The Journal at the End of the Universe

So I just watched King of Kong and came to the realization that I will never be that good at anything in my life ever. And especially not any video game. Breaking a million points on any game is something distant and fuzzy that will always be out of reach. Oh well? I'm not sure...

Maybe it's my lack of serious devotion, and the fact that I'm not willing to be so determined to get something that even my pre-school children would start to notice that it's gone to far.

Meh.

Note to self: your favourite software for capping and making caps is WinDVD.

(Since I have to cap on a PC that isn't mine this program seems to keep disappearing from my computer and I have to search the internet in a very time consuming way for a program that I don't even know the name of - annoying.)

Question to anyone who may have an answer - is there any good software out there for macs for making DVD caps? I have DVD capture which is nice for making one or two caps, but I'm talking about batch capping. I like WinDVD because it displays all the caps in a little window next to the playing video so you can just click-click-click and then go back and delete the ones you don't want to keep, then save all. It's better, I find, then saving each file individually and having to go back manually to see which ones you want to keep or not. Anything like that for mac? Yes, maybe?

So it is becoming all to clear that I need to find a substantial use for this journal. I'm thinking funny anecdotes, but we'll have to see. Lots of stories involve context, and I'm just not sure how much is relatable in a journal like this.

Since I stayed home writing an essay all day today, nothing funny happened.

I shall have to return with something more interesting to recall.

Playing around with the themes in LJ, and I'm liking some of them. I'm really starting to prefer these clean, really simple layouts.

Life is hellish. Mainly in the work area. I really like the disposable income, but on the other hand, it's a miserable place and it's taking my time away which I could be spending on more productive things. Which would also explain my long absences from the online world. I really should just not work during the school year. It's not like I wont be able to find a job during the summer. The best thing to do is to quit. But... on the other hand... the money. I want it. Even if it's just for the regular stuff like cell phone bills.

I finally caught up on season 3 of Lost. I've also come out of the Lost closet. I am no longer ashamed to admit in public that I watch Lost. It's caught on nicely, so nothing to be ashamed of anymore.

Early class tomorrow. Need sleep.

This may just be my largest batch of icons to date: Grandma's boy. Because nearly every line is quotable, or in this case, iconable. And I'm still working on the rest of the movie. I really would like to sharpen my icon making skills so this is I guess my way of pushing myself. Maybe one day I'll be able to do batches like these in just one sitting. You know, I don't even know how long it takes most icon makers to put together these giant batches of icons they always post. And then there's some people who can make icon batches for episodes of a show every week. How do you do it?

Well these icons were made during several sittings spread out since... well I'm not sure, a couple months? Too bad I see absolutely no progression, except maybe backwards. Well, I wont give up, anyhow.



( 40 in total! Go me! )

I just spent the last four days sitting through the entire first season of Heroes. I didn't really want to after the first episode, but I didn't really want the rents to go to waste, so I pulled through. Suffices to say it hooked me in, of course, but cheaply I might add. I can't count how many things I wanted to through at the TV every time they cut off a scene for dramatic effect. It was even worse when I knew exactly what was going to happen and I just wanted them to get it over with and show it so I could find out what happens next. Not to mention it had continuity errors up the wazoo! I eventually forgave the terribly cliched dialogue because, well, that's just what comics sound like. But it had it's pay offs. Christopher Eccleston, for a big one. Also, is it just me or does Peter Petrelli really want to be Peter Parker?

All in all, it was a pretty intense several hours. I'm sure it'll get really exciting once they decide to team up and go all X-men on everyone's asses. I guess Stan Lee didn't have any concerns about them stealing his idea since he also made an appearance.

I have to watch something while I wait for all those hiatus shows to come out with their next seasons/dvds. I think Entourage is next...

So I was in Montreal this week for Rogers Cup. I wouldn't so much say I was "dragged" to it by the boyfriend, but I was there mainly because of him. But I did have a good time. There was a mix up with the tickets when we got there, he was supposed to get them for the day, but they ended up being for the night and they wouldn't let us exchange them. They wouldn't even let us buy more tickets because apparently they were sold out. But something was fishy because I heard the woman at the next window of the ticket booth complaining about how they had originally told her they were sold out, but then suddenly they had tickets available. Not to mention that there were still lots of people in line buying tickets... I don't know. Anyway, we ended up trading our tickets with scalpers. It was the first time I've ever dealt with scalpers, an interesting experience.

