|
|
Blog - July 2007 |
|
||
|
This page stores my blog entries from July 2007. These entries are from July 1 and July 12.
Squirrel Slaughter / Transformers Nostalgia / Jamba Juice and Starbuck's on Yellow List, DHS-style Sunday, July 1, 2007 Even though I'll joke about harming animals in comical ways (e.g. duct-taping cats so they don't run around and bother me; talking about cats like they're furry footballs), I never mean or intend to harm animals. I love animals too much, even if I do find some of them horribly irritating (yappy little "dogs", anyone?). Unfortunately, the odd occasion makes this ideal impossible. Pam and I were driving to work along a residential street. I had driven that stretch of road a countless number of times over the last 13 years. Squirrels live in the neighborhood and regularly cross streets. Usually, if the squirrel saw/heard an oncoming car, it'd run back to the side of the road. I drove along, and a squirrel started across the street. This time, I think the squirrel got that "deer in the headlights" kind of freeze. As a driver, I did what I was supposed to do: I did not swerve to try to miss hitting the animal. But, it didn't matter since I still heard the sickening thud as my car hit the squirrel. I think I heard it hit my car a couple of times, including once somewhere underneath. The next day or so, I traveled back through that section and did see at least one squirrel dead along the side of the road. That made me feel a bit worse, since I'm certain the one I hit was in the middle of the road when I left it. I'm fairly certain this was the first squirrel my car has claimed. Though I know that I very well may hit another, I hope I never do again. ********** ********** You Might Be A Child of the '80s If ... Although I'm barely a child of the '80s, I experienced enough of it to associate myself as a member of that group. I had my A-Team action figures, remembered when Beta was the video format before VHS took over, and remembered when MTV actually played music videos. In seeing Digital Underground this past year, I felt nostalgic for those rap and hip-hop groups I remembered listening to back in the late '80s and early '90s. Of course, the '80s kid experience includes cartoons as well. The Real Ghostbusters, Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors, M.A.S.K., and the Transformers represent a sampling of what I watched at the time. So, with the upcoming release of a live-action Transformers movie, my nostalgia turned in that direction. I'm not sure when I started watching the Transformers or how much of the 3+ seasons I did see (I know I watched for some time before the movie and watched some after the movie). I loved, and was saddened, by the movie when I first saw it (which, I think, was a TV special that spliced some cartooning of Optimus Prime and a human interacting and talking about the events of the movie). And, of course, I bought and owned many of the toys. I still get a little upset in never getting Optimus Prime or Megatron (something I'll have to remedy in the future), but I still got several cool ones. I did get Starscream. I also have Grimlock, Ultra Magnus, Reflector (I think it's called; it's the three Decepticon robots that transform into a camera; it was only available via mail-order), Defensor (the five or so emergency vehicles that combine to form one big robot), and a few others. After the Transformers ran its course and seemed to have disappeared, I never knew or followed any of the versions that came after this. I'm sure Pam and I will go see the new Transformers movie, though I have some hesitations about it. Since I didn't follow any of the Transformers lines after Generation 1, only the Gen1 characters really mean anything to me. So, characters like Scorponok, who came after the G1 years, will take some adjustments and development of understanding. I don't know how I'll get beyond Bumblebee not being presented as a classic VW Bug. That detail seemed integral to Bumblebee's personality. One of my co-workers will be seeing the movie the night it comes out, so I'll have to get a review from him. Sadly, the Transformers series appears to be out of print. Hopefully that'll reappear in a version similar to the cool one available in Australia. ********** ********** In using the Department of Homeland Security color code for terror threats, I feel I have to rank Starbuck's and Jamba Juice as "Elevated" (yellow) on a scale indicating aggravation or distaste (Wal-Mart is clearly Red/Severe). Maybe I'm just stubborn and distrusting, but these two entities maddeningly frustrate me with their inability to accept a regular old ATM card. I really, really don't like the idea of using my cards anywhere where they don't need a signature or a PIN. Maybe I'm old-fashioned or really haven't thought this through. Or, maybe it's just one of those things that'll frustrate me.
Transformers and Simpsons Movies / Hellgate: London anticipation / Daisy Sour Cream Thursday, July 12, 2007
This summer may be a big exception. Tomorrow night, I'll be going to see the new Transformers movie. I've already worked out most of the disappointment of non-Gen1 characters and transformations being present along with no original Megatron voice. Bumblebee not a classic Volkswagon Bug (stupid in-movie branding/advertising). I believe I'm ready to just sit back, relax, and absorb the modern interpretation. Of course, in only a couple of weeks or so, the Simpson's movie will be out. I haven't been the most fervent Simpsons viewer (I've seen a few more than a handful of episodes), but I definitely want to see this one. Heck, I even created my own Simpson's Avatar (see image at left; my only complaint about my avatar is that the feet aren't big enough). Hopefully there'll be more longer-lasting laughs than Spider Pig. ********** ********** TwitchGuru posted a slew of screenshots from Hellgate: London. While browsing through these, I have Iron Maiden playing in the background. God, this sounds like an awesome TV ad. "The Number of the Beast" or "The Trooper" with imagery of a soldier slaughtering the minions of evil with dual chainguns. "The Trooper" would probably be a better choice. From the creators of Diablo, Hellgate looks like it'll bring back the grit and dark ambiance that Diablo II lacked. The feeling of a post-apocalyptic present-day world with a medieval theme. Randomly-generated levels that shouldn't be the same twice. Satanic cults bent on taking over the world. What could be cooler? Oooh! Even "Be Quick or Be Dead" would be appropriate. <singing> "See what's ruling all our lives. See who's pulling strings." </singing> Having only two playable characters in the beginning seems to limit replayability a bit, but maybe they'll add more with expansions. ********** ********** I cook all of my own meals. I grew up with home-cooked meals every night, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's cheaper, and it's just easier for me to have something planned out and cooked for the week. Normally, I try to minimize cost as well and buy slightly cheaper ingredients or, more often than not, just buy what looks good when it's on sale. Recently, the one exception is sour cream. Ever since I had Daisy sour cream, I have refused to accept anything else. It has a nice, creamy texture and an interesting tang to its flavor. I also like how it's a bit more solid than other sour creams I've had. Fortunately, stores put Daisy on sale rather frequently. I don't really buy cheap ingredients; I just try to not spend any more than necessary. |
||||
Rarely
do I have a set of movies come along that I want to see. Usually, there's one movie in a season that I may want
to see. The Lord of the Rings movies. The re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy (in 1997-ish, before Lucas
screwed with the movies; stupid revisionist history). Tank Girl. Most of the time the genre doesn't interest me,
or it seems entirely too over-the-top or, frankly, looks really lame. We won't mention the ridiculous cost of going
to a movie combined with people's crying/yelling/misbehaving children or others who aren't really there to watch
the movie.