Weekend Wrap Up
November 29, 2006
“Put a Filipino in Antarctica and in one month they will be one with the penguins.”
-From an LA Times article at http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bebot22nov22,1,7315857.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
I am not one for hip-hop, but the Black Eyed Peas’ Bebot does stir my Filipino pride, which is what the article linked above, is about. The article translates the lyrics badly and laughably - it loses something in their translation. The quote above relates to how easy us FOB’s assimilate to any culture we encounter which is true to an extent and does not really apply to all Pinoys. I believe we just have an advantage as a majority of us came here (or to other westernized countries) with a firm grasp of English already. There are not many of us, for example, in Italy as many of us do not know how to speak Italian. But in countries where English is widely spoken, sooner or later you will run into one of us.
Anyway.
And the number one reason I hate vacations or long weekends? Because at the end of them is usually when you finally get used to the non-work schedule and then you have to throw that out the window and attempt to get back to the regular work schedule. Take the Thanksgiving weekend for example. Everyday I did not have to I was up the time I usually am for work despite my hardest to want to sleep in. And the day I have to go to work is when I finally have to urge to sleep in. See how that works?
More proof that I am hated and that my life sucks.
Seen that Thanksgiving Weekend I was talking about:
Hustle Season 1:
Damn, I love this show. I am a big fan of Spooks AKA MI5 and have heard a lot about this show (and many have said that Hustle is superior to Spooks; I am not ready to call this show that yet, I have too much love for the Spy-Fi genre- not that I like Spooks just because it is full of spies instead of con artists). Anyway, the people at Kudos Entertainment are two for two for great shows (now I just have to see if Life on Mars is any good). I really cannot say more without sounding repetitive, let us just say there are great characters, good suspense (not as life or death as it is in Spooks), the idea of conning only those who deserve to be conned (never con an honest man, there are those who want something for nothing and we give them nothing for something) and just great fun.
10 Stars (out of 5)
Veronica Mars Season 2:
I am not a huge fan of this show (Holly is) despite loving a good detective tale. I think it is because I am a little put off at how whitewash the cast is. The investigation of the week is a tad weak although the major who-done-it arc usually pulls me in. Season 2 is as good for me as Season 1.
3 Stars (out of 5)
Mission Impossible 3:
Remember how I said I like Spy-Fi? I did not care for the first Mission Impossible movie, and the second one is the worst John Woo movie ever. Tom Cruise is a capable actor, it is just that his off screen persona just permeates into everything he does on screen (and his off screen persona is just annoying). However this movie is the closest thing you would get to an Alias movie. Just replace Cruise with Sydney Bristow, IMF with SD6/CIA/APO, and the White Rabbit thing with a random Rimbaldi thing and there you have it. Other that that, I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was actually pretty damn good. Philip Seymour Hoffman is an awesome take-no-shit bad guy; we should have more characters like him in movies like these.
3.5 Stars (out of 5)
King Kong: Extended Edition
Good but not great. Too much of a remake (in that all the story beats are too predictable), I would have loved to see Peter Jackson go reinterpretation instead. The Skull Island bits are the best and the only reason to see this movie, extended or not.
2.5 Stars (out of 5)
X-Files: The Last Episodes
The ninth season sucked, especially after the great (but not as great as the early seasons) season eight mythology episodes. The ninth season had a decent opening two parter but that is about it. The finale was okay, I am not disappointed that it ended in a cliffhanger; I am disappointed that it ended in a whimper.
1 Star (out of 5, but still one of my favourite shows and hope that a ‘Next Generation” thing happens eventually)
Also seen this weekend was a Good Morning America segment on the death of record stores across the country, specifically Tower Records (which should not be a surprise as who could afford to pay at least $18 for a CD there). I will miss Tower Records anyway. I always liked their great selection of things and for being the last place I know of that still sold CD singles. The one in Woodland Hills was a regular haunt for me as they did not close until midnight every night and I would wander there during my long gone college years if I was bored to read magazines and find singles from bands I wanted to check out.
