Friday, September 28, 2007

Day 85: Excuses, excuses...

Oops! I’m awfully sorry for not being able to post till today, and worse, not being able to post on your corresponding blogs the thing I intend to be the prize for the trivia, but I have a very good reason.

Ready?

I’m getting married.


Ok, now that you’ve caught your breath after gasping, let me explain, if you missed the first posts, that I’ve been living in partnership with my future husband, so we’re just “officializing” our society.

What’s driving me crazy is that we the bride and groom are certainly not enjoying having to set everything for the “reception” after the Civil Ceremony. Bah! I hate those social conventions SO much, while my mom is becoming a real annoyance and making such a fuzz about it. But I guess, as she said that your only daughter doesn't get married every day.

In case you may be wondering why we’re getting into so much trouble after living together for two years, I must say that yep, this is only the legal requirement, nope, we’re not doing anything religious. And in case you may be thinking bad gossipy thoughts, I’m not pregnant either. But if you thought we’re doing this as a legal trick for the insurance benefits, you thought right. Ja!

So, I’ll do my best to catch up before October 11th.

P.S.: Ain’t you gonna congratulate me?

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Day 84: And the winner is...

Okey, I have to admit it. It was very difficult to finally determine a winner for the "Geek of the Week" Award, since all our enthusiast contestants gave their best and got some of the answers right, but no one got all the 25 correct, although torquer might think otherwise. Personally, I have no favorites.

And even if most people may think it unfair, I do believe the prize should be awarded to...

ALL AND EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED.

Keep checking your blogs to see what you got!

And again, thank you for participating, despite the boos and the awwws this result may obtain.

Stay tunned for more exciting (sure, let me dream) quizzes!

Monday, September 24, 2007

Day 83: And finally, ANSWERS TO TRIVIA!

O.K., Bloggers, you've had the whole weekend to check the answers for the "Stop Cathegory 5". Obviously, as miao wisely pointed out, all the answers could be googled, but we appreciate the effort made in using your own memories. Personally, I had to research some of them, and I hope you forgive this old lady, since my memory is not what it used to be (ja, ja)

If you may find any inaccuracies in the answers, please let me know so we can check them again and contribute to increase our knowledge.

And the answers are:

1. The five most expensive movies of all time:
Here we went crazy, because according to Forbes.com, the most expensive films ever made are: Cleopatra, Superman Returns, Titanic, Waterworld and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. However, according to Wikipedia, they should be: Cleopatra, Spider-Man 3, Titanic, Waterworld and Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines.
I believe the Russian Alexander Nevski and other non-american productions were blatantly overlooked.

2. Five of Shakespeare most famous villains:
According to About.com:
Iago, Richard III, Cornwall, Aaron the Moor, Edmund.
In my own personal opinion, Lady MacBeth counts as well, and should’ve been ranked first.

3. The five richest men on Earth.
According to Forbes.com, in 2006:
William Gates III, United States; Warren Buffett, United States; Carlos Slim Helu, Mexico; Ingvar Kamprad, Sweden and Lakshmi Mittal, India.

As far as I know, in 2007 Carlos Slim surpassed Bill Gates, but I would hate to admit it, whether it is true or not.

4. The five most famous stories of Sherlock Holmes.
According to a 1999 poll by Baker Street Journal, the most popular are:
The Hound of the Baskervilles, The Sign of the Four, A Study in Scarlet, The Valley of Fear and The Speckled Band.
We made no distinctions between long or short stories; just popularity. Personally, my best is A Study in Scarlet.

