What can I say? I'm enjoying these...
IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?
To review:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend your cool...
Opening Credits: Just the Way You Are ~ Billy Joel. That's...I don't know where this is going...
Waking Up: Ice Ice Baby ~ Vanilla Ice. Seriously. I suspect my life is about to turn into a farce...
First Day At School: Melanie ~ Guster. Now that's an interesting choice that almost no one knows. Ehren, Lei? Thoughts? V. mellow, chill.
Falling In Love: Two-seater ~ Bowling for Soup. More accurate than most would think. A bit depressing though.
Fight Song: Sloop John B ~ Me First and the Gimme Gimmes. Punk rock version of a trippy Beach Boys song. Yeah...trippy
Breaking Up: Ever the Same ~ Rob Thomas. Appropriate no doubt.
Prom (Perhaps Grad Walk?): American Pie ~ The King's Singers. That's just depressing.
Life Is Good: Lily Dreams On ~ Cotton Mather from the Veronica Mars Soundtrack. Either uber depressing or...stoned-mellow.
Mental Breakdown: Girl Next Door ~ Saving Jane. Damn straight.
Driving: St. Elmo's Fire ~ John Parr. My life is frakking 80's Brat Pack movie clearly.
Flashback: May the Living Be Dead ~ Flogging Molly. You have to hear this song to understand the pure humour.
Getting Back Together: Son of a Preacher Man ~ Dusty Springfield. Ok I cheated a little - the first thinkg that came up was the Neil Gaiman short story "Cinnamon." Which is definately not a song, so I though it ought not to count.
Wedding: Mr. Wendall ~ Arrested Development. WTF?
Birth of A Child: True ~ Ryan Cabrerra. That at least makes sort of sense.
Final Battle: It's All About Soul ~ Billy Joel. Makes sense I suppose. If I'm fighting the devil...
Death Scene: You Don't Love me Anymore ~ Weird Al Yankovic. Jesus Christ. You're kidding me...
Funeral Song: Behind the Smile ~ Matthew Sweet. Sure. Why the hell not.
End Credits: Find your way Back ~ Michelle Branch. I kinda like that one.
2nd try: Benjamin Calypso ~ Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Soundtrack. Yeah, no.
Thank Roommate for this one.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Because the last post was all content
I thought I would amuse you all with quizzes and survey's galore...
Survey #1:
1) What side of the heart do you draw first?: Left. Southpaws of the world, unite!
2) Can you dive without plugging your nose?: I can jump into water without plugging my nose. I don't think I know how to dive.
3) What color is your razor?: Purple...Quattro for women.
4) What is your blood-type?: A+
5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours?: Boyfriend I suppose. But really, I'm with me and that's enough.
6) What is a rumor someone has spread about you?: That I know of? Not something ridiculous about hoarding books needed for a project since high school. Since then, god only knows.
7) How do you feel about carrots?: I'm with roomie - baby and definately raw. Cooked carrots = gross. I will suffer them to be lightly stir fried however.
8) How many chairs at the dining room table?: Kitchen/Dining-4
9) which one of the spice girls is the best?: Sporty or Ginger
10) Do you know what time it is?: 8:43 says the computer clock
11) Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince Theme Song?: In West Philidelphia, born & raised, on a playground is where I spent most of my days, chilling out maxing relaxing all cool playing some b-ball outside of the school when a couple of boys who were up to no good started making trouble in my neigborhood... So yes. But not the extended version I don't think.
12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator?: Depends who I was with & what I had with me. Just me I'd knit (assuming I had it with me), friends I'd knit and chat, boyfriend and...wait isn't this a g-rated blog?
13) What's your favorite kind of gum?: Winterfresh
14) T or F: All's fair in love and war: It shouldn't be but it seems to be a free for all.
15) Do you have a crush on anyone?: Not a crush.
16) Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning?: I don't think I understand the meaning of this question.
17) Do you like to sleep?: Hell yeah what kind of question is that?!
18) Do you know which US states don't use Daylight Savings Time?: Not all of them no.
19) Do you know the words to the song Total Eclipse of the Heart?: With music 100%, without, probably about 85%
20) Do you want a bright yellow '06 mustang?: *gags*
21) What's something you've always wanted?: My own condo/house. And a kitchenaid mixer.
22) Do you have hairy legs?: If I don't shave, yes.
23) What does "Semper Fidelis" stand for?: Always Faithful
24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake?: Neither actually. But out of the two, a lake.
25) Do you wear a lot of black?: Depends. Does my hair count?
26) Describe your hair?: Medium length super dark brown (looks black in artifical light) with gold and red low-lights. Those are natural. And some grey hairs. Which are also natural.
27) Do you have Entomophobia?: I question that it's a phobia...but I don't like the things much.
28) Are you an adult?: Legally yes. Emotionally? Check back in 6 months.
29) Where is/are your best friend(s)?: Mostly in state.
30) Do you have a tan?: Define "tan"
31) Are you a television addict?: Yes. Yes I am.
32) Do you enjoy spending time with your mother?: That's a loaded question. Sometimes.
33) Are you a sugar freak?: No.
