Sunday, March 08, 2009
Turned Away
So I'm a big Coke drinker (Coke Zero actually). Anyone who knows me probably already knows this. For work, I've taken to buying 2 liters and keeping them in my office since we have ice readily available and then instead of spending about $1.50 per 12 ounces at the little convenient store in our building, I'm spending about $1.50 for a 2 liter that generally lasts me a week. The problem is that since I don't drive to work anymore, that means I either have to carry the 2 liter on my 10 minute walk to the subway (not very desirable since I'm not kind of a wuss) or I make an occasional trip to work on the weekends and drop off some 2 liters. The latter is what I planned to do today. A grocery store here is selling all its 2 liters for 10 for $10 so I stocked up and thought I would drop like 4 or 5 off at work. Otherwise, they sit in my car. I armed myself with four 2 liters and headed into the building carefully (that's heavy!) and when I got up to our office, I couldn't get in! We have three doors and the door entry code would not work on ANY of the doors. Ugh, I was so frustrated. Usually, the only time we change the door code is when someone leaves and considering I was at work until 6:30pm Friday night, I'm pretty positive no one just up and quit over the weekend. So what's the deal? I'm really annoyed. I came home and checked my work email and there isn't even an answer there. The only thing I can guess is that somehow the daylight savings switch affected it? Who knows? But I do know that all our office bigwigs are out of town until Thursday at a seminar so I can hope that this means we won't be able to come into the office for three days. Maybe?
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Obama at the Wizards game
My friends & I went to the Wizards-Bulls game on Friday night (see proof here) and also there was President Obama! Very exciting, no? I think he got more applause every time he arrived and/or left than the team did, even though they pulled out a rare victory. Here's my pic of him, although it is probably difficult to tell which one he is even when you click on it and enlarge it. (Hint: He's in the front row wearing all black and sitting next to some kid.)
So, here are some links to some people with better shots of the event... here, here and here.
So, here are some links to some people with better shots of the event... here, here and here.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
"Low-Tech Fixes for High-Tech Problems"
Reading through some articles I've bookmarked, this one is really fascinating! Some of my favorite tips:
- If you find yourself without your cell phone charger and your phone is dying, put it in the refrigerator. The cold slows down the draining of the battery.
- When you're low on printer ink, put the ink cartridge under the hair dryer and warm it up. It will give you a couple more pages of printing.
- Instead of buying DVD/CD cleaner, use mouthwash or vodka.
- If your hard drive crashes, stick it in the freezer.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
"Recession Has People Running to Library"
This news story is not unique - there are tons of stories out there now on how library usage is up with the economy sucking so much (not that it stops librarians from being laid off!) but what's cool about this story is that it talks to the head librarian at the public library I go to! There is footage inside the library! I could have been there! And the clip isn't even from the DC area.
Back from Vacation
Not that I'm sure anyone missed me but I am back from my family vacation now! We (Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister-in-Law, Niece, Nephew) spent a week in Hilton Head sharing a home and living together like one large extended family. I will say that it went better than I expected. My niece seems to be a sweet, smiley, well-behaved baby. She seems to be teething but, even with that discomfort, really didn't cry too much. She's really adorable too. My nephew, on the other hand, is 3 1/2 and spoiled rotten and gets to do pretty much anything he wants but he was mostly bearable. But, also shrill.
It was pretty cold in Hilton Head, like low to mid 50s every day. Coupled with the wind, it was downright chilly, probably close to 40. And, of course, colder at night. There was one really nice day where it might have even hit 70. I mostly spent my time just vegging with the family and reading. We did go shopping a couple times, of course, and I happily got a few really cute tops for a good price. And I watched a few movies, including some kids' ones that my nephew insists on watching during dinner. But, as a result, I got to see a genre of movies that I don't typically see!
Although I flew down there and landed in Charleston, where my parents picked me up on their drive down, I rode home with my parents. The drive wasn't too bad at all. We got home Saturday evening at about 11pm, but I think that was pretty good time considering we really didn't leave Hilton Head until 12:30pm, plus we then stopped for lunch, went to an outlet mall, and then stopped again for dinner. But I'm glad I didn't drive the 10-11 hours by myself. My parents stayed in DC for Sunday so I hung out with them and they finally went back to Cleveland yesterday while I went back to work.
Surprisingly, things didn't get too backed up at work while I was gone. I think that it was a good week to be gone. Anyway, just wanted to fill you in on the basics and let you know that I'm back and might possibly post more often. And I might upload some pictures from the trip.
It was pretty cold in Hilton Head, like low to mid 50s every day. Coupled with the wind, it was downright chilly, probably close to 40. And, of course, colder at night. There was one really nice day where it might have even hit 70. I mostly spent my time just vegging with the family and reading. We did go shopping a couple times, of course, and I happily got a few really cute tops for a good price. And I watched a few movies, including some kids' ones that my nephew insists on watching during dinner. But, as a result, I got to see a genre of movies that I don't typically see!
Although I flew down there and landed in Charleston, where my parents picked me up on their drive down, I rode home with my parents. The drive wasn't too bad at all. We got home Saturday evening at about 11pm, but I think that was pretty good time considering we really didn't leave Hilton Head until 12:30pm, plus we then stopped for lunch, went to an outlet mall, and then stopped again for dinner. But I'm glad I didn't drive the 10-11 hours by myself. My parents stayed in DC for Sunday so I hung out with them and they finally went back to Cleveland yesterday while I went back to work.
Surprisingly, things didn't get too backed up at work while I was gone. I think that it was a good week to be gone. Anyway, just wanted to fill you in on the basics and let you know that I'm back and might possibly post more often. And I might upload some pictures from the trip.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
Bacon
I have no idea why anyone would invent this but it's pretty funny anyway. Display any Web site with a strip of bacon over it. For instance, here's my site! Find out more here...
Dallas libraries let you pay to check out hot titles
Interesting business model for a library. So you can pay $5 to get first priority to check out a hot new book or DVD. Loan periods are the same as if you don't pay the $5 but paying the money puts you at the top of the waiting list. I know library waiting lists for hot items can be pretty long so this is an intriguing way for the library to get a little money and patrons can maybe be a little more satisfied, but I wonder how many people are actually going for it. In the article, someone mentions that they can just wait their turn and spend the $5 elsewhere and I would tend to think that many might feel that way, especially in this economy. I know if I am spending $5 to get a new release movie at the library, I would probably rather go to a video store and spend less than that to rent it, or maybe I would consider spending the $10 or $15 more to just purchase it outright rather than $5 to keep it for a week. As for books, if I'm that interested in a hot new release, I likely will buy it anyway. (via)
Friday, January 23, 2009
Inauguration Day
Yes, I went to the Inauguration on Tuesday! We got the day off of work plus I live about 2 miles from the steps of the Capitol Building, so why not!? And before that, on Sunday, I went to the We Are One free concert that took place in front of the Lincoln Memorial and which apparently you can watch online from that link. My pics of the two events are below (Click on it for more):
There were a LOT of people at both events but I think things went mostly smoothly. On Sunday, the bridge we would have walked over super conveniently was closed so we took the Metro and yes, it was crowded, but there were no problems. It wasn't even that cold. And we got a pretty decent spot even though we didn't really get there until about an hour before the show. On Tuesday, we had zero problems. We walked over from my apartment, it took about 30-40 minutes, and yes it was crowded, but everyone was relatively polite and friendly and we just kept walking towards the Capitol until we could not walk anymore, so we ended up near the Washington Monument, which is not close at all really, but again, we probably got there an hour or 90 minutes before the ceremony started. We couldn't even see the Capitol from where we were standing. And, it was much colder on Tuesday but definitely bearable for the four hours or so that we were outside. For both events, I would estimate 95% of people had to watch via the Jumbotrons anyway so we made no extreme effort to get there extra extra early to get a front row spot. But it certainly was fun to be there!
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| Inauguration Events |
There were a LOT of people at both events but I think things went mostly smoothly. On Sunday, the bridge we would have walked over super conveniently was closed so we took the Metro and yes, it was crowded, but there were no problems. It wasn't even that cold. And we got a pretty decent spot even though we didn't really get there until about an hour before the show. On Tuesday, we had zero problems. We walked over from my apartment, it took about 30-40 minutes, and yes it was crowded, but everyone was relatively polite and friendly and we just kept walking towards the Capitol until we could not walk anymore, so we ended up near the Washington Monument, which is not close at all really, but again, we probably got there an hour or 90 minutes before the ceremony started. We couldn't even see the Capitol from where we were standing. And, it was much colder on Tuesday but definitely bearable for the four hours or so that we were outside. For both events, I would estimate 95% of people had to watch via the Jumbotrons anyway so we made no extreme effort to get there extra extra early to get a front row spot. But it certainly was fun to be there!
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Finally! General Hospital available online
I found out that ABC.com has finally added General Hospital to the shows it offers online! It's been a long time coming, with every other network offering its soaps available online for quite some time. If only ABC's media player didn't mess up every time I tried to watch it on my computer. Access the free episodes here.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Christmas movie review: 2008 Wrap-Up
Yes, finally, I know you all have breathlessly been awaiting my one post that wraps up all the Christmas movie reviews from 2008. Fifteen of them in total, very exciting.
This year kind of sucked in terms of Christmas movies. None of the new ones were that great (only one new made-for-TV one even cracked the A's), some of them were awful, and I kind of got sick of the genre, which is highly unusual for me. I'll admit that I don't think my grading was consistent this year (some of those B's were probably me being overly generous) but that has a lot to do with the things mentioned in the previous sentence like me getting sick of the genre. I did get comments from a director of one of the movies, though, so that was a highlight of my posting. Here we go:
A+
The Christmas Wish
A-
Borrowed Hearts
Four Christmases
Fred Claus
A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride
B+
The Christmas Choir
A Christmas Proposal
B
Flirting with Forty
Moonlight & Mistletoe
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Our First Christmas
Snow 2: Brain Freeze
B-
Will You Merry Me?
C
Christmas in Wonderland
D
Together Again for the First Time
The Christmas Wish
A-
Borrowed Hearts
Four Christmases
Fred Claus
A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride
B+
The Christmas Choir
A Christmas Proposal
B
Flirting with Forty
Moonlight & Mistletoe
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Our First Christmas
Snow 2: Brain Freeze
B-
Will You Merry Me?
C
Christmas in Wonderland
D
Together Again for the First Time
Monday, January 12, 2009
I Can't Stop Shopping
I've been on this shopping kick for a couple weeks now, shopping online, shopping in stores. I think I've been to just about every mall in Northern Virginia in the last two weeks. I can't stop really. I got two pairs of pants and a pair of tights from TheLimited.com for $32 total. I got two new sweaters from The Gap for $28 total. I got a really cute shoulder bag from Old Navy for $9. I got about 10 items from Bath & Body Works for $25 total. I got a daily calendar for 2009 for 14 cents (I had a really old gift card with a small amount left on it). I've gotten some really good deals but on Saturday I think I found the best one yet. Hopefully, that will curb my shopping fix for awhile. 
See, I got these boots: 
Apparently, I had put them in my "Shopping Cart" at Macys.com awhile ago, when they were $59.99. Macy's recently sent me an email to remind me that they were in my cart and tell me they were no longer available. So I removed them. But before that, I kind of admired them again. I looked online to see how much they would cost elsewhere and if they were available in my size at all. The best price I could find in my size was $79.99. Nah, not worth it.
