Taken

No one, and I repeat no one wanted to see Taken with me. There was zero interest among my friends or family members when it came out. As a result, I waited until I could rent a copy and watched it all by my lonesome.

In retrospect, I wish I'd gone to see it in theatres. The film is good, but boy would it have been fantastic on the big screen!

As with Star Trek, Taken is just a great action movie -- it's fun to watch, the plot moves along quickly, and there aren't many pesky subplots. Also (as with Star Trek), the sex/nudity is kept to a bare minimum; I didn't expect this, considering that the film concerns the sex trade in Europe. What's that, folks? Proof that you don't need extended shots of half-naked women to produce an enjoyable piece of cinema? Well, color me surprised. Frankly, I'm glad to see a turn away from the obligatory stripper sequences that have appeared in so many films (Armageddon & Lost in Translation, et al.).

There's a review of Taken over here titled "Father of the Year," which I think is apt; the main character definitely does a lot of kickin' ass and takin' names to find his daughter. Liam Neeson is, well, totally hot in his black bad-guy-killing jacket, and that's something I never thought I'd type. Neeson has always been a good actor, but I can't really think of a time that he was given the role of action hero. His performance as "concerned dad" at the beginning (one of the few parts of the movie where he's not trying to kill someone) was touching, and that juxtaposed with his "vengeful angel of death" attitude later was interesting to watch.

Overall, Taken was a nice change from Seraphim Falls, which I felt just tried far too hard to be intellectual. Taken doesn't try to be deep or metaphorical or anything other than a straight shoot-em-up movie.

Star Trek

One of the first things I saw with my new glasses (see previous post) was the J.J. Abrams Star Trek movie. Literally: we checked the mail, and I opened the box containing my glasses on the way to the mall movie theatre. Not exactly ideal, considering that my prescription had changed quite a bit, but I'm glad I was at my peak sightedness for the movie.

It was great. Not only is Star Trek good in terms of "hey, this movie is well written and has good production values and a talented cast," it's good in terms of "this is a good Star Trek movie." There were a lot of nods to fans of the original series (spoiler: Sulu does some fencing) that had dad and I laughing in the nearly-empty theatre, but I'm sure anyone who hasn't been a longtime Trek fan would have enjoyed the film just as much.

The writing was very good. When I first heard that the plot was going to start before the original series and change things around, everything I read was discussing "alternate realities" this and "string theory" that and it all sounded complicated and uninteresting. Instead, the movie handled the whole time travel/alternate timeline issue capably and with a bare minimum of movie-physics or technobabble. It's barely a big deal, what with all the space fights and explosions.

Speaking of which: this is a great. action. movie. Everything's always in motion, but not to the point that I felt overwhelmed. Even better, from my point of view, was that there was little by way of sex/nudity/language. Lots of running and fighting and drama, however :-D

The cast? Also well-chosen. I'll admit that I had no hope whatsoever regarding the choice of Zachary Quinto for Young Spock (I didn't like him in what little I saw of Heroes), but by the end of the film I couldn't picture anyone else in the role. Also notable were Simon Pegg as Scotty, Anton Yelchin as Chekov, and Karl Urban as Bones. Urban in particular was spot-on as a young McCoy. Really, everyone was good, but if I just start listing actors this will look like an IMDB page.

(Also, I don't think I'll be spoiling the film for anyone if I mention that Leonard Nimoy is in it, right? And we all know I'm incapable of saying anything bad about him, even including that bizarre Ballad of Bilbo Baggins video. But he almost made me cry at one point, so good show.)

Overall, I loved the movie, as I'm sure you can tell :-)

New Glasses! (not a sponsored post)

I can see again! Trees have leaves, instead of just being giant green sponges; asphalt is made of tiny pebbles, instead of appearing as a flat gray surface!

I took a chance and ordered a pair of glasses from EyeBuyDirect. I was originally going to order from ZenniOptical, because their glasses are actually much cheaper; however, a quick internet search unearthed a ton of complaints online about Zenni's poor service and slow shipping times (slow boat from China, no less, so you know there's a good chance of things getting lost on the way).

