Book Club Fun

Just a reminder, this month that is almost over we have been reading "Persuasion" by Jane Austen and discussions will begin soon on forum.ibetts.net so if you haven't signed up to participate in the discussions, you should definately do so. Also, for next month Jake has picked "Phantoms" by Dean Koontz to read, so please try to get a copy and read it by the end of July. I guess that's all!

Billie Jean

In light of today's tragedy, I decided to post my weekly music video of the one and only Michael Jackson. I absolutely love this song. Always have and always will. Regardless of what you think of him, he has some amazing stuff. I have to try really hard to ignore the crotch grabbing when I watch this. But the dancing is amazing. It's too bad really.

JAKE!!!

Jake you have the book for July! What the 'H' 'E' double 'L's' is it going to be?! We need know now. Leave the book you are choosing in the comments. Or darkon say you don't want to choose one you jiggaboo. If you don't want to flarking choose one that's popcorn, but let us know, now!

Us-1, Cable/Satellite Companies-0

I believe everybody is fully aware of the digital switch that took place on June 12th so I won't go into explaining what that is. I do, however, totally believe that it is a conspiracy between the FCC and the cable and satellite companies, or whoever was in charge of this crap. This was there way of forcing almost everybody into paying for tv instead of getting it free. Well, we can still watch our analog tv, so suck on that! They said all we should see is a blue screen or fuzz or something. Sorry but all I see is a picture. Maybe I am totally selling us out to the tv Gods but we still watch our tv. When we do turn our stupid box on we do get a couple more channels but who wants 3 pbs' and 3 kbyu's. Not me. And no, our tv does not have a digital tuner built into it. I looked it up online on their stupid website and it said that it doesn't and that we would need a box. True, our channels are still a little fuzzy, but those pricks in their stupid call centers will never make us pay for tv. That will solely be on our terms. Yes! We win!

Do You Like Lists? Yesh.....

We have been watching 'The Office' all the way through again and I can't express how much I love that show. The first three seasons are some of the greatest comedy ever on tv. So I decided to make a list of my favorite Office characters. They go in this order. Not counting Jan or the warehouse workers, because they aren't people.

1- Michael/Jim/Pam (Yes, they all count as 1)
2- Dwight
3- Creed (How much do I love this guy!)
4- Angela
5- Kevin
6- Andy
7- Stanley
8- Phyllis
9- Oscar
10- Ryan
11- Toby
12- Meredith
13- Kelly
14- *Season 4* Ryan

I Got My Nose Pierced, Again. Yay!

Julia Nunes cover

Again, here is my favorite youtube person. All you "Office" lovers out there will enjoy this one.

bOOK CLUB

Just a reminder: this month we are reading "Persuasion" by Jane Austen, and next month is Jake's pic so, Jake, if you still want to pick a book, let me know what it is asap.

Yes, you love it

It's time for more music, Yay!!!!!!!!!! I seem to pick some random stuff when I do this, so here is some more random stuff. You may or may not have heard this song before, either way, I love it. It's by Newton Faulkner and it's called 'Dream Catch Me.' I love him for many reasons. First, he has red hair. Secondly, he is an awesome guitar player. And third, this song just makes me feel really good and completely fills me with joy. Enjoy it. And fourth, he is british, and that is always good. And I put a really short video of him below this first video, because he does awesome guitar stuff. This first video is pretty low quality, but it is still awesome. And he always plays it acoustic live, which makes me believe it was the dang record company that made him add the rest of the band. Stupid record labels. Even old folks can enjoy this song. Listen to it you oldies!

Ok, Ok

You know, I get really tired of being so awesome and admired. Everybody at work just thinks I am the greatest thing ever. In fact, I think all people do. It gets a little exhausting. I think in the pre-existence God created me and then said, "Shoot. Justin, I created you and you are going to be awesome, but I forgot to give you any flaws. So I am going to have to make you almost too awesome. That will be your burden." And he was right. It's tiring having everybody want to be me, and to hang out with me. Being awesome is, well, awesome, but sometimes that cross gets a little heavy.

H O R R O R MOVIE MARATHON

Yes, I'm writing this in red to signify gushing rivers of blood.

Yesterday, Justin and I watched 3 horror movies just, you know, for kicks. We watched them during the day so we wouldn't get too scared, so the good news is that I actually saw parts of these movies. My face wasn't buried anywhere, my eyes weren't squeezed shut, and my hands weren't clamped over my ears...well, for the most part they weren't, anyway.

First we watched the 2009 version of "Friday the 13th" that's coming out soon. Apparently, (Justin looked this up on imdb.com) this movie is a "retelling" of the original "Friday the 13th" movie with bits of 2 and 3 thrown in. Well, besides the violent and disgusting deaths, this movie was laughable. The acting was completely pathetic, the writing was...bad. At one point, one of the mindless flat characters was running in the woods, when he lost his gun in a surprise stream that popped out of nowhere. As he frantically tried to retrieve it, he yelled, (minus the bad words) "Where are you, gun?" Maybe it's just me, but I don't recall any weapons of any kind being able to reply to a question, even if it's one as intelligent as that.

