I went down to Raleigh to visit Joe and while I was down there... I got the call that I got the job at T. Rowe Price I had interviewed for the previous Monday! =D
9.24.2009
Rainbow
I went down to Raleigh to visit Joe and while I was down there... I got the call that I got the job at T. Rowe Price I had interviewed for the previous Monday! =D
9.17.2009
Vamps
Everyone should know by now how much I love vampires and vampire lore. There are many reasons for that, some aren't obvious. ;P
I tend to like most of the 'original' lore, and severely judge any vampire movies'/shows'/stories' mythos against it, and my personal perceptions of what vampires 'should be like'.
I enjoy gothic, pretty vampires stuff (like Underworld), but I'm fascinated with the idea of intelligent yet monster-like vampires, like the ones in the movie & comic book series 30 Days of Night. Beasty.
Vampires that sparkle is a HELL NO!
Vampires in daylight without deadly effects is also a NO.
But I won't go listing everything out. Instead, some pop vampire reviews...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was cheesy. Fun, but cheesy. I enjoyed it as much as I loathed it. Hehe, ironic ay? It was goofy at times, and often Joss Whedon's personal platform for expressing modern, fad ideas. But it was long running and well... Spike was awesome (at least, when he wasn't being wimpy in-love emo, blegh!).
Unfortunately, I've lost even MORE respect for Joss Whedon's "original" ideas after recently reading the comic book series Preacher by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon. It's so blatantly obvious that Whedon got the idea for Spike's character from Preacher's own Irish-vampire-badboy-loner "Cassidy", which predates Buffy by a few years. Cassidy even goes emo-wimpy for a little while over the main chick in the books, much like Whedon would have Spike do many years later in Buffy.
[As much as I worship Firefly for being awesome, once you see Cowboy Bebop you'll lose respect for Whedon's "original" ideas too.]
I just watched the first episode of the new series The Vampire Diaries, which airs on The CW Network (ugh!). The first 10 min were so bad I almost turned it off and gave up. I'm kinda glad I didn't. It forces the high school scene on the viewer, undoubtedly to capture the attention of the young audience (and obviously anyone who enjoyed the movie Twilight). The acting is mediocre.
There are certain character traits and acting that reek of Buffy, and that's probably not good. The main chick acts and sounds a lot like Faith from Buffy (currently the main character of Dollhouse, FYI, who can only act one part regardless of her dress), and the main vampire guy looks and acts exactly like Nicholas Brendon (who played Xander -- imagine Xander as a vampire & less of a dork).
It was killing me to see the vampire in the daylight... no pain, no flame, no flinching... until near the end of the episode while talking to his vampire brother (who's a little sinister, yay!) it's revealed that they have rings that protect them from the deadly effects of sunlight. Yes!! You've explained why they can be in the daylight safely, and used an oft-referenced mythological trinket (a ring, a talisman, etc). This is good.
The brother, being more accepting of his state of being, feeds on humans, has a black crow follow him around, and conjures up fog. Classic vampire traits, good job!
They also showed the lead vampire unable to enter the lead chick's home until she invited him in; as well as being able to influence a person (a la Jedi Mind Trick hypnosis) -- both classic vampire characteristics.
The lead vampire has been repressing his urges to feed on human blood & such, and is sensitive to blood and seemingly other things... which start to revert him into "monster" mode. [The show is doing what Buffy did, vampire's faces go wrinkly/evil when they get the bloodlust.]
I think if I can suffer through the typical high school kiddie drama scenes I'll be able to watch & enjoy The Vampire Diaries. If it gets too heavy on the kiddie drama or goes too emo... it'll bomb for me. I'm perceiving it as Buffy-lite, without the cheese. ;P
After writing the above review, I watched the first episode of True Blood. This is based on a series of books, and airs on HBO, so it's more adult in the content (as typical of HBO shows, there was a sex scene in the 1st episode to remind you "We can do stuff normal cable shows can't." Heh.). Acting was very good overall. The accents & characters are perfectly convincing for a Louisiana setting. The plot develops slowly (it's an over-arching mystery series), which I'm fine with -- no need to throw every possible detail at the viewer in episode one.
