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Weekly Update
Jan. 6th, 2013 05:48 pmIf you don't see much of me online this year, it's not because there's something horribly wrong, but rather I'm sticking to one of my New Year's resolutions which is to limit my internet/computer usage at home. I'm on the computer all day at work (no lj access there - site is blocked) and doing it at home too - is starting to hurt me physically - can we say carpal tunnel?
My other New Year's Resolution is to not let work take over my life - like it did last year.
1. In book news, decided to buy the audiobook version of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall as opposed to reading it. In part because I loved the preview and the guy reading it has a great voice. Don't know who it is - damn thing would not tell me. (ETA: Found it - Simon Slater, who apparently is a British actor, who appeared on Doctor Who and Lovejoy. He has a great voice.)
Put it on the ipod touch, will make great walking/exercising and work out material. Also may be good to listen to as I relax at night.
Meanwhile, am actually reading Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin another winner of the Booker Prize. Not that I give a fig about such things - know too much about who the judges are and the process to take book awards remotely seriously. The problem with art is there is no way of knowing how good or lasting it is until you've been dead for 20 years, and people are still reading, watching or viewing it. Today's sensation, is yesterday's one-hit wonder, and last year's trend and a decade's anecdote. In short, no guarantees.
Blind Assassin has been around for a while though - published back in the 1990s.
2. In movie news...finished watching the somewhat sluggish and rather disappointing Hysteria which was loosely based on The Vibrator Play, which actually sounded more amusing. Found it to be a bit too on the nose. And the best things in it were Maggie Gyllenhal and
Rupert Everette. Hugh Dancy does nothing for me. And Jonathan Pryce didn't have enough to do.
Not recommended. The critics must have been stoned or burned out seeing one too many action flicks, most likely the later.
Next in the netflix queue is "Looper", then Dark Knight Rises, Rock of Ages, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Magic Mike. (I tend to avoid movie theaters...unless absolutely necessary.)
Had a rather grating discussion about movies after church services...
J: Lincoln was terrific, but you want to know a really bad movie - Skyfall.
Me: Uh
S: Yes, truly bad - it's like they were trying to do Batman
J: Exactly - complete with secluded house and old butler.
Me: well it is a Bond Film, I just enjoy and-
J: True, but what were they thinking? A bond film with computers and viruses and all that tech!
Where's the good Bond films of old!
Me: Les Miserables was good -
J: I won't see that too depressing -
Me: Actually it was sort of uplifting -
J: Saw a film ages ago on it about a bunch of students reading Les Mis, we saw it for college, and everybody was weeping - I don't like to see "emotional films" or "big emotion"
S: I completely agree.
ME: So you don't like the cathartic cry?
S&J: No, we don't. Too much emotion. Much better on a smaller screen. We may rent it.
Me: Have you seen the Hobbit?
Jack: No, I hated the first three films.
It gets rather tiresome fighting over stuff, so I don't bother. Just nod my head and agree. Seriously who cares whether I loved Les Mis and Skyfall? This is why people talk about sports, kids, and work...
3. EW cracked me up (caused to burst out laughing or to laugh hard) - with the following tid-bit:
The California Hamster Association is angry that Justin Bieber gave his pet to a fan. Outraged, the world responds, "There's a California Hamster Association?"
4. In US tax news..this week I figured out on behalf of many co-workers why our paychecks were suddenly $43 lower than last week. It appears that the law reducing the "pay-roll" contribution tax (which basically is the amount everyone puts into social security and medicare (well everyone who makes less than $500,000 a year, which is basically 47% of the population - once you start making over a certain amount, you can stop contributing after a specific period of time. Don't ask me, I don't make these laws) - at any rate this law which reduced the payroll contribution in 2010, expired and was permitted to expire because there's not enough money in social security and medicare.
( Read more... )
I need to learn to keep my mouth shut or just nod and agree and lie. Don't I?
5. Yoga and Tai Chi. Am attempting Tai Chi, over Yoga, mainly because my back hates floor exercises and weird poses. So I go to this place called "Body and Mind" which specializes in Tai Chi (Korean/Chinese Martial Art/Meditative practice) and Dahn Yoga. It's 29 dollar introductory session. Figure they'll give me an overview of the courses, an idea of the rates, and which would work best for me. Sounds reasonable, right?
