Simple update:
I’m finally moving. Again. Just some student housing apartments by UVSC (ventanna), but they seem pretty nice. Private rooms only. No shared, so I only have to share the whole thing with 3 other people, of which David is one. They come with a washer and dryer in the unit itself and big closets(that seems to be a large selling point for them as they mention it every 2 lines in their brochure) and all the usual student housing amenities(internet, cable, furnishing, etc). Seeing as now there’s 2 of us(myself and David) we can easily take control of the apartment and make our own rules that must be followed; because we can gang up now!
I met a girl. Gone out with her… 3 times now. She kind of has the same opinion as me about everything. I’m not sure how well that goes over with me. I kind of like people that add to me as opposed to copy. This is just superficial speculation though, I’m sure she’ll become more comfortable (and therein able to express her quirks) sooner or later. I hope she has quirks :\ Anyway, dates continue. Not sure if I can afford a relationship though.
I’m playing Age of Conan now… I won’t do a full review on it until/unless I hit the level cap but so far it’s fun, relatively unbuggy for an MMO release and it’s not the same game I’ve been playing for the last 4 years. Good enough to tide me over till bigger and better things come along.
My cat is mean. I have to lock her out of my room the majority of the time now while I’m home because she likes to show off by climbing my window screen and biting me.
I really want to pack, but I use most of the stuff that I would be packing, so I can’t until at least a few days before I move. Just one and a half more weeks 
My TV has taken to flickering sometimes. It makes my eyes hurt. Stop it or I swear I will replace you with an LCD ><
Time magazine charged me 35 bucks for another year’s worth of subscriptions. I only read like 1 article per magazine now. Hooray for the internet.
I keep wondering how long it’ll be till my computer explodes. I don’t think I’ve ever actually had every piece of hardware in a computer last this long for me before! Just goes to show what a handyman I am. I build em better than motherfucking Dell. Not that that’s difficult, but it’s nice to know that I am in fact better than people who do this for a living.
Season 4 finale of Lost is on Thursday, I think. I’m excited. If they teleport the island, the gloves are off and anything goes. Most things up to this point could be explained through coincidence or misunderstanding(even the smoke monster could just be an optical illusion hiding somebody in a tractor. The time difference could be brushed off as some magnetic anomoly or somesuch(might not be reasonable, but they could pretend it was logical). But if they teleport the island… well they can’t explain that logically, now can they?
Bye.
What should I watch next?
So, having -in the last 6 months- made my way through Heroes S1-2, Lost S1-4, House S1-4(?), Bones, Dexter, Rome, Scrubs(what the fuck was up with that series finale?), The Office, the last few seasons of Southpark, and probably a few more series, what do I watch now?
Here’s my options right now, as I see them:
The Wire, 30 Rock, It’s Always Sunny in Phillidelphia, Star Trek: TNG/Voyager, Breaking Bad, Burn Notice, various Anime(?), Chuck, Stargate: Whathaveyou, Prison Break, 24, Battlestar Galactica and so forth. Many of these shows I have no idea about… simply word of mouth that reached my ear.
Vote. Now. If you have a suggestion not on the list, feel free. Nothing that has or will ever touch MTV or VH1 please, thanks.
Film review(s): Darjeeling Limited & Cloverfield
Starting with Darjeeling Limtied, I like this movie. It’s humor is more subtle than usual and often a little cynical or bitter but very amusing. It’s extremely abrupt which plays a major role in making the film fun. Other than that… I dunno what to say about this one. It had a way of making you feel smart that you “got it” and, while Juno did the same thing, Darjeeling Limited did it in an entirely different way. That’s what I can say about this movie; it’s unique. Not only in story and setting and manner, but it’s entire tone and even genre were undefined! With so many films out each year and with such hard-set rules most film makers abide by, it’s an almost impossible feat to make an entirely unique one. For that alone this film can be called nothing short of brilliant.
