Sunday, October 26, 2003

INFP

INFP - "Questor". High capacity for caring. Calm and pleasant face to the world. High sense of honor derived from internal values. 4.4% of total population.
Take Free Myers-Briggs Personality Test

Thursday, October 23, 2003

Lost Living Listlessly Lethargic Life

Most people's lives are like TV shows (most would say movies, but I think lives are too episodic to be a movie) and most of those people are the stars of their TV show. They go around doing things that forward the story they are currently involved in, or else it helps with their character arch. I don't feel like those types of people.

I think of myself as more of a supporting character for everyone else's life. I sweep in and out of other people's lives to help advance their plot and/or arch through my comic relief or my rarely valuable advice (but I've only really given advice to one person and while she listens, she ends up ignoring what I say and does what she wants anyway, see how good I am at that). I have a my own character arch, but it really only happens when I'm in with those other people.

I've discussed this idea with my brothers, and they say that they are the main characters in their lives. They say they are the stars of their lives and that they don't play second string to anyone else, which I agree with, except for some recent developments. One tried to tell me that I wasn't just a supporting character, which I'm sure that other people would try to convince me of, but I can't believe it, it just doesn't work that way. I don't know why.

Maybe one day, I'll get my own spinoff and find some recurring characters of my own.

Ultimate Spider-man 48: Suspended

Hot diggity damn, I love having a good comic to read, and this has to be one of the best.

I started late with the whole Ultimate line from Marvel because at the time I had no money. When I got money, I started to pick it up. Now I'm back to having no money, but I can not put these books down. So far, all the books I've read have been above the regular bar, but this is one of the highest.

Okay, last issue poor Peter was fired from his job. This issue he yells at JJJ and gets fired again. King Pin, who was arrested because he murdered someone and it was taped, is freed from prison. And Peter freaks out a little bit.

The great about this book is always Bendis's writing. He's not afraid to fill his pages up with wonderfully witty dialogue. The scene where Aunt May makes her phone call, amazing. That's another thing, he makes someone as potentially lame as Aunt May and makes her one of the coolest characters. She has a personality, she's confused by the things Peter does and doesn't do, and she's trying to make things better. Wonderful.

For most of the book, Bagley's art is good. There is this one picture on the third (or fourth, depending on how you count) of Spider-man swinging that just looks all wrong to me, but I can forgive. The art isn't his strength anyway. His strength lay in his storytelling. The way each panel flows from one to the next and the great expressions.

This issue is light on the Spider-man, but heavy on the story and character development, which are the kind that this book excels at.

Tuesday, October 21, 2003

AAAAAARRRRRRRRRRG!

Josh missed Gilmore Girls tonight!

It was an unfortunate mistake. See, I have class from 6:30 'til 9 (part of the Graphic Design program that's in development here), so I tape the show. Well, it looks like I forgot to rewind the tape. A rookie mistake. Now I'm sadder than Kirk. Oy.

On another note, I added a new link. It's one of the brothers, guess which one.

Oh, and what do you think of how the links now work?

Must sleep, test tommorrow.

Bye.

Monday, October 20, 2003

Physics of Movies

Learn more about the physics of movies.

Late Night/Early Morning TV

I live without cable, therefore the possibility of finding something good on late night/early morning TV is nearly impossible. While I sometime enjoy Conan and Craig (Kimmel needs to go back to fucking empty beer cans and Adam Carrola on Comedy Central), those carbon-copy (if carbon produced white instead of black) talk shows are not the type of late night TV I'm talking about. I'm talking about bizarre infomercials, old syndicated shows, and weird locally created and produced shows.

Here, right now, is News (people died in Iraq and the weather is unseasonably warm {and the president says there's no global warming} at 89 degrees), David Letterman (was he ever funny), Will and Grace (pure shit), That '70s Show (only two and a half funny seasons and this episode isn't from one of them), and Home Improvement (which was great when I was ten). And they don't get better as the night goes on, although 3rd Rock From the Sun still makes me laugh a lot. Whatever happened to showing classic TV during the late night/early morning hours? I miss the days when I could stay up and watch All In the Family, I Love Lucy, The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, and The Adams Family. What happened? Did these shows become to expensive? Did TV Land make it impossible to show them on old-fashioned broadcast TV? Shit, Who Wants to be a Millionaire is coming on soon. ABC canceled that show for a reason and that reason is no one likes a quiz show that only has ten questions in a half hour.

Much later the infomercials will come on, but they're all the same: Chef Tony selling knives, Chef Tony selling a food processor, Ron Popiel selling his "New" Showtime Rotisserie, Jan Something selling the FoodSaver, the hand held vacuum that can suck up bolts, the steam cleaner. Maybe one day soon there will be a new infomercial for me. How about a bigger and faster food dehydrator Mr. Popiel, or bring back the thing that scrambles an egg inside its shell.