Then we watched Rob Zombie's "Halloween" that came out in 2007. I don't know what we were expecting, but we were not expecting a movie almost the exact same as the original "Halloween." The most major difference was the quality of acting. It went way way down. We didn't watch all of this movie because we knew what was going to happen.

Last, we watched "30 Days of Night" which isn't a redo, retelling, remake of anything. Again, this movie had incredibly violent bloody moments but in all, I really liked it. It is about this little town in Alaska that experiences 30 days of night (hm, I know what you're thinking and you're right, that IS where they got the title for the movie) each year. This particular time it happens, a gang of very screachy, very creepy vampires come for an all-you-can-eat buffet. Josh Hartnett and Melissa George are among a tiny group of people that are trying to survive the month without the sun. Don't get me wrong, this is a horror movie, it's not the best movie ever, there are some plot problems, but as far as horror movies go, this one is good. It's intense and BLOODY. If anyone's planning a scary movie night (or day) you could give this movie a try.

Now I thought it'd be fun if I told you the scariest movies for me that I've attempted to watch. These are the top four, starting with the least scary first. Fourth scariest: "The Ring." The first time I saw this, it was in the theater with some of my friends, including Jessica and Crystalle. Anyway, us three girls were freaking out pretty bad when suddenly, this guy sitting in front of us reached back in between the seats and grabbed Crystalle's leg as a joke. It scared all of us half to death, of course, but I actually watched most of this movie with my eyes open, and I've seen it a couple times since. Of course, I've never actually seen the part where the little girl climbs out the the T.V. and kills the guy.

Third scariest: "The Grudge." Oh man, I hate this movie. I spent the entire movie with my head buried in my friend's shoulder and then I had nightmares that night involving the little ghost boy. Ech. Second scariest: "The Shining." When the little boy started the thing with the finger and the "redrum" and the voice, I lost it, I freaked, and I made Justin turn it off.

Most scariest: "Inland Empire." There is the scariest stuff in this movie that I have ever seen in my life. And I know that's not really saying a lot because, obviously, I get scared by movies very easily, but JUSTIN also thought this movie was the scariest thing ever. We started out watching it at night and had to stop it. So then we tried to watch it again the next afternoon but couldn't. We had to turn it off. Seriously. The scariest movies are the psychological thrillers, the ones that mess with your head, and "Inland Empire" messes with your head like no other. I dare anyone to watch this whole movie and not feel even just a little creeped out.

Another Weird Day At Work

You know, I think maybe I'm a lot more sheltered than I thought I was...or maybe I just convince myself that the world is one way. Or maybe I just hope it's one way, but deep down I know it's not. I think it's probably that last one.

Today at work there was a man who called Obama the "N" word, twice, right in front of me, no shame whatsoever. I really didn't want to believe that people like this still exist. I don't care if you think Obama is the worst president ever in history...I don't care if you think Obama is the most evil man in the entire world, you don't use that word. Not only is it derogatory and disgusting, it makes you the most ignorant, hate-filled sack of crap on the planet.

I really wanted to kick him.

what am I watching lately?

Not that anyone's really interested, but I thought I could share the TV shows I'm watching and what I think of them, just for fun. As you all already know, I really enjoy watching TV shows, possibly even more than I enjoy watching movies. I know I'm watching quite a few shows at once, it's just because I get them from all different sources so I watch them when I get them. (Oh and this list doesn't include all the shows that I'm waiting for a new season to come out or start.) So here we go!

"Tru Calling"
plot: Tru Davies is a med student who gets a job at the morgue. Soon she finds out that dead people can ask her for help and her day rewinds so she can do it over again, except this time saving the person who asked for help.
where am I? Season 2
where do I get it? Netflix
what do I think? one thumb up for an interesting concept and premise for the show, and for interesting stories in every episode. one thumb down for sub par acting, including Eliza Dushku who plays Tru.

"Jericho"
plot: A little outside of Denver, Colorado sits the small town of Jericho. When a mushroom cloud appears over Denver, and all communication in and out of the town collapses, the people in the town have to figure out a way to survive, including overcoming the fallout from the bomb, info that many other major cities in the U.S. were also hit, a shortage of medical supplies and food, and all the problems that arise from people in a panic.
where am I? Season 1
where do I get it? Netflix Online
what do I think? two thumbs up for everything. The acting (by mostly unknowns) is superb, the stories are complex and interesting, and it's so relevant to the world we live in, where there's always a threat of terrorism.

