31 December 2007
30 December 2007
New Years
With the end of another year at hand, I ponder to myself what 2008 will bring for me and the rest of the world. One hopes that 2008 can only be better, if only because it’s the last year of crazy assed Bush and his evil empire.
But even as I mention that, I’m still unsure who to vote for in November. Yeah, I’m a registered democrat, but I feel left down by them as they’ve capitulated to Bush more than they promised back in 2006. I cannot foresee voting for any republican, if only because they all seem as worst as King George, especially Huckabee and Romney.
Becoming an independent has been going through my mind lately, but even that seems to open a whole new barrel of monkeys.
If I need to set resolutions, I guess getting fit be one of them. Also getting a better paying job so I can actually enjoy the lovely state of California I moved to 2 ½ years ago. Read more, as the WGA strike has shown me there is a world outside of TV. I would also like to blog more, talk about serious things than post pics of hot guys who would never look at me if I walked down the street.
Then there’s that self-esteem thing, too.
I would also like, sometime in 2008, to go back to Chicago and visit my family and friends with no worries of money and troubles.
Get that new bike and ride it until my legs fall off.
Happy New Year to all!!!
But even as I mention that, I’m still unsure who to vote for in November. Yeah, I’m a registered democrat, but I feel left down by them as they’ve capitulated to Bush more than they promised back in 2006. I cannot foresee voting for any republican, if only because they all seem as worst as King George, especially Huckabee and Romney.
Becoming an independent has been going through my mind lately, but even that seems to open a whole new barrel of monkeys.
If I need to set resolutions, I guess getting fit be one of them. Also getting a better paying job so I can actually enjoy the lovely state of California I moved to 2 ½ years ago. Read more, as the WGA strike has shown me there is a world outside of TV. I would also like to blog more, talk about serious things than post pics of hot guys who would never look at me if I walked down the street.
Then there’s that self-esteem thing, too.
I would also like, sometime in 2008, to go back to Chicago and visit my family and friends with no worries of money and troubles.
Get that new bike and ride it until my legs fall off.
Happy New Year to all!!!
Books: Three Days to Never by Tim Powers
Three Days to Never is a whirlwind thriller, equal tale of spies mixed with dark fantasy. Frank Marrity is a 35 year-old single father to 12 year-old Daphne. He is a college professor who stumbles upon his secret family history after the death of his mother. In a short period of time, he discovers that he is some how the great grandson of Albert Einstein. And while Einstein’s breakthrough gave the world the most deadliest weapon, he never, it appears, gave FDR one of the most interesting: a time machine.
Now he must pit his wits against a secret society bent on immorality, an apparent paranormal branch of Israel’s Mossad -who seeming want to alter the time line to avert the 1967 Six Days War - a blind woman who “sees” through the eyes of others and a bitter, alcoholic future version of himself.
While it sounds like the book is odd (it is), none the less, its weirdness works. I didn’t understand half of the metaphysics, and sometimes it felt like even Powers did not know what he was saying, but in some ways, it makes the book more compelling.
Now he must pit his wits against a secret society bent on immorality, an apparent paranormal branch of Israel’s Mossad -who seeming want to alter the time line to avert the 1967 Six Days War - a blind woman who “sees” through the eyes of others and a bitter, alcoholic future version of himself.
While it sounds like the book is odd (it is), none the less, its weirdness works. I didn’t understand half of the metaphysics, and sometimes it felt like even Powers did not know what he was saying, but in some ways, it makes the book more compelling.
29 December 2007
Reading
Years and years ago I used to read alot. But over the years, my reading has dropped off. I know why, yet I don't know if I can change it.
I really discovered reading when I was in my first year of High School. For reason I don't really know, I began reading Agatha Christie novels, and spent the rest of that school year reading them. Oh, here and there I would pick up other things, but usually I was reading them.