However, as luck would have it, I was volunteering in Fairfax Saturday and decided to go to the Fair Oaks Mall afterwards. They happen to have a Bandolino store (who manufactures the boots) and there they were for $39.99 plus 20% off. Well, surely they wouldn't have my size, would they? But, they did! So I bought them! I'm very excited about it.
See, I got these boots: 
Apparently, I had put them in my "Shopping Cart" at Macys.com awhile ago, when they were $59.99. Macy's recently sent me an email to remind me that they were in my cart and tell me they were no longer available. So I removed them. But before that, I kind of admired them again. I looked online to see how much they would cost elsewhere and if they were available in my size at all. The best price I could find in my size was $79.99. Nah, not worth it.
However, as luck would have it, I was volunteering in Fairfax Saturday and decided to go to the Fair Oaks Mall afterwards. They happen to have a Bandolino store (who manufactures the boots) and there they were for $39.99 plus 20% off. Well, surely they wouldn't have my size, would they? But, they did! So I bought them! I'm very excited about it.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Cavs vs. Wizards game, part two
Last spring, I went to the Verizon Center to watch the Cavs eliminate the Wizards during the NBA Playoffs. I had an awesome seat. They won. It was fantastic. Yesterday, I tried it again and had another pretty good seat (no, not as good as that one) but the outcome wasn't as good. I guess I'd rather them lose a regular season game than the playoffs, especially when it was only their sixth loss of the season, but again, I took a lot of pictures and thought I'd share. Enjoy.
Christmas movie review: Snow 2 - Brain Freeze
Rating: B
Yes, I've been slack about posting the last of my Christmas movie reviews. I apologize. I had a busy weekend. This is the last one and hopefully sometime tomorrow I'll manage to write up the summary.
I am biased in favor of Snow 2: Brain Freeze if only because it stars one of my secret crushes, Tom Cavanagh (from Ed). In it, he plays Santa's son, who has taken over the Christmas responsibilities (as seen in the first Snow film) and currently is concerned about the reindeer's weight. While investigating ways to keep the reindeer in shape, he gets knocked unconscious and loses his memory away from the North Pole. His wife, played by Ashley Williams (who I'll admit normally annoys me greatly but didn't too much here), tries to find him and then make him remember who he is before Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, Ashley's ex-boyfriend, who is still bitter about losing her to Tom's character, sees this as a great opportunity to maybe get her back and also get the power of Santa Claus. It's pretty predictable and, of course, everyone lives happily ever after, but it's sweet and it wasn't too bad. About average.
Yes, I've been slack about posting the last of my Christmas movie reviews. I apologize. I had a busy weekend. This is the last one and hopefully sometime tomorrow I'll manage to write up the summary.
I am biased in favor of Snow 2: Brain Freeze if only because it stars one of my secret crushes, Tom Cavanagh (from Ed). In it, he plays Santa's son, who has taken over the Christmas responsibilities (as seen in the first Snow film) and currently is concerned about the reindeer's weight. While investigating ways to keep the reindeer in shape, he gets knocked unconscious and loses his memory away from the North Pole. His wife, played by Ashley Williams (who I'll admit normally annoys me greatly but didn't too much here), tries to find him and then make him remember who he is before Christmas Eve. Meanwhile, Ashley's ex-boyfriend, who is still bitter about losing her to Tom's character, sees this as a great opportunity to maybe get her back and also get the power of Santa Claus. It's pretty predictable and, of course, everyone lives happily ever after, but it's sweet and it wasn't too bad. About average.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Christmas movie review: Borrowed Hearts
Rating: A-
I wanted to watch more good movies after what seemed like an entire season of bad ones so I recorded and rewatched Borrowed Hearts, from 1997. It stars Eric McCormack (pre-Will & Grace, I think) and Roma Downey and it's a cute romantic comedy with a touch of Christmas magic. Eric's character needs a family to pull off a big business deal. Roma and her daughter could use extra money and magically find themselves at Eric's house right when he's looking for a family. So they move in and start the charade.... only to eventually find themselves growing closer and closer and - surprise! - fall in love. And, Eric's character starts to become a nicer guy and even messes up the business deal so that hundreds of people do not lose their jobs.
I wanted to watch more good movies after what seemed like an entire season of bad ones so I recorded and rewatched Borrowed Hearts, from 1997. It stars Eric McCormack (pre-Will & Grace, I think) and Roma Downey and it's a cute romantic comedy with a touch of Christmas magic. Eric's character needs a family to pull off a big business deal. Roma and her daughter could use extra money and magically find themselves at Eric's house right when he's looking for a family. So they move in and start the charade.... only to eventually find themselves growing closer and closer and - surprise! - fall in love. And, Eric's character starts to become a nicer guy and even messes up the business deal so that hundreds of people do not lose their jobs.
Christmas movie review: A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride
Rating: A-
I mostly enjoyed A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride, which debuted on Lifetime this year, and was just basically a romantic comedy taking place around Christmas. The main character, played by the very appealing Joanna Garcia (seriously, I think I might start watching Privileged now), is a wedding planner who finds herself shockingly planning her mother's sudden wedding. When Luke Perry shows up as the son of the groom, the two join forces to try to destroy the wedding. Of course, they have very different reasons for doing so and Joanna's character starts to rethink her motives and let her mom by truly happy. It's cute, everyone is a decent enough actor and there is even a cameo by Jason Priestly in the movie so overall, not bad.
I mostly enjoyed A Very Merry Daughter of the Bride, which debuted on Lifetime this year, and was just basically a romantic comedy taking place around Christmas. The main character, played by the very appealing Joanna Garcia (seriously, I think I might start watching Privileged now), is a wedding planner who finds herself shockingly planning her mother's sudden wedding. When Luke Perry shows up as the son of the groom, the two join forces to try to destroy the wedding. Of course, they have very different reasons for doing so and Joanna's character starts to rethink her motives and let her mom by truly happy. It's cute, everyone is a decent enough actor and there is even a cameo by Jason Priestly in the movie so overall, not bad.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
The kids at Christmas
Thought I'd share a pic of my niece and nephew from Christmas...
And here is a link to a few more pics.
US News & World Report Names Best Careers for 2009
Guess one of the professions that was named as one of the best for 2009? Yep, LIBRARIAN! There is a nice write-up of the librarian profession there. Also, I like the part under "Smart Specialty", where it names Special Librarian. That's what I am!
"Football Yes, Libraries No"
This article from the San Diego Reader isn't all that interesting unless you care about the city of San Diego's financial woes but the opening quote is quite interesting:
"The pride and presence of a professional football team is far more important than 30 libraries."That comes from Art Modell. Yes, the same Art Modell who stole the Browns out of Cleveland and moved them to Baltimore. Typical that it would come from him. The truth is, though, that a large number of people probably agree with that statement. (via)
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Christmas movie review: Our First Christmas
Rating: B
Our First Christmas is a Hallmark Channel original movie that debuted this year and like most of the ones that debuted this year, it's meh. It's about a new family - a blended family of two widowed spouses and three children from the first marriages - who do not want to give up any of their old traditions to truly blend into a new family. There are grandparents involved (John Ratzenberger and Dixie Carter) and they of course are used to their grandkids spending time with them but quickly realize that maybe some sort of compromise should be reached. The kids are having none of it and the parents are total pushovers and agree to go along with what the kids want. For awhile... until - surprise! - the kids soon realize that old traditions are fun but new traditions with their new family can be fun too. It's not a horrible movie but it's not really something I want to watch year in and year out.
Our First Christmas is a Hallmark Channel original movie that debuted this year and like most of the ones that debuted this year, it's meh. It's about a new family - a blended family of two widowed spouses and three children from the first marriages - who do not want to give up any of their old traditions to truly blend into a new family. There are grandparents involved (John Ratzenberger and Dixie Carter) and they of course are used to their grandkids spending time with them but quickly realize that maybe some sort of compromise should be reached. The kids are having none of it and the parents are total pushovers and agree to go along with what the kids want. For awhile... until - surprise! - the kids soon realize that old traditions are fun but new traditions with their new family can be fun too. It's not a horrible movie but it's not really something I want to watch year in and year out.
Christmas movie review: The Christmas Wish
Rating: A+
Ah, The Christmas Wish. This one is from about ten years ago and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Debbie Reynolds and Naomi Watts - a pretty impressive cast! And yes, I adore Neil Patrick Harris so I might be biased but this one is a very good one. I'm pretty sure I'd seen it before but I didn't remember the ending so it was worth watching again and it's good to have something positive to say about a movie after the disastrous ones that were produced this year.
The gist of The Christmas Wish is that Neil plays a young man brought back to his small hometown to run his grandfather's real estate business after the death of his grandfather. It's nearly Christmastime and he's getting ready to move back to New York City. His grandmother asks for one Christmas wish before he goes - for Neil to find some "Lillian" that the grandfather wrote about in his journals and that no one knew anything about before he died. As Neil embarks on the journey to discover who Lillian is (Was Grandpa having an affair? Is Lillian a love child? Is it a charity case he took care of?), he also discovers a little more about who his grandfather was and of course who he is. It's sweet and touching and the mystery is a nice added element to keep you interested. Plus, Neil is a good actor and you enjoy seeing his journey. Highly recommended.
Ah, The Christmas Wish. This one is from about ten years ago and stars Neil Patrick Harris, Debbie Reynolds and Naomi Watts - a pretty impressive cast! And yes, I adore Neil Patrick Harris so I might be biased but this one is a very good one. I'm pretty sure I'd seen it before but I didn't remember the ending so it was worth watching again and it's good to have something positive to say about a movie after the disastrous ones that were produced this year.
The gist of The Christmas Wish is that Neil plays a young man brought back to his small hometown to run his grandfather's real estate business after the death of his grandfather. It's nearly Christmastime and he's getting ready to move back to New York City. His grandmother asks for one Christmas wish before he goes - for Neil to find some "Lillian" that the grandfather wrote about in his journals and that no one knew anything about before he died. As Neil embarks on the journey to discover who Lillian is (Was Grandpa having an affair? Is Lillian a love child? Is it a charity case he took care of?), he also discovers a little more about who his grandfather was and of course who he is. It's sweet and touching and the mystery is a nice added element to keep you interested. Plus, Neil is a good actor and you enjoy seeing his journey. Highly recommended.
Christmas movie review: A Christmas Proposal
Rating: B+
Now I'm to the point where I watched like 6 movies in the last couple of days (they are the perfect backdrop to wrapping presents) and they all kind of run together. A Christmas Proposal is a pretty okay romantic comedy. A guy who looks distractedly like Patrick Dempsey brings his new girlfriend to his hometown, where he had planned to propose to her. And, oh yeah, the girlfriend and her father are planning on building a ski resort in the hometown, much to the chagrin of the inhabitants, including his ex-girlfriend and high school sweetheart who basically single-handedly leads the effort against the plans. It pretty much works out as expected.... guy realizes the plans to destroy his hometown are bad and that his feelings for his ex-girlfriend are good and still there and there is a proposal, of course. It's not bad and kinda cute, pretty predictable but in a good way. All the actors were likeable enough. Except I'm not kidding, the main actor looks exactly like Patrick Dempsey, except he maybe weighs 15 pounds more. Way too distracting.
