Random crap.
May 7th, 2007 by B.
- 24 has deteriorated almost to the point of being unwatchable. If it wasn’t for the iTunes season pass we bought, I’d have totally written it off 2-3 episodes ago.
- Watched The Prestige and The Illusionist back-to-back. Both were solid entertainment, with The Prestige having a slight advantage. That’s not to say The Illusionist wasn’t good, it was. Oh, and now I want to be a magician when I grow up.
- Settle an argument… how bright do you keep your computer monitor? My brightness is cranked up all the way (causing Jim to cover his eyes and yell ‘retina burn’ each time he gets on my laptop) and Jim’s is cranked all the way down, which I say causes headaches and eventually leads to blindness (just like masturbation). Who’s right and who’s wrong?
- To all the people who insist exercise is addictive… you are so full of shit. I’ve been doing it for a week now and the only thing I look forward to is it being over. Then I immediately start dreading having to do it again the next day.
- I wish I knew how the people who import and sell american foods get their hands on them to begin with. I would so start my own ‘american foods’ online store. I’d stock it full of kraft mac-n-cheese, fruity and marshmallowy cereals, anything hostess, fritos, cheetos… pretty much anything that ends in ‘os’. I’d also have the largest selection of root beer and salsa germany has ever seen.
- I want to start another poll because I love the poll sidebar feature… only I can’t think of anything to poll about. Any suggestions?
- Some friends asked if we wanted to go with them to the Bryan Adams concert in Leipzig. Unfortunately I’d rather shove bamboo shoots under my fingernails than have to listen to ‘run to you’ or ‘summer of 69’ live. And don’t even get me started on the ‘lie for you/die for you’ song. I need to come up with a tactful way to say no… heh, maybe I’ll just send them the link to this post.
- Jim’s July vacation time just got approved and we have no idea where we’re going. I say Greece, Robbie says Spain, Jim says Switzerland (up high enough for it to still be cold) and Sydney says Euro Disney (is ED supposed to be one word or two?). The only fair thing to do seems to be drawing straws or something. But then I’d only have a 25% chance of getting my way and, quite frankly, I don’t like those odds…
- I’m bummed Sarkozy won because he’s not a fan of the expat. I think our dream of eventually living and working in france just got a little tougher…
- I’m seriously entertaining the thought of getting a wii. If I do, is it interactive enough that I can get away with calling it exercise?
- After re-reading this post I have absolutely NO idea why any of you stick with me… I need to come up with something interesting to talk about, and quick.
On this day..
- Indian givers! - 2007
- Chance encounter. - 2006
you could poll about where you should go for your july vacation… that takes care of two things…
yes, the wii is a valid form of exercise… and you get to create a little “mii”… person… and your mii can even be seen sometimes in the background when someone else is playing their game… which is just one of the many reasons the wii is great.
i liked “the illusionist”… but liked “the prestige” more than just a little bit more…
i keep hearing how bad 24 is sucking this season… bummer.
i thought bryan adams was lame in the 80’s… i couldn’t even imagine how much i’d hate him now… i say if they were true friends, they wouldn’t have asked you to go…
as for my monitor brightness… i’d have to say mine is… just right.
seriously though… wii sports is definitely exercise… if you get the wii, be sure to get that game.
Here are my responses to your post, in order.
- I watched 24. It was awesome and wonderful. I refused to watch 48, 72, 96, or whatever it is up to now.
- Never heard of the two flicks.
- I keep my monitor half-way and vary it when it is dark in the room or bright out. It’s made to be adjusted for a reason.
- I miss the elliptical machine. That’s about it.
- I love cheap Mac ‘n Cheese. If it costs $1 a box, it is too expensive. I adore the 5/$1 brands of Mac ‘n Cheese. As for root beer, I enjoy it, but i have to say, I’ve never met an authentic german who could drink more than the smallest sip before declaring it to be nasty.
- Why not poll about which blog author is the best– you or that other dude.
- I’m with you on the concert.
- Spain, unless you are on the coast, is a big mistake in July. Why is Sydney worried about ED? Isn’t she both too young and of the wrong gender for Viagra? Greece might share the same issues as Spain. Switzerland might be the right choice — have you considered Finland?
- What is there to do in Paris on a Sunday afternoon? I have an afternoon/evening there in the relative near future.
