Miscellaneous, Trends

25 Things

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There is a Facebook meme going around where you are supposed to post 25 random things about you. I guess my list isn’t so random, but whatever. I figured I’d cross-posted it here.

01. i first used the internet in 3rd grade (around 1990) when i was one of the few people in my school to get a chance to use prodigy. i remember their main feature at the time was some NOVA special about sleep.

02. my first online obsession (starting in 1993) was an online game called MUDs (multi-user dungeons/dimensions). imagine world of warcraft without graphics (all text). my favorite MUD was called dark saga.

03. eventually i created my own MUD (and was called a “god”) and that’s where i learned how to do computer programming (in a C-like language). strangely enough, the name of my MUD escapes me. i remember my part of the MUD was called deluge and it always rained there.

04. i’ve come to the realization that i prefer reading critical theory/philosophy more than standard fiction.

05. my favorite writer/philosopher is slavoj zizek. he’s the perfect balance of high culture/low culture for me. i wish i knew about him in college so i could’ve incorporated him into every paper i wrote.

06. my other favorite writer/philosopher is laura kipnis. she’s the perfect mix of freud/marx.

07. one of my favorite books is gravity’s rainbow by thomas pynchon. i read it the summer before college and probably understood only like 5% of what was going on. i want to re-read it but it’s so long and very daunting…

08. i wore glasses until i lost them in a mosh pit at a smashing pumpkins concert. ever since then it’s been contacts for me.

09. i love paintings by rothko (honestly and truthfully) but my favorite visual artist is magritte.

10. i’ve been a “strict” (whatever that means) vegetarian since 2000/2001. i’ve only ate meat once (knowingly) since then and it was when a “vegetarian” housemate of mine put chicken in a dinner. they tried to remove the big pieces but there were still little shreds of chicken. i felt sick for the rest of the night.

11. i try to be vegan as much as possible and it’s my ultimate goal (though i’m making slow progress). i own a bunch of vegan cookbooks and i cook mostly vegan, but i love pizza and delivery pasta too much.

12. i love the television show dallas even though i never watched it before it was on dvd.

13. i did, however, watch the final 3 seasons of knots landing (which was a spin-off of dallas) and that’s why i started watching dallas once the dvds came out.

14. my two favorite film directors are david lynch and wong kar-wai.

15. when mulholland drive came out in theatres, i saw it somewhere around 10 times.

16. by the time i saw 2046 at SIFF (i saw it both nights), i had already watched a bootleg dvd version of it at least 3 times.

17. my favorite drink is captain and coke.

18. i don’t like typical “comedy” movies. i think movies like i heart huckabees and best in show and drop dead gorgeous are hilarious. so i guess i like deadpan/dry/dark humor.

19. likewise, i hate sitcoms. but funny shows i like are arrested development, weeds, 30 rock, the office, drawn together.

20. i pretend to be a DJ meaning i have tons of music (currently 19,948 songs in itunes [and this is after a bunch of “great purges”]) and sometimes make mixes. i haven’t “remixed” anything yet though and i’m really struggling to learn ableton.

21. my “dj name” is who shot JR? which is a reference to dallas (see #12) and my initials.

22. until very recently, the only video games i would ever play were games in the final fantasy series. i’ve started to branch out and now i’m totally loving fallout 3.

23. random things i’ve been obsessed with at one point in my life: star wars, bettlejuice, oingo boingo, the pixies, linux,

24. the magazines i read are: entertainment weekly, wired, mixmag

25. this list was written while i listened to: “happy up here” (boys noize remix) by röyksopp, “your disco needs you” (casino radio mix) by kylie minogue, “there there” (the twelves mix) by radiohead, “love etc.” by pet shop boys, “meddle” (AC slater & dj skeet skeet remix) by little boots.

Humor, Philosophy

God/Immortality

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I know this is kind of cheeky, but this morning on Dr. Laura a mother called in worried about her child’s recent obsession with death (e.g. “Mommy you’re going to die before me and I’m going to die before my little brother”).

