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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Oh, that's so cool! I am ridiculously jealous. I went through a period last year when I was really hating my school and dreaming about dropping out and going to culinary school instead...

Obviously I didn't, but I still think it would be amazing!

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Originally posted by est120:
I have thought about that sometimes too. I would love to be a famous chef. I do not want a TV show or anything, just to be the head chef at a very nice restaurant, maybe even own my own. Oh well. I guess it will just be a hobby. I bet there are some schools in Pittsburgh you could take one or two classes for not too much money. If you school is big enough, they may even have their own classes! I know when I was in graduate school there was a department for hospitality management and they had some cooking classes.

Hope you are having a nice spring break.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
I think it would be fun to cook for a living, too. But there's so much business and politics involved in it outside of the cooking part and that's the stuff I think would ruin the fun of it. Then again...I suppose that's pretty much present in any line of work in any industry.

(On a goofy side note, have you seen the new Bravo show - Top Chef or something like that? Kind of like American Idol for chefs. I saw half of one episode and was appalled and entertained all at once...)

Spring break is going well. Kind of boring, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I head back to school tomorrow. Yuck.

Guess I should do all the homework I've been ignoring all break.

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Originally posted by est120:
I think that is common to most jobs. People enjoy stabbing other people in the back. I guess it may be the inherent competitive nature of most people. Being a chef would be kind of fun, I think. Except for the hours. I am not much of a night owl.

I have never heard of that show, though in my defense, I do not get that channel. Sounds weird. There is a reality show for everything these days.

Ah homework. I guess a person never really gets away from homework. It just changes into something else you have to do at home. Hm. No big trip to somewhere sunny to escape the Northeast cold?

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
No trips anywhere, just home. Nice to see the family again - home is all I really was looking for. Truth be told, it wasn't even that cold. Saturday it was mid-70's. I'm still holding out hope for one more big snow (we've gotten diddly in Pittsburgh this year), but it doesn't look good.

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Originally posted by SimonWho:


Oh what a pity. I have Wash's strength, Mal's faith, Jayne's intelligence, Simon's humour and Book's willingness to brush your hair.

So close and yet...

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Originally posted by est120:
The weather sure has been warm lately. It got over 80 yesterday and it will be over 80 again today. :\ I hope this does not mean it will be really hot this summer.

Probably just as well that you have not gone traveling. I would imagine traveling during spring break would defeat the purpose of the break since you would probably be pretty tired.

I have a question for you. To get back to the concept of this message board, how did you start watching Firefly?

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Originally posted by spooookie:
Male,man,bloke,33,London,England etc looking for Fem anywhere in the verse to chat to,long distance or otherwise,dont sound too much like Mal

Perhaps more like a Cockney style Jayne with a lisp

Ok I lied about the Lisp

I like pretty much any sci-fi stuff,the Darker the better

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Last summer was ridiculously hot and humid, this summer will probably be the same, unfortunately. Hopefully, though, I'll be in an air conditioned office job most of the time...

Tomorrow's supposed to be below 40 and flurries. Maybe I'll get my last snowfall after all!

To answer your question, I came pretty late to Firefly. I missed it entirely when it was on TV (honestly, I don't even remember hearing anything about it). It wasn't until after I saw and fell in love with Serenity that I Netflix'd the DVDs and got hooked...and I've never looked back.

How about you?

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Originally posted by est120:
You think PA and NJ are hot. You should live down here for a summer. :\ I thought I knew hot. After moving here I realized I do not know hot. :(

Interesting story behind how you found Firefly. So by "Serenity", do you mean the movie or the original pilot for the show? Me? I saw the ads on Fox. I saw "The Train Job" and "Out of Gas" when they aired but I remember Fox having to pre-empt Firefly for other things (I think baseball) a lot so I never got into a rhythm watching the show. I forgot about it after it was canceled and then another graduate student mentioned the show to me so I borrowed his VCDs (he got them off that bit torrent thing) over Christmas and got hooked. Bought the DVD set (my friend did not have all the episodes) and was really excited when the movie was coming out. Saw the movie opening weekend but did not get a chance to go back. After watching Firefly, I got hooked on Angel. Have you watched that show or Buffy?

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
I hate humid weather. Hate it. It gets pretty awful on the east coast, but I imagine it's even worse down south. Just thinking about it makes me anxious and grumpy.