5. Five enemies of Wonder Woman.
And here the list goes on an on. According to Wikipedia, WW's villains are:
Doctor Poison, Baroness Paula Von Gunther, Ares, Duke of Deception, Mavis, Doctor Psycho, American Adolph, Cheetah, Zara, Queen Clea, Giganta, Anton Unreal, Eviless, Hypnota, Draska Nishki, Third World War Promoters, Gentleman Killer, Minister Blizzard, Blue Snowman, The Mask, The Purple Priestess, Ironsides, Tigra Tropica, Badra, Lya, Anti-Electric, Mona Menise, Circe, Nuclear the Magnetic Marauder, Termite Queen, Duke Dazam, Angle Man, Human Tank, Thought Master, Volcano Prophet, Mirage-Maker, Machino, Time Master, Professor Menace, Professor Andro, Image-Maker, Mouse Man, Egg Fu (sic), Paper Man (idem), Crimson Centipede, Doctor Cyber, THEM!, Morgana, Wade Dazzle, Red Panzer, Osira, Armageddon, Barno Blitzkrieg, Kung, S.C.Y.T.H.E., Martin Markham, Prime Planner and the Cartel, Perfection, Red Dragon, Silver Swan, Captain Wonder, The Adjudicator, Aegeus, Tezcatlipoca (is this a joke!?), Decay, Shim’Tar, White Magician, Dark Angel, Devastation, Cyborgirl and Veronica Cale (pfeuff!).

Any five of these would have done.

Geek of the week will be announced tomorrow.

Thank you all for participating!!

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Day 82: One thing to get cheered up

I guess almost everybody has heard about the vocabulary game "Stop", in which you look for words that begin with a certain letter to match several cathegories.

Well, my brother-in-law has taken things a little beyond and last Sunday proposed a game of "Stop, Cathegory 5". This is, you have to mention 5 correct items under a specific cathegory (Oh my gosh!).

Put your memories to the test with this game. The correct answers will be posted soon.

1. The five most expensive movies of all time.
2. Five of Shakespeare most famous villains.
3. The five richest men on Earth.
4. The five most famous stories of Sherlock Holmes.
5. Five enemies of Wonder Woman.

Whoever gets the 25 correct answers will be awarded the "Geek of the Week Award".

Let's play!

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Day 81: Lately, my life sucks

Many will regard this post as a mid-life crisis, which I disagree with, but anyway, I can’t help but feeling that my life currently sucks, in the most comprehensive meaning of the word.

Everything began with a medical issue. As many working adults, I found myself suffering from the infamous condition know as “colitis”, which causes abdominal pain for starters (the other symptoms are so disgusting I don’t dare mentioning them, but if you are over 22, you may as well be pretty familiar with them). Therefore, I had to start a series of medical exams, and taking an amount of pills that any addict would find offensive. But nothing serious, not really serious; therefore, so far so good.

But the real problem arised a couple of weeks ago, when one of the routine sonographies showed gallstones, this tiny but dreadful white solid shadows inside the gall bladder, a view to give any one the cripples, especially when the technician goes on with his job without uttering a single word. (I’ve heard cases of chatty technicians scaring some patients to death with a misinterpretation, but I’d rather take that than stony silence). For his misfortune, I’ve seen enough sonograms to detect what shouldn’t be there, and the diagnosis was confirmed by my doctor last Sunday, who told me with this odiously sweet and paternalist smile that I require to be cut in half with a cost between $14,000 to $19,000 pesos (that’s around $1,261.01 to $1,711.36 USCy), which there is not the slightest chance I may be able to gather in the near nor the distant future.

What really made me go ballistic was the absolute confidence which he spoke with. I mean, come on, man! I’m not an ignorant laborer who accepts blindly whatever doctor says (unless it was Doctor House, and even then, I would ask all the whys). There is always an alternative treatment, so don’t dare come to tell me in my face there’s no choice but to cut.

So far, I had been able to emotionally handle all this, by becoming proactive in the face of catastrophe, looking up information on the web, looking for some other doctor for a second opinion, etc., but today my psychology just crashed face-flat on the floor. Probably it is just a trick of my stupid brain due to the bad news, but I have been feeling that nothing is what I had imagined. You know the usual stuff: I’m stuck in a dull job, my budget is always so reduced, my brain is about to die due to lack of stimuli, yadah, yadah, yadah, and now, just to cap it all, I’m sick, not beyond all hope, but seriously enough to make me feel like crap. This is nothing of what I had dreamed for my life at this age…

There is a positive side, though. It’s not cancer, to get started, and there are options, and my family is being oh so supportive. I do see the good things, but I’m on the verge of depression.

Maybe I should try to post the sonograms, to look at them like this weirdo who donated her sick heart to an exhibit, and lived to tell the tale. Just for fun, and let the fear all pass over and through me, so when it has passed, I'll find myself again.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Day 80: Things in common

As I mentioned before, something I was pleasantly surprised to discover was the amount of things I still have in common with the youngest sector of my readers (ja,ja, as if I had those many).

