journey of natty gann

1985: John Cusack, Meredith Salinger, and a beautiful wolf. A very sweet movie about a girl looking for her father and finding adventure along the way, The Journey of Natty Gann, does not disappoint in emotion nor in music. I have had snipets of this score probably since my university days. Finally, finally, it has been released in a 2,500 limited edition from Intrada Records. Words do not express the wonderful themes from James Horner in his prime. I ordered it straight away.

anyone want to fry an egg?

I know it is usually July when I start to complain and that the heat wave has spread across the country but this is ridiculous.

deux ans avec Harry

It was two years ago, almost to the day, that I started Harry Potter in French. Today, I finished the last book with a sense of accomplishment as well as sadness that once again, Harry Potter has come to the end.

There are two reasons that I began this journey. The first and foremost is that I adore the Harry Potter series, its characters, the wonderment and fantastic story telling that each scene emits with each word. Not only that but rereading again, in any language, only serves to relive those favorite moments of mine.

The second reason was improve my French. With each read came comprehension, vocabulary, the ability to answer questions both written and orally. There is no substitute for this amount of learning and the fact that it was with books that I enjoy immensely only helped to enhance the experience. The French translation is beyond impressive. The fabricated names and spells were creative and sometimes better than the original English. And no detail was left out or glossed over.

So it is with a bitter sweet memory that my days of Harry Potter in French are over. I know that I will return once again in the future. Maintenant, au revoir Harry et merci pour tous les souvenirs.

anime songs on repeat

Okay, here is where my very bizarre fancy for anime and geeky love of languages rear their ugly heads.  On repeat this week are five anime songs of which I am learning the words, the Japanese words that is.  One is from Miyazaki's Spirited Away called "Itsumo Nando Demo" which translates to "Always with You".  I already know this song by heart  and in learning it, learned how to make the sounds from the romaji translation.  From there I went on to learn the "Princess Mononoke Theme Song" and the "Tatara Women Work Song" from Miyazaki's Mononoke Hime. However, with my recent purchase of Origin: Spirits of the Past soundtrack, I want to learn two more songs sung by Kokia, a popular pop artist and opera trained Japanese singer.  The first is the opening song called "Chouwa Oto (with Reflection)" and is very fast with complicated vocals.  The second is "Ai no Melody" which is just very very long. But I am eager to be able to sing without the words in front of me so I can hear it over and over in my head alone. Only then will my heart be satisfied.

shonen sunday anniversary stamps

The latest stamp from my postcrossing.com trading.  This is Pro Golfer Saru, a Shonen Sunday weekly manga part of the 50th Anniversary of Japanese Comic Books for Boys collection.

I take the plunge into blu ray

Another birthday rolls around.  Every year I typically splurge on something.  This year was no exception.  My home theater has been lacking for some time.  The only true HD that I see on my beautiful 42" plasma is through the cable box.  Even my xbox 360 is connected through component and not the hdmi of which it is capable.  I also run most of the audio through my boring DVD player so that it will play on its cheap speakers. 

Well, it was time for an upgrade and I went the whole way up.  I chose the Sony DA2400ES which is an upper mid range receiver with four wonderful hdmi inputs and 7.1 capability.  I chose Energy 5.1 Take Classic speakers but am still debating how to hook up the rear speakers because there is no place to hide wires in my apartment.  I am considering the Rocketfish wireless rear system but have decided to put that on hold though it is on sale at Bestbuy.  Finally, I chose the LG BD390 blu ray player which has internal wireless capability so I can stream from my network server and even from netflix watch instantly. 

I also bought my first blu ray disc. Sword of the Stranger which will be released this Tuesday. Finally, I splurged on an imported CD of Origin: Spirits of the Past which has two of the best songs that I listen to over and over.

all songs considered

It has been a while.  Summer is rolling in and I have to get up even earlier so that I can walk around Town Lake when it is still comfortable outside.  This morning, as I was listening to my regular podcasts, the NPR's All Songs Considered kept me fully entertained.  It is so difficult to keep up with music and in Austin, with all the musicians trying to find their place, it is even more so.  Still, this podcast is a great way for an introduction to recent music and this show was one of its best.  It is a compilation of listeners and followers of the blog's favorite lesser known bands and a song is played from each the owner of the show deems worthy of time.  Every band was one for which I would have gone to buy the CD, or at least downloaded a song or two.  It made the walk fast and fun and I highly recommend the show.

ponyo in august

Just in time for a cool dip, Miyazaki's Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea hits US theaters in August. There is no end to my excitement over this.

mad world

On repeat this week is Roland Orzabal's "Mad World", the song in Donnie Darko. The score for this movie is twisted, as you can imagine, but the song is very repeatable.  The melody is so simple, the lyrics even more so, and Gary Jules does a beautiful job on the vocals.  I just can never get enough.

stamps from russia and china

I do not collect them but I love getting them. My correspondents take note and some even comment. The man in the Russian stamp is Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut and the first human in space.

"can you help me with my computer?"

http://supportdetails.com/

Very slick and very useful.

lost fathers

Being a devoted Lost fan, I can not believe it took me this long to figure out the father theme that has splattered this series since its inception.  Here is a list of dysfunctional fathers that I could come up with...