Oops, I meant the movie "Serenity." It seems like it was really meant to be between you and Firefly - you watched it then stopped then started again then searched for more then saw the movie. I guess it's one of those shows, you get hooked on it and that's the end of you. It's not even a show, it's more like a lifestyle. I can't get enough.

I never did get into Angel or Buffy, no. (I saw the old Buffy movie ages ago, but I guess that doesn't really count. ) To be perfectly honest, I'm not a fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar, so I didn't really give the show a chance. The name "Joss Whedon" didn't mean anything to me back then.

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Originally posted by est120:
So let me get this straight. You do not like humid weather, right? Just teasing. I do not like humid weather either. I hate stepping outside and feeling like I am swimming. It will hang out around 75 degrees all night around here in the summertime. I usually get up around 5 and it is disheartening to see the thermometer at 75. :(

I never got into Buffy either. I tried to watch it. I like Angel, though. Perhaps you should give it a try if anyone happens to own it or you could rent it at your local video rental store.

How was your first day back at school?

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
You're a quick study! All my summer jobs except one have been working on horse farms, and being out in the heat and humidity with big animals who are as uncomfortable and grumpy as you is just no fun at all. Up at the cottage in Michigan, it's hot during the day (which isn't so bad, because there's a lake right there and you can swim all day if you want) and it gets cold at night. I love it - that's my kind of weather.

They used to show Angel reruns on TNT, are those still on? Maybe I can catch it one afternoon. If not, there's always Netflix.

School is...school. Y'know. Actually, I had a very good day today. I'm taking a fiction class with the most amazing people, so that's generally the highlight of my Mondays and Wednesdays. Plus there's a little bird roosting outside my window and he sang a lot this afternoon, it was pretty cool. :) Tomorrow is my hell day. If I can just get through Tuesday, the rest of my week is peachy.

Outside of Firefly and Angel - and your posh doctor's life - what keeps you busy? What do you like to do if you have a spare hour or afternoon or weekend?

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Originally posted by est120:
That is neat that you work on a horse farm. What does your job their require you to do? Never been much of a swimmer, but sitting on a beach or by the lakes is a lot of fun.

It appears that TNT is still showing Angel reruns at 7AM every weekday (set your VCR or DVR or use the television recording mechanism of choice). Right now they are in the middle of the series (halfway through season 3) so you can jump in or wait for it to cycle around. Should be about another 2 months for that to happen.

Hm. A fiction class sounds like fun. What books are you reading? I enjoy reading quite a bit and do not get to do as much fun reading as I would like. Almost done with my current book, though.

I hope this little bird does not take to singing at odd hours of the day. :\ One of my friends took serious action when he had that problem.

Well, I would not classify my life as "posh" at all. I am not THAT kind of doctor. I work a lot, so outside of the weekends, I generally do not have a lot of free time. I like to run and take pilates classes to stay in shape (working on those abs ). I cook and read. I enjoy watching movies and the occassional sporting event (especially now that baseball is starting up again - go Indians!). I admit, living in the south, I have started watching auto racing too. I think it is really an acquired taste. What about you? I would imagine the whirlwind life of a newly minted 21 year old college student is much more fascinating than mine.

PS I think we are the only ones left in this thread.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Aw, jeez...7 am? That's just unholy. Maybe I'll rent it instead.

In my fiction class, we read a lot of short stories - stuff by Wolff, Carver, Dubus, Johnson, Simpson, plus a lot of others. The bulk of the class is writing, which is so much fun.

It got cold and I think my little bird-friend left. I hope he comes back.

If my life is a whirlwind, it's the most pathetic whirlwind ever. School and work consume my life right now, so everything else gets pushed off to the side. When I do have time, I like to go out with my camera and wander the city or read things of my own choosing (more and more rare these days) or watch movies. My roommate is on a big anime kick right now, so we watch a lot of that. I guess that's an acquired taste, too.

Heh...you're right, we've hijacked the thread. Bwahaha...er...too bad.

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Originally posted by est120:
Well, if you do not want to get up so early, you can always set your VCR. Funny. The older I get, the earlier I get up. I used to think 7 was early. Now 7 is late.