- Just don’t hold your wee for a Wii. It could kill.
- I stick with you because you are the bestest writer on the planet. Keep it up.
Adam - It was Blythe who first said to me (and I thought she was nuts at the time but it turned out to be absolutely true) if you have to pick a museum… if I had a day in Paris I’d be hitting a museum… go see the Musée d’Orsay. I really do think it trumps the Louvre. Not by much, but it’s just an amazing space (old train station) with light pouring in everywhere and tons of open space. I loved it. Architecturally… exhibit-wise… you name it. My best museum experience in Paris, hands down.
If you’re looking for something else fun (and not too far from the Musée d’Orsay) to do, you can try The Catacombs of Paris- a mass tomb of stacked bones (literally, the walls are bones) under the city. It’s got a cool non-campy vibe as long as you’re not overly claustrophobic.
Oh, and I want a little mii!! I’m so getting a wii, I just need to figure out if I want to get it from america or britain…
Ooo… get the wii for sure! That is a workout. I got tired just watching my cousins play!
And I am addicted to the gym. I love it and could spend hours every day there…if I did not have a four month old baby that needs attention (and my breast!). The key for those who love it less– find a workout partner or get to know the people there. This way, someone expects to see you there, and it becomes harder to back out!
– I watched the 1st season of 24, part of the 2nd … then decided I’m not investing any more of my life in it. So now I seem to spend 24 hours a day keeping up with world affairs and political intrigue … it’s not that satisfying either.
– As to old age … I find myself needing more light, but I keep the monitor at 67% bright; 83% contrast and use Clear Type tuning.
– I thought Bryan Adams did pretty well on Roger Water’s THE WALL - LIVE IN BERLIN … and his activism is good … but I can’t do the sappy stuff … at all.
– I’d say Greece … fun in the sun
– Sarkozy … well, there went my plans to retire with a short work week, wine & cheese, health care and nude beaches.
1. Ditto - 24 sucks this season I’m only watching because I paid for it, but I’m not happy about either of those things.
2. In case anyone wondered she said “when I grow up” ok, the proof you need that I’m not the only immature one around here. LOL
3. I keep my laptop so low that once the backlight had burned out and I didn’t even notice it for a month. That’s the same reason I can get 8.75 hours of life out of my PDA. And I don’t risk retina burn.
4. Fork to mouth, it’s the only exercise I find addictive and then it still depends on what’s on the plate.
5. I’m tempted to start a store that sells nothing but Rootbeer related paraphernalia. Rootbeer mugs, rootbeer in bottles, Brachs rootbeer candy. It’s the first real craving I’ve had since moving here. But there’s a case of A&W on the way, so I’ll live.
6. Poll, If you could work anywhere in the world, where would you prefer to be? (Insert 20 or more choices)
7. Yeah, couldn’t handle having to listed to “Cuts like a knife” either. This was an easy one to pass on.
8. I’m not sure I care where we go, just as long as we explore someplace new.. I know, I’m so difficult! LOL
9. I’m hoping Sarkozy is slow to change the laws surrounding employment and foreigners. (fingers crossed)
10. I read an article not long ago about a guy who lost 15lbs in 4 weeks and his only change was to add Wii to his exercise regime.. This is somethign I might be able to get addicted to.
11. I’m not answering this one..
I believe it’s actually Disneyland Paris. And I’m glad to hear that someone out there agrees with me on the Musee D’Orsay advice. It’s advice that no one ever follows (and, really, would I have skipped the Louvre in favor of the D’Orsay the first time around? Probably not.) but it’s nice to know that at least B. doesn’t think I’m crazy anymore.
Exercise sucks, but I’ll bet the Wii is addictive.
I’m going to answer the questions & things you said in random order, the last one first…….B, you are never NOT interesting….You’re a part of my daily reading, I may not comment on all of your blogs, but I read every last one of them
I don’t like 24, I tried watching it once, never again, it doesn’t even remotely interest me…
I’ve no idea how bright/dark my computer is, all I know is, if I were to have it on w/ the lights out at night, it would be very bright, so that’s probably what it is, lol……
I too am struggling w/ the exercise thing, & I agree, it’s so not addicting….The weird thing is, in my mind, I see myself doing all kinds of exercise, but seeing & actually doing are two different things when I’d rather surf around the web….Is that as bad as I think it is? lol….