• Jack's (and Clarie's) father, Christian Shepherd
  
• Walt and his father, Michael
• Hurley's father, David who left him when he was young
  
• Jin's supposed fisherman father
• Sun's organized crime father
• Desmond's wife's father, Charles Widmore
• Ben's father, Roger Linus
• Mile's recent father revelation, Dr. Pierre Chang, director of the Dharma Project
• Sawyer adopts the name of the man who conned his mother, a sort of father figure
• Sayid's father, who was shown to be disappointed with weakness
  
• Kate, who killed her abusive step father, later revealed to be her real father
• turns out I forgot John Locke (I claim selective amnesia) who's father found him late in his life, got his kidney and then disappeared.  He was later killed by Sawyer at the request of Locke himself.  Sheesh, no wonder I wanted to forget (thanks, Christine!)
  

podcasts

I listen to a lot of podcasts.  What is not to love, abundance of free mp3 to pass the time while working out and on any topic you can name. For me it is all the anime, movies, tv, gaming, and french I can get and you can set it up to update itself and fill up your ipod by just plugging the darn thing in your computer. Seriously, how easy is that? One podcast that I would like to introduce to the world is one called movies you should see.  A podcast based solely on films and hosted by four Brits.  All types of movies ranging from whichever just won the Oscar to classic film such as 12 Angry Men.  It is not technical but just prose on what works and what does not, the characters, setting, music, and mood.  I enjoy their banter and their opinions, mainly because they say brilliant a lot. Whatever your tastes, this podcast is one I make sure I listen to every week.  Check it out.

so inviting

I have lived downtown for almost eight months now. For all that time, I have not had anything to sit on and enjoy the balcony with its amazing view. I guess I was waiting for the patio furniture to go on sale. Well the lovely weather beckoned and so I now have two lovely chairs and a table for reading or watching the city. Now that things are complete, my media cabinets are delivered and stocked and the patio now sports a tomato plant, all are invited to come and spend some time in Austin, the live music capital of the world. By the way, that is Elora, my orchid, on the table. The leaves fell and part of the upper stem died. I clipped the stem and opened the roots to air. Hopefully that and the slight drop in the temperature for the next few nights will allow it to bloom again. Note to self to take it out of the light in the morning!

spring break in Los Angeles

I have been remiss in talking about my vacation with my brother in Los Angeles. I always assumed that LA was too flashy for me but honestly, it is much more down to earth. Of course, we braved the traffic to head downtown and see the hot spots in Hollywood. But then we drove up into the hills, Beverly Hills that is, and my mouth dropped at the gorgeous palm tree lined roads and wonderfully landscaped mansions. There is the flash. But after that, our time was spent at the Santa Anita race track where I actually won $2 on Lucius Antonious. I lost it on the the next bet though. We also visited the LA county Arboretum where we walked among the peacocks and explored the natural wonders of the world: flowers, trees, shrubs, all types. The track and the arboretum were just a walk away from my brother's home so it all felt extremely relaxing. I can not forget though that my amazing brother exceeded all of that by purchasing tickets to the opening game of the LA Galaxy. Obviously, that was the grandest part.

found my team

My love for soccer knows no bounds. That is to say it knows no state boundaries. I watched the Seattle Sounders play today on Fox Soccer Channel. They seemed to walk all over Toronto FC beating them 2-0. I have had a hard time getting behind the Houston Dynamo simply because they have been very inconsistent. But Seattle looked glorious in their bright green kits sporting xbox 360 live sponsors. I may have to support the new expansion team this year and forever more.

want a taco?

someone must really like tacos, this is a study in taco journalism and is a list of all the taco trucks and taquerias in Austin

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bright lite

pretty neat commercial...

more stamps

These are awesome! The first is from Thailand and the second from The Republic of China.

I watch the Watchmen

I managed to see Watchmen and read its graphic novel. I have to say that I really liked the ending in the movie more than that of the novel. Mostly because it made a bit more sense and had a bit more relevance to the present and perhaps to the time period of the novel. Other than that though, the novel was stellar. The amazing juxtaposition of time and the little threads of minor plot elements was fantastic. The art was, at least in the novel I read, not overly impressive but the images and classic comic book rendition made up for it. Speaking of images, the film did a wonderful job of capturing those images. Because I had read it just prior to seeing the film, I recognized almost every scene as being one in the novel. A particularly powerful attention to detail that was not lost on this observer. That and the choreography of the fights was another pleasant surprise. Too many films these days use editing to chop the fights into so many tiny pieces that the choreography and, in my opinion, merit of the fight is lost. There were many more fights in the movie than in the novel and each one was well done and enhanced the characters. The only minor drawback is that these fights were put to lyrical songs and not original score but it worked well so I can not complain too much. I very much liked Rorschach, behind the mask and not. Of all the many and I mean many characters in the novel, I thought his betrayal was the best. A fantastic film of a fantastic novel and one not to be missed on the big screen. Thanks, Greg, for making me go see it in the theatre.

cable series

With the upcoming end of Battlestar Galactica, I came to realize that about a third of my episodic television subscriptions are on cable television.  TNT, TBS, SciFi, USA, AMC; basic cable stations all have shows which have some how or another grabbed an audience and managed to grab me as well.  I have spoken to Mad Men and BSG previously but here are a few other shows that I watch for other reasons.

The Closer is, by far, one of the best shows on cable television.  The humorous combination of the smart southern belle chief of a special police force of smart but cracked group of detectives. Every time Kyra Sedgwick says "for heaven's sake" with a heavy accent or deliciously savors a piece of chocolate, it shows you that the characters are very deeply rooted in this show.  Each one is detailed and centered that you know how they will react to everything that is thrown at them.  That and they get the job done... well except for the one that got away.  I adore this show and its stellar cast.

Psych is a closet favorite of mine.  It is light on the plot and characters, but along with Monk, another favorite, the attention to detail allows these two characters to solve the crime.  But Psych makes me giggle.  All those little pulp culture references make up for the loss of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and West Wing.  It is usually the first show on my DVR that I watch because it is light and fun.