34) Do you like orange juice?: Irrelevant. It doesn't like me.
35) What sign are you?: Gemini. My other gemini friend (born the same year I was) says we are both flaky monkeys. Man has a point.
36) Where do you wish you were right now?: Disneyworld.
37) Have you kissed anyone in the past week?: Yes.
38) What are your plans for the weekend?: New Year's Party. Whee!
OKCupid! Test #1:
Survey #1:
1) What side of the heart do you draw first?: Left. Southpaws of the world, unite!
2) Can you dive without plugging your nose?: I can jump into water without plugging my nose. I don't think I know how to dive.
3) What color is your razor?: Purple...Quattro for women.
4) What is your blood-type?: A+
5) Who would you want to be tied to for 24 hours?: Boyfriend I suppose. But really, I'm with me and that's enough.
6) What is a rumor someone has spread about you?: That I know of? Not something ridiculous about hoarding books needed for a project since high school. Since then, god only knows.
7) How do you feel about carrots?: I'm with roomie - baby and definately raw. Cooked carrots = gross. I will suffer them to be lightly stir fried however.
8) How many chairs at the dining room table?: Kitchen/Dining-4
9) which one of the spice girls is the best?: Sporty or Ginger
10) Do you know what time it is?: 8:43 says the computer clock
11) Do you know all the words to the Fresh Prince Theme Song?: In West Philidelphia, born & raised, on a playground is where I spent most of my days, chilling out maxing relaxing all cool playing some b-ball outside of the school when a couple of boys who were up to no good started making trouble in my neigborhood... So yes. But not the extended version I don't think.
12) What would you do if you were stuck in an elevator?: Depends who I was with & what I had with me. Just me I'd knit (assuming I had it with me), friends I'd knit and chat, boyfriend and...wait isn't this a g-rated blog?
13) What's your favorite kind of gum?: Winterfresh
14) T or F: All's fair in love and war: It shouldn't be but it seems to be a free for all.
15) Do you have a crush on anyone?: Not a crush.
16) Do you know how to use some words correctly, but not know the meaning?: I don't think I understand the meaning of this question.
17) Do you like to sleep?: Hell yeah what kind of question is that?!
18) Do you know which US states don't use Daylight Savings Time?: Not all of them no.
19) Do you know the words to the song Total Eclipse of the Heart?: With music 100%, without, probably about 85%
20) Do you want a bright yellow '06 mustang?: *gags*
21) What's something you've always wanted?: My own condo/house. And a kitchenaid mixer.
22) Do you have hairy legs?: If I don't shave, yes.
23) What does "Semper Fidelis" stand for?: Always Faithful
24) Would you rather swim in the ocean or a lake?: Neither actually. But out of the two, a lake.
25) Do you wear a lot of black?: Depends. Does my hair count?
26) Describe your hair?: Medium length super dark brown (looks black in artifical light) with gold and red low-lights. Those are natural. And some grey hairs. Which are also natural.
27) Do you have Entomophobia?: I question that it's a phobia...but I don't like the things much.
28) Are you an adult?: Legally yes. Emotionally? Check back in 6 months.
29) Where is/are your best friend(s)?: Mostly in state.
30) Do you have a tan?: Define "tan"
31) Are you a television addict?: Yes. Yes I am.
32) Do you enjoy spending time with your mother?: That's a loaded question. Sometimes.
33) Are you a sugar freak?: No.
34) Do you like orange juice?: Irrelevant. It doesn't like me.
35) What sign are you?: Gemini. My other gemini friend (born the same year I was) says we are both flaky monkeys. Man has a point.
36) Where do you wish you were right now?: Disneyworld.
37) Have you kissed anyone in the past week?: Yes.
38) What are your plans for the weekend?: New Year's Party. Whee!
OKCupid! Test #1:
The Saint You are 26% Bootlicker, 27% Toe-Stepper, and 38% Obnoxious Anti-Snob! |
You exist in a near-Nirvana state of contentedness with the world. Maybe you're enlightened, maybe you're the Second Coming of Christ, maybe you're comatose. Whatever the reason, you're no snob. Well played. "I'm such a good person when I'm stoned." |
My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The Snobbery Test written by fnordite on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Next by Michael Crichton
I just finished reading Crichton's Next. You can go ahead and click on the link above to get a synopsis of the book. I'm still digesting and trying to figure out what I think of it. Like many of his books, Crichton tackles a topic that has some controversey behind it. Here, he is looking at transgenics and the new wave of ethical concerns with emergent technology. It's a good concept for a book, and I was very excited to get my hands on a copy of the book.
The Good:
As always Crichton does a good job of blurring the lines between science and fiction. I have enough background to see where those lines are supposed to be, and was as always impressed with the research that the man has done. He is through. He brought up some excellent points, and I very much enjoy that this book, as most of his, has a solid bibliography at the end. I also like that he has included a section at the end of the book with his personal thoughts on the issues and problems that the book addresses. He did this in his last book State of Fear which deals with global warming. It is also an enjoyable read. He makes some awesome point sin that piece of his book, including the impracticality of banning some technologies - we just can not regulate things like that. It didn't work during prohibition and it won't work here.