"Angel"
plot: "The vampire with a soul" Angel, as well as many others from the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" series appear in this show. Angel and friends try to rid L.A. of all evil including beasties, vampires, demons, evil lawyers, you name it.
where am I? Season 5 (last season)
where do I get it? Hollywood Video
what do I think? two thumbs down. It's very disappointing, but I have to be honest. "Angel" is a huge disappointment. The writing has no clear focus, the stories and plots are all over the place, and the characters are compromised, meaning that anyone who watched "Buffy" knows most of the characters in "Angel" really well, and they do not behave in a way that's true to their character. I'm hoping that my beloved Joss Whedon's involvement was limited.

"Burn Notice"
plot: Michael Weston was a spy until someone burned him. "Spies don't get fired, they get burned," meaning all his assets are frozen and he's dumped in Miami to stay. While trying to find out who burned him and get reinstated, he helps regular people solve hard problems, with the assistance of his mother, brother, best friend, and ex-girlfriend.
where am I? Just finished Season 2
where do I get it? Hollywood Video
what do I think? two thumbs way up. This show is great, and I recommend it to everyone. The premise is intriguing and different. It's light and fun. The only downside is the actress who plays Fi, Michael's ex-girlfriend, is very scary...if you see her, you'll know what I mean.

"So You Think You Can Dance"
plot: Reality show about finding America's favorite dancer.
where am I? whatever season's on T.V.
where do I get it? on the tube (tho maybe not for long, thanks to the switch to digital).
what do I think? one thumb up because it's fun to see the incredibly talented dancers on this show, and the creative choreography. one thumb down for annoying Mary (one of the judges) and the way the show is edited. They could show a lot more dancing and less talking/interviewing/judging than they do.

"Bones"
plot: F.B.I. agent Seeley Booth teams up with anthropologist/author Temperance Brennen to solve murders.
where am I? Season 3
where do I get it? Netflix
what do I think? two thumbs up. Fantastic show. Perfect mix of serious drama and comedy, original and intriguing characters, complex plots and subplots that are balanced by a steady theme (usually they solve one murder per episode). I would definitely recommend this one.

So there are the shows I'm watching now. Since many of these shows are running out ("Tru Calling" got canceled halfway through season 2, there isn't any more of "Burn Notice" on DVD, "Angel" only has 5 seasons, "Jericho"only has 2 seasons, etc.) I have some more shows lined up that I'm going to watch, including: Roswell, Veronica Mars, The Closer, Ghost Whisperer, and Medium. I'll let you know what I think of them later. :)

Bedtime Tasties

Just now as I was getting ready for bed, I ate a bowl of vanilla ice cream with some chocolate on top. When I brushed my teeth, I used colgate mint. As I was brushing my teeth, my mouth tasted exactly like mint chocolate chip. It was great.

Nostra-dumb-ass

All those doom and gloom people are always talking about Nostradamus and how smart he is and how all of his predictions come true. I decided to play on the internet and find these so-called predictions, to see exactly what they say. And now that I have read them may I say out loud, what a bunch of garbage! These "predictions" mean nothing. They aren't even predictions, they are nonsense. I decided maybe I should write a bunch of vague garbage down in a notebook and leave it for future generations to find and read, then they will call me an ancient prophet. Apparently this is all it takes. For proof, here is a prediction from the almighty Nostradamus:

Mabus then will soon die, there will come
Of people and beasts a horrible rout;
Then suddenly one will see vengeance
Hundred, hand, thirst, hunger
When the comet will run.

What the hell is that?! So do you know what this is a prediction of? I mean it's pretty obvious so I am sure that you guessed already, but if you haven't this is the prediction of the assassination of President Bush. Yep. Mabus is Bush....how do you figure? What the random words on a page?! How does Mabus equal Bush? And how do you get an assassination of a president out of that? What a bunch of hippo poo. To me it sounds like some dude named Mabus (not Bush, because his name is Mabus) will die, and then there will be terrible beasts like wolves that will be tired and hungry. And then a comet will go by in the sky. That's what it sounds like to me. Just sayin. What a retarded thing. I hate Nostradamus and the people that just make stuff up.

Cotton head layers, the ravaging discs
The heavens light of cores
Wires, tapestries asunder
Pins and needles of the walk
Will sound on the last thunder

That is a prediction that I just made. It means that I am going to have a cheese sandwich now.

Blogs From My Toilet 4

Every day, right when I get up for work at 5:20 a.m., Justin (100% asleep) rolls over onto my side of the bed, as if he has been waiting for me to get out of his way all night. :) I don't think he has any recollection of this whatsoever, but I've never asked.

"Accidentally In Love" Julia Nunes Cover

As requested, here is another video by my favorite youtube person, Julia Nunes. Oh, and I figured out that the weird instrument is called a "Melodica" ...who knew?? Oh and this video is also a primo example of the household items she plays.