A new show this season, Leverage, took me by surprise.  Part Ocean's Eleven, part Alias, part Hustle with some Robin Hood thrown in, I could not get enough.  In this show, it is the set up, the con which drives me to watch.  This little band of thieves is coming back next season and I can not wait.

I gave up on a few like Saving Grace, Damages, and the jury is still out on Trust Me.  But new seasons of the above and shows like My Boys make up for some of the poor choices on basic television.  

 

I would be remis if I did not mention the end of Battlestar Galactica once again.  This show has raised the bar and the creativity of both science fiction and non science fiction cable series above and beyond what Stargate accomplished.  The lingo alone has permeated the average frackin' household audience.  It is beautiful, well written, well acted, and well composed by Bear McCreary.  The all in one package for the scifi geek and the perfect combination for anyone who wants good television.  Despite the loss of beloved Galactica, both ship and show, and despite the long and arduous journey to Earth and beyond, the growth and emotions of the characters will live on.  So say we all.

a spurt of anime

I go through spurts. Watching movies, anime, reading books, knitting, gaming. All the things I love make it difficult to spend quality time with each so I have to break it up. These past few weeks, it has been anime. I have caught up with a few shows that have not been great but have managed to satisfy the recent dearth.

I rented Chrono Crusade from netflix. The strange combination of Christian themes and killing in 1920's New York can not seem strange in the Japanese genre. Nuns, priests, spouts of god fearing language seem to resonate in anime. This particular one tells the story of a girl and her childhood devil trying to save her brother from an evil devil who, in turn, is trying to take over humanity and become immortal. While it resorts to silly antics intermittently, brother - sister plot is sweet. Rosette, a cross shooting gun in hand, deals fine with the evil devils but can rely on the devil, Chrono, to turn and wipe them out at the cost of time on her life. I have about three episodes left but I would recommend it. The art and music are average though I really like how the bullets turn into white crosses when they hit.

I had begun Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo through netflix's streaming on the computer. With a bit of time this weekend, I managed to finish the series through my xbox (did I mention how much I love that!). This show was just plain strange. A futuristic loose retelling of Dumas' famous novel, the art in this show will either make you cringe or blow your mind. It layers these photoshop patterns onto the digital anime so when the characters move, their clothes and hair kind of don't. At first, I thought something was wrong with the video. I guess I got used to it but it was sometimes very distracting and sometimes pretty neat. Above that aspect, I was not totally in love with the show. The characters were rather boring and a theme of revenge was taken to very alarming levels. I enjoyed the original novel for what it was but could not take the changes made to the characters.

Partaking of more netflix - xbox streaming, I started Saiyuki. Saiyuki is the story of four guys, one a buddist monk, the other three devils who have their dark powers inhibited. I have read it is based on the historical story A Journey to the West, also called Monkey which makes sense because that is what the little one is called a lot, in jest of course. This show is very well written, or should I say well translated. The fight scenes are not very good, however. It burys the action with still shots which I hate. But so far, I enjoy the humor and character relationships enough that I continue to watch with anticipation and with 50 episodes in the first season, it better be good enough.

81st Annual Zilker Kite Festival

How can a kite festival not make you smile? It was chilly, sunny, cloudless, perfect. I managed to actually get a bit of a sunburn watching kids and adults try to keep their kites in the sky. I could never capture the amazing beauty of hundreds of kites glittering the blue but I did take a few pictures, the best of which was a Tie-Fighter trying to take flight with help from its owners.

There was, of course, two main rings hosting competitions and exhibitions. I was around for the Indian Fighter Kits where the little kites without tails chop off the long tail of the head kite. All around, it was a wonderful spectacle and my second visit to one of Austin's best events.

seal of approval

One of the best parts of getting postcards through postcrossing is the stamps. I love seeing the different designs, landscapes, languages, colors, everything. Below is a scan of my lastest from Finland. Is not the shape awesome? What about those cartoon peoples in purple and turquoise? Adorable, I wish I knew what it meant.

wait for it

So worth the 27 seconds.  Du beau foot!

cute as a button

Just returned from Coraline and the second movie in a week for which I have ventured to the theatre. This one was definitely worth the price of admission. There is, of course, the mention of the beautiful imagery and the creative vision of Gaimen's book. The wonderful plot, the amazing characters and their charming characteristics, even the minor ones combine for an entertaining ride. Coraline is so well established with her stubborn smirk and childish determination. The house is perfect and the other mother brilliantly creepy. I only know Bruno Coulais from his music for Les Choristes but his score for Corlaine is definitely on my list of things to buy. But beyond all that, beyond the fact that outright it is a very good film and a high quality piece of art, above all is the phenomenal 3D depiction. Nothing compares to the visuals that this technology can output. It blew me away and just made everything so vivid. With eye popping color and detail it is no wonder there were three trailers in 3D even before the movie started. This is definitely one you should see in the theatre. I am glad I went and paid what I think is an outrageous amount for a 2 hour span of time. Rooting for Coraline with 3D goodness was worth every penny. Go see this movie!

Serei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit)

There have been so few anime that have come along in the past year which have been anything special.  Serei no Moribito is one of them.  I talked a small bit about it in an earlier post but that was just the beginning.  Cartoon Network's adultswim only ran the first 10 episodes before they had to take it off the air because the rest had not yet been released.  So I went ahead and downloaded the rest because I was eager to see how the story ended.  The best thing about this anime is the fight scenes.  The spear wielding protagonists are amazing fighters, it is fast and the acrobatics are exquisite. I have not seen anything this beautifully drawn or directed before.  But even beyond that, the story is tight, the characters extremely developed, and the evolution well paced.  I have to admit that I thought there would more traitorous activity but the ending was still very satisfying.  I await its complete release on DVD because this one is definitely going to be part of my collection.

