Golden Promises

It's very late here, but IGN has a three minute trailer for the Golden Compass that just came out.

Let me just say, thank goodness that some fantasy books made into movies actually look decent!

I'm in the midst of rereading The Golden Compass- what a great book.

Anyway, check out the trailer, it looks fantastic!!

Techno Junkie (Part Deaux)

Yeah, my technology obsession continues today . . .

In the last two weeks I have purchased a new cell phone and a new iPod.

But it's not just any iPod, it's an iPod touch! It is so amazingly cool, it's sick. If you've seen the iPhone, it's pretty much the same thing. And before anyone says, "well why didn't you just get the phone instead?" let me say that I didn't want to switch services or pay for the internet and all that extra stuff. Plus, who wants to consolidate electronic gadgets when you can have more?? I like my extensive collection of chargers, so complex that I have to label them just to keep them straight, thank you very much!

So my new iPod has wireless internet. I don't pay for internet, it just picks it up when it can! It's so hot. I was at class last week (grad school) and while waiting the teacher to come, I was browsing on Television Without Pity (best. site. ever.) and listening to a relaxing playlist. Yeah, it's that cool. I have three complaints, two of which will probably be resolved in a few weeks.
1. There's no hard case for it yet. I had to buy these weird colored socks to protect it. But I want something hard, and something I can clip to my belt for when I walk around.
2. There are no games. I loved the solitare on the old iPod, even the ghetto black and white version I had.
3. The battery life seems frighteningly short. I guess I've been mostly playing on the internet (cause I can!) and watching movies (cause I can!), and that wastes more battery power. I'm a little nervous about traveling with it though. (this is the one that I just have to deal with. Oh well.)

Anyway, I am ridiculously excited about my new gadget.

But even more recently, I got a new phone. I did not intend for this to happen. I knew I was due for a new phone soon (in November, I figured). But I was at the mall (ugh) recently to go out to dinner with a friend (ugh to mall, cause I hate malls, not to my friend) and the Verizon store happens to be right by the mall exit. Now, the store also just so happened to be completely empty. How often does that happen? And being the courteous gal that I am, I would never want to bother any of those nice Verizon sales people with such a dumb question when they were busy. But a store that's totally empty?

Well, not exactly empty. There were four (yes, four) sales people, looking extremely bored. And because I am such a nice gal, I thought I should give them something to do. To relieve their boredom, of course.*

So I mosied on in, and noted the expressions of relief of the salespeople to see someone to actually wait upon* and asked them, oh so nicely, when my contract was up. You see, this way I could know the exact day I could purchase a new cell phone. I was told the date (early January) and then clarified (since he was sitting there, so bored and all*) that I could get a new phone on that date in November.

The sales person, so eager for a customer*, then said NO, in fact I could get a phone that very day if I cared to.

What?!? But I thought Verizon allowed you to upgrade your phone two months before the end of your two-year contract. "This policy has changed," the oh-so-eager* salesman told me. "We now allow it up to four months ahead of time. You were eligible for an upgrade in September."

Well, I was just appalled. One month late? I am usually right on top of this stuff! I got my iPod touch on the very day it came out!

Then the four salespeople were eagerly attempting to show me all of the new phones, to stave off their boredom* but I just browsed a little and went home to do some research. Everyone was all psyched on the RAZR when it came out, and it turned out to be a piece of crap after a couple of months. I don't want that to happen to me!

So the very next day (not an exaggeration!) I went back to the (slightly more busy) Verizon store and purchased a bright orange enV. So far, I love it!

I love the keypad, and how it flips open. The actual phone part (the front) has an automatic key lock that kicks in after 7 seconds (but you can change that) so it won't press buttons in your pocket. The keyboard is awesome, and great for people who love to text (me) or email (not me, too expensive for a phone!) The camera has 2.0 megapixels, much better than the 1.4 on my old phone. Perfect for taking pictures of my adorable niece and nephews and showing them to everyone, as I tend to do. You can even open and close the camera lens, so it doesn't get scratched! Oh, and did I mention that it's orange? How cool is that?

But best of all, the reception is 10x better than my last three phones. I used to have the old-school Star-Tac (my first one!) and had no problem with reception in my apartment. The last three phones have had awful reception in my place. I had to stand by the window for every conversation. I hate standing still when I talk on the phone. I like to be doing something, like driving or pacing or doing random things.

But today I was talking to my mom, and I could wander around the apartment! It was great! I watered the plants, washed some dishes, and paced to my heart's content!

Yay for technology!



*parts of this story may be slightly exaggerated

October Movies

I didn't really get around to any of my September movies, but I decided to save Jane Austen's Book Club for Netflix. Lust, Caution isn't playing anywhere near me at this time. I don't know if it ever will, considering its NC-17 rating. I'll keep holding out though! I plan to see Across the Universe today. I love the Beatles (even went to Liverpool to see where they got their start!) so that should be fun.

But here is my list of movies for October. It's slightly more promising than September was. But of course, the real thrills start in November for the holiday rush.

October 5 - The Seeker: The Dark is Rising - I keep going back and forth on this one. On the one hand, it's Susan Cooper, how could I skip it? On the other hand, it in no way resembles Susan Cooper, so why should I bother? The dilemma rages. I'll let you know when I decide.

October 13 - Legally Blond the Musical - This is not really a movie, per se, but I'm placing it in here anyway. MTV is showing the musical Legally Blond on TV. Such a thing is rarely done! But since I am a Broadway whore, sign me up! My DVR is all ready to go! I have not seen this on Broadway and probably won't . . . UNLESS the rumors are true and the lovely Kristen Bell will take the place of Laura Bell Bundy as Elle Woods. In which case, I will be there!

October 19 - August Rush - I am fairly excited for this. I am a sucker for emotional family dramas, and a sucker for movies about the power of music and people who are passionate about it. I'll be there in the theater, without a doubt.

October 19 - Reservation Road - This is one of those that I look at and go, huh? I must have put it on there for a reason, but I definitely have to go back and check it out . . . (surreptitiously clicks over to apple movie trailers). Hmm . . . without even watching the trailer I see that it's Focus Features (my fave), and stars Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo. Good enough for me! But this does look like an interesting movie. Oh yeah, and the trailer includes a Damien Rice song. Yeah, that's a keeper!

October 23 - VERONICA MARS SEASON 3 DVD! - If you've read any of this blog, then you'll know my obsession with this show, and all things Veronica Mars. Especially Kristen Bell. Just watch it.

October 30 - Spider-Man 3 DVD - I didn't love this movie, not gonna lie, but my OCD compels me to buy it to complete the trilogy. Yeah, I know, I have issues. You don't even wanna know . . .

Anyway, I have more to say, so this will probably be a multi-post day. But I'll leave you with these fun pictures from Liverpool, home of The Beatles. I was really there. That's Strawberry Field at the bottom, in case you can't read the writing.

No Place Like London

The Sweeney Todd trailer is out!!

When I say I have been obsessively checking for this trailer, I don't think you can really know to what extent I have been checking. I looked . . . oh, about twice a day, every day, for the last three weeks. Before that it was a couple times a week.

Anyway, I am very excited about this movie because it combines some of my absolute favorite things into one film. It has Stephen Sondheim, Tim Burton, Alan Rickman, and Johnny Depp. Throw some Kristen Bell into the mix, and we'd have ourselves a REAL winner.

I'm still withholding judgment on the singing. Rumor has it they cut Green Finch and Linnet Bird and Ah, Miss (my two faves), so we'll have to see about that.

Anyway, check it out!