Kneading the dough for some rolls.
They're never too young to start learning how to cook!
They're never too young to start learning how to cook!
07 November 2010
06 November 2010
Saturday
I'm really tired and can't think of much of anything to post.
I made plans today to go see the upcoming Harry Potter film on 20 Nov. So exciting! Should I dress up for the occasion? As what, do you think?
I made plans today to go see the upcoming Harry Potter film on 20 Nov. So exciting! Should I dress up for the occasion? As what, do you think?
05 November 2010
Remember, Remember
The Fifth of November!
If I lived in the UK, I'd be readying my bonfire right about now. Those of us who are Stateside might wonder, what is Guy Fawkes Day all about?
Gunpowder, treason, and plot!
If I lived in the UK, I'd be readying my bonfire right about now. Those of us who are Stateside might wonder, what is Guy Fawkes Day all about?
Gunpowder, treason, and plot!
04 November 2010
It's Curtains for Us
I'm not the most gifted person when it comes to domestic arts, but I am definitely excited about my recent purchase: tension rods and thermal curtain panels from Target. It gets cold out here in central Ohio, and the apartment doesn't have high-efficiency windows, which means that we lose a lot of heat through the windows during the autumn and winter. By placing thermal insulators over the windows, I should be able to retain more heat, thus lowering my heating bill and increasing my comfort level and overall satisfaction with life.
03 November 2010
Expecto Patronum!
First of all, in NaBloPoMo news, I'd like to point out that I posted my review of Repo! on Nov 2, but since I began the post on Nov 1, my blog thinks it should put that date on it, and I'm too lazy to change it right now.
Second of all, I'm shamelessly copying Jennie with today's post. She is celebrating 30 days of Harry Potter over on her blog, and wonders what everybody's Patronus would be.
This is a tough question for some of us. Harry's, of course, is a stag, reflecting, among other things, his strong spiritual relationship with his father. Hermione's Patronus, curiously enough, is an otter, which seems unusually playful for a young person of her serious and scholarly temperament. I could not easily discern what my own Patronus would be, so I had to take myself mentally into Hogwarts and imagine casting the spell. "Expecto Patronum!" I had been hoping for an owl, but sensed that since birds are rather rare among Patroni (Dumbledore's phoenix--if one even considers a phoenix to be a type of bird--and Cho Chang's swan being the only ones mentioned, I believe), I would end up with a furry creature, and probably not even a large and intimidating one. Sure enough, what came out was none other than a cat! Not quite an ordinary domestic cat, but rather a Pallas' cat. Cute and fluffy but can probably inflict some damage. Good enough!
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
What about you, dear readers? Find the Room of Requirement, cast the spell, and let us know in the comments how you fared.
Second of all, I'm shamelessly copying Jennie with today's post. She is celebrating 30 days of Harry Potter over on her blog, and wonders what everybody's Patronus would be.
This is a tough question for some of us. Harry's, of course, is a stag, reflecting, among other things, his strong spiritual relationship with his father. Hermione's Patronus, curiously enough, is an otter, which seems unusually playful for a young person of her serious and scholarly temperament. I could not easily discern what my own Patronus would be, so I had to take myself mentally into Hogwarts and imagine casting the spell. "Expecto Patronum!" I had been hoping for an owl, but sensed that since birds are rather rare among Patroni (Dumbledore's phoenix--if one even considers a phoenix to be a type of bird--and Cho Chang's swan being the only ones mentioned, I believe), I would end up with a furry creature, and probably not even a large and intimidating one. Sure enough, what came out was none other than a cat! Not quite an ordinary domestic cat, but rather a Pallas' cat. Cute and fluffy but can probably inflict some damage. Good enough!
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia Commons
What about you, dear readers? Find the Room of Requirement, cast the spell, and let us know in the comments how you fared.
01 November 2010
Review: Repo! The Genetic Opera
There are some works of human endeavor that present and represent ideas, whether good or bad. A philosophical treatise probably does so blatantly, whereas a piece of fiction or a work of art may do so more subtly. Repo! The Genetic Opera is a filmed rock opera that wrestles with such hefty themes as free will versus determinism, good versus evil, and the human condition. If I had to pinpoint just one Big Idea around which to wrap Repo!, however, I'd have to say that it provides the viewer with a pared-down but graphic view of the hideous realities of human trafficking. A bit of a stretch? Perhaps, but how else should I regard a production wherein human beings are clearly depicted as nothing more than sources of profit, and when the profit fails, the human beings are utterly dispensable?
Repo! is set in a bleak post-apocalyptic not-too-distant future. People can purchase organs if needed for survival or desired merely for some kind of upgrade. The leading organ company, GeneCo, eventually dominates the market and then the world. You get your organs on a financing plan, but if you miss a payment... your organ is repossessed! Who must perform the grisly work of repossession? Why would he or she stoop to do such a thing? Could there be any good in such a person? And could anyone love such a monster?!
