Since my last post I’ve gone to Kentucky, hiked up Mt. Charleston to a 3000 year old tree with Sophie, got a mild sunburn, then had a massage and facial at the GVR spa. I also worked a lot.
Oh, I also had a physical, and got back decent results. My cholesterol was 206, which is a little high, but so much better than the 270 it was at its peak, I’m not complaining. My best ever cholesterol was a 170 about two years ago when I first came to Las Vegas… I was eating a little more seafood and less red meat back then, so this past week I’ve tried to make some adjustments. I must admit I do love me a broiled halibut steak. Mmm good. I was in good shape then too, 15% bodyfat. I’m trying to get back there… I’m about 18% bodyfat at the moment. I’m only exercising about twice a week, but I’m eating pretty well; cooking at home a lot.
Saw A Scanner Darkly today… pretty good. I usually like Linklater’s stuff. I dug the animation style, which I guess is the same as Waking LIfe, though I’ve never seen that. I should check it out.
And I got an iPod today too! Went with the black one (my last one that got stolen was white). It’s the 30GB video iPod. I just cleaned my car today and wanted to get rid of all the CD’s and start listening to a wider range of stuff. I had been putting purchasing one off since I only commute about 3 minutes, but heck, I want more music in my car. I’ve suffered for my sin of leaving my car unlocked. So off the Apple Store I went.
Karen tagged along to the store because she’s been thinking of getting a MacBook. But the Fashion Show Mall closes at 8PM on Saturdays? We made it but she wasn’t willing to make the decision in just a few minutes, so I grabbed my iPod and we stopped for a bite at PF Changs. I ordered Oolong marinated Sea Bass, which was quite good, and she ordered “Unremarkable Duck”. It was unremarkable.
Thanks for getting an ipod! I assume that means the next generation (the infamous ‘true video’ipod) will be coming out very soon.
Heh, yeah, I imagine it’s pretty close to EOL. Glad to help clear out their inventory. I hadn’t thought much about that, but good thing I’m not particularly interested in the video features!
Ya, I’m not so excited about the video (after all the current generation ipod does video fine as far as I’m concerned) as I am about the supposed 4-inch screen (the entire face is supposed to be one large screen!) and soft click-wheel. Now if only they make it wireless too, I’d be all set.
I don’t get the rotoscoping* thing. I mean, I heard that they threw in some pure animated stuff but they basically just filmed the thing and then drew over the frames. Now I haven’t seen it, (didn’t like Waking Life and don’t care for Keanu), and don’t plan on it so I ask you, did the animation add anything worth while beyond the film it was painted on? Would it have worked the same had they not rotoscoped it?
*and since you can rotoscope with computer programs these days (ex. Flash) I have to wonder what they did for rotoscoping that was worth it.
I think the hand rotoscoping (though I’m sure it was computer assisted) looked a little more organic than the flash stuff. I thought it looked pretty good. Did it add to the film? I don’t think it was necessary. It added a level of abstraction is all, made it a little more dreamy and less concrete. It probably would have worked about as well without. I think my friend (who had read the book) found it a little distracting because she was expecting it to look grittier. But in the end I found it to be a worthwhile piece of art as it was. But I guess I almost always do