So, between 1977 and 1979, I read most of her books. Then in the summer of 1979 or 1980, I discovered Stephen King. I was grocery shopping with my mother and while she was at the check outs at the old Eagle Supermarket in Hoffman Estates, I was looking through the books. There, still in its box, was the mass market paperback edition to The Stand. I picked up, read the back and became intersted in reading it. But it was very thick, and went to the last page to see that this edition was 817 pages. I had never read anything longer than say 400 pages, so I knew this was a challenge.
During the 1980's, long before cable became common in people's homes, I spent many of hours and days reading. By then, thanks to Star Wars and Star Trek (though I had read some of the Bantam Star Trek line during the 1970's, most of which I still have), I was no longer reading mysteries, but sci fi and fantasy novels.
Of course, one of the reason I was reading was due to the fact that I did'nt have a TV to watch. While there was one in the family room, you were forced to watch what everyone else was. In the room that my brother and I shared had a small B&W TV (same as in the room my two sisters shared), but because it was my brothers, I could not dictate what we wanted to watch (which brings up a memory of the time I wanted to watch Battlestar Galactica during its initial 1978-1979 run. No one in the family wanted to watch it, so it became a game for me to convince either one of my older siblings to let me watch it in the bedrooms).
So, when I could not watch what I wanted to watch, I read. Of course during the cold winters in Chicago, I would just watch TV, but during the summer, when the day's seemed to gon on forever, I read way more. Plus, on my bike, I would venture to the public library and read there.
I was still living at home when Star Trek: The Next Generation came on in 1987. By then, my brother had moved out and I had my room to myself. I remember going through leaps and bounds to get my TV -I bought my first color TV just for that show - set up to watch it, because I knew my mom would not want to sit through it in the family room (plus our UHF signal was so bad, I never really saw those first two seasons clearly).
But I was still reading.
Now, after many years of living away from home, my reading has tapered off. I can put the blame on two things: cable and the internet. Being exposed to so many channels, I can always find something to watch, unlike the handful I had during my childhood and teen years. Even my young adult years, to be honest. And with the further advent of DVD's, I can pop in a movie or an old TV show.
Then, I'm also easily distracted by the internet. So, I can spend hours -I mean hours - doing nothing but looking at all the blogs I've bookmarked (ironic phrase, it seems). Or porn.
Which is why I go to Starbucks on Saturday or Sunday (depending on if I'm working on Odyssey) and read for a few hours. Som ask how I can do that, with all the people coming and going. And to be honest, these folks don't distract me as much as sitting at home, knowing I have a TV and a computer close at hand.
Anyway, here is the list 0f the books I read in 2007, which is on par to what I read in 2006. Still I remember a time when I read double of this.
BTW, I'm almost through with the Tim Powers book, but unles I devote more time to it today, Sunday or Monday, it will probably be added to 2008.
I really discovered reading when I was in my first year of High School. For reason I don't really know, I began reading Agatha Christie novels, and spent the rest of that school year reading them. Oh, here and there I would pick up other things, but usually I was reading them.
So, between 1977 and 1979, I read most of her books. Then in the summer of 1979 or 1980, I discovered Stephen King. I was grocery shopping with my mother and while she was at the check outs at the old Eagle Supermarket in Hoffman Estates, I was looking through the books. There, still in its box, was the mass market paperback edition to The Stand. I picked up, read the back and became intersted in reading it. But it was very thick, and went to the last page to see that this edition was 817 pages. I had never read anything longer than say 400 pages, so I knew this was a challenge.
During the 1980's, long before cable became common in people's homes, I spent many of hours and days reading. By then, thanks to Star Wars and Star Trek (though I had read some of the Bantam Star Trek line during the 1970's, most of which I still have), I was no longer reading mysteries, but sci fi and fantasy novels.
