Now here's a story! I woke up bright and early this morning and drove to the SUNY Albany graduate campus to write a term paper to find, to my horror, that the library was closed!... until 1 pm.
Now that I'm back at my desk, listening to the traffic of 90 out my window, I can think about the tradition of Sunday and its wacky counterparts now.
As an observance of the lord's day, the precursor to the blue laws were the laws set forth in Puritan colonies in the 17th century. With everyone the same religion and no Constitution to be all unconstitutional at, it kinda made sense.
Looking at the blue laws which are still in affect makes me realize how traditional this society is and how hard it is to change the foundations of this country. Many states require that alcohol not be sold after a certain time. Additionally some states require that liquor stores be closed on Sunday or closed one other day of the week. Why that's still around, I don't know. I would assume that no one cared enough to really fight it and store owners may want a day off anyway. Looking at our binge-drinking youth - those kids got class on Monday, they don't want or need to drink.
I also have no idea what the deal is with the state law that requires car dealerships to be closed on Sunday. Maybe if all of them are closed, there wont be nasty evil competition envy murders.
Additionally, you can't buy or sell mattresses in Washington state on Sunday.
Super Wacky.
sincerely,
Deana Stuart
post script: Hopefully I'll be updating this more often when I'm done writing all my papers.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Welcome! and Post #1: Complete Television Series on DVD
Welcome to the new and improved, more properly themed, updated blog: That's Wacky!
Rather than going on about whatever I want, and therefore being pretty uninspired to update this, I've decided to change it's theme. I will now be making posts about things which I find strange and wonderful... which was most of what I was blogging about anyway.
I'm hoping that now I will see stuff in my exciting life as library school student and think "that should be in blog!" Once again, we shall see. Once I get into the swing of writing in one of these, I'll probs keep up with it.
To be honest, my roommate, Stef ( check out her blog!) recommended that I make a blog about stuff which I think is wacky. I think she is amused that I use the phrase "wacky".
Anywho, on to the first wacky thing.
1# Complete Television Series on DVD
So the roomies and I watched the intro miniseries of Battlestar Galactica today. After many of our friends recommended it, we sat down to watch. This got me thinking about the concept of collections of televisions shows and the act of watching a TV series in its entirety after it is off the air.
The experience is so different when watching a show after it is completed. First off, many dramatic shows which have continuous plot lines and arches use suspense and the weekly episode breaks to their advantage. Also, you have friends who have seen the whole thing and go on about what they can't tell you.
And what does that mean to the viewers, like myself, who watch a season in a few days with episodes back-to-back?
I wonder how many people watch series on DVD? If more people are waiting until shows are over to watch them, are they potentially ruining the shows that they may potentially really like by not raising it's ratings?
Cult movies and TV series are really interesting and possibly a topic of another post... along with real cults.
That's all I have for now...
Goodnight Internetland
Rather than going on about whatever I want, and therefore being pretty uninspired to update this, I've decided to change it's theme. I will now be making posts about things which I find strange and wonderful... which was most of what I was blogging about anyway.
I'm hoping that now I will see stuff in my exciting life as library school student and think "that should be in blog!" Once again, we shall see. Once I get into the swing of writing in one of these, I'll probs keep up with it.
To be honest, my roommate, Stef ( check out her blog!) recommended that I make a blog about stuff which I think is wacky. I think she is amused that I use the phrase "wacky".
Anywho, on to the first wacky thing.
1# Complete Television Series on DVD
So the roomies and I watched the intro miniseries of Battlestar Galactica today. After many of our friends recommended it, we sat down to watch. This got me thinking about the concept of collections of televisions shows and the act of watching a TV series in its entirety after it is off the air.
The experience is so different when watching a show after it is completed. First off, many dramatic shows which have continuous plot lines and arches use suspense and the weekly episode breaks to their advantage. Also, you have friends who have seen the whole thing and go on about what they can't tell you.
And what does that mean to the viewers, like myself, who watch a season in a few days with episodes back-to-back?
I wonder how many people watch series on DVD? If more people are waiting until shows are over to watch them, are they potentially ruining the shows that they may potentially really like by not raising it's ratings?
Cult movies and TV series are really interesting and possibly a topic of another post... along with real cults.
