Mission #98 - Resevoir Dogs

Mission #98 - Watch a Movie (50pts)

Well, I've finally seen it. And its only been sitting in my dvd case for a year and a half. I think this is the largest part I've seen Tarantino have in one of his films. I think he should act more often, I think he's pretty brilliant. He did a bangup job in the Muppets Wizard of Oz.

Resevoir Dogs, I hope you don't mind hearing the word "fuck" a lot. Or seeing someone get shot.

This one isn't for the weak of stomach. Its a great premise, but I can guarantee if you're not a fan of other Tarantino flicks, you're not going to like this one either.

Mission #98 - Madagascar

Mission #98 - Watch a Movie (50pts) (150pts if in a theatre)

While at home with this folks this Memorial Day weekend, we went and saw Madagascar, a funny tale about animals in a zoo, and what might happen if they got out. Thats all I'm going to say because you really need to see it for anything I'd say about it to make sense.

I thought it was a pretty good movie overall though. Generally for the kids (it was hard to hear Chris Rock's harshest word be "heck"), there was a lot of adult humor with it, spoofing such things as Planet of the Apes, The Twilight Zone, Zoolander, and that internet video clip of the chimpanzee smelling his finger after scratching his rear and falling off the tree.

This one will probably end up in my DVD collection when it gets released.

Mission #99 - Red Lobster

Mission #99 - Eat Out (50pts)

So on Thursday my folks and I met up in Salina and ate at Red Lobster. I had the cajun shrimp alfredo. My mouth is still warm from it. I love those cheese biscuits though.

Mmm dinner at Red Lobster. Left a tip too.. thats 100 pts!

Home is a nice place to visit...

But I don't want to live here.

Too bad its only 162 miles from Manhattan to Hays. Not nearly the 400 miles. Thats frustrating that I can't afford to visit anyone more than 400 miles away... I'd have to fly.

I got some new pictures for the Photo Scavenger Hunt today, including a lobster, a gas sign lower than $1.95.. and some awesome sunset pictures while I was driving (around the Ellsworth rest area on I-70)... I know. Don't drive and take pictures at the same time. Meh.

I'll work on those tomorrow.. I'm going to have to do some Gmail mojo to get my pictures from my camera to my mom's laptop to my harddrive in Manhattan. Maybe I'll work on my website a bit tomorrow as well.

Mission #98 - School of Rock

Mission #98 - Watch a Movie (50pts)

I wish that in my time in school that I would have had a bit more music education. Granted, I grew up in a small town that had a handful of radio stations, mainly adult contemporary/top 40, country, Christian and oldies. Elementary school had me learning how to play the recorder (ah, how I loathed the song Buffouns!), I picked up violin in 4th grade (and came to KSU a few times to play for String Fling!)... 6th grade I joined the marching/concert band with the flute and piccolo (I was thisclose to being percussion but top 5 made it, I was #6...). I liked music like Amy Grant and Debbie Gibson... New Kids on the Block... stuff ON the adult contemporary/top 40 stations.

Then something happened. I got my hands on a copy of Stone Temple Pilot's Purple album. That was probably right around.. 8th grade. I changed my outlook on music, listening to heavier alternative, like Korn, White Zombie and STP. I expanded my listening even more as I was swim team manager for the guys. The music they had me listen to.. like Soulfly... Static X.. Stabbing Westward.. holy crap. I got to college.. and just like everything else, my mind expanded even more, finding more of the classics like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd.. the Who... Cream... Deep Purple.. I could go on and on and on.

Had I had a substitute teacher like Jack Black's character on School of Rock... I would have changed my musical interests soooo much more quickly. And can I just say what an excellent soundtrack School of Rock has? I mean, come on, its important to know your roots.

School of Rock starring Jack Black. Its important to learn about where music was to understand where it is today (and why so much of it sucks).

I know the point of the movie was cheesey dumb, but, I liked it.

Random blog goodness

So, apparently if you go to Yahoo (who does that, I mean, honestly?) and type in "Ben Kweller pics" you get sent to my blog page with my Ben Kweller pics entry first, and 3rd is my blog in general. Nifty.

The new site has started to take shape. Hit it up at http://www.punkfrogproductions.com to get told its coming soon.