My order was for a pair of their Rabbit frames in gold. I upgraded my lenses to "super thin" because otherwise my glasses are too heavy to actually sit on my face, and added anti-scratch, anti-reflective, and anti-UV coatings. The subtotal was $71.85 plus $4.95 shipping; an easily-located internet coupon got me $10 off, for a grand total of $66.02. Not bad considering my last pair was something like $250.

EyeBuyDirect's customer service was also very helpful: I had to email them over an issue when my payment wouldn't go through, and they gave me several options. The glasses took about two weeks to be prepared, and then I received an email letting me know that my order had shipped and should arrive in a few days. In fact, my glasses actually showed up that afternoon.

Included in the package were my glasses, a sturdy frosted plastic case, and a lens cleaning cloth. The only issue was that the left lens had actually popped clear out of the frames in transit, but that only took about 10 seconds to fix. Once reassembled, the frames were much sturdier than my old pair, and I really like the way they look. Here's the best photo I could get with my finicky webcam:

They're a bit crooked, but that's hardly the frames' fault: one of my ears is higher than the other. I think it ... adds ... character. Or something.

As a lapsed House fan

I thoroughly approve of this comic.

I kind of want to rent the latest two seasons of House at some point, to catch up.

Okay, I want to see House mess with Wilson and watch Meat Loaf not die for once. I can just fast-forward through all the other stuff, right?

Ah, comfort.

I think my cold has finally passed; today I just have the sniffles, and that's most likely due to allergies.

I'm lounging around in my new Ribbed Tees top, which is just as comfortable as promised. The neck is a little wider/lower than I usually like, but since I'll mostly be wearing it at home or under something else that's fine by me. The suggestion on the website to order a size down was absolutely correct: the medium fits perfectly, and I'm afraid the large would have been huge on me. Also, it sounds vain, but it's really very nice to be wearing a medium :-D.

Oh! And, I've been trying half the morning to post a widget in my sidebar, and it's not showing up quite right for me.



As you can see, it's a neat little ad for the Yanni Voices concert; I got the widget from the One2One network, but it's been giving me a headache. Can anyone see the widget in the sidebar, or just the one on this post? I love that it plays clips of the music (and I've been sitting here listening to it in another window as I try to make the darn thing work :-P)

Free Stuff!

The past few days, I've been lucky enough to win several giveaways. I figure, since these people are giving me free goodies, the least I can do is provide them with a little free positive PR :-D

1) An ISIS Peony Brief, from isisforwomen.com. The hosting blog was missionpossible1.blogspot.com. Looking forward to wearing these to the gym!

2) Two Ribbed Tees from ribbedtee.com. These look beautiful, and the hostess (http://www.mommymandy.com/) has a fun blog to visit, as well.

3) A beautiful pink scarf, made by the owner of this Etsy shop. The sponsor (5minutesforgoinggreen.com) is a reliable source for environmentally ideas and giveaways.

Ooh! Free Things!

Goodwill's having a financial fitness fair! (I hope there's cotton candy....)


WHAT: FREE Financial Fitness Fair 2009

WHERE: Goodwill Community Center
1015 Norwood Park Blvd, Austin, TX 78753

WHEN: 9am – 4pm


Services Offered:

• Complete a late tax file, first come first serve
  
  
• Free vision screening
  
  
• Free classes in English and Spanish
  
  
• Class topics: Banking, credit repair, identity theft and home buying
  
  
• Free legal advice
  
  
• Free resume consulting
  
  
• Apply for a bank or credit union accounts
  
  
• Review your credit report
  
  
• Resource table (medical care, food stamps, housing and employment)
  
  
• Information on furthering your education (college financing)
  
  
• Prize Drawings!
  

Goodwill Industries of Central Texas
1015 Norwood Park Blvd., Austin, TX 78753

Bus Route #325 and #329

For more information call 512-637-7100

Call in advance for any special accommodations

Presented by FFGA & Goodwill Industries of Central Texas

Spring Fashions!

