Oh My

I'm not doing a very good job with my blogging. The intentions are there, the lack of time is the problem.

Sleep

I had a tough week. I'm using that as my excuse. I have not slept this much since I was in school post-finals. I woke up at noon, was awake for three hours, slept for another four hours. I would have slept more if it had not been for the phone. Now I am wide awake, which means I'll be up until the wee hours of the morning and hate Monday morning.

I did listen to some music I bought recently on one of my "I'm just going to look" stops at Borders.

Kevin Johansen+The Nada: Sur O No Sur
I bought this because it was different. Strange. Bilingual. Like I told a friend of mine, this CD deserved to be bought for it's uniqueness. I really like it. The accent...I'm a sucker for accents.

Los Tri-O: Canciones del Alma de Marco Antonio Solis
"Tu Carcel" the first song, I heard back in 1987! It's amazing what nostalgia will do. And with my latest attempts to learn the guitar all the guitars got me back in practice mode. I'm still tuning and learning basic chords.
The marketing on this is not bad: three handsome guys in suits with guitars.

Movies Galore

When I started blogging, I did not intend to comment on movies regularly. Now I want to look back and see what exactly I viewed and what I thought about them. Often times I've seen movies and forgot I saw them or what I thought of them. Thinking about it, one of my *dream* jobs would consist of movies, music and reading.

Super Size Me
Oh my, this movie was disgusting, disturbing, informative, funny, and great. It's in the same category as Bowling for Columbine.

McDonald's is not 100% to blame for people being fat, but I believe they represent a part of the obesity problem. Having said that...
Anyone who has kids or eats fast food should watch this movie. I grew up on fast food (including McDonald's) and until a few years ago was a somewhat frequent patron. I can't wait to see some of the long term effects.
I consider myself an informed consumer, but I had no idea. No, I am not going to stop eating fast food. I love In&Out food. What's the saying: "Everything in moderation." I'll hold myself accountable.

13 Going on 30
I went to see this for two reasons. I'm an Alias fan. (Reports are right, Jennifer Garner is the next Julia Roberts moviewise.) I just turned 30. The music, the clothes and the hairstyles of the 13 year old in the movie...been there, done that. ;) It was funny to watch. Who doesn't like a romantic comedy anyway?

Solas
When I start my DVD collection this movie will definitely be part of it. I loved this movie. It made me cry. Anyone who has experienced a tumultuous relationship with their mom for whatever reasons will identify with this movie on some level.
Don't expect beautiful Spanish scenery or action sequences instead a lot of dialogue and still shots.

Made me think how the tiniest gesture can have an effect on a stranger's life: good or bad. Relationships are formed between neighbors during the course of this movie. (No, not romantic.) I've been living in my apartment for over three years and I don't know any of my neighbors. I can't say I've had an effect on their lives or them on mine.

Mouth to Mouth
Another Spanish film. This was genuinely funny in a different way. It was all over the map. Refreshing comedy, if you will. Struggling actor takes a job as a phone sex operator and everything goes down hill from there.

Project Management

I took a Project Management class this week at work. I'm amazed at how much goes into managing a project. I doubt many people manage to that degree of detail. On the technical side I dislike sizing tasks. Imagine sizing an end-to-end project. Considering I see myself moving into management eventually, this was a good sneak peak to the future headaches that await me.

History

I finally finished reading my latest book pick. It took me a bit longer than usual because I needed to be in full concentration mode to digest a lot of the information. When I was not fully engaged I noticed I had read a few pages and not realized what I had just read, which meant backtracking on more than one occasion.

A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
This book was really interesting and put me in the "I want to go back to school" mode. In the grand scheme of things, I know nothing. haahaha A lot of the facts sounded familiar which means my science teachers throughout my life have done a really good job. I learned dozens upon dozens of new facts and some fun trivia.

Following is a small set of quotes from the book.

