Vampires! Why does it always have to be about vampires?
I can't stand them. Reading about them. Watching movies about them. Even talking about them.
Yet, here's an interesting op-ed co-written by the director, Guillermo del Toro. He writes about the roots of the vampire. I didn't make it to the end, before I decided to throw this up so that you can tell me of how cool vampires are. They're no.
Ghosts are my thing. The make the hair on my arms stand on end. Give me a good ghost tale.
Zauny is the engine that is making things go for the Orioles. Everytime he plays, WIN! As you can see, he's got the right cooking to make it spicy. Diamond Dave, play Zauny more! He'll bring it! WIN!
At the beginning of (500) Days of Summer, the film makers intentionally allude to the fact that what you are about to see is a work of fiction, and the story is not about anyone real. While they played it as a joke, sometimes you can imagine yourself in the story. You may feel that you resemble a Summer Finn or you may feel that you resemble a Tom Hanson. There's a little of both of them in all of us. Unless you are dead to love inside.
The movie is about Tom and Summer and their days in and out of love. The movie wants to avoid any romantic comedy clichés, but does pack some in. The meet cute: "I love the Smiths." Awww. The fatefulness of love: it works not as you expect, but it does. The quirky sidekicks: no its the guys this time not the girl. The cliché are there, but inverted. I watch a lot and know about romantic comedies and these just jump right out at me. The film makers wanted to hide it but it's there.
They also hide the tale of the relationship. Yes, they meet and then they break up. The why is harder to grasp. "We fight a lot?" Really? Show me. "I didn't feel like I wanted to." Really? Show me where you didn't. If you put the scenes in chronological order will it show why they broke up? I felt like I missed it. They could've made it more clearer.
The writers did a good job at capturing love as seen by a sappy boy. I could be that sappy boy. I too have notions of ideal love. Perhaps looking for too perfect love. I'll never find it. I credit the writers for making such a realistic story. I'll not credit myself for feeling so like a Tom Hanson.
What's there not to like about the film? I didn't like the happy ending. I didn't like that love can conquer all at least that is what I got from how Tom broke out of his funk. Yes. Breakups shouldn't always be good for you. They're bad. Why does his sister have to be so smart? During the opening credits, I couldn't believe that a soccer player that young could like The Smiths and the Jesus and Mary Chain. No kid listening to that music looked like that when I was growing up.
What's good? "She likes Magritte and Hopper." Hmm-hm. I wish they all could be.
I haven't ridden as much as I want to. It seems that I really want to share the fun with you, but since I can't because you won't enjoy this from the fatcyclist.
So far, Le Tour has been slightly disappointing. It hasn't been as exciting, because Astana has been making mince meat of the GC category. They've locked it down. No one else has come close, except for the Schleck brothers. They threw a wrench into the Astana train's gears by climbing onto the podium on Wednesday, the last day in the Alps. It took the long individual time trial to dislodge the oldest, Frank, and Lance Armstrong, the old man, to show them how it's done.
Today was the Mount Ventoux stage which would sort out the contenders from the pretenders. Usually, a mountain top finish would not be anywhere near the penultimate day of Le Tour. Usually. The GC contenders threw themselves up the slopes of the Giant of Provence. Andy Schleck showed that he was a young rider to contend with. He attacked, and attacked hoping to drag his brother back onto the podium. It did nothing. Lance Armstrong sat on their wheel all ride up not allowing them to breach the strangle lock that Astana has. The other top ten sorted themselves out keeping their places. Contador wins. Tomorrow will just be for the sprinters and the victory laps around the Champs Elysée.
And that's why it was boring. The same things have happened as when Armstrong won his seven. The strong team goes out and locks down the GC, and the other contenders can only watch. More fireworks.
Afterwards, I went for a quick ride in the heat of the late morning. I should've ate breakfast, because their was not gas in my tank. Today was my own suffering on my Mount Ventoux.
I've been to a lot of games this year. Eight in the first half of the season. If I keep going, I would've gone to as many as one of the season passes. But then I wouldn't have gotten awesome seats such as the Seattle game and the second Toronto game. And I wouldn't have had the chance to miss that stupid ball. Stupid glove. Why!
Read the wikipedia link. It's got some fascinating tidbits about "almost" perfect games. Some games are heartbreakers, lost on the final batter. Some are past perfect because of going to extra innings. The Babe was involved in one. As the starter for Boston he was thrown out of the game arguing with the umpire after walking the first batter. His replacement pitches a perfect game afterwards. This I learned at the Babe Ruth Museum in Baltimore.
