I love it. You love it. It's me. HAAR! My catch-all phrase has meaning!
That made my day.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
A Super Summer Ahead
My wife and I view ~ 3-4 movies per year in the theater. At times, we'll use whatever Groupon or Living Social or Visa Signature deal that is available. Aside from the screen size, there is not much a traditional movie theater has to offer us that our home does not already provide.
I can watch Midnight in Paris or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy at home and still be entertained. [2 great movies]. I think Hugo, however, should be a movie theater experience [very epic, imaginative].
With that said, there are four movies that will be release between March and July that we will see.
1) Hunger Games -- I am salivating. The books are good, especially with the creation of Katniss Everdeen. She is a great heroine, like Lisbeth Salander or Nikita or Agent Sydney Bristow. Yea, girl power. The target audience is definitely a bunch of tweens, but any story that incorporates such an old idea of the young warrior fighting an almost absolute evil [the Capitol] is something I'll enjoy. Heck, I'd pay to watch Theseus and the Minotaur go a couple of rounds.
2) The Avengers -- I'll assemble a group for this movie. Just watch this trailer. Oh heck yeah. I love what Marvel has dome with this franchise as well as the individual characters. I am looking forward to seeing Captain America and Iron Man butt heads and coming together to lead this team. I dunno about Scarlett Johansson -- she's mediocre as an action star and a bit overrated on the looks department. On the other hand, adding Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, and Cobie Smulders [Agent Maria Hill] are excellent moves in casting. I am especially looking forward to seeing Cobie Smulders as she is signed on for 10 movies in the Marvel Universe and she's great in HIMYM.
Go Thor. Go Hulk. Go Hawkeye.
And S.L. Jackson. There are aliens and a demi-god on the mutha' fuckin' planet!! Avengers, assemble.
3) Brave - We will definitely make a heroic effort to see this movie on opening night. Pixar. Scottish heroine. I dunno. Aside from Wall-E, which was garbage [literally and figuratively], Pixar has never done me wrong.
And yes, Fuck Wall-E.
4) The Dark Knight Rises -- Seriously? Why so serious? Do I need to say anything? This rebooted franchise's track record speaker for itself. I love the ending of the Dark Knight. Like Lucius Fox, my faith in the brothers Nolan will be rewarded.
Come join us this summer; come one, come all. Haar.
I can watch Midnight in Paris or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy at home and still be entertained. [2 great movies]. I think Hugo, however, should be a movie theater experience [very epic, imaginative].
With that said, there are four movies that will be release between March and July that we will see.
1) Hunger Games -- I am salivating. The books are good, especially with the creation of Katniss Everdeen. She is a great heroine, like Lisbeth Salander or Nikita or Agent Sydney Bristow. Yea, girl power. The target audience is definitely a bunch of tweens, but any story that incorporates such an old idea of the young warrior fighting an almost absolute evil [the Capitol] is something I'll enjoy. Heck, I'd pay to watch Theseus and the Minotaur go a couple of rounds.
2) The Avengers -- I'll assemble a group for this movie. Just watch this trailer. Oh heck yeah. I love what Marvel has dome with this franchise as well as the individual characters. I am looking forward to seeing Captain America and Iron Man butt heads and coming together to lead this team. I dunno about Scarlett Johansson -- she's mediocre as an action star and a bit overrated on the looks department. On the other hand, adding Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, and Cobie Smulders [Agent Maria Hill] are excellent moves in casting. I am especially looking forward to seeing Cobie Smulders as she is signed on for 10 movies in the Marvel Universe and she's great in HIMYM.
Go Thor. Go Hulk. Go Hawkeye.
And S.L. Jackson. There are aliens and a demi-god on the mutha' fuckin' planet!! Avengers, assemble.
3) Brave - We will definitely make a heroic effort to see this movie on opening night. Pixar. Scottish heroine. I dunno. Aside from Wall-E, which was garbage [literally and figuratively], Pixar has never done me wrong.
And yes, Fuck Wall-E.
4) The Dark Knight Rises -- Seriously? Why so serious? Do I need to say anything? This rebooted franchise's track record speaker for itself. I love the ending of the Dark Knight. Like Lucius Fox, my faith in the brothers Nolan will be rewarded.