As for the death of the record store in general, I hope those rumors are exaggerated. For sure, electronic stores like Best Buy would still carry CD’s and such, but record stores like Amoeba records, (my personal fave) CD Trader in Tarzana and locally, Waterloo and Cheapo Discs should be around a while longer. I do not mind the various mp3 players (although I still do not have one) and the IPOD is the new walkman. But it will be a while before I can plop down $300.00 for decent player (I have my eye on the IPOD video) and even longer before I can afford to buy all the songs I want off the internet. In the meanwhile, you can find me listening to my archaic CD player, flipping through the racks and hoping to find that one VNV Nation CD that is out of print.
And also obtained this weekend whilst beating up geeks left and right in the early morning on the Friday after Thanksgiving prior to proclaiming it a No Buy Weekend in an effort to not be a zombie: ABSOLUTE SANDMAN Volume One.
Finally. A giant monster of a book with beautiful archival quality paper that showcases the artwork and binding that hopefully does not unravel after a thousand times of reading the book. This is a completely selfish purchase as I already have the stories in other form (even the extras are told better in the companion book from Hy Bender). But the stories have never appeared in better form (The Dream of a Thousand Cats is an awesome example).
Is it worth the $99 price tag (I got it half off on sale)? I cannot answer that, the stories are available in more affordable formats, but damn it- the book looks good on a bookshelf.
Read this weekend:
Runaways #22: I am bummed that this is the last storyline by the current creative line up. It just will not be the same no matter who follows it up. And they have already done a fake Nico Minoru death; will they do it for real this time? I hope they do not fake us out again but then again, I also hope they do not kill off my favourite character.
Slightly disappointed: No zombie reenactments at the malls and stores as I accompanied Holly.
Not disappointed: At the sight of the real zombies as they searched for the elusive bargain although chances are they do not need that thing they eventually bought.
Really disappointed: The amount of discarded packaging seen at the San Marcos Outlets.
Almost became a zombie: If they still had a $400 laptop at Best Buy.
_______________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/
http://catterpillarboy.livejournal.com
“Put a Filipino in Antarctica and in one month they will be one with the penguins.”
-From an LA Times article at http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bebot22nov22,1,7315857.story?coll=la-headlines-california&ctrack=1&cset=true
I am not one for hip-hop, but the Black Eyed Peas’ Bebot does stir my Filipino pride, which is what the article linked above, is about. The article translates the lyrics badly and laughably - it loses something in their translation. The quote above relates to how easy us FOB’s assimilate to any culture we encounter which is true to an extent and does not really apply to all Pinoys. I believe we just have an advantage as a majority of us came here (or to other westernized countries) with a firm grasp of English already. There are not many of us, for example, in Italy as many of us do not know how to speak Italian. But in countries where English is widely spoken, sooner or later you will run into one of us.
Anyway.
And the number one reason I hate vacations or long weekends? Because at the end of them is usually when you finally get used to the non-work schedule and then you have to throw that out the window and attempt to get back to the regular work schedule. Take the Thanksgiving weekend for example. Everyday I did not have to I was up the time I usually am for work despite my hardest to want to sleep in. And the day I have to go to work is when I finally have to urge to sleep in. See how that works?
More proof that I am hated and that my life sucks.
Seen that Thanksgiving Weekend I was talking about:
Hustle Season 1:
Damn, I love this show. I am a big fan of Spooks AKA MI5 and have heard a lot about this show (and many have said that Hustle is superior to Spooks; I am not ready to call this show that yet, I have too much love for the Spy-Fi genre- not that I like Spooks just because it is full of spies instead of con artists). Anyway, the people at Kudos Entertainment are two for two for great shows (now I just have to see if Life on Mars is any good). I really cannot say more without sounding repetitive, let us just say there are great characters, good suspense (not as life or death as it is in Spooks), the idea of conning only those who deserve to be conned (never con an honest man, there are those who want something for nothing and we give them nothing for something) and just great fun.
10 Stars (out of 5)
Veronica Mars Season 2:
I am not a huge fan of this show (Holly is) despite loving a good detective tale. I think it is because I am a little put off at how whitewash the cast is. The investigation of the week is a tad weak although the major who-done-it arc usually pulls me in. Season 2 is as good for me as Season 1.
