Running Watercolors

I was right!

2007-10-21T23:58:00.001-04:00

I was dead on. The Red Sox win the ALCS in 7 games!!

Now they can go on to be beaten by the Rockies in the World Series. GO ROCKIES!!!

Predictions, part three

2007-10-21T01:51:00.000-04:00

If you'll remember, I said

The Red Sox will beat the Indians but it'll take them the full seven games to do it (or at least six).

Assuming the Red Sox win tomorrow, I'll have been perfectly correct there. I'll have to admit, I'm kind of rooting for the Red Sox now. They seem to really want it bad, unlike the Indians, who seem to have fallen apart.

We'll see. Check back for news between 11pm and 12am

Torchwood: Greeks Bearing Gifts

2007-10-21T01:32:00.000-04:00

I'm not quite sure what to think on this episode. On the one hand, it has a powerful message: if we had the power of telepathy, we wouldn't so much like the world we're living in. Everyone always says, oh, I wish I had the power to read people's thoughts--Torchwood takes it a step forward and really examines it, says, what if this wasn't such a good thing? It's just like with the episode "Small Worlds"-- what if fairies weren't happy and dancing and cute? On the other hand, I think it was pulled off a bit awkwardly. It was clunky. They were trying too hard with the sexual bit again, with Gwen and Owen. Talking about things I don't want to know, and the audience probably doesn't either.

I do love Jack more and more each episode. He's so much darker, but he's fiercer, too--he protects his friends at all costs, he's there to pick them up after they fall, and he's there to give them tough love rather than platitudes. It's like he's trying to make them better people. I'm hoping he'll give Gwen and Owen the same serious, deep treatment he's already given Tosh and Ianto. In some way he's been giving it to Gwen since the first episode, like when he made her say the words, "Brought a person back to life." But Owen certainly needs...something. I do like him and Gwen, but he's rather a git. And Gwen and the affair...I don't know what to think of that. It's kind of like how I'm totally cool with the Rose/Jack/Nine threesome thing. I don't mind it and I feel like I should.

Maybe that's the point. We are supposed like Gwen, she's our link into the world of Torchwood (sometimes to a fault when the writers try too hard, ie the end of Countrycide). And she is pretty likeable. And then she goes and has this affair, but it's after she's been severely traumatized, when she can't talk about it with her boyfriend. Maybe she could just go...you know...TALK to Owen or Jack, but I think she needed to feel that human connection. She needed to be grounded, and Owen was the only one who could do that for her. It's a situation most of us will never, ever be in--she's not having an affair because she's bored, because Owen was more interesting than Rhys. She's having an affair because she's been deeply affected by this new, terrifying world that she can't talk about--although how long the affair lasts vs. how long she needs that connection is the difference between a normal affair and what she originally needed. She asks herself in the episode, is it a thing when you do it two times? Probably.

We'll see how this progresses. I read somewhere she tells Rhys and then retcons him, so she will feel guilty in the future. I don't know. I feel like I should dislike her for doing this, but another part of me wonders what I'd do in her situation.

Also, I've never even had one guy, much less two at the same time. So...

Dumbledore is gay!!

2007-10-20T17:09:00.000-04:00

I think that is the most fantastic thing JK Rowling has ever done, outing Dumbledore. Yes, some people will totally go OMG!! HATE MORE!! but at least one gay kid or adult is going to go hey, Dumbledore is like me. And it's okay. And that's worth it.

So go JK Rowling. And go Dumbledore!!

Joe Torre

2007-10-19T08:51:00.000-04:00

Go to the Yankees website today, and check out the top SEVEN articles--Joe Torre's time with the Yankees is over, just like George Steinbrenner promised it would be.

Being a New Yorker, though a firm Mets fan, this leaves me feeling very sad. Joe Torre was the Yankees. He was the manager for 12 years. He was a part of New York culture. Fred Claire says that

Torre decided to walk away from a job he loved. He decided to say goodbye to a city that loved him in return.

We really did love him. Even Mets fans didn't mind him so much (or at least, I didn't). The only thing that might bother his fans is the fact that he was offered a one-year contract, though with a salary cut of 2.5 million. If the Yankees made it to the post season (as they have for the past 12 years), he would've made 1 million for each round, and gotten 8 million for 2009 if the Yankees made it to the World Series. But Mike Bauman says it best.

His record deserved more than the 2 1/2 weeks of uncertainty regarding Torre's job status that followed the end of this regular season. Up or down, in or out, a simple "yes" or "no" shortly after the end of the season was in order.
More than that, Torre has persistently conducted himself with the dignity and class that the Yankees believe epitomizes their organization.

They didn't treat him right at the end of this year--and they gave him a stipulation that no other manager in baseball has (as far as I know). That isn't fair to Joe Torre.

So it is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to a 12-year legacy. Joe Torre, you will be missed.

And if the Yankees don't even make it to the post-season next year, I hope the world gives George Steinbrenner a huge "I told you so."

Of course

2007-10-17T23:21:00.000-04:00

Of course the Yankees haven't decided whether or not to fire Joe Torre. On the one hand, the owner made a really clear statement and the Yankees haven't made it past the first playoff game in the past three years. On the other hand, it's Joe Torre and you have a lot of people who are saying they'll only stay if Joe stays. Still, two days in? You gotta give us a hint, here.

Also, it seems like my second prediction may be off as well. Indians are up 3-1, and I have to say, I'd like a Rockies-Indians World Series. Maybe it's because I just saw Major League and I'm feeling particularly fond of the Indians. Or maybe it's because they play "Cleveland Rocks!" every time the Indians do something good and it amuses me.

Not that I don't still want the Rockies to win. Go Colorado!!

That's one prediction off

2007-10-16T01:39:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to the Rockies for winning the NLCS. Now go on and win the World Series!!!!!