Now I'm to the point where I watched like 6 movies in the last couple of days (they are the perfect backdrop to wrapping presents) and they all kind of run together. A Christmas Proposal is a pretty okay romantic comedy. A guy who looks distractedly like Patrick Dempsey brings his new girlfriend to his hometown, where he had planned to propose to her. And, oh yeah, the girlfriend and her father are planning on building a ski resort in the hometown, much to the chagrin of the inhabitants, including his ex-girlfriend and high school sweetheart who basically single-handedly leads the effort against the plans. It pretty much works out as expected.... guy realizes the plans to destroy his hometown are bad and that his feelings for his ex-girlfriend are good and still there and there is a proposal, of course. It's not bad and kinda cute, pretty predictable but in a good way. All the actors were likeable enough. Except I'm not kidding, the main actor looks exactly like Patrick Dempsey, except he maybe weighs 15 pounds more. Way too distracting.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas movie review: Christmas in Wonderland
Rating: C
Had I not just seen Together Again for the First Time, this ABC Family movie might have gotten a lower rating but I think it was just a tad more bearable. Christmas in Wonderland features Patrick Swayze as the struggling dad of three who just moved to Edmonton a few days before Christmas and lost his job. He takes the kids to the mall to get some Christmas shopping done and mayhem occurs. Patrick's character basically disappears then and we follow the kids around. The two youngest kids find a bag of counterfeit money, go on a spending spree and then get chased by the criminals who want their fake money back. Then it evolves into Home Alone. It's slightly cute and, of course, everyone lives happily ever after at the end; I'm sure kids would enjoy it. The best part was the real mall where they filmed the movie. It's gorgeous! The West Edmonton Mall has an amusement park, water park, ice rink, aquarium, miniature golf course and of course tons of stores inside the mall!
This link, by the way, takes you to the full movie online, if you want to watch it after the great write-up I gave it.
Had I not just seen Together Again for the First Time, this ABC Family movie might have gotten a lower rating but I think it was just a tad more bearable. Christmas in Wonderland features Patrick Swayze as the struggling dad of three who just moved to Edmonton a few days before Christmas and lost his job. He takes the kids to the mall to get some Christmas shopping done and mayhem occurs. Patrick's character basically disappears then and we follow the kids around. The two youngest kids find a bag of counterfeit money, go on a spending spree and then get chased by the criminals who want their fake money back. Then it evolves into Home Alone. It's slightly cute and, of course, everyone lives happily ever after at the end; I'm sure kids would enjoy it. The best part was the real mall where they filmed the movie. It's gorgeous! The West Edmonton Mall has an amusement park, water park, ice rink, aquarium, miniature golf course and of course tons of stores inside the mall!
This link, by the way, takes you to the full movie online, if you want to watch it after the great write-up I gave it.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Christmas movie review: Together Again for the First Time
Rating: D
Together Again for the First Time was awful. Just awful. It's about a blended family (Mom, a Martha Stewart wannabe, has two sons while Dad has three daughters) where the kids do NOT get along at all. Kids is kind of wrong - these are all young adults. And there's a lot of drama. The oldest guy and girl bicker constantly. The middle girl is engaged to someone that the oldest gal used to date. The oldest guy brings his girlfriend and then proceeds to ignore her the entire time. The oldest guy has arranged for his younger brother to come back to the college town where he lives and enroll in school, even though the younger brother apparently doesn't want to. And, meanwhile, the Mom has a radio show that she apparently is trying to turn into a TV show and decides forcing the kids to participate in a pretend holiday craft session is an ideal pilot for her show. The show (did I mention it is live?) doesn't go particularly well, presumably because it seems like it was sprung on the kids at the last minute. Anyway, on the live show, the movie turns into an Afterschool Special with the reveal that the older son is doing drugs. He is banished immediately but, of course, it only takes about ten minutes for the family to realize that the younger son is really the one on drugs. Then, the family pulls together and tries to save the son, who has taken off without a word and his drugs. It's just so melodramatic and annoying and not well-acted at all. I get the premise of family starting to heal but it's just ridiculous. Ridiculous.
Together Again for the First Time was awful. Just awful. It's about a blended family (Mom, a Martha Stewart wannabe, has two sons while Dad has three daughters) where the kids do NOT get along at all. Kids is kind of wrong - these are all young adults. And there's a lot of drama. The oldest guy and girl bicker constantly. The middle girl is engaged to someone that the oldest gal used to date. The oldest guy brings his girlfriend and then proceeds to ignore her the entire time. The oldest guy has arranged for his younger brother to come back to the college town where he lives and enroll in school, even though the younger brother apparently doesn't want to. And, meanwhile, the Mom has a radio show that she apparently is trying to turn into a TV show and decides forcing the kids to participate in a pretend holiday craft session is an ideal pilot for her show. The show (did I mention it is live?) doesn't go particularly well, presumably because it seems like it was sprung on the kids at the last minute. Anyway, on the live show, the movie turns into an Afterschool Special with the reveal that the older son is doing drugs. He is banished immediately but, of course, it only takes about ten minutes for the family to realize that the younger son is really the one on drugs. Then, the family pulls together and tries to save the son, who has taken off without a word and his drugs. It's just so melodramatic and annoying and not well-acted at all. I get the premise of family starting to heal but it's just ridiculous. Ridiculous.
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Christmas movie review: The Christmas Choir
Rating: B+
Inspired by a true story, The Christmas Choir airs on the Hallmark Channel this year and features Jason Gedrick and Rhea Perlman. Jason stars as Peter, a workaholic accountant who seems to have nothing going his way... he works too much, his fiance dumps him, he has virtually no relationship with his father. One evening, a couple weeks before Christmas, he meets a homeless man in a bar and they bond over their love of music. The homeless man takes Peter to the shelter where he lives and suddenly, Peter decides to organize a choir for Christmas. This will give him something to do and also will help these men at the shelter raise some money for Christmas. It was a sweet story and it's definitely appealing that it's based on a true story, but I had to drop the rating a bit based on the extreme hokiness of the plot. Pulling together a choir might be one thing but the extent of circumstances that befall this group in supposedly a 2-week period is just way too ridiculous for me to get past. In this two week period in which the movie takes place: 1.) Peter and his fiance break up yet he falls in love with someone he meets who works at the subway; 2.) Peter makes amends with his father; 3.) the homeless shelter burns down; 4.) the choir gets pulled together and is able to perform songs cohesively; 5.) the choir realizes that they are not allowed to just show up at the subway and start singing but instead need to get a permit and coincidentally, find out the permit tryouts are the very next day; 6.) manage to pull off a benefit concert to rebuild the shelter. Like I said, it was just a little too much for me to get past for such a short timespan. But besides that, enjoyable.
Inspired by a true story, The Christmas Choir airs on the Hallmark Channel this year and features Jason Gedrick and Rhea Perlman. Jason stars as Peter, a workaholic accountant who seems to have nothing going his way... he works too much, his fiance dumps him, he has virtually no relationship with his father. One evening, a couple weeks before Christmas, he meets a homeless man in a bar and they bond over their love of music. The homeless man takes Peter to the shelter where he lives and suddenly, Peter decides to organize a choir for Christmas. This will give him something to do and also will help these men at the shelter raise some money for Christmas. It was a sweet story and it's definitely appealing that it's based on a true story, but I had to drop the rating a bit based on the extreme hokiness of the plot. Pulling together a choir might be one thing but the extent of circumstances that befall this group in supposedly a 2-week period is just way too ridiculous for me to get past. In this two week period in which the movie takes place: 1.) Peter and his fiance break up yet he falls in love with someone he meets who works at the subway; 2.) Peter makes amends with his father; 3.) the homeless shelter burns down; 4.) the choir gets pulled together and is able to perform songs cohesively; 5.) the choir realizes that they are not allowed to just show up at the subway and start singing but instead need to get a permit and coincidentally, find out the permit tryouts are the very next day; 6.) manage to pull off a benefit concert to rebuild the shelter. Like I said, it was just a little too much for me to get past for such a short timespan. But besides that, enjoyable.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Merry Washington DC Christmas
I stopped by the National Christmas Tree madhouse last night before heading home from my day downtown and here are some pictures of the tree all lit up at night. It was prettier than last year. And also way more crowded.
"Breaks on the Bailout"
Last night, WUSA Channel 9 kept advertising a story for its 11pm news about the auto industry bailout plan with the words "Breaks on the Bailout," implying that the bailout plan was delayed. I'm sorry but shouldn't that be "Brakes on the Bailout?" If you are trying to be cute by inserting a word from the auto industry into your headline, you should probably spell that word correctly, no?
Christmas movie review: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Rating: B
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is new this year from Hallmark Channel. It stars Brooke Burns (not to be confused with Dancing with the Stars winner Brooke Burke, although I'm sure you wouldn't be the first one to confuse them and yes they both formerly hosted reality shows. This Brooke hosted Dog Eat Dog and was on Baywatch for awhile.) Anyway, Brooke is a hard-working single mom who doesn't particularly like Christmas but does like making lists. She apparently is very organized, cautious and not a risk taker. Her uncle, played by Henry Winkler, shows up for Christmas and brings with him someone he met at the airport. Of course, random stranger guy turns out to be a pretty great guy and helps Brooke out a lot, with her neighbors, with her house, with her cooking, with her son. The only problem with random stranger guy is that Brooke's boyfriend doesn't like him! Overall, it's kind of a cute story of what happens when someone opens themselves up to a little change and throws caution to the wind just a little. The two main characters have some chemistry and Henry is sweet and adorable. But I won't lie... I dozed off a few times while watching this. Really, it has nothing to do with the movie because I've been really under the weather today and would probably doze off watching anything. But the truth is, I had zero desire to go back and watch the ten minutes here or there that I slept through. So that's why it gets a 'B'.
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is new this year from Hallmark Channel. It stars Brooke Burns (not to be confused with Dancing with the Stars winner Brooke Burke, although I'm sure you wouldn't be the first one to confuse them and yes they both formerly hosted reality shows. This Brooke hosted Dog Eat Dog and was on Baywatch for awhile.) Anyway, Brooke is a hard-working single mom who doesn't particularly like Christmas but does like making lists. She apparently is very organized, cautious and not a risk taker. Her uncle, played by Henry Winkler, shows up for Christmas and brings with him someone he met at the airport. Of course, random stranger guy turns out to be a pretty great guy and helps Brooke out a lot, with her neighbors, with her house, with her cooking, with her son. The only problem with random stranger guy is that Brooke's boyfriend doesn't like him! Overall, it's kind of a cute story of what happens when someone opens themselves up to a little change and throws caution to the wind just a little. The two main characters have some chemistry and Henry is sweet and adorable. But I won't lie... I dozed off a few times while watching this. Really, it has nothing to do with the movie because I've been really under the weather today and would probably doze off watching anything. But the truth is, I had zero desire to go back and watch the ten minutes here or there that I slept through. So that's why it gets a 'B'.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Christmas movie review: Will You Merry Me?
Rating: B-
I had somewhat high hopes for Will You Merry Me?, which is new this year from Lifetime. It sounded like a cute romantic comedy where a newly engaged couple has to deal with the I'm Jewish/he's Christian issue that I'm sure a number of couples do face this time of year. It's very rare that these holiday movies address any type of Jewish traditions, so I was excited to maybe learn something. Instead, this was the hokiest movie ever. It was completely full of cliches, not just about religions but about dating. This couple has known each other - lived together! - for six months and get engaged but when they end up visiting his parents at Christmas (her parents come too), they realize that they know absolutely nothing about each other. Which I still think is a theme that could have been done better... but nope. Everything from "Wait, you want kids?" to "You want to get married in a church?!" to "You just kissed your ex-girlfriend" is included in this movie. I just did a lot of eye-rolling throughout, which is obviously not a sign of a good movie.