Of course I wasn't really familiar with anyone there, except Federer and Roddick because I hear about them enough from my boyfriend. I was absolutely floored by the fact that most of these guys are around my age. Some even younger. I mean, what am I doing with my life? Yeesh.

Yes, so everyone there put on a good show. And I managed to take some good pictures with my new digital camera. This thing is great. It has a feature for capturing fast-motion as still images. Check these guys out! They're in mid air! Not to mention this is at digital zoom and it's still pretty descent quality.



So all in all, good time. Like I said, I don't know much about tennis, but it seems pretty exciting. I wish I knew enough to make good eljay about it, but for now I don't have much to say on the subject. I don't know, I guess, go Dancevic!

I do have to make this quick because I have to get ready for work.

Ok, so just to get things out of the way, I liked it. As a simpsons fan, I was thoroughly satisfied. As someone who has seen a lot of bad movies, I can say this wasn't one of them. Score.

I don't think I'll need to put my thoughts behind a cut, I mean, there isn't much to spoil. It ends the same way every episode ends. Everything goes back to the way it started, except everyone's a little wiser for having the adventure(s).

On the Simpsons side of things:

This movie did not feel foreign to me. It didn't feel like they sold out for the big screen in some way, using jokes that they wouldn't normally use on the show. The humour was very much intact. There was all the silly stupid jokes that made me laugh as a kid, and there was all the intelligent jokes that made me laugh as I got older, and even some some-reflexive jokes that I started to appreciate as I got more into film and junk. Oh and Al Brooks! I was so glad they gave him a major character! I love his characters on the show, and it seemed very, "in tune" with things to have him in a lead role in the movie. There's also a cameo (not Green Day) that is just... may be the greatest thing ever. Oh and the heartfelt moments! That's something that The Simpsons and Futurama were able to pull off really well in the midst of all their sarcasm. They still managed to make you go "aw..." and so does the movie.

On the movie side of things:

Ok, so how does it stand up as a general movie? Should you bother if you have no particular enjoyment of the Simpsons? I'm going to say yes, unless you are really opposed to the show with a passion. For the mild fan, it's put together well enough that there is a lot to enjoy if all you're looking for is a good comedy movie. It's well paced, the plot is decent enough, and there's jokes for everyone. It was a little odd to see it a little more "rated" than the show, but I think it worked well. Ha, some little kid came to the theatre and sat on his father's lap! I'm sure the racy stuff went over his head, though.

Ok, that's all I'll say for now. In short, it's a worthwhile movie. And I'll probably go see it again. I wasn't in the greatest of moods when I went to see it, but it put me in a good place by the time is was done.

Only 24 hours to go until I finally get to watch the Simpsons movie. I'm not sure how to feel. I don't see it as something a long time coming, but just an extra treat, really. And a reason to go to the movies at midnight. But I did make a vow that no matter how good or how bad, I would be first in line to see the Simpsons movie, if they ever made one. And now they have, and I can honour that vow.

I'm avoiding any reviews or news about it and trying to go in as fresh as possible. The only thing I know is that most of the footage from the trailer isn't in the movie. I think I like that. The way I see it, the more footage they have, the better chance there is that what they don't cut out will be "pure gold." I mean, more footage in general means more good footage, but still only the same amount of time allotted to put it in.

So we'll see. Maybe I'll bring back a full report.

In the mean time, join this, or, if that's already done, fill out the survey. </shameless>

I've been meaning to get some words down about Doctor Who, and since I'm failing to sleep, now is a good a time as any to finally do it.

( What paradox? )

Also just started reading a book I got several years ago and am finally getting around to: Jostein Gaarder's Maya. It's by the same author as Sophie's World, which I immensely enjoyed as a teenager. I'm liking this book a lot so far. Here's a quote from the prologue that really struck me:

"The applause for the Big Bang was heard only fifteen billion years after the explosion."