Hrm, turns out this is my first real film review… there’s way too many aspects of film to judge, so I’ll try to categorize the best I can. Also, in parenthesis, I’ll include examples of what that category includes.
Writing(IE: story, dialogue etc): 9
Performance(includes the actors and directors): 9
Technical(Editing, cinematography, producing etc): 9
Overall: 9
Cloverfield… Hmm. This movie was obviously an experiment. The most obvious aspect of the “experiment” is the camera view; that being the view of a homemade video tape from start to finish. I dunno, I liked this movie. Some parts were annoying (camera view and the character holding it) but it was so intentionally built to focus on this tiny side-story of the 4-5 main characters while this epic battle for New York City vs some gigantic mutant mystery monster was largely ignored beyond being the catalyst. Nothing concerning the larger story was ever explained and I believe that’s how the director (J.J. Abrams btw) wanted it. He wanted us to feel like the characters. Lost and confused. No audience insider secrets here; we only know what the cameraman knows. As far as that goes; very well done. I can’t honestly say that I’d look forward to seeing that type of camera work done again any time soon though.
This one is hard to grade… because even though some things about the movie might have sucked, I can’t help but believe that every single feeling and aspect about that movie was 100% intended by J.J. Abrams. Even the shitty parts like bad dialogue or an overly prolonged intro. So how do you judge flaws that were completely intended? Ugh. Whatever, I’ll do this by pure opinion.
Writing: 7
Performance: 9 (sometimes annoying but always very believable)
Technical: 6, I guess. Experimentation does not mean it was good.
Overall: 7
My heroes: Another list
-BitTorrent
-Dexter
-Gregory House
-The internet… what would I do without you?
-Tivo
-VLC media player, which easilly allowed me to watch Dexter
-Robert Jordan. Because I don’t think the death of a single man has ever pissed off so many people without grief entering the equation.
-Not George Lucas. Fucking whore.
-I think I locked my cat out… oops. Better correct that.
-FoH on Yahoo live
-FoH in general
-Actors who spend their time acting instead of being advocates of good causes. That’s not your job, assholes.
-Whoever pays me 400 bucks a month to live in the third room of my condo.
-Craigslist
-This new 8gb thumb drive I just bought.
-Whoever buys me a $1600 laptop. I promise you’ll be rewarded in the future by quality motion pictures edited by me, made possible by your laptop.
-At Chili’s the other day, this group of like 6 midgets came and ate. I had to go clean a table next to them and I had to walk away like 3 times so that I wouldn’t laugh in front of them. It wasn’t even funny, you know, one of those moments where you’re trying so hard not to laugh that you do. Sad, I know. I’m going to hell all over again.
-Bose
-Superman. Batman’s cooler, yes. But since I’m “Ben Steele”, -> “Man of Steel” -> Superman… I’ve gotta go with family.
-People who dance professionally. Congrats on being the single most worthless beings on the planet. Except for strippers. At least they hold some type of tangible meaning, right?
-I hate the “Apple” logo simply for it’s popularity. I’m starting to see them as bumper stickers… WTF does Apple have to do with your car? Or define your personality? Or do anything besides take up valuable windshield space? It’s a computer brand people. I’m going to start putting a Microsoft logo sticker on my car just to spite the pricks.
-Some Anime is cool. No, I won’t ever say that again.
-I want to move out so badly. I have been looking at this condo here in P.G. with my friend and assuming the land lady ok’s it, we should be free as of May 30th. Cross your fingers, it’s a nice place.
-Why would couples with kids hold precedence on an apartment over singles? I take it as a bit of an insult that I’m considered a larger risk than a batshit crazy 4-year old.
-Sleep. Goodnight. Not even going to proofread this, so fuck you.
My done and doing list
In light of my recent narcissism I’ve decided to make a pro/con list… about myself. I care almost as little as you, I assure you, but it fills some space. Some will be physical, some psychological, some trade traits, intelligence, and so forth.