Anna Paquin to me was not a good Rogue in X-Men. However as a blonde girl-next-door with mind-reading abilities in this, I can fathom.
Here, vampires can't be in daylight (this was referred to), drink only blood, are very strong (get stronger over time so elder vampires are strongest), and can't seem to enter a home without permission. Good, good.
Silver is debilitating to vampires in this mythos and burns them; normally that's a trait of werewolves. However, this was mentioned & explained as a weakness in the episode (even joked the comparison with werewolves, not that they exist here).
Two things bug me in True Blood:
1.) Publicly aware vampire organization... as if they are "mutants" a la X-Men. They're retaining the mystery of what they are & can do, but I'm not crazy about the idea of them being a "group" in society, asking for equal rights. That takes away the essence of their mystery of existence.
2.) The portrayed fangs are the wrong teeth. Fangs are the 3rd pair of teeth from the middle: the 'eyeteeth' aka 'canines' and not the 2nd incisors, as seen in this show. Yikes!
Synthetic blood developed in Japan is available at your local quickie-mart & served at your favorite bar, ensuring no vampires have to feed on humans. Ok, plausible idea if vampires are publicly known.
Vampire draining and selling the blood as a sense-enhancing drug is an idea I've seen before in Serenity Rose, a comic book, and also plausible. [In that comic book vampires are monsters/beasts and taking too much of a hit will turn you into a monster shortly thereafter.]
I'm definitely going to keep watching True Blood. It's not a riveting, attention-capturing show with cliff-hangers and major vampire actions abounding so that I havta see the next episode... but it is a curiosity for me, a glimpse into this little 'verse. Something interesting.
I tend to like most of the 'original' lore, and severely judge any vampire movies'/shows'/stories' mythos against it, and my personal perceptions of what vampires 'should be like'.
I enjoy gothic, pretty vampires stuff (like Underworld), but I'm fascinated with the idea of intelligent yet monster-like vampires, like the ones in the movie & comic book series 30 Days of Night. Beasty.
Vampires that sparkle is a HELL NO!
Vampires in daylight without deadly effects is also a NO.
But I won't go listing everything out. Instead, some pop vampire reviews...
Buffy the Vampire Slayer was cheesy. Fun, but cheesy. I enjoyed it as much as I loathed it. Hehe, ironic ay? It was goofy at times, and often Joss Whedon's personal platform for expressing modern, fad ideas. But it was long running and well... Spike was awesome (at least, when he wasn't being wimpy in-love emo, blegh!).
Unfortunately, I've lost even MORE respect for Joss Whedon's "original" ideas after recently reading the comic book series Preacher by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon. It's so blatantly obvious that Whedon got the idea for Spike's character from Preacher's own Irish-vampire-badboy-loner "Cassidy", which predates Buffy by a few years. Cassidy even goes emo-wimpy for a little while over the main chick in the books, much like Whedon would have Spike do many years later in Buffy.
[As much as I worship Firefly for being awesome, once you see Cowboy Bebop you'll lose respect for Whedon's "original" ideas too.]
I just watched the first episode of the new series The Vampire Diaries, which airs on The CW Network (ugh!). The first 10 min were so bad I almost turned it off and gave up. I'm kinda glad I didn't. It forces the high school scene on the viewer, undoubtedly to capture the attention of the young audience (and obviously anyone who enjoyed the movie Twilight). The acting is mediocre.
There are certain character traits and acting that reek of Buffy, and that's probably not good. The main chick acts and sounds a lot like Faith from Buffy (currently the main character of Dollhouse, FYI, who can only act one part regardless of her dress), and the main vampire guy looks and acts exactly like Nicholas Brendon (who played Xander -- imagine Xander as a vampire & less of a dork).
It was killing me to see the vampire in the daylight... no pain, no flame, no flinching... until near the end of the episode while talking to his vampire brother (who's a little sinister, yay!) it's revealed that they have rings that protect them from the deadly effects of sunlight. Yes!! You've explained why they can be in the daylight safely, and used an oft-referenced mythological trinket (a ring, a talisman, etc). This is good.