Dr. Laura instructed the woman to tell her child that death is what makes life important and gives it meaning and that if we all lived forever our lives wouldn’t have much meaning.

This sounds pretty true and I agree with it.

So then why are religious folk who I assume would also agree with that statement obsessed with the importance of god’s life/existence and think that it’s so important to do what god wants, follow god’s orders, etc. if god’s life doesn’t have meaning since it’s supposedly immortal? Would you value the opinion of someone whose life you don’t think have value/meaning?

Like I said, I know this train of thought is cheeky and I don’t mean it to be a very serious argument, but it’s just another tiny reason I think religion is so obnoxious.

Video Games

I Hope FFXIII Comes Out In 2009

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Final Fantasy XIII screenshot
MSNBC has a list “Top 5 most anticipated games of 2009” and Final Fantasy XIII somehow makes the list. I’d love to hope that it will come out in 2009, but I’m pretty skeptical.

I’ve been a fan of Final Fantasy games since I first started playing the original Final Fantasy during elementary school. I got a Playstation just so I could play FF7, FF8, and FF9 (and then the re-releases of FF4 and FF6), then I got a Playstation 3 so I could play the PS2-only FF10 and FF12 and since I knew FF13 would eventually come out on PS3, and finally I got a Nintendo DS last month just so I could re-play the updated FF4. So needless to say, when it comes to video games, I’m a Final Fantasy fanatic. It’s basically the only video game series that I really play regularly and repeatedly.

So I’ve been following the latest news on FF13. And just last week I read news that there isn’t going to be a FF13 demo for North America. Additionally, since FF13 is going to be PS3 and Xbox 306 over here (and contrary to MSNBC’s statement that “Widely regarded as the most influential role-playing franchise on consoles, the latest “Final Fantasy” is scheduled to arrive on PS3 this year (and later on Xbox 360),” I’ve heard/read that it will be a simultaneous release), it won’t be released here for quite a while after it comes out in Japan. And considering there isn’t even an official Japanese release date, I really doubt I’ll get to see it in 2009.

Thank you, MSNBC, for being optimistic… but I’m afraid you anticipation might be for nothing… but there is always 2010.

Update: Pretty much right after I posted this, PS3 Fanboy confirmed: “Final Fantasy XIII won’t hit global market until at least April 2010.” That sucks!

Humor

Alternate Version of Star Wars

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While waiting for the big reveal about the final cylon, I found this sci-fi goodness on the Slog.

Star Wars is such a major pop culture phenomenon that even if you haven’t watched the movie, I’m sure you know the main characters names, the various planets that they visit, who the bad guys are, etc. So now imagine you talked to someone who hadn’t seen the movie but had picked up bits and pieces and constructed a version of the film based on their understand. Hilarity ensues…


Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn’t seen it) from Joe Nicolosi on Vimeo.

Gayness, Music

Greatest Gay Albums

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I intended to post this a loooong time ago but while writing it my computer crashed and I didn’t realize that the new version of WordPress saved drafts! While mucking around I found it again so here it is…

Out.com has a list of The 100 Greatest, Gayest Albums (of All Time). Depite being gay and having a lot of great (I think) music, I don’t have many of these albums… (not that I’m surprised).

Since you care, I have:
08. Madonna, The Immaculate Collection, 1990
26. Scissor Sisters, Scissor Sisters, 2004
31. Sarah McLachlan, Fumbling Towards Ecstacy, 1993
36. Madonna, Erotica, 1992
37. Blondie, Parallel Lines, 1978
45. Bikini Kill, Pussy Whipped, 1993 (well, I used to have this in high school…)
46. Madonna, Ray of Light, 1998
49 .Patti Smith, Horses, 1975
54. Tori Amos, Little Earthquakes, 1992
58. Liz Phair, Exile in Guyville, 1993
61. Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out, 1997
63. Björk, Debut, 1993
65. Le Tigre, Le Tigre, 1999
66. Soft Cell, Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, 1981
68. Nirvana, Nevermind, 1991
77. New Order, Substance, 1987
81. Scissor Sisters, Ta-Dah, 2006
87. Madonna, Confessions on a Dance Floor, 2005

I’m not sure how much I agree with this list… it misses a lot of electronic and dance music, if you ask me. For example, I would also add some Depeche Mode, maybe the recent Hercules and Love Affair album, French gay-sounding house music like Bob Sinclar or David Guetta. But I guess the list goes for gay-themed music, not necessarily “music gays would dance to.”