There were two items I found most significant on a personal level: the first was our tastes in literature. J.R.R. Tolkien, Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman are common grounds to us (among general, not-enlisted readings), and I think it would be interesting to discuss what each person gets out from them according to age, and how our views on them tend to change as we read them over and over. In yours truly case, what at first was being read as a fantastical entertainment continued to be read as a metaphor on life.

The second item was to discover that miao and I share the idea that we are way too many populating this world. Many years ago, I volunteered in the Voluntary Human Extinction Program, promising not to produce any offspring of my own, although my reasons to do so are slightly different from miao’s. I felt a great deal of relief in finding that I’m not the only “crazy” one that believes that a drastic reduction in human population would be an advantage and not a catastrophe.

In conclusion, I’m happy to find that I still have things in common with the younger sector of the bloggosphere. I’m not that old yet!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Day 79: Comments on Differences

I'm starting to believe that the first and obvious sign of "generational breach" is music. As mentioned on the previous post, most of my young blogger-peers refer to bands that I've never heard of before.
Just to show you that I am still willing to learn, here's what I found on a quick google search about bands you guys listen to:

- Martín Buscalgia:
if I'm not mistaken, the last name should be Buscaglia. If that is right, his website is pretty funny and complicated. I'll keep looking for some biographical info.

-
Sankuokai: according to google, this is not a band, but an anime series. I would really appreciate if ines could clarify this point.

- Jazz and Blues:
I do believe this is an acquired taste. Altough I bought the "Chicago" DVD, I find modern jazz trully unnerving. The lack of patterns and the chaotic mixture of instruments really gets on my nerves. Which is a pitty, since my husband is such a great fan, but I cannot find the intelectual strength to deal with this; sorry.

-Coldplay:
now that's one that at least I've heard about, given the fact they formed in 1998 (still my days, eh?), although I can't remember a single song from them.

The second generational chasm would be, of course, technology. I bet that none of you young technogeeks (no offense meant, just a joke, ok?) would remember what a walkman is, right? Or what life used to be like without cellphones. But please don't get to believe that yours truly is a muggle (defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person having trouble understanding modern technology, or something like that). I am perfectly aware of, although not perfectly familiar, with MP3s, iPods, PSPs (thats the name, right?), Wiis, XBox 360s and the likes. It's just that I'm too lazy to invest my precious time downloading all that music you store by the megas, when I can buy it and save the pain. Please take also into account that my home connection is too slow for that. However, I must admit that Jingo has a point, though. Downloading is cheaper and I am a collector too.

Then I get to remember what my brother in law says: that you've fallen into the generational abyss when you mention "Mazzinger Z" and no one knows what the heck you're talking about.

I'll comment on the similarities on a next post.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Day 78: The answers I got

I hope my young friends don't mind my publishing the results I got, since I was sincerely surprised by the variety of good things I'm missing, especially regarding music. To be absolutely honest, I found myself lost with the names of some bands, but I've set myself on the path of enlightment and I'm currently looking for some info about them on the web. Other differences found will be the topic for subsequent posts. On the other hand, I am truly amazed to discover the large amount of stuff we do have in common, making it true that we have no nationalities, but we are citizens of the same universe. This topic will also be discussed later.

yosoyines said:
1. Martín Buscalgia or Sankuokai, both on Indie style.
2. My cellphone, definitely
3. Because in a iPod your percentage of storage increases a lot.
4. Discussions and debates without a practical solution.
5. It has a future, but not a very happy one. More polluted, more violent, and so. But livable.
6. I hope so, if not, i'll be living under a bridge.
7. Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tlokien
8. Mostly personal weblogs, and technological stuff (yes, I'm a geek, hahaha).

jingo said:
1. Anything apart from R'n'B and rap, although there are exceptions. I mostly listen to indie bands and jazz/blues/classical when I'm studying.
2. My digital radio. It records, rewinds, pauses live radio and everything! My 80GB ipod comes a close second though.
3. Because I don't do CDs. If I had bought all my music I'd be a very poor man indeed. People only buy CDs to collect and to be cool - everyone else just downloads.
4. Exams.
5. Yes it is. And I blame America.
6. Of course! If I didn't I wouldn't be working as hard as I do!
7. Don't really read comics, although I did go through a phase... I read a variety of books, but I do follow Discworld, Bryson and Gaiman books quite closely.
8. News. Keep up to date with the world. Research for work occasionally.

