Birds and basketball

Have I mentioned that I have birds? Yeah, I do. Their names are: Hope, Joy, Youth, Peace, Rest, Life, Dust, Ashes, Waste, Want, Ruin, Despair, Madness, Death, Cunning, Folly, Words, Wigs, Rags, Sheepskin, Plunder, Precedent, Jargon, Gammon, and Spinach. Aw, I'm kidding. Any Dickens fans? Those are the names of Miss Flite's birds in Bleak House. If you're illiterate, you can watch this version. It's really, really good.

Anyway, one of my parakeets has recently trained himself to play basketball. I put some large wooden beads on the bottom of the cage... he picks them up, and throws them out of the cage. With gusto. Or anger. I can't tell which.

It's so exciting, I made a video just for you! Aw, c'mon, it's only 30 seconds.

mooseekah

Ah, music. That little light in our lives. Did you know that American Idol runner up Blake Lewis' CD came out today? After work I stopped and bought it. Yeah, I know, buying a physical CD... that's so 90s of me. But not many "buy music" apps or sites are supported under Linux. My sad life.

Anyway, a few thoughts re: this new masterpiece. Hmm... maybe "masterpiece" is the wrong word. On the plus side, when I listened to it I definitely didn't think, "oh, those mean producers; I can't believe they made him sing those songs." There are even a couple of songs that I could see myself listening to more than once.

BUT... there are quite a few songs that sound a bit too "boy band" for my taste. And there are a couple that I can only describe as a beat boxing Savage Garden. Listen to the CD. You'll know right away which ones I'm talking about.

Ah, well, my Radiohead CD is on the way now, too. In Rainbows is splendid! I'm always amazed by how every Radiohead album is new, innovative, and distinct from the other albums... but at the same time, they're distinctively Radiohead. Ahh, Radiohead. And OK Computer. My favorite CD of all time.

What more can I say?

All that controversy

This evening I saw the new movie The Golden Compass. As I was watching TV a few days ago I saw something about pre-release screenings in my area. Sure enough, one of the screenings was at the movie theater only a few miles from where I live. After all the brewing controversy over the books (which I haven't read), I was very curious. Plus, my brother-in-law worked on the movie.

Overall, I enjoyed it... it was much darker than I had expected, and had some surprisingly frightening parts. As for the controversy bit, as far as I could tell, the author seemed to be arguing against the 17th Century Roman Catholic church. Yaay, Galileo!

Hmm... I don't want to give anything away, since the movie doesn't officially come out until next week. But I will say that it ends with a major cliffhanger. I kept thinking, "It's gotta be ending soon, but there seems to be a lot of plot left. How will they wrap it up?" And then it ended... "Oh, that's how. A sequel."

After the movie I waited around to see my brother-in-law's name in the credits. The "Rhythm & Hues" section started, and then the picture cut out... The sound was still working, but you couldn't see any more of the credits. Nice. Sorry, Rob, I still don't know if you REALLY worked on the movie... :)

Anyway, in closing, the movie is definitely not one for young kids. The plot is creative and innovative, and visually, the movie is great. It's just a tad scary for wee lads and lassies. For grownups, though, I'd definitely recommend it.

I hope we understand one another

I don't really have anything to say at this immediate moment, but I noticed that my November blog posting count was fairly low. So I'm going to flashback, and talk about my first ever blog -- on Look Around You. OK, no I'm not. I'm just going to link to that article, and display the video for Little Mouse.



Ah, yes. That's why I love it. You rock, Peter Serafinowicz and Robert Popper. You rock. I'm still depressed that the screening of the Peter Serafinowicz Show (that is, the one I had tickets to see while I was in London) was canceled... Alas. Maybe someday it'll show up on BBC America...?

Little Mouse Lyrics.

Since the TV season is getting cut short...

Ah, yes. Fall television shows. Thanks to the writers' strike, they're all ending soon. Alas. I just might have to start doing productive things rather than watch TV. Anyway, here are my reviews of some fall TV:

- Kid Nation: Despite what some have said, I don't really think of it as child exploitation. It's more like a long, strange summer camp. They did have one of the worst challenges I've ever seen--chewing bubble gum, then handing it off to their team leader to create a "chew by numbers" picture!?! Yuck. And not hygienic.

- Pushing Daisies -- I love this show!! I can't even force myself to delete old episodes from my DVR. But I don't want to give anything away... so you will just have to watch it!

- Project Runway is back! No script, no writers, no strike, right? :) Anyway, one of my favorite things about Project Runway is the auction site--you can watch what people actually are willing to pay for the designs. Or you can buy them. But they only fit 6'1" size 0 women. Well... so they say. But this season's designs are telling me that I don't understand the latest fashion. This winning design would fit more than 6'1" size 0 women. It will also fit REAL women, including ones who want to dress like a pumpkin for Halloween. Top fashion? Um... okaaaaay... but if you tape eyes and a mouth to the front, you'll be a jack-o-lantern!