Come join us this summer; come one, come all. Haar.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Disturbing Trends
1) I hate one particular biker. Fuck you, you tattooed moron, who would be as bold to break no less than 2 moving violations and then verbally harass my wife and me.
Yes, you. Yeah, you. Uh-huh. Yeah, Fuck You. Fuck you, you bitch-ass, bike-riding, wannabe hippie. You cannot bike against traffic and randomly switch directions in the middle of the street and expect people to know what the fuck you are doing, you fucktard.
Don't ever, ever yell at my wife or in her general direction.
And no, I did not F' your mother, so that moniker that so aptly rolled off your tongue is inaccurate. But, if I did, I guarantee I would go for the 6th Base.
Argh. Tupac Shakur said it best. NSFW.
Okay, I got that out of my system.
2) What is up with this trend of putting lyrical hooks/choruses with a rap about it how hard it was to grow up in your youth. Like B.oB. w/ Hayley Williams of Paramore in "Airplanes" or Tinie Tempah w/ Eric Turner in "Written in the Stars." Then you have this Skylar Grey person showing up everywhere, and then, Rihanna being the no talent ass clown that she is, gets in on the action as well, with Eminem? I guess he kind of started it back in the day with the song, "Stan", but I am sure this trend has been around for a while.
I seriously doubt any of these cats thought this idea up. Anyone know who the first or the first recording of this was ?
With that being said, I like Airplanes and Written in the Stars.
3) I cannot stand Lady Gaga. Argh. Didn't we see this in the 1980s. Her name then was Madonna.
4) I don't particularly care for this Bieber kid, but I give him props for being so motivated at such a young age. With that said, I wish he would disappear like Ricky Martin.
5) We're due for the next boy band. ~1970, Jackson 5, Monkees, ~1980s Menudo [this is a stretch, but I needed somthing for ~1980], ~1990s New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, New Edition, All-4-One, ~2000 Backstreet Boys, NSync, O-Town, 98 Degrees.
It's about time, if my calculations are correct. Oh lord. Please help us survive.
Yes, you. Yeah, you. Uh-huh. Yeah, Fuck You. Fuck you, you bitch-ass, bike-riding, wannabe hippie. You cannot bike against traffic and randomly switch directions in the middle of the street and expect people to know what the fuck you are doing, you fucktard.
Don't ever, ever yell at my wife or in her general direction.
And no, I did not F' your mother, so that moniker that so aptly rolled off your tongue is inaccurate. But, if I did, I guarantee I would go for the 6th Base.
Argh. Tupac Shakur said it best. NSFW.
Okay, I got that out of my system.
2) What is up with this trend of putting lyrical hooks/choruses with a rap about it how hard it was to grow up in your youth. Like B.oB. w/ Hayley Williams of Paramore in "Airplanes" or Tinie Tempah w/ Eric Turner in "Written in the Stars." Then you have this Skylar Grey person showing up everywhere, and then, Rihanna being the no talent ass clown that she is, gets in on the action as well, with Eminem? I guess he kind of started it back in the day with the song, "Stan", but I am sure this trend has been around for a while.
I seriously doubt any of these cats thought this idea up. Anyone know who the first or the first recording of this was ?
With that being said, I like Airplanes and Written in the Stars.
3) I cannot stand Lady Gaga. Argh. Didn't we see this in the 1980s. Her name then was Madonna.
4) I don't particularly care for this Bieber kid, but I give him props for being so motivated at such a young age. With that said, I wish he would disappear like Ricky Martin.
5) We're due for the next boy band. ~1970, Jackson 5, Monkees, ~1980s Menudo [this is a stretch, but I needed somthing for ~1980], ~1990s New Kids on the Block, Boyz II Men, New Edition, All-4-One, ~2000 Backstreet Boys, NSync, O-Town, 98 Degrees.
It's about time, if my calculations are correct. Oh lord. Please help us survive.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
One Year Later ...
One year (and three days) ago, my wife and I were married. However, I think today marks as big a milestone. Today is the day that we boarded a plane and started our life together in California. I think about that day, and I think about the emotions at play. I felt horrible for feeling as though I was taking my wife away from everything familiar to her. She had grown up on the East Coast, and everything and everyone she knew was "East Coast".
