80's Music Kick

Just a quick post (I am still around, just busy). I noticed that I am on this 80's music kick at the moment. So I figured I would share my last iTunes purchases with you. (Also, because I really don't have anything else to talk about). My last two song purchase off where "These Dreams" by Heart and "We Belong" by Pat Benatar. See, as I said complete 80s music kick going on.

The song I purchased before that was "Faith Alive" by The Wish. I first heard it in the commerical for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Great song. (You can now get it on iTunes).

Now if you will excuse me I have got to get to bed. I am giving a presentation tomorrow on Cook's theorem wish should be interesting. It is a cool theorem considering that it is the core to the whole NP-Complete concept. Well, that's what I think anyway :)

Oh and yes it is snowing bucket fulls on the west side of Michigan since like Sunday. There are many inches (and by that I mean there has to be more than 5) of snow on the ground. Therefore, it has become my goal to move to a (even slightly) warmer climate after I graduate. Seriously, Michigan is the only state that can boost have four different climates in one state. At least I don't live in the northern part of Michigan!

Thanks for stopping by and reading. Stay warm!

Billboards, etc

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." - Albert Einstein

Each week I do a far amount of expressway/highway driving getting back and forth from school. Now for anyone who wasn't driven across the middle of Michigan let me fill you in on the details. Are you ready?

There is absolutely without a doubt nothing! That's right. About every hour or so you come across a town, but otherwise there is nothing. Not even a gas station or a fast food resturant. However, there are tons of billboards. There is so little to see, that I know when they have updated any of the billboards. OK, you can stop laughing now ;-)

But seriously. I read the billboards. My favorite are the The Foundation for a Better Life billboards. (OK, so the fact that I have favorite billboards just sounds weird, but you should all be use to that by now right?) And just to prove how much I like these billboards I even have one as my desktop background for my laptop.

On my desktop I proudly have the picture of the Optimism billboard. If you haven't seen it, it is the one with Thomas Edison and the light bulbs. Why did I choose this one? Several years back I heard the original quote the billboard is based on: "Results! Why, man, I have gotten a lot of results. I know several thousand things that won't work. " - Thomas Edision. There are several other Thomas Edision quotes with similar themes (and you can find a nice list here if you are interested).

There are lots of these great billboards out there. So if the weather isn't too bad and you are driving along the highway keep an eye out. Pass It On.

Finger's Crossed

"There never was much hope. Just a fool's hope." - Gandalf(The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King)

Current food obsession: Milk Chocolate with Smooth Caramel Godiva Bar

New Bits and Bytes:

• "House Approves Cut In Student-Loan Rates"
• "Microsoft to Make Vista Easier to Buy Online"
• "Bats in flight reveal unexpected aerodynamic"

I know I promised no more lists, but I totally had my fingers crossed when I typed that. I am giving you let another list, but whatever. We all knew I wasn't really going to stick to that promise...

Stephany's Song Obsession Lists:
Starting the Day List:

• "Beautiful Day" by U2
• "Stigmatized" by The Calling
• "Thinking Over" by Dana Glover
• "A Thousand Miles" by Vanessa Carlton
• "All At Once" by The Fray
• "Let Love In" by Goo Goo Dolls
• "City of Blinding Light" by U2
• "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall
• "Dream" by The Cranberries
• "I'm Still Here" by John Rzeznik
• "I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker (With Flowers In My Hair)'" by Sandi Thom
  

Especially good for late nights and snow (Yep, it is snowing again) List:

• "Sleep" by Azure Ray
• "Rain" by Patty Griffin
• "Amid the Falling Snow" by Enya
• "Some of Us" by Starsailor
• "Bells" by Beth Waters
• "Name" by Goo Goo Dolls
• "The World I Know" by Collective Soul
• "Linger" by The Cranberries

Fun Study Break List:

• "Jerk It Out" by Caesars
• "Woman Like Me" by Beyoncé
• "Crazy"by Alanis Morissette
• "A Rose is Still A Rose" by Aretha Franklin
• "Believe" by Cher
• "Breathless" by The Corrs
• "Don't Turn Off The Lights" by Enrique Iglesias
• "I Decide" by Lindsay Lohan
• "Vogue" by Madonna
• "Trouble" by Pink
  

Well, when I started writing this blog I thought it was going to be a couple of short lists because I had a couple of songs in mind. Then I got started and the lists just keep getting longer and longer :) You know me and my rambling ;-)

Thanks for stopping by! Stay warm.

Obsession Week

"You are the best of us, Miss Montenegro. You discern humanity in the wreck of a ruined human body. You give victims back their faces. Their identities. You remind us all of why we're here in the first place - because we treasure human life." - Dr. Daniel Goodman (Bones)

Song obsessions of the moment:

• "Linger" by The Cranberries
• "The World I Know" by Collective Soul

I have noticed that because I really don't have anything to talk about I have been making a lot of lists recently. Sorry about that - but here is the last one (I promise...no wait I don't promise...It's my blog, I don't have to promise anything).

My Current TV Show watch (obsession) List:

• Psych: Funny show. I mean how could it not be? There is a guy playing a psychic for the police with his friend/partner solving police cases. See, how could that not be good?
• Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip: Very good 'show-in-a-show'. Great dialog and walk'n-talks. If you aren't watching this show on Monday nights you are seriously missing out.
• Bones: Wednesday nights - be there or miss out. In the last episode the show took a dramatic turn. Surprises left and right. Can't tell you or I would ruin the whole thing. Summary: Excellent show!
• A Nero Wolfe Mystery: This series aired on A&E a couple years back. I got the 2nd season DVDs. If you are a fan of the books, you will not be disappointed. The show had the right combination of seriousness and silly. The show was also done with a repertory cast which was entertaining in itself.
  