and last, but not least, miao said:
1) If I really have to choose, I'd choose Coldplay. Basically I like all kinds of music except hard rock, rap and hip hop.
2) Tough choice, but I'd pick my computer.
3) I don't have an iPod. I buy CDs.
4) Currently, my main concerns are my studies, my family and my friends. And it disturbs me how human beings are doing colossal damage to the environment and the other living things on Earth. I'm all for the voluntary human extinction programme - that is, every couple should take the initiative to not have any offspring (or each couple should have at most only one child, since the annihilation of mankind would also potentially become a very tragic affair, considering all the other beautiful things mankind has accomplished as well, e.g., poetry, architecture, science, etc.), so that mankind will one day naturally become extinct, or at least our population will be reduced so greatly that no significant harm can be done to our planet anymore.
5) Let nature takes its course.
6) Of course! My definition of 'a good career': A job I really enjoy very much, and which allows me to earn enough to get by comfortably and possibly retire early.
7) I like reading Discover, a scientific magazine. Basically I read anything that interests me, and I have interest in many areas.
8) Mainly blogs and academic research. And news too.

And finally, thanks to all the people who have participated in this exercise, giving me an insight of your own personal stuff, and material for several posts.

Thank you all !!

Thursday, September 06, 2007

Day 77: Questionnaire for the young

As usual, my dear miao places things in the right perspective. As I spend time complaining about the past (crap! I've grown into an adult!), she has given me an epiphany and make me notice I am obliviating the things that young people are worried about.

Therefore, I want to state that I DO care about what young people are going through, and thus I invite you all readers to let me know the things YOU are interested about by providing me with a reference frame. This are some things I am curious about:

1. What is your favorite music group and what current or style do they belong to?

2. What is the most important technological gadget in your life?

3. Why do you prefer to have an iPod if it requires more work than a CD?

4. What are the issues that cause more anxiety to you?

5. In your personal opinion, does the world in general have a future, is it going to the dogs, or you just don't care?

6. Do you care about having a good career in life?

7. What's your favorite comic/book/magazine?

8. What stuff do you look up for in the web?

Of course, participating in this activity is completely voluntarily, but I will certainly appreciate if some younger people could help this "old" woman (I'm 34, for God's sake =D) to understand your particular perception of the world better, so I can stay tunned, keep my mind young and maybe share something young mates may benefit from, in the intelligence that

Wise is the one who learns from his own mistakes,
but wiser who learns from the mistakes of others.

Thank you in advance for your valuable colaboration (if there are any)

Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Day 76: Where is everybody?

I can't help but wonder: is this blog not interesting anymore, or is everybody still on vacation?

Where are you, people?

Monday, September 03, 2007

Day 75: No Summer Cherries

When I was a kid, natural cherries used to be so unpopular you could get a kilo for a dime. Well, not exactly, but in those days they were so disliked in comparison with their processed sisters that they used to be really cheap.

Nowadays, I have spent the last 2 weeks looking for natural cherries and found none, in the middle of the Summer, for Heaven's sake! What is going on, I wonder? (besides global warming, I mean).

Maybe it is just a simple stupid excuse to get depressed, but it really makes me sad when I find that some things have irreversibly changed, like the availability of certain fruits that used to be grown in my country, and now we have to import. And most people will scream in my face that I'm trying to live in the past, but let me tell you one thing: there were certain things that were better when I was a little younger, and an individual with my personality is certainly not prone to give up on good things without at least a complaint.

On the other hand, it may only be a seasonal nostalgia, due to the fact that we are already overwhelmed by the ammount of Christmas products displayed at supermarkets, thus completely ignoring "Fiestas Patrias" (Independence Day, for instance), Halloween and "Día de Muertos" (Dead's Day). Maybe it's just the feeling that time is relative, and summer days are flying instead of dragging, as they used to do during my summer vacations.

Even if it's just a childish tantrum 'cause I can't have something I want, I shed a tear because there are no summer cherries.