California is an odd place, at least Northern CA. It's autumnal weather year round, and you require a jacket on some days and every night, even in the middle of summer. And then, there is the incessant fog and drizzle rain. Heh, Seattle-lite.
We got home in the evening a year ago, and her aunt had kindly picked us up from the airport. She brought us these Indian lentil loaf things, called "Handvo". She also brought us milk so that we could have some and make coffee the next day.
I cannot say enough about her aunt and uncle. They have done so much for us, helping my wife especially know that there is family here for her and that people love her. Yes, I love her, but love is not always enough especially when you are removed from everything familiar to you.
It is a testament to the toughness of my wife, however, at how fast she assimilated and rode out the initial hardships. In many ways, outside of our parents and what they experienced, she is the bravest person I know.
We've been able to carve out a niche in our community, which we love. We enjoy our local gym and have gotten to know the other regulars there. We've found our favorite breakfast food locales and found a taco shop we cannot get enough of. We've made friends with our local ethnic food market. It has led us to finding great produce, like green peppers as large as a fist [no they have not been genetically altered] and cut our food costs.
We've joined a wine club and discovered regions with wine that we had not visited before. We took our first road trip together, and hosted both sets of our parents, our siblings, friends, and uncles/aunts who visited [not all at the same time]. Everyone who has visited us has come away realizing that we have created a good nest in our first year. We won't live in our apartment forever, and so, the physical location will change in time. However, the "nest" is as emotional/mental as it is physical. It's where you go home; it's who you go home to.
In many ways, it has been the best year of my life. It's been the first year of my life that I have fully shared with another person since I left home in 1996 [for college].
These are some thoughts / observations / lessons from Year 1:
1) Never clean / dry a wine glass with wet hands.
2) Never disregard the strength of Serrano peppers. Definitely do not touch your cheeks or eyes after chopping one.
3) Football does not matter as much as it once did. I still like it, but I think there was always a part of me using it as a surrogate for something missing in my life.
4) My wife is one of the most practical people I know.
5) "World is going to eat you up." followed up by " ...... the World? ......" -- from our 4.75 yr old nephew.
6) We prefer Alexander Valley.
7) Cast iron cookware is amazing to use in the kitchen.
8) Be careful for what one asks for -- one will get it at some point. For example, Jan-May 2011 was an extremely busy time. My wife knows what I am talking about.
9) I don't really get mad, but I can speak loudly. I need to do a better job of tempering that.
10) Shipping a car cross country is a not trivial task.
11) I want to give a shout out / acknowledgement to my friends out here -- you're no longer my friends; you're OUR friends. Y'all have helped make my wife feel part of the family out here.
12) Electronic bill pay is a good thing.
13) My wife and I work well together. We have different things we do well, and so, we complement each other well. This works with synchronicity when we cook meals.
14) Coffee in the Caribbean is amazing.
15) Admiral Rodney -- I know you are out there. I will find you. It's the best rum [dark rum] I have ever had. Argh, if only the duty free store had it on our way out!
I'll start posting on this blog more often from here on out.
Until next time, HAAR!
California is an odd place, at least Northern CA. It's autumnal weather year round, and you require a jacket on some days and every night, even in the middle of summer. And then, there is the incessant fog and drizzle rain. Heh, Seattle-lite.
We got home in the evening a year ago, and her aunt had kindly picked us up from the airport. She brought us these Indian lentil loaf things, called "Handvo". She also brought us milk so that we could have some and make coffee the next day.
I cannot say enough about her aunt and uncle. They have done so much for us, helping my wife especially know that there is family here for her and that people love her. Yes, I love her, but love is not always enough especially when you are removed from everything familiar to you.
It is a testament to the toughness of my wife, however, at how fast she assimilated and rode out the initial hardships. In many ways, outside of our parents and what they experienced, she is the bravest person I know.
We've been able to carve out a niche in our community, which we love. We enjoy our local gym and have gotten to know the other regulars there. We've found our favorite breakfast food locales and found a taco shop we cannot get enough of. We've made friends with our local ethnic food market. It has led us to finding great produce, like green peppers as large as a fist [no they have not been genetically altered] and cut our food costs.