I used to watch some anime when I was in college. SciFi channel used to show anime movies on Saturday mornings (Saturday Anime) but I do not think they do that anymore. I kind of go away from it, though, especially after I went to see the Hollywood version of Final Fantasy. I was disappointed.

Okay, another question. Name your favorites. Book. Movie. Song/band/artist. Sport. TV show of all time. TV show that is still on. Soft drink and color M&M.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
OK, let's see...favorites...
Book: Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon. I've read it about a dozen times and I just can't get enough. It's actually the first book in a series, but it's my favorite of all of them.

Movie: The best movie I've seen lately was the Constant Gardener, which blew me away. I also really loved Serenity (of course), Memento, Clerks, Dances with Wolves, Braveheart, all the Mel Brooks comedies, the Christopher Guest satires and tons more. I don't know what my all-time favorite movie would be. Jury is still out on that one. (I have to admit I also really like bad movies - my favorite bad movie being a gem called Flesh+Blood. Once you embrace its goofiness, it's really quite enjoyable. )

Song/band/artist: My favorite band of all time is Sublime. I got into them when I was like 11 and I still love them. I'm on a big country music kick right now, so I listen to a lot of that - Lonestar, Trace Atkins, Sarah Evans and, of course, Willie Nelson.

Sport: To be involved in, horseback riding, hands down. To watch, baseball. Or rodeo events, if they count. I love rodeos.

TV show of all time: I've never been so throughly enamored with a show as I am with Firefly, but I also love CSI and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (the old one, not the new one). Plus I love Dr. Quinn: Medicine Woman, again for its total goofiness and not because I think it's actually a good show.

TV show that is still on: I love Nip/Tuck. It's unabashedly insane and I just can't get enough of it. And Lost, love that one, never miss it.

Soft drink: Diet Pepsi, because I don't like Coke and I think it tastes better than regular Pepsi. Also a sucker for root beer, especially Stewart's.

Color M&M: The blue ones, of course. Remember way back in the day when they were introducing a new color and you could vote on it? I campaigned hard for blue.

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Originally posted by est120:
Neon-Genesis Evangelion is pretty good too. If you want a real classic, you could watch Akira too.

We all have movies that we like that are a little "bad" but that is why we love them. I feel that way about "A Christmas Story". Such a stupid movie but SO GOOD. I have to watch it every year. I loved Best in Show too. Hiliarious. "We met at Starbucks. Not the same one. They were across the street from each other."

Hm. I may be mistaken, but did the lead singer for Sublime die or commit suicide? Living in the South, it is hard not to get into a little country music. My current favorite is Tift Merritt though I also like some of the classic country artists like Johnny Cash. But, my favorite overall is currently Dido. I tried to see her in concert once but the show got canceled and I could not go to the rescheduled date. At least I got my money back.

I LOVED TMNT when it was on. I watched it all the time. I even had all four of the original action figures. I think I still have them somewhere. Donatello was my favorite. I guess that fits considering my science nerdy job and career. Well, my semi-embarassing admission about TV shows is that I really like Desperate Housewives.

Now that you think I am a complete idiot....

I remember the color voting. I did not participate. Are you a Simpsons fan? To quote Homer, "Red M&M, blue M&M, they all wind up the same color in the end.".

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Was Akira a movie? I think we started to watch it and my roommate hated it so we stopped. Or maybe that was another one, I don't know.

Dido is amazing, she has the most beautiful voice. I hope you get to see her someday.

I still love TMNT. I have three DVDs of episodes from the old version and a bunch from the new one, too, even though it's awful in comparison (and not the good kind of awful). I don't watch them a lot, but it's nice to know that I have them if I ever start to feel nostalgic. I have a mid-80's TMNT anti-drug poster that my mom found for me, too.

I always loved Raphael the best, because he was such a bad-ass and I was always a really good kid. Yeah, I guess I kind of lived vicariously through a cartoon turtle. Hmm...

I love game shows, too. All kinds of game shows. Someday I will be on Family Feud and I will RULE.

I could never get into Desperate Housewives. I saw a couple episodes and giggled a good bit, but never got into the habit of watching it every weekend. I loved the one woman, the blonde, when she was on Sports Radio back in the day.