"Yellowstone, it turns out, is a supervolcano. It sits on top of an enormous hot spot, a reservoir of molten rock that rises from at least 125 miles down in the Earth. The heat from the hot spot is what powers all of Yellowstone's vents, geysers, hot springs, and popping mud pots. Beneath the surface is a magma chamber that is about forty-five miles across - roughly the same dimensions as the park - and about eight miles at its thickest point. Imagine a pile of TNT about the size of Rhode Island and reaching eight miles into the sky, to about the height of the highest cirrus clouds, and you have some idea of what the visitors at Yellowstone are shuffling around on top of." (pp. 225)

"Even so, spaceships have to take care in the outer atmosphere, particularly on return trips to Earth, as the space shuttle Columbia demonstrated all too tragically in February 2003. Although the atmosphere is very thin, if a craft comes in at too steep an angle - more than 6 degrees - or too swiftly it can strike enough molecules to generate drag of an exceedingly combustible nature. Conversely, if an incoming vehicle hit the atmosphere at too shallow an angle, it could well bounce back into space, like a pebble skipped across water." (pp. 257)

"Depending on where it falls, the prognosis for a water molecule varies widely. If it lands in fertile soil it will be soaked up by plants or reevaporated directly within hours or days. If it finds it's way down to the groundwater, however, it may not see sunlight again for many years - thousands if it gets really deep. When you look at a lake, you are looking at a collection of molecules that have been there on average for about a decade. In the ocean the residence time is thought to be more like a hundred years." (pp. 265)

"Your heart must pump 75 gallons of blood an hour, 1,800 gallons every day, 657,000 gallons in a year - that's enough to fill four Olympic-sized swimming pools - to keep all those cells freshly oxygenated (And that's at rest. During exercise the rate can increase as much as sixfold.)" (pp. 378)

"At twenty generations ago, the number of people procreating on your behalf has risen to 1,048,576. Five generations before that, and there are no fewer than 33,554,432 men and women on whose devoted couplings your existence depends. By thirty generations ago, your total number of forebears - remember, these aren't cousins and aunts and other incidental relatives, but only parents and parents of parents in a line leading ineluctably to you - is over one billion (1,073,741,824, to be precise). If you go back sisty-four generations, to the time of the Romans, the number of people on whose cooperative efforts your eventual existence depends on has risen to approximately 1,000,000,000,000,000,000, which is several thousand times the total number of people who have ever lived. Clearly something has gone wrong with our math here. The answer, it may interest you to learn, it that your line is not pure. You couldn't be here without a little incest - actually quite a lot of incest - albeit at a genetically discreet remove." (pp. 398)

"Even thinking, it turns out, affects the ways genes work. How fast a man's beard grows, for instance, is partly a function of how much he thinks about sex (because thinking about sex produces a testosterone surge)." (pp. 413)

"Even now as a species, we are almost preposterously vulnerable in the wild. Nearly every large animal you can care to name is stronger, faster, and toothier than us. Faced with attack, modern humans have only two advantages. We have a good brain, with which we can devise strategies, and we have hands with which we can fling or brandish hurtful objects. We are the only creature that can harm at a distance. We can thus afford to be physically vulnerable." (pp. 447)

Greek Mythology

Someone questioned my reasons for going to go see Troy this weekend. She was implying that my only reason for going was to see Brad Pitt on the big screen. I am not that shallow. The only person I would go see for eye-candy purposes is Colin Farrell. hahahhah

I went to see Troy because it's the precursor for the summer blockbusters. Because it's a big movie. Because my understanding of Greek mythology is nil.

Now I know why she was questioning my motives.

Troy
Wow. I don't mean "wow" what a great movie. I mean "wow" Brad Pitt really worked out. I remember his athletically slim frame in Thelma & Louise. This is a beautiful man...feature wise. I enjoyed my latest addition to the eye-candy shelf.

The movie reminded me about some stuff I had read back in high school. It all came back. It was not the greatest film, but I enjoyed it.