I'm a little frustrated though, I'm going home to see my family on Thursday... but its only 150 miles away. I have no family thats 400 miles away or more that isn't more like 2000 miles away (1827 to my aunt and uncle that live on Bainbridge Island outside of Seattle, 1743 to my aunt and uncle's in Portland OR)... I won't have enough vacation days to go to those. Lame. Oh well. Few days at home.. maybe bring my computer home and work on some stuff there. :D I think I'll be back on Sunday though.

I made an origami crane today to satisfy a photo requirement on the photo scavenger hunt. It looks more like a winged dinosaur. *shrugs*

Okay yeah.. I'm tired and have a long day of apartment looking at coming. Or at least looking at one, and thinking about it. I'd be living downtown!

Mission #98 - Ocean's Twelve

Mission #98 - Watch a Movie (50pts)

I loved Ocean's Eleven. I never got to see Ocean's Twelve in the theatre over Christmas break when everyone else apparently went. So I rented it. I'm glad I rented it rather than see it at the theatre.

Ocean's Twelve, a movie I didn't really need to see, so I found.

Ocean's Twelve lacked a lot, I found myself going to get a snack quite often, and didn't mind chatting with my mom via IM during it. I think I'll have to watch it again to see if I really missed something in all this.

Attempts for Mission #83 (a checklist)

Updated 6/1/05
1. sunset (100 pts.)
2. sunrise (200 pts.)
3. rain (100 pts.)
4. a kite being flown (150 pts.)
5. a live deer (300 pts.)
6. a blue flower (200 pts.)
7. a hockey stick (50 pts.)
8. an alternate jersey for an nhl team (i.e. a non-home or away jersey) (100 pts.)
9. a non-"Pirates of the Caribbean" pirate movie (50 pts.)
10. someone wearing spurs (100 pts.)
11. a close-up of dew on grass (150 pts.)
12. a picture of me, Shannon, and Pickle together (300 pts.)
13. a lake (100 pts.)
14. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in book, poster, flyer, or movie form (50 pts.)
15. a completed pic-a-pix logic puzzle from either conceptis or a puzzle book. download one here(100 pts.)
16. a non-Starbucks coffee shop (50 pts.)
17. a robot action figure (50 pts.)
18. a musician not participating in the scavenger hunt or related to anyone that is in concert attire with their instrument (250 pts.)
19. an actor from a play in costume. you must tell me the name of the play (250 pts.)
20. a futon (50 pts.)
21. live fish (50 pts.)
22. a medal or trophy (100 pts.)
23. wind blowing through leaves on a tree (150 pts.)
24. a copy of one of the books from the lord of the rings trilogy without the actors from the movie on the cover (150 pts.)
25. a book of poetry (50 pts.)
26. a hand-drawn anime character (100 pts.)
27. lilacs (50 pts.)
28. a non-red long-stem rose (50 pts.)
29. a pair of wedding rings (100 pts.)
30. lobster (50 pts.)
31. a Kansas state quarter (50 pts.)
32. a statue of a college mascot (50 pts.)
33. a bamboo plant (50 pts.)
34. street sign with your first or last name on it (100 pts.)
35. a wrist band (i.e. one of the "live strong" ones) with the motto clearly shown (50 pts.)
36. an origami crane (50 pts.)
37. an anime shirt (50 pts.)
38. an HPHL jersey (50 pts.)
39. tea bubbles (50 pts.)
40. a set of scrubs (50 pts.)
41. Phantom of the Opera soundtrack (50 pts.)
42. a quill pen (50 pts.)
43. a complete stranger doing the hokey-pokey (100 pts.)
44. four non-team members in a non-walk-in-closet (100 pts.)
45. six people in the back seat of a mid-sized car (100 pts.)
46. someone doing a cartwheel (50 pts.)
47. someone winking (50 pts.)
48. someone wearing a mask (50 pts.)
49. a musical instrument (50 pts.)
50. a non-paper product that has kanji on it (ie. no books) (50 pts.)
51. a comic strip hand-drawn by one of the team members (must have at least three frames) (100 pts.)
52. a cassette tape (50 pts.)
53. a snowstorm (250 pts.)
54. a Minnesota state quarter (50 pts.)
55. a cloud that looks like an object (I have to be able to easily identify it) (100 pts.)
56. food from feast night or game night (50 pts.)
57. a brightly colored, live bird (50 pts.)
58. a Vidalia onion (50 pts.)
59. picture of a stranger doing the Casper slide (the "slide to the left, slide to the left, everybody clap your hand" song) (100 pts.)
60. a gas sign with prices advertised below $1.95 (100 pts.)
61. the moon at night (50 pts.)
62. the moon during the day (50 pts.)