The brother, being more accepting of his state of being, feeds on humans, has a black crow follow him around, and conjures up fog. Classic vampire traits, good job!
They also showed the lead vampire unable to enter the lead chick's home until she invited him in; as well as being able to influence a person (a la Jedi Mind Trick hypnosis) -- both classic vampire characteristics.
The lead vampire has been repressing his urges to feed on human blood & such, and is sensitive to blood and seemingly other things... which start to revert him into "monster" mode. [The show is doing what Buffy did, vampire's faces go wrinkly/evil when they get the bloodlust.]
I think if I can suffer through the typical high school kiddie drama scenes I'll be able to watch & enjoy The Vampire Diaries. If it gets too heavy on the kiddie drama or goes too emo... it'll bomb for me. I'm perceiving it as Buffy-lite, without the cheese. ;P
After writing the above review, I watched the first episode of True Blood. This is based on a series of books, and airs on HBO, so it's more adult in the content (as typical of HBO shows, there was a sex scene in the 1st episode to remind you "We can do stuff normal cable shows can't." Heh.). Acting was very good overall. The accents & characters are perfectly convincing for a Louisiana setting. The plot develops slowly (it's an over-arching mystery series), which I'm fine with -- no need to throw every possible detail at the viewer in episode one.
Anna Paquin to me was not a good Rogue in X-Men. However as a blonde girl-next-door with mind-reading abilities in this, I can fathom.
Here, vampires can't be in daylight (this was referred to), drink only blood, are very strong (get stronger over time so elder vampires are strongest), and can't seem to enter a home without permission. Good, good.
Silver is debilitating to vampires in this mythos and burns them; normally that's a trait of werewolves. However, this was mentioned & explained as a weakness in the episode (even joked the comparison with werewolves, not that they exist here).
Two things bug me in True Blood:
1.) Publicly aware vampire organization... as if they are "mutants" a la X-Men. They're retaining the mystery of what they are & can do, but I'm not crazy about the idea of them being a "group" in society, asking for equal rights. That takes away the essence of their mystery of existence.
2.) The portrayed fangs are the wrong teeth. Fangs are the 3rd pair of teeth from the middle: the 'eyeteeth' aka 'canines' and not the 2nd incisors, as seen in this show. Yikes!
Synthetic blood developed in Japan is available at your local quickie-mart & served at your favorite bar, ensuring no vampires have to feed on humans. Ok, plausible idea if vampires are publicly known.
Vampire draining and selling the blood as a sense-enhancing drug is an idea I've seen before in Serenity Rose, a comic book, and also plausible. [In that comic book vampires are monsters/beasts and taking too much of a hit will turn you into a monster shortly thereafter.]
I'm definitely going to keep watching True Blood. It's not a riveting, attention-capturing show with cliff-hangers and major vampire actions abounding so that I havta see the next episode... but it is a curiosity for me, a glimpse into this little 'verse. Something interesting.
9.11.2009
"Famous Last Words"
By Billy Joel
Sitting here in Avalon, looking at the pouring rain.
Summertime has come and gone, and everybody's home again.
Closing down for the season I found the last of the souvenirs.
I can still taste the wedding cake, and it's sweet after all these years.
These are the last words I have to say, that's why it took so long to write.
There will be other words some other day, but that's the story of my life--
There's comfort in my coffee cup, and apples in the early Fall,
They're pulling all the moorings up, and gathering at the Legion hall.
Swept away all the streamers after the Labor Day parade,
There's nothing left for a dreamer now only one final serenade.
And these are the last words I have to say, before another age goes by
With all those other songs I have to play, but that's the story of my life.
And it's so clear
Standing here
Where I am.
Ain't that what justice is for?
Frankly my dear,
I don't give a damn any more.
Stack the chairs on the tabletops, hang the sheets on the chandeliers.
It slows down but it never stops, ain't it sweet after all these years?
And these are the last words I have to say, it's always hard to say goodbye.
But now it's time to put this book away, ain't that the story of my life?
Sitting here in Avalon, looking at the pouring rain.
Summertime has come and gone, and everybody's home again.
Closing down for the season I found the last of the souvenirs.