Leaving the midnight showing of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, I was livid in what they had done to the story. They pealed away the best parts (IMNHO) of the book that of Tom Riddle and the how and the why he became Voldemort. They also took out the fireworks, the battle at Hogwarts. What was left was a 2.5 hour prequel to the final book and to the two final movies. It just didn't have to be that way.
This adaptation loses the context to what is going on in the wizarding world. The stakes were raised since the last movie as the resurrection of Voldemort meant increasing conflict with the muggle world, but except, for the opening, you don't get the tension between our muggle and the wizarding world. It is glossed over and meant to have been extrapolated by those that have read the books. The danger to our world is part of the reason that Harry and his allies must defeat Voldemort. The bad want to inflict harm on us muggles. The good wants to live in harmony. The high stakes are not laid out in the movie.
For me, the high stakes are what was central to the books. Not only is it about Harry Potter, but it is about the wizarding world co-existing in our universe. It is about Hermione and Ron, Harry's pals who end up falling for each other. It's about the Weasleys and Ginny. It's about the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore's Army, and augurs. It's about the long line of Hogwart's head masters. It's about Tom Riddle and Voldemort, and Snape and the Deatheaters. It's more than just Harry Potter.
But the movies don't give us that. For me, the books progressed from being about Harry to being about his world. He wasn't always the most interesting character. It was the others around him that made him interesting, and his nemesis, Tom Riddle was the most interesting of all. The story expanded around Harry in the books, but the story seems to coalesce around him in the movies. Just as the story gets interesting, the movie jettisons those elements that make it more interesting in order to tell Harry's tale. It's like a meal without salt: there's something off about the taste.
When I got home, I had to read the last chapters of the HBP to remind me of how good the book was. I got the battle at Hogwarts details wrong. Yet, I decided to put the book on my night stand, to read it again and to remember that a story about Harry Potter is more than just about him but of his world.
It's the 40th anniversary of the historic Apollo 11 moon mission. Join in real time as they land on the moon and experience it just as our parents would've during that July day.
And so is the rest of my body. I'm 5 lbs heavier than last year and I can feel it. My average MPH is down to 14.5 mph, but I'm taking in more hills. It's the hills that are killing me.
Today, I only road 28 miles out to Falls Road and back. Instead of the usual Park Heights climb out of the valley, I chose to stay on Garrison Forest. When you look at its average grade, their are parts of it going into the red about 8% plus, but it is only for half a mile. I hated every minute of the climb. I had to stop once past the steep. I watched some riders go down it. You can do 45 MPH on that, but up I was only going 5 MPH. I suck.
Going out, I knew this was going to be a terrible day. These legs of mine didn't want to turn the cranks over. I also don't think I had enough energy. Dinner last night was a long time and I didn't really have any carbs to fuel me today. But I had to go out. 500 miles for the year is coming up. I need to get to 650 by September. Tomorrow should be the quick time practice.
I Love You, Beth Cooper begins with an inopportune love declaration. Dennis, the Coove, Cooverman, class valedictorian declares his love for the one, Beth Cooper. During his commencement speech. *Gasp* It takes nerves to declare love like that, and to believe that it would work, it is a fantasy. A fantasy, that the love of your life would respond to something that bold. A fantasy, because you've never been face-to-face. A fantasy, because you only know the back of her pretty blonde head. A fantasy will always conjures up dreams.
I'm just beginning to read the book, and so far, the movie script has matched the book. And so far, book and movie aren't all that funny. I thought it (the book) was supposed to be hilarious. Written by a former Simpsons writer, Larry Doyle, it should be perfect, but he didn't write any episodes during The Simpsons golden age, seasons 1-8, so he may not have been too funny. That's why the gags in the book and the movie don't seem to be working very well.
I expected another "Can't Hardly Wait," but got Joysticks. It was my own fantasy that this would be a decent movie. But I think I would rather spend my time behind the pretty blonde in class and leave those fantasies to my own mind.
The first half of baseball season is done, and the wretched Orioles have completed it with a 40-48 record. I'm hoping for slightly better after the All Star break, at least 43 wins. Yet, that doesn't sound so good, but if you know the Orioles, you know that they traditionally fade in the second half. Wait, fade is too nice of a word. They disappear. They get losing streaks that are absolutely crazy: 12 games, 10 games. For them to win 43 games and finish with a 83-93 record would be progress. One step, one season at a time.
