Monday, February 27, 2006

Movie Quote Game

Alright ladies and gents - In what movie would you find this quote:

You were nothing before you met me. You were playing Barbies with Betty Finn. You were a Bluebird. You were a Brownie. You were a Girl Scout Cookie.

Imagine This

I am currently listening to a CD my friend Casey made for me for my birthday. The first track is a version of Imagine. Singing the lyrics? Pres. Bush. Well, he's not singing it exactly. It's a mix of words taken from his speeches to make up the lyrics of the song. Its pretty freaking awesome.

You can go to the Wax Audio website here to read about what they do and to download different stuff.

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Sleep. Beautiful sleep.

My cat, though I love her, is a great big pig and she has done the unthinkable - distrubed my precious Saturday morning snooze time. Today, I was once again woken by her insessent meows and headbutts as she insisted that I get up and feed her. Nevermind that she'd only been given her nightly feeding 7 hours earlier! Panda used to give her her morning feedings, but this week started barracading her door so Lucy cannot get in in the morning. Lucy is in for rude awakening becuase I am thinking of doing the same thing. After a week of being woken up early, I have been reduced to a walking zombie. This cannot continue! She's not a baby - she's a cat!

Friday, February 24, 2006

Dear So and So

Last night at our very cool Ladies book club, we discussed A Women of Independent Means. This book tells the story of one woman and the people around her through her outgoing letters to people throughout her life. Among other things, we discussed the art of letter writing and the feelings of joy one can have upon receiving a letter from a loved one – there is nothing like finding a letter in your mailbox amidst all the bills and junk mail. In the growing technological age we live in, more and more letter writing is giving way to e-mail writing. On the whole, I would say e-mails tend to be less personal – less thought out. With a letter, you know the writer intended it for you and no one else; she wrote it by hand to you.

Still, today I was reminded how an e-mail letter (even an e-mail card) can have the same effect. As I browsed through an old e-mail account I no longer use because of massive amounts of spam mail, I noticed a Christmas e-card mixed in with all the junk. It was from an old friend from college. She lives in Malaysia and I lost her phone number, address, and judging from the "return to server" e-mails, her current e-mail address in the last couple of years. One of my best friends, and I had lost complete contact with her. So, when I saw the e-card from her today, I had the same elation I would get if she had sent a big huge care-package straight to my door.

This book and the accompanying event of receiving a newfound link to my friend have inspired me take more care in staying contact with those I love. I am going to try to write more letters – both by e-mail and by hand. Everyone is busy with work, with school, with TV, but at the end of the day it’s the connections we’ve made that will comfort and sustain us through life.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

congrats, FishFrog

You have some tastey candy-coated chocolates coming your way!

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

All good things must end

Over the weekend Panda and I finished watching the totally awesome show Freaks and Geeks. As I watched the last episode, I could hardly enjoy it because the feeling of dread that this was the last episode of Freaks and Geaks I would ever see was unfolding before my eyes. Why do so many great shows go off the air and so many crappy ones (3 and a Half Men) stay on for years and years.

Let's take a look back at some other underapreciated shows that ended too soon:
1. Twin Peaks
2. Homefront
3. Profit
4. Nothing Sacred
5. Sports Night
6. Adventures of Brisco Co. Jr
7. Wonderfalls

Some say that the upswing to being pulled off the air during a shows height of artistic success is that no one ever sees ineveitable crap that is produced when a show overstays its welcome by a season or two. X-Files did this. That 70's show is doing this right now.

Anyother awesome shows that were gone too soon or shows that tarnished their perfect image by staying a season or two too long?
This blog post brought to you by "TV Tuesdays"

Monday, February 20, 2006

"That gum you like is going to come back in style"

For the past two years, two of my best friends from college and I have met in the beautiful Snoqulamie Valley for the Twin Peaks Festival. The festival is just a fun excuse for us to get together, meet some cool people, and rewatch the awesome series. This year, we decided not to do it, opting instead to head for a Missoula renunion this summer. We all felt it was time to take a break from the fest and spend our money elsewhere. Also, we wanted to include our other best friend (who doesn't watch Twin Peaks) in the fun. I've really been looking forward to this trip - I'm already eagerly awaiting a white water rafting trip I'm sure we'll go on. I should be a blast.

***Bird & Heather - I wouldn't read anymore if I were you.***
I am still on the Festival mailing list however, and the send updates about the festival - the activities and the anticipated celebratiy guests. I promised myself that I would not to got to the Festival website in case I saw something that would fill me with regrete at our decision. Well, I broke that promise to myself, and boy, am I paying for it. The celebraties are lining up, and amoung them is Kimmy Robertson; she played one of the main characters - Lucy Moran (the secratary at the T.P.P.D.). Still, we made a decision and will stick by it, but I cannot believe I'm going to miss Lucy. I cannot believe it!