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Originally posted by est120:
Yes, Akira was a movie. Actually, probably one of the first anime movies to make it to the US and get any attention. The story is incredibly complicated. I suppose that is what happens when you try to condense so much story into a 2 hour movie. For when it was made, the animation is quite impressive.

Someday maybe I will get to see Dido in concert..... While I am dreaming, I would also like a pony. Hm. Random question. Name one thing you would love to be able to do in your lifetime. Climb Mt. Everest? Go in to Space?

I have the TMNT live action movie on VHS. Lots o' fun. Not as enjoyable as the cartoon but still pretty entertaining. Random factoid, that movie was the first indie movie to gross over $100 million at the box office and was the reigning indie movie box office champ for a few years. Of course, it has been easily surpassed by more recent movies such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Blair Witch Project and The Passion of the Christ.

So you were the good kid, huh? I was the good kid at school but a handful at home. :\

I used to like game shows like Jeopardy! and such but has really gotten away from them. Family Feud is pretty interesting. Always fun to see what the #1 response is. Some of their questions are pretty inane. On purpose, I am sure. These days I love cooking shows. I love Food Network.

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Originally posted by est120:
Yes, Akira was a movie. Actually, probably one of the first anime movies to make it to the US and get any attention. The story is incredibly complicated. I suppose that is what happens when you try to condense so much story into a 2 hour movie. For when it was made, the animation is quite impressive.

Someday maybe I will get to see Dido in concert..... While I am dreaming, I would also like a pony. Hm. Random question. Name one thing you would love to be able to do in your lifetime. Climb Mt. Everest? Go in to Space?

I have the TMNT live action movie on VHS. Lots o' fun. Not as enjoyable as the cartoon but still pretty entertaining. Random factoid, that movie was the first indie movie to gross over $100 million at the box office and was the reigning indie movie box office champ for a few years. Of course, it has been easily surpassed by more recent movies such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Blair Witch Project and The Passion of the Christ.

So you were the good kid, huh? I was the good kid at school but a handful at home. :\

I used to like game shows like Jeopardy! and such but has really gotten away from them. Family Feud is pretty interesting. Always fun to see what the #1 response is. Some of their questions are pretty inane. On purpose, I am sure. These days I love cooking shows. I love Food Network.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
One thing I absolutely want to do in my lifetime is go on an Africa safari - at least once. It's not an unobtainable goal, so hopefully...someday...

And I'd like to see one of my books make it onto the NYT bestseller list. Maybe I'll write a book about my safari experience.

What's your's?

I was such a good kid. Sickeningly good. Looking back, though, it was a brilliant strategy because come high school I got to do whatever I wanted, no questions asked. My little brother hasn't quite figured that out yet. I suppose every family can only have one perfect child. :)

I love the Food Network! Their crazy food challenge shows are so fun to watch. Just one more thing that makes being a chef look like an amazingly cool job.

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Originally posted by est120:
That sounds like fun. Africa seems like such a mysterious place. It would be very neat to go and visit someday. Bestseller, huh? How about one of your books being made into a movie too? smile: That would be pretty neat-o. My dream? I would love to run the Boston Marathon someday. Unfortunately, my best times are too slow. Still on my quest for the world's best burger too.

By the way, did you see that there is a TMNT movie coming out next year? It will be CGI and supposedly much darker than the original cartoon. I am excited!

Hm. So did you go wild when you started college? I have never been much of a risk taker, so my transition to college was pretty tame.

I like Good Eats on Food Network. That is my absolute favorite show on TV these days. I like the shows about the bizarro food challenges too like the shows about cooking contests and such. Fun to watch.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Heh...how narcisstic am I? Planning to turn down a movie deal for a book that hasn't been written.

TMNT movie?! No way! That would be amazing. Do you know when it's supposed to come out? Or who's making it?

I think I got most of my wildness out in high school. I went kind of crazy for a while. Once college started, I figured I had too much to lose if I got in trouble, so I gave most of it up. Probably better that way, all things considered. Saves me a lot of money, keeps me safe. Maybe not the typical college lifestyle, but I'm having fun anyway.

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Originally posted by est120:
I can understand not wanting someone to betray your original vision for something you wrote. Still, the $$ you would get paid would be hard to turn down. :\

I is supposed to come out next March (just in time for our birthdays!) and it will be CGI. Apparently it is already filming but no cast list is available. Go to IMDB.com and see the poster. It got me excited all day. The original creators are the ones helming the project, so hopefully it will be good. Did you ever see the original live action TMNT movie? You might have been too young when it came out. Now I feel old....