But that's something to look forward. The ultimate optimism of a fan of a terrible team.
Let's look back. We've gone to 8 games (7 home, 1 away), and we're 4-4. In fact, we caught the first two games of this past weekend. I haven't been to back to back games since I was a kid: 1982 and the chase for the AL East title versus the Milwaukee Brewers. Friday's was a loss. The O's got no runs.
And it was sad, but we got fireworks!
And I got to talk to the ballgirl. She tells me they have to try out for the position. Cool. I don't think I get to ask her about her health benefits. Those screaming line drives could hurt!
We had so much fun, we decide to go back for Saturday's game. We make a day of it, by stopping by the Sports Legends Museum. Cool, but I just like the baseball part. Then the Babe Ruth Museum. Strange to be in Baltimore and see NY Yankees and Boston Red Sox to be feted. I couldn't wait to get out of there quick.
Then we finally get to the park. I get the tickets in right field. Just where I really always want to sit. We watch Nick Markakis dawdle out the game. Nothing coming his way. We're bored. Before the game, the gentleman two rows back talks to his son who was excited. His son wants to catch a foul. "Not if I don't jump in his way," I blurt out. The man wasn't amused. A family sits right down behind us. During Aubrey Huffs first at bat, he taps me on the shoulder and says, "Watch out, Huff pulls lots of balls down this way." Ooo. The fourth inning arrives and there is a ball hit our way. It's coming, fading slightly to my left, three seats over across the aisle. A guy in a Pujols jersey is gonna get lucky. It hits him in the palm, pops out, he tries to snag it, bobbles it, and watches as his neighbor gets it. Too bad! "Sorry, man." Buy that guy a beer.
Seventh inning. The next foul ball.
It's hit right at me. I know. It is hit RIGHT AT ME! I stand up! Now, I'm not really good at fly balls, but this one I know: IT IS HIT RIGHT AT ME! I'm tracking it. It's all mine! I reach to catch it. *POCK!* It's hit my palm. I don't got it. I look it to see where it is. It's in some other guys hands as he picks it up off the floor. In all my years no foul ball has ever been as prettily hit towards me as that one. And I fucking drop it. My palm stings. Even more so because the ball is not in my possession. The dude in the Pujols jersey consoles me, "I know how you feel." I'm still thinking about it.
But the MelMo comes through with a walk off homerun. What a game! This one and baseball. I can't wait for the next half.
I finished Moneyball this past weekend (review coming soon), and in it, was a reference to great Oriole coach, Earl Weaver. His coaching philosophy was the progenitor to the whole Moneyball/OBP theory of baseball: the 27 outs allotted to your team are precious, preserve them as best you can.
The Earl was famously quoted, "Pitching, defense, and the three run homerun," as keys to winning. Damn straight! He won a lot of games while he was the manager. The Orioles haven't since.
PS. We're into the fourth week of this story arc. I loved it the first to times. The third time last week. Not so much. It's gonna repeat again? Yikes! Haruhi-sama, please stop! Kyon-kun's gonna agree to go out on a date with you. I'll do the same, if you'll just make it stop!
Thor Hushovd of Cervelo Test Team wins a rain soaked sixth stage. Is this a tour or what? And is the the Tour de France or Espagne? Or Cataluna? They went from Girona to Barcelona neither of which is in France.
David Millar of Garmin-Slipstream tried to repeat the breakaway success like yesterday, but gets swept up in the last kilometer. It's cruel, but that's the chance you take. Millar is someone to root for as he was once suspended for doping infractions, but has been riding clean with the Slipstream team. He almost had it today, but the sprinters' teams are not going let another stage slip away.
Back to Thor. He's a monster of a rider, bigger and bulkier than any in the peloton. He is a former winner of the Green Jersey (sprinter's jersey). So he's got speed. And yet, he can't win against Columbia-HTC's Manx Missile, Mark Cavendish. But today was the day. This stage finished up a hill, which, because of his power meant that it was a good finish for Thor. And it was!
I'm liking that this blog is turning out to be a sports blog! One day O's another day Le Tour. The O's suck, and Le Tour is only in July, so bear with me for the next couple of weeks.
