life – some assembly required
This is a photo of Grand Central Terminal in New York City. Mid-day. Nearly empty. It’s one of those photos you wish you could capture yourself, but probably won’t ever be able to do so. It was taken by the MTA and posted on Flickr. The reason why it’s nearly empty is due to Hurricane Irene.
Grand Central Terminal is a sight I’d like to revisit again. The place is huge. And when it’s filled with people it feels amazing. Oh, and they’re going to have an Apple Store there someday soon.
Photo of Papa, Bixby and Lucky. Bixby is on the left.
It’s tough when you lose a pet. A pet who’s been a loyal friend and good companion over the years. But, like us and everything on this planet, in this universe, time doesn’t stand still and let us simply live forever. And so, sadly, we say goodbye to Bixby who succumbed to age this past Thursday morning. He was about 77 years old (11 in human years).
Bixby was as friendly, yet cautious dog. His cautious nature bordered on being shy. He would let his partner, Lucky, determine if any new person was worthy of attention. After the determination, Bixby would warm up and be playful as much as the next dog. Combine Bixby’s relaxed playfulness with Lucky’s hyperactive playful nature and you’ve got a tiring combination.
Bixby was a slower moving dog, built more for comfort than speed. It didn’t help that he had an injured front paw making him a little less active. But he’d trott around with Lucky, playing with whomever would stop by.
But now, Lucky is alone again, as he was for a year before Bixby’s arrival. The photos in this post were taken with a film camera on Bixby’s first day in our lives. The photos are dated February 25, 2001.
You’ll be missed Bixby.
You are waiting to hear news. It might be good news you are hoping to hear, something favorable to your future. Or, perhaps it’s bad news you wish you could avoid, news that can prove to be an obstacle for some time. Either way, you just want to know what is going on, what is going to happen, so you can take the next step(s) to arrive at a conclusion. You are almost not concerned about the why, you simply want to know the what. But all you can do is wait.
Why do you have to wait?
Well, the decision, the next move to make things happen, may be out of your control. Or perhaps time is a necessity, it needs to pass in order for results to occur. But all you know is that it sucks. And you wait.
I’m in a situation like this now. I’m hoping for favorable news. If a ‘negative’ is given as a response, it won’t be the end of the world. But it will be disappointing.
A friend of mine is waiting for news as well. It could be good or bad. Not sure what it will be, but I’m hoping for a positive outcome.
Waiting, in either case, is the only option.
If you found me – if you are reading these words on this blog – you could have only come here one of two ways. Either you’ve come directly to ://giron.me or you followed a link from my photo site, ://janella.com.
Prior to this new endeavor, I wrote on janella.com. But as you can see, things have changed. Those older blog posts still exist. I didn’t delete those posts. I simply moved them to ://janella.giron.me. They are safely there to search and read.
Why the shell game?
I wanted to keep words and photos separate. Not that I won’t post photos here. I’m just looking for a little more segmentation, a little separation. When people ask about photos we’ve taken, I’d like to simply point them to janella.com – which would load the photo gallery – instead of a blog where you would need to find the photo link.
Plus, I don’t write often. And I find it a bit embarrassing when I point someone to the blog – again, to see photos – they will inevitably comment that I haven’t written in quite some time.
So, I’m still settling in on this space of the interwebs. Drop on a by every once in a while to see what’s up here, ok?
I read a lot of things online. I would often read commments that accompany the articles and blog posts. But I’ve grown tired of the often snide and rude remarks people make in the comment section. Instead of providing meaningful comments, thoughtful responses that could add to the subject of the article, blog post, or photo, some people choose to make an ugly destructive comment. They make these ugly comments with ease, enjoying the lack of repercussion afforded by their anonymity.
I know my blog doesn’t run into this issue. What I’ve had problems with are spam comments. I receive more spam comments then actual comments each month. And since most people now comment via Facebook, where I crosspost often, having comments enabled on the site appears unnecessary. If you don’t have a Facebook account, I have to ask: “Who are you?“
Netflix Synopsis:
After she’s accused of being a Russian sleeper spy, rogue CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Angelina Jolie) goes on the run, using every tactic, accent and disguise she knows to elude her pursuers, clear her name and protect her husband. Her supervisor, Winter (Liev Schreiber), buys her story, while counterintelligence officer Peabody (Chiwetel Ejiofor) decidedly does not and will do anything to stop her in this fast-paced, intrigue-filled spy adventure.