You were wild in high school? But I thought you were a good kid in high school. You want a-typical college lifestyle, I think I took the cake. I was pretty tame. I suppose I still am. I do not drink, I do not smoke, I do not use drugs and I prefer playing board games over crazy parties. :\ Oh well. Glad you are enjoying college, though. It is a nice part of life.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
I was a good kid about up until high school. And even then, everyone assumed I was still a good kid, because I always had been. I could go out and party with my friends and my parents never questioned where I was or what I was doing, they just assumed it couldn't possibly be that. It really worked out to my advantage during that phase - I still don't think they have any clue about most of the trouble I got myself into.

By the time I got to college...eh. It was kind of a "been there, done that," scenario. High school was a joke, but if I want to get good grades and keep my scholarship, I can't afford to be out every night fooling around. I haven't even had anything to drink since I turned 21, since it's not something I did regularly before and I don't see any reason to get into it now. Plus I'm poor and can't afford to go out. Plus most of my friends haven't turned 21 yet, and what's the fun in going out and drinking by yourself? (Though I can sort of understand the attraction of it - I'd need to be very drunk to find most of the people I go to school with intelligent or interesting.)

I love board games too! I rule at Scrabble. And Parcheesi. I learned to play from my grandmother, who's absolutely cutthroat. I would definitely take a board game over a night out partying.

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Originally posted by est120:
I am glad you are not putting yourself in dangerous or unfavorable positions anymore. Sadly a lot of people do not seem to realize these things until something bad happens to them. :\

Well, I understand the poor part of the equation, though how many college students are flush with money anyway? Hm. Solitary drinking, at least excessive solitary drinking, is probably not a good thing. :\

I like Scrabble too, as well as Trivial Pursuit and other more mind numbing games like Yahtzee. My family usually plays Yahtzee during the holidays. Kind of a tradition, I suppose.

I am quite pumped about this TMNT movie. I hope it is good. With the bevy of remakes these days, I guess it was only a matter of time. I also saw that there is a CGI Transformers movie coming out as well as Voltron. Ah, I feel like a kid again.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
You know, I don't think I've ever played Yahtzee. Does that make me a freak? :) I think it's something to do with dice and yelling "yahtzee!" but that's the extent of my knowledge of it. Must be fun, though, if your family makes a point of playing it.

Do you know who's doing the voice or who they think will be doing them? I hope they get good people, not just whoever's hot at the moment. I'm trying hard to keep my expectations realistic, but I just giddy at the thought of the turtles back on the big screen. I'll be there opening night, guarantee it.

Now all they need are He-Man and Thundercats movies and my childhood is completely revived!

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Originally posted by est120:
No one is listed as part of the cast for the TMNT movie yet. I am hopeful it is not someone famous. I have trouble watching animated movies that are voiced by famous people. :\ It kind of annoys me.

Ooo! I He-Man movie would be great! Never was a Thundercats fan, though. :\

More questions for you! Favorite Firefly episode? Favorite character? Favorite line? I will go first. I think my favorite episode is the pilot, "Serenity". I like Mal the best and probably the most overall developed character on the show. Favorite line? Can not go wrong with the "I am a large, semi-muscular man".

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
I agree. I would be absolutely crushed if they had Will Ferrell as Michaelangelo or Cameron Diaz as April, or something like that. They need really good voice actors, people who really understand the roles and don't just make caricatures out of them - like in the new series. I know it's "just" a cartoon, but it's near and dear to my heart.

He-Man and She-Ra would make an awesome movie. Are those series DVDs out yet? I should looking into buying them...

Oh boy...favorite episode...hmmm. This is such a tough question because I love them all, but...I would have to go with "Our Mrs. Reynolds" because I think it has the best comedy hands-down (LOVE the scene where Jayne tries to trade Vera) and the interaction between all the characters is just stunning. Of course, I also love the pilot and "Objects in Space" and "Jaynestown" and...well...all of them.

Favorite line? All the ones involving Shepard Book and the "special" hell, especially when he pokes his head around the corner. Cracks me up!

