The day isn't anywhere near over, but I thought I'd just write this down while it's all in my head. It's not like I had anything better to do...
Anyway, today was (and looks like will remain) another day at home. After writing the last blog, I popped in the
All-American Rejects DVD I bought earlier at Aquarius. After being accustomed to seeing high-end DVD packages (like
the Coldplay one), this was like a real drop in standards. Bare bones type of stuff, with really shitty sound and dodgy camera work. It's like they had several Handicams and just thought, "Hey, let's turn this into a DVD!" They've only got one album so far, and they didn't even play all the songs on it (they left out one). No non-album songs either. And the live set-up was also a bit cringe-worthy; very reliant on samplers to pull off the more polished bits on the album (strings, vocal harmonies, piano), instead of just getting an touring keyboardist or something to make it look more organic. Extra features were also on the minimalist side: 10 minutes of the band going around their hometown. The upside? Well the songs are good, which is the main reason I wanted to buy this in the first place. Plus they really rock out, really energetic if not refined. The type of live band that makes you want to start one of your own. Of course, having actual musical talent helps. Not that
Tyson Ritter is a good bass player, but at least he looks good and can hit most of those high notes in concert, which are two things that come in handy when musicianship is questionable.
So why did I buy this, as opposed to the other enticing music DVDs on the racks? For one thing, I unintentionally found out that they had a DVD out, and the notion of owning it grew somewhat when I found it at Aquarius. The notion grew even more once I heard there was one copy left and I saw some of the live footage used in their latest video. So as soon as I could get some cash together, it was off to the shop.
Speaking of money, I went for the AAR DVD because it was cheap. Though not as cheap as the
Beach Boys/Brian Wilson DVD, from which I, in hindsight, feel I might have got more of my money's worth from. Two documentaries for the price of one (even less than one, if you want to talk about average DVD prices), which will doubtlessly feel a more fulfilling experience than just watching some band play a gig. I think the Beach Boys/Brian Wilson DVD will be the next purchase. After that, maybe Suede, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers...life is good when there's so much quality to choose from, life sucks when you're strapped for cash.
Anyway, most of the morning daylight was spent in slumber. When I finally woke up, I checked my e-mail. Two mails which were addressed specifically to me, something that's been a rare occurence of late. Ever since I set all the mailing lists I join to "No mail", my inbox has been mostly barren, save for junk mail, stuff that gets forwarded from record label reps (about the latest releases) and my dad (the latest pearls of wisdom he found on the 'net), or translation work for the month's issue of
djakarta!. So it's always nice when I get e-mail that wants to talk to me. One was from Nadya, just bringing me up to speed on what she's been up to since her recent absence from chatting. I e-mailed her because I needed my Nadya fix, haha. The other one from Bruce at the
Jakarta Post, with feedback regarding the article ideas I sent yesterday. As soon as I get my head together, you'll be able to see it in the 'paper sometime soon...
Moving on...ooh, geek moment! Just watched the latest downloaded episode of
Transformers: Generation One. As I've mentioned earlier, the series is rife with lunacy, so I check out the episode summaries before downloading. If the plot stinks (which they mostly do), I try looking for episodes that spotlight certain characters which appealed to me back in the day. Lately I've been looking for episodes featuring the Constructicons, namely a group of six evil robots that turn into construction vehicles (hence the name), and can also combine into one giant robot called
Devastator. For as long as I can remember, my favourite Construction was always
Long Haul. Thinking back, I think the reason I liked him was because he was the only one out of the Constructicons that seemed like a normal road vehicle, with four wheels and no funny gadgets like cranes, shovels or cement mixers sticking out. But now that I think of it, not many people drive dump trucks around, either. Chalk it down to the logic of a six year old.
Anyway, in my experience of watching the cartoon, Long Haul was always The Silent One out of the Constructicons. He didn't get any lines in the episode that introduced the Constructicons, and he didn't get any lines in the movie. Naturally, it pissed me off that my favourite Constructicon got no screen time. But in my recent quest of soaking up all the TF info I could find from the 'net, I discovered that yes, Long Haul actually did have someone give him
a voice. Now all I had to do was track down an episode where he actually speaks.
The episode?