I just got approved to become an affiliate for BeLove! They sell cool eco-friendly clothes created from soft fabrics ... but that's not the best part. The best part is that, as an affiliate, I make a little extra cash anytime someone orders through this button (or the one in my sidebar):






And the better part is that if you decide to order from BeLove, you can enter the code BeLoveSpecialSavings to get $10 off men's and women's shirts!

For the lulz

I'm a disk and a half from finishing MacGyver. My Pre-post-show blues are already starting to kick in; finishing a show that has such a long run is both exciting ("yay I are done!") and sad ("onoz I are out of MacGyvers!").

Fortunately, someone geekier than myself has been hard at work for a while, creating MacGyver (and Stargate) macros. I present to you: LOLMac.

And now I suppose I should get back to packing and school stuff. *sigh*

Fun With Scanners

I'm using the new scanner to clear out a ton of paper clutter. It's been great as far as organizing and uncluttering, but a painful exercise in not being a pack rat. For example, it was hard to toss the folder full of magazine clippings, even though they're now stored on my hard drive. Go figure.

Also? I'm holding on to my old TIP scrapbooks with tooth and nail. It'll be a while before I get them scanned in completely (man, those things are long); at that point, the test will be to see if I can get rid of the old copies. For some reason they've been living in my desk since I moved into the new apartment, and I never found a home for them.

Recycling them will be hard, but I'm loving going through the old photos. I found myself on this page tonight:

You can click it bigger. See me? Here, let me help:

Yep, I was rockin' the giant glasses look. I may go back to the huge round frames next time I update my prescription.

Ah, TIP. I no longer recognize many of the faces from the photos, but some of them bring back completely random memories. I do believe that the ham standing in front of me in that picture was named Eric, and that he had an unhealthy fascination with Koosh balls. In fact, I seem to remember something about a Koosh ball poem....

Things That Happen

I got offered an interview for a summer position with AISD! I have plenty of experience for the position, there's paid training (my CPR and First Aid expired not too long ago), and the pay seems good. I will update more once I've had the interview.

There are new things up over at my etsy shop! There are now matryoshka doll cards up in sets of 6 cards and sets of 4 cards. And while you're over there, the happy blue flower necklace and jump for joy pink necklace could use a little love, too.

We're well into season 5 of MacGyver. They're getting much more into the social/environmental issues this season (student protests in China, rhino poaching in Africa, etc.), which is alternately really interesting and horribly cheesy. Also, it's really weird to see things like super-young Cuba Gooding Jr. playing the part of a young bounty hunter ... and then showing up as a farm hand in the "old west dream sequence" two episodes later. I do love seeing Murdoc back again, though :-D.

Yanni Voices Update

Hey, guys!

Just a quick post to remind you that the Yanni Voices PBS Special --which I wrote about previously --is premiering tonight around 8:30pm. Or if, like me, you're going to be standing in line to try and see the Watchmen premier tonight, you can catch the special again next week on the 8th, at 10pm. The full schedule is up on the web.

If you missed my last post, you can see a clip introducing the Yanni Voices PBS Event on the main website. There's also a good PBS Special Teaser Video available, to give you a better idea of what the music sounds like.

This heads-up about a great music special brought to you by the lovely people over at the One2One Network.

Things!

Things I am loving right now:

1) Weird City Theatre. I was Jyan's plus-one for their Sherlock Holmes play, which was fun. The actors playing Holmes and Watson were great, several members of the cast were good, and fortunately the less-great actors didn't have too much stage time. While the decision to play Moriarty as a black-clad mafia boss threw me some, I suppose that an old, bald, maths professor isn't very interesting to watch on stage. Holmes got some great lines, although I'll never understand the need to tack on a love interest. It's wrong and bad and ... okay, okay, I'll admit it: I teared up as he angsted over his love for what's-her-face.