My only complaint is that I think the fight scenes would have been more dramatic if they had been filmed in slow motion a la Saving Private Ryan. You could even call them poetic.

Adoption

Life is really funny. People that have no intention of getting pregnant 'accidentally' do so. People that want children badly cannot have them. People who have opted for adoption are put through hoops and don't always get a child.

Today I attended an adoption panel to show the powers that be that my friends have a support group to which they can turn during the process and afterwards too. There were ten couples looking to adopt who for whatever reasons are not able to have kids of their own.

Through various scenarios I am learning I have beliefs I never knew I had because there was no reason to think those thoughts. I agree that a loving home is first and foremost the most important thing for any child, but I question minority children in white households due to possible identity issues.

español

Earlier this year someone asked me if I spoke Mexican. I started laughing waiting for the joke that had to follow that question. No joke came and the question was posed again. I couldn't believe it. After stating that I speak Spanish, I was corrected and told I speak Mexican. I offered a quick explanation, but I'm not certain I convinced him.

Well, I tried to watch a Spanish movie and I think I do speak Mexican. heheehehe I couldn't understand what the actors were saying. I debated whether to turn on the English or Spanish subtitles. I went with the Spanish subtitles and was very surprised that I could not understand the actors. The darn accent and speed. Enunciate. Don't get me wrong I understood some of the dialogue, but I would have been lost as was pretty evident to me within the first ten minutes.

Mondays in the Sun
This film is about a group of friends who are unemployed and trying to find their place again. (I know I've seen an Irish film with the exact same premise, but I can't remember the name.) It was quite moving to see these guys struggle with their day-to-day life...due to the fact that I know a few people who have gotten laid off and have struggled to get back in the workforce.

Ageism is one of the topics touched. The only character that is actively searching for work reads an advertisement which specifically states ages 20 - 35 wanted for applicants. Interviewers in the States can ask you if you are over 18 but not how old you actually are. No that does not stop ageism from taking place but poses a little obstable.
There is a scene where this same character's son is teaching him how to do something on the computer. Since I have received phone calls from my parents asking "how do we [enter elementary function here]," I could absolutely empathize!

Another character was having problems with his wife bringing in the money while he was unemployed. The idea of a stay-at-home husband would not be one he would embrace. Should I ever get married and make enough money, I would very much love to have a stay-at-home husband who could possibly become a stay-at-home dad, because the domestic homemaker stuff does not appeal to me. Reminds me off my thoughts of getting together with a chef. ;)

Tested

The sh*t hit the fan at work recently. When this happens it seems the natural instinct is to find someone to blame. This is also where you find out how accountable people are for their own f*ck ups.

I found a bit of a problem with some software. I reported it to the key players who would make a decision to delay the release or let it move forward. They chose to ignore my warning. The release night comes along and management pulled the plug on the release at the last minute. People were not happy. Immediately fingers were pointing...to my team. What the hell!

I let them know a day before the release that there was a problem and they decided not to follow up. Where they found the balls to feign ignorance about my warning is beyond me. I can't understand it. I refuse to understand it.

Eventually the truth surfaced. Yeah, someone dropped the ball and it was not my team.

It's disappointing. We are all on the same team with the same goal: release good software to the users.

One of the guys told me I'm pretty popular on the floor the developers sit on. Yeah, wouldn't want to be a fly on that damn wall.

It's basic. I've lost respect for them. The thing is we are on the same project. I'll be working with them for a long time.

Accountability is golden. Either you hold yourself responsible or someone will do it for you.

The release went out with the fix tonight.

Dandelion

There have been a few movies that revolve around food as their main theme. The most recent one I can remember is the german film Mostly Martha.

Well, thanks to Netflix I saw a Japanese film whose focus was noodles.