We've joined a wine club and discovered regions with wine that we had not visited before. We took our first road trip together, and hosted both sets of our parents, our siblings, friends, and uncles/aunts who visited [not all at the same time]. Everyone who has visited us has come away realizing that we have created a good nest in our first year. We won't live in our apartment forever, and so, the physical location will change in time. However, the "nest" is as emotional/mental as it is physical. It's where you go home; it's who you go home to.
In many ways, it has been the best year of my life. It's been the first year of my life that I have fully shared with another person since I left home in 1996 [for college].
These are some thoughts / observations / lessons from Year 1:
1) Never clean / dry a wine glass with wet hands.
2) Never disregard the strength of Serrano peppers. Definitely do not touch your cheeks or eyes after chopping one.
3) Football does not matter as much as it once did. I still like it, but I think there was always a part of me using it as a surrogate for something missing in my life.
4) My wife is one of the most practical people I know.
5) "World is going to eat you up." followed up by " ...... the World? ......" -- from our 4.75 yr old nephew.
6) We prefer Alexander Valley.
7) Cast iron cookware is amazing to use in the kitchen.
8) Be careful for what one asks for -- one will get it at some point. For example, Jan-May 2011 was an extremely busy time. My wife knows what I am talking about.
9) I don't really get mad, but I can speak loudly. I need to do a better job of tempering that.
10) Shipping a car cross country is a not trivial task.
11) I want to give a shout out / acknowledgement to my friends out here -- you're no longer my friends; you're OUR friends. Y'all have helped make my wife feel part of the family out here.
12) Electronic bill pay is a good thing.
13) My wife and I work well together. We have different things we do well, and so, we complement each other well. This works with synchronicity when we cook meals.
14) Coffee in the Caribbean is amazing.
15) Admiral Rodney -- I know you are out there. I will find you. It's the best rum [dark rum] I have ever had. Argh, if only the duty free store had it on our way out!
I'll start posting on this blog more often from here on out.
Until next time, HAAR!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
The Wedding Approaches
On Saturday, I will be getting married. It still feels distant, but I know the time approaches fast. There is not much to do - just some decisions regarding the selection of alcohol during the reception. Oh, yes. Rachana and I have not practiced our first dance outside of selecting our song. The potential for a wonderful disaster exists.
How do I feel - I dunno. I feel excited, but normal. I am not nervous. Perhaps, I will be Friday night during those few hours to myself when I am alone and have a chance to introspect. Perhaps, not - I will be tired. I look most forward to seeing my family again and having all my friend who are able to attend come. Even the others who cannot make it have shared their excitement and good tidings with us.
I am very humbled by the blessings bestowed by everyone and the effort people are making to attend. I hope that we are great hosts, and the guests enjoy their time.
I want to say something insightful or profound, but I have nothing right now. Seldom are thoughts as significant as one thinks they are, though. On Saturday, though, I will answer my to-be-wife's chief question - "Why do you love me?" It's an answer I have withheld from her and told her when we marry, I will tell her.
On Saturday, God willing, I will. Okay, time to leave early from work and deal with the last few things. See you there on Friday, etc.
How do I feel - I dunno. I feel excited, but normal. I am not nervous. Perhaps, I will be Friday night during those few hours to myself when I am alone and have a chance to introspect. Perhaps, not - I will be tired. I look most forward to seeing my family again and having all my friend who are able to attend come. Even the others who cannot make it have shared their excitement and good tidings with us.
I am very humbled by the blessings bestowed by everyone and the effort people are making to attend. I hope that we are great hosts, and the guests enjoy their time.
I want to say something insightful or profound, but I have nothing right now. Seldom are thoughts as significant as one thinks they are, though. On Saturday, though, I will answer my to-be-wife's chief question - "Why do you love me?" It's an answer I have withheld from her and told her when we marry, I will tell her.
On Saturday, God willing, I will. Okay, time to leave early from work and deal with the last few things. See you there on Friday, etc.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Words Thrown Away
In monumental stroke of bad luck, I left my wedding speech on my work desk. It seems the carpets were cleaned last night, and my paper pad was knocked to the floor. Once on the floor, my speech was steam cleaned.
