Hello SG-land!
Someone recently reminded me that I haven't updated in eons.
Upon reflection, I've decided that my life is far too boring.
But rather than make up stuff, here's a sampling of what lazy-ass Howdy has been up to.
Remember, you (or someone you know) asked for it.
A friend turned me on to a new (to me) music duo (German and Finnish, working in Switzerland) called Lacrimosa. They compose gothic rock but with a really heavy dose of orchestral instrumentation. It's really unlike anything I've ever heard before. Most of the songs are in German, but the translations are in the liner notes - ummm I mean CD booklet. GOD - I'm so old-fashioned!
I ACTUALLY BUY cds.
It's true that I haven't been spending a lot of time on the SG site. I've been honing my LinkedIn entry instead - for employment seeking opportunities, and my Facebook profile, because some of my friends have been badgering me to get one. I've also been installing new software that I can learn about in my spare time and make myself more marketable. These include the statistics freeware package "R" and the Mac Xcode Developer tools so I now have compilers for C, C++ and other fun languages that I never bothered to learn until now. I've even installed Skype so that I can chat for free with my international friends. That could include any interested Suicide Girls, by the way...(subtle hint).
I have been here often enough to notice some fantastic new sets with some of my faves: Flux and India. Don't forget to check them out. And if there are some other awesome new sets, twist my arm a bit until I comment on them.
What other uninteresting things can I tell you about? Oh, I bought a VHS-to-DVD recorder to finally make digital copies of a few videos that still aren't available in DVD format. This also allowed me to make some screenshots of me as a baby (super-8 mm camera footage from long ago, transferred to VHS when that seemed like "the future" and now on DVD, with several steps of lost resolution). But it was all worth it, to send the DVD to mom for a Mother's Day gift. Damn, I was soooooooo cute as a little fire-engine-red-haired tot.
Films - yes I've recovered enough from the film fest overdose to go back to the theaters again.
Speed Racer I hated it, probably because I liked the cartoons as a kid.
Prince Caspian I didn't like it as much as the first Narnia film. Tilda Swinton was a much better villain than the latest bunch.
Iron Man was surprisingly good. I liked Robert Downey Jr as a "superhero" and Gwynneth Paltrow as his "assistant." If I had my wish, she and Scarlett Johanssen could just be in every damned film. Why can't there be more lesbian romance films with big stars?
Standard Operating Procedure was quite good too, despite some over-the-top dramatic re-creations. It's the story behind the infamous "torture photos" from Abu Ghraib prison, and the people who took them and were punished. By far the worst stuff was never photographed, and therefore no one was ever punished for it. But the scapegoats get a chance to tell their story, and it is truly fascinating.
Lastly, I've had a bit of time for reading. The most interesting book was The Open Road by Pico Iyer, covering the life of the Dalai Lama and his conflicting challenges as both the spiritual and political leader of his displaced nation. He's a fascinating and highly curious man. He actually enjoys talking to scientists and seeing how their new discoveries illuminate our world. It's amazing to see a religious leader who doesn't disavow evolution, as so many here in the USA do. I want to read more about this guy. Maybe instead of an atheist (by way of Lutheranism) I should consider Buddhism? Or I could just send $30 to the Universal Life Church and get my Doctor of Divinity certification to complement my minister credentials. I guess I'm not a very strict atheist.
Sorry folks, that's really the highlights of my last few months. It's sad but true. I'm jobless (and have been for like 6 months now) and girlless (for even longer). But at least I still have my cynicism.
P.S. It was Karma who noticed my blog here was stale. She's the best!
Someone recently reminded me that I haven't updated in eons.
Upon reflection, I've decided that my life is far too boring.
But rather than make up stuff, here's a sampling of what lazy-ass Howdy has been up to.
Remember, you (or someone you know) asked for it.
A friend turned me on to a new (to me) music duo (German and Finnish, working in Switzerland) called Lacrimosa. They compose gothic rock but with a really heavy dose of orchestral instrumentation. It's really unlike anything I've ever heard before. Most of the songs are in German, but the translations are in the liner notes - ummm I mean CD booklet. GOD - I'm so old-fashioned!
I ACTUALLY BUY cds.
It's true that I haven't been spending a lot of time on the SG site. I've been honing my LinkedIn entry instead - for employment seeking opportunities, and my Facebook profile, because some of my friends have been badgering me to get one. I've also been installing new software that I can learn about in my spare time and make myself more marketable. These include the statistics freeware package "R" and the Mac Xcode Developer tools so I now have compilers for C, C++ and other fun languages that I never bothered to learn until now. I've even installed Skype so that I can chat for free with my international friends. That could include any interested Suicide Girls, by the way...(subtle hint).
I have been here often enough to notice some fantastic new sets with some of my faves: Flux and India. Don't forget to check them out. And if there are some other awesome new sets, twist my arm a bit until I comment on them.
What other uninteresting things can I tell you about? Oh, I bought a VHS-to-DVD recorder to finally make digital copies of a few videos that still aren't available in DVD format. This also allowed me to make some screenshots of me as a baby (super-8 mm camera footage from long ago, transferred to VHS when that seemed like "the future" and now on DVD, with several steps of lost resolution). But it was all worth it, to send the DVD to mom for a Mother's Day gift. Damn, I was soooooooo cute as a little fire-engine-red-haired tot.
Films - yes I've recovered enough from the film fest overdose to go back to the theaters again.
Speed Racer I hated it, probably because I liked the cartoons as a kid.
Prince Caspian I didn't like it as much as the first Narnia film. Tilda Swinton was a much better villain than the latest bunch.
Iron Man was surprisingly good. I liked Robert Downey Jr as a "superhero" and Gwynneth Paltrow as his "assistant." If I had my wish, she and Scarlett Johanssen could just be in every damned film. Why can't there be more lesbian romance films with big stars?
Standard Operating Procedure was quite good too, despite some over-the-top dramatic re-creations. It's the story behind the infamous "torture photos" from Abu Ghraib prison, and the people who took them and were punished. By far the worst stuff was never photographed, and therefore no one was ever punished for it. But the scapegoats get a chance to tell their story, and it is truly fascinating.
Lastly, I've had a bit of time for reading. The most interesting book was The Open Road by Pico Iyer, covering the life of the Dalai Lama and his conflicting challenges as both the spiritual and political leader of his displaced nation. He's a fascinating and highly curious man. He actually enjoys talking to scientists and seeing how their new discoveries illuminate our world. It's amazing to see a religious leader who doesn't disavow evolution, as so many here in the USA do. I want to read more about this guy. Maybe instead of an atheist (by way of Lutheranism) I should consider Buddhism? Or I could just send $30 to the Universal Life Church and get my Doctor of Divinity certification to complement my minister credentials. I guess I'm not a very strict atheist.
Sorry folks, that's really the highlights of my last few months. It's sad but true. I'm jobless (and have been for like 6 months now) and girlless (for even longer). But at least I still have my cynicism.
P.S. It was Karma who noticed my blog here was stale. She's the best!
VIEW 13 of 13 COMMENTS
Thank you so much for your support on Why the Caged Bird Sings. I really appreciate it!