Pro
- I like my eyes
- I like my hands. They’re kind of soft but I hardly count that as a bad thing. I’m not a fucking cowboy. They’re still strong and very large.
- I’m very logical. Even if my process doesn’t make sense to some people, my conclusions are always valid and often beyond the capabilities of most people
- I can follow Plato and Socrates. And enjoy it. And contribute. Freaky, I know.
- My hair is extremely thick. The color is nice enough and I have no dandruff, greasiness, etc.
- My elbows aren’t dry. I’m starting to realize how rare that is in guys… and dry elbows are disgusting. And no, before you ask, I’ve never used lotion.
- I pride myself on acting like me, no matter what the situation. I come off as odd to new people, but the ones that filter through like me that much more when they finally come to understand me.
- I built my own computer with absolutely no knowledge of how to do so. Sure it’s just cord A -> slot A nowadays but for 9 years now I’ve been working on hardware issues with absolutely no help and I fucking win every time. I’m proud of that.
- My priorities rock.
- Pragmatism, I think, is one of my strong suits. It makes it so that I have to accept the bad with the good. I recognize my superiority in many cases, but I also am constantly striving to better myself in those areas I am weak. All the areas that I am weak.
- I can focus or broaden my mind whenever it suites me. So while at work I may have to focus on what’s at hand to get the job done, in more leisurely times I can also follow some little thought off on a tangent that will become an extensive philosophy.
- I can do anything I put my mind to. I know that’s so cliche but I’ve proven it’s true for me. Anything in the world I feel I genuinely want to do, I can, and eventually better than anyone.
- I’m good at sports
- I’m good at computer games
- I’m good at card and board games. Seriously, really good at them. Mind you, that may just be me growing up in a Mormon society. Too often these games are based in deceit… and well, that’s not exactly a Mormon speciality.
- I can be completely compassionate or uncaring. Whichever I want, whenever I want. It makes me feel a little inhuman though, being able to turn it on and off.
- There’s probably more, but I don’t want to go into specifics when this post could turn out waaaay too long.
Cons
- I think my head is misshapen. Nobody has ever told me so, but it seems like it to me.
- I can never find any long-term motivation to work out. I’m on my best streak so far but I’ve faded to working out maybe 2-3 days a week instead of the 5 I need to.
- I’m extremely pale. I’ve come to accept that seeing as there’s a history of cancer in my family and I have no desire to tempt fate.
- I do something wrong with girls. I don’t know what. Seriously, I analyze my actions more than you can possibly know and I can’t pinpoint what I apparently do wrong. I no longer see myself as needy, I don’t lack confidence, while I think I can be boring I can’t see that I’m more boring than the next guy. The only conclusion I’m able to reach is that I really am simply setting my attraction standard too high. Maybe I’m overreaching my boundaries. The one thing I’ve never been able to determine is if I’m attractive or not. I just… don’t know. It’s like I’m so familiar with my face that I can’t analyze it. It’s like judging your mom’s physical characteristics. It just doesn’t work.
- I’m awful at math. That seems contradictory to my pro of logic, but that’s just how it is. I think it’s because while I’m logical, I’m not precise. Mathematics are all about getting the exact number, while I often go with “good enough”.
- My voice might be annoying. I’m not sure.
- I waste a lot of time and I slack off. I’m getting better at that but it’s a little sad.
- I am not a douschebag to girls I date. In fact, I could be described at a traditional romantic. Not to the extent that I lack humor but I automatically open doors for women, I would go out of my way to keep them from harm, I give them as much attention to their opinions as I would to anyone else (more, usually). It’s at times like this I remember the line from the film Waiting, “Girls like assholes. Women like confidence.” But then I think, holy shit, at the age of 21, according to that line, everyone around me is still a little girl! When exactly are they supposed to grow the fuck up?
- Wait, crap, that was a pro. Whatever, I’m not moving it.
- I’m living with my parents again. Dammit I’m sad.