My Take:
I really wanted to like this movie, and I did for about the first third. But then it took a sudden turn downward when the movie changed direction from plausible to unbelievable super-action hero. I mean, I believe the Jason Bourne movies more than Salt. Granted, the film was well shot, the chases and stunts well choreographed. I know, it’s a movie, and things don’t have to be realistic. Perhaps it was my mistake going into this film hoping for an actual action/espionage film, as opposed to pure cartoonish action sequences. I prefer Angelina Jolie’s in Wanted than in this film.
For me, any empathy for “Salt” was lost, as the story failed to support her actions or motivation. But I guess this isn’t a movie about character motivation, but of the momentum of action.
Rating: Cable TV
Netflix Synopsis:
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) and rebellious computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) team up to investigate the unsolved disappearance of wealthy Henrik Vanger’s (Sven-Bertil Taube) teen niece (Ewa Fröling), only to uncover dark secrets about Vanger’s powerful family. Niels Arden Oplev directs this Swedish thriller based on the first novel from Stieg Larsson’s best-selling trilogy.
My Take:
I haven’t read the book, a synopsis of the book, or even a synopsis of the movie before renting it. I thought the title was interesting enough to warrant a rental. What was I expecting? From the title I was expecting an action film a la Angelina Jolie in Salt. What I got instead was an compelling hardcore drama-mystery-thriller.
What was difficult to handle in this film is not the subtitles, but the violence against women. There is graphic violence against the “Girl”, Lisbeth, in the title of the film, as well as referenced violence against several other females. The dialog, descriptions of what happens to certain characters, is also difficult to stomach. It is like watching a hardcore episode of Criminal Minds or Law and Order: SVU. But then Lisbeth is one smart tough girl. She is not afraid of the pain she goes through, and certainly is not shy in dealing out a violent barrage if need be. Her complexity – a product of what she’s been through – is alluded to throught the film. I’m sure it’s dealt with more throughly in the book(s).
I hear they are doing a US remake of this film. I would be hesitant to see it. But then I hear David Fincher is helming the remake. Either he or Christopher Nolan would do a worthy remake worth, at the least, checking out.
Rating: Full Admission
The Netflix synopsis: When a warmongering prime minister (Fengyi Zhang) advances his armies against two rival kingdoms, he unwittingly prompts his adversaries (Chen Chang and Yong You) to work together in this martial arts action-adventure. The ensuing conflict culminates in the epic battle of Red Cliff, a struggle by the sea involving more than one million soldiers.
My Take: A John Woo film without guns isn’t bad. And it doesn’t hurt to have Tony Leung in the cast. I was captivated by the story. But I wished it was fleshed out more. I then realized there is a longer two-part original version available. Albeit it is four hours long, versus 148 minute for theatrical version I watched. I think the trade-off would be worth the extra effort, especially on blu-ray.
Rating: Matinee
The Netflix synopsis: “The lone U.S. marshal at a research station in Antarctica, Carrie Stetko (Kate Beckinsale) stumbles upon the continent’s first murder victim. With only three days left until the sun sets for six months, Carrie races to solve the complex mystery before darkness falls.”
My Take: Unfortunately, Whiteout was a weak mystery-thriller where you could predict the culprit(s) in the first 10 minutes. The only saving grace of the movie has going for it is the Antarctic setting and the Kate Beckinsale shower scene. I’m guess the latter was added due to the overall dullness of the movie. The source material must have better.
Rating: Cable TV
The Star Wars cantina scene re-imagined with “David Beckham, Daft Punk, Snoop Dogg, Franz Beckenbauer, Noel Gallagher, Ian Brown, Ciara, Jay Baruchel, DJ Neil Armstrong and some of your dear, old friends for an intergalactic 2010 FIFA World Cup™ viewing party that you’ll never forget”.
In short, Iron Man 2 is worthy sequel. The movie introduces a few villains and heroes. Also a character from the first film played by another actor. It contains as much story depth and deep character development as they first movie – I write sarcastically – and plenty of action sequences. My favorite sequence was the scene at the race track.
Rating: Matinee
Ultrasound of the Little Dude or Little Dudette
Farrah is pregnant!
[Note: Apologies to our shared friends on Facebook. I know you’ve heard this announcement before, from Farrah’s wall posting last week. I just haven’t had time to make a blog post and post it on my Facebook wall as well.]
Not much to add. Well, I guess we could throw in a few details.
How far along are you?
At this point Farrah is at 14 weeks.
When did you find out?
