About Me #1

I have an unexplainable need to run up stairs whenever I find myself at the bottom of a set of them.

I have never seen Citizen Kane.

I still have every book given to me for "required" reading for English and Literature classes in high school. I have never finished any of them because I could never bring myself to read any of the "classics" after I read the first chapter of Catcher in the Rye.

I didn't eat meat of my own volition until I was 19.

If I have a weakness, it's my sweat tooth. If I have two, the second is buying electronics.

I love geometry almost as much as I love Secret of Mana.

I shot a bow and arrow on a weekly basis for two years.

I can remember my kindergarden gym teacher's name.

I think stereotypes are hilarious especially when they apply to me.

Not so deep down inside, I want to be James Bond.

Who Doesn't Watch the Watchmen?

Let me preface this with the following: I have in fact read the graphic novel, and I believe that contributed heavily to my understanding and enjoyment of the film.

Ok, now that that's out of the way...

I loved the movie. It currently stands as one of my most favorite films (up there with Terminator 2, Juno, Iron Man, and the Godfather Parts 1 and 2). The Watchmen is a culmination of everything I look for in a movie: Solid performances from multiple cast members (not everyone played their parts equally well, but there was certainly no Sofia Coppola ala Godfather Part 3), gripping/well-thought-out story line, and a perfect soundtrack...perfect in that it could not have been any better in my opinion. The music fit the irony of the entire story. Perfect.

That all being said, as I mentioned up top, I do think that in order to get a solid appreciation for the brilliance of the movie, you really really need to read the graphic novel ahead of time. The "characters" in the background (*wink*), the excellent and wise change to the ending, and the overall feel for the world of the Watchmen have to first be experienced in their original form. I had a ton of friends go into the theater expecting Spiderman even after I explained to them over many in depth conversations the significant depth and lack of "Hollywood epicness" of the graphic novel.

So to summarize: Unbelievably brilliant movie...read it first.

New Workout Routine

I've started running through a 30 minute, focused workout routine at lunch 3 times a week. Chest/triceps for Mondays, biceps/shoulders for Wednesdays, and back/legs on Fridays. The whole routine is based around doing 4 sets of 10 reps on 3/3 exercises for each muscle group. There's supposed to be very little down time in between, so my two buddies and I rotate between 2 or 3 different exercises at the same time. So far, it's kicking my butt...but I feel great afterward.

I run twice a week with the team on T/Th (sprints and long run respectively)...overall, I think I've got fitness down as much as I can for now. I like feeling healthy (and not guilty about the occasional pizza...heh).


PT Test the first week of April...hopefully this all pays off!

Peace.

Rifle Marksmanship

Part of our company went to the rifle range this weekend. I shot 37/40 which qualified me for Expert which made me really excited especially considering the disaster that was my BCT qualificiation (broken rifle, first round no go, minimum qualify...bleh)

We've got a Class A inspection tomorrow so I had to get my new marksmanship pin...and they really needed to be resized as well. The jacket I was issued at BCT was waaaay too big for me...hilariously oversized.

Kind of an off-day tomorrow and some fun volunteering on Saturday. More on that later!

Peace.

Movie Theaters

It's official, movie theaters have been ruined by the rudeness and thoughtlessness of bad parents and stupid teenagers.

I'm giving up on theaters.

That's all for now.

Observation

The other day I went to "Panda Express" for dinner. There were mostly men and women of Latin American ancestory working behind the counter. There was a man of Eastern Asian origins behind me in line.

It took 10 minutes of broken English (on both sides of the conversation) to get that man a to-go box of Chicken Fried rice. After it was all said and done, my friends and I shared a good laugh. From a strictly linguistics perspective, the fact that a (presumably) Chinese man can't order "Chinese" food from a (presumably) Mexican man in America because both have a limited grasp on the English language is hilarious!

*Important Note* This is not meant to come off as condescending, bigotous, or mean. It was just a really funny, SNL-esque situation I wanted to share...

That's all for now.

Tech Review

Here's what promises to be a significant posting...



MacBook Pro
My Macbook Pro is one of the greatest purchases I have ever made. Finally giving into my younger brother's persistant nagging, after I got to my current station post-Basic, I dove headfirst into the glorious Mac subculture.

My initial elf-justification came from the full support of BootCamp, and the ability to flawlessly install Windows. However, until I recently installed a Beta of Windows 7 (a review for a later date), there hadn't been a copy of a Windows OS on my laptop for at least 8 months. Most of the gaming I do now is on the PS3 or PSP, so there's not really a need for me to use Windows for anything. I've got copies of the necessary Office software, I use superior video software, and OSX is much easier to use than XP (and of course, the steaming pile of freshman-level programming garbage that it Vista).

I do have a few issues with my MacBook Pro. I don't understand the obsession with shiny coatings for electronics (be it the Mac's shiny-silver, or the PS3's Piano Black), but if it gets used, it scratches. I wish the coating was of a different texture. The bottom is scratched much more than it should be for as young as the computer still is, though I have managed to avoid messing up the top, keyboard, or palm-rests by using a cheap-external keyboard and mouse.

The only other problem I occasionally run into is a compatability issue with OSX, but only with open-source and shareware programs.


Oh, and it runs Windows 7 almost flawlessly so far...having some trouble with the sound, but I'm not concerned as I haven't spent a great deal of time trying to figure it out yet.

Hands down, if you can afford one, buy one.



Sony Playstation 3

My PS3 is a beast. I was a little reluctant to get one for a long time because of the significant differences in quality and size of its game library when compared specifically to te XBox 360. However, I have had such success with my PSP that I decided to drop some money down and give it a try. I managed to snag one of the last models with 4 USB ports, card-slots, and (most importantly) PS2 backwards compatibility. It has an 80 GB hard drive and came with a copy of Metal Gear Solid 4. I have not regretted the purchase for a second.

The backwards compatability works incredibly well. It's a shame they have since removed it.

My initial worries about the game library were quickly put to rest. Sony's exclusives are top-notch. MGS4, Uncharted: Drakes Fortune, and LittleBigPlanet are each by themselves more than enough reason to buy a PS3. Their combined level of fun, innovation, and general "awesomeness" is explosive particularly LittleBigPlanet.

I actually use the PS3's media center functionality more than the gaming. The USB ports and DivX/XviD codecs make watching the mountain of TV shows I have on portable HD a snap...a little more compatability on the file extension side of things would e nice, but for the most part, I've not had any major issues. Also of course, the BluRay player works perfectly fine and supports all the necessities like BDLive and whatnot.

I recently picked up a nice 40in LCD 1080p TV and barebones Sony 5.1 sound system to complete my HD experience, and I have not been disappointed. For anyone still settling for standard definition and trying to pass it off as, "There's no difference!", I have but one word for you, "WRONG!"

HD even in 720p brings in a crystal clear picture, and true 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is glorious...Do it! Make the switch! The end of SD is near, and you are being left in the dark...Search your feelings! You know it to be true!

That's all I got. Man, it feels good to be doing this again. I miss writing...Maybe I'll revisit my story blog too...if I can find the time...

Peace