Of course, one of the reason I was reading was due to the fact that I did'nt have a TV to watch. While there was one in the family room, you were forced to watch what everyone else was. In the room that my brother and I shared had a small B&W TV (same as in the room my two sisters shared), but because it was my brothers, I could not dictate what we wanted to watch (which brings up a memory of the time I wanted to watch Battlestar Galactica during its initial 1978-1979 run. No one in the family wanted to watch it, so it became a game for me to convince either one of my older siblings to let me watch it in the bedrooms).
So, when I could not watch what I wanted to watch, I read. Of course during the cold winters in Chicago, I would just watch TV, but during the summer, when the day's seemed to gon on forever, I read way more. Plus, on my bike, I would venture to the public library and read there.
I was still living at home when Star Trek: The Next Generation came on in 1987. By then, my brother had moved out and I had my room to myself. I remember going through leaps and bounds to get my TV -I bought my first color TV just for that show - set up to watch it, because I knew my mom would not want to sit through it in the family room (plus our UHF signal was so bad, I never really saw those first two seasons clearly).
But I was still reading.
Now, after many years of living away from home, my reading has tapered off. I can put the blame on two things: cable and the internet. Being exposed to so many channels, I can always find something to watch, unlike the handful I had during my childhood and teen years. Even my young adult years, to be honest. And with the further advent of DVD's, I can pop in a movie or an old TV show.
Then, I'm also easily distracted by the internet. So, I can spend hours -I mean hours - doing nothing but looking at all the blogs I've bookmarked (ironic phrase, it seems). Or porn.
Which is why I go to Starbucks on Saturday or Sunday (depending on if I'm working on Odyssey) and read for a few hours. Som ask how I can do that, with all the people coming and going. And to be honest, these folks don't distract me as much as sitting at home, knowing I have a TV and a computer close at hand.
Anyway, here is the list 0f the books I read in 2007, which is on par to what I read in 2006. Still I remember a time when I read double of this.
BTW, I'm almost through with the Tim Powers book, but unles I devote more time to it today, Sunday or Monday, it will probably be added to 2008.
15. Three Days to Never -finshed on 12/30
14. A Confederacy of Dunces
13. The Book of Joby
12. Hero
11. Into the Wild
10. What Came Before He Shot Her
09. Spot of Bother
08. The Ruins
07. Michael Tolliver Lives
06. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
05. A Good and Happy Child
04. Soon I Will Be Invincible
03. Boomsday
02. Team of Rivals
01. You Suck
26 December 2007
And then it passes
Christmas 2007 passed in a very delightful day, spending most of the day with my cousin, his wife and two kids in Murrieta, located about an hour south of here (and thus, it is an hour north of San Diego).
Getting there, however, proved interesting. High winds caused a some traffic problems just after I got on the 15 from the 10. For a good stretch, there is a lot of open farm land on the eastern side of the 15, and man was the wind going, shaking the car and blowing debris all over the place. Just past the 60, I was forced to slow down. At first, I thought people were smart and were reducing speed with all the dust. Which made me laugh, cause people drive like 85 mph no matter what.
Actually, it turned out to an accident. What I can guess is that the dust and dirt must've been so thick that it blocked out the 15. And for most people, who follow way to close to each other no matter what the condition (I think I mentioned this), someone must've stopped too quickly, causing a chain reaction accident. I counted at least 6 cars with damage to both front and back of their cars. While there was firetrucks, I saw no ambulance, so hopefully no one was injured.
Rotten Christmas, though.
Anyway, as I finally passed the accident, the dust whipped up again and became so thick, I could only see two cars ahead of me. That is the first time I've really expirenced these winds. It was really frightening, and you could easily see this accident happening.
It delayed me by about 10 minutes, but the rest of the way proved uneventful.
Return trip took longer. Now, there are three freeways that lead towards LA when folks are coming back north on the 15. However, most take the first one, which is the 91. And it was heelish stop and go for about 17 miles to the 91.
Once past the 91, traffic opened up and passed the 60 with no traffic and contiuned on 15 to the 10. But just past the 60, there was another delay, as it appeared someone else be came a victim of a car accident (an flipped over, because by the time I passed it, the flat bed truck had the SUV on it, and it was upside down). After that, it was free sailing. And it only took me an 1:45 to get home.