3 Stars (out of 5)
Mission Impossible 3:
Remember how I said I like Spy-Fi? I did not care for the first Mission Impossible movie, and the second one is the worst John Woo movie ever. Tom Cruise is a capable actor, it is just that his off screen persona just permeates into everything he does on screen (and his off screen persona is just annoying). However this movie is the closest thing you would get to an Alias movie. Just replace Cruise with Sydney Bristow, IMF with SD6/CIA/APO, and the White Rabbit thing with a random Rimbaldi thing and there you have it. Other that that, I was pleasantly surprised that the movie was actually pretty damn good. Philip Seymour Hoffman is an awesome take-no-shit bad guy; we should have more characters like him in movies like these.
3.5 Stars (out of 5)
King Kong: Extended Edition
Good but not great. Too much of a remake (in that all the story beats are too predictable), I would have loved to see Peter Jackson go reinterpretation instead. The Skull Island bits are the best and the only reason to see this movie, extended or not.
2.5 Stars (out of 5)
X-Files: The Last Episodes
The ninth season sucked, especially after the great (but not as great as the early seasons) season eight mythology episodes. The ninth season had a decent opening two parter but that is about it. The finale was okay, I am not disappointed that it ended in a cliffhanger; I am disappointed that it ended in a whimper.
1 Star (out of 5, but still one of my favourite shows and hope that a ‘Next Generation” thing happens eventually)
Also seen this weekend was a Good Morning America segment on the death of record stores across the country, specifically Tower Records (which should not be a surprise as who could afford to pay at least $18 for a CD there). I will miss Tower Records anyway. I always liked their great selection of things and for being the last place I know of that still sold CD singles. The one in Woodland Hills was a regular haunt for me as they did not close until midnight every night and I would wander there during my long gone college years if I was bored to read magazines and find singles from bands I wanted to check out.
As for the death of the record store in general, I hope those rumors are exaggerated. For sure, electronic stores like Best Buy would still carry CD’s and such, but record stores like Amoeba records, (my personal fave) CD Trader in Tarzana and locally, Waterloo and Cheapo Discs should be around a while longer. I do not mind the various mp3 players (although I still do not have one) and the IPOD is the new walkman. But it will be a while before I can plop down $300.00 for decent player (I have my eye on the IPOD video) and even longer before I can afford to buy all the songs I want off the internet. In the meanwhile, you can find me listening to my archaic CD player, flipping through the racks and hoping to find that one VNV Nation CD that is out of print.
And also obtained this weekend whilst beating up geeks left and right in the early morning on the Friday after Thanksgiving prior to proclaiming it a No Buy Weekend in an effort to not be a zombie: ABSOLUTE SANDMAN Volume One.
Finally. A giant monster of a book with beautiful archival quality paper that showcases the artwork and binding that hopefully does not unravel after a thousand times of reading the book. This is a completely selfish purchase as I already have the stories in other form (even the extras are told better in the companion book from Hy Bender). But the stories have never appeared in better form (The Dream of a Thousand Cats is an awesome example).
Is it worth the $99 price tag (I got it half off on sale)? I cannot answer that, the stories are available in more affordable formats, but damn it- the book looks good on a bookshelf.
Read this weekend:
Runaways #22: I am bummed that this is the last storyline by the current creative line up. It just will not be the same no matter who follows it up. And they have already done a fake Nico Minoru death; will they do it for real this time? I hope they do not fake us out again but then again, I also hope they do not kill off my favourite character.
Slightly disappointed: No zombie reenactments at the malls and stores as I accompanied Holly.
Not disappointed: At the sight of the real zombies as they searched for the elusive bargain although chances are they do not need that thing they eventually bought.
Really disappointed: The amount of discarded packaging seen at the San Marcos Outlets.
Almost became a zombie: If they still had a $400 laptop at Best Buy.
_______________________________________________________________________
http://www.myspace.com/catterpillarboy
http://catterpillarboy.blogspot.com/
http://catterpillarboy.livejournal.com
posted by Catterpillarboy at 10:00 AM
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