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Tuesday, May 30, 2006 2006 Season Finales  I've always been a fan of the cliffhanger ending for a season. They gotta give me the hook to back next season (I'd most likely be there anyway, but I like the push). And this year, television shows did not fail to deliver: Sci Fi Friday kicked it off. Stargate and Atlantis had decent nail-biters, but Battlestar Galactica pushed it over the top with a finale that turned the show's premise on its head and giving the impression that the Cylons had won. Whether this turns out to be just a dream sequence or not, it was a helluva ending that left the viewers guessing. Grey's Anatomy's finale was a half-and-half, primarily because it was three hours long,. The first hour was a perfect cliffhanger, and would have made a fantastic season finale. Instead, they decided to wrap it up in a way-too-long episode that ended with a much milder hook. Should have been next season's opener. ER...wow. We had really stopped watching this season this year - with its schmaltzy twists, the writers really seemed determined to put the drama into dramamine. However, the ending scene between Luka and Abby was outrageous and a definite tune-in moment. And as for the heavy hitters I was expecting from Lost, Alias, and 24? Ermmm, more like grounders. Lost was so-so: it reached a smashing good point 2/3rds of the way in, and then meandered a bit for the last twenty minutes and came close to jumping the shark in the last few minutes. Alias' series finale was a tremendous disappointment. A fitting end for Sloan, but the way the ended things for the Bristow family left me cold. Irina was turned into a cardboard James Bond villain with little motivation, and the big reveal was something they had hinted at first season. That red ball sure has various uses. No wonder one should never taunt Happy Fun Ball. For me, the end of last season was the way the show should have ended. Maybe I'll just pretend this whole season was once big dream. 24's finale was okay, except they lost all concept of the real time aspect. President Logan gets his mojo going with Mrs. Logan and gets dressed in under two minutes? Jack is caught by Chinese agents, beaten within an inch of his life, and placed on a freighter already out to sea in five minutes? Of all the shows this season, none had a more satisfying finale that the now cancelled Invasion. Slow to gather speed after its launch, and hurt by its release so soon after the Katrina disaster, Invasion was the best of the three sci-fi offering from the big networks (which included the already cancelled Surface and Treshold). Like Saun Cassidy's earlier American Gothic, it relied on family dynamics and relationships to drive its fantastic plot. I can't spoil that last episode for those who have not seen it,but it worked equally well as season and series finales: bringing the year's worth of show full circle and leaving you wanting more. ------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, May 24, 2006 It's a Brand New Car!!  The LHS is history. Last week we finally bit the bullet and bought a newer car. My Scion Xa is silver, sporty, and oh-so-cute. I absolutely love it's design. And to boot, it gets about 34 miles per gallon, meaning I've cut my commute costs by about half. And it looks like it would be an excellent medium to do some self-promotion. ------------------------------------------------
Sunday, May 21, 2006 McDesign  McDonald's is giving itself a Starbucks-like interior makeover, and making radical changes to the exterior as well. It's a bold move to change their image to remain fresh to younger target markets, but not without controversy: the estimated $400,000 it costs to make the renovations have to be paid entirely by the franchisee, or they will lose their license. And for most franchises, that cost equals an entire year of profits. ------------------------------------------------
Thursday, May 18, 2006 Kids Should be Seen and Not Heard  Chalk another one up to government intruding where it is not needed. In an attempt to discourage online predators from being able to target children, Republican Congressman Michael G. Fitzpatrick has decided instead of prosecuting such criminals harshly, it would instead be better to prohibit anyone under 18 from gaining access to sites that promote social networking on public school or library computers.That's right. The best way to protect someone is to deny their rights. While some might question the real social value of a site like MySpace or FaceBook, to deny people access solely due to what might happen is ludicrous. And to top it off, the legislation uses verbiage that makes almost any website a prohibited site. An online social network is described as: "a commercially operated Internet Web site that allows users to create Web pages or profiles that provide information about themselves and are available to other users and offers a mechanism for communication with other users, such as a forum, chat room, e-mail, or instant messenger"So that would include any chatroom. It would include an IMDB profile. It would include a seller's page on eBay or eLance. It would include a profile on CLASSmates or any of a million other sites on the web. The law would stifle creativity for children, the ability to bond friendships,and discourage innovative an entrepreneurial teenagers from starting online ventures. Even worse, it cuts off children who have no access to home computers from networks that can give them great lines of support. I can guarantee that their are just as many children and teens facing personal crisis - eating disorders, abuse, depression - who will be just as negatively affected by this law as there children who would be protected from online predators. And what is pushing this legilation? Apparently, mass hysteria on the extent of the problem in the minds of suburban voters, and an attempt to rally conservative voters to prevent the Democrats from sweeping the November mid-term election. Hiding the problem isn't the answer. Denying information is not the answer. People can't be put in little plastic bubbles - because sooner or later, someone comes along who just loves to pop bubble wrap. ------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 16, 2006 Then the Emperor Has Already Won  >It finally happened - Lucas has finally decided he's losing too much money to bootleg laserdisc copies and is releasing the original trilogy sans changes. Of course, they are packaged with the Special, Special Edition as well, so he's still making sure you get to see his current, up-to-the-minute definitive edition. And he still puts down his original work with this line from the press release:"...see the pioneering, if dated, motion control model work on the attack on the Death Star...". Wired.com can feel your anger. ------------------------------------------------