( Read more... )
My other New Year's Resolution is to not let work take over my life - like it did last year.
1. In book news, decided to buy the audiobook version of Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall as opposed to reading it. In part because I loved the preview and the guy reading it has a great voice. Don't know who it is - damn thing would not tell me. (ETA: Found it - Simon Slater, who apparently is a British actor, who appeared on Doctor Who and Lovejoy. He has a great voice.)
Put it on the ipod touch, will make great walking/exercising and work out material. Also may be good to listen to as I relax at night.
Meanwhile, am actually reading Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin another winner of the Booker Prize. Not that I give a fig about such things - know too much about who the judges are and the process to take book awards remotely seriously. The problem with art is there is no way of knowing how good or lasting it is until you've been dead for 20 years, and people are still reading, watching or viewing it. Today's sensation, is yesterday's one-hit wonder, and last year's trend and a decade's anecdote. In short, no guarantees.
Blind Assassin has been around for a while though - published back in the 1990s.
2. In movie news...finished watching the somewhat sluggish and rather disappointing Hysteria which was loosely based on The Vibrator Play, which actually sounded more amusing. Found it to be a bit too on the nose. And the best things in it were Maggie Gyllenhal and
Rupert Everette. Hugh Dancy does nothing for me. And Jonathan Pryce didn't have enough to do.
Not recommended. The critics must have been stoned or burned out seeing one too many action flicks, most likely the later.
Next in the netflix queue is "Looper", then Dark Knight Rises, Rock of Ages, Beasts of the Southern Wild, and Magic Mike. (I tend to avoid movie theaters...unless absolutely necessary.)
Had a rather grating discussion about movies after church services...
J: Lincoln was terrific, but you want to know a really bad movie - Skyfall.
Me: Uh
S: Yes, truly bad - it's like they were trying to do Batman
J: Exactly - complete with secluded house and old butler.
Me: well it is a Bond Film, I just enjoy and-
J: True, but what were they thinking? A bond film with computers and viruses and all that tech!
Where's the good Bond films of old!
Me: Les Miserables was good -
J: I won't see that too depressing -
Me: Actually it was sort of uplifting -
J: Saw a film ages ago on it about a bunch of students reading Les Mis, we saw it for college, and everybody was weeping - I don't like to see "emotional films" or "big emotion"
S: I completely agree.
ME: So you don't like the cathartic cry?
S&J: No, we don't. Too much emotion. Much better on a smaller screen. We may rent it.
Me: Have you seen the Hobbit?
Jack: No, I hated the first three films.
It gets rather tiresome fighting over stuff, so I don't bother. Just nod my head and agree. Seriously who cares whether I loved Les Mis and Skyfall? This is why people talk about sports, kids, and work...
3. EW cracked me up (caused to burst out laughing or to laugh hard) - with the following tid-bit:
The California Hamster Association is angry that Justin Bieber gave his pet to a fan. Outraged, the world responds, "There's a California Hamster Association?"
4. In US tax news..this week I figured out on behalf of many co-workers why our paychecks were suddenly $43 lower than last week. It appears that the law reducing the "pay-roll" contribution tax (which basically is the amount everyone puts into social security and medicare (well everyone who makes less than $500,000 a year, which is basically 47% of the population - once you start making over a certain amount, you can stop contributing after a specific period of time. Don't ask me, I don't make these laws) - at any rate this law which reduced the payroll contribution in 2010, expired and was permitted to expire because there's not enough money in social security and medicare.
( Read more... )
I need to learn to keep my mouth shut or just nod and agree and lie. Don't I?
5. Yoga and Tai Chi. Am attempting Tai Chi, over Yoga, mainly because my back hates floor exercises and weird poses. So I go to this place called "Body and Mind" which specializes in Tai Chi (Korean/Chinese Martial Art/Meditative practice) and Dahn Yoga. It's 29 dollar introductory session. Figure they'll give me an overview of the courses, an idea of the rates, and which would work best for me. Sounds reasonable, right?
( Read more... )