Service before self
Map showing Baumholder's location
At the end of 1990, American servicemembers began to build up in Saudi Arabia, along the border that country shared with Kuwait. This action, Operation Desert Shield, was precipitated by the fact that Kuwait had been invaded by its larger neighbor to the North, Iraq. While these events were front-page news across the globe, they had an immediate, direct impact on my life, as I was a teenager growing up in Baumholder, an Army post in Germany.
Re-Animator: The Musical
Tonight, I went to see Re-Animator: The Musical again. I never imagined that I'd see the words "Re-Animator" and "The Musical" together in the same sentence (let alone the same title), but it not only exists, it's an incredibly funny, over-the-top piece of musical theater. Based on the 1985 feature film (and with effects work by the same people responsible for said film), which was, in turn, loosely based on the short story Herbert West - Reanimator by H.P. Lovecraft, Re-Animator: The Musical has an outstanding cast with great chemistry. The show has done so well, and has been so popular, that it was just extended... for the fourth time.
The place to be when watching the show is in the first two rows. This is the splash zone. Yes, Re-Animator combines both the highbrow (clever dialogue and lyrics) and the lowbrow (partial nudity of both the male and female leads providing eye candy for everyone present, absurdly gratuitous amounts of fake blood). This is a show where you can chuckle along with a song where one character accuses another of plagiarism, get sprayed by fake blood on several occasions, and witness a scene that is routinely stolen... by a puppet of an undead cat.
After the show, the cast is gracious and seems to genuinely enjoy conversing with members of the audience who linger in order to meet them. It's obvious that they love performing in the show, and the small venue of Hollywood's Steve Allen Theater ensures that the crowds aren't too large. There's talk of taking the show to a larger venue, and the uncertainty that would bring to the actors' continued presence in their roles. I hope the show continues to do well, and I, for one, intend to see it at least one more time before its final curtain is called.
For tickets and information, visit the Steven Allen Theater's web site.
Some thoughts on “Battle: Los Angeles”
I finally got around to seeing Battle: Los Angeles today. I don't see too many movies in the theater anymore, largely because it's gotten so expensive, but also because it requires a fair amount of planning and effort to actually go to the theater, rather than streaming something on Netflix or grabbing a DVD from the Redbox kiosk after checking out at the grocery store. So, I used a coupon code to get a free rental from Redbox, and I chose Battle: Los Angeles. I'd heard a few good things about it online when it came out, and the premise seemed promising enough: follow a squad of Marines in Los Angeles during an alien invasion.
My first thoughts were summed up fairly well in a post I made on Facebook shortly after finishing the movie: "Wow. That was pretty good. Better than I'd expected, in fact. The shaky-cam was a little annoying at times, but I actually didn't even notice it throughout most of the film."
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-08-08
- Duct tape is like the Force: it has a light side, a dark side, and it holds the universe together. #
- Letter of Eligibility from VA for new GI Bill (finally) arrived today! Need to take to school's VA office to finish paperwork & get money #
- Got B's in both of my classes. Expected, though I'd hoped for A's. GPA dipped a bit from 3.33 to 3.31. Want to keep it high for xfer to CSUF #
- via @Tymethief A non-twittering friends take on NK: I know he took care of it but really, sending Clinton to pick up women in North Korea? #
- RT @GammaCounter Bookstore window t-shirt: "Don't judge a book by its movie." #
- Prices are going up all over... even the 99 cent store has raised their prices... everything's 99.99 cents now #
- I made a spreadsheet listing every Star Trek story (films, tv, books, comics, games) in chrono order. Let me know if you want a copy. #
- Oh, that doesn't bode well: RT @LATimes Paramount won't screen 'G.I. Joe' for print or broadcast media critics http://bit.ly/So8B0 #
- Would get $11K/year with old GI Bill, will get $33.5K/year w/ Post-9/11 GI Bill. Vets check out GI Bill calculator: http://bit.ly/luYba #