"The Core", in which the Autobots try to get Devastator on their side via mind control. The scene? Long Haul and fellow Constructicon
Mixmaster work together in trying to plug a crack in the ground. Long Haul's lines consist of him whining that all he ever does is carry dirt
while he dumps it in Mixmaster's cement mixer. Actually, make that "line", since that all he says in this episode and does little else apart from get together with his buddies. Small reward, I guess. But at least I finally got to hear his voice, and that his lines were pretty much in character. So there's another one of my life goals achieved, then. 2004 is shaping up to be a good year...
Back in the real world (so to speak), there's a
24 marathon on AXN, where they're showing the entire season intact. That's 24 hours of real-time, just like in the show. After faithfully following over half of the first season for several months and managing to keep myself in the dark so as not to spoil the ending in order to fully enjoy the feeling of watching an entire season, I dropped off. Forgot why. Halief brought back the entire season on DVD, but I haven't watched it, because I wanted to watch it on a weekly basis like normal people do. But after the drop-off, I've been contemplating the DVDs, but just haven't got around to it yet. I didn't know when the marathon was going to be on. I just switched on the TV and there it was. Coincidentally, it was just where I left off. I thought about watching, but then I realised that would mean staying in front of TV for the remainder of the day, whereas I still have other things to do. Like this blog, for example. So I'll just stick with the DVDs to finish off the season. Maybe one day when I absolutely have nothing (and I mean
nothing) else to do and I have the stamina to sit in front of the TV for 24 hours straight.
Still several hours until this day ends. I'll end this blog right here, and see if I have any juice leftover for something else.
As you can tell from the twilight timestamp, this is actually the blog for January 2nd. Anyway, got some work done this morning: finished up yesterday's review and started on another. Naturally, it feels great to have got something done ahead of schedule, and I think it's the first time in a while where I've definitely satisfied with my work. Cheers all round.
Turns out today was a day for milestones: it also marked the first I left the house for more than a 50 metre radius in five days. What can I say, I'm a homebody. Even though I have absolutely nothing to do, I somehow manage to make myself not want to leave the house. Symptoms of an anti-social or just plain laziness? Hmmm...
Anyway, went to PIM with the other Malesbanget kids to meet up with Tasha, who's currently in town. She brought along a friend who turned out to be Ary's ex, so a lot of amusement was to be had when he showed up sweating at O La La, motorbike helmet in hand after playing football and making the trip all the way to Pondok Indah. His ex was verrry cute. (Insert sound of repeated chin-stroking here.)
And then it was on to Babal's birthday dinner, at the Fatmawati branch of Ayam Bakar Wong Solo. If you feel like you've heard of Wong Solo but can't remember where, let me jog your memory: you may recall the furore over the so-called Polygamy Awards a few months back, which basically was an attempt to allow men with many wives to let their freak flag fly. Not that I'm saying all polygamists are freaks; heck, my grandpa had two wives. Not that being my grandpa means he's not a freak (I don't know enough to claim indefintely that he was in it for the right reasons...note to self: ask Dad about it). It just means that it's not my place to regard everyone married to more than one wife at the same time is a horny old man.
Islam allows polygamy, as long as the intention is noble. (I won't go into the rules here.) The thing about the Polygamy Awards is that it seemed to overlook the nobility part in being wed to multiple partners; the main thing was that you had your own harem to qualify for it.
Personally, I'm not into polygamy. I just can't see a viable way of treating everyone equally, plus I don't think I'm noble enough to practice polygamy for the right reasons. Besides, one wife will surely be more than enough. I'm looking for that perfect someone, and once I've found her, why need anybody else? Monogamy it is, then.
What has all this got to with Wong Solo? Puspo Wardoyo, the guy who came up with the Polygamy Awards
owns Wong Solo, and as you'd expect, he himself practices what he preaches (the "many wives is good!" thing). So you could say that by eating at his restaurants, you're indirectly donating for his next marriage. But then again, Babal was the one buying dinner (thanks a lot, 'Bal!). It's actually a nice, clean restaurant and I would eat there on my own accord, if I could read the menu and not get reminded of the whole Polygamy Awards fiasco. But as long as "Polygamy Juice" is on the list, I don't think I'll be dining there anytime soon.
Hello, 2004. As you might've noticed, I didn't do anything special in particular to mark your arrival. In fact, I didn't even know you were already here; just before midnight, I had turned off the TV because all the New Year's programs were unbelievably irritating (which they always are), and the morons on the street with their cheap trumpets were even bigger bastards. So I just put on the walkman and listened to the Red Hot Chili Peppers'
By The Way because I was feeling nostalgic. You came by approximately when 'Dosed' was playing, but I only realised it