Outfits

2007-10-15T22:35:00.000-04:00

This woman in class today, from the waist up she look very professional. Light brown long-sleeved shirt under a darker brown sweater vest.

But below the waist? BRIGHT RED PANTS. And bright red and yellow sneakers.

She made my head hurt.

My prediction

2007-10-15T00:35:00.000-04:00

The Diamondbacks will beat the Rockies tomorrow, but the Rockies will win it on Wednesday. The Red Sox will beat the Indians but it'll take them the full seven games to do it (or at least six). The Rockies will go on and win the World Series!!

I'm a Mets fan, btw. And yes, I still love them.

Resurrecting the Blog

2007-10-14T20:17:00.000-04:00

I'm not sure you can resurrect something that's been dead since August of last year and only ever had two posts, one of which has now been deleted, but let's try. I think I'll give it a new template, even.

So what am I thinking about today? What I thought about often during the summer: baseball. I've been keeping more than an eye on the World Series, although I certainly am not going to stay up past one in the morning to watch a Red Sox vs. Indians game like I would a Mets vs. anyone game. I was talking to Jackie's dad yesterday, and we got to the topic of using instant replays when trying to make umpiring calls. SNY has the usually fantastic practice of replaying and replaying and replaying again when there's an uncertain play. Sometimes they decide the umpire made the right call, sometimes they don't. It takes 5-8 minutes, however. The game yesterday took over 4 and a half hours--imagine adding 5 minutes for the umpires to consult an instant replay even once per inning. That's an extra 45 minutes for a regular, 9-inning game; for the 11-inning game yesterday that would've been almost an hour. So the question is: what's more important, accuracy of calls or the length of the game?

I feel like most people (and teams) would rather have the game time shortened--unless it's a deadly important playoff, championship, or World Series game and all calls are likewise deadly important. So maybe yes for tie-breakers or post-season games, but no during the regular season?

On another note, my new favorite show was excellent last night. Torchwood just continues to get better and better. It was absolutely the scariest hour of television I have ever seen, even surpassing the Doctor Who episode "Blink." It's like they took all the things that terrify me about horror movies (creepy villages, random moving shapes, noises, the woods, the dark) and combined them all into 45 minutes of pure terror. I think it would've been less scary if last week hadn't also been kind of scary. Never follow up a scary episode with a scarier one.

I was listening to Vanessa Carlton's new album, and in the song "Come Undone," she sings the line, "There are people in this life that we should never meet." I think that's an absolutely fascinating concept. I've been trying to think how I can work that into a fanfic or a fic and I haven't figured it out, but I think that's the story of the people in Jack Harkness' life. If Gwen hadn't met him, she would be way happier and probably have a baby instead of an affair and horrible uncertainty about the world in general (but then she would be stuck in her humdrum life). Suzie might still be alive. Ianto would probably be happier. And then there's Jack himself--I wonder if he ever thinks, if I hadn't met the Doctor and Rose, I wouldn't have to miss them, wouldn't have to miss what we had, wouldn't have ever had to be a better person. They made him better, I think.

I also think they were totally a threesome, which I have no issue with. Just for them. Off-topic.

Anyway, last thoughts:

Gotham Girls travel team? Made of win!!!
Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass? Also made of win!!!
If you want to find out what the heck Torchwood is? Best site I've found.

The Dentist

2006-08-21T17:50:00.000-04:00

Let's skip the welcome to my blog post, since you already know you're here.

I don't know anyone who likes to go to the dentist, and if you do, please leave a comment with your name, address, and nearest mental institution so we can get you some help. We must all go to the dentist, however, and I went today.

I do not like the dentist.

First of all, of the time spent there, only 1/8th is actually spent with the dentist (after 1/8th's worth of time waiting for him). And what does he do? Counts my teeth. I'm 21 year old, for god's sake! I think I would tell you if I've lost a tooth! And then I get the "floss every day" lecture, which I promptly ignore, so really, that was 2/8ths of the time wasted.

The other 6/8ths, which are far more painful, involve the dental hygienist. My dental hygienist, who happens to share my name, is a lovely woman--except for the part where she hunts down the plaque on my teeth with sharp pointy instruments like she's on a mission from God. And just like other missions from God, this one ends in blood--the blood on my gums, on my teeth, on her plaque-hunting sharp pointy instruments. And let's not forget the blood I spit out into that little white spit sink (or whatever they call it in dentist hygienist terms). I like the spit sink. One of my fondest memories (not that there are many of them) is the time I figured out how to work said spit sink. There's a little switch. This switch turns on water that shoots from a tiny metal tube and is supposed to wash away all the bloody spit. Maybe I was smaller and therefore had less spit, but I remember that the water actually used to wash it away, but it doesn't do any good now.

That only covers the first bit, of course. Sometimes, the water pick gets involved--what do they use that for, anyway? Sure, it feels nice, but I can't imagine it does much good other than to wash all the nasty bloody bits away. And after the water pick comes my least favorite part--the brushing of the teeth. Now, regular toothbrushes are okay, since they have nice soft bristles, but clearly, the dentist has never heard of regular toothbrushes. Dental hygienist toothbrushes involve a spinning head that has no softness at all, and the toothpaste is ultra-concentrated. This sort of tooth brushing does not make my mouth feel clean. It makes my mouth hurt and makes my brain hurt, since spinning metal tends to create a nasty screechy noise that travels right up through the bone. It also makes me want to go brush my teeth with a real brush to get out the ultra-concentrate toothpaste crystals that get inbetween the teeth.

And then, after all that, is it over? No. Just in case some plaque somehow fled inbetween my teeth along with the crystals, the dental hygienist has to floss, during which there is a floss lecture.

So really--own up. Do you floss every day?

I don't.