Author Archives: seoulfully

What’s valuable

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So, things have changed around me a little. Life throwing sort of curveballs. But it’s good. Changes begets change. Hopefully for the better.

“The Beatles were trying to be the Everly Brothers, and they couldn’t quite pull it off. Elvis really wanted to sound like Dean Martin. But, you know, by failing …” He stops and starts again. “You have an image in your head of this iconic person. For me, it might have been Johnny Carson, where you grow up with him, and you think, ‘Well, that’s who I need to be’ — to realize that feeling I had when I was 8, sitting in my parents’ house and watching him. And then things happen, and you think, ‘Oh, my God, I didn’t — that fell apart.’ But it’s the failure to be that person or to completely follow through on what he did that leads you to something that’s much better.”
– Conan O’Brien (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com/2011/02/10/conan-2-0/)

So hopefully what I thought, that’s no longer, leads to something different and better.

This also ties into something else I’ve been thinking about lately. What’s valuable to me? Granted, until very recently, I was thinking about this in more superficial terms, such as “is watching tv that valuable to me? Are there other things I want to do that I’m sacrificing for television?” Not everything I want to do or actually do can be valuable to me. So I think it’s time for some reflection on choices.

This is rambling and I’m not going to edit it. Just had some thoughts and wanted to get back to blogging. Perhaps this post would be better if I was better at typing on my iPad. Maybe.

Movie review: Little Manhattan

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[DVD]

This was a very entertaining movie. Cute even. The story of love and loss by a fifth grader (or something like that). I got this movie via recommendations from friends, and it was great. Don’t get me wrong, a bit on the cheeseball side, but you don’t really notice because you’re caught up in the movie. I don’t know if I cared about the characters in a traditional sense, but I definitely wanted to know what was going to happen to them.

I thought the acting was pretty good. The children actors I thought did a great job carrying the movie. I thought Bradley Whitmore did a great job as the dad, less so about Cynthia Nixon as the mom. Truthfully, they played an important subplot, but if it was removed from the movie, I don’t think it would’ve made the movie any worse. For all intents and purposes, parents in this movie could’ve been the “Wah-wah-wah-wah” Peanuts adults and it would’ve worked solely in the kids’ world.

I think this makes a great date movie. Works for the ladies, and while there aren’t any explosions, guns, car chases, I think guys could more relate to the main character in this movie, 11 years old or not, than most male characters in standard “chick flick”/rom-com fare.

Movie review: He’s Just Not That Into You

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[Blu-ray | DVD]

So I don’t understand this movie. It’s based on a book right? I’m not even going to bother looking it up and Amazon linking it (BTW, buy from Amazon via me folks. Put some shekels in my pocket, haha.).

So you have a movie that plays up every kind of negative female stereotype, that actively has a character succeed by following rules that play again said stereotypes, only to “discover” stereotypes are the better life? Though what could’ve I expected, the movie really does play to the stereotypical rom-com formula for most all of the relationships in the movie.

I’m sure everyone can, on some level, relate to one character or another or multiple characters in the movie, but it seemed to be a pretty mediocre effort. I thought the acting was passable. I mean how hard is it to play kind of crazy? (By everyone, not just the women.) Also, I didn’t think the talking heads/”When Harry Met Sally” [DVD] interview bits were at all useful, entertaining, necessary.

My Twitter Psych Profile

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From TweetPysch

TweetPsych uses two linguistic analysis algorithms (RID and LIWC) to build a psychological profile of a person based on the content of their tweets.

Link to my profile in case you don’t want to read it below.

Cognitive Content

FeatureDescriptionScore
Present tense109.76
Self reference44.17
Time42.64
Senses27.84
Swear23.32
Sports17.1
Negative emotions15.1
Similes12.43
Future tense9.77
Upward motionYou often make references to physically upward movement. Like upstairs, climb, etc.6.47
Certainty5.87
Money5.7
Occupation & workYou talk a lot about your job and your work. You’re probably a workaholic to whom professional achievement is very important.5.54

Primordial, Conceptual and Emotional Content

  1. Oral fixation
  2. Constructive behaviors
  3. Temporal References
  4. Abstract thought
  5. Order
  6. Affection
  7. Moral imperative
  8. Aggression
  9. Visual sensations
  10. Hard sensations
  11. Sexual fixation
  12. Restraint

Movie review: Crossing the Line

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[DVD]

This movie was filmed by the same guy who did “State of Mind” [DVD]. Both documentaries on North Korea. “State of Mind” was about the Mass Games. I thought it was a really interesting view on North Korea. This movie is about U.S. soldiers, one in particular, who defected to North Korea and have lived there as part of that society since.

I have to say, I was extremely bored throughout this movie. The subject matter was interesting enough. And I’d certainly read a book about it, but in movie form, I just felt it was lacking any real compelling points. A lot of interesting, but nothing to grab you and pull you in. Which is a shame.

It’s not a bad watch. It’s an interesting glimpse into that part of the world. I’d say watch “State of Mind” over this.

Camera and lens for sale: Details

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I posted on Twitter yesterday, but here are the deets too long to post to Twitter:

70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM. It’s in like new condition (mint), as I only used it two times (that I can remember, anyway). I have the original box, manuals, cases, tripod mount, etc. I also have a multi-coated, low-profile, high quality UV filter that I’ll throw in with it. I’d like to get $1300 for it. It sells for around $1600 brand new, and $1400 to $1450 for similarly conditioned used lenses on ebay.

I also have the 40D. I’d guess that it has fewer than 500 shutter actuations on it (I can get the exact number off the camera tonight). It is also in like new condition and came bundled with a Canon 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens (not L series). This bundle sells for around $1050 new (which is about what I paid for mine) and $899 for refurbs. I can part with mine for $850.

I’d sell both the big lens and the camera kit for $2000.

I’m just passing along this info. I’m not vouching for the guy or his gear. I’m told you can of course meet him and see the gear prior to purchase if you are local DC metro. I guess contact me via Twitter (Twitter.com/seoulfully)

Movie review: Synecdoche, New York

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[Blu-ray | DVD]

This movie is confusing. I’m not going to pretend I can even come close to fully getting this movie. So here goes as good a review as I can write. This movie, while 100% centered on the great Philip Seymour Hoffman, feels as sprawling as the grand masterpiece his character is creating. Continually adding layers and layers of meta in the movie. It’s pretty amazing. That’s as much as my brain can muster right now.

Hoffman is powerful in this flick, but he always is. He’s so good at playing the sad sack. (By the way, this is why I enjoyed him so much in MI3. The Owen Davian character was no sad sack. In fact, the character seemed kind of like a grown up more evil version of his character in “Scent of a Woman” [DVD].) Everyone else, including Catherine Keener, is so peripheral that it doesn’t even really warrant much discussion. Keener is almost non-existent in the movie. Michelle Williams is okay. Samantha Morton is the only true supporting role. And she’s great.

It takes a lot of brain to watch this movie. Definitely not a bored on a weekend watch, but worthwhile if you’re invested in it.

Movie review: Bride Wars

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[Blu-ray | DVD]

How to review this movie without coming off as some kind of chauvinist. It depicts women at their absolute worst. The movie itself is ridiculous beyond belief. Anne Hathaway >> Kate Hudson. Kate Hudson really looks like her mom. The last 10 or so minutes of this movie are so unbelievable I don’t even know how to talk about it. Not a good movie crestor 10 mg. Not at all.