Today, work (boring, yet very hard to change all the stuff and get the large number of laydowns out) and I watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Voyage of the Damned, off of Youtube.
I liked it, though I think Russell Davies has a thing for robots, as this was the third Christmas special to feature them. Still, an amazing episode.
Though, a bit of advice, if you are ever involved with an alien invasion and a guy named the Doctor shows up saying he's going to save your life, I would run. Death haunts the Doctor like stale perfume.
Getting there, however, proved interesting. High winds caused a some traffic problems just after I got on the 15 from the 10. For a good stretch, there is a lot of open farm land on the eastern side of the 15, and man was the wind going, shaking the car and blowing debris all over the place. Just past the 60, I was forced to slow down. At first, I thought people were smart and were reducing speed with all the dust. Which made me laugh, cause people drive like 85 mph no matter what.
Actually, it turned out to an accident. What I can guess is that the dust and dirt must've been so thick that it blocked out the 15. And for most people, who follow way to close to each other no matter what the condition (I think I mentioned this), someone must've stopped too quickly, causing a chain reaction accident. I counted at least 6 cars with damage to both front and back of their cars. While there was firetrucks, I saw no ambulance, so hopefully no one was injured.
Rotten Christmas, though.
Anyway, as I finally passed the accident, the dust whipped up again and became so thick, I could only see two cars ahead of me. That is the first time I've really expirenced these winds. It was really frightening, and you could easily see this accident happening.
It delayed me by about 10 minutes, but the rest of the way proved uneventful.
Return trip took longer. Now, there are three freeways that lead towards LA when folks are coming back north on the 15. However, most take the first one, which is the 91. And it was heelish stop and go for about 17 miles to the 91.
Once past the 91, traffic opened up and passed the 60 with no traffic and contiuned on 15 to the 10. But just past the 60, there was another delay, as it appeared someone else be came a victim of a car accident (an flipped over, because by the time I passed it, the flat bed truck had the SUV on it, and it was upside down). After that, it was free sailing. And it only took me an 1:45 to get home.
Today, work (boring, yet very hard to change all the stuff and get the large number of laydowns out) and I watched the Doctor Who Christmas Special, The Voyage of the Damned, off of Youtube.
I liked it, though I think Russell Davies has a thing for robots, as this was the third Christmas special to feature them. Still, an amazing episode.
Though, a bit of advice, if you are ever involved with an alien invasion and a guy named the Doctor shows up saying he's going to save your life, I would run. Death haunts the Doctor like stale perfume.
I wonder what the New Year will bring?
note: this is my 500th post since I started working on it, some 2 1/2 years ago.
25 December 2007
24 December 2007
It's almost here....
It's the Zero Hour folks. If you're still out shopping, then you're all losers.
Really.
Really.
23 December 2007
2008: A Busy shooting year for our Star Trek fan series
After a few days of scrambling, Rob finally got the schedule for the up coming Odyssey and Helena Chronicles shoots. Very confusing.
Anyways, the ODY shoot scheduled for 1/5 has been moved to Feb 2. The Feb 16 HC shoot has now moved to 1/5. We'll also film HC on 1/12.
We'll resume ODY on 1/27, which is a location shoot. Then on 2/2, we'll finish ODY with the studio shoot.
Then finish off HC on 2/16.
2008 is very busy, with shooting on various projects going every month. Besides finishing off ODY and HC seasons, we have the second crossover with the Scottish fan production Star Trek: Intrepid. This is going to be a feature-length story called Operation Beta Shield.
Then, the last thing we have is the second sister series of ODY.
I'm not complaining. I really am looking forward to this and EB 3 in June. I just wish I had a better paying job to help with what amounts to be Areakt Production's biggest year.