Speaking of collections, I added Noein and Origin: Spirits of the Past to mine. They were both on sale at rightstuf.com.

the last airbender has a release

Now that Avatar has been dropped from the title, M. Night Shyamalan's The Last Airbender release date has been set for July 2, 2010.  Most of the main cast has been also signed, Aang, Zuko, Katara, and Sokka., with a noticeable non Asian cast. No Appa yet.  The biggest and greatest news is the fact that James Newton Howard, a longtime collaborator with Shyamalan, is signed on for the score.  Yippee!

the key to success

I use the keyboard for most of my daily computer needs.  I hate the mouse, I hate having to move my hand away from the keyboard to use the mouse.  Most of all, I hate programs that do not support keyboard shortcuts.  So today I found a keyboard shortcut that I did not know existed and it totally made my morning.  When you press control-o to open a file in any windows based program, it never opens to the location you want.  You can easily start typing in the default box position your location starting with c:\.  However, today the dialog opened to a location and I wanted to just go up one folder.  So I typed ".." in the box and pressed enter.  'Lo and behold the dialog went up to the parent directory, just as expected in unix.  I love finding new keyboard shortcuts.

Sword of the Stranger

This past Thursday, there was a one night showing of Sword of the Stranger in Austin.  The film, created and produced by BONES of "Full Metal Alchemist" fame, is about a ronin who meets a boy and his dog on the run.  The bloody battles between China and Japan are ever present as the Chinese main character can fight like the devil.  He meets his match while pursuing the boy but the stranger does not draw his sword, plagued by his past.  It is very appropriate that I just rewatched "Rurouni Kenshin" because this movie plays very similarly.  The art was good, if not great at times with amazing cinematic shots of thrown knives and sword play.  The music was also good, if not great at times with distinct Chinese themes.  I would say the plot and characters were average but the end had great satisfaction.  I was glad that I went to see it.

Ugly Betty

So I watch a lot of TV. Way too much TV. I could go on for hours about the many layers of "Battlestar Galactica", the humor of "The Big Bang Theory", and the adorable, sturdy Jack Bauer. But today I want to catch up on "Ugly Betty" because the show has definitely grown into something special. This year Betty tried living in the city and along with that effort came the shallow Amanda. I absolutely love the relationship that developed between the two of them. They come to a mutual understanding and a sweet friendship. The other relationship that develops is that between Betty and Marc, this one more professional. Both competing and making into some special editor program creates something akin to mutual respect. Marc and Amanda, the fantastic duo that make this program worth watching, are still the sneaky, snarky beautiful people who make Betty, the not so ugly, appreciate what she has and make the watcher appreciate the contrast. Above all of that, though, this show is about family. Betty manages to balance her life and her family and when they cross, pulls the show down to earth.  You can not fault its formula or the fun result. Every time Betty shows up with a crocheted set of bright blue earmuffs, I smile and laugh.  There can be no better way to brighten and already gleaming show.

Wolverine and the X-Men

My little brother (hi Erich) and I used to watch Saturday morning cartoons. Instead of the "Smurfs" though we watched such personal classics as "Batman: The Animated Series", "Spider-Man", and "X-Men". He was the comic buff and I was the tv buff. Since then, our love of animation and anime has only grown to which this blog attests. He is still more of a lover of animation and I am still more of the lover of television but it works, even across our long distance.

Wow, sentimental gobblety gook aside, a new X-Men show has come to the playing field. "Wolverine and the X-Men" takes a slightly different twist; Professor X is not present. Something or someone attacked telepaths. It is not clear what happened directly after but both Prof. X and Jean Grey are lost. Rogue has defected to the Brotherhood and Emma Frost is working with Wolverine and the X-Men to defend mutants against the mutant registration act. Prof. X does show up in the doomed future doing his best to give the X-Men in the present guidance to prevent that doom.

The show does a good job of mixing main characters and side characters. My love, Gambit, shows up in the fifth episode all cajun and badass. Emma is a nice change and Scott is less whiny than usual, though not much. The art is good, the music not as good. I have never heard of the composer, Dean Grinsfelder but it has some potential, it is very orchestral. I have seen the first twelve episodes, only three have aired in the states. I await the return of the Phoenix but while I do so, it is fun to watch loads of infamous Marvel characters make their appearance.

meant to be

On repeat is Squirrel Nut Zippers' "Meant to Be" from their album, Hot. I love her voice with its twenties flare.

300 posts

I just noticed I have 300 posts on this blog.  I do not have kids, nor anything serious to write about so it is mostly silly nonsense. Still there is something to be said about getting thoughts down. So thanks for reading if you do and thanks for not leaving after you read this.