He makes some excellent points on patenting genes, and how throughly frightening a prospect that can be. He emphasizes that universities, biotech start ups, etc. are in it to make money. And that lawyers can really fuck these things up.
(Incidentally, Crichton has a special place in hell reserved for lawyers - they are invariably blood-sucking bastards in his books. Is this a result of his background in medicine, or did he have a particularly bad experience? I mean he had one of them eaten by a dinosaur in Jurassic Park so...I'm not disagreeing with him, just curious.)
One particular plot line follows a trangenic chimp, and this particular story line is pretty awesome. It's interesting and cute, heart warming with just a hint of malice at parts.
Crichton does bring a lot of science down to a fundamentally understandable level. And that is definately a good thing. Especically for thouse without a basic understanding of the science, he makes the social issues much more accessible.
Overall he brings up many different issues that need to be brought up regarding the new world of science fact we live in. This is also a part of the bad, as we'll get to in just a moment...
The Bad:
Let's start with the obvious. Michael Crichton can not end a book to save his life. Seriously, his endings are almost always contrived at best, non-existant at worst. This book is no different, and I acutally think is one of his worst endings yet. Part of this is the result of having WAY too many plotlines going at once.
Just yesterday Roommate and I were discussing teaching the idea of A story/B story to her students. She was trying to get them to see you needed a B plot, but you didn't want too many. Crichton has something like half a dozen plotlines in this book, and as a result none of them are truly developed. This is a problem. Besides the fact that you don't truly get any satisfaction on any of the plots, he also jumps so fast from one to the other that your head is spinning...it's hard to keep track of what is going on.
A natural result of this plot jumping about is that many of the plots seem...contrived. There just because as opposed to having any real reason for being present. As I said before, they are also underdeveloped, which leaves the reader, or at least this reader, feeling that whatever happens to these people happens. Not really a big deal.
Overall:
I have to reccomend the book. Read it if you have an interest in trangenics. Read it if you feel like you don't know enough, or feel that you ought to know more. Don't expect this to turn into a movie. It's too fragmented for that. /Pay attention to Crichton's afterword, it's clear and conscise. His bibliography is annotated, so that's pretty awesome too.
If anyone does read it, please comment back to me. I'd like to talk to someone else and get their thoughts on the book.
The Good:
As always Crichton does a good job of blurring the lines between science and fiction. I have enough background to see where those lines are supposed to be, and was as always impressed with the research that the man has done. He is through. He brought up some excellent points, and I very much enjoy that this book, as most of his, has a solid bibliography at the end. I also like that he has included a section at the end of the book with his personal thoughts on the issues and problems that the book addresses. He did this in his last book State of Fear which deals with global warming. It is also an enjoyable read. He makes some awesome point sin that piece of his book, including the impracticality of banning some technologies - we just can not regulate things like that. It didn't work during prohibition and it won't work here.
He makes some excellent points on patenting genes, and how throughly frightening a prospect that can be. He emphasizes that universities, biotech start ups, etc. are in it to make money. And that lawyers can really fuck these things up.
(Incidentally, Crichton has a special place in hell reserved for lawyers - they are invariably blood-sucking bastards in his books. Is this a result of his background in medicine, or did he have a particularly bad experience? I mean he had one of them eaten by a dinosaur in Jurassic Park so...I'm not disagreeing with him, just curious.)
One particular plot line follows a trangenic chimp, and this particular story line is pretty awesome. It's interesting and cute, heart warming with just a hint of malice at parts.
Crichton does bring a lot of science down to a fundamentally understandable level. And that is definately a good thing. Especically for thouse without a basic understanding of the science, he makes the social issues much more accessible.
Overall he brings up many different issues that need to be brought up regarding the new world of science fact we live in. This is also a part of the bad, as we'll get to in just a moment...
The Bad:
Let's start with the obvious. Michael Crichton can not end a book to save his life. Seriously, his endings are almost always contrived at best, non-existant at worst. This book is no different, and I acutally think is one of his worst endings yet. Part of this is the result of having WAY too many plotlines going at once.
Just yesterday Roommate and I were discussing teaching the idea of A story/B story to her students. She was trying to get them to see you needed a B plot, but you didn't want too many. Crichton has something like half a dozen plotlines in this book, and as a result none of them are truly developed. This is a problem. Besides the fact that you don't truly get any satisfaction on any of the plots, he also jumps so fast from one to the other that your head is spinning...it's hard to keep track of what is going on.
A natural result of this plot jumping about is that many of the plots seem...contrived. There just because as opposed to having any real reason for being present. As I said before, they are also underdeveloped, which leaves the reader, or at least this reader, feeling that whatever happens to these people happens. Not really a big deal.
Overall:
I have to reccomend the book. Read it if you have an interest in trangenics. Read it if you feel like you don't know enough, or feel that you ought to know more. Don't expect this to turn into a movie. It's too fragmented for that. /Pay attention to Crichton's afterword, it's clear and conscise. His bibliography is annotated, so that's pretty awesome too.
If anyone does read it, please comment back to me. I'd like to talk to someone else and get their thoughts on the book.