Anyways, the ODY shoot scheduled for 1/5 has been moved to Feb 2. The Feb 16 HC shoot has now moved to 1/5. We'll also film HC on 1/12.
We'll resume ODY on 1/27, which is a location shoot. Then on 2/2, we'll finish ODY with the studio shoot.
Then finish off HC on 2/16.
2008 is very busy, with shooting on various projects going every month. Besides finishing off ODY and HC seasons, we have the second crossover with the Scottish fan production Star Trek: Intrepid. This is going to be a feature-length story called Operation Beta Shield.
Then, the last thing we have is the second sister series of ODY.
I'm not complaining. I really am looking forward to this and EB 3 in June. I just wish I had a better paying job to help with what amounts to be Areakt Production's biggest year.
22 December 2007
Galactica 1980
Not that anyone asked for it -even for Christmas - but Universal has decided to release Galactica 1980 on 12/23 -Sunday, instead of Wednesday, 12/26.
Velveeta cheesy this show was, I guess it still holds a dark place in my heart.
The Republican Party begins to attack itself
Here's the problem that I see will make the Republicans lose the 2008 election.
Religion.
Now the Republicans have always been religious, look at the love they still have for Ronald Regan. But today's seeker to the White House, the scary evangelical Mike Huckabee and even scarier Mormon Mitt Romney, probably would think Ronnie was not religious enough.
But I always thought that in truth, the Republicans just pimped themselves out to them, and not actually come from the more appalling side of religion.
Or as Arianna Huffington said: "They want their base to be a kind of electoral cicada: wake up every four years, vote, and then go underground and shut-up."
So while Huckabee seems now to be the front runner for the Republican nomination, its seems even some conservatives are a bit in a tizzy. Even the conservative magazine the National Review's Rich Lowry seems a bit disturbed by Huckabee's frontrunner status, by saying that Huckabee is an "under-vetted former governor who is manifestly unprepared to be president of the United States."
Nice to see the conservatives attacking their own party once in a while, even if Huckabee stands on the same hallow grounds as King George: anti-choice, born-again, against gay-marriage, and seemly gets political advice directly from God.
Religion.
Now the Republicans have always been religious, look at the love they still have for Ronald Regan. But today's seeker to the White House, the scary evangelical Mike Huckabee and even scarier Mormon Mitt Romney, probably would think Ronnie was not religious enough.
But I always thought that in truth, the Republicans just pimped themselves out to them, and not actually come from the more appalling side of religion.
Or as Arianna Huffington said: "They want their base to be a kind of electoral cicada: wake up every four years, vote, and then go underground and shut-up."
So while Huckabee seems now to be the front runner for the Republican nomination, its seems even some conservatives are a bit in a tizzy. Even the conservative magazine the National Review's Rich Lowry seems a bit disturbed by Huckabee's frontrunner status, by saying that Huckabee is an "under-vetted former governor who is manifestly unprepared to be president of the United States."
Nice to see the conservatives attacking their own party once in a while, even if Huckabee stands on the same hallow grounds as King George: anti-choice, born-again, against gay-marriage, and seemly gets political advice directly from God.
21 December 2007
Questions that I ponder #1
Does anyone, for one second, actually believe MTV's reality show The Hills is, in fact, real?
Folks, tweens and anyone else who thinks watching pusedo-celebrities is entertainment, get over yourself.
The Hills is a fake as the snow on my artificial Christmas Tree.
Folks, tweens and anyone else who thinks watching pusedo-celebrities is entertainment, get over yourself.
The Hills is a fake as the snow on my artificial Christmas Tree.
19 December 2007
As the World Spears
Apparently, the apple does not fall far from the tree.
While in reality, I could careless about the entire Spears family, I guess I would not be a good gay boy if I skipped over it completly. First -and you can take my gay card away - I think Britney Spears is about as talented as a piece of toast. Add on all her Misadventures in La La Land - K-Fed, the children, spending her entire fortune at Starbucks, showing her hoochie to the entire world - and you got one special kind of White Trash. Then add on the fact that lot of gay men seem to think we should also treat Britney as some sort of gay icon.