- Sometimes I’m an asshole to people. Not on purpose… they simply just expect me to care about their problems and I don’t. I don’t share my problems with anyone else. After all, they’re mine and nobody else is going to fix them. Why burden them with unnecessary stress, and why bother me with theirs?
- I’m often too blunt. Tact is not a foreign concept to me yet as I grow, I find I care less and less about filtering my dialogue.
- I have terrible allergies for about 2 months per year. It pisses me off horribly.
- I’ve never tried alcohol or drugs of any kind. I’m not saying I wish to become like that; simply that it seems like a disappointment that at the age of 21, I haven’t tried. My excuse for it? I haven’t had a reason to yet. Or closer to home, as far as they’re currently available, the con’s outweigh the pros.
- I watch too much TV, too many movies, read too many books and play too many videogames. There, I said it and I won’t ever say it again.
- I’m so damn jaded. Blame the internet. On a related note, go to the encyclopediadramatica and search for “Offended”. Fortunately I’m not that fucked up. The chans are pushing me there though.
- I’m hypocritical, although I wouldn’t call it that. I mean come on… if we both have the same problem, I criticize you for that problem, and you criticize me for being hypocritical because I also have the problem, it doesn’t erase the fact that you’re still a douschebag.
- I argue with my mother a lot. I know she’s intelligent in her own way but I just can’t agree with her on anything and I’m not sure why. What scares me more is that they say you will treat your spouse like you treat your mother… I can find reasons why that wouldn’t be true, particularly in my case, but that psychological analysis could have valid reasoning and I might find it to be true despite myself. When it comes down to it though, I just have to work away from that result and I can beat it.
And again, that’s the point of this list… if I know my shortcomings, I can beat them. Having it written out like this will make it easier to remember and I’m going to go to sleep for my meeting with a school advisor tomorrow, bye.
My opinion, does it count?
The first thing we need to do, I think, is define the difference between whore websites (myspace, facebook etc.) and blogging. You can blog on myspace but let’s face it… you’re there because the 2613 people on your friends list make you feel like you matter, discounting of course the fact that 2612 of them don’t know or care who you are as long as your picture is gracing their own ego trips somewhere on page 53.
Blogs are a different kind of ego trip. The mentality that what you say is relevant at all. 999 times out of 1000 it’s not. Most bloggers are cookie cutter pastries of society saying what millions before them have already said better and to greater effect. Are mine different?
What have I written about? Reviews mostly. Places I go, stories I hear, people I meet. Please keep in mind though that my blog was never intended to be original or inspiring or even remotely interesting to the casual passerby. It was created so that if somebody already, or wishing to be, a part of my life, would like to know about me, they were given this option. Since I am far more articulate at writing than speaking, it seems to me the best way. Particularly since I loathe repeating myself, even when it’s about myself. So are my blogs important or meaningful? No, not to anyone who doesn’t already care. Maybe I’ll change that later, but for now I have little unique to bring to the table.
This does however bring to light the question: Am I as big an egotistical douschebag as the rest of you? Yes and no. Nobody who knows me will ever praise me for my humility. Nor should they. If a person is humble, they are either insignificant or lying. A waste of time. I have strong traits and while I don’t linger on them, I’m certainly not humble. Take my classes for example. In any class I’ve taken to date, I am more intelligent regarding that subject than any other person in that class. I don’t gloat about it (<—that wasn’t gloating, it was speculating) and on top of that, I realize that I am probably considerably more lazy than the majority of said people in most of those classes. So what does that make me? Egotistical or humble? Pragmatic, perhaps? Except that I’ll be first to point out examples of myself being quite irrational. Few and far between, but they happen. Or does that make me even more pragmatic to admit that?
Hmm, okay, trailed off a bit at the end there; whatever. Point is, my opinion does not count, but it still carries more weight than most of yours because mine actually have the potential to count because I’m a more intelligent person. Done.
Hmm, was that egotistical or pragmatic? I love combinations.