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Originally posted by est120:
Ugh. I would hate hate hate for famous people to be in the TMNT movie. I that is part of what ruined Final Fantasy for me. Based on the fact that filming has already started and no "famous" people are listed in the cast, I would guess that we are relatively safe.

Hm. I have no idea if He-Man or She-Ra are out on DVD yet. they might be. I would not be surprised. I remember watching He-Man when I was a kid. I cannot remember the names of most of the characters anymore! I only remember He-Man and Skeletor and Castle Greyskull.

That "special hell" scene is really funny. When Book pokes his head around corner and gives Mal the innocent look and disappears is quite funny. I often laugh when I see it. That is a good episode. It has many great lines and plus, Mal had to wear a dress.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Whew! Okay, dodged a bullet on that one. I'm going to lose my mind if I ever see a commercial or trailer for it...I'm already so excited, with a year to wait (at least)! Wouldn't that be a great birthday present, if it hit theaters on March 2?

Mal in a dressy and a pretty floral bonnet is just undeniably awesome. I love the scene after when Inara asks him why Zoe couldn't just wear it. One of the best things about "Our Mrs. Reynolds" is that it opens up the door for "Trash," and Mal's naked bum, which is an episode I can really get behind. (har har har!)

Got any big St. Patty's plans? This is one of the first weekends in a long time that I won't be buried under a mountain of homework, so I plan to live it up. Roommate and I are going to dinner tonight, tomorrow I'll curl with a book and just be lazy.

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Originally posted by est120:
That would be too much top hope for. If it did open on March 2, I would definitely go and see it on opening day. So which turtle is your favorite? I got to go with Donatello.

I liked "Trash" but I have one complaint. I think the opening sequence is a little off. It starts with Mal sitting on the rock and then goes to the smuggling pickup job "72 hours earlier" and then the opening credits. I think it should have just been Mal sitting on the rock, THEN the opening credits and then the smuggling pickup. I thought that would have been EVEN funnier. Of course, I am not a director or an editor so what the heck do I know?

So living it up is dinner with a friend and then reading? I like your style. No plans. I have nothing against beer and alcohol nor do I have anything against people who consume said beer and alcohol but it is just not for me. When I was in college, one of the fraternities had a party (with beer and alcohol) for this holiday every year and named it after a former member who had died of alcohol poisoning. They said "He would have wanted it this way." I hated that they would do that. So what book are you reading?

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Yeah, I see what you mean about "Trash." Who knows why they decided to do it that way? (Except Joss and company, of course.) Maybe the naked-on-a-rock scene just isn't long enough to act as the prologue.

Hm. It seems a little - ok, a lot - screwy to name a huge party after someone who died from alcohol poisoning. How saw for the guy who died - and for his friends, who have learned nothing from it. I'm actually heading up to a friend's house to make an appearance at his party later tonight. Mostly I'm going to say hi to some people I haven't seen in a long time and keep an eye on my roommate - who can't be trusted either to hold her liquor or remember how to get home. I guess I'm kind of like the "designated walker/bus rider."

Currently I'm re-reading "The Fiery Cross," by Diana Gabaldon. I have a big stack of books my parents bought or recommended for me, too. Maybe I'll get to those when I'm finished with TFC. By then the semester will probably be over, though. I'm hoping this summer I have more time to read, since I won't have homework to worry about...just work-work.

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Originally posted by est120:
Did you have a good time at the party and dinner with your roommate? I hope it was fun.

So what is "The Firey Cross" about? Is it fiction? What other books are on your pile? I hope I can finish my current book this weekend.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Had a great time last night, thank you. Our mission was to find my roommate a nice suit for her job interview next week...which was unsuccessful, but we had a good time anyway. I got to try on a lot of goofy hats, which is always fun.

The Fiery Cross is the fifth book in a series, about a woman who goes back in time from just after WW2 to 18th century Scotland. It's kind of in the historical/fantasy/romance genre. Anyway, by TFC the woman and her family have settled in North Carolina and the Revolution is on its way. The plot a lot more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it. I've read it three or four times already, but I love these books. Can't get enough!

Also in my pile is...
-Honeymoon by James Patterson
-A Thread of Grace by Mary Doris Russell (about an Italian underground movement during the Holocaust)
-The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory (a fictional story about Anne Boleyn's sister)
-The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (more time travel!)
-Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Macguire (the same guy who wrote the book Wicked is based on)
-the first book in the series The Fiery Cross is a part of...because I love it.