I can still taste the wedding cake, and it's sweet after all these years.
These are the last words I have to say, that's why it took so long to write.
There will be other words some other day, but that's the story of my life--
There's comfort in my coffee cup, and apples in the early Fall,
They're pulling all the moorings up, and gathering at the Legion hall.
Swept away all the streamers after the Labor Day parade,
There's nothing left for a dreamer now only one final serenade.
And these are the last words I have to say, before another age goes by
With all those other songs I have to play, but that's the story of my life.
And it's so clear
Standing here
Where I am.
Ain't that what justice is for?
Frankly my dear,
I don't give a damn any more.
Stack the chairs on the tabletops, hang the sheets on the chandeliers.
It slows down but it never stops, ain't it sweet after all these years?
And these are the last words I have to say, it's always hard to say goodbye.
But now it's time to put this book away, ain't that the story of my life?
9.07.2009
Epics
Happy Labor Day weekend?
Sunday night I was able to join my guild to run 2 quarters of Naxxaramas... a higher-end 10-man raid. Four of us were new to the place, so I'm glad the better players were nice enough to run us. They wanted to get us better gear so we'd be better for more raids.
I scored a new Epic ring, and a new Epic staff, which I really needed. =)
The staff is actually a floor candelabra with floating candlesticks... it looks like I stole a candlestick holder from the place! ;P
Then tonight I was invited (by our guild leader) to a group for 25-man Ulduar [currently the endgame raid!] but there were only 12 of us, and most of us were under-geared. However, each time we got the first boss, Flame Leviathan, down to 12% of his health... but we wiped every time. Should've done the 10-man version (which, obviously, would be easier)... as before long 1 person had disconnected, and another had to leave anyway.
Last week Stevo & I won a third of the 2-vs-2 games we played. That's a huge increase to losing every match! ;P
Sunday night I was able to join my guild to run 2 quarters of Naxxaramas... a higher-end 10-man raid. Four of us were new to the place, so I'm glad the better players were nice enough to run us. They wanted to get us better gear so we'd be better for more raids.
I scored a new Epic ring, and a new Epic staff, which I really needed. =)
The staff is actually a floor candelabra with floating candlesticks... it looks like I stole a candlestick holder from the place! ;P
Then tonight I was invited (by our guild leader) to a group for 25-man Ulduar [currently the endgame raid!] but there were only 12 of us, and most of us were under-geared. However, each time we got the first boss, Flame Leviathan, down to 12% of his health... but we wiped every time. Should've done the 10-man version (which, obviously, would be easier)... as before long 1 person had disconnected, and another had to leave anyway.
Last week Stevo & I won a third of the 2-vs-2 games we played. That's a huge increase to losing every match! ;P
9.05.2009
New website location
I've used Geocities for my personal websites since high school... 1998. At some point Yahoo bought up Geocities, and started changing things, mostly integrating Yahoo crap into Geocities [yuck], like every big corporation does when they acquire a small company that runs well by itself.
Now Yahoo is closing Geocities entirely come the end of October. However, you can sign up for a limited access Yahoo web hosting for just $... ha, never will I ever... ;P
Friends of mine have been using AngelFire for as long as I've used Geocities [may it rest in peace: 11 years of good service], so I've moved my hub of a website over there.
Please update your bookmarks; ya know, if you actually have my site bookmarked. ^_^
Now Yahoo is closing Geocities entirely come the end of October. However, you can sign up for a limited access Yahoo web hosting for just $... ha, never will I ever... ;P
Friends of mine have been using AngelFire for as long as I've used Geocities [may it rest in peace: 11 years of good service], so I've moved my hub of a website over there.
Please update your bookmarks; ya know, if you actually have my site bookmarked. ^_^
9.02.2009
Synesthesia
Synesthesia? What is that?!
This.
I FINALLY found information on the way things work in my head! I'm not actually crazy! ...or at least, not alone.
Previously I attributed my way of thinking, cross-associations, visual memory, and music "hallucinations" to an over-active imagination. Now I know it's a documented, real pathology.
"Synesthesia is a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway."