I've been tivoing Le Tour to watch the live stuff rather than watching it at night. I like the Brits rather than the Americans doing the play-by-play although Phil Liggett is starting to get senile. Yesterday, my tivo didn't record the post stage awards. I missed the podium girls! I like the podium girls! Bring me the podium girls! I especially like the navy-white for the stage winner. Mmm. The polka-dots are cool too. Yellow, not so much.
The most lucky of French cyclists (or unlucky if you see him go on a breakaway), Thomas Voecklerwins his first stage of Le Tour. Not of this years version, but of the several he's participated in. Of course, he's a former yellow jersey winner holding off Lance Armstrong for 10 days in 2004.
Way to go Tommy! Chapeau!
As you can see, he won the heart of all of France in 2004 in fighting to keep the yellow on the climb up the Plat de baile. He's also one of my favorites, because of this charge and you can always count on him to go out a try and win a stage. Finally, he's won one.
Today's the Team Time Trial in Le Tour 2009. You and your mates against the clock. Which team's the fastest around town? Astana with their multi-headed captains seems to be the favorite. They've got Armstrong, Contador, and Leipheimer. They are the NY Yankees of the sport.
I'm hoping they lose today. Not gonna happen.
Weird to be rooting against Armstrong, but it happens. Allez other teams! Allez!
The Proposal stars Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock in a romantic comedy neither romantic or comedic. He's assistant to her hard charging NYC book editor. She's a ballbuster. He's doing it for the chance to break into the literary world. She's doing it because she has no family. They need to marry, so that she isn't deported. Ha. Ha. Ha.
That's a tired cliche of a gag if I ever saw one.
And the movie is tired. I didn't really laugh. The romance was a given and hard to believe. Ryan Reynolds is not given enough to do as a "Ryan Reynolds" roll. No smart mouthing or glib commenting. Just stand there and let Sandra Bullock be the movie's driving force. She couldn't be, or at least I couldn't accept her as it. Come on, it's Ryan Reynolds you want to see not Sandra Bullock. And I'm a guy. I wonder what the girls who've seen it think.
I'm all for tsundere goodness, but Sandra Bullock could not capture it. She's mean, but you couldn't have told me she had a caring side. Only the writers could do that, and they shoe horned it in to fit the happy ending.
It's a Sunday. It's a day game. It's the finale of a series. It's a loss. With the home team, Orioles, continuing their less than mediocre ways, it's time to look in to the game around as its played in Japan.
Here's the NY Times writing about the atmosphere in the stadiums of Japan. Very much different than the quiet of Camden Yards. If we could only get as rowdy, we wouldn't have to worry too much about the awful Red Sox fans who visit our lovely park.
Then there is the adopted team of BrowserMetrics, the Hiroshima Toyou Carp. They're playing better than the O's but not much better. They too are below .500 in winning, but the distance to respectability is shorter for them than for the hapless O's. Plus they've got a new stadium, Mazda Zoom-Zoom Park.
Finally, about some manga and anime. Mitsura Adachi's Cross Game is an amazing manga. The anime only slightly less. We're going to the Koshien! Taishou Yakyuu Musume is just starting up. I'm not sure I like it, but it's got baseball, anime girls, sailor uniforms, and kimonos. It's got the game.
I'm sitting on my couch catching the prologue stage to this year's Tour de France nursing my sore body. I lamed out because of all this soreness.
Currently, it's a time trial stage with Team Astana ruling the standings Levi Leipheimer in the lead with the old man, seven time winner, Lance Armstrong sitting in third. I can't believe that Astana is running with three leaders, Armstrong, Leipheimer, and Contador. A fourth, Andreas Klöden, is dangerous himself. That team is stacked. They are dangerous, but with too many cooks, will they spoil the broth and not get the win.
Everyone's darling team from last year, Garmin-Chipotle, seems to have disappeared from the radar. Hopefully, they can come back and remind the world that the sport doesn't need the drugs. Dave Zabriskie is their most renowned rider along with Christian Van de velde. Maybe they can do something special this tour. Perhaps fight off the Astana juggernaut.
Then there is the story of the two japanese riders. They hope to be the first finishers from the land of the rising sun. Banzaii! to these guys as three weeks is a long time on the bike. (I can't even do two straight days.)
My dad used to have season tickets pretty close to section 34, perhaps section 35? And when we'd go we'd cheer along. "O! R! I! O! L! E! S! ORIOLES!" Just dig it. Baseball, beer and cheering ain't that the fun. Funny thing, they lost to the Red Sux that day as well.