It is ruined. The words smeared about. I have the gist in my head as well as the order of thoughts that I wanted to discuss in the 3-3.5 minutes I allotted to myself, however. And I think that is what I will do.
I like having a plan, but I feel as though plans are skeletons, outlines if you will permit, of what to do.
My father and I laid out each class I would take from freshman year to graduation of high school and then college. Remarkably, the high school plan was about 80%-90% the same. There is not much in high school that was going to attract my attention. If it was an AP class, I was going to take it and get the credit. In that process, I started college with 40-45 hrs of credit.
This laid the groundwork for my undergrad. So much of the early years of my father and my plan was already accounted for. I had room to explore and try new things. So, I did. Instead of taking 17-18 hrs some semesters, I backed off and took 12-14 hrs per semester that contributed towards my degree. I took a "throwaway" class each semester, like athletic conditioning, basketball skills I, Introduction to Hinduism's Origin, a hero's origin, or even a class on relativity [pass/fail]. The freedom and extra time also make a difference during football season when you are attempting to unleash 1000 crickets in the middle of the night on Nebraska's, the visiting team, hotel floor -- it gives you time to plan.
I have the outline in my head as well as a version of what I am going to say. And now, I have time/freedom to explore creative options for what I want to say. I have an opportunity to let my heart speak its mind to my wife-to-be. I have an opportunity to tell my parents what they mean to me. And, I have an opportunity to acknowledge my friends for what they have done to me.
I do not know exactly what I will say any longer. But, I do know I have a general idea from the original speech. And come game day, June 5th, whatever I do say will be in my voice. There will be no screen as we create when we edit or plan things out.
It's going to be exciting. And for some reason, I just know I will do well.
15 days. Bring it.
It is ruined. The words smeared about. I have the gist in my head as well as the order of thoughts that I wanted to discuss in the 3-3.5 minutes I allotted to myself, however. And I think that is what I will do.
I like having a plan, but I feel as though plans are skeletons, outlines if you will permit, of what to do.
My father and I laid out each class I would take from freshman year to graduation of high school and then college. Remarkably, the high school plan was about 80%-90% the same. There is not much in high school that was going to attract my attention. If it was an AP class, I was going to take it and get the credit. In that process, I started college with 40-45 hrs of credit.
This laid the groundwork for my undergrad. So much of the early years of my father and my plan was already accounted for. I had room to explore and try new things. So, I did. Instead of taking 17-18 hrs some semesters, I backed off and took 12-14 hrs per semester that contributed towards my degree. I took a "throwaway" class each semester, like athletic conditioning, basketball skills I, Introduction to Hinduism's Origin, a hero's origin, or even a class on relativity [pass/fail]. The freedom and extra time also make a difference during football season when you are attempting to unleash 1000 crickets in the middle of the night on Nebraska's, the visiting team, hotel floor -- it gives you time to plan.
I have the outline in my head as well as a version of what I am going to say. And now, I have time/freedom to explore creative options for what I want to say. I have an opportunity to let my heart speak its mind to my wife-to-be. I have an opportunity to tell my parents what they mean to me. And, I have an opportunity to acknowledge my friends for what they have done to me.
I do not know exactly what I will say any longer. But, I do know I have a general idea from the original speech. And come game day, June 5th, whatever I do say will be in my voice. There will be no screen as we create when we edit or plan things out.
It's going to be exciting. And for some reason, I just know I will do well.
15 days. Bring it.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Villains
What makes a good villain?
There must be an action that represents a point of no return and hope for redemption.
The point of no return aligns the audience with one of the sides - good or evil. The Joker in Batman and Voldemort in the Harry Potter novels are also great archetypes for villains. There is nothing redeeming about them; they are manipulative and completely evil. Joker and Voldemort also share another trait - badassness. Both characters have a formidable presence and possess great powers, namely intelligence and wizardry, respectively. They are worthy adversaries for any hero.
One of my favorite, more recent examples is Ra's al Ghul from Batman Begins. There is part where Batman's training with the Himalayan ninjas ends, and Ra's al Ghul asks Batman to kill a guy for stealing a goat or something. Batman looks at him in disbelief, but Ghul is completely serious. This Ghul's moment - despite becoming Batman's father figure, he asks him to do something so unmistakeably evil. This is Ghul's point of no return - we no longer care about all that he has done for our hero; Ghul's a bad dude. I mean seriously. You don't kill a person for goat stealing unless you went to TX A&M. Those goat/sheep f'ers, argh.