 

Heather

Hisaishi's Ponyo

Studio Ghibli released Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea in Japan in 2008. While still not released in the US (let's hope for the rumored June 2009), the soundtrack can be imported. The glorious Joe Hisaishi and Hayao Miyazaki pairing is continued and I had a chance to hear the score in its entirety. Hisaishi is at the top of my list of best composers ever. I have all his scores and I place Princess Mononoke at the top of that list with Spirited Away a close second. Maybe I still need a couple more listens but I was not as in awe as I usually am with his scores. The themes are not well developed and it sounds like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro put together. The orchestrations were wonderful, full and romantic, at times reminiscent of Anne of Green Gables by Hagood Hardy. For me, it does take a few listens for things to grow on me but usually Hisaishi comes right away. How very disappointing.

definitely dark

I got a hold of the audio versions of the Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I am now on the second book and have fallen in love with the Gunslinger. He is just my kind of character, dark, tough, the faulted hero and expert killer. After the first book where most was in Roland's world, this book is now in our world and the contrast is very appealing. New characters arise, ones also with faults but somehow the right pieces to fit Roland's heart, however made of steel it is. I so enjoy the intelligent dialog and Frank Muller's reading is excellent. I especially like his Eddie Dean, that New York accent just brimming with sarcasm. Audio books are a great way to pass the time in long drives but these books are the best way.

finally brisingr

Paolini's Brisingr. I finally got around to reading the more than 700 page tome, dreading it after the ever boring Eldest. But Brisingr was devoid of moony Eragon and fraught with wonderful Eragon - Saphira banter. I love their relationship and after this book, it is even more coveting. Not to mention numerous battles and little of the politics that I detest. The title was more apropos, clever even. All the races were involved and Eragon has grown into an admirable rider. The inheritance is further explained and while there is not the intrigue of Harry Potter, the series is still a wonder to read, rich in its world and detailed in its landscape. I look forward to the final book, finally eager to once again become part of Alagaësia.

Himura Kenshin the battousai

So I had plenty to do this weekend.  Instead of doing it, I put in the first season of "Rurouni Kenshin", the anime based on Himura Kenshin's time as a wondering samurai, pledging his sword for good to attone for his deeds as the manslayer, battousai.  This year marks 12 years since this anime was created but the story holds.  While the art dates itself, the man has no equal.  Kenshin is my epitomic hero, one with a sword fighting for good and along the way attracts friends and foes.  The red hair, cross scarred white knight captured my heart again for a few hours, taking me away from reality.  How much more can you ask for?

Beat that prince!

It took me longer than expected, which is a pleasant surprise. But I finally beat Prince of Persia, my wonderful Christmas gift (thanks Mom!). This was a great game. Loads of acrobatic fun, Elika and Prince banter, with puzzles and light seeds to find. The scenery was gorgeous and the music awesome. I had such a blast. Now if they would just release Inon Zur's soundtrack...

BTW, they are making a movie based on the Sands of Time game. Mike Newell, who's directing credits include Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Donnie Brasco, and couple of "The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles" is signed. The film is in production with Jake Gyllenhal as the prince.

my eyes on repeat

"Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog" has been released on DVD. Did you know it made Time's top 10 tv series of 2008? I suggest buying the $9.99 thing exclusively on Amazon because it is hilarious and there is 45 minutes of commentary which is sung too. Fan-freakin' tastic. I own the soundtrack too, of course. It is funny, I am not a fan of Nathan Fillion's songs however much I loved him in "Firefly". But Neil Patrick Harris definitely makes the series and the songs. The song that Penny and Billy sing called "My Eyes" is on repeat this week. Evil inside of me is on the rise...

Felicia Day, who plays Penny, is also on a web series called The Guild about a bunch of online gamers. Also incredibly funny though you have to sort of understand the culture. Just lookup any slang you do not know.

Update: Dr. Horrible commentary lyrics are now available.

THE congregation

Even those of you who are not into soundtracks should be impressed by the congregation of composers that Hollywood Reporter gathered.  A good article about how film scoring has changed.

Holiday Cheer

According to Time Magazine, Austin is ranked number nine in their Top Ten Places to Find the Most Holiday Cheer. I was happy to see Mystic, Connecticut on the list as well as NYC. I actually stopped by 37th Street last night to see the beautiful yet very Austin ecclectic lights. I will not be able to get to Zilker for the Trail of Lights this year though. There is always next year.

a gamey Christmas

My life is fairly crazy right now, finishing up at work before the holidays and shopping for said holidays. But in all that craziness, I managed to feed my soundtrack habit. The game, Gears of War 2, just came out this year and on the weekend after Thanksgiving, Gamespot had a 2 for 1 sale so I picked up the original Gears of War. Man, is this game ever fun. Lots of shooter action, gore, and what is more genius than killing bugs, the bane of my existence. With the release of Gears of War 2 came the release of its score by one of my favorites, Steve Jablonsky. He came onto my scene with his score to Steamboy, a better than expected anime movie and score. He is recently known for his score to Transformers and is signed on for the sequel. I find it lovely when some of these composers delve into other mediums. Giacchino comes to mind scoring television, animated features, and games. Jablonsky's score to GOW2 is excellent but I also picked up the score to the original by Kevin Reipl and it also has some wonderful tracks, "Jacinto Prison" being one of them. I picked up a few other game scores, Too Human by Steve Henifin which is haunting and Mass Effect by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick. I hear Myst 3 in Wall's Mass Effect so it was worth it in my mind. It is going to be a good holiday.

a musical twelve days

Ha!

is anyone listening?

Um, Santa Claus? Gamespot giftcards welcome.

the pixar phenomenon

Every time a new Pixar film is released, I say to myself that it will not be as impressive and charming than that of the previous film. I said it at Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, and The Incredibles and with each, I was pleasantily mistaken. Note that I did not mention Cars because I did not like it very much. Well, I did not even go see Wall-E in the theatre. It takes a force of nature to make me go to the theatre these days. So I was happy when it showed up in my mailbox the week it was released on DVD. Again, I am so glad I was mistaken. What an utterly enchanting film. I love how the first 20 minutes not a word was spoken (except in song of course). I fell in love with him and this simple yet effective film. Thank goodness I keep being wrong.

where is it?