Tampopo
If you read the title phonetically, that is how you pronounce dandelion in Japanese. Interesting fact. This was a funny film in search of the perfect bowl of noodles. The characters go through many a recipe to get the 'perfect' noodles and after many trials accomplish their objective.

You can see how food plays different roles for different people. It can communicate love. Sadness. There was the view of food and sensuality, that was interesting because I happen to think of Japanese as very reserved people. Of course, my assumption is just that...an assumption. Isn't the porn industry huge there?

All I can say is I was ready to go have lunch at a Japanese place as soon as I was done watching this movie.

Survivor

It's over and Amber won! I can't believe she won. If anyone deserved to win it was Boston Rob! Of course, Big Tom was my favorite but there was no way in hell he would have won.

The last tribal council was too emotional and understandibly so. Many hurt feelings and betrayals. You can't go into a game where you are expected to lie and betray to win a million dollars and expect everything to be normal. It's very hard to see the dividing line between game and friends.

Gerri said it best. They are people, with feelings, who serve as entertainment for the public.

I still have to vote for the person I want to win. Although I am not voting for Rupert, he is gonna win. I just know it.

Mother's Day

I wish my mother was here so we could celebrate the day instead of having a lone phone call. My brother best have stepped up to the plate on this day. I won't hold my breath. hahaha

Friends

After ten years Friends is over. Yep, I got caught up in the hoopla of it all and watched the final episode. It was pretty boring. Considering I was never a real fan of the show and hardly ever watched, I should have known better.

The concept about having a group of six real tight-knit friends was always appealing to me. Most of my friends don't necessarily like each other. It's weird. They don't hate each other, they just would not choose each other as friends since they are so different. I'm the common link. How strange is that.

The Swan

I viewed about a half hour of this new show. The premise: remake yourself with plastic surgery...from and ugly duckling to a swan. Sick. There is one that helps make people over into their favorite celebrity. We're talking teens/young adults. Very sick. Extreme Makeover is another show along the lines of The Swan minus the chosing of the better outcome between the two patients.

I could understand if there was a medical reason such as a deformity (think cleft lip/pallet), but pure vanity...come on now.

Yes, people get teased. I got teased as a kid too. If you have insecurity or emotional problems, changing the outside shell with surgery is not going to make those problems go away.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and in the end the essence of a person is what really matters. Cliche but so damn true. What good is a beautiful person, if they are rotten on the inside?

Oh, and if it's weight related get your ass off the couch and do something about it already or don't complain about it. I don't complain.... hahahah

Heat

We walked over to Chinatown to get some fresh fruit for the week. Strawberries, Asian pears, grapes. No kumquats today. Ordered some almost-authentic chicken chow mein for lunch. Too bad we had to head back to the office, but did so walking along the water.

What is up with this heat? 90+ degrees in San Francisco! That is just sick. A week ago it was cold enough to need the heater on along with an umbrella and a jacket.

I don't know what I hate more: heat or freezing cold. If I had to choose, I'd choose cold rather reluctantly. With the cold, I can layer clothes to my heart's content. With heat, there is only so much clothes you take off and still look presentable in corporate America.

Overall, I shouldn't complain. California has great weather than the rest of the country. Extreme weather days are limited...thank goodness.

Uma and Denzel

My perfect job would be to watch movies. I don't know about reviewing them, but just pay me to watch them. hahahha

Kill Vill Vol. 2
Uma Thurman reprised her role of a strong woman. Loved the sequel. Sequels always seem to lose a little something. This one may have lost the violence of the Volume 1, but not the captivating story. It all comes together now, and you could call it a love story in a strange way. There is one scene that was pretty disgusting...the eyeball scene. Yuk!

Quentin Tarantino did a great job. Time to watch 'Pulp Fiction' again.

Man on Fire
Dakota Fanning...cutie! This little girl has the acting chops. I like Denzel Washington, but I like him more playing uplifting characters. These darker portrayals take some getting used to, even if one of them did win him an Oscar.