- Drunk Pedro knocked on door, said I owed $135. Showed him cleared check. Math, alcohol don't mix: friends don't let friends derive drunk #
- Met w CSUF transfer counselor, planned out Fall schedule. Now off to deliver GI Bill paperwork to campus VA office... #
- WTF? Turned in paperwork to VA office, they tell me I prob won't see any money till November. #
- Great news from IAVA for California veterans who want to use the GI Bill. http://bit.ly/S3Ivm #
- Explains the smoke during the game: Woman dead, daughter critical after house fire in Fullerton. http://tinyurl.com/ltrr5w (via @abc7) #
- It's like the Hand of God: thought I was only getting 1 GI Bill check for summer; just got a 2nd (albeit smaller) one. I can pay my bills! #
- Bills paid, got some groceries, replaced the starter on my truck and it STILL won't start. Neighbors think the new solenoid is defective... #
- Guy next door had his TV blasting so loud I thought there really was a riot building with sirens approaching before I looked outside #
- "Don’t be afraid of death so much as an inadequate life." Bertolt Brecht #
- Off to see GI Joe. I know everyone's either loved or hated it... and knowing is half the battle; we'll see where I fall in a few hours #
- I really liked GI Joe. Don't be fooled by bad commercials - the suits are only on screen for 10 minutes and they're not that bad #
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Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-25
- Spent 5 hours working on an English paper with my group, but it's done now. #
- Marvel Movie Marathon: watching Marvel Comics movies in chrono order. Blade & X-Men down; watching Blade II. Spider-Man & Daredevil up next #
- @gadgetdoll Having some trouble? #
- OK, we've got Ryan Reynolds as Hal Jordan/Green Lantern... My vote goes for Willem Defoe as Sinestro! #
- Watched the first 5 movies in my Marvel Marathon, spanning 1998-2002; after midnight, calling it a night. Probably watch some more tomorrow #
- Figures. The college dropped phone registration this year, going web-only... and the server crashed from everyone trying to register at once #
- Need to head to school soon... supposed to have an in-class essay today or tomorrow, & a final on Thursday. Speech class ends next week. #
- @BrentSpiner I'd verify my account if it gave me the option. I'm the Harlander... There Can Be Only ONE! #
- @BrentSpiner how can you be sure Harlander isn't my real name? #
- Four more days of English class... starting in 30 minutes. #
- Talked to VA rep on campus; got hold put on my acct so I don't get dropped from fall classes before new GI Bill takes effect. W00t! #
- @wilw Hopefully that's an indication of how small a percentage of hoax believers are in the population at large... #
- Had a very strange dream. In it, I was reading a book. It wasn't even a very good one. #
- @COEDMagazine Never understood how one can "discover" place w/ pop in millions. It's like putting a flag in my yard & claiming it for Spain in reply to COEDMagazine #
- Finished the 1st of 2 in-class essays. Get it back at 4. It's basically the rough draft for the big essay due tomorrow #
- WTF? DHS thinks a strategy guide for a game about giant monsters is a threat to national security?! http://tinyurl.com/kraybk #
- Got an A on my in-class essay today. Got another on Thursday for the final, plus a persuasive speech for my Speech final next week... #
- WTF? Hit with overdraft fees on an acct that wasn't, which caused it to become so, thus more fees... $175 in fees, my balance is now -$150 #
- Used coupon for $1 lunch at kfc. Can hear girl getting job interview. BS detector going off scale #
- English final today. Final essay finished, ready to turn in. Need to pick up a blue book before class though. #
- @BrentSpiner One more reason I should be like Brent. He's got so many assistants. Guten Morgen, Ernst. #
- Finished my English final. Gonna get some lunch and prepare for speech class in 3 hours... That one doesn't end until Wednesday. #
- Think I did well on English final but bombed my speech. I can do some extra credit but my grade's still going to suffer #
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Zombies in Pop Culture
For the midterm in my Speech class, we were required to give an 8-minute informative speech on a topic of our choice, and were urged to pick unusual topics. Naturally, I picked zombies, and eventually presented a history of zombies in pop culture. Here's the outline of my speech.
Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-07-04
- Saw Transformers 2. Not great, but not horrible. It is exactly what Bay is best at: paper-thin plot, hot chicks, & lots of kewl 'splosions #
- DO WANT! RT @thinkgeek "What happens in the holodeck stays in the holodeck" tshirt, mens: http://cli.gs/QSu58t womens: http://cli.gs/ge8aTq #
- @NathanFillion You didn't steal anything. You appropriated assets in lieu of additional monetary compensation for your services. #
- All right! I've got 8 hours of class starting in 3-1/2 hours and I didn't get ANY sleep last night! #
- Aw crap. Just found out about paperwork I had to file last mo for GI Bill that's gonna delay my check up to a mo. I need it for rent on Fri! #
- Despite operating only on 2 hours of sleep that I grabbed between 7&9am, I did OK at school today. Even got 100% on my speech this pm #
- Best thing about my Yoda lunch box: picnicing on the quad between classes every day #
- Have to give 2-3 min memorized speech from history or film. Think I'll do Sisko's log entry at the end of the DS9 ep For the Uniform #
- Whoops. Meant I'm going to do part of Sisko's log from DS9's In the Pale Moonlight. "Most damning of all... I think I can live with it." #
- Wow. Gorgeous redhead in shorts laying on a blanket & reading a book across the quad. #
- It's definitely a holiday weekend. Getting loaded down w homework by my professors #
- What? Can it be true? Do I actually have a date this weekend? Survey says "yes." #
- "A girl who can tie a knot in the fiber which encircles the kernel of a nut is sure to be married." Yep, that's a vital skill all right #
- My life's a soap opera. Friends dying in Iraq & car crashes. Brain tumors. Cancer. Psycho exes. Name a cliche and I've probably lived it. #
- RT @BadAstronomer WOOHOO! LRO first light images of the Moon! AWESOME pictures! http://tr.im/qEKL #
- HA! RT @mashable Reading: "64 percent Say Too Much Jackson Coverage"...the ad above the article is amusingly ironic: http://bit.ly/amvGb #
- @gadgetdoll One of my friends suggested we should call it As JeffreysWorld.net Turns LOL in reply to gadgetdoll #
- RT @def_leppard Free Def Leppard concert tickets for military personnel and veterans! See http://bit.ly/uHEGX for details. #
- @gimliaxewielder Both B & C: we're watching Star Trek and I'm making dinner. in reply to gimliaxewielder #
- Can't seem to get the dropdown menu for kingdom-con.com to work, but everything else is looking ok, at least. #
- @Quarksbartender that is is obviously one of the beer tap handles from Quark's. Used to get Blood Draft & Romulan Ale from you all the time in reply to Quarksbartender #
- @wilw Please, we want to be all "HOLY CRAP!" Spill! #
- Upgrading my computer to Ubuntu 9.04 (I know, it came out 3 months ago). Need to do some laundry, grocery shopping, maybe wash my truck too. #
- majorly updated http://www.kingdom-con.com and am currently working on the forum skin. Will work on the dropdown menu CSS issue later #
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Size of the Enterprise, Parte Tres
OK, the numbers floating around for the size of the Enterprise in the new movie have left me feeling like something wasn't right. The ship just didn't seem to be quite that big in the film. So, using my trusty ruler and my Playmates model of the new ship, coupled with the knowledge that the viewscreen/window on the Bridge is 26 feet (thanks, Gizmodo!)...
The bridge window is 1/2 inch long on the model. So 1 inch = 52 feet. The model is 18 inches long. Therefore, the ship is actually 936 feet (285 meters) long. Which is about the same size as the original.
See, kids? It pays to pay attention in math class.
Size of the Enterprise, Parte Dos
Like I mentioned the other day, the Enterprise in the new Star Trek movie is flippin' huge. Like, monstrously so. Well, someone's gone and done a graphic representation of how ginormous it is, comparing it visually not only to the old movie Enterprise (which was about the same size as the original), but also to the International Space Station, a Corellian Corvette (from Star Wars), the Battlestar Galactica, and a Colonial Viper. And it's bigger than all of 'em. Check it out:
http://gizmodo.com/5253324/how-big-is-the-new-enterprise-compared-to-the-old-one
Help feed my caffeine addiction
I am reading
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Random Quote
Law is extremely important in a libertarian society. You don’t have many laws in a libertarian society, but those laws that you do have, you take very seriously.
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- So apparently my school is streaming my graduation this morning at http://t.co/j2bir62y
- So this is happening now http://t.co/B1flb6l4 http://t.co/qHMyUhFU http://t.co/XzmFvrfq
- Done with school. About to see Avengers with a few friends...
- Just turned in my final paper. Tomorrow morning, I graduate. It still doesn't feel real yet.
- 3 classes done: 1 grade posted, 1 known, & waiting on the 3rd. Final paper for 4th class due tomorrow. Graduation in 26 hours... Bring it.