I had somewhat high hopes for Will You Merry Me?, which is new this year from Lifetime. It sounded like a cute romantic comedy where a newly engaged couple has to deal with the I'm Jewish/he's Christian issue that I'm sure a number of couples do face this time of year. It's very rare that these holiday movies address any type of Jewish traditions, so I was excited to maybe learn something. Instead, this was the hokiest movie ever. It was completely full of cliches, not just about religions but about dating. This couple has known each other - lived together! - for six months and get engaged but when they end up visiting his parents at Christmas (her parents come too), they realize that they know absolutely nothing about each other. Which I still think is a theme that could have been done better... but nope. Everything from "Wait, you want kids?" to "You want to get married in a church?!" to "You just kissed your ex-girlfriend" is included in this movie. I just did a lot of eye-rolling throughout, which is obviously not a sign of a good movie.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Sell your books online!
Book store Powell's Books has started allowing people to sell their used books to them online. Instead of putting your books up on something like eBay or Half.com and waiting for them to sell to some prospective buyer, you can enter the book's ISBN on the Powell's Web site, they'll tell you how much they'll give you for the book and if you accept, will send you a postage paid envelope in which to mail them your books. Instead of getting cash money, however, you get store credit. So it seems pretty win-win if you have any books you want to get rid of!
Wet
So I've been walking to work for about four months now... well, I walk about ten minutes and then take the train a few stops, although I also regularly walk all the way home. And in all of these four months, I have not had to worry about rain at all. It has not once rained either in the morning on my way to work or the evening on my way home from work. Or, at least it has not rained during the actual time I'm walking.
Until tonight. And it was really coming down. And I got drenched. Yes, I have an umbrella but it's very petite so it fits nicely in my bag. And not only was it raining but it was windy so I struggled to hold onto the umbrella at all and then got wet anyway all over my arm and the bottom of my coat and my legs and shoes. Yuck.
On the plus side, I had quite a record of avoiding rain going and maybe it will now start over and I'll go another four months! Also, it seemed like good arm exercise struggling to hold the umbrella in place.
Until tonight. And it was really coming down. And I got drenched. Yes, I have an umbrella but it's very petite so it fits nicely in my bag. And not only was it raining but it was windy so I struggled to hold onto the umbrella at all and then got wet anyway all over my arm and the bottom of my coat and my legs and shoes. Yuck.
On the plus side, I had quite a record of avoiding rain going and maybe it will now start over and I'll go another four months! Also, it seemed like good arm exercise struggling to hold the umbrella in place.
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Christmas movie review: Flirting with Forty
Rating: B
Tonight was the debut of a new Lifetime holiday movie. I personally wouldn't call Flirting with Forty a holiday movie but Lifetime, who produced this one, calls it one so I'll go with them and review it as such. It's basically just a movie that happens to start and finish around the holidays. It's missing the major holiday movie elements of magic or turning over a new leaf or Santa or the spirit of Christmas.... those types of things.
Regardless, this movie has Heather Locklear as someone who is divorced and about to turn forty who ends up taking a vacation to Hawaii by herself, where she then meets a very hunky surf instructor and falls in love with him. The movie then goes on to tell the story of their romance over the course of the year, during which some problems occur since he is significantly younger and lives in Hawaii and she is a busy mom of two who lives in Denver. It's a cute story and the two main characters are very appealing (particularly Robert Buckley, the surfing instructor!!) but I'm rating it a little lower than I normally would just because if you are looking for a sweet Christmas movie to get you in the mood for the holidays, this is not for you. It is, however, a kinda cute chick flick.
Tonight was the debut of a new Lifetime holiday movie. I personally wouldn't call Flirting with Forty a holiday movie but Lifetime, who produced this one, calls it one so I'll go with them and review it as such. It's basically just a movie that happens to start and finish around the holidays. It's missing the major holiday movie elements of magic or turning over a new leaf or Santa or the spirit of Christmas.... those types of things.
Regardless, this movie has Heather Locklear as someone who is divorced and about to turn forty who ends up taking a vacation to Hawaii by herself, where she then meets a very hunky surf instructor and falls in love with him. The movie then goes on to tell the story of their romance over the course of the year, during which some problems occur since he is significantly younger and lives in Hawaii and she is a busy mom of two who lives in Denver. It's a cute story and the two main characters are very appealing (particularly Robert Buckley, the surfing instructor!!) but I'm rating it a little lower than I normally would just because if you are looking for a sweet Christmas movie to get you in the mood for the holidays, this is not for you. It is, however, a kinda cute chick flick.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Christmas movie review: Four Christmases
Rating: A-
A couple weeks ago, I was able to see a sneak preview of Four Christmases, which is another Christmas movie starring Vince Vaughn and is in theaters now. Alongside Vince, it stars Reese Witherspoon and I quite enjoyed their pairing. The story here is that Vince & Reese are like a perfect couple who don't get along too well with their families and don't want to get married or have children but are very content in their lives. They spend every Christmas holiday on a vacation to the beach. This year, however, massive fog ruins their plans and they end up on television when the news stations are broadcasting live from the airport. Next thing they know, their relatives have called and they must go to four Christmases: his dad's, her mom's, his mom's and her dad's. There's a lot of over-the-top goofiness but also some very funny moments. Vince and Reese both have their moments to shine and the supporting cast is pretty stellar (Jon Favreau, Kristin Chenoweth, Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall, Jon Voight, Sissy Spacek). Pretty much every bizarre type of family member that a person might have is represented here and spending time with all their family makes our two main characters question if their relationship really is ideal and if it has any longevity. So, it's not all light-hearted humor. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it.
A couple weeks ago, I was able to see a sneak preview of Four Christmases, which is another Christmas movie starring Vince Vaughn and is in theaters now. Alongside Vince, it stars Reese Witherspoon and I quite enjoyed their pairing. The story here is that Vince & Reese are like a perfect couple who don't get along too well with their families and don't want to get married or have children but are very content in their lives. They spend every Christmas holiday on a vacation to the beach. This year, however, massive fog ruins their plans and they end up on television when the news stations are broadcasting live from the airport. Next thing they know, their relatives have called and they must go to four Christmases: his dad's, her mom's, his mom's and her dad's. There's a lot of over-the-top goofiness but also some very funny moments. Vince and Reese both have their moments to shine and the supporting cast is pretty stellar (Jon Favreau, Kristin Chenoweth, Mary Steenburgen, Robert Duvall, Jon Voight, Sissy Spacek). Pretty much every bizarre type of family member that a person might have is represented here and spending time with all their family makes our two main characters question if their relationship really is ideal and if it has any longevity. So, it's not all light-hearted humor. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it.
Christmas movie review: Fred Claus
Rating: A-
Fred Claus was a theatrical release last year and is new to DVD, which is where I caught it. It also stars Vince Vaughn, who is one of my most favorite actors, so I can't imagine me ever giving a low rating to a movie of his so there's my admitted bias. But, it was kind of enjoyable. The storyline of Fred Claus is that Fred is Santa's older brother who has turned into kind of a scam artist and pretty much derides the whole Christmas holiday but flies to the North Pole to see his brother because he needs money and Santa only agrees to give him some if he comes to work for a week. While Fred's there, he kind of spices things up a bit and messes up some of the processes and procedures and threatens Santa's whole operation. Of course, he's given a second chance to save the day and pulls through with shining colors. But Vince is charming as always and I found myself chuckling a decent amount so I gave it an A-. It does run a little longer than it needed to and, of course, it's extremely predictable but Christmas movies are the one type of movie where I think predictable is okay.
Fred Claus was a theatrical release last year and is new to DVD, which is where I caught it. It also stars Vince Vaughn, who is one of my most favorite actors, so I can't imagine me ever giving a low rating to a movie of his so there's my admitted bias. But, it was kind of enjoyable. The storyline of Fred Claus is that Fred is Santa's older brother who has turned into kind of a scam artist and pretty much derides the whole Christmas holiday but flies to the North Pole to see his brother because he needs money and Santa only agrees to give him some if he comes to work for a week. While Fred's there, he kind of spices things up a bit and messes up some of the processes and procedures and threatens Santa's whole operation. Of course, he's given a second chance to save the day and pulls through with shining colors. But Vince is charming as always and I found myself chuckling a decent amount so I gave it an A-. It does run a little longer than it needed to and, of course, it's extremely predictable but Christmas movies are the one type of movie where I think predictable is okay.
Monday, December 01, 2008
Christmas movie review: Moonlight & Mistletoe
Welcome to my first Christmas movie review of the 2008 season! I've reviewed 33 Christmas movies over the last two years. Here are my wrap-up posts from 2006 and 2007. Maybe I'll get to 50 by the end of the year!
Anyway, as a reminder, a true Christmas movie generally follows a few basic formats. There's the twist on A Christmas Carol, when someone is cranky, grumpy, a workaholic and given up on Christmas but by some sort of magic, they regain their love of the holiday and become a better person. Then there is the person or organization or company that is struggling and has until Christmas to try to turn things around. They always do, of course. There are the ones that personify Santa or reindeers or elves and bring those mystical creatures to present-day US to get help from some lucky kids or single women. Also, there are a lot of romantic comedy Christmas movies where someone desperately wants to find a husband/date/boyfriend by Christmas. They always do, of course. Each year, Lifetime, The Hallmark Channel and ABC Family dedicates most of their December programming to Christmas movies and typically introduce at least a couple new movies each year so there's plenty to go around. Anyway, on to the first of 2008...
Rating: B
Moonlight & Mistletoe is new for Hallmark Channel this year and stars Tom Arnold and Candace Cameron Bure, who I didn't even realize was still acting. So, Tom's character is obsessed with Christmas, fancies himself a Santa stand-in, and runs a tourist attraction called Santaville that - surprise! - is struggling. Candace plays his daughter who left home a long time ago, fed up with Santaville, and only comes home after her dad gets in a sleigh accident. She of course realizes the financial problems of Santaville and through trying to fix those problems and reuniting with a boyfriend from when she was young and just spending time at Santaville again, learns to love Christmas all over again and gives up her workaholic, father-avoiding ways.
It's an okay if not somewhat overdone storyline. Candace is enjoyable, very pretty and not a bad actress at all. Tom, who I normally like, is less enjoyable in what really is a minor part. I found Candace's romantic interest to be entirely unappealing, too. Overall, while it wasn't a bad movie, I felt like some of the plot was unexplained and rushed, like they tried to put too much into one movie. I'd recommend it if you are bored but there are many out there that are much better.
Anyway, as a reminder, a true Christmas movie generally follows a few basic formats. There's the twist on A Christmas Carol, when someone is cranky, grumpy, a workaholic and given up on Christmas but by some sort of magic, they regain their love of the holiday and become a better person. Then there is the person or organization or company that is struggling and has until Christmas to try to turn things around. They always do, of course. There are the ones that personify Santa or reindeers or elves and bring those mystical creatures to present-day US to get help from some lucky kids or single women. Also, there are a lot of romantic comedy Christmas movies where someone desperately wants to find a husband/date/boyfriend by Christmas. They always do, of course. Each year, Lifetime, The Hallmark Channel and ABC Family dedicates most of their December programming to Christmas movies and typically introduce at least a couple new movies each year so there's plenty to go around. Anyway, on to the first of 2008...