Well thanks for stopping by. Hopefully, I will actually start having real topics to talk about. Or atleast as close as I ever get to real topics anyway...

Rambles: Take One

"It's amazing. You speak Chinese like a native." - Rowlf (The Muppets Take Manhattan)

Stuff you might want to take a gander at:
"40,000-year-old skull shows both modern human and Neandertal traits"

Check out: "A Brief History of the Home Video Game Console for some nostalgic fun. (My blog would be completely unreadable is it wasn't for Dictionary.com).

Nothing all that exciting to talk about. Gave a lecture today - that was fun. Although it is pretty cold (20 degrees) outside it was nice a sunny most of the afternoon. It was a nice change from all of the overcast days we have been experiencing.

Current Movie Watching (Obsession) List:

• The Da Vinci Code: If you haven't figured out that I have an obsession with this movie, you haven't been paying attention. I have watched the DVD atleast 8 times so far. Great, great, great movie.
• The Devil Wears Prada: Fun, light movie. See I keep telling people that not all black shoes are alike! If you get the DVD watch the gag reel - it is pretty funny.
• Nanny McPhee: Great movie for kids and adults. Great cast and great makeup!
• The Pink Panther: LOL! I dare you not to laugh :-D
• The Muppets Take Manhatten: Oh come on admit it - Muppets are classic!
• Disney's Robin Hood: My favorite movie when I was little. It's cute, it's funny, it's Disney...
• Superman Returns: Wonderful movie. I would say it was the best of all the Superman movies hands down. The graphics are excellent. The look of the movie so matches the originals. Yep, I watched all of the Superman movies over the holiday break.
  

So run don't walk to your nearest video store and pick up this great films if you have not already done so :) Thanks for stopping by and reading. Try to keep from freezing!

Snow Bunnies Strike Again

"When you need me, but do not want me, then I will stay. When you want me, but do not need me, then I have to go. " - Nanny McPhee (Nanny McPhee)

Current music obsession: Soundtrack from the movie Finding Neverland

It is of course snowing. Not that it is a huge surprise or anything that it is snowing in Michigan. The ice rain Sunday night was a bit of a surprise. However, we haven't gotten that much snow. But it is a bit on the chilly side :-P

However, lets move on to discuss much more pleasent things. My obsession with two board games: Authentic DaVinci Dilemma Board Game and The Da Vinci Code Movie Board Game. I came across these wonderful gems at a bookstore (which I was there purchasing a textbook for one of my classes - honest). I had an change to play both of these games over the weekend. They are great!

Authentic DaVinci Dilemma Board Game: In this game you answer trivia questions and riddles to collect pieces of art work. The trivia questions are divided into 4 categories and cover a wide range of knowledge. Knowledge of Da Vinci a plus. Great low key fun for all.

The Da Vinci Code Movie Board Game: This game reminds me of a cross between clue and logic puzzles. So I was instantly attracted! It takes a little bit to get use to the game play. If you have read the books or are familiar with historical events surrounding the events of the book/Movie you will be at a slight advantage. Great fun - and lots of surprises!

In the news:

Honey, someone shrunk the wires: "Can HP fool Moore's Law?"

This just looks so cool: iPhone

Well, I better run along :-) Thanks for stopping by and reading. Keep warm!

OK, so I am going to brag for a minute...

"The details of your incompetence do not interest me." - Miranda Priestly (The Devil Wears Prada)

Over the holiday break I got a new cell phone. After great debate I purchased one of those cool Chocolate phones (warning: site plays music). Can I just say "I love it!". Being a new phone it works so much better than my last cell phone. I haven't put any music on it yet, but I am enjoying it none the less. It is a great size. I got a black one. I could claim becuase it would go with more of my shoes...but I think it would be best not to.

I seem to have come down with a cold. It has made the past couple of days interesting. I had to give the first lecture today for the class I teach. It is weird to lecture when you have a cold. Just trust me on this. But lets move on shall we? Before I start sneezing again.

My current music obsession is the soundtrack from The Devil Wears Prada. The official soundtrack is missing the wonderful song from the beginning of the movie - "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall which I downloaded from iTunes. The movie was great, the soundtrack is great, the book is great...I give it two thumbs up all around.

Well, I better get back to doing actually work - inbetween sneezes that is ;-) Thanks for stopping by!

Happy New Year!

I just wanted to wish everyone a very happy new year! Wow - 2007. It is hard to believe another year has come and gone. The holidays have been a fun time for me. I have been watching movies, reading, sleeping, and shopping. So I decided to share with you my current reading obsessions.

Angles and Demons and The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: These have to be two of the best books I have ever read. I loved the movie, but the books are just amazing. You are so missing out if you haven't read them yet. Love the fact that the main character wears a Mickey Mouse watch - it just so works. Anyway, hightly recommended!

Size 14 Is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot: It is one of those click-lit/mysteries. Wonderfully entertaining. I like reading these books on vacation or at the beach. Highly recommended!

My Own Two Feet by Beverly Cleary: I remember reading Ramona books and who can forget Dear Mr. Henshaw? In this book Beverly Cleary discusses her life and what lead her to writing children books. Interesting book.

Thanks for stopping by and reading!