- In general, I'm not a fan of car shows. There is one exception: the British show Top Gear. I first happened upon this a few years ago in London. They had a race to see if it was faster to drive or fly or drive from London to a ski resort in Switzerland. It pretty much ended up a tie. Anyway, BBC America has started showing episodes. Example episode: take some arbitrary car, cut it in half, and turn it into a limo. Then drive a famous person to an award ceremony in it. Niiiice! But apparently it is also controversial.

- Bones? Yes, the acting is cheesy as ever. And the puns and other silliness. Like the tech episode featuring "Gil Bates." So creative. Yet still I watch...

- House this season is totally blah. If today's episode is as dumb as the rest of this season has been, I'm done watching it. I swear the first season... maybe even two seasons... was good. Alas, no longer.

- Heroes has been good this season... suspenseful and unpredictable. Too bad next week is the end of the "chapter"!

- Flash Gordon - This one surprised me. It started out cheesy, and is still cheesy, but it has drawn me in.

- Amazing Race - I haven't watched it for a few years. I was curious because I wanted to see how the goth couple would do. So far, they're doing well... interestingly, in the Top Dancer challenge, a group of VERY picky African villagers liked their dancing.

OK, that is enough. Time to go do something not TV-related.

Tanks mooch

Y'know, I never got around to posting 'bout my Ireland trip. Where did I leave off? Ahh, yes... dictionaries. Later that day I took a bus waaaay out to London Stansted airport, where I flew on RyanAir to the Shannon airport in Ireland. Why do I mention this? I'd like to give my anti-recommendation for RyanAir. Yuck. Pay for baggage, pay if baggage is over a certain very low weight, pay if you look at them funny. Plus, Stansted is in the middle of nowhere. I disliked it sufficiently that I purchased a new ticket back from Dublin to London Heathrow, on Aer Lingus.

But that's not important. Ireland is. What did I do? What did I see? Well, I took a bus to Limerick, where I met a tour group for my two-day West Coast tour. I wrote some limericks... while I was in Galway, not Limerick. They are:

This tour thing has helped me to see
I can't take the Irish seriously
Too much Father Ted
Corrupted my head
Now their accent is comic to me

and...

My heart for Celt music does long
But I have a secret so wrong
Ironic to think
That I do not drink
Yet oh how I love a good pub song!

Hmm... other interesting things...

I learned that left-handed people are considered "blessed by the faeries," and thus are exceptionally smart. Absolutely!!

I met a cute Spanish guy. He was on the two-day tour. Too bad his English wasn't better!

More... and pictures... later!

when is a cover not a cover?

What are the rules on "cover" songs? 'Cuz I was watching America's Next Top Model last week (not that I watch that show) and was surprised to see that the models were part of the music video for "Enrique Iglesias' new song, 'Tired of Being Sorry.'" Whaaa...? That's not an Enrique song, that's a Ringside song!! They didn't give any credit to Ringside - no indication that it is actually a cover. And the original is so much better than that cheap, crappy imitation! Grr. I'll let you be the judge (but if you don't say Ringside, you're crazy). Here are the options:

Ringside version
Enrique version

While we're talking about music, Emily pointed out this fantastic music video for fantastic Andrew Bird's fantastic song Imitosis:



I hope he comes back to the DC area soon. I want to see him in concert again!!

Save the world. Plant a flower.

Sorry. I'm going to introduce you to two addictive games. Have a good time!

First one: Bloomin' Gardens

Second one: Blow up!


Games with plots? Whatever. I <3 casual games.

The most important thing you'll learn today

I'm about to tell you something that will change your life. Be prepared--this is earth-shaking. And sad... Get the kleenex. Ready? Deep breath. Here it is:

People born on February 29th will never have a golden birthday.

Okay, now that your life is altered, on to business: more trip reports! After visiting Keighley and Haworth I returned to London, where I was supposed to see a screening of the Peter Serafinowicz Show. Sadly, it was canceled. Instead, I saw Lord of the Rings, The Musical. It was pretty good... they had to cut many essential elements to make it fit within a 3-hour window. No Rohan whatsoever, no Faramir, no Helm's Deep, etc., etc. They did make a reference to Tom Bombadil. The hobbits were amusing.

Today you will learn why I typically travel alone. I suspect it has to do with some of the sites I like to see. The second day in London I visited a museum that... well... let's just say it had to do with my unique literary tastes. I happen to like dictionaries. I visited the former home of Samuel Johnson -- his primary residence while compiling the first modern English dictionary. I even bought an abridged version of the dictionary (c'mon, I already admitted that I like dictionaries. So stop laughing).

Example definitions from this 1755 dictionary:

heart-breaker: A cant name for a woman's curls, supposed to break the heart of all her lovers.

paraphernalia: Goods in the wife's disposal.

And if you have never been able to understand how the Interweb works, here is the definition of network: Any thing reticulated or decussated, at equal distances, with interstices between the intersections.

All clear now, right?

doppler effect... or not

Reading my blog? Wow, you must be bored. Or boring. That's great, we have something in common!

And I can bore you further. More about my trip to the UK and Ireland!! Lucky you!