Rating: B
Moonlight & Mistletoe is new for Hallmark Channel this year and stars Tom Arnold and Candace Cameron Bure, who I didn't even realize was still acting. So, Tom's character is obsessed with Christmas, fancies himself a Santa stand-in, and runs a tourist attraction called Santaville that - surprise! - is struggling. Candace plays his daughter who left home a long time ago, fed up with Santaville, and only comes home after her dad gets in a sleigh accident. She of course realizes the financial problems of Santaville and through trying to fix those problems and reuniting with a boyfriend from when she was young and just spending time at Santaville again, learns to love Christmas all over again and gives up her workaholic, father-avoiding ways.
It's an okay if not somewhat overdone storyline. Candace is enjoyable, very pretty and not a bad actress at all. Tom, who I normally like, is less enjoyable in what really is a minor part. I found Candace's romantic interest to be entirely unappealing, too. Overall, while it wasn't a bad movie, I felt like some of the plot was unexplained and rushed, like they tried to put too much into one movie. I'd recommend it if you are bored but there are many out there that are much better.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Desmond Tutu
The first opportunity I had to use my new camera was at a reception featuring a short "inspirational speech" by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. It was a reception put on by the American Program Bureau and my coworkers (those who arrange for speakers at our seminars & meetings) were invited. Luckily my boss was out of town so there was room for me to go! The reception was very nice and Desmond Tutu's speech was quite enjoyable. There's actually information about the speech and a link to it here. However, so far I'm a little disappointed in my camera as the pictures of Mr. Tutu (below) did not come out too clearly. Then again, the room was dark and poorly lit and we were near the back so maybe it's not my camera.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Now I REALLY need a new camera
What are the chances that one of the few days I find myself without a camera happens to be the day I see ten celebrities up super f'in close?
My friend Vince & I went to the Kennedy Center today to see a free performance on their Millennium Stage. They let you come in for free and watch a performance every single night of the year at 6pm. Pretty sweet deal. So the band tonight was something called Previously on Lost, which prides itself on solely providing song recaps of episodes of Lost. It was amusing although difficult to understand what they were even singing. Well, about 30 minutes in, we decided to walk around the Kennedy Center a little since neither of us had ever been there before. There was like a little red carpet set up with a bunch of photographers and velvet ropes. On the far side of the carpet were clearly fans, waiting for celebrities. Well, never one to pass on an opportunity to watch for celebrities, I convinced Vince to stand with the fans and wait for celebrities. I had no idea who to expect but we found out there was a Tribute to George Carlin show scheduled for 8pm so I figured there must be famous people attending that. Turns out all the scheduled performers hit the red carpet before the show. So, we saw: Lewis Black, Richard Belzer, Bill Maher, Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling, Denis Leary, Lily Tomlin, and Jon Stewart! I was SO excited, you have no idea. Some of the celebs walked over and talked to the fans! Bill Maher was ALMOST right next to me! Denis Leary WAS right next to me. Joan Rivers SHOOK my hand!!!!! I think it's good that Jon Stewart didn't get much closer than about ten people away or I would have probably fainted. I've had a crush on him since college. It was all very very exciting but did I have my camera in my bag ready to pull out to show you all the great pictures of the evening? No, because it's broken. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
Actually, I did take a couple of pictures on my camera phone but that sucks ass so I doubt they'll be worth posting. And Vince took some pics on his camera phone, but again, not the best quality. I need a new camera pronto.
My friend Vince & I went to the Kennedy Center today to see a free performance on their Millennium Stage. They let you come in for free and watch a performance every single night of the year at 6pm. Pretty sweet deal. So the band tonight was something called Previously on Lost, which prides itself on solely providing song recaps of episodes of Lost. It was amusing although difficult to understand what they were even singing. Well, about 30 minutes in, we decided to walk around the Kennedy Center a little since neither of us had ever been there before. There was like a little red carpet set up with a bunch of photographers and velvet ropes. On the far side of the carpet were clearly fans, waiting for celebrities. Well, never one to pass on an opportunity to watch for celebrities, I convinced Vince to stand with the fans and wait for celebrities. I had no idea who to expect but we found out there was a Tribute to George Carlin show scheduled for 8pm so I figured there must be famous people attending that. Turns out all the scheduled performers hit the red carpet before the show. So, we saw: Lewis Black, Richard Belzer, Bill Maher, Joan Rivers, Garry Shandling, Denis Leary, Lily Tomlin, and Jon Stewart! I was SO excited, you have no idea. Some of the celebs walked over and talked to the fans! Bill Maher was ALMOST right next to me! Denis Leary WAS right next to me. Joan Rivers SHOOK my hand!!!!! I think it's good that Jon Stewart didn't get much closer than about ten people away or I would have probably fainted. I've had a crush on him since college. It was all very very exciting but did I have my camera in my bag ready to pull out to show you all the great pictures of the evening? No, because it's broken. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.
Actually, I did take a couple of pictures on my camera phone but that sucks ass so I doubt they'll be worth posting. And Vince took some pics on his camera phone, but again, not the best quality. I need a new camera pronto.
Friday, November 07, 2008
I need a new camera
I was going to walk over to the Lincoln Memorial and see the Obama message wall today - and take pictures, of course - but when I grabbed my camera, I saw that it wasn't working. I messed around with it for awhile but something's wrong and I can't seem to fix it. It lets me take pictures but they all show up as black (or black with purple streaks when I put it right into the light). It's not the screen that's the problem, though, because pictures already on my CompactFlash card show up just fine on the screen. I just can't take new pictures. Bummer. But I've had that camera for a few years (four, I think) and I have dropped it a few times so I guess it's not shocking that there's something wrong with it. Ironically, I had been thinking that I would like to get a new one that's smaller and maybe more powerful so I guess now I have a good excuse to go ahead and do it. Plus, I have birthday money that was recently given to me (thanks family! and yes, better late than never).
Lost Returns January 21st!
Start the countdown for Season 5... I'm so psyched. Lost will be back on January 21st with a three-hour event and will have a Wednesday at 9pm timeslot. Hmm, I wonder what that means for Private Practice... not that I'll miss it. I'm kind of annoyed that I watch that show regularly anyway.
To prepare for the new season, a friend of mine & I are going on Monday to see Previously on Lost, a band that writes and performs songs that are recaps of Lost episodes. I'm picturing something like the Barenaked Ladies do Lost, which sounds super entertaining.
To prepare for the new season, a friend of mine & I are going on Monday to see Previously on Lost, a band that writes and performs songs that are recaps of Lost episodes. I'm picturing something like the Barenaked Ladies do Lost, which sounds super entertaining.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
SitOrSquat.com
SitOrSquat.com seems like a pretty good idea but, so far, information is pretty lacking on its site. It's still fairly new, though, less than two months old, so it's worth keeping on eye on. Anyway, it's a site for bathroom reviews! And beyond that, even without a review, it's just a list of where to find public bathrooms. So you know, if you find yourself in the middle of somewhere desperately needing to go to the bathroom, pull up SitOrSquat and find one near you. Better yet, find one with a good review! It seems ideal for cell phones and, in fact, an iPhone application was just created and approved. (via)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Spell with Flickr
Way cool! So you type a word in the box at the top of this page and then it spells it out from pictures of letters available on Flickr. Above, you can see I typed in my name! If you don't like the letters that are used in your word, you can click on each individual letter over and over again until you find one you like. Here's another:
And obviously, they are embeddable.
Swaptree
I'm intrigued by Swaptree. A swap meet meets the Internet. It's a site where you list items you want to get rid of (books, CDs, DVDs and video games) and if someone wants it, you can swap them for something they have that you want. Swap as in no cost. The only price you pay is the shipping cost. However, for books, they recommend you ship via Media Mail and all else, they recommend you ship First Class. So it's hardly a hefty investment. And it doesn't have to be a one-on-one swap; the site uses some sort of matching technology to help you find items.
I do have a bunch of books I'd like to get rid of and it's not a bad idea to try to swap them for something else, rather than say trying to sell them on ebay or donating them to the library. I'm just not sure if there are too many items that I want. I prefer downsizing to staying the same size. I'll let you know if I try it out.
I do have a bunch of books I'd like to get rid of and it's not a bad idea to try to swap them for something else, rather than say trying to sell them on ebay or donating them to the library. I'm just not sure if there are too many items that I want. I prefer downsizing to staying the same size. I'll let you know if I try it out.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Library Elf
Library Elf claims to be "Your Personal Email Library Reminder Service." Basically, it's a one-stop spot for you to manage your library accounts. Assuming you frequent multiple library systems, I can see the usefulness of being able to go one place to check due dates, requests, etc... I guess they'll email reminders to you to ensure you never miss a due date. You can pick when & how often the reminders come. And if you have children who have library cards of their own, you can manage theirs under the same account. Interesting for sure, although the two libraries I sometimes go to around here send email reminders a few days before items are due already.
Go Cavs!
I got really excited about the upcoming Cavaliers season after reading this preview on ESPN.com today! Season starts on Tuesday against the World Champion Boston Celtics.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
My Neighborhood Profiled
They did a short blurb about my neighborhood in the Washington Examiner this morning, so I thought I'd share it with the world. I do really like my neighborhood; they are right with the "spectacular views" and the "mix of suburb and urban."
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
I am a idiot, cell phone edition
So last night when I went to bed, I had the feeling that I wasn't entirely sure where my cell phone was, but went to bed without looking for it anyway. Today, I realized on my way to work that I never did get around to looking for it. At work, I checked and it definitely was not in my bag. When I got home, I searched high and low in my room, my apartment and my car. No phone anywhere. My roommate came home and I asked him to call my phone and when he did, it went straight to voicemail. Not a good sign to me.
Well I became convinced I must have left it at Target last night, which was the only place I'd gone and was the last place I knew I'd had it. I drove up to Target (and wouldn't you know that traffic was AWFUL) and checked there and no one had found a phone. So I assumed this meant that it was not only lost but that someone had found it and kept it for themselves.
Great. So I figured I better report it ASAP and do what needed to be done to get a new phone since that is my only phone. We have no landline in my apartment. I went to a nearby AT&T store but it was insanely crowded. There had to be about 20 customers and it was already nearly 8:00. I was guessing the store would be closing before all the customers would be helped so I figured my best bet would be to go home and try to cancel it online. There had to be that option available to me, right?
So, back at home, I went online to deal with AT&T and decided to first check my email. An old habit. But, what do you know? There was an email with the subject line "Cell phone". What? I was so confused as to how someone knew my email address from having come across my cell phone. Then I read the message. Apparently I had somehow returned my book-on-CD to the library with my cell phone inside the case. Phew! Idiot, yes, but at least I don't have to buy a new phone!
Well I became convinced I must have left it at Target last night, which was the only place I'd gone and was the last place I knew I'd had it. I drove up to Target (and wouldn't you know that traffic was AWFUL) and checked there and no one had found a phone. So I assumed this meant that it was not only lost but that someone had found it and kept it for themselves.