I also have to read Les Miserables for class...but there isn't any sort of exam or paper on it, so I may save that one for the summer instead.

What are you working on?

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Originally posted by est120:
Anyway, glad you had a good time. That is too bad, though, that you could not find something for your friend to wear. I hope the interview goes well. What does your friend do?

Hm. I will have to keep that author in mind the next time I go to the used bookstore. You have quite a reading list! Mine is much smaller by comparison. I am currently reading "The Diamond Age" by Neal Stephenson. Not as good as some of his other books, but still pretty interesting. I hope to finish it this weekend. My pile consists of "Legacy" by Greg Bear which is a prequel to another of his books, "Eon" which I already read. It is a sci-fi/philosophy type of book. That is the best way I can think of to describe it. I also have "Dune" by Frank Herbert. I have heard lots of good things, so I figured I would give it a try. After that, it is off to the bookstore.

I read Les Miserables in high school, though not for a class. It was interesting and quite long! Still, I enjoyed it. Have you ever seen the musical version?

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Originally posted by spooookie:
Don't be too angry,most English blokes are short!

I am not myself,unless of course you consider six foot short,and then there is only one avenue open to you,Go Dutch!:)

So are you a fan of any other sci-fi stuff? at the risk of sounding too geek(ish) I have a bit of a fondness for all things spacelike and Depeche mode'esque

When you say you like a Pint,does that mean plural as in the way most of my mates like a pint? or in the sense of A Pint?

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
I recommend Diana Gabaldon to anyone who will listen, but it tends to be women that get into her stuff more than men. Parts of it are really exciting, lots of history and intrigue...but parts are really lovey-dovey, which some people aren't into. I am.

I love the theatrical version of Les Mis. I saw it on Broadway before it stopped running. It's such an amazing play, and from what I know of Hugo he's a great author, so I'm hopeful that the book will be good, too. Length doesn't bother me (all of Gabaldon's books are close to 1000 pages), I'd just hate to get involved with a book and then have to abandon it for the much less interesting and exciting homework that comes up. Since we're getting close to the end of the semester, I have less and less time to do what I want to do. The Fiery Cross is safe, because I've already read it; I can put it down for a few days and not be so anxious to see what comes next.

I'm also slowly working my way through the Hellsing manga. I've seen the anime series and liked it, so I thought I would try the manga. It's very strange, but I keep coming back for more, so... Perhaps my roomie has succeeded in transforming me into a total anime/manga geek.

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Originally posted by est120:
Huh. Did you guys head back out looking for clothes? I hope you found something.

I do not mind long books if they are interesting. I do not like long books that feel like long books. The best example I have is Middlemarch by George Eliot. That was a LONG book. :\

I know what you mean about starting a book and having to put it down for a while to do other things. I still have to do that sometimes. Like this past weekend. I did not get a chance to sit down and finish my book. What a bummer.

I have never tried to read a real manga before. Perhaps I will have to check it out sometime.

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Yup, we went back out, found her an awesome suit and then found ourselves in the theater and saw V for Vendetta. I also found myself a very goofy purple hat in the clearance bin and couldn't resist buying it.

Honestly, I think I almost prefer long books, if they're good. Less rush, more time to get into the characters and the story. Too often I find myself getting really interested in a character or a book and then...it's over. Some authors can write a really great book in less than 300 pages, but most can't. (Excluding, of course, short story authors - the hardest job of all.)

I'm sorry you didn't get to finish your book. Sucks when life gets in the way of a good read! You should definitely check out a manga sometime, if you've ever been into comic books. It's a little hard to get the hang of reading the right-hand page before the left-hand one, but once you get used to that, it's only the crazy drawing and out-of-nowhere plotlines you have to contend with.

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Originally posted by est120:
Was that movie any good? Every time I see an ad for it, all I can think of is Zorro because of the mask and the cape and the sword.

Glad you found a goofy hat. Those are the best.

I agree. A good book is sad to finish because I get invested in the characters and the story. Thus, if it is longer, there is more to learn about them. I agree that some shorter books are quite good. I used to love writing short stories. They are ever so much fun. Hm. Now that I think about it, as an aspiring writer, have you written any stories and such that you might be willing to share? I promise I am not a Hollywood producer that will butcher your story.