The morning of November 1. Farrah woke me up early that morning, showing me a photo on her iPhone of a home pregnancy test. I had to ask who’s it was. She then smiled and said, “It’s mine!” Later that day we took two other tests just to be sure.
When is your due date?
July 11th.
Do you know the sex of the baby?
Not yet. It’s too early. But we do want to find out when we can.
How are you feeling?
Not too bad. Luckily Farrah hasn’t experienced a lot of morning sickness, though there were times where she did not feel like eating. Her appetite returned last weekend with the beginning of the second trimester.
We hear that the second trimester is the best. I can say, for both of us, that we’re extremely happy, excited, and of course, nervous. I take it all of those are natural responses.
Last Monday, we heard the baby’s heartbeat for the first time. At first it was difficult to distinguish it from the static coming from the Doppler Baby Heart Monitor’s – I think that’s what it’s called – speaker. After some maneuvering of the microphone by the doctor, a clearly identifiable strong heartbeat was coming through. I have to say hearing the heartbeat was as cool as seeing the first ultrasound of the baby back in November. I honestly could have cried. Yes, I did cry during a couple of the ultrasounds.
We can’t wait until July.
A belated Happy New Year to all! Welcome to Twenty-Ten! This is the proper way to say it, right?
Again, I blame the Winter Break for not doing this post earlier. But here I am, a little late to the party, trying to summarize blog postings and happenings from the last year:
Ok, now onto my New Year’s resolution list. I know, you really don’t need to wait until a new year begins to make a list of goals. You should be able to do this any day of the week. But I suppose New Year’s Day is an apt occasion to think about what you’d like to change. Wait? Wasn’t New Year’s Day about a week ago? Yes, it was, and I’ve listed “less procrastinating” as one of my goals.
I present here, in this blog post, my “More or Less List.” Should be a straightforward read.
In the coming year, I would like to do more:
I probably should do less of the following:
How did I do compared to last year’s list? Considering that I have many repeats on this list, it seems I didn’t do well. I probably should assess how I’m doing by the middle of the year.
Rethinking
I am rethinking this new blog thing. Yes, it only took me two months to start rethinking this endeavor. What started me thinking was Nick Cernis’ well written post called “Rise of the Tablog”. I discovered this via Merlin Mann on Tubmlr. It got me rethinking why I blog.
The answer is the same: I enjoy writing – when I can. I want to put my thoughts down on a variety of subjects. I never enjoyed using pen and paper because my penmanship is horrible. My tool of choice has either been a typewriter or a computer. Sure, I don’t necessarily need to publish what I write on a blog, but I enjoy it. It’s something I’ve been doing since 1999. Plus I find putting what I write on a blog more liberating, even now more so since I don’t have commenting enabled. If someone reads it, then great. If not, then so be it.
When I started this new blog, I had hoped to write more. I set a low goal of 500 words on any subject, with the hopes of posting once a week. I’ve done ok, posting almost every Thursday. But I really had hoped that I would write more often then I have. I’m sure it will come with more thought, time and effort.
Cost per Post
Since I don’t write often (yet), it is difficult to continually justify having this blog on a web hosting service. There are many reasons why I wanted to use a web hosting service instead of WordPress.com or Tumblr. One reason is having full control of not just my content but the whole website. I have been using Laughing Squid as the web host. I’ve always wanted to try their service and it has been great. I also like that they are local to me. But in this economy even their least expensive plan of $8 a month is difficult to justify for four blog posts a month. After all, I could use that $8 for two Venti Mochas, which can fuel my brain for the day.
Where and Why
And so I have moved the content I generated over to this Tumblr account. Why Tumblr and not WordPress.com?
As part of this rethinking process, I also wanted to decide where would be the best home for what I wanted to do now. It would seem WordPress.com would be a natural choice since I use the WordPress CMS for the hosted website. But when I’m on WordPress.com I realize how much “I can’t do” as far as customization or other tweaks that I can do with a hosted version of WordPress. This annoys me. I’m comfortable with what Tumblr can provide. Clean and simple. But the ‘Tumblarity’ score really bothers me. I need to not pay attention to that sidebar. I’ll hopefully get past this annoyance.
So right now I have two active Tumblr accounts. One is used for reblogged content, the other is for content I (hopefully) actually create. I can envision these merging (Why have two separate accounts?). But at this point, reblogging is an effortless task I prefer to keep separate. I would really like to have an account where I can post a long rant on a subject and not have it seem out of place with the rest of the posts. At this point, it makes sense to me to have two separate accounts for this.