Great. So I figured I better report it ASAP and do what needed to be done to get a new phone since that is my only phone. We have no landline in my apartment. I went to a nearby AT&T store but it was insanely crowded. There had to be about 20 customers and it was already nearly 8:00. I was guessing the store would be closing before all the customers would be helped so I figured my best bet would be to go home and try to cancel it online. There had to be that option available to me, right?
So, back at home, I went online to deal with AT&T and decided to first check my email. An old habit. But, what do you know? There was an email with the subject line "Cell phone". What? I was so confused as to how someone knew my email address from having come across my cell phone. Then I read the message. Apparently I had somehow returned my book-on-CD to the library with my cell phone inside the case. Phew! Idiot, yes, but at least I don't have to buy a new phone!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
"Some Cities Will Be Safer in a Recession"
According to a report from Businessweek.com and Policymap.com, the best place to live during this recession is... Arlington, VA! How lucky am I? (via)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Let the Internet Decide the Winner of your next Fight
SideTaker lets you air your dirty laundry online and lets outsiders decide who is right. Oh yeah, who doesn't want crazy Internet readers deciding that? Basically, you post your side of an argument. You get the other person to post their side and voila, the Internet plays judge and makes comments. An interesting idea. I wouldn't mind trying it out with a silly issue... but I know that Internet users can get quite passionate about things which they know nothing about, so that's the scary part. (via)
Back in NoVa
I'm back in northern Virginia after a 4-day trip back home to Cleveland. In Cleveland, I did a little shopping with my mom (of course), visited with my brother & his family (including newborn power sleeper Mia), caught up with some old friends, saw the Browns beat the defending Super Bowl champs, finished my book club book, and worked my way around the mess that is my parents' kitchen while they remodel it.
Back in Arlington, I came home to:
1.) a kitchen light that has all of its fluorescent bulbs burned out. Thanks roommate!
2.) a book club that has been postponed for two weeks - to a date that I can't make. Thanks for making me read a book I didn't enjoy for nothing!
3.) the girl I manage back to her old ways of doing absolutely nothing. She was gone for about two weeks dealing with the death of her father and had a really productive first day and a half. Now she's returned to her useless ways.
Back in Arlington, I came home to:
1.) a kitchen light that has all of its fluorescent bulbs burned out. Thanks roommate!
2.) a book club that has been postponed for two weeks - to a date that I can't make. Thanks for making me read a book I didn't enjoy for nothing!
3.) the girl I manage back to her old ways of doing absolutely nothing. She was gone for about two weeks dealing with the death of her father and had a really productive first day and a half. Now she's returned to her useless ways.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Book Club: Shattered Dreams
I've been meaning for months to write entries after my book clubs meet but haven't done it. Today is different! On Sunday, my Bethesda Book Club (as I call it) read Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife by Irene Spencer. I had the opportunity to meet Irene at the ALA conference in Anaheim this June and she had offered me an hour of her time to talk to our book club and we finally made it happen. It was really awesome of her and seeings as how I'm already FASCINATED by polygamy, I was extra excited to try to get some insight into her life.
I'd already read a couple books about someone "trapped" in polygamy as part of the Fundamentalist Mormon Church so the lifestyle was not new to me, but what was new in Irene's story was that she talked a lot about sex! She was craving it constantly and well, when you share your husband with multiple wives and dozens of children, it should be no surprise that it doesn't happen often. Add to that the fact that technically, the religion believes that you only have sex to procreate and it should be no surprise that Irene was often lamenting the lack of love she received from her husband. Besides sex, she talked a lot about jealousy. She seemed constantly jealous and got enraged when her husband took another wife on a trip or spent time with another wife when it was supposed to be her time with him. While this shouldn't come as a surprise, this was the first such memoir I'd read in which this was a real issue. Interesting, for sure.
Overall, it was an interesting book and I was left with a lot of questions. Talking to Irene cleared a few of them up but overall, she spent more time telling us her "message" than she did answering specific questions. She's very, very anti-polygamy and doesn't think it's natural and is trying to get a couple of her daughters who are still living that lifestyle to get out. She realizes education is the key and that most of the people who live that way are kept sheltered from other possibilities. Her desire is to educate them. Of course, she's absolutely right that education is the key. But how?
I'd already read a couple books about someone "trapped" in polygamy as part of the Fundamentalist Mormon Church so the lifestyle was not new to me, but what was new in Irene's story was that she talked a lot about sex! She was craving it constantly and well, when you share your husband with multiple wives and dozens of children, it should be no surprise that it doesn't happen often. Add to that the fact that technically, the religion believes that you only have sex to procreate and it should be no surprise that Irene was often lamenting the lack of love she received from her husband. Besides sex, she talked a lot about jealousy. She seemed constantly jealous and got enraged when her husband took another wife on a trip or spent time with another wife when it was supposed to be her time with him. While this shouldn't come as a surprise, this was the first such memoir I'd read in which this was a real issue. Interesting, for sure.
Overall, it was an interesting book and I was left with a lot of questions. Talking to Irene cleared a few of them up but overall, she spent more time telling us her "message" than she did answering specific questions. She's very, very anti-polygamy and doesn't think it's natural and is trying to get a couple of her daughters who are still living that lifestyle to get out. She realizes education is the key and that most of the people who live that way are kept sheltered from other possibilities. Her desire is to educate them. Of course, she's absolutely right that education is the key. But how?
Sunday, October 05, 2008
Woman says rat from sewer climbed up through house toilet
Oh my god. I don't even want to read or watch the news story that goes with that headline because that's like one of my biggest fears. But if you are braver than I, here's the link. (via)
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Ah! I wondered why the increase...
I noticed this morning when checking my Netflix queue that there seemed to be quite a few more "Watch it Now" options and this article explains it. Starz & Netflix came up with a deal to stream movies that air on its network. Pretty cool. (via)
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Sorority "Sisters"
I find this picture of Carrie Underwood and her sorority sisters, which appears in the October 6 issue of Us Weekly, a bit unsettling. They look like clones of each other.
More pictures of the kids...
My brother has two sites where he posts pictures of his kids... Ben's is here and Mia's is here.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Museum Day
Tomorrow is Museum Day, sponsored by Smithsonian magazine. Museums across the country are taking part and providing free admission. It's always nice to save some money! If I were back home in Cleveland, I might take advantage of the free admission to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What a deal! Unfortunately, most of the museums on the list in the Washington, DC, area are already free. Also, I was going to go to the National Book Festival tomorrow. But I guess if it rains, I might be heading to a museum.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Religulous screening
I was excited to go to a free advanced screening of Bill Maher's documentary Religulous last night. I enjoy Bill Maher and I enjoy seeing people try to explain their beliefs. It was definitely interesting and I enjoyed it, although I have to say if people want to spend their lives blindly devoted to God, why does Bill Maher care? Well, he does bring up some points and explains why he cares a bit but for the most part, I think he should let people do what they want to do just as I'm going to let him date models and porn stars half his age and hang out nonstop at the Playboy Mansion.
However, the truly interesting part of the evening was that the movie theater apparently installed the third reel incorrectly and so when it started, it was upside down and backwards. And instead of just stopping the reel and trying to correct it, apparently it had to play all the way through. So we had to sit there for like 25 minutes with nonsensical noise and upside down images. They talked about trying to fix it but then decided to just finish the movie and give us all coupons for another movie. So I missed about a half hour in the middle. But considering it was a documentary and Bill's point of view is pretty clear from the outset, I'll just wait to watch the rest of it on DVD. And go see another movie for free with my coupon!
However, the truly interesting part of the evening was that the movie theater apparently installed the third reel incorrectly and so when it started, it was upside down and backwards. And instead of just stopping the reel and trying to correct it, apparently it had to play all the way through. So we had to sit there for like 25 minutes with nonsensical noise and upside down images. They talked about trying to fix it but then decided to just finish the movie and give us all coupons for another movie. So I missed about a half hour in the middle. But considering it was a documentary and Bill's point of view is pretty clear from the outset, I'll just wait to watch the rest of it on DVD. And go see another movie for free with my coupon!
Umbrella Today keeps it simple
Umbrella Today is probably the simplest weather site ever. You type in your zip code and it comes up with a big "YES" or "NO", answering the question whether you will need an umbrella today. Huh. Kinda cool, kinda simple. You also can sign up to get text alerts on the days when you will need your umbrella, no Internet required. I'm intrigued, although honestly I carry an umbrella with me every day. I have a small one that I keep in my bag. (via)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Pictures of Mia
Here are the first pictures of my niece Mia! One by herself first and one of her seemingly already trying to get out of the grasp of her big brother:
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Man charged with smuggling beetles from Japan
Umm, eww! Here's the article, but nowhere does it say what the police did with the beetles. That guy lives close to me too!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
I'm an aunt again!
My brother and sister-in-law now have a bouncing baby girl - two weeks early! She was born today at 6:02 pm and I guess although Melissa had been having contractions a little bit in the afternoon, the baby was almost born in the car and came really quickly. Good for her, couldn't wait to come into the world! Brian said she's 7 lbs, 10 ounces and has a full head of hair. And she snorts like a pig when she's sleeping, as I heard firsthand over the phone. If (when) I get a pic, I'll post it.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
NFL Game Map
Kinda cool, this map shows which NFL football games will be carried in your area each weekend. On the left are buttons for CBS & Fox and the game that is shown is color coded. This was how I found out that this Sunday, the Browns vs. Cowboys game will be on TV here in DC, as well as most of the rest of the country. Sweet! (via)
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Night Construction
I'm pretty sick of them doing overnight construction work on our street. They warned us on Monday night by telling us that our water would be turned off from 10pm to 6am. Last night, there was no similar warning; they just started hammering and drilling away starting at about 10pm and on through the night. I find it obnoxious that they only feel the need to warn you about it if your water is turned off. Do they think that doesn't affect our sleeping? I sleep with a fan on to drown out noises like that and my fan is not even loud enough to completely wipe it out. I find it really really annoying and I really don't get why they can't do it during the day. I'm guessing nighttime noises are a bigger nuisance to more people than being without water for a few hours during the day.
Friday, August 22, 2008
The Office commercial
Has anyone seen the commercials for The Office that are running during the Olympics? This one really made me laugh:
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Beloit College Mindset List
This is an interesting list that comes out every year that shows the mindset of incoming freshman. The world as they know it, basically. It's enlightening and a surefire way to make you feel old. For instance, to these kids "Caller ID has always been available on phones." What? I remember when Caller ID was new!! And when we got it for my parents and they thought it was kind of a waste. Another one: "GPS satellite navigation systems have always been available." Also: "There has always been Pearl Jam." Heh. (via)
The World Conspires Against Me...
So I haven't had Internet at home for about a week now. We were sharing Internet with my neighbor but she moved to the fourth floor and we seem to not get her signal anymore. So it's tough for me, an Internet junkie, but at least I have Internet at work from 8:30 to 5:30, right? Well, not so much. Yesterday, our Internet at work went out at about 11:30am! It was down the rest of the day and actually wasn't fixed until about noon today! 24 hours without the Internet!
To make matters worse, last night after work I went to the library thinking that I might use their computers. When I got there, they were evacuating the building! Apparently the fire alarm had been going off and so everyone was asked to leave and the fire trucks came to check out the problem. I stuck around for about 15 minutes but nothing seemed to be happening so I just decided that someone did NOT want me to have access to the Internet that day and went home. Argh!