Six Degrees of Seperation

Connect these two actors in Six Degrees or less. Whoever gets it fastest in the fewest degrees (w/o cheating) gets m&m's. The game ends Wednesday at 12p.m.

Dana Carvey and John Travolta
This blog post brought to you by "Movie Mondays"

Songs in my head

Very often I get songs in my head. Lately, I've found I am often singing the following:

"Dre-e-e-e-am. Dream, dream dream dream. Dre-e-e-e-am."
"Forever young. I wanna be forever young. Do you wanna live for ever? Forever? Forever?"

And at work, usually at work events:
"I gotta get out of this place. If its the last thing I ever do. I gotta get out of this place..."

Now, none of these songs are songs I that listen to often or even like (expecially the forever young song - I hate it. Yet, one of them is going through my head most of the time).

Do you get the same songs stuck in you head? If so, what are they?

Welcome to the blogwagon!

Welcome, Anfanser! Sorry for the belated welcome, but I have been a bit bogged down at work.
Anyway, I've been to your blog and have decided others should too because it rocks. So, next bloggers and my loyal readers (all 5 of you), check out Anfanser's blog.

Word of the Week!

So a hectic week at work prevented me from revealing the winner to the word box last Wednesday as promised. We didn't really have any words submitted to the box, but fishfrog did ask what the difference is between these two words:

fornicate - to have sex without being married
copulate - to engage in sexual introcourse.

So, you can copulate without fornicating, but you cannot fornicate with out copulating. A classic case of squares and rectangles.

I've decided it's time to take a vacation from the word box. I still love words, but it's less fun for all of us than it used to be. Maybe we'll see the box in the future, but for now I'm putting it to rest. Thanks to all who've played.

Monday, February 13, 2006

Movie Quote Game

It is time once again for....


The Movie Quote Game!


In what movie would you find this quote:

Person 1: Who we admire most in the world, and why? The person we admire most in the world is make-up artist and creature creator Rick Baker.
Person 2:
His wonderfully gruesome slime bladders and slobber tubes in an American Werewolf in London won him a richly deserved Oscar. That is why we admire make-up artist and creature creator Rick Baker very, very, very, very, very, very . . .
Person 1: . . . very, very, very, very, very . . .
Person 2:
. . . very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very . . .
Person 1:
. . . very, very, very, very, very much. It's 100 words on the nose.
Person 2: You can count it if you want.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Party Games

All in all, I've had a great weekend. My birthday spectacular began on Thursday when I got to sleep in (always good), lunch w/ a friend, and watch Scrubs and About a Boy with Panda. Friday I had a totaly awesome time at the pub and back at the good old a-p-t for delicious cake and hearty laughter with great friends. Last night, I had another group of friends over for a lively game of Apples to Apples and Scruples; it was a super cool night as well. Tonight, I"ll go out to dinner with my fam-damily at a delicous Japanese resturant - I can't wait!

Thanks to everyone for making my birthday spectacular!

Now, a word about Scruples...
In this game each person has 5 questions cards, one answer card, one plead the 5th card, and a challenge coin. The object of the game is to get rid of all your question cards by asking one person a question and getting them to answer they same way as your answer card - the options are: YES, NO, or DEPENDS. If they answer as you want, you get rid of your question card but if they don't, you draw another one. You always draw a new answer card. At any point someone can challenge the answer someone gives and everyone votes to say if that person is lying or telling the truth.

Bored? Yeah, we were too. This is not a fun game. The box makes it sound fun, but in actuality most people are doing nothing during most of the game. There is just too much wait time, and the questions (which are supposed to be moral dilemas) are just not that juicy. If you want a game in the same family that will bring forth giggling and fun, try True Colors. In this game everyone is invovled in every round.

Here's how True Colors works: Everyone picks a color and everyone has cards that have the different colors on them. A question is asked "who's most likly to....." and everyone picks two of their colored cards and puts them in a box thing. So, you are anonymously voting and you can vote for two differnet people or for the same person twice. Get it? Then, the votes are counted. It is fun, but best if played with people who know eachother well and who are good sports about things. It kicks Scruples ass.

Friday, February 10, 2006

Princess Bride Quiz

The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies, and it should be yours too if you have any taste.

Take the quiz to find out what character you are; I am:
Valerie

Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti

The Word Box is Open!

The word box will close around 10a.m. on Wednesday.
Happy Wording!

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Congrats Matt

Way to go Matt! He connected Fred Savage to Dustin Hoffman in just three degrees!