The weird local TV is mostly about Hispanics, so it's not aimed at me, nor is it aimed at teaching me about Hispanics, so I don't watch them. A note to those people, if they're reading, try to make it interesting to whitey so whitey will learn and understand and peace and friendship between the ethnic groups will exist in the real world and not just in movies.

Scattershot

Which Dani may start using soon after reading her last Blog entry. As much as I love that girl, sometimes she makes me nervous.

Hello, my name is Josh, and I watch TV that people who say they have taste would never set eyes on. Last winter (Decemberish, if I remember correctly) I became horribly addicted to, what has been reffered to as a "girl's" show, by many. This summer, I became horribly addicted to a huge "teen angst" show. (I can hear the shocked gasps, but it get worse.) They're both on the WB. One is on Monday (duh), I was watching it as I was writing e-mail tonight. And the other is on Tuesday. What are they called? "Gilmore Girls" and "Everwood." I can't help myself. At least with "Gilmore Girls" I can kinda blame it on the hot women folk who appear on the screen, but I can't say that about "Everwood," can I? "Gilmore Girls" does have some of the snappiest dialogue on TV right now, and "Everwood" make my highschool years look a lot better than I remember them being. Still, I have a disease, but I like that disease, I like these shows. I pray, however, that it never infects you.

I'm off to Modesto to take a test on Wednesday. It's so I can be considered for a job in the post office. I don't want to deliver the mail (I hate to drive folks, you'll rarely hear me offer to drive anyone anywhere). I want to be one of those people who sort the mail in the back room, or one of those people who sell stamps and weigh packages. That's always struck me as a cool job. Plus, I could work anywhere in the country. That sounds cool to me.

At school, I've finished creating my mother's web-site through using only HTML. It was much trouble. I think it turned out well. My Mom thinks it turned out good (except, since it was due today and and I was finishing yesterday she suddenly had tons of ideas, ugh). The class seemed to think it was nice, one guy said it was "simple, but I like how easy to look at and use it is." That was nice. At a meeting that happened later, my Dad was told by the teacher that she thought it was a good site. I think I'm gonna pass the class. What do you think?

Is it sad that I always hope that those people off to the right update their Blogs whenever I get online? I don't know yet. When PvP isn't posted, and I have the time, I become obsessed waiting for the new comic to be posted. Is that sad?

I need a job, I bet that would take away some of the obsessions I've developed.

And here's another:

Terror Alert Level
I wonder if we'll ever get to Cookie Monster or Oscar again. Or are we stuck on Bert or a more red Muppet to "keep the terrorists from winning"?

'Night, hopefully.

Sunday, October 19, 2003

Ashton Kutcher

He is the most overrated person in Hollywood. What's all the fuss about? I just don't see it. Sure, he has nice eyes, a firm ass, an ever popular square jaw, and is dating a quickly aging former "Brat Pack" member, but that does not a good actor make.

And I've heard him being compared to Cary Grant. Can you believe that, Cary Grant? Who the fuck was the idiot who started that bullshit? Maybe if Kutcher ever showed a brain, or class, or heart in any of his films (or in his too many MTV appearances) I may be able to forgive the people who repeat this, but not right now.

Let's compare:
Grant's been in films like Philadelphia Story, Arsenic and Old Lace, North by Northwest, and Bringing Up Baby.
Kutcher's been in: Dude, Where's My Car?, Just Married, and My Boss's Daughter.
Who's been in better films? And if you answered "Ashton has been in better films" you need to go and watch the four movies I've suggested for Cary Grant.

Kutcher's starred alongside people like: Seann (Why two "n's") Williams Scott, Brittany Murphy, Tara Reid, and (very soon) Steve Martin.
Grant's co-starred with people like: Priscilla Lane, Eva Marie Saint, James Stewart, and the greatest of them all Katharine Hepburn.
The only person I respect in Kutcher's corner is Steve Martin. He's worked with very few people that I respect. Grant's worked with the best of the best in acting, and in directing (Hitchcock anyone?).

Cary Grant had charm, grace, manners, and an enormous screen presence. Ashton Kutcher has none of these things. He's mostly just a jerk, I've seen Punk'd, and he's a real asshole on that show.

Kutcher's most famous for playing a moron, mainly in "That '70s Show," but he's only played a moron in all his films too. I even saw him on the Rosie O'Donnel show many years ago, and he seemed to be a moron in real live. I can't believe he tried to study Biochemical Engineering before he went off to be come a model.