The biggest exclusion, if you ask me, is Missy Elliott’s Miss E… So Addictive. Ever since I first heard it I immediately thought it was her attempt at reaching out to gays. The album is all about clubs and dancing and sex and drugs. Totally gay, if you ask me.

Veg*n

Vegan Baileys Irish Cream

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Baileys Irish Cream
This one’s for you, Molly.

Last night I was enjoying a glass of Bailey’s on the rocks and thought to myself, “It’s too bad that this isn’t vegan. I wonder if there are any recipes online to make a vegan equivalent…”

And, of course, thanks to the magic of the internets, I found a way to make it!

At SuperVegan I found a discussion about “Vegan substitute for Bailey’s Irish Creme.”

Here it is, copy-and-pasted (in case SuperVegan ever disappears):

Ingredients:
——————————————————

1 can coconut milk
2 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs chocolate syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup whisky (or to taste!) I suggest Jameson’s.

Instructions:
——————————————————

Combine all ingredients thoroughly using a whisk, but do not froth. Keep
refrigerated, preferably in a dark bottle. Old ‘Bailey’s’ bottles are ideal!

Note:
If your coconut has separated into solid and liquid, be sure to mix or blend thoroughly first into a completely smooth liquid with no lumps.

I haven’t tried it yet, but when I do, I’ll report back!

Site

Upcoming Changes

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There are a few changes coming up that I’ve been mulling over for a few months and have finally found the tools to make happen.

First, my “home page” at https://thecompany.net/jason/ is going to be changed a bit to become my Lifestream. The Lifestream is a history of stuff I’ve been doing online. Right now it’ll include information from Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Digg. There are a few others that I’m going to look into becoming more active with, as well (e.g. Yelp).

The “home page” might also include some more prominent links to static stuff that people don’t check out as often such as my collages, fiction I’ve written, and the college papers I have posted.

I’m still going to keep the blog, but the URL for it will change to something like https://thecompany.net/jason/blog/ or https://thecompany.net/jason/doublereading. I have to look into the mechanics of changing my WordPress settings before I do that.

The philosophy of the blog will change a bit, though. It will only be longer, more thought-out postings/reactions to things. If I want to share a link, I’ll either digg it or tweet about it. If I just want to post about how I loved last night’s Battlestar Galactica but don’t want to feel guilty about not doing some deeper analysis/reviewing, I’ll just tweet about it.

I’m hoping that all of this will make me more likely to post things. That is the ultimate goal.

The one thing I do not plan on changing, at the moment, is the design of the site. I’m currently still really happy with how things like (that “distressed” feeling), so I probably won’t shake things up there.

Music

Touché is Fake Blood!!

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Fake Blood logo
Somehow I missed the memo when the whole “Who is Fake Blood!?” question was answered! I don’t know how I did, but it looks like it’s been confirmed that Touché is indeed Fake Blood.

Fake Blood has probably been my favorite DJ/remixer of 2008. His choppy remixes with the signature “Fake Blood” callout have been awesome. A quick Hype Machine search for “fake blood” will give you a bunch of goodies.

Or you can “listen” to the songs via YouTube. My favorites (in order) are:

  1. Fake Blood’s remix of Little Boots’ “Stuck On Repeat” (seriously: this is probably the #1 track of 2008!)
  2. Fake Blood’s remix of The Kills’ “Cheap and Cheerful”
  3. Fake Blood’s remix of The Black Ghosts’ “Anyway You Choose To Give It”
  4. Fake Blood’s remix of Armand van Helden’s “I Want Your Soul” (and you gotta love the sampling of Siedah Garrett’s “Do You Want It Right Now”)

Also be sure to check out the “Splashing Blood” (The Fake Blood Theme Song), which I don’t love as much as his remixes.