To make matters worse, last night after work I went to the library thinking that I might use their computers. When I got there, they were evacuating the building! Apparently the fire alarm had been going off and so everyone was asked to leave and the fire trucks came to check out the problem. I stuck around for about 15 minutes but nothing seemed to be happening so I just decided that someone did NOT want me to have access to the Internet that day and went home. Argh!
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Smartbike DC
So I guess Smartbike DC launched today, although I saw the bikes downtown yesterday so maybe that start date is a bit off. But, the idea behind it is similar to the Zipcar/Flexcar concept, where instead of buying a car, you can sort of rent one whenever you need it. Smartbike looks like it charges $40 a year and then you can borrow a bike whenever you need one in three-hour increments. There are initially 100 bikes at 10 locations.
Forty bucks a year isn't bad at all, especially compared with buying a brand new bike, but I kind of don't like that you can only ride the bikes in the District - there are plenty of great bike spots in Virginia. (via)
Forty bucks a year isn't bad at all, especially compared with buying a brand new bike, but I kind of don't like that you can only ride the bikes in the District - there are plenty of great bike spots in Virginia. (via)
Library of Congress Junior Fellows
It looks like the Junior Fellows Summer Intern program at the Library of Congress has come quite far in three years, since I was part of the first group. Here's a blog post about their findings this year. It looks like there are now 50 of them. We had about 20. It's amazing they are still finding some pretty cool treasures. And they get their names posted on the Library's Web site! I never was so lucky. Our press coverage was pretty non-existent. I guess I can always say I was in the first group, though.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Brickskeller
I went to The Brickskeller today, which I've wanted to do for three years since I heard about it but just had never made it before. It's a little off the beaten path actually. And they have hundreds of beers to choose from. We had a work happy hour for one of our employees who is leaving and she is a big beer lover so it was a good opportunity to go there. I ended up getting the Firestone Double Barrel Amber Ale and really liked it! But, one complaint is that with a beer list this long, why do they not have more from Ohio?
What a race
Last night I was sleepy but decided to stay up at least until the 4X100 relay to see if Michael Phelps won his second gold. And boy did I not regret it! What an awesome, exciting race. I highly recommend watching it, even if you know what happened.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Sales Tax Holiday!
This weekend is Virginia's annual Sales Tax Holiday weekend, good on school supplies under $20 and clothing under $100. It seems like it might be a good weekend to go shopping!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Web site with potential
I read about TripIt today and it sounds interesting. When you travel, you send all your confirmation emails, itineraries, etc... to it and it organizes them and creates one big itinerary for you, which you can then access from anywhere in whichever format you prefer. You can then share itineraries with friends to see where your schedules overlap. Web 2.0 for travel, I guess. It might be worth checking out next time you travel! (via)
Friday, July 25, 2008
No wonder I'm so spoiled
As I've left Cleveland and moved to Syracuse and now Washington, DC, it's annoyed me how awful the public libraries are. I guess I grew up just taking library services for granted and I won't lie that it's probably one of the reasons I became a librarian. Here's another article that proves my point that the libraries that I grew up with are the cream of the crop. On a list of the Top 25 Most Modern Libraries in the World (the WORLD, not just the US), the two libraries I always went to as a kid are both on the list under the technology and innovation category. (via)
Cake Pans! At a Library
This week's AL Direct has a story about how a library has Wilton cake pans available for checkout and even has them in their online catalog. Turns out the library is the Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna, OH, part of the Portgage County system. Although the library apparently won't offer them for InterLibrary Loan, they do allow outsiders to get library cards to check out the cake pans. It's not that convenient for my friends/relatives back in Cleveland, but it's not that inconvenient either! So if you want to bake a cake in the shape of an object or famous character but don't want to spend the money to buy a cake pan you'll only use once, this is a great alternative! I bet a lot of the pans are discontinued too.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
In other TV-viewing news...
I just got a Slingbox! I'm very very excited, as I've been interested in them for at least two years. At my current apartment, we decided to not get cable, and while it's been fine for the most part, I also do really miss it at times. But now I can watch the cable from my parents' house via my computer! The picture is pretty awesome. You can control it via a remote control image that shows up on your monitor and is identical to the actual remote control. Plus, it only costs the amount of the set-top box. It was pretty easy to set it up, too. Last night, I was excited to be able to watch the Project Runway Season 5 premiere. And next week, I'll be able to watch the second season of General Hospital: Night Shift. And also cool is that I can now watch Indians & Browns games that air on Cleveland television!
Just when I get near the end...
I've been semi-addicted to The Hills, the MTV reality show about a few girls living in the Hollywood Hills, and watched Season 1, Season 2 and part of Season 3 online in the last month to six weeks. Luckily for me, MTV.com offers every episode for free. Or, I should say offered. As of today, they took down almost all of Season 3 and left only the last four episodes! The Season 3 DVD comes out on July 29 so obviously they felt that no one would buy the DVDs if the episodes were all available for free online. Which, perhaps not, but I also know A LOT of people who do not watch TV online at all. And they've had them up this long. It just annoys me as I was so close to finishing Season 3.
So, anyway, I cannot end my obsession and get caught up on episodes until July 29th. I've already added the last two discs to my Netflix queue.
So, anyway, I cannot end my obsession and get caught up on episodes until July 29th. I've already added the last two discs to my Netflix queue.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Oh really? I didn't get the job?
Here is the email I got Friday from Old Dominion University:
Well, I don't remember when I applied for this job but I can guarantee it was sometime before April 2007 so it's been at least 15 months. So thanks so much for telling me I didn't get the position. I really thought I was still in the running.
Dear Applicant:
Thank you for your interest in the Health Sciences Reference Librarian Position, #FA598A, with the 1LB10-Library Public Services Department, at Old Dominion University.
After reviewing your application, the hiring manager did not select you for an interview and the position has now been filled. We hope you will continue to seek employment opportunities with Old Dominion University.
Sincerely,
Department of Human Resources
Well, I don't remember when I applied for this job but I can guarantee it was sometime before April 2007 so it's been at least 15 months. So thanks so much for telling me I didn't get the position. I really thought I was still in the running.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Web site Recommendations
Time has come out with a list of the Top 50 Web sites so I went through the list and, although I've actually heard of and checked out most of them previously, there were a few new ones that sparked my interest.
Mobaganda is a no-frills invitation service without requiring registration or logging in... which is kinda nice. It's like Evite for people who don't want to spend an hour creating the invitation. Looking at it, it almost appears to be too no-frills for my liking.
Lookybook features children's books, letting you read them from the comfort of your home before buying them. It's an interesting idea, I guess. Also, it's kind of what libraries are for...
Picnik claims to be very very simple photo-editing software, letting you easily crop photos or remove red eye, those kinds of things.
Zeer provides reviews of food products and label information before you buy. I think everyone has read restaurant reviews, so it's a neat idea to have packaged food reviews too.
Mobaganda is a no-frills invitation service without requiring registration or logging in... which is kinda nice. It's like Evite for people who don't want to spend an hour creating the invitation. Looking at it, it almost appears to be too no-frills for my liking.
Lookybook features children's books, letting you read them from the comfort of your home before buying them. It's an interesting idea, I guess. Also, it's kind of what libraries are for...
Picnik claims to be very very simple photo-editing software, letting you easily crop photos or remove red eye, those kinds of things.
Zeer provides reviews of food products and label information before you buy. I think everyone has read restaurant reviews, so it's a neat idea to have packaged food reviews too.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Book review: Whacked
I finished Whacked yesterday and it was awful. Awful! It is the first book by Jules Asner, who used to be on E! as an entertainment reporter. I actually used to really like her on there and then she left to marry Steven Soderbergh, who is adorable and talented, so I was looking forward to the book. But the main character is INSANE. She has dating problems, can't find a guy, and every guy she does go out with, she turns crazy either breaking into their email to get stock tips or to see what other girls are emailing them, changing phone numbers in their address books, stalking them, breaking into their house. It doesn't stop. Oh wait, then she murders someone... AND she doesn't even get punished or anything. In fact, she gets rewarded and lives happily ever after. I guess it's supposed to be a satire or something but it just drove me mad.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
The Daily Show on Hulu
This week, Hulu.com started featuring episodes from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I find this exciting news because since I don't have cable, I often catch episodes of The Daily Show online. However, the video clips available on its official site always stutter and need buffering over and over again. Overall, it's not a great viewing experience. Hulu, on the other hand, is a platform that's given me very little problems in the past. And I've watched quite a bunch of programming through Hulu. The only problem is that it's only a test apparently and might not last and also, only the last few weeks episodes are up. Oh and The Colbert Report is on there too!
Here's a short clip from Hulu with Jon offering some advice:
Here's a short clip from Hulu with Jon offering some advice:
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Closet drama
Ever since I moved in to my apartment, the shelving unit in my closet has been crooked. It's not bad enough that the clothes slide down the bar or anything but it is noticeably crooked. I thought it was just installed without a level by some total idiots. But now I think it wasn't in securely from the start. On Sunday, I heard this cracking sound, went to look and saw that of the three brackets that hold up the shelf and the hanging rod, two of them are hanging by a thread. In other words, each one has more than half of their screws out of the wall. Lovely. I'm guessing this didn't happen all at once. And all I need is to have that come crashing down! So I was kind of worried about it Sunday night and called maintenance first thing Monday morning. No one came. So I was worried about it again Monday night, especially because I heard more slipping sounds. On Tuesday, they came apparently. Well, they left a note on the door saying the requested maintenance was performed. But absolutely nothing had been done! REALLY frustrated by this point, I called our management company yet again Wednesday and explained that nothing had been done. She promised to talk to the maintenance people again. Last night, I get home and there's another note on the door that they came. This time it says that they'll be back on Thursday but that I need to remove everything from my closet. Aggravating. I had removed all the stuff on the shelf and all the hanging stuff... if they really needed all of the stuff that sits on the floor removed too, couldn't they just slide it all out themselves? Also, it's worth pointing out that our apartment only has three closets - one in each of the bedrooms and one small coat closet right when you walk in the door. So it's not like I have anywhere to put all this stuff that I've now had out of the closet for four days. Also, I have a LOT of stuff crammed into that closet. Luckily my roommate is out of town so I'm using his room a little. But it really aggravates me that something as simple as coming in to re-install a closet shelf has now taken four days. And I will be livid if it is not fixed when I get home tonight.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
"Lost parrot tells veterinarian his address"
What a cute story this is. Apparently, the parrot had been learning how to recite his name and address and so, when he got lost, he recited it to a vet and was reunited with his family. The cutest part is that he was captured by the police but wouldn't tell them anything.
Friday, May 16, 2008
On to Game 7 and more
So I haven't been giving game-by-game updates for the second round of the Cavs series but we are down to one more, winner-take-all game after the Cavs got their third victory of the series tonight against Boston. That will be on Sunday at 3:30pm! Exciting!! However, I already have plans for Sunday so I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to incorporate game-watching into those plans. I will either have to be crafty or I will have to tape the game and watch it later as if it were live.
I've been a little busy in the last week. I met with one of my book clubs (we read Water for Elephants) and we are deciding on our next book. I went to a reception for the local chapter of the Special Libraries Association and hobnobbed with other area librarians. I hung out with some coworkers after work and had some drinks. I watched the basketball games. I got free VIP passes to see Serj Tankian because my friend's brother-in-law is in his band. I didn't think I would enjoy that as much as I did but it was really fun! I kept up on most of my television shows as the season winds down. And work has been pretty busy with a huge assignment suddenly thrown at me this last week. But I'm surviving it all.