It explains all of the things in my head:
Grapheme --> Color Synesthesia
"...individual letters of the alphabet and numbers (collectively referred to as graphemes), are "shaded" or "tinged" with a color."
When I see words and especially numbers in my head, they are immediately colored text.
Sound --> Color Synesthesia
"...voice, music, and assorted environmental sounds such as clattering dishes or dog barks trigger color and simple shapes that arise, move around, and then fade when the sound stimulus ends. For some, the stimulus type is limited (e.g., music only, or even just a specific musical key); for others, a wide variety of sounds triggers synesthesia."
When I listen to music, particularly rhythmic music (especially swing), and particuarly played with brass instruments (especially trumpets; again swing & ska) I see colors and shapes and lines dancing around in my head, usually projected in the space in front & a little above my head. It's almost as if the notes themselves are dancing to how they are being played.
Trip-hop music (Hooverphonic, Massive Attack, Portishead) doesn't do that, but has a different effect I can't easily describe... it's more of a combination of emotion plus mathematical calculations going on... I'm weird, I know!
Number Form Synesthesia
"A number form is a mental map of numbers, which automatically and involuntarily appears whenever someone who experiences number-forms thinks of numbers."
I've always pictured numbers in my head as a sequence along an elevated line, with elevation-resets at every decade (at 20, at 30, etc) as the last couple of numbers per decade (the 7s, 8s, 9s) curve downward. But when counting by skipping (counting every other number, or at every 5) the numbers I'm aiming for are larger before I call them out. This mental map was true when I learned to count in Spanish in elementary school, as well as learning to count in French in middle school.
I have also always pictured a calendar in my head as a squished, lopsided oval. January is at the top, months working counterclockwise down to July & August sharing the fattened bottom, and working up to Dec near the top.
To count hours (How many hours until dinner?) I have to picture a clock face and go around it.
This phenomenon also explains why I instantly memorize numbers when I hear or read them: "What has been confirmed is elevated, sometimes photographic, memory." When I read, I don't just remember the information, I remember the layout of the pages. Though not actual photographic memory (I can't read the text of the pages in my head), it is involuntary and elevated memory.
Involuntarily memorizing numbers is something that actually got very annoying in the job I had right after college because I was often inputting research projects' financial information into databases, and I could accurately tell you who's budget was what, out of several hundred projects! I spent a good deal of effort consciously trying not to let numbers get lodged in my head.
I guess I'm not any less weird or crazy now, but I'm fascinated that I'm not alone.
Reading through that article creeped me out at points when I had the revelations of "That's me!"
This.
I FINALLY found information on the way things work in my head! I'm not actually crazy! ...or at least, not alone.
Previously I attributed my way of thinking, cross-associations, visual memory, and music "hallucinations" to an over-active imagination. Now I know it's a documented, real pathology.
"Synesthesia is a neurologically based phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway."
- Synesthesia is involuntary and automatic.
- Synesthetic perceptions are spatially extended, meaning they often have a sense of "location." For example, synesthetes speak of "looking at" or "going to" a particular place to attend to the experience.
- Synesthetic percepts are consistent and generic (i.e., simple rather than pictorial).
- Synesthesia is highly memorable.
- Synesthesia is laden with affect.
It explains all of the things in my head:
Grapheme --> Color Synesthesia
"...individual letters of the alphabet and numbers (collectively referred to as graphemes), are "shaded" or "tinged" with a color."
When I see words and especially numbers in my head, they are immediately colored text.
Sound --> Color Synesthesia
"...voice, music, and assorted environmental sounds such as clattering dishes or dog barks trigger color and simple shapes that arise, move around, and then fade when the sound stimulus ends. For some, the stimulus type is limited (e.g., music only, or even just a specific musical key); for others, a wide variety of sounds triggers synesthesia."
When I listen to music, particularly rhythmic music (especially swing), and particuarly played with brass instruments (especially trumpets; again swing & ska) I see colors and shapes and lines dancing around in my head, usually projected in the space in front & a little above my head. It's almost as if the notes themselves are dancing to how they are being played.
Trip-hop music (Hooverphonic, Massive Attack, Portishead) doesn't do that, but has a different effect I can't easily describe... it's more of a combination of emotion plus mathematical calculations going on... I'm weird, I know!