As for Touché, I hate to admit I don’t know much/don’t have much by him. Time for some research!

Movie Reviews, Movies

io9’s Best/Worst Sci-Fi movies

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I love io9, but I cannot say that I agree with much of their Best And Worst Science Fiction Movies Of 2008 list.

Here are my reactions:
Best

  1. Wall-E — I didn’t like this movie because I felt it was too heterocentric (Wall-E as man, Eve as woman), the ending was too happy (I wished that the Earth was totally dead or the humans got into a big war or something — i.e. something more realistic), and I forgot why else. You’d think I’d love a movie about robots, but Wall-E definitely didn’t do it for me…
  2. The Dark Knight — It should be #1 AND #2. I loved this movie too much.
  3. Synecdoche, NY — I didn’t see it yet so no comment…
  4. City of Ember — Despite my new interest in steampunk and my desire to see this movie, somehow I missed it in theaters… I’ll hopefully like it, though.
  5. Iron Man — This movie is lucky it came out before The Dark Knight. I re-watched both movies within the last week and The Dark Knight is so much better. I loved Iron Man when it first came out, though, so I suppose #5 is an OK place for it.
  6. Sleep Dealer — I saw this movie during the Seattle International Film Festival and really liked it. I’m very interested in the idea of virutal work in place of real work and this movie touched on it a bit.
  7. Cloverfield — I thought this was a fun movie and would probably put it a little higher?
  8. Speed Racer — Had I managed to catch this at IMAX I probably would’ve liked it more… but seeing it on my “smaller” big screen TV probably didn’t do the movie justice. That said, the story was pretty lame considering the Matrix guys did it.
  9. Teeth — I didn’t see.
  10. Let The Right One In — I do not get the appeal of this movie. I actually pretty much hated it. Not only was it slow (which is OK sometimes), but it just felt dusty (which might be OK sometimes?). Plus I didn’t think the story was anything great. If I were to rank the year’s #1 vampire-related events, I’d say #1 is True Blood, #2 is Chromeo’s remix of Vampire Weekend’s song “The Kids Don’t Stand A Chance”, #3 is Twilight (at least it was sort of fun), and #4 is Let The Right One In. Sorry Sweden; I usually love you, but…

Worst:

  1. Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull — I actually liked the movie! I’ve been a long-time Indiana Jones fan. But my favorite is Temple of Doom which I know isn’t a “fan favorite” either. While this is probably the worst of the Indiana Jones movies, it’s certainly not horrible or the worst sci-fi movie of the year. Also: I liked the alien thing at the end!
  2. Hancock — Again, I know I’m in the minority here, but I loved Hancock! I saw it twice in the theatre, even. What most people complain about (the fact it was a superhero movie sometimes and a comedy other times, etc.) is what I loved the best. The genre-hopping made it interesting. Plus, the camera work, like all Peter Berg movies, was really frantic and realistic. This movie would definitely make it in my top 10 best list.
  3. Doomsday — No idea, I didn’t see this…
  4. X-Files: I Want To Believe — Yea, this movie was a bit too religious for me. I missed the aliens and whatnot. That said, it wasn’t as bad as I thought and wouldn’t be on my worst list.
  5. Jumper — Finally a movie I agree with! This movie was pretty bad. It could’ve been so much better/darker/more interesting, but it just didn’t go there. I was really looking foward to this movie then terribly disappinted when I finally saw it.
  6. The Day The Earth Stood Still — I haven’t seen it (yet)
  7. The Happening — I heard it was religious so forget about it. Plus, like most people, I’ve been disappointed with every M. Night Shyamalan movie since The Sixth Sense.
  8. Meet Dave — I haven’t even heard of thsi one…
  9. Space Chimps — Yea right…
  10. The Spirit — I haven’t seen it, but I can tell from the trailer that it’d be a bad movie.

Maybe during the next week I’ll try to come up with my own list, but seeing the io9 one, I just had to respond somehow.