I've been a little busy in the last week. I met with one of my book clubs (we read Water for Elephants) and we are deciding on our next book. I went to a reception for the local chapter of the Special Libraries Association and hobnobbed with other area librarians. I hung out with some coworkers after work and had some drinks. I watched the basketball games. I got free VIP passes to see Serj Tankian because my friend's brother-in-law is in his band. I didn't think I would enjoy that as much as I did but it was really fun! I kept up on most of my television shows as the season winds down. And work has been pretty busy with a huge assignment suddenly thrown at me this last week. But I'm surviving it all.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
My first YouTube embedded link
This is perhaps the funniest thing I've seen in a long time. What if people acted in real life like they do in Facebook? (via)
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Weekend in a Nutshell
I had a pretty quiet weekend. My roommate is gone, which is quite enjoyable. I love having the place to myself!
I went to the basketball game on Friday night and was so amped from that for a good 24 hours afterwards. Other than that, though, I had a really quiet weekend. I'm still getting over my cold so I wanted to rest up and have an uneventful weekend. I'm a lot better but I still have this cough that I can't seem to shake. I met some friends for dinner at Ceiba on Saturday night. I also watched some movies, did a little shopping and did some things I hadn't gotten around to doing for awhile, like cleaning my room and getting my bike put together. The weather was pretty enjoyable this weekend, too. I turned on my air conditioning for the first time; seems to work great!
I went to the basketball game on Friday night and was so amped from that for a good 24 hours afterwards. Other than that, though, I had a really quiet weekend. I'm still getting over my cold so I wanted to rest up and have an uneventful weekend. I'm a lot better but I still have this cough that I can't seem to shake. I met some friends for dinner at Ceiba on Saturday night. I also watched some movies, did a little shopping and did some things I hadn't gotten around to doing for awhile, like cleaning my room and getting my bike put together. The weather was pretty enjoyable this weekend, too. I turned on my air conditioning for the first time; seems to work great!
On to Round 2
The Cavs won on Friday night: Cavaliers 105, Wizards 88. It was a good game and I was there in person! I got a great seat in the second row of the Verizon Center, almost directly behind the Cavaliers bench and right next to the walkway that led to the Cavaliers locker room. You can check out my pictures from the game below. Click to view them larger.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Should Have Won
Yeah, the Cavs lost again last night, 88 to 87. They should have won; it was close; balls just weren't dropping in the basket at the end. But at least they still have two more games to close it out. Now, Game Six comes back to DC and I think I'll go to the game.
Monday, April 28, 2008
"The new library fad: borrow a person"
Interesting article from the UK about a "Living Library" where patrons can come in and "check out" a person to learn about a subject, i.e. Gay Man, Immigrant, Muslim, Social Worker. You choose your person of interest and get 30 minutes to talk to them and learn about them. Kinda cool! It's like skipping through a book to only the parts that interest you... (via)
A weekend of sickness
My weekend in a nutshell:
- Came home from work early on Friday because I was sick and not feeling well with a cold
- Got progressively sicker as the weekend wore on... and now am doing better thankfully
- Participated in some low-key activities - naps, movie-watching, book-reading, laundry
- Watched the Cavs win on Sunday - yay! Only one win away from the next round
- Traveled to Woodbridge to return items to Ikea on Saturday - had to go since their return policy allows for returns up to 90 days and Saturday was Day 90
- Had dinner with Charlie while I was in Woodbridge
- Unable to participate in shopping, which I normally like to do in Woodbridge, because I felt very dizzy and sick while walking around the mall, although I did run into the shoe store on my way out of the mall and ended up buying two really cute pairs of shoes. I guess the good thing about being sick is I had no time for my usual deliberation, I just purchased
- Talked to my mom for a few hours Saturday night.... about my brother potentially moving down the street from them (good news?!) and about my uncle who passed away last week (bad news)
Friday, April 25, 2008
Bethesda Book Club
I'm in so many book clubs now and none of them really have any names so I guess I'll call this the Bethesda one, only because we met last night for the first time in Bethesda. Our organizer would like to call it the Oprah/NYT Book Club because she prefers to read books from those lists but I think there are plenty of enjoyable, undiscovered books out there so I'm resistant to that name. Anyway, we read an Oprah-recommended novel, The Corrections, and while as recently as Tuesday it didn't seem like I would finish the book, I actually did. I had about 260 pages to go on Tuesday but I actually managed to fly through the rest of the book in the following two days so that I was done before the meeting. I feel pretty meh about the book, parts of it were enjoyable but all of the characters were so unlikeable and annoying that it was hard to sympathize with any of them. Anyway, we really did discuss the book and the women were all pretty nice and we're trying to decide on a place and a book for next time.
Afterwards, a couple of us went to a bar/restaurant to eat and watch the game. It was a good time! The only down side was that I missed the latest episode of Lost. But I did tape it so I'll be watching it tonight.
Afterwards, a couple of us went to a bar/restaurant to eat and watch the game. It was a good time! The only down side was that I missed the latest episode of Lost. But I did tape it so I'll be watching it tonight.
Can't Win Them All
I expected the Wizards to win game three after being dominated in game two and heading home but Wizards 108, Cavaliers 72 was way more than just losing. The Cavs sucked. It was embarrassing.
What's odd is that people seem to not even care around here. Watching the game on Monday night at a bar, there were more people in the bar rooting for the Cavs than for the hometown team. Last night, I went to a bar to watch it and they said no one had asked to have it on so they were going to keep the Nationals game on instead since people had asked for that. How crazy is that? The Nationals are in last place in their division in game 23 of a season that lasts 162 games. The Wizards are in the playoffs! And on my way home, I saw a lot more people wearing Cavs apparel than I saw wearing Wizards apparel. Generalizing, I guess Washington isn't a basketball town.
What's odd is that people seem to not even care around here. Watching the game on Monday night at a bar, there were more people in the bar rooting for the Cavs than for the hometown team. Last night, I went to a bar to watch it and they said no one had asked to have it on so they were going to keep the Nationals game on instead since people had asked for that. How crazy is that? The Nationals are in last place in their division in game 23 of a season that lasts 162 games. The Wizards are in the playoffs! And on my way home, I saw a lot more people wearing Cavs apparel than I saw wearing Wizards apparel. Generalizing, I guess Washington isn't a basketball town.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
24 Picture
I was pretty excited when I saw this picture of the cast of the new season of 24. And it's not because of the show. I've never seen an episode of the show before. I was excited because the spot where they are all standing is about a 7 minute walk from my apartment so it's kinda cool to think I've been there before. Of course, the picture was probably green-screened or whatever... I'm guessing the cast isn't really standing on the Memorial Bridge.
StopForwarding
This Web site will anonymously send an email to any forward-happy friend asking them to stop forwarding you. Here is some of the content of the letter:
It's kinda funny and slightly passive aggressive, but luckily I don't really have any need to use it since none of my friends are constantly forwarding me emails. I also notice that the letter has some typos in it, ha! (via)
Please do not forward chain letters, urban myths presented as truth, potentially offensive jokes, videos or photos without being asked or first receiving permission. If you find something that is funny and it is clean and you genuinely think the recipient will enjoy it then foward it to that person only (not in an email blast to all your friends and family) and include a personal note about why you enjoyed it and why you think they will too. Avoid sending forwards to friends or relatives that you've grown distant with. It can be frustrating for the recpient when the only correspondance you have with someone is via impersonal, unwanted email.
It's kinda funny and slightly passive aggressive, but luckily I don't really have any need to use it since none of my friends are constantly forwarding me emails. I also notice that the letter has some typos in it, ha! (via)
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Earth Day, Plant a Tree
Happy Earth Day! I saw this apple tree-to-be you can buy and plant for $19.13 and I would so do it if only I had somewhere to plant it. Maybe someone else can do it for me! (via)
Monday, April 21, 2008
Two in a Row!
The Cavs won again tonight! Cleveland 116, Washington 86. Two more victories and they're on to the next round.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Cavs 93, Wizards 86
I'm stoked that the Cavs won the first game in their playoff series today! Although it kind of sucks that I can't watch the games at home since most of them are on cable and I no longer have cable.
Monday, April 14, 2008
National Library Week
In honor of National Library Week, Entertainment Weekly came up with "18 Sexy Trips to the Library Stacks". In other words, they showcase scenes that take place in libraries from 18 movies.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
In Bloom
We have these trees in front of our building that our landlord said were cherry blossom trees. I'm not sure if they truly are because they look different to me than other trees that I've been told are cherry blossom trees. Nonetheless, they finally bloomed a couple of days ago and are really pretty. Here's a pic:
Shopping, Taxes and my life
This weekend was a pretty quiet weekend for me, which is good because I was really busy for about two weeks straight, including lots of dinner plans (including here, here & here), a book club meeting, friends in town, trip to Philadelphia for work, and a day at a library conference. While I really enjoy seeing my friends, I also really like quiet time too!
Yesterday, I started my taxes and even though I'm not quite finished yet (hey, I still have one day!) it looks like I'm getting a good chunk of change back for a refund. Which will be nice, but also probably indicates I should change what's getting taken out of my paycheck.
Today, instead of finishing my taxes like I should have done (hey, I still have one day!), I went shopping. I haven't been shopping in awhile and it's really soothing to me sometimes to just walk around a mall and try to find some bargains. I went to Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, then Kohl's, and finally Wegman's. I got some great deals at the mall. H&M gave you $10 off if you spent $50 so I bought some jewelry (2 rings and a necklace), 2 lightweight sweaters and a hoodie for $46. I think that's an awesome deal! And I also got a cute little change purse at The Limited for $3! At Kohl's, I bought some more jewelry (again, 2 rings and a necklace), another little purse and 2 pairs of shoes. I spent like $85 on all that but that's not bad considering that half of that total was one pair of running shoes, which I really think I needed. Hmm, and I bought a lot of groceries at Wegman's but hey, who can help themselves there?
Yesterday, I started my taxes and even though I'm not quite finished yet (hey, I still have one day!) it looks like I'm getting a good chunk of change back for a refund. Which will be nice, but also probably indicates I should change what's getting taken out of my paycheck.
Today, instead of finishing my taxes like I should have done (hey, I still have one day!), I went shopping. I haven't been shopping in awhile and it's really soothing to me sometimes to just walk around a mall and try to find some bargains. I went to Fair Oaks Mall in Fairfax, then Kohl's, and finally Wegman's. I got some great deals at the mall. H&M gave you $10 off if you spent $50 so I bought some jewelry (2 rings and a necklace), 2 lightweight sweaters and a hoodie for $46. I think that's an awesome deal! And I also got a cute little change purse at The Limited for $3! At Kohl's, I bought some more jewelry (again, 2 rings and a necklace), another little purse and 2 pairs of shoes. I spent like $85 on all that but that's not bad considering that half of that total was one pair of running shoes, which I really think I needed. Hmm, and I bought a lot of groceries at Wegman's but hey, who can help themselves there?
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Free version of Photoshop
Adobe recently launched a free online version of Photoshop, which might be useful. I haven't had a chance to check into it too much but I have used a previous version that you had to purchase so it's nice to have some basic photo-editing options available for free from a name you can recognize.
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