After I left Alnmouth I went to a town called Keighley (pronounced "keith-lee"), where I caught an authentic steam train -- the Keighley-Worth Valley Railway. Here's a video I took of the train:



I left the train at a small town called Haworth, which is where the Bronte sisters lived. After wandering all over the place with my luggage I finally found their family home:


If you turn your head (or monitor), you can read about the Bronte Parsonage Museum:

These are what we call "flowers":

The church next to the museum:

Next time I need a doctor, I will definitely go for one at the "Kilmeny Surgery." Many? How many?

Prior Incantato

I suppose it's time to post some pictures from my trip! I flew into Heathrow, then immediately went to London, to King's Cross Station. And where does one travel from King's Cross Station? To Hogwarts, of course -- and that's exactly where I went! Well, I didn't find Platform 9 ¾, but the train from Platform 2 started me on the way to my destination of the day -- Alnwick Castle, a film site for the Harry Potter movies. After my visit to the castle (which is definitely worth a visit!) I went to Alnmouth for the night.

And for those of you who want to study at Hogwarts, check out the St. Cloud State University site...

Pictures...

A statue of Harry Hotspur:
A view of Alnwick Castle:

Another view of Alnwick Castle:

Nearby the castle:

A rainy morning in Alnmouth:

Boats generally require water:

Some of the many, many, many birds of Alnmouth:

Blocks on the beach:

Spiderwebs in the rain:

L33t Street

At some point I'll have time to go on and on about my recent vacation to the UK and Ireland. For now, here is an amuse-bouche for my travel writeup. And it is all about l33tness.

A camera + a bus near Newcastle Upon Tyne + some fabulous timing resulted in this priceless picture:


That's right, kids. The moral of today's story: B1337.

Study at Hogwarts!

Greetings from jolly ol' London! I'm currently on vacation. I'll post more when I return, but I just wanted to inform all of you about one interesting fact I learned. This will be especially useful for those of you trying to decide where to attend college. On Saturday I visited Alnwick Castle, where they filmed Harry Potter. You can actually attend school there--Minnesota's St. Cloud University offers a study abroad program there!

Obscure...

pulling tulips

Hooray for fall television! Shows I like are back in season, and I've found a few new shows to love. So far...

Old shows:

- Heroes is off to a strong start. New twists and turns... though there are still some slightly annoying plotlines. At least we haven't had to deal with the Las Vegas psycho woman plot yet.

- Top Chef is almost over. Only a few weeks 'til Project Runway!!

- Doctor Who is almost over as well. This latest season has been EXCELLENT! What a creative show. And a hot Doctor.

- Beauty and the Geek. The geek kicked off this week was cute... he didn't even need a makeover to help him out! It's a shame he's gone.

- House? Hmmm... it doesn't seem to be improving. I'm not terribly optimistic.

- The IT Crowd, Season 2. Over already.... Alas. It was entertaining, but not as funny as Season 1. Regardless, my newly ordered DVDs are on their way. Oh, in case you haven't heard the bad news, there's a chance this show might not be recreated for the US market. Sad, isn't it?

New shows:

- PUSHING DAISIES! What a bizarre, random, hilarious show! Ever since I saw the first commercial I've been looking forward to seeing it. It lived up to my expectations. It may even have exceeded my expectations... FAAAN-tastick!

- Kid Nation - Kid logic is great. That show is highly entertaining. It's all about kids living off the land exactly as people lived in the Old West. It's true -- they have to rely on outhouses, water pumps, and microwaves. It's seriously bare bones.

- Bionic Woman - You never know with remakes, but this one looks promising.

- Life, Moonlight, and Journeyman - BOOOORING. Sorry, writers and producers, but they're complete snoozers.

off with their heads!

On Saturday, Emily and I made our annual pilgrimage to Crownsville, Maryland for the Renaissance Festival. As usual, it was a great people watching opportunity. Apparently the Food Network was filming there all day. I saw some girl getting some guy's autograph, but who he was, forsooth, I knoweth not.

Here is my summary of the day in pictures... pictures of Emily, mostly. Behold:

Ye olde sword swallower:

Fair Maid Emily getteth her haire done:

Thine faire maide in a flattering pose:

Alas, poor Yorrick. I can't see thee:

Ye olde construction workers:

Emily falleth into love with ye olde blond guy while gettething henna applied to her foot:

Ye olde fancy henna application that turned out better than the henna we got in Marrakesh:

Ye olde vikings in an ancient mode of communication. And elephants, which we didn't ride (because of ye olde long line):

Ye olde sideways picture:

Henna update:

Ye olde hypnotist, leading ye olde crowde in their dramatic death scenes:

Ye olde high schooler a little bit too into this activity. Where'd his shirt go??

Ye olde Food Network person signing an autograph:

The joust:

It was very, very dusty, which looked kinda nice in the light of the setting sun:

One last henna picture:

A nearby haunted looking building. Initially we thought it was called the "Hung Young Building" (appropriate for a haunted hospital). Nay, it was just "Hugh Young." Actually, it's "Hvgh Yovng":

After the Renaissance Festival we went to Baltimore for an AMAZING Andrew Bird concert. But that's a story for another blog entry...