12 Feb 2013

Random Ramblings

  • I've gotten quite a few new visitors to the blog (WELCOME!!!)... all coming over for a visit from Snug Harbor Bay because my friend Kim wrote a lovely post about me yesterday!!! Fabulous surprise! (I thought you were just going to show off the hat and scarf Kim!) One of the things I like best about blogging is all the fabulous people I've been able to "meet" through our respective blog posts and comments. It's opened the world up for me and allowed me to make new friends in a fun way! I liken it to having pen pals back in the day (I tried once or twice, never stuck), except 100 times better! I hope some day to get to meet some of my "virtual" friends in the "real" world soon (Kim -> Spain + Italy for when???), but in the meantime it's wonderful hanging out with you guys online! :o)
  • For the past 36h the news has been all abuzz about the Pope's "retirement" (15' section in the news today at lunch!!!). I don't have an opinion either way, but I do seem to remember about 10 years ago people asking why Pope John Paul II didn't retire and hearing it said that popes couldn't retire! Guess they got it wrong... just 'cause no one's done it in 800 years doesn't mean it can't be done! Still, it's weird to think of a Pope retiring! But he sure looks feeble in the news images... can't be an easy "job".
  • Speaking of random news items, it turns out the Brits like to bury their Kings in car parks! lol! That was all over the news last week, did you guys hear about it? Talk about an archaeological treasure hunt... and find! Richard III remains "Crookback Dick" in my mind, not thanks to Shakespeare, but because of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Black Arrow"! That was my first intro to the King (and the War of the Roses). Fascinating (and bloody!) period of British history... Now I'm wondering: what kind of State Funeral will the British Crown give its newly found monarch? An Anglican service doesn't seem right considering he was Catholic... but I have trouble imagining the head of the Church of England presiding over a Catholic funeral service... Anyhow there's a really interesting post about the dig itself over on The History Girls, very good read!
  • I've tallied up quite a few movies these past couple of weeks (damn Oscar season!), have to prep a post on them... I'm only missing Amour to wrap up the Oscar nominees for Best Picture, will try to catch that this weekend. But I'm wondering whether or not to give The Master and Flight a go to get a look at their Oscar-nominated performances... neither movie really caught my attention, but I like to see as many of the major contenders as possible before the big night... Speaking of the Oscars, how ridiculous is it that Ben Affleck wasn't even nominated for Best Director considering he's winning just about every other "best director" award out there this season? He just got the BAFTA on Sunday! (bravo!)
  • *sigh* I was really hoping I'd be able to make a grand announcement about spending 6 months this summer working in Iceland... but I didn't get the job. Major bummer! Sticking with the English classes for a while longer (and every week hoping none of my students cancels on me). When is this stupid global crisis going to end and there be more opportunities for people with a biology/environmental background? Anybody know of a decent environmental education or conservation position out there? I love my students but I'm tired of teaching English!

17 comments:

  1. Now that I have finally seen all the nominees...my pick is Silver Linings Playbook :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I haven't decided yet, but that's definitely a good one! :o)

      Delete
  2. Great post Cris. I agree that blogging is the best. I never thought I would get so interested. And yes we are all interested here to see what will happen to the remains of King Dick. Would they really give a murderer a state funeral? We'll have to wait and see.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahhh! But there's no proof he was a murderer Fun60! Remember a lot of what we know about him comes from the Tudors who as the conquering family were interested in blackening his name! And even if it were true... then they'd have had to deny a state funeral to most medieval kings!!! Such a bloody era...

      Delete
  3. I will be seeing Amour in a week or so when it comes to our independent theater. I'm skipping Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty because of what some friends have told me about the violence. I get so influenced and then I can't sleep without nightmares. My vote is for Lincoln, but Argo will probably win, given all the buzz around it lately. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As I said in my other post, they're both pretty violent. But if you can then watch them later on dvd and you can skip the worst parts. Which come to think of it might be most of Django.... but Zero Dark Thirty is basically the first 20' so just skip that! The rest is well worth it!

      Delete
  4. I'm happy to see some of my blogger buddies are now followers over here! I knew they'd love you.

    Hoping to plan a Spain/Italy trip when the economy gets better and we actually start making a decent living again instead of barely scraping by like we have been for the past 2 years. :-( Poor Chablis still can't find a job either. This global crisis is hitting everyone hard and really cramping my style.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know exactly how you feel! Stupid global crisis... *grumble, grumble* :o(

      Delete
  5. That was a nice gesture on the other blog ! And I'm sooooo glad that I'm NOT sane !!!! And yes, I do NOT have a 2 dimensional personality ! LOL (yes, boring)

    My brother asked me if I would apply for the pope position LOL

    If EVER you cross the ocean, please be sure that you'll be welcomed !

    Et je n'ai même pas encore rencontré face a face mon amie américaine....ça doit faire minimum 5 ans qu'on s'écrit, sinon plus !!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crois moi, si je passe ne fut-ce que à une centaine de km de Montréal sans y aller... j'en connais une qui me décapiterais! ;o)
      Et maintenant ça fait 2! :p

      Delete
    2. LOL

      voyons voyons !!! c'est excessif ! je suis plus raisonnable que ça : juste te botter le derrière !!

      Delete
  6. Hi! Kim sent me! Interesting ramblings! A lot of news HERE on the Pope also. I'm happy for him that he can retire! Apparently he's not in the best of health and that's what he needs to focus on now.
    Nice to "meet" you here! Have a wonderful week! Hope you can hop on over to my blog for a visit!
    sandy :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sandy, welcome! Yeah, it's nice that he can actually retire! I thought it pretty unfair when people said that JPII couldn't... now I wonder why he didn't...

      Delete
  7. Great post, Cris! And, I agree. My favorite part of blogging, both on my site and Billie's, is the people we get to "meet" and hang out with.

    Don't get too down about the job. I've been trying for months to get a job and there just isn't a lot out there. Something will happen for all of us soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're humans, social animals... it's all about connecting with people!!! :o)

      Fingers crossed for all of us Chris!

      Delete
  8. Nice rambling post. I have met about 10 or more bloggers – in New York, here in Atlanta, in Norway, in New Orleans and Paris and it has been great – every time it felt as if I had known them for a long time.
    As movies - I have seen Argo and the Life of Pi and loved them both. I saw part of Flight and liked the beginning. I also don’t like to watch movies that are too violent – I see enough violence in the news.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucky you! I hope to meet some of my blogging friends some day...
      I thought Life of Pi was beautiful, but that's about it. It didn't really click with me. Argo I loved! As for the news... I tend to avoid it because of the violence (and depressing-ness), I check out the news web sites for info. But I'll watch violent films from time to time! Weird...

      Delete

Hey there! Yes you! The quiet one in the back... I'd love it if you hung out for a bit and shared your thoughts!

I might stop by your place with an answer, but I'm more likely to reply right here so click on "email follow up comments" if you'd like to see what I and others have to say and come continue the conversation! ;o)