Thursday, May 11, 2006 Elvises, Leave the Building  Elvis impersonation may soon become a felony. The producer behind American Idol has purchased all rights to the Elvis name, and now is beginning the push to excise Elvis impersonators from Sin City in anticipation of creating an official Elvis revue. Here's hoping we won't this steadfast part of American kitsch. After all, its due in some small part to the pretenders that the King still lives large.------------------------------------------------
Friday, May 05, 2006 From Russia With Love  Identity, the first Russian branding and design magazine, has unveiled the the winners of its first annual design competition. I find its always good to take a look at what others have been doing - it's a great way to find inspiration and keep up with the trends.------------------------------------------------
Thursday, May 04, 2006 Cats Better Stay Out of This Room  Design can truly transform even the most common of objects. Design Boom demonstrates this concept succintly with its poster depicting over 200 styles of rocking chairs.------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, May 03, 2006 Unreliable Tour Guides Here's an idea: have a group of average joe pretend to be musuem tour guides, and let them say anything they want about the exhibits. It's an improvisational act that can't be easy, and even more hard to make engaging and lively. But it could be amazing - imagine being led around a museum by a Robin Williams saying whatever comes to mind. ------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 02, 2006 The Map in the Hatch  It took little less than 24 hours for someone on-line to come up with a good theory about the black light map in the hatch on Lost. Someone noted that the mysterious numbers of the show are the designations of constellations, and those constellations name's are the basis for the names of the hatches/stations spread across the island. It's an intriguing theory, and one that makes sense. Still, I keep waiting for either Mr. Rourke or a Rover to show up. ------------------------------------------------
Calamari of the Damned  You've never known the true face of teror until you've met Vampyroteuthis infernalis. Or, as we'd say in English, the Vampire Squid from Hell. Best. Animal. Name. Ever.If you saw a photo of this little guy, he doesn't seem too bad. But in the hands of master biological illustrator, he looks just about ready to throw himself on to Ripley's face. ------------------------------------------------
Monday, May 01, 2006 See The Pyramids of the Danube?  Are there step pyramids in Eastern Europe? Given that its a geometric shape that is found in mpost ancient cultures of the worls, it would make sense. If this is true, how many unseen markers of the ancient world are hideen right under our noses?Funny, it does seem to me that these pyramids are located rather close to the indicated location of Thera... ------------------------------------------------
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Wednesday, May 31, 2006 NO ROOT CANAL!!! I am, as my dentist said, "The luckiest girl ever!", and the 20% chance of not having one that she'd mentioned in passing came true!! AND there is definitely feeling in that tooth -- it is sooooo not dead!!! But, I still laid down almost $1000 for a crown (it has to be gold, with a porcelain front. Because I have such itty-bitty teeth, there is no room for porcelain, apparently). Permanent crown goes on in about 6 weeks!! ------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 30, 2006 Root Canal tomorrow .... And I don't feel scared yet. I know I will. I'm TERRIBLE at the dentist's office. Thank goodness Jeff doesn't work Wednesdays during the summer and will be entertaining the kids most of the day. Oh I need some positive thoughts that it won't hurt!! ------------------------------------------------
Sunday, May 28, 2006 Congrats to Jenna & Chris!! So, my sister-in-law, Jenna, is now engaged!! I'm really excited for her, and wish she and her fiance, Chris, all the best! ------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, May 24, 2006 Back from dentist. I'll need a root canal and a crown. Apparently, the tooth is dead -- wasn't sensitive to percussive or cold. It is a tooth that I've had a military-style filling in for probably close to 20 years, so I guess that is reasonable. But. BUT -- my proposed bill is $1600!!!!! OMFG! That is sooooo much. ------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, May 23, 2006 Broke a tooth! Argh! So, tonight I broke a tooth somehow. First molar on the top right. Back front part gone. What in the world?!?! So, now I have to try to find a dentist that can see me tomorrow. I'm gonna need a crown. I don't have dental insurance, so it'll cost me probably a grand. Just bought a car. Blech. ------------------------------------------------
Monday, May 22, 2006 AF Returns After 15-1/2 months, I think I've had my first post-partum period. Just wanted to share! ;) It is almost exactly 2 years from when I conceived Kira. Now that is a LOOOONG time!! ------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, May 17, 2006 Our New Car! Whew!! It seems like it has been FOREVER!! So much is going on, I'm not sure where to start! I was originally going to post one big fat post, but I don't have time to do it all. So, I'll start here, and try to post the rest ASAP A Brand-New Car!!! (well, for us at least!) We had to get a new car for Jeff, as his kept cutting out WHILE DRIVING because of an electrical fault that noone, even the dealer, could figure out. Well, it was a major safety issue, so we opted to get a car a year early, as we have/had a 1996 Chrysler LHS that we knew wouldn't last. Well, terribly long story short, it really was a 1995 LHS, but that didn't affect the already agreed to purchase/trade-in for our new 2004 Scion xA!!  Kira cheesing it up at the dealership  Parker, posing with Gene, our "agent"  Our New Car, getting 31/37mpg ------------------------------------------------
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