Couldn’t tell you about the importing stuff…..But I wish you the best of luck
The poll about where you want to go next would be good…….I vote for Spain personally
I also agree thoroughly about Brian Adams….Blech!
In closing, I wish I could blog half as good as you B, never stop!
In no particular order: I have never seen a single episode of 24 and I don’t know anything about wii - I’m quickly losing touch with popular culture. I used to be addicted to exercise, but I guess people who are into playing sports are more likely to fall into that category. It’s a major bummer since I messed up my back and can’t do “fun” exercise anymore (I hate hate hate cardio-machines). I’d vote for the Baltic countries. My monitor leans more towards the dark side. And, I’ll stop there.
If you sold root beer, my authentic German hubby would be one of your most frequent customers. He tried it first trip to the US and just about barfed. Brought some back to DE and the other Germans said, “Americans actually drink this ____?!” On his 2nd US trip he tried it again and developed a taste for it. More of a taste for it that I have, I guess. When we were in Amsterdam we found a shop that sold A&W and he drank like 4 cans of our 15 Euro 6-pack within 2 miles of the store. Crazy.
Hi,
Just came across your blog and I’m having a fun time following your expat adventures. Thank you!
My husband and I are moving to Germany later this year (for me a home-coming after 14 years/ his first time living in Europe), so it’s kind of fun to see how others are doing with the adjustment. Though I did grow up there, so I guess it won’t be too hard on me. One thing that absolutely horrifies me though is the prospect of German television. Why, oh why, do they have to dub things? I just read that you are downloading 24 from iTunes. How are you doing that? I thought you cannot download from the US store in Germany and vice versa? I would really appreciate if you clued me in. Thanks!!!
Meike- After 14 years there’s bound to be some culture shock for you too, but I bet you’re excited. And yep, giving up american tv has probably been the toughest thing for us, but over the past year and a half we’ve managed to find ways around it. My iTunes account is set up in america (was set up long before we left) and is still paid for from our american bank account. Maybe that’s why I haven’t had problems? Although I’m pretty sure you can also get original language stuff through iTunes.de
There’s also Premiere (cable service that’s big here) that offers one original series (in english) per day. They’ve always got something popular showing… lots of HBO stuff, Criminal Minds, Medium, Supernatural, Lost - just to name a few.
So you won’t have to go completely cold turkey…
Good luck with your move and feel free to let me know if you have any other questions.
I know a German who “relishes” root beer, even now the diet version! My partner. I decided … well long ago (been in Germany close to 7 years) … that IF I want American I frequent the on-line sites. I have had two very great people in States send regular “care packages,” but beverages are a no-no. It´s, for me, just a “price you pay” IF you want it. I KNOW that early on, in Dresden, American was quite available …. the Karstadt / Herti building (torn down recently) on Pragestrasse and SB Halle …. until Iraq. Not only did Germans seem to loose taste for American but Amreican importers refused …. as Jelly Bellies in Elbepark to send! American “jeans” shop replaced American flag with a Confederate flag …. and most other American flags disappeared, seemingly over night, as signs in Neustadt bars hung up: Americans and Brits NOT welcome. And American Embassy said: Do not speak English in crowds! The “price” of the EXPAT American.
Thanks for the response. Hopefully iTunes will work for me, too. At least you can watch a lot of the current shows online now. I do that anyways.
We can’t wait to move. Just waiting for my US citizenship to come through and then we are off. Very exciting.:)
Meike - Bad news, all those lovely tv shows that are posted online… you can’t watch them here. When you try to play them you’ll get an evil little message saying they can’t be viewed outside of north america. It really takes some creativity to work around all the international laws. If
you have friends in america with high-speed internet access and digital cable, you might want to think about buying a slingbox (if you google it you can read what it’s all about), that way you’ll still have access to everything you’re used to seeing. You’ll just need to figure out a way around the time difference, but at least that’s doable. Where in germany are you moving to?
Lee- I broke down and ordered root beer from ebay.de (best price I could find) last week. Thankfully I don’t encounter any ‘americans not welcome’ signs here… but then again, when meeting new people I always make it a priority letting them know I think our current president is an idiot.