That's all I have for now...
Goodnight Internetland
Monday, March 22, 2010
Drunk Histories
Check out this amazing concept!
Amazing funny idea! I'm obsessed and I've been getting my friends to do it. Two down, many more to go. Its great! Craig made us promise not to put it on the internet... but no one reads this so after some editing, Craig's drunk history appear here.
Amazing funny idea! I'm obsessed and I've been getting my friends to do it. Two down, many more to go. Its great! Craig made us promise not to put it on the internet... but no one reads this so after some editing, Craig's drunk history appear here.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Keeping this going!
So its officially Monday (unless you live in a "I don't believe in Daylight savings world"... so most of Africa, Asia, and South America) and I can update without feeling like I've been wanted to make multiple posts in one day... not that there's anything wrong with that.
What did I do today(as in yesterday)? Not that much really.
Ate some hummus, did some homework, watched Modern Family - loving DVR!
What I did of some interest is watch a movie which made me think about movies and listen to some new music which made me think about music.
So The Time Traveler's Wife...
While an incredibly interesting concept (a man balancing love and family while randomly traveling through time for unknown periods of time - naked!) this concept was too big for a movie. While Rachel McAdams' character attempts to cope with her time traveling husband she continues to tell him how much she loves him and how she wouldn't have it any other way but the audience can't see that.
A.O. Scott noticed that this was the problem with Sandra Bullock's character in The Blind Side:
"The biggest problem here is that her character never changes, never experiences a moment of doubt or guilt or selfishness, and after a while her display of goodness sinks into vanity. "
At least the Time Traveler's Wife has the excuse of a dizzying plot involving time travel and its consequences, or lack of. The fact that he wasn't able to change anything in the future makes The Time Traveler's Wife' world a little too fated without touching on the concept at all.
This makes me think about my recent obsession with At The Movies. I've been watching At the Movies recaps on their website. At the Movies has been a movie review television show since Siskel and Ebert started it in 1982 and been a weekly must-watch for me since November.
Some have said that watching reviews of movies spoils and bias' the viewer. I originally started viewing to see if a movie is worth seeing... A.O Scott, didn't become the film critic for the NYTimes from nothing. And while I sometimes don't agree with him or Michael Philips of the Chicago Tribune, they aren't just saying if something is good or not they go into details about audiences and such.
Anyway, enough of defending them, I enjoy At the Movies because I am learning to view movies in different ways. My Screenwriting classes in college started me on the right track of viewing movies by structure, support, and character development and not just what the plot it about. At the Movies has let me think more about the type of audiences movies are aimed towards and the disagreements between the two credits proves how personal the experience viewing a movie (or music, or anything) can be.
And I like that bigger picture shtuff. If anything, the hosts are sometimes mean to each other which is entertaining.
Anyway, I been listening to a lot of new music this weekend too. Even though right now, I've fallen back to enjoying an older favorite, Eric Hutchinson, I really enjoyed experiencing Sufjan Stevens' Chicago and Ray LaMontagne's Gossip in the Grain this weekend. I also downloaded MGMT's Oracular Spectacular which I still need to really listen too. I have a feeling that it may be a little backgroundy for my taste, I enjoy music that really requires me to listen to it... or I require myself to really listen to music I enjoy... hmm. I do like track "Kids" though and I was informed that the all guy A Cappella club from college is learning it now.
So, that was my weekend... the new At the Movies is on so I'm going to go check it out and go to bed. Spinning class tomorrow!
What did I do today(as in yesterday)? Not that much really.
Ate some hummus, did some homework, watched Modern Family - loving DVR!
What I did of some interest is watch a movie which made me think about movies and listen to some new music which made me think about music.
So The Time Traveler's Wife...
While an incredibly interesting concept (a man balancing love and family while randomly traveling through time for unknown periods of time - naked!) this concept was too big for a movie. While Rachel McAdams' character attempts to cope with her time traveling husband she continues to tell him how much she loves him and how she wouldn't have it any other way but the audience can't see that.