This movie deals with kidnappings in Mexico. It's rare that I watch Spanish news, but I did find out about Vicente Fernandez's son being kidnapped and losing a finger for proof of life. I also got info on Thalia's sister's kidnapping. (The latter made it into the Yahoo news shorts.) I know there is corruption in Mexico up the wazoo, but to see it
acted out on the big screen is pretty damn sad and upsetting. Not because "now people will know", rather "why isn't something being done about it and pronto."

Imagine being kidnapped and then having the kidnappers ask for a $10,000,000 ransom! That is just ridiculous, they might as well kill me then and there minus the torture, please.

She left

My mother's visit ended today. It was very nice to have her visit. I'm not sure who is next, but I think it happens in May.

I hate goodbyes that will be followed by long absences. A lot of it has to do with the fact that I never really know if I will see the person again. Not a morbid thought, I swear! But things happen.

It really sucks that we can't hang out with people in the waiting area anymore. Say goodbye at the security checkpoint...it's all so rushed. At least there was a reason to say "love you, goodbye and come back soon."

Reno, NV

The drive to Reno was not as bad as I thought it would be. I did not take the South Lake Tahoe route, which is more scenic. It was a straight shot on interstate 80. We went there without hotel reservations, because there would be a room available somewhere. Wrong! Everything was booked. There was a suite available for $1200/night. What the hell?!?! That was just obscene and out of the question.

We traveled to the next town, Carson City the state capitol of Nevada. Everything was booked! One o'clock in the morning and no place to sleep. Worst case scenario: we'd sleep in the car after parking in front of the police station. (Always have a plan Z.) All of a sudden there are bright lights flashing. Someone had gotten pulled over by the police. To my surprise...it was me.

Police: Do you know why I pulled you over?
Me: Nope.
Police: Driver's license please.
Police: It's one o'clock in the morning on a Saturday night and you are driving around without your headlights on.
Me: Ohh.

I did not get a ticket. He was pretty nice. Our luck turned. The last hotel had one room available. The clerk said, "Last room and it's a smoking room. I don't have non-smoking rooms." I don't care, just get me a bed. I need to stay out of Carson City, both times I have been pulled over by the police. The first time was for speeding.

In Reno, we caught a musical review show called Broadway. They performed sequences from Chicago, Cabaret, 42nd Street, Phantom of the Opera, Les Miserables. It was great. My respect was renewed for people in the entertainment business. Singing, dancing, acting. Those people worked the stage and it did not look easy.

30

The jokes started early in the year. No problem. The questioning started this past week. Biased questions too. Men don't get this kind of crap.
-Don't you want to have children? As of now, no.
-Don't you want to get married? I'm not sure.
-Have you thought about settling down? It's not like I'm running around doing nothing.

I don't feel 30. I don't know what 30 is suppose to feel like. This age was the review date for goals I set more than a decade ago (accompanied by the real picture).
1) Ph.D. -Don't know what I want to study, but it's not Computer Science.
2) Career with one of the Big 5 Accounting firms -I'm in tech.
3) Married -Don't know if I want to be.
4) Twins -N/A
5) Pale yellow home with the white picket fence -Looking at overpriced properties.
6) A dog -It's inhumane to have a pet that will be alone more than 12 hours a day.

I was suppose to be hiking part of the Grand Canyon today to greet the new phase with a physical accomplishment. I did not train for it. Instead I have a sh*tload of laundry and then we are off to Reno, Nevada.

I'm happy. ;)

Tax Day

Today is the deadline for filing taxes. And like millions of procrastinators I practically waited until the last minute. I mailed them out today.

Took the day off work to hang out with my mom. We went to Artopia, ceramic painting place. I enjoy it, but not more than she does. We usually spend a couple of hours trying to come up with our individual designs and proceeding to paint them. Focusing on our respective masterpieces puts us in somewhat of a zone. The only sounds that filter through are the background music and my mother's voice.