Justin scolded me for using her best video as the first one I shared because now everyone won't be as impressed with the rest of them. Well, I still think she's awesome, hopefully y'all agree. Enjoy her cover of this famous Counting Crows song...

Blogs From My Toilet 3

I've recently noticed that whereas female nudity in movies is supposed to be "sexy," male nudity in movies is almost always used for comedic purposes.

Basketball Thoughts

Question: Why is Dwight Howard considered a superstar? Sub-question: Why is he considered to be one of the best players in the game? Answer: Because the NBA wants him to be. Seriously though, does this guy even know how to play basketball? It is so evident he got where he is because he was a seven foot dude in high school who could do whatever he wanted. What high school kid can stop a seven footer? Not many. They really consider this guy to be one of the best in the nba because he can block shots and get rebounds? Ok first of all, he should block shots, he is seven freaking feet tall. Secondly, he only averages 12 rebounds a game. I say ONLY 12 because if he had any idea how to rebound he would average around 16. Seriously, this guy has got to be one of the most fundamentally flawed players I have ever seen. He can't shoot, he can't pass, he has no idea how to post somebody up, he doesn't know how to hold the ball when he turns to face the basket, he doesn't know how to seal anybody off, he doesn't know how to box out, he gets beat up and down the floor every play, he doesn't play defense (despite what they would have you believe), he can't dribble, he can't make a free throw (although to his credit, ,he has done alright in the playoffs), he can't use his left hand, and the dude is an enormous baby. The only guy that whines more than him is Lebron James. I am pretty sure Lebron James calls the refs from his house to whine about something that hasn't even been called yet. There were a couple instances in tonights finals game where he had his defender posted up and had a free lane to the basket going to his right, but went the other way instead for who knows what reason. And the dude just uses his elbows to get people out of the way. He just throws them into their chest until they back off enough so he can dunk it or do one if his piss poor hook shots. They guy obviously never learned fundamentals because he was always just bigger than everyone else so he just dunked it. This guy is NOT a great talent. If I were seven feet tall, I could do the same thing. This guy will never be the talent that Tim Duncan is because Tim Duncan is one of the most fundamentally sound players I have ever seen, and he has four championship rings. Dwight Howard won't get one until he learns to play basketball and learns not to get dejected in the second quarter when things aren't going his way. I am tired of hearing how good this guy is when all the evidence clearly says otherwise.

Flickr lives

As I've said before, I've been taking a lot of photos lately. I've been working on a big project that still isn't even halfway finished. But, in my quest for pictures, I have canvassed my entire surrounding neighborhood, as well as the trek from my job to my home. This weekend I am hoping to take a walk up main street, north of 820 South for more pics.

Today when I was looking through the pics I took a few days ago, I noticed the large amount of pictures I took of spring flowers. If you want to take a look, I uploaded them onto my Flickr page (link on sidebar). I appreciate comments, too, but I know not everyone has an account with Flickr, so it's okay if you don't comment. Enjoy the bright colors! I love Spring/Summertime!

Blogs From My Toilet 2

Today I saw a commercial for a new birth control pill. It claims that women will only have their periods once every 3 months when on their pill. They ask, "Who says you have to have your period every month?" And my answer is, uh...God?

My Favorite Youtube Person

Name: Julia Nunes
She covers all kinds of songs from awesome bands. She sings, plays the ukelele, the guitar, some weird instrument I've never seen in my life, and an assortment of household items. She also writes her own songs and has an album out. This youtube video is one of her original songs and what they did with the video is awesome. After the song ends, they talk for awhile so you don't have to watch that if you don't want to. Okay, enjoy, and I recommend watching her other videos on youtube. They are very enjoyable and she is very talented.

Blogs From My Toilet

If I believed in reincarnation, I think I would be a good person, solely for the fact that I wouldn't want to come back in my next life as a toilet.

Justin's super excited

Harmonix has just announced many details of the new Beatles rock band game including ten out of the 45 songs that will be on the game. Those ten songs are:

I Saw Her Standing there
I Wanna Hold Your Hand
I Feel Fine
Taxman
Day Tripper
Back In The USSR
I Am The Walrus
Octopus's Garden
Here Comes The Sun
Get Back (I am so excited for this one)

Plus they confirmed that there will be vocal harmonies, but it is cooler than I even expected. It's going to be three part harmonies! That's freaking fantastic. They also announced that "All You Need is Love" will be available for download on September 9 exclusively for the X360 (Chris.) And they said that the entire Abbey Road album will be available for future download as will other songs! All the proceeds from the downloads of All You Need is Love will go to Doctors without borders. IS IT SEPTEMBER YET!?!?!?! Click on the link to watch the trailer. It looks so amazing!!!

http://www.thebeatlesrockband.com/trailer.php