Mission #3 - See Star Wars Episode III

Mission #3 - See Star Wars Episode III (350 pts)

I'm sure what I'm about to do is illegal, so if I stop doing missions for awhile, its because the MPAA has snagged me and I'm in a prison somewhere.. but fear not I'm probably reading the heck out of books and will be getting points still.

My ticket to see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

Opening screen of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith (This is what may get me in trouble)

So yes, I've seen Star Wars Episode III now. I've seen all of them. Even though I said I didn't feel the need to. Gosh!

Mission #98 - Star Wars Episode II

Mission #98 - Watch a Movie (50pts)

Yeah yeah, you can't expect me to have watched the 2nd one without the first one, right? I hadn't, and so I did.

Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and still blurry!

Okay so I've seen Eps I and II now. ARE YOU HAPPY?

Mission #98 - Star Wars Episode I

Mission #98 - Watch a Movie (50pts)

Yeah yeah yeah I hadn't seen Star Wars Episode 1. And its hard to take a picture of a tv screen.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace opening screen and lots of blurry.

Everyone said I needed to see this before I saw Episode 3. But... I'd have to watch Episode 2 as well...

Mission #98 - I <3 Huckabees

Mission #98 - Watch a Movie (50pts)

I may be retracting this entry after learning more about this particular mission, as I had a question about it...

I <3 Huckabees

I'd never seen I <3 Huckabees before, and it was different. I may need to watch it again to fully understand it, but I think I liked it. It was also an attempt to fiddle with my new to me not quite fully functional dvd player. I can't tell if the line on the DVD was from my player.. or if it was there to begin with. I'm looking to put in a disc and see what it does to it.

Mission #99 - BW3s

Mission #99 - Eat Out (50pts)

I came, I ate, I lost half my points in Showdown.

BUT I was there for over an hour, I ate food, and I tipped my waitstaff. Others were there as well.

Me at BW3s - 50 points!

Tip for wait staff - 50 bonus points!

Bing! Mission #63 COMPLETED.

...Mission #63 gets tallied up for me! I read the book A Painted House, by John Grisham, in a record time for me (other than when I read The Stand by Stephen King, in less than two days (over 1100 pages)). Starting at 5:00PM on 5/16/05, and taking a good four hour break for cooking dinner, eating dinner, and then talking to mom, I finished reading the book and writing my review at Amazon.com at 2:39AM on 5/17/05.

A Painted House - John Grisham

465 pages, paperback

total read/write time: 5 hours, 39 minutes (including several IM message breaks)
Look for hockeyfrog's review of A Painted House at Amazon.com

Mission #63

I started reading John Grisham's A Painted House, and in about an hour and a half (started at 5pm), I read a third of it. My goal is to finish it by midnight and get my review posted on Amazon.com for my points.

Woo!

Playing Risk (without a camera. Sigh)

I got the call around 9ish that things were up. I ended up at Marlatt on 4th floor, drinking in the lobby with several of Marlatt's and apparently West's RAs... how odd was that? Not entirely, after having worked closing days of Ford as a CA and having the ARLC come in drunk with one of the RAs and laying across the desk. Ha.. memories of Christy and Regina. Following that was a game of Risk played on the LOTR Risk board with 6 other people. (I didn't know this was going to happen, or else I would have had taken a picture for Project Best Summer Ever) Thank goodness Brandon and Travis were helping me out (I've never played Risk before), and formed a funky alliance that eventually tired poor Jimmie out and he gave up, leaving Travis and I to win. We split it. Through all this some other guy comes up to the lobby with a possibly broken DVD player (best guess: the lens needs cleaned).. and I ended up with it. Hey thats cool if I can get it to work.

I'm taking apart my scanner as well, see what I can clean up with that. (random)

Went back to Travis', got some Burger King (and thanks to John, won a free french toast or apple pie... woo)... chilled out and laughed at some stuff way too much... got really tired, and came home, and here I be.

Its 4:39am. The birds are chirping. ITS STILL DARK OUT, GO BACK TO BED.

Ben Kweller Pics

Well, SpringFest concert pics in general. Mainly Ben Kweller though. Pics!