Also, there cannot be any source for redemption. Take Darth Vader for example. What seems as though the perfect formula for a villain - dark outfit, scary voice, great powers, etc. - is actually a hero who has been manipulated. Yes, Vader is the Villain in Star Wars, but by the end of Empire Strikes Back, I, too, sensed the good in him and hoped he would redeem himself.
This is why I look forward to the Iron Man 2 movie. Mickey Rourke's character plays Ivan Vanko. For the purposes of the film, he plays "Whiplash", who is Russian, brilliant, and deranged. Now, in the comics, Ivan Dranko was the Crimson Dynamo - the communist version of Iron Man. But, this movie makes him Whiplash, which is fine. It's just an amalgamation of both characters.
How will he be? Will there be a point of not return? Will there be redemption? I doubt it on the redemption of the villain. I think Whiplash will be flat out evil. I
However, the Iron Man comic story has always been about Tony Stark's demons and his quest for redemption*. He messes up so much, has so much hubris, but when everything is on the line, Tony Stark always sucks it and fights back. Iron Man 2 also adapts the "Demon in a Bottle" storyline where Stark becomes an alcoholic. I find this story very compelling because when all hope seems lost, the redemption occurs.
At some point, I should address in 31 days, I will be married. Ok, I just addressed it. Haar.
* denotes that many would argue the original Iron Man was about Western technology versus Eastern mysticism, ie. Iron Man vs. the Mandarin and his 10 Rings. The movie adaptation takes after the "Demon in a Bottle" plot.
The point of no return aligns the audience with one of the sides - good or evil. The Joker in Batman and Voldemort in the Harry Potter novels are also great archetypes for villains. There is nothing redeeming about them; they are manipulative and completely evil. Joker and Voldemort also share another trait - badassness. Both characters have a formidable presence and possess great powers, namely intelligence and wizardry, respectively. They are worthy adversaries for any hero.
One of my favorite, more recent examples is Ra's al Ghul from Batman Begins. There is part where Batman's training with the Himalayan ninjas ends, and Ra's al Ghul asks Batman to kill a guy for stealing a goat or something. Batman looks at him in disbelief, but Ghul is completely serious. This Ghul's moment - despite becoming Batman's father figure, he asks him to do something so unmistakeably evil. This is Ghul's point of no return - we no longer care about all that he has done for our hero; Ghul's a bad dude. I mean seriously. You don't kill a person for goat stealing unless you went to TX A&M. Those goat/sheep f'ers, argh.
Also, there cannot be any source for redemption. Take Darth Vader for example. What seems as though the perfect formula for a villain - dark outfit, scary voice, great powers, etc. - is actually a hero who has been manipulated. Yes, Vader is the Villain in Star Wars, but by the end of Empire Strikes Back, I, too, sensed the good in him and hoped he would redeem himself.
This is why I look forward to the Iron Man 2 movie. Mickey Rourke's character plays Ivan Vanko. For the purposes of the film, he plays "Whiplash", who is Russian, brilliant, and deranged. Now, in the comics, Ivan Dranko was the Crimson Dynamo - the communist version of Iron Man. But, this movie makes him Whiplash, which is fine. It's just an amalgamation of both characters.
How will he be? Will there be a point of not return? Will there be redemption? I doubt it on the redemption of the villain. I think Whiplash will be flat out evil. I
However, the Iron Man comic story has always been about Tony Stark's demons and his quest for redemption*. He messes up so much, has so much hubris, but when everything is on the line, Tony Stark always sucks it and fights back. Iron Man 2 also adapts the "Demon in a Bottle" storyline where Stark becomes an alcoholic. I find this story very compelling because when all hope seems lost, the redemption occurs.
At some point, I should address in 31 days, I will be married. Ok, I just addressed it. Haar.
* denotes that many would argue the original Iron Man was about Western technology versus Eastern mysticism, ie. Iron Man vs. the Mandarin and his 10 Rings. The movie adaptation takes after the "Demon in a Bottle" plot.
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