Things I loved this week

*Originally posted 3/9/2013


DVF loves Roxy  This is possibly my dream collaboration. I can't believe I hadn't heard about it before this week. The collection released on Thursday. I wish there were more cover ups, flip flops, and accessories. I want everything.

Joss Whedon's Much Ado about Nothing (trailer below). If I was going to South by Southwest, I would have camped out to watch two movies. Before Miidnight and Joss's Much Ado About Nothing. I adored the Kenneth Branagh version in high school (due to my theatre geek friends), but there is something about updated versions of Shakespeare. It shows the bard holds true to everyday modern life. My favorite part of the trailer and probably the movie? When they take shots! I also have a soft spot for Nathan Fillion who this week on twitter-verse answered random questions with funny light-hearted answers.

Lastly, I listened to P!nk's song "Just give me a reason" on repeat this week. I like fun. so I was due to like this song as well. What I like most about the song is probably how earnest it is. Perhaps due to the auto-tune era, but people just singing is a rare form these days.

In New Girl World

*Originally posted on 2/20/2013

I would say I'm a casual tv watcher. There are certain points of the year where I never watch tv and there are times where I watch tv every night. The every night tv habit always coincides with season premieres, winter finales, network ratings watch (february), and season finales. I'm behind in most shows because of traveling and once you are behind...it is hard to catch up. But the one show I've been watching religiously is The New Girl. Frankly, my whole week revolves around New Girl at the moment.

I like How I met your Mother, those people are my age and I do like how well the show is run. But it might be too whimsical for me. But The New Girl? They live in LA, are just weird/odd people, and somehow coexist. The Nick/Jess plot is fantastically real. LA is filled with douchy people, so Schmidt is one with a heart full of gold. The plots of the show are so crazy/fun and so LA, that I usually watch in disbelief. But it really is all about Nick/Jess. I have a huge tv crush on Nick because he is a grumpy old man who is also the smartest person in the room. Jake Johnson, the actor that plays Nick, makes the most adorable faces and honestly out of everyone on The New Girl...we would be friends. I read somewhere, the writers have no idea what they are doing in regards to the Nick/Jess plotline. They are writing episode by episode. As much as that is probably the worse thing ever for a writer (someone is going to have a nervous breakdown), I love they are just going with it. Such good tv and so real. Normal people have feelings, insecurities, emotions, and hesitations. Seeing all that on tv is cringe-inducing, but a great reflection on who we really are and how we interact with the world.

I'm completely behind a Nick/Jess hookup. It is the most realistic thing that could happen. And the anticipation of waiting for the moment when real life is reflected on tv life is what brings me to watch the show every Tuesday.

Star Wars vs. Star Trek and a Before Midnight moment

*Originally posted 1/24/2013

It is an eternal debate, Star Wars vs Star Trek. I naturally gravitated towards Star Wars when I was younger because it is about good vs evil, sword-fights, and contains a true love story. Star Trek is more cerebral and I appreciate everything about it more and more the older I become. But I do not think the same person should be in charge of Star Wars and Star Trek reboots/sequels. Even if that person is J. J. Abrams.

When I first learned J.J. Abrams will be the director for Star Wars VII, I immediately thought who was going to direct Star Trek 3. Because there has to be a Star Trek 3! Unless everyone dies in Star Trek into the Darkness? Out of all the reboots, sequels, prequels...Star Trek with my crush Chris Pine is by far the best. Everything about it was stellar, to the characters, the story-line, action sequences, and perfect casting. I suffered through Star Wars I, II, and III. In fact, I seriously believe the new Star Wars should be animated due to the amazing things they have done with Star Wars Clone Wars. It will be years until we find out what Star Wars means to J. J. Abrams...at least he made one more Star Trek movie. Even though the title is lame.

Since we are talking about movies and sequels, I have to discuss Before Midnight. While the whole world was obsessed/broke the internet with the Manti Te'o story, I was personally obsessed/trying to find out whatever I could about Before Midnight which was screened at Sundance. I mean, it is a little inhumane to ask people to wait for 9 years!!! Of course I'm being irrational about this! When I found out the basic plot (which I won't divulge here, but it is on wikipedia now), I realized the movie will be everything I had hoped for and everything I didn't know I wanted. The story is true, earnest, and most probably heart-aching. Now that I have these little tidbits, I can patiently wait until summer to watch it. I think.