Did you ever lose something and ask yourself, why can't I find it?  I was being a couch potato on my day off, crocheting a blanket for my friend who is having a baby.  It is due soon and I am seriously behind.  I finished a section and went to get a drink.  When I sat back down, I could not find the crochet hook.  I pulled up the couch pillows, looked under it, even went back to the kitchen to see if I left it there.  I could not find it.  I figured it would turn up, my apartment is not that big and there are not a lot of places it could have been.  After two days, each of which I pulled up the couch pillows again, I still could not find it.  Then I got really nasty.  I have been meaning to clean the slip covers on my couch so I pulled all of them up. The hook finally turned up but I lost two days and now have couch in disarray.  What a waste.

dealing the cards

Whoohoo!

a candle's fickle flame

This week's song on repeat is Cake's "Never There". The rhythm and lyrics of this song made me go out and purchase all their albums. They have been a favorite of mine for a while now. If you listen closely you can hear the beep beep of a phone being dialed during this song. So much fun.

a scarred prince

I love the Prince of Persia games.  I love the acrobatics of it all.  In its new revamped form, the Prince looks a little worn but all the more fun.

parade or bust

I have no idea why really but I love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Last year, I was actually at the parade as you can see from my Tom the Turkey picture. This year, I have a few friends running the 5 mile Turkey Trot here in Austin to benefit Caritas. Unfortunately this interferes with my parade schedule. I think I have it figured out where I can watch old Tom make his debut, head out to cheer my friends a few blocks away, then head back in to make sure I get a view of Santa Claus. It might just work out. Now if it only was not going to be a high of 81 degrees, my holiday would be perfect.

ma orchidée

Remember Elora? Well look at her now.

new xbox live experience

My xbox 360, and everyone else's of course, has gone through a significant upgrade in its operating system. The user interface has been revamped making themes more impressive, if I ever get one. The blades are gone but can be found in the easy xkey where you can easily get to your games, the main point of the console. The best thing about the revamp, streaming Netflix. With my upgraded Live Gold subscription (13 months for $39), I can watch anything Netflix streams with my unlimited account. I have begun 30 Rock season 2 and its streamed in beautiful HD. I guess it is safe to say, liking the new experience.

Legend of the Seeker

From the producers of "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess", a new syndicated show premiered a few weeks ago.  "Legend of the Seeker" is a live action show based on the Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind.  I have read at least the first book of this series and enjoyed it but did not have time to continue.  The premiere was actually pretty good, keeping you involved while giving plenty of story exposition and introducing the world.  I like that it is not campy like Hercules and Xena and though the acting is not stellar, I have enjoyed the episodes so far.  It is nice to know that TV is still willing to risk syndication to tell a good story.

finally, a snowy one

From Finland.  Is it not the most gorgeous thing?

From postcards

i love this show

My proclamation once again for this amazing show. A Shikamaru centric episode which shows that Naruto: Shippūden can do both action and dramatic episodes with beauty and grace.

living in the city

Here is a list of things that I like about living in the city:

• halloween - I am not a big fan of this holiday but the city makes it worthwhile. The city shuts down Sixth St, the main drag. With Austin being a college town and having a stellar night life, the costumes come out in swarms. It was fun watching all of that on such a beautiful night. I am eager to experience Christmas in the city.
  
• festivals - There is always a festival or event. This weekend was the Day of the Dead festival, hosted by Mexic-Arte. The decor was awesome. Then there was the Texas Book Festival where authors and publishers host book signings, sales, and entertainment. I picked up a copy of the The Texas Hill Country: A Food and Wine Lover's Paradise who's author and photographer were very excited and signed my copy. More on my fascination with the Hill Country later. Sunday was the Race for the Cure and the route goes right by my building.
  
• walking - To the gym, to the grocery, to the library, and around Lady Bird Lake. I have been debating getting a bike but why when I can get most anywhere with my own two feet. With the nice weather these days, it is a shame to not spend as much time outdoors as possible.
• the capitol - Seriously one of my favorite buildings of all time. I get to see it every day, walking to the gym. This weekend, I took time from the book fair to sit and read under one of its beautiful trees.
  

just in time

Two days before I was going to chuck Time Warner, KXAN and my local NBC affiliate are back on the air.  Just in time for sweeps, though no new Chuck or Heroes this week, I now can watch in beautiful HD some of my favorites.  Too bad, I was looking forward to getting more preferred HD channels.  I guess I will wait and see if it is still worth it until the beginning of the year.

madison ave and her men

Last year, American Movie Classics (AMC) created a television show called "Mad Men".  From a third rate network, the show took the summer season by storm.  The second season ended this past Sunday. Almost every aspect of this show is impressive.  The production is at the top of the list, making perfect visualization of the early sixties culture.  The plot and premise center around an advertising agency on Madison Ave and highlight the social part of the business just as much if not more than the actual business itself.  And the characters.  You can almost feel each one slowly committing that opening song suicide with every drink, affair, and lie.  The show is a wonderful blend of amazing television.  That is why is so hard for me to say how much effort it takes for me to watch it.

Maybe it is the time period.  I did not grow up in the sixties and find it very difficult to even try to think they way they do.  In the show, Marilyn just died, the Cuban crisis is just warming, men are expected to look pretty and sleep around, and girls are meant to look pretty and say nothing.  The characters have a drink in their hands one out of every three scenes so it is amazing how they got anything done. That being said, the advertising part of the show really draws me.  Don, especially, makes it look all too easy but the rest  of the team's suave business savvy is outweighed by their closed minds.  The costumes are wonderful, gallant men wearing hats and most women sporting the Jackie look.  But it hurts to watch the women dressed in  stockings and heels all the time and showing their big hips.  And then there are the characters.  Not one of them connects with me.  It feels as if they are all living a lie and Don works on a slow spiral into nothing.  If I have one fault it is that I need a hero and there is not a character on the show which can be called a hero. 