We learn about the extremes to which some people must go for sacrifice and redemption, and how others rise above their seemingly omnipotent determinative genetics to seize opportunities to choose ultimate good (grace and forgiveness) above seductive evil. We also see that one can be the most powerful man in the world, but without love and respect given to or received from his children, he is revealed to be a pitiable fool with nothing for which he truly desires to live.
Repo! is not appropriate viewing for everyone. There is gore aplenty, although in truth, much of it is presented in a stylized, almost cartoonish, way. There is also some foul language, brief nudity, and a few rather suggestive scenes (although illicit sexual content is always presented as a hallmark of depravity, and not glorified as being desirable). Ultimately, however, a viewer should not see Repo! unless prepared to have heart and mind stirred to consider some truly heavy issues.
I would need to see Repo! again to appreciate more of the visuals and the musical score. There are some catchy tunes but most of the music is very tied to the narrative, so it is difficult to extract any particular song as being notable. I suspect that repeat viewings will remedy this, but for now, I can simply state that I found nothing unappealing about the musical stylings, and while not all performers were of the same caliber, all acquitted themselves at least competently, if not excellently. Standouts were Anthony Stewart Head, Alexa Vega, and Sarah Brightman, with special mention for Terrance Zdunich, who performed a pivotal role (the Graverobber) but also was one of the writers and composers.
Repo! is set in a bleak post-apocalyptic not-too-distant future. People can purchase organs if needed for survival or desired merely for some kind of upgrade. The leading organ company, GeneCo, eventually dominates the market and then the world. You get your organs on a financing plan, but if you miss a payment... your organ is repossessed! Who must perform the grisly work of repossession? Why would he or she stoop to do such a thing? Could there be any good in such a person? And could anyone love such a monster?!
We learn about the extremes to which some people must go for sacrifice and redemption, and how others rise above their seemingly omnipotent determinative genetics to seize opportunities to choose ultimate good (grace and forgiveness) above seductive evil. We also see that one can be the most powerful man in the world, but without love and respect given to or received from his children, he is revealed to be a pitiable fool with nothing for which he truly desires to live.
Repo! is not appropriate viewing for everyone. There is gore aplenty, although in truth, much of it is presented in a stylized, almost cartoonish, way. There is also some foul language, brief nudity, and a few rather suggestive scenes (although illicit sexual content is always presented as a hallmark of depravity, and not glorified as being desirable). Ultimately, however, a viewer should not see Repo! unless prepared to have heart and mind stirred to consider some truly heavy issues.
I would need to see Repo! again to appreciate more of the visuals and the musical score. There are some catchy tunes but most of the music is very tied to the narrative, so it is difficult to extract any particular song as being notable. I suspect that repeat viewings will remedy this, but for now, I can simply state that I found nothing unappealing about the musical stylings, and while not all performers were of the same caliber, all acquitted themselves at least competently, if not excellently. Standouts were Anthony Stewart Head, Alexa Vega, and Sarah Brightman, with special mention for Terrance Zdunich, who performed a pivotal role (the Graverobber) but also was one of the writers and composers.
26 October 2010
Paul is dead
Paul the Octopus has gone to that big coral reef in the sky...
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/10/26/germany.paul.octopus.death/?hpt=Sbin
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SPORT/10/26/germany.paul.octopus.death/?hpt=Sbin
23 October 2010
Today
Some things I did today:
-went to the bank
-went to the costume shop
-cleaned the bathroom
-washed/dried two loads of laundry
-sorted recyclables
-took a bag of stuff to Goodwill
-put gas in the car
-took recycling to dropoff bins
-bought groceries
-went home and put groceries away
-took care of the Little Bug all day
-bathed the Little Bug and put him to bed
Some things I need to finish before I go to bed:
-finish and put away laundry
-tidy kitchen
-tidy front room and Nathan's room
-shower and brush teeth and toss myself into bed
-went to the bank
-went to the costume shop
-cleaned the bathroom
-washed/dried two loads of laundry
-sorted recyclables
-took a bag of stuff to Goodwill
-put gas in the car
-took recycling to dropoff bins
-bought groceries
-went home and put groceries away
-took care of the Little Bug all day
-bathed the Little Bug and put him to bed
Some things I need to finish before I go to bed:
-finish and put away laundry
-tidy kitchen
-tidy front room and Nathan's room
-shower and brush teeth and toss myself into bed
15 October 2010
CoN: VotDT
I must confess that I am very much looking forward to the December release of this film, despite the overall disappointment that was the misguided Prince Caspian, plus the fact that the producers somehow felt the need to make Dawn Treader 3D.
NPH has twins (so to speak)
Everyone's favorite amazingly multi-talented person, (openly gay) Neil Patrick Harris, is the new father of twin babies! Babies are awesome in and of themselves, of course, but I also found a fair amount of amusement from this article, which concludes by helpfully pointing out that "the babies were born with the help of a surrogate".
14 October 2010
So Far, Still Good Anyway
The Little Bug hasn't been sleeping in his bed anymore, but there is always hope.
We've been doing a lot of basic life stuff: going to work and daycare, church, paying bills, and so forth.
We've been doing a lot of basic life stuff: going to work and daycare, church, paying bills, and so forth.