Adoring my netbook

*Originally posted 1/1/2013

Back in the summer of 2010, I needed a new laptop. My Fujitsu was 6 years old and wouldn't charge (aside: I'm writing this blog on my Fujitsu. I learned the connecter for charging my laptop was slightly broken but I could still charge my Fujitsu if I kept the laptop perfectly still. My Fujitsu laptop essentially became my Fujitsu desktop. This means I'm using an 8 1/2 year old laptop but an ode to my Fujitsu is another post. Probably when it dies. That thought just made me sad). The iPad was then a really big deal. As much as I support Elvin (my cousin) and love my iPhone, I wasn't sold on the iPad. It was extremely expensive. I also still had the iPhone 1 at the time and my one issue with the iPhone was the fact I needed to charge it all the time. Granted my iPhone was old (almost three years at that point), but it was annoying. Not holding a charge is going to be a dealbreaker for any technology I will ever buy.

It had taken me a long time to buy my Fujitsu laptop. So it wasn't a real surprise when the whole iPad/netbook/laptop decision also took a couple of months. I didn't want a laptop because those were heavy  and I didn't need a widescreen (my Fujitsu was only 5.1 lbs and had a regular screen). I hated the netbook's small keys and I had small hands. I wasn't impressed by the touchscreen capabilities of the iPad (perhaps because I had an iPhone?) and doubted I could do anything well using a touchscreen. I researched and researched and then bought nothing. I'm sure I drove Melissa (my sister) crazy.

One day I checked out a Best Buy and Fry's. I then went back to the Best Buy to buy a Toshiba netbook (that wasn't even on sale!) It was the only netbook I saw with big keys, supposedly held a 9 hour charge (ended up being closer to 7), 2.2 lbs, and came from a reputable company. I never upgraded it from a 2G memory or bought the Office package. I've accidentally packed it in my luggage on a Southwest flight from Vegas to San Diego and it came out fine. It survived traveling through Australia (though the Fujitsu did make it to Morocco) and I use it every single day. I have no complaints and it is probably one of my best purchases ever.

So when I read the article regarding how the netbook is dead in its old form it made me grateful for buying my netbook when I did. I know the people who enjoyed netbooks were probably people like me who don't need computing power, dislike heavy things, and value efficiency. I will probably be using my netbook 8 years from now. Hopefully, I still won't be using my Fujitsu :)

A tribute to a great San Diego athlete

-Originally written 6/22/2012

You know you must be special when your retirement causes a person to open a blog. I wanted to write a Tomlinson tribute, but didn't really know how. Then it occurred to me that I have various thoughts about San Diego..so maybe I should do a blog about San Diego. I'm starting with the great Chargers athlete LaDainian Tomlinson.

On Monday, LaDainian Tomlinson retired as a San Diego Charger. To many San Diegans his career as a Jet never really existed. He was not very effective as a Jet, so this wasn't hard to do. I've read a couple of things about Tomlinson's retirement the past couple of days. Some of it regarding his nickname. I like football and I'm perfectly aware that LT is Lawrence Taylor. I don't know how the "LT" nickname started (it might have been Tomlinson?), but I'm fine with LDT or even Tomlinson. Let's move on.

During the 2006 season, I was entrenched in graduate school. My life was filled with teaching, experiments, and sleeping. Joy was hard to come by except on Sundays where I watched my beloved Chargers win, win, and win again. I received my first sports jersey that year. a Chargers 21 that I still wear to this day. I definitely took Tomlison for granted. During the great years, there was little doubt that whenever he touched a ball there would be a 40 yard dash or a touchdown. As we all know, greatness is fleeting. I think everyone was surprised by his downward spiral (I'm including his lack of production and his virulence against the Chargers when he was a Jet). Tomlinson needed something/someone to blame for his lack of greatness. The Chargers were an easy target.

I was very surprised to hear that the Chargers were adding Tomlinson to the Chargers roster, so he could retire as a Charger. Surprised, but proud. It was the right thing to do for the Chargers fans which doesn't happen often. (I could go on about how the right thing to do for Chargers fans is to fire Norv Turner*, but that is another blog). I get to wear my Tomlinson jersey knowing he retired as a Chargers player. It is a great feeling, probably because it is something I never expected.

So thanks for the memories Tomlinson, it is a pleasure to forever call you one of our own.

*Since writing this post last year, Norv Turner and A.J. Smith have been fired by the Chargers. Now that is definitely another blog post.