Number Form Synesthesia
"A number form is a mental map of numbers, which automatically and involuntarily appears whenever someone who experiences number-forms thinks of numbers."
I've always pictured numbers in my head as a sequence along an elevated line, with elevation-resets at every decade (at 20, at 30, etc) as the last couple of numbers per decade (the 7s, 8s, 9s) curve downward. But when counting by skipping (counting every other number, or at every 5) the numbers I'm aiming for are larger before I call them out. This mental map was true when I learned to count in Spanish in elementary school, as well as learning to count in French in middle school.
I have also always pictured a calendar in my head as a squished, lopsided oval. January is at the top, months working counterclockwise down to July & August sharing the fattened bottom, and working up to Dec near the top.
To count hours (How many hours until dinner?) I have to picture a clock face and go around it.
This phenomenon also explains why I instantly memorize numbers when I hear or read them: "What has been confirmed is elevated, sometimes photographic, memory." When I read, I don't just remember the information, I remember the layout of the pages. Though not actual photographic memory (I can't read the text of the pages in my head), it is involuntary and elevated memory.
Involuntarily memorizing numbers is something that actually got very annoying in the job I had right after college because I was often inputting research projects' financial information into databases, and I could accurately tell you who's budget was what, out of several hundred projects! I spent a good deal of effort consciously trying not to let numbers get lodged in my head.
I guess I'm not any less weird or crazy now, but I'm fascinated that I'm not alone.
Reading through that article creeped me out at points when I had the revelations of "That's me!"
BrickFair '09 and Beach Again
BrickFair '09 was lots of fun, as expected. My coz Joe was the Castle Coordinator, and also hosted a round table discussion on landscaping scenes & building them.
We hung out with our NCLUG friends, and I finally met Sandy -- fun guy. We had a rivalry: his Brickistan set up -vs- Joe's pizza shire. We even had a turn-based war on our landscape Sunday afternoon during public hours. >:-]
Stevo came down for all of Saturday, and that was great. ^_^
I took 150-some photos and they are on my laptop, so if you want to see them, just ask.
From what I heard during clean-up, a lot of people really loved my pirate spaceship. I guess I should've hung out around the Space area instead of only in the Castle area.
After getting home Monday late morning, I did laundry and repacked to join my Family on Long Beach Island, NJ -- the beach where we've been going on vacation for *twenty* years now! That's always fun & relaxing, but I could only stay till Thursday. =(
Two beach trips in 2 weeks gave me a nice little tan, a healthy slight bronzing. ;P
I came back and went out with Sara, who traded her old Nissan 240 for for cousin's '92 Mazda Miata (red with black interior, mods, & stick shift of course). We drove around with the top down, got Chick-Fil-A, walked around the mall, headed into Baltimore for ice cream... She let me drive it from Bmore to my house.
I had my eyes set on Miatas since they came out in the early 90's, though now I *really* do. ;P
We hung out with our NCLUG friends, and I finally met Sandy -- fun guy. We had a rivalry: his Brickistan set up -vs- Joe's pizza shire. We even had a turn-based war on our landscape Sunday afternoon during public hours. >:-]
Stevo came down for all of Saturday, and that was great. ^_^
I took 150-some photos and they are on my laptop, so if you want to see them, just ask.
From what I heard during clean-up, a lot of people really loved my pirate spaceship. I guess I should've hung out around the Space area instead of only in the Castle area.
After getting home Monday late morning, I did laundry and repacked to join my Family on Long Beach Island, NJ -- the beach where we've been going on vacation for *twenty* years now! That's always fun & relaxing, but I could only stay till Thursday. =(
Two beach trips in 2 weeks gave me a nice little tan, a healthy slight bronzing. ;P
I came back and went out with Sara, who traded her old Nissan 240 for for cousin's '92 Mazda Miata (red with black interior, mods, & stick shift of course). We drove around with the top down, got Chick-Fil-A, walked around the mall, headed into Baltimore for ice cream... She let me drive it from Bmore to my house.
I had my eyes set on Miatas since they came out in the early 90's, though now I *really* do. ;P
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