Five things...this morning

1. This series of YouTube Videos is hilarious and informative and reminds me of why I love the internet.

( history of English in 10 minutes )

2. Snark defined.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=snark

Snippets:
( Read more... )

3. Lovely day - must take walk. Chose not to do the kayaking thing again - mostly because I've kayaked twice in my lifetime, both times ...weren't exactly stellar experiences in that I struggled in keeping up, almost got lost, and wasn't sure I could return to base. It sounds like a great idea in theory, but doing a first kayaking trip in five to six years on the East River or the Hudson around NYC frankly scares me. The other two times were either in New Hampshire on a lake or in
South Carolina on a tidal waterway that had no boat traffic or relatively little boat traffic. The East River has a lot of boat traffic and is gross. I don't want to fall into that water, there's untreated human sewage in that water - I know they've tested it.

But a long walk is definitely in order. May even splurge and buy a new bag.

4. Summer tv has become basically two tv series - True Blood and The Wire. Although- I did decide to try Boardwalk Empire (pilot being reshown on Sunday), and rewatching Game of Thrones. I want to watch Treme - but like The Wire, you sort of need to see the first episode to follow it. And we're in the second season now. So at some point? I'll have to rent that on DVD, unless HBO on Demand ever decides to re-show the first season.

My DVR is getting full again - my obsession with The Wire and serialized television is taking its toll on my tv viewing habits. Am however still reading - Graceling a Young Adult fantasy novel, by someone whose blog I've been reading. Probably should read Feast of Crows, so I can then read Dance of Dragons - but the problem is that George RR Martin isn't exactly the most hopeful of writers, he's a bit on the bleak side. Makes Tolkien look relatively sunny in disposition. Actually he makes Whedon look sunny in disposition and S6 Buffy look like a light fluffy ride. But I am interested in five or six characters and want to see what he does with them, unfortunately that also includes what he does to them. But hey, look on the bright side - no matter how bad your life gets, at least your God isn't George RR Martin and he's not writing your story. That would suck. Jim Butcher - while not exactly what I'd call light reading with a happy ending - is bound to be more uplifting than Martin. Not that I necessarily need up-lifting...as you know, but...

5. 4th of July Weekend - YAy. ( 4th of July )

The Wire -S2 - Episodes 6 and 7 (All Prologue and Backwash)

Livejournal is sort of dead tonight - is everyone on vacation?

Finished watching Disc 3 of The Wire, don't get the next one until Tuesday, unfortunately. I want more.
Episodes 6 (All Prologue) and 7 (Backwash) were quite good.

There's a great bit of husband and wife dialogue at the end of Backwash that depicts why certain relationships can't last.

Daniels: I love the job. I can't help it. What I fell in love with first is the mind that is always just one step of mine, the challenge, of meeting that mind of engaging.
Marla: Know what I fell in love with? Your ambition. Where is that man?

That relationship is dead in the water. Ambition rarely lasts. But it is so true. Most of the relationships I've seen end in divorce - often do for that reason.

They killed another favorite character. Say what you will about George RR Martin but at least he only kills off characters that I don't like or find annoying. But I'll admit it was realistic. The Wire is hyper-realism, provides an indepth and unwavering view of society, and tells an entertaining story.
The only thing more real would most likely be...a documentary, and I can't watch documentaries - interviews with talking heads bore me. It's why I can't watch reality shows or commercials - they have the same things.

( Spoilers episodes 6 and 7 of the Wire - assuming anyone is reading this, most people who care have seen it already, but just in case. I'm woefully behind. )