Well, it was partly my fault. I had a cooking class that lasted from 1-6 yesterday afternoon on bread baking. It was lots of fun but I sure was tired when I got home and did not feel like reading. Still, I got some great recipes for foccacia, ciabatta and brioche. I am going to make some foccacia this weekend. I love that stuff.

Hm. Can you recommend a manga for a newbie that I might be able to borrow from the library?

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
As for my stories...heh...wellll...I have a couple, if you're really interested. Actually, it could be really good - get some feedback, strengthen my plots and characters. You'll be gentle, right?

Oooh, that bread baking class sounds amazing. My mom has a bread maker and she used the make the most delicious herb wheat bread. Yummy. Now I've got a foccacia craving. Damn!

I don't know what you'd be able to find at the library, but if you have some free time (ha ha), Fullmetal Alchemist is a popular one and you can read it online - http://www.readmanga.com/view.php?currtitle=1. Be careful, though...it's easy to get swept up in it. I read the whole thing one weekend, only to discover that I had to wait a MONTH for the next installment. FMA and Hellsing are the only ones I've read so far. Hellsing is very dark and kind of hard to get a hold of, so I'd say go with Fullmetal.

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Originally posted by est120:
I can see why that would be a little upsetting to a lot of people. Though, if you think about it, a lot of heroes that rebel against the establishment in movies and TV seem to perform acts of terrorism by attacking things. I guess these days it is such a sensitive subject for Americans. :\

I think he is an underrated actor. He brought a lot of character to Agent Smith in "The Matrix" movies and the character was a computer program!

Bread baking is a lot more complicated than I thought it was. Hopefully I learned something and will make better artisan and standard breads from now on. I learned all about sponges and bilas and stuff like that. Good times. I stuffed myself silly. The class made 8 different kinds of bread. I was on the Cranberry-Pecan bread team. It was pretty good. The focaccia was the money bread, though. I think I will try to make some this weekend for pizza and sandwiches.

I am sorry. I should not have put you on the spot about your stories. That was a little rude. I realized later that those kinds of things can be pretty personal.

Hm. Thanks for the link. Any time I can get something for free.... So, I have a question. Is manga the same thing as a graphic novel? I am so ignorant. I realized I was old when I could not figure out what a Pokemon is. So sad.

PS We may need to think about starting another thread. After being spoiled by DSL and high speed, this this takes forever to load.

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Originally posted by est120:

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Originally posted by fathounddawg:
Yup, we went back out, found her an awesome suit and then found ourselves in the theater and saw V for Vendetta. I also found myself a very goofy purple hat in the clearance bin and couldn't resist buying it.

Honestly, I think I almost prefer long books, if they're good. Less rush, more time to get into the characters and the story. Too often I find myself getting really interested in a character or a book and then...it's over. Some authors can write a really great book in less than 300 pages, but most can't. (Excluding, of course, short story authors - the hardest job of all.)

I'm sorry you didn't get to finish your book. Sucks when life gets in the way of a good read! You should definitely check out a manga sometime, if you've ever been into comic books. It's a little hard to get the hang of reading the right-hand page before the left-hand one, but once you get used to that, it's only the crazy drawing and out-of-nowhere plotlines you have to contend with.

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Was that movie any good? Every time I see an ad for it, all I can think of is Zorro because of the mask and the cape and the sword.

Glad you found a goofy hat. Those are the best.

I agree. A good book is sad to finish because I get invested in the characters and the story. Thus, if it is longer, there is more to learn about them. I agree that some shorter books are quite good. I used to love writing short stories. They are ever so much fun. Hm. Now that I think about it, as an aspiring writer, have you written any stories and such that you might be willing to share? I promise I am not a Hollywood producer that will butcher your story.

Well, it was partly my fault. I had a cooking class that lasted from 1-6 yesterday afternoon on bread baking. It was lots of fun but I sure was tired when I got home and did not feel like reading. Still, I got some great recipes for foccacia, ciabatta and brioche. I am going to make some foccacia this weekend. I love that stuff.

Hm. Can you recommend a manga for a newbie that I might be able to borrow from the library?

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