It's apparently about "the creation of the universe, the evolution of life on Earth, the emergence of human beings, the nature of consciousness, and the purpose of human existence." Doesn't seem pretentious or ambitious though, it's very relatable. Anyway, sounds perfect.

I finally finished the second season of Lost. Yay! I'm almost caught up with everyone else now. I can't decide if I should wait for the 3rd season on dvd or if I should just download them or something. Apparently the third season isn't coming out till december, so... I don't know if I can wait that long. That sucks, I thought DVD seasons are supposed to come out in time for the new season on TV? Is Lost not starting till December?

I also saw Die Hard this weekend, and was reminded why Bruce Willis is so perfect. I have to say, the Die Hard movies are everything I could ever want from an action movie. They take themselves just seriously enough to not be completely dismissible as a joke, but still embodies all the trademark cliches of the genre in such a way that makes it intentionally recognizable as cliche. If anything, I say it's embracing the genre for what it is. It's not asking any more of it or condemning it for what it can't do. It is also a celebration of John McClane, and how tough he is. And out of 5 stars, I would say McClane's toughness ranks a heady 5 out of 5 stars. The movie itself in rank isn't far behind. So if you want to see a movie deliver exactly what it promises and an action movie do what it does best (and it does it superbly) then go see Live Free or Die Hard.

I managed to tackle customizing a S2 style system thanks to absonant. Something spidey! 'Tis fun. Now I just need to tackle a new layout for my domain. Maybe bring the ol' blog back there. Or try that Livepress thing I was reading about a while back. I have no idea how much success people have with that. But I think I'd prefer to post on wordpress and have the posts sync'ed to here. Ehhh... we'll see.

I've also managed to write my very own php script! (dun dada dun!) Not much. Collects answers to multiple questions and then lists the responses ranked by popularity. And it took less time to code than a layout for IE compatibility (ouch!).

In other news, I now (FINALLY) have a Wii! I rented Mario Party 8 and am just a bit excited. :)

Sick. I just got back my grades (all except one class) and straight A-s across the board! 80s in all my classes except one where I got an 82 (which means I got an 87 on my last essay, which I've never gotten on an essay before, those things are graded TOUGH). There's still my film theory grade that's pending, and I'm pretty sure I got a B or B+ (if I'm lucky). I didn't do all that great on the essays and tests in that one, and unless the markers decide to be VERY generous with the final exam, I don't see my grade getting up to an A. But still, one B among 4 As is nothing to sneeze at. And I can still take comfort in the fact that the class average is probably a C so I can still be a full letter grade ahead. And this is UofT, which anyone will tell you is the social-life killer. But hey, at least I feel accomplished in a way that will probably do nothing for me in the long run.

I still feel good about it, though. If I had a custom mood theme, it would read "Proud."

I went to the midnight screening on Thursday (well, Friday, I guess) after having 3 people bail on me. But I managed to find some company and some buyers for the tickets.

And my thoughts I'll put behind a cut, just to be safe about ( spoilers... )

And that's my 2 cents. I loved it, and am in love with it. I can't figure out what they would do in spidey 4... I don't think carnage is really an option. Maybe they'll do the whole parallel universes thing. I liked that storyline. PLUS, it makes spider-man himself the villain. That would make for an interesting new character dimension. Not that it really matters if Tobey doesn't sign on. And with the scriptwriter out of the picture... I don't know what to think.

Oh yea, I also want to add that if you haven't seen Spidey 2.1, you must. It may be less than 10 minutes of extra footage, but it is pure gold. An extended version of the Bruce Campbell scene, an extended version of the hilarious elevator scene, and an extra JJ scene that is... too good for words.

One more exam monday which I should be studying for instead of writing here. I'm so sick of Shakespeare. I've surfeited on Shakespeare, you could say. I just can't wait till I'm finally free. I know I say this every summer, but I really want to get a lot accomplished. Maybe get through more than 1 or 2 books. I don't know. Between getting a wii and a ds, though, I think I'll get virtually nothing accomplished.