So why the long commentary?  I just think it interesting that I continue to follow this show.  I know I do not like it but I also know that it is very good television.  I know that I will be depressed but I continue to get involved in its characters.  I believe that I have found its purpose, to experience a maddening time through the eyes of the men on Madison Ave.  And after the finale of the second season, I felt it a little more cohesive.  Finally some good decisions  were made rather than ones that helped Don get through the day.  The agency has taken center stage and Don has reconciled what he wants from his family. I can not believe that I wonder how things will change when all the lies come out.

bowl and cup

A friend at work is a thrower, that is she makes pottery. She is taking a class and I asked for a small bowl to eat my oatmeal at work. The amazing part of what she gave me is the shapes. They both also have some great colors, the deep royal blue. Thanks, Nicole.

my orchid

I do not have a very green thumb. And I typically stay away from caring for living things. However, when I lived in North Carolina someone gave me an orchid. And for some reason, or maybe because I left it alone, it flourished. For reasons I will not go into, I could not bring it to Texas but I told myself that I would get another one. I see them in the grocery stores but worry about investing.

Yesterday, I was at the Farmer's Market listening to the New Orleans Jazz Band of Austin and saw an orchid vendor. She told me that lack of water and non direct bright light is essential to keeping the orchid alive and well. She said that since I get direct morning sun, I could come home from work and put it outside. It would eat up all that light and I would only have to water it maybe once every two weeks. Well, the yellow green one drew me. It still needs a pot and a stand but for now Elora, as I have named it, has a new home.

postcrossing pictures

I have not received any extraordinary postcards recently but my favorite site just got better by adding photos in your respective profile.  No more flickr for me. Here is mine if you want to see what I send and receive.

drop those articles

For the better part of ten years, I have been working around people whose first language is not English.  It has always fascinated me to listen to them speak in their native language.  The weird thing is, that when I am around them, I tend to speak English like them.  I drop my articles and typically use the present tense when other tenses should be used.  One of these days, I will not speak correctly at all.

death of the seasons

Two of my most followed anime finished their respective seasons this past week, the eighth of Bleach and the third of Naruto: Shippūden.  Bleach was on a non-manga story line so it was fine with me. I was not very attached to the characters and the eventual death, even voluntary, was neither impressive nor touching.  Naruto, however, hit hard.  First, I knew what was going to happen because I read way too much.  Second, the person who killed this character was extremely scary.  Third, as in typical anime fashion, the build up was unbearable.  Seriously, I was balling by the end only to have my boss' boss call me about work.  Talk about bad timing.  Anyway, it goes to show how more powerful Naruto is, killing off a major character while Bleach has to resort to one that is not part of the normal story line.  I will work through the grief and move to the next episodes.  Still, I know of more major character's death in Naruto before the end of it all.  I am really not looking forward to that one.

I want my NBC

Because of a dispute between the local NBC company, KXAN, and Time Warner in Austin, the channel has been removed from the lineup.  This means no "Life", "Heroes", "Pushing Daisies", or "Chuck".  The link shows you how to get these shows through nbc.com   Everything except "Pushing Daisies" is available but usually the day after.  It is not the easiest to hook up my pc to the tv so watching on the big screen comes by downloading and watching on my xbox.  Eitherway, I do not get these shows in HD.

But after visiting my sister and finding that she gets way more HD channels than I do, I am seriously considering moving to another company.  In Austin, in my area only Time Warner provides cable.  I would have to move to Dish Network or Direct TV.  I could also use an antenna but my tv does not have an internal antenna so an external one would be pricey.  I also signed a stupid two year contract with Time Warner and the fees for canceling is going to be about on month's worth of service.  It is reasonable to say that I am disappointed and hate having to go through the effort of researching and hooking up a different system.  After the work is done, though, it looks like Direct TV is the winner.

state quarters comes to an end

Speaking of states, 2008 is almost over and that means that the ten years of state quarter releases also comes to an end.  As of this post, I had about six plus the ten for 2008 left.  I have since received one of the earlier quarters and three of 2008 so I still need 12.  But the Alaska coin just went into circulation!  Hey, if you find these, cough them up would ya?  I hate to have an incomplete collection.

• 2005 West Virginia (Philadelphia Mint)
• 2006 South Dakota (Philadelphia Mint)
• 2007 Washington (Philadelphia and Denver Mint)
• 2007 Utah (Denver Mint)
• 2008 Oklahomo (Philadelphia Mint)
• 2008 New Mexico (Philadelphia Mint) 
• 2008 Arizona (Philadelphia Mint)
• 2008 Alaska (Philadelphia and Denver Mint)
• 2008 Hawaii (Philadelphia and Denver Mint)

Now onto $1 presidential coins and $10 presidential wife coins.

Austin City Limits Festival

Austin has two major music festivals, though there are several smaller ones in and around the Austin area.  South by Southwest (SXSW) , which is also a film and music festival, is held in March and The Austin City Limits (ACL) is held in September.  The ACL is a full blown music festival spanning a motley of music types, over 130 bands on eight stages across Zilker Park  and drawing 65,000 people.  So why would I, resistant to loud music, the heat, and crowds of people attend this event?  Well one should always try new things and this, especially, should be experienced.  Also, I live very close to the event itself now and taking the shuttle was too easy to pass up.

