July 31, 2005
Baltimore Blitz
This weekend was just what the doctor ordered. Jeff, Sam and I had a great time at the ball game in Baltimore… Jeff and I must have walked about 6,000 miles before Sam got there on Friday. It was nice to get some alone time with him and catch up on all of the shit that has been happening in our lives. He has really become a great friend and one of the most caring people that I have ever known… Sam was a blast as usual. Talking about his wedding plans on Saturday night while eating dinner overlooking the harbor was one of the more “adult” moments that I have had in a long time. The conversation has left me absolutely jazzed about the event. It is great to know that while we are have been growing up together our entire lives, we have somehow allowed our relationship to grow.
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28 years ago today, a wide eyed baby girl was born. That same child has grown into an AMAZING person and a wonderful friend. Happy Birthday Jamie… Thank you for 28 years of excellence.
July 28, 2005
Play Ball!!!
I am off to Baltimore this weekend to see the Orioles play the Chicago White Sox. Jeff, Sam and I will be rocking down in a hotel room, with plenty of cheep beer and baseball. I can’t wait to see two of my best friends for an entire weekend… More on Sunday.
July 27, 2005
Art Wednesday
Top 4 Animated films of all time ::
1. Nightmare Before Christmas
2. Spirited Away
3. Princess Mononoke
4. Iron Giant
Honorable Mentions ::
Snow White, The Incredibles, Little Mermaid, Toy Story
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So I watched one of the best films that I have seen all year last night. “Princess Mononoke” is directed by Hayao Miyazaki, who has also directed such masterpieces as “Spirited Away”, “The Castle in the Sky”and “Kiki’s Delivery Service”. Miyazaki delivers in a HUGE way with Mononoke. After seeing the film, I have decided to name him the master of the strong female character. In each of his films he has an amazing ability to let the female character be strong and sensitive while commanding the love and attention of the audience. I have fallen in love with the leading female character in every one of his films.
Mononoke kept me up most of the night… Pondering the visually AMAZING shots, the pristine script and the seamless incorporation of famous hollywood voices such as Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Crudup and Clair Danes. Miyazaki has a habit of using famous names for his films voices, but NEVER gives in to the celebrity. Most directors/creators would use the preconceived notions of the audience toward these actors to sculpt the character around the celebrity (not vise versa)… Miyazaki is uncompromising in his vision, and too good for this easy trap to fall in.
An interesting fact about Miyazaki is that his films are made without a script. Here is his comment from an interview.
“That’s true. I don’t have the story finished and ready when we start work on a film. I usually don’t have the time. So the story develops when I start drawing storyboards. The production starts very soon thereafter, while the storyboards are still developing. We never know where the story will go but we just keeping working on the film as it develops. It’s a dangerous way to make an animation film and I would like it to be different, but unfortunately, that’s the way I work and everyone else is kind of forced to subject themselves to it.” Click HERE for the rest of this interview.
Mononoke is on the list of films that I wish I could watch again for the first time. It is a beautifully crafted piece of art, and is the perfect film to help you keep your mind off of Potter for a few hours. I swear, last night was the first vacation from Potter I have had since the 16th.
Do yourself a favor… Go rent this film tonight, and WATCH IT. It will kick your ass.
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Leave me a comment and let me know your top 4…
July 26, 2005
Blast Off
Well, I have survived the first space shuttle launch since I have been a resident of Florida. I watched the launch over a streaming connection on the internet from work. The NASA network had really interesting coverage of the event. Upon liftoff there was this nerdy sounding guy doing the equivalent to play by play, blurting out the speed, distance from the Earth and other relevant information. From what I could understand, this is the first launch that they have had this much media involved for the general public. My favorite part was when the camera attached to the fuel tank was detached and I watched the speeding space shuttle zoom off into space. Pretty cool thing to see.
Rumor has it that it is kind of a tradition for Floridians to go outside and try to see the shuttle in the sky… I tried this with zero luck. My eyes did get really watery while looking up at the bright sky though… I guess it was worth a try.
Whenever I think of the shuttle being launched, I try to think of what the astronauts were thinking 2 seconds before ignition. What and the hell must be going through these peoples minds? I will tell you… STOP, SHIT, SHIT, SHIT.
Dinosaurs and space… Guys will never stop being amazed by these two subjects… Oh, I guess girls too.
July 25, 2005
I-95 North
A few thoughts I had while driving to work today…
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Why can’t I get to bed before 1 in the morning? What is wrong with me? I know I am going to be a zombie the next day. I just LOVE staying up late. I love pushing the envelope of the day.
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So I guess that homeless people are inventing new ways of begging for money. Have you seen these people begging in the middle of the freaking street? Is standing at a stop light the next frontier of begging? What’s next… Standing in my driveway?
You think that there is a gang of regular street beggars that hate the stoplight beggars because they are tarnishing the integrity of the non-profession profession? I would like to think so.
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I miss Carrie… A lot. I feel really out of sync without her. There has been more than one moment in the last week that I feel like I am absolutely losing my mind.
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Are there really this many people in the world? I remember when I thought I could name everybody on the planet.
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Are turn signals that hard to use?