The idiot sheep of the USA may think that Ashton Kutcher is worth watching, but I think that soon they will wake up and see him for the no talent pretty boy he really is. Oh, and if the Hollywood people out there are looking for real talent from the young part of the cast on "That '70s Show," hire Danny Masterson. He's got more talent in one curly hair than Kutcher has in his big empty body.

Sleeplessness, be Damned

The last time I looked at my clock before I finally fell asleep, it read 4:32. Then I woke up at 7:56 and been awake ever since then.

Nothing much to put. I think I wrote myself out early this morning, but I need to write everyday for the first week, for some reason.

Oh, and there's this:



I hope that works.

'Night.

Insomnia, I am your Bitch

Since school started this semester, I've been a bit of an insomniac, which I've never been before. For some of you, this is your normal time, for me it's not and, until recently, never has been. I'm a morning person. (I can hear the groans from all over the world, or maybe it's just the voices again.) I swear, that when I finally fall asleep tonight, I'll be awake by nine AM at the latest. If I fell asleep right now and slept that late, it'll be a whole six hours of sleep for me. On a weekend, that just isn't fair.

Sleeplessness aside, I've been getting a lot more reading done recently. I finally finished the wonderful Hyperion Cantos, which ended better than I thought and also exactly as I expected. (Raul should have gotten the hint early on from what Aenea was saying. What a moron.) I've also read/re-read the Artemis Fowl books. Sure, they're called children's books, but when a ten year old is blackmailing the fairy-folk for much gold, there's fun for all ages. I burned through the first two Lord of the Rings books. For some reason, I figure it's a good idea for me to read them again before the last movie. It gives me a better ability to nitpick, I guess.

Many a comics have been read too. Much Ultimate Spider-man and Ultimate X-Men. All issues of JSA, JLA, and Planetary round out my major superhero reading. On the non-superhero side of the comic realm, all of the Transmetropolitian issues to be found in this house, about a third of all the issues. Also fifty issues of Bone (the most fun and funniest fantasy comic ever published), and the two mini-series that go along with it. And tonight, I just started re-reading Strangers in Paradise, I found almost seventy issues on eBay for pretty cheap about a year ago (when I had a job and could afford to buy tons of comics from eBay) and it was worth way more what I spent on the books, not only cover price, but in the amazing story and characters as well.

(I sense that there are no new comic converts out there. Those who don't actually spend money on comics will continue to not spend money on comics. You will continue to ridicule those who do. However, there are a few out there who may think, "Maybe this loser is right and there is some artistic and literary value to comic books. Nah, I'm just fooling myself. This guys just a fat freak who live in his parents basement and doesn't want to feel like such a dork." And you'd be right, except for the basement part, I have my own room, thank you very much.)

I was working on a submission for the Marvel Comics Imprint,
Epic, which has been suspended. Damn, I had a whole four issue miniseries all plotted, I only had to write down page layouts and dialogue. They are still offering submissions, but that's only for short Spider-man and X-Men stories, from regular continuity, not Ultimate continuity. (Ask me to explain the differences, if you dare.) And my mini was based on a totally new character that is far more closely related to the Fantastic Four. Maybe one day Epic will be back up and I'll be able to submit to their evil will.

On the plus side, I've actually started plotting a novel in my funny little notebook. In it, I'm ripping off an idea from Joe DePage, an idea from William Faulkner (although not his brilliant writing technique, I'll never be able to do that), and there will, hopefully, be plenty from good old me.

Will it ever see type on a computer screen?
Who knows?
If it does, will it ever get finished?
That's a long shot.
What about published?
I doubt it.
Will you let others read it if it isn't?
Have you no faith in me?
Very little.
But you do have some?
I said very little, but I do have some
Well... maybe, if your relatively nice to me.
That's a tall order, will it be worth it?
I hope so.

Okay, that’s all from me for this early morning.

Saturday, October 18, 2003

Crap

I figure that it's a good idea for me to have at least one post a day for my first week of blogging. Anyone disagree with me? Is it because you don't like my writing, or do you just hate me? (As if anyone really reads my bullshit anyway.) Yeah, and thats why I don't read your blog either.

Anyway, I saw the movie Hackers for the first time tonight (it sucked, bigtime) and was shocked at the way computers were represented. All of those floating letters and brilliant colors, since when did the world of hacking ever look like that? ...Uh... Never. That's right, as glamerous as that movie wants hacking to look like, it doesn't. It's all about fat, ugly guys and greasy gals who think the world owe them something. Fuck them. And fuck movie makers who don't want to think about reality when they make a movie.

Josh

Newest Enterprise, or "Hoshi, be myslave"

Hoshi finally gets an episode (almost) worth watching!

Since the beginning of this, the fourth Star Trek spin-off, Hoshi has been my second favorite character (Dr. Phlox being the best), but she hasn't had an episode worth watching. The most recent was closest.