Classes are finally over, hooray! And following my intense period of studying for my exams over the next two weeks I can finally get back to online hobbies. I've missed this outlet... I don't know, maybe I should try to work out some sort of schedule to get done everything I want to get done. I feel like never end up finishing anything I start. But I want to get back into the swing of things. There's a nice feeling of accomplishment that comes with being active online. I'd like to get back to that.

In the middle of studying for one of my exams, I found these every clever limericks that I just needed to share.

A young man of very high station
Was found by a pious relation
Making love in a ditch
To -- I won't say a bitch
But a lady of no reputation

Yea, that one was alright. This next one's even better! Yay!

A young man of very high station
Was found by a pious relation
Making love to a bitch
In -- I won't say a ditch
But terrain of a low elevation


Ok, I thought they were fun. I don't have a life, this is what I have to do for fun. I have no time to do anything else.

I'm thinking I need a new layout. I'm also thinking something battlestar-y might be fun. I just have absolutely no inspiration.

Saw this on spidermansays's journal, so here goes me trying it too. If only I were better at guessing quotes. I'm getting rusty in my old age.

1. Pick 10 of your favorite movies.
2. Then pick one of your favorite quotes from each movie.
3. Post the quotes in your journal.
4. Have those on your friends list guess what the movie is.
5. Either strike out the quote once it has been correctly identified or place the guesser's user name directly after the quote.
6. I'll think you're SUPAH cool if you know the actor or character's name (we'll go with characters though since there are some dead and obscure actors in here ).

( Movie quotes meme )

oh lord...

My god.... I'm having trouble breathing... I mean, I just... I can't... there's no... oh man. Trouble with the oxyen, getting it to my brain, through the lungs and airpipes and so forth... it's too much.

I don't even know... what to say. "Should have brought a poet" comes to mind.

Someone please, PLEASE, if you have a time machine, DON'T HOLD OUT ON ME! I could really use it for about, say, 3 hours. Of course, it wouldn't feel like three hours since I could have it back in 2 seconds... if you want. But I'll be an extra 3 hours older... and an extra 3 hours more spidified.

Damn, almost puts a damper on seeing Superman Returns tonight. Oh, but there's always the hope of seeing that teaser again... and a lot taller.

Speaking of teasers, I saw the preview for new Doctor Who and I'm getting scared... and a little sad. I hate endings of any kind. And even as I type this I'm making the mistake of stumbling into forums and LJ communities and reading things I don't want to read. Why am I so weak? *turns away* And I wont even be able to watch Army of Ghosts till I get back from the long weekend! But on the plus side, at least it'll make the wait until Doomsday shorter (and I can only imagine it'll be a tough cliffhanger). Oh... Time is NOT on my side.

( this meme looks like fun )

I also just finished the entire series of Sex and the City yesterday, and I'm sad it's over.

Ah, another school year done, another summer of endless horizons. I always feel so motivated at the beginning of a break, thinking about all the wonderful accomplishments I'll finally be able to get around to. And hopefully by one keeping the one job this summer, I'll be able to get a good bit of work done.

I should really try formulating some variety of to-do list to sort out my priorities. I know several of my fanlistings are in dire need of new layouts, and content. The Hitchhiker's fansite can finally get some well-deserved attention. I'd like to personalize my personal site/collective, make it all gussy-ed up and nice like. Not sure how, but I'll put some thought into it. And I should do something a little more formal with this place. Make it more home-y.

I'm also thinking about opening a site devoted to time travel, particularly in all varieties of fiction. I'd want to put a fair amount of thought into it, and not attempt anything until I at least have a good amount of my other web-projects done. And I dunno, maybe I should read up on the subject too. But I think I could have some fun with it.

And as for non-web activities, I really need to get a good dent made in my reading list. Really. I have so little time for recreational reading during the year, and I'm buying books at a much greater rate than I'm reading them, and if the rate stays constant, I'll never finish! I'd also like to attempt a solid movie-marathon week. See how many movies I can fit into a week, and try to make it movies I've yet to see. I'm going toss out a number: 30. Two weeks worth of rents, and some purchases/loans that I still haven't gotten around to watching. I don't know if it'll work, but damnit, I'm going to try!

Oh, and I'm going to try and keep up with this old thing again. I'm excited to see how this all unfolds, the tension is killing me!