05 October 2010
So Far, So Good
The Little Bug actually opted to go to sleep in his own bed, three nights in a row. You have no idea how amazing this is, and what an answer to prayer!
02 October 2010
Maroon 5: Misery
I heard the new Maroon 5 single "Misery" on the radio the other day, and thought, "Oh hey, Maroon 5. Cool! They must have a new album out." In all innocence, I proceeded to view the music video on Youtube. Okay, here's a tip, people: Don't watch it. It's VERY DISTURBING. You have been warned. But one good thing the video did is let me know that Adam Levine has actually become hot* with the passage of time. Remember the early 2000s, when he was all skinny and emo and still growing into his face? Well, honey, I took one for the team (you're welcome) and can now assure you that that face is still the quirky not-quite-handsome one we've come to appreciate, but now it is more rugged and definitely scruffy. Levine is working the jeans-and-tight-t-shirt-and-black-leather-jacket angle, and boy is he working it.
I tried to find a photo that I could link or upload but no image was available in the public domain. Try a Google Image search for yourself. I did find an article stating that Levine owes his newly buffed-up physique to yoga. General consensus is that the guy is a player in the worst way, but at least I finally understand why he gets away with it.
*Ah, my sad weakness for punk rockers and the occasional hipster...
I tried to find a photo that I could link or upload but no image was available in the public domain. Try a Google Image search for yourself. I did find an article stating that Levine owes his newly buffed-up physique to yoga. General consensus is that the guy is a player in the worst way, but at least I finally understand why he gets away with it.
*Ah, my sad weakness for punk rockers and the occasional hipster...
28 September 2010
Blog Template Update
I made some changes to my blog's template, hoping to make Youtube videos appear properly. Now you can see Youtube videos embedded, but other stuff is messed up. Sorry! I'll fix it when I can. It's too late to do so effectively now.
What is up with your templates, Blogger?!
What is up with your templates, Blogger?!
Neon Trees: Animal
I haven't had much exposure to Neon Trees, but I am currently obsessed with this song and this video.
It's a potpourri of classic Deb, with the strangely hot punk rocker dude (and those black knit cotton gloves!), the white van in the desert (Biola Utah!), and the allusions to cannibalism. Take a bite of my heart tonight!
It's a potpourri of classic Deb, with the strangely hot punk rocker dude (and those black knit cotton gloves!), the white van in the desert (Biola Utah!), and the allusions to cannibalism. Take a bite of my heart tonight!
21 September 2010
It's been a while, but I haven't disappeared from the planet.
I'm just checking in to assure folks that I am still alive and kicking, AND my boss had the kindness to bring me rambutans, guavas, and cookies at the beginning of the week, so while things could be better, they are nevertheless much better than they could be. Asian fruit makes things better.
I'm just checking in to assure folks that I am still alive and kicking, AND my boss had the kindness to bring me rambutans, guavas, and cookies at the beginning of the week, so while things could be better, they are nevertheless much better than they could be. Asian fruit makes things better.
01 September 2010
Warped 1
I wanted to do a mega-post recounting our adventures at the Warped Tour, but I think I'll have to recap (now a few weeks later, sadly) in a series of snippets.
We started out in proper Warped fashion, by having our mom drop us off at the concert venue. This was hilarious because Mia and I, despite being grown adults who have things like husbands and children and jobs, were still in the same situation as all the teeny-boppers whose mothers were also dropping them off. We were told that there was plenty of space in the parking lot, whereas the dropping-off line was long indeed.
We didn't have to wait very long in line to get in the gates. While we stood about, we enjoyed the ambiance and chatted with the folks behind us in line (pretty much the only other people we could see who were over 21).
One really cool thing about Warped is that when you're standing in line, people come up to you for all kinds of things. They want signatures for causes, they're passing out stickers or demo CDs, or they're band members who are trying to drum interest and get you to go to their shows later in the day. It's fun to meet such a variety of people (although the PETA folks are invariably annoying), especially the bands.
We started out in proper Warped fashion, by having our mom drop us off at the concert venue. This was hilarious because Mia and I, despite being grown adults who have things like husbands and children and jobs, were still in the same situation as all the teeny-boppers whose mothers were also dropping them off. We were told that there was plenty of space in the parking lot, whereas the dropping-off line was long indeed.
We didn't have to wait very long in line to get in the gates. While we stood about, we enjoyed the ambiance and chatted with the folks behind us in line (pretty much the only other people we could see who were over 21).
We got our picture taken. Photobomb sticker!!
One really cool thing about Warped is that when you're standing in line, people come up to you for all kinds of things. They want signatures for causes, they're passing out stickers or demo CDs, or they're band members who are trying to drum interest and get you to go to their shows later in the day. It's fun to meet such a variety of people (although the PETA folks are invariably annoying), especially the bands.
25 August 2010
08 August 2010
Summer Vacation
The Little Bug and I flew and drove all day yesterday (Friday) in order to finally arrive at lovely San Diego. We're tired but having a great time with Willow, Mama Mia, and several other family members. It is unseasonably chilly but we're coping.
More later.
More later.
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