sci-fi, summer, and school
The days of my summer vacation are growing less and less. My summer has been pretty fantastic and fairly dark and largely enjoyed. I do not feel completely ready for school. At any rate, it makes me glad that next summer I will not have classes competing with planning time as the summer draws to its inevitable close. Alas. Haha. So, some thoughts and journey markers for this month-ish:
*Watching old black and white science fiction movies is a fantastic way to spend time. Earth vs. the Flying Saucers is my latest discovery. I can’t even remember where I read or heard about it, but I do remember that the description hastened me to add it to my Netflix queue. It was totally worth the add. Something that sets these old, special-effects light films apart is the focus on what the characters are experiencing. The shock and struggle of the story becomes something very personal. This was one thing I appreciated about the story change for the most recent War of the Worlds film. Instead of being just a big action-fest, it offered you characters with whom to feel. At any rate, these old b&w movies might have moderately negligible “special effects,” but you tend to thrill with the scientist, soldiers, and townspeople who are trying to survive and beat the aliens/large ants/super-sized scorpions or whatever big, bad scary happens to be coming for them. Which leads me to invite any of you that have fantastic suggestions of underrated b&w sci-fi films to post them for me. I will watch them. ☺
*On a related rant, the marketing team of the channel previously known as “SciFi” is moronic. Seriously. “SyFy”? What exactly is that supposed to accomplish. As my sister astutely pointed out (yet no-one on the marketing team seems to realize), “SciFi” actually means something: it is an abbreviation of “science fiction,” the genre in which this channel presumes to specialize. “Syfy” doesn’t stand for anything. In fact, it’s more likely to add to this generation’s inability to spell simple words than to their viewing audience. Frankly, I don’t understand their obsession changing perceptions about their channel. Cable channels succeed because of a niche market, not by avoiding. It. It’s all very ridiculous, really. Sigh.
*I had a lovely week in Louisville catching up with my dear friends, Kelly and Justin. Also, I’m apparently both silly and a cherry (nom nom nom) according to their delightful son. I am now hopelessly entrenched in the mysteries of Lost, thanks to them.
*Two days is not long enough to really give anyone a sense of Baton Rouge and surrounding area, particularly when part of the second day is spent dealing with a flattened tire. Poo. Ah well.
*My new classroom is fantastic. So much more everything than my previous one. Yay! Once I get everything set up for the year, I will have to post pictures. Now if I could just get all the things ready for the year that I need to. Haha. Such is life.
*You can watch a lot of Law and Order without getting tired of it. Also, you learn awesome legal trivia.
Well, that’s probably enough randomness for now. If it’s not, too bad for you! :-P