This week found the ship still "searching" for the Xindi in the [Something] Expanse, plagued by visual distortion that make sparks and bend stairs. Our intrepid communications officer, that's Hoshi, folks, hears and sees someone and thinks she's hallucinating. She isn't, of course, visits the guy on a planet, where he's the only "person". He's ugly, and thus begins Star Trek meets Beauty and the Beast, with a less happy ending, but a happy ending none the less. The Beast, for lack of his name in the show, ends up blackmailing Hoshi to get her to stay with him. Will she stay with The Beast, or will she go back to the ship? Take a guess after I ask you to remember the ending of every other episode of Star Trek. Now what do you think she does?

That was my guess too.

The B-story involves The Main 3 (Captain, First Officer, and Chief Engineer for those who haven't watched as much as me), the goofy distortion, and another big sphere causing the problems. Excitement doesn't abound in this storyline, but there is a runaway shuttle-pod, that was fun.

In the end everything works out and I was left with the feeling that nothing was accomplished, and if it was, the viewers won't be in on it until sweeps next month because next week is back to the ultra-shitty season premier. This episode isn't great, but neither has this whole show, but for those of us who prefer Hoshi to T'pol, it was pretty good.

Friday, October 17, 2003

The truth about acting.

As I was flipping through the channels this evening, I came across Universal Soldier. There was that Van Damme guy with some glass thing over one of his eyes. During the two minutes of viewing, I once again realized that moviestardom should not be based on looks, but on actual acting ability. What ever happened to the good looking actor who could actually do a good job with the role? What happened to actual acting by actors?

And then, I asked myself, “What happened to actual acting in politics?” We here, in stupid California, have elected a very poor actor as governor, and that scares me. At least with soon to be ex-governor Davis made me believe it when he said that he was going to try to fix the budget (he kinda ignored all the other problems that I see around the state, like education). He was damn good at staying calm and speaking clearly in front of people who wanted to shove the podium up his ass. I think he could be a decent actor, better than Arnie, but who isn’t, really? Maybe theirs is another guy that bad.

The guy in the White House, Mr. Bush Junior, is a crappy actor too. He can not say half the words in his speeches. Shouldn’t the guy who pretends to be the president of a nation be able to pronounce the words that are written for him, at least his lack of ability to say words proves that his writers haven’t stooped to spelling things phonetically (fo-net-ik-al-ee), but that can’t be too far off, and that’s a scary thought.

These guys being elected is somewhere in the book of Revelations, it just has to be.

Thursday, October 16, 2003

Now, or something like it.

It's late-er and I'm still sober and a little disappointed. Okay, as many out there know, I'm always sober and have always been sober, except for that once, which is ever to be spoken of or written about until after my death.

I remember the days when I had a job that I hated. Those were the days that I really wished that I was a drinker. Get off of work at noonish after an almost eight-hour shift then kill all my memories of misery.

At first, in those days after quitting, I was glad to be me. Now, after months of search and no find, I once again wish I'd live up to the stereotype that is the Irish in me (or the German for Oktoberfest, I guess). I realize, now, that without school
and without work, I'm stuck with myself. I like... parts of me, but being trapped with me all day, everyday with few distractions is a much scarier thing than I ever thought it could be.

What is a person like me to do?

Kill Bill, volume 1

There only two good things that came from Pulp Fiction:
1. The story Christopher Walken told the story of the Watch.
2. The soundtrack.

The Man from Hollywood was the worst short in Four Rooms

Jackie Brown was way too slow.

And I have yet to see Reservoir Dogs.

Quentin Tarantino is not my one of my favorite Hollywood people.

And yet, I felt compelled to see Kill Bill. There was something about the style that was shown in the previews, I guess. Maybe it was the costumes, that yellow leather Uma Thurman wears. I don't know what, I was drawn to this film. And I was happy that I spent my eight buck to see it.

The movie isn't in chronological order, which usually bothers the hell out of me, but worked here because it started the film off with a bang. Well, more of a "SMASH! BANG! SQUISH!"

Tarantino uses animation in this film in a way rarely seen, and in many ways it tells the story in a more interesting style than the live action does. More of this beautiful style of animation would be greatly appreciated by this Idiot because this country has to learn that animation is a wonderful storytelling medium that is only for kids because too many jackasses out there think it isn't.

BREATHE! Got off topic there.

Any, I liked Kill Bill, even with my lack of enthusiasm for most things Tarantino. Give it a shot if you don't mind watching limbs hacked off and blood squirting four feet up in the air. And if the end get you to want to see the next one, then you must have really disliked it, but I didn't and will be at the theater in February to see how it comes to an end.

Wooo-Whoo

I have a Blog.

It's early in the afternoon, nothing to say now, but hopefully later.

Kick ass.