 

Well, it was hot and very dusty as we have not had rain in a while.  And sometimes there were so many people that we could not move.  But since I had prepared both physically and mentally while taking advantage of the shady areas of the festival, I was not miserable and I did not even get burned.  Highlights of the festival for me were Swell Season, Raconteurs, Blues Traveler, and a new favorite Belleville Outfit.  The locale was the best part, a scenic view of the city and Barton Springs just across the street.  My trusty wrist band getting me in and out with no problem. Something signicant about this festival was the amount of effort into being green.  There were recycle bins everywhere there were garbage bins for those necessary bottles of water.  They encouraged others to collect recyclables and gave prizes for full bags.  All the vendors were encouraged to sell food which did not require utensils and utilized biodegradable or recyclable containers.  The food was fantastic, a choice from the popular local restaurants rather than just burgers or pizza, though of that it was good too since it was all local.  It was all very impressive.

I am not saying I am going to do this every year and having just returned from another trip, my exhaustion level was pretty much at a peak.  But having done it once and really enjoyed myself and the music is enough to appreciate it and seriously consider another offer of a three day ticket.

partners in math

Okay, so I am pretty good in math.  I am not sure I am such a good teacher but I heard it takes practice.  And I do not have a lot of experience with children unless you count my intermittent time with my nieces, who are probably the greatest kids on earth.  Add all of that up and it does not make me a very good tutor.  However, I have always said I should give back what I could.  So this year, I signed up with Partners in Math, part of the larger Partners in Education program in Austin.  Every week, several of us from around the city go to our respective elementary, middle, and high schools and work with groups to help them with their math.  It is helpful that you have the same students every week, that you are in a group of about three kids, and the teacher is in the room with you and prepares the activity.  My first lesson was just an intro lesson where we got to know each other but I am not sure I did so well.  I hope, with practice, to be a better guide.

another one off the list

I am not sure why but I love state capitol buildings.  I love buildings in general but old ones with arches and rotundas just take my breath away.  While visiting my sister, we took a trip to Richmond to visit the Virginia State Capitol.  Designed by Thomas Jefferson and the place where democracy was first established, history just filtered out of this beautiful French based structure.  With its yellow interior walls and landmark confederate roots, I wanted to just sit and bask in its southern glory.

 

I may not have a real list but I could probably start one.  

• Columbia, SC
• Raleigh, NC
• Columbus, OH
• Austin, TX
• Nashville, TN
• Charleston, WV
• Atlanta, GA
• Richmond, VA
• Lexington, KY (only from the outside as it was closed when I went to visit)

the bats under congress avenue bridge

It sounds really gross but the Congress Avenue bridge, which spans the Colorado River (not The Colorado River but a smaller one), is host to the largest urban bat colony in the United States.  Just a few blocks from my apartment, I took a walk on one of the cooler nights in the past month to get a glimpse of these bats, which emerge at or around dusk to hunt for their insect food.  I tried to watch them earlier in August at the BatFest 2008 but it was on the First Street bridge and too far away to see them fly away as night approached.  While this impromptu visit did not garner the results I wanted (see this picture) I did see them silently fluttering under the bridge, thousands of them on the hunt.  Honestly, I was a bit scared and worried about the 'ew' factor but it is a matter of pride, this daily event of Austin.  I will go again so that I can witness that impressive swarm.

Ike heads toward Austin

The coast has evacuated and though Austin will probably only catch the edge, Ike has caused some major upheaval in the past few days. Football games have been rearranged, Austinites are talking about tying down furniture, and we are praying that we do not get the winds but only the much, much needed rain. From a superior site, www.stormpulse.com, here is a current satellite of Ike making its way toward Houston.

Moribito and Naruto Shippūden movie

I have a quite a bit of anime on my plate these days.  Between adult swim, netflix, netflix watch now, anime tv channel, scifi animonday and host of other places to watch, keeping up can be a bear.  Of all of these, one almost escaped my notice and I am glad that it did not.  Moribito - Guardian of the Spirit is currently running on adult swim's Saturday night lineup and the last episode that aired made me fall in love with it.  Several fight scenes ensued that were amazingly directed and the story was set up so well that I was completely enraptured.  The butt kicking female fighting hero has pledged to save the spirit possessing hidden strength finding prince in a beautifully animated series.  It is the first anime in a while, save for Naruto, which leaves me wanting more.

Speaking of Naruto, the new Naruto Shippūden movie trailer has been blasted at the beginning of the new episodes and boy does it look great.  Enjoy.

Online Videos by Veoh.com

a capital living

I have lived in five state capitals so far in my life.  By lived, I mean either with my family, in school, or renting and earning wages.  Interestingly, I have only lived six different places and the one which is not a state capital is the one where I was born and lived only little more than a year.  Of the other five, all of them were a place where there was no professional football, basketball, or hockey team, though one of the places now has a hockey team and that same one developed a professional soccer team while I was inhabiting.  Of them, two of them are above 700,000 population and the other three were about 350,000 or less.  I have visited each of their capitol buildings, driven amongst their landscapes and as such, have gotten lost on their crowded highways.

Maybe it is because I have moved into its center or maybe because I have had the time and the ability to enjoy its atmosphere but Austin is by far the most enjoyable capital that I have lived. Its lazy culture and lively music make it a contradiction yet comfortable in the state where it resides. Its state capitol, one of my life's little pleasures, is the best in the country and epitomizes the unofficial state motto by being larger than our nation's capitol. I see the changes planned for this city and look forward to watching it persist and better itself. There is so much to do, you can not do it all and there is so much for your general enjoyment that it makes you wonder why anyone would criticize about anything, besides the weather of course.  While I do not participate in its politics or understand its drive for being the biggest or most independent, the city has captured me with its romantic Texan history and landscapes.  I will never be a Texan and have no desire to become one but I feel more settled than I have in some time and that is a comforting thought.