A.O. Scott noticed that this was the problem with Sandra Bullock's character in The Blind Side:
"The biggest problem here is that her character never changes, never experiences a moment of doubt or guilt or selfishness, and after a while her display of goodness sinks into vanity. "
At least the Time Traveler's Wife has the excuse of a dizzying plot involving time travel and its consequences, or lack of. The fact that he wasn't able to change anything in the future makes The Time Traveler's Wife' world a little too fated without touching on the concept at all.
This makes me think about my recent obsession with At The Movies. I've been watching At the Movies recaps on their website. At the Movies has been a movie review television show since Siskel and Ebert started it in 1982 and been a weekly must-watch for me since November.
Some have said that watching reviews of movies spoils and bias' the viewer. I originally started viewing to see if a movie is worth seeing... A.O Scott, didn't become the film critic for the NYTimes from nothing. And while I sometimes don't agree with him or Michael Philips of the Chicago Tribune, they aren't just saying if something is good or not they go into details about audiences and such.
Anyway, enough of defending them, I enjoy At the Movies because I am learning to view movies in different ways. My Screenwriting classes in college started me on the right track of viewing movies by structure, support, and character development and not just what the plot it about. At the Movies has let me think more about the type of audiences movies are aimed towards and the disagreements between the two credits proves how personal the experience viewing a movie (or music, or anything) can be.
And I like that bigger picture shtuff. If anything, the hosts are sometimes mean to each other which is entertaining.
Anyway, I been listening to a lot of new music this weekend too. Even though right now, I've fallen back to enjoying an older favorite, Eric Hutchinson, I really enjoyed experiencing Sufjan Stevens' Chicago and Ray LaMontagne's Gossip in the Grain this weekend. I also downloaded MGMT's Oracular Spectacular which I still need to really listen too. I have a feeling that it may be a little backgroundy for my taste, I enjoy music that really requires me to listen to it... or I require myself to really listen to music I enjoy... hmm. I do like track "Kids" though and I was informed that the all guy A Cappella club from college is learning it now.
So, that was my weekend... the new At the Movies is on so I'm going to go check it out and go to bed. Spinning class tomorrow!
And so it has Begun
Hello Interweb,
Deana here. Just wanted to add to the millions (?) of blogs in the universe.
But why have I created this?
Brought to my attention by the ALA (The American Library Association), 53% of employers conduct background checks through Google and social networking. Solution - create a blog that discusses import issues and show how serious I am about my future and life... or at least shows that I am a person of substance... on the internet...?
OK, I can just write about whatever I want.
So, why mention the ALA? Lets talk about me for a little bit. I'm currently a Masters student at the University at Albany, SUNY in Information Studies (aka library science) in Archiving and Record Administration. I'm digging living in Albany and I'm digging being 22 and on the verge of something greater than myself.
Until and after that threshold is passed, I will enjoy listening to, creating, and performing music, travel when I can, stay connected with my old friends and enjoy making new ones, hate and love being woken up by my apartment's cat every morning, watch many movies, browse the internet all day, and enjoy every day for what it is.
... and that's who I am.
So maybe this will be about music, or movies, or information studies, or my addition pursuit in a history degree. But lets see if I will continue this blog or if it will eventually fade away like my agenda books in grade school every year.
We shall see..
Deana here. Just wanted to add to the millions (?) of blogs in the universe.
But why have I created this?
Brought to my attention by the ALA (The American Library Association), 53% of employers conduct background checks through Google and social networking. Solution - create a blog that discusses import issues and show how serious I am about my future and life... or at least shows that I am a person of substance... on the internet...?
OK, I can just write about whatever I want.
So, why mention the ALA? Lets talk about me for a little bit. I'm currently a Masters student at the University at Albany, SUNY in Information Studies (aka library science) in Archiving and Record Administration. I'm digging living in Albany and I'm digging being 22 and on the verge of something greater than myself.
Until and after that threshold is passed, I will enjoy listening to, creating, and performing music, travel when I can, stay connected with my old friends and enjoy making new ones, hate and love being woken up by my apartment's cat every morning, watch many movies, browse the internet all day, and enjoy every day for what it is.
... and that's who I am.
So maybe this will be about music, or movies, or information studies, or my addition pursuit in a history degree. But lets see if I will continue this blog or if it will eventually fade away like my agenda books in grade school every year.
We shall see..
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