But we do seem to have an obesession with pseudo-celeberties.
Now, 16 year-old sister Jamie-Lynn Spears has announced she is preggers by 17 year-old White Trash boyfriend Casey Aldridge. Fucki, this must just make momma proud. After all, Momma Spears was about to realease a book about bringing up a child with good Christian vaules.
Ooops. Bad timing. The book, I now hear, will be shelved.
You think?
You know, sometimes, idiots like the Spears family give fodder to the conservative movement. This gives the loonies of the moral values more ammunition to fire at hollywood, saying how it's liberal values allow such a thing.
Most, if not all of it, however, can be laid at the doorstep of each parent. Hollywood has nothing really to do with it, but its the parents narcissism that creates this. They are flushed with their childrens money, along with all the other opportunities.
Plus, I think parents these days seem less interested in understanding their children, so they simply ignore "things" that go on in their childrens lives. Like the thinking their underage children will not have sex.
In the end, I simply cannot feel bad for the Spears clan. They deserve every thing the conservative right throws at them.
While in reality, I could careless about the entire Spears family, I guess I would not be a good gay boy if I skipped over it completly. First -and you can take my gay card away - I think Britney Spears is about as talented as a piece of toast. Add on all her Misadventures in La La Land - K-Fed, the children, spending her entire fortune at Starbucks, showing her hoochie to the entire world - and you got one special kind of White Trash. Then add on the fact that lot of gay men seem to think we should also treat Britney as some sort of gay icon.
But we do seem to have an obesession with pseudo-celeberties.
Now, 16 year-old sister Jamie-Lynn Spears has announced she is preggers by 17 year-old White Trash boyfriend Casey Aldridge. Fucki, this must just make momma proud. After all, Momma Spears was about to realease a book about bringing up a child with good Christian vaules.
Ooops. Bad timing. The book, I now hear, will be shelved.
You think?
You know, sometimes, idiots like the Spears family give fodder to the conservative movement. This gives the loonies of the moral values more ammunition to fire at hollywood, saying how it's liberal values allow such a thing.
Most, if not all of it, however, can be laid at the doorstep of each parent. Hollywood has nothing really to do with it, but its the parents narcissism that creates this. They are flushed with their childrens money, along with all the other opportunities.
Plus, I think parents these days seem less interested in understanding their children, so they simply ignore "things" that go on in their childrens lives. Like the thinking their underage children will not have sex.
In the end, I simply cannot feel bad for the Spears clan. They deserve every thing the conservative right throws at them.
18 December 2007
CNN's Glenn Beck vs. FOXNews Bill O'Reilly
Which one is more pointless?
I mean it's obvious that Beck was hired by CNN to be their version of O'Reilly. Both are the pedantic, prosaic chroniclers of all things liberal (which they hate, or love, since they’re obsessed with the whole concept, I'll admit I'm baffled). But I got to give all the beans to O'Reilly. He's cornered the market on the gruppy old man. Beck, all doughy and dull as rainy afternoon, is just as narcissistic as the people he thinks he's so clever enough to poke fun at.
After all, much like actors and musicians, both Beck and O'Reilly are a bottomless pit of needs and wants. Avoid them as you would a fungus or an episode of Deal or No Deal.
I mean it's obvious that Beck was hired by CNN to be their version of O'Reilly. Both are the pedantic, prosaic chroniclers of all things liberal (which they hate, or love, since they’re obsessed with the whole concept, I'll admit I'm baffled). But I got to give all the beans to O'Reilly. He's cornered the market on the gruppy old man. Beck, all doughy and dull as rainy afternoon, is just as narcissistic as the people he thinks he's so clever enough to poke fun at.
After all, much like actors and musicians, both Beck and O'Reilly are a bottomless pit of needs and wants. Avoid them as you would a fungus or an episode of Deal or No Deal.
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