2) AISD. Yay, AISD! They have an easy-to-use application form and will keep my information on file for six months, which is fantastic. The only thing better would be getting hired soon as a teaching assistant at a location nearby. *fingers are crossed*

3) Legend. I'm sure most of my friends are sick of hearing about how much I love this show, but too bad. If I mention it often enough perhaps it will be released on DVD so I can watch it on a screen larger than three inches square. The version I am watching now is a copy of what someone recorded from the TV 13 years ago on to video tape. The picture quality, as a result, is not so wonderful. The episode I watched last night was the (*gag*) obligatory "The Protagonist Has Been Accused of a Horrific Crime!" plot, but still fun to watch. The Monty Python and Star Trek references made up for all the usual cliches, which included The Young Child who expresses Complete Faith in the Protagonist, The Unfair Trial and/or Incompetent Lawyer, and The Escape from Prison with a Homemade Invention. Coffee pot + candy dish + vase for single rose = blowtorch. The tray-as-face-mask was really the crowning touch, there.

4) Having a workout buddy! At least, Heather is my favorite person at the moment. We'll see how I feel after the 9am cycling class tomorrow. *dies*


Things I am not loving right now:

1) Taxes. Or, more specifically, owing them.

2) The job search. Having a new job is much nicer than looking for one.

3) Allergies. I spent most of Sunday and this morning with my head all fuzzy.

Ikkicon 2009: Day Two

Day two of Ikkicon was also lots of fun!

It's been a week since I went, though, so I'm afraid my memory isn't as detailed as it could be.

What I do recall:

Ivy looked great in her outfit.

The lolita meetup. This one of the rare times any of you will ever see me in a petticoat and lace, so enjoy it. Perhaps print a copy for future reference? We all walked from the hotel to Spaghetti Warehouse (who thought to combine frilly outfits and messy foods?) and back. Afterwards there were group photos in the lobby -- I thought it was hilarious that "Luigi" decided to come over and take a few pictures as well.

The Gore FX panel:


"Presented by Sami Inoue-Harte Have you ever wanted to know what the best recipe for fake blood is? Or how to make a flesh eating zombie? This workshop will take the audience through the messy, and tasty, step by step process to make the perfect zombie." The panel was fun to watch, and I never realized how much you could do with a little liquid latex

And some food coloring
The con member in question looked deliciously gory after the panel finished.


My absolute favorite panel was Anime Radio. A group of voice actors ("Join Kyle Hebert (Ryu on 'Street Fighter IV') and a slew of awesome voice actor guests")


got together to read old Flash Gordon radio scripts. It was hilarious and wonderful, with the actors occasionally running into the audience to cast minor parts on the spot. By the second act all the voices had been re-cast (with the woman from the gore FX panel, who has a high voice, acting as Ming), and Flash was clearly trying to escape a relationship with Gale. My only regret is that they only made it through parts one and two -- I guess we have to wait until next year to see how Flash escapes from the ... fighting monkeys.

Finally, here's a shot pulled from the brolita forums. I asked one of the artists (Chelsea M. Smith) at the convention to do a quick sketch of Ivy and me. She worked really quickly, and even gave me a $2 discount for being the first person at the convention to request a sketch.

And so, in conclusion, a good time was had by all.

We'll Be. . .

. . . back to your regularly-scheduled photos from ikkicon in a few days.

Right now, I'm sharing something I found mentioned on twitter:

Ken Starr, who led the campaign to impeach President Bill Clinton, filed a legal brief last month -- on behalf of the "Yes on 8" campaign -- that would forcibly divorce 18,000 same-sex couples that were married in California last year before the passage of Prop 8.

Watch "Fidelity" and sign our letter to the state Supreme Court. Tell the Supreme Court to invalidate Prop 8, reject Ken Starr's case, and let loving, committed couples marry. DEADLINE: Valentine's Day.

167,003 people have signed this letter (as of Wednesday, February 11). Our Courage Campaign community goal is 200,000 signers. Will you add your name now?