1. Fred Savage was in Princess Bride with Billy Crystal
2. Billy was in Analyze This (and That) with Robert DiNero
3. Robert was in Meet the Fookers with Dustin Hoffman

Freshly baked cookies are coming your way this afternoon!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Horay for snow!!

It's snowing! It's snowing. La la la la la! This is a good day!

The Tom Cruise - Mel Gibson Challenge

Panda told me yesterday that everybody was sitting around talking about six degrees of seperation and while you could easily connect Tom Cruise to Mel Gibson in six degrees, you could not do it in two. It is strange that these two actors, who are in so many movies, run in such different circles. I'm suprised there wasn't an aussie connection w/ all the movies Tom Cruise has been in with Nicole Kidman & Mel Gibson having been raised in Australia.

Well, it can be done - I have found a way!

1. Tom Cruise was in Eyes Wide Shut with Fay Masterson
2. Fay was in The Man w/o a Face with Mel Gibson

Monday, February 06, 2006

Six Degrees of Separation Game

You all know the rules.

The prize: home-made ch. chip cookies. I will deliver these cookies directly to the winner, so they don't get eaten by any of the messangers (FishFrog, this is directed at you and a certain Dove bar!).

The contest will officially end on Wednesday @ 10p.m. Cookies will be delivered on Thursday. If any long distance bloggers or "next bloggers" want to play, but are worried you won't get your cookies - don't worry, I'll send them to you!

Let the game begin! Connect these two actors:
Fred Savage and Dustin Hoffman
This blog post brought to you by "Movie Mondays"

Oscar needs some prozac

Some movies make you laugh, cry, scream, get angry, or feel hopeful. Some take you on an experience – let you safely leap out of yourself and your comfort zone to enter a new world. Others make people challenge their assumptions or to bring something horrific to light. Great movies can do a combination of those things.

Sadly, however, it seems more credence is given to a movie that is emotionally powerful yet would never tempt the audience into a second viewing than to a movie that, though perhaps powerful in its own right, conjures up feelings of joy or laughter rather than pain and heart-ache.

I truely believe movies have many purposes and should not all be enjoyable to watch. We should not, however, forget about the enjoyment factor when rating a movie for best picture. For me, this type of movie should be given props for what they often do well - outstanding performances, cinematography or directing credits. Far too often, however they are picked for best picture because of the initial "wow" factor. Meanwhile, comedic or sweeter movies are overlooked. It seems to me that Oscar may have fallen prey to this way of thinking when he nominated this year’s best film picks. What do you think?– comments welcome.

This year’s nominations:
Brookeback Mountain
– I thought this was good movie. It was visually pleasing and the music set the mood of the movie perfectly. Still, I cannot imagine ever wanted to see it again.
Crash – as much as I love Don Cheadle, and man do I love him, I could not love this movie. To me, this movie is one that should be made and should be seen, but it is not enjoyable, and it is not a great film. I felt like it was meant to be a call to action piece, but it left my soul drained of all its hope for a better world that I was compelled to do nothing but wallow. Maybe it got to racists and made them realize that racism and prejudice is a vicious cycle, and if so, then that is a good thing, but not enough to make it best picture. Ellen really loves this movie – Ellen, what am I missing?
Capote – I can’t say because I haven’t seen it yet. I really want to see this movie.
Good Night and Good Luck – see Capote, but change "really" to "totally".
Munich – I have absolutely no desire to see this movie. If anyone has seen it, please tell us about it. From what I’ve heard about it, it is extremely powerful and thought-provoking.

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

Writing about other people is hard

For my class I have to write a 2 page paper on someone other than me. This is hard, and I'll tell you why:

To write about someone you need to know them, but if you know them and are thinking about writing about them, then you probably like them. Therefore, it is difficult to really write about them and not just list all the things about them that are great. Is that interesting? No, obvioulsy not! But as I write, I know my class will read this piece of work, and if I write about say, Panda, while I may see some less than desirable traits in her personality, I don't want the rest of the world to. So, you end up with flat, one-sided characters or run the risk of seriously hurting someone's feelings.

Now we arrive at my paper, and aside from being a bit one-sided, stylistically it is all over the place. While it is only supposed to be a first draft, I am still unhappy with how it has turned out. In short, my paper (not about Panda) is complete and total crapola and I will be embarrassed when my group reads it.

A Warning

Diet Black Cherry Vanillia Coke. It's not good. Too much vanilla flavor.

Word game

I just started reading Dan Brown's book, Digital Fortrus and I had a difficult time putting it down last night - perhaps contributing to my waking up an hour late this morning. Anyway, in the book people have to break codes. Now, it's your turn: Go here to solve my cryptogram. The first one to solve it is, well - the best! Plain and simple.
This blog post brought to you by "Wordy Wednesdays"