, February 3, 2009

El Norte on DVD

Did you know that Gregory Nava's 1983 masterpiece of a film, "El Norte", is finally out on DVD!? It actually came out two weeks ago, part of the Criterion Collection, on January 20th, but forgot to bring it up here. If you, like me, were a Latino student growing up in Southern California schools in the 80's or 90's, chances are you probably saw this film at some point in one of your classes. I actually saw it several times in school. I'm not sure how widespread it was in terms of teachers showing it in other areas. Nonetheless, I think it's a very good film.

"El Norte" is the story of two Guatemalan siblings, Enrique and Rosa, who flee persecution at home in Guatemala and take the long, hard journey to the United States. This is the type of story that even now happens on a daily basis. But I think this film was one of the first to tell it well, with so much power, love and emotion. It's a funny film at times, has it's tender moments as well, but it's also quite sad, realistic and tragic.

I don't like to give too much away, I feel that if you haven't seen it yet it'd have a greater impact if you just sit down and watch it. And if you already saw it, now is the perfect time to try to add it to your collection, as it's finally on DVD after years of not being available in that format here. I actually did have a DVD of it, but it's not a great copy. The Criterion Collection, which released this DVD, is known for trying to give the best treatment to film releases. As they say on their site, "the Criterion Collection, a continuing series of important classic and contemporary films, has been dedicated to gathering the greatest films from around the world and publishing them in editions that offer the highest technical quality and award-winning, original supplements. To date, more than 150 filmmakers have made our library of Director Approved DVDs, Blu-ray discs, and laserdiscs the most significant archive of contemporary filmmaking available to the home viewer."

This film is up there with one of my favorites of all time. Not only because it reflects my family's histories, as well as that of many people I grew up with, it's also a really great film in general.

Monday, February 2, 2009

Heroes: "Fugitives" begins

As usual, if you haven't watched the latest episode of Heroes, stop reading know...blah blah blah...SPOILERS AHEAD...blah blah blah.

Ugggh. I'm feeling a bit tired tonight. I was gonna head to bed earlier but being my stubborn self, here I am still awake. It's only just past 11:30, so it's not too late. But I feel like I'm starting to come down with a cold. I'll take some medicine and hopefully it's nothing.

Anyway...on to tonight's episode, the first of the new "Fugitives" volume, and the first since the hiatus began last December. Felt so good to come home on a boring yet busy Monday at work and look forward to a new Heroes once again! :)

It's no surprise that I liked the episode. Hell, I've liked every single episode! lol But so far, I do like where this season...or "volume" rather...is going. It used to be more heroes vs villains, powers vs powers...now looks like there'll be a lot more heroes joining heroes (and maybe even a few reluctant villains) to defend themselves against these new military-esque "specials" hunters. What's up with Noah by the way? I wonder if he really is on Nathan's side, or if it's yet another one of his double agent moves and he's actually pretending. Hard to tell with that guy!

Apparently, over the past few months between the two volumes, people have tried to get back to as normal a life as possible. But where would the fun be in that, for us as an audience, right? Sure enough, they're thrust back into their hectic power-heavy lives. I'd forgotten though, what with this hiatus and my bad memory, that Hiro still didn't have his power back. I'm sure he'll get it back at some point...he's got to, no? But it was funny watching him try to start his own version of a crimefighting duo, complete with secret lair, cool motorcycle, hi-tech gear and of course a spandex costume! Having just finished watching the Batman Beyond series, in which an old Bruce Wayne mentors a new, younger Batman in the future...this episode reminded me of that show. Wayne, now pretty much powerless, would sit in his bat cave, communicating to the new Batman and watching his every move on his computers. But anyhow...I'm shifting topics.

There was a scene, that if I'm not mistaken, was a throwback to the very first season...possibly the first episode? When Peter is in the taxi and Mohinder is driving, he asks him something like "Do you ever feel like you were meant to do some extraordinary?" And while saying so, he kinda has a smile on his face. This was something he said on the very first episode...I'm pretty sure. Just too lazy to check on it right now. hehe Just thought it was a nice little touch.

At first I thought Mohinder had lost all his powers, I keep forgetting what happened since last time. lol But I guess he ended up still keeping his original superstrength power, which I thought was cool. Definitely came in handy for Peter, when he used it to break out of his straps & locks. What is it with Peter always being tied up to one thing or another!? lol Also, when he touches Tracy, he obviously gets her icy powers...but then he also seems to suddenly lose his strength? I wonder if it was temporary since he was adjusting to the new power and trying to control it, or does he now only have the ability to get one power at a time?

As I was telling a friend through text message conversations...the only thing that sucks more than the wait between commercials, is the wait between episodes! This one ended on a cool cliffhanger and looks like things are going to get even better!

Oh and can't forget about the villain we all love to hate...or is it hate to love...or love to love....or hate to hate? Take your pick. Either way, Sylar's still up and ticking just like one of those watches. I'm guessing we'll find out in a later flashback episode how he got from that moment when he was caught in the fiery explosion to where he was now.

Overall, a cool new episode to start the next volume. Can't wait for more!

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P.S. I didn't watch the Super Bowl yesterday and only caught a few commercials. I didn't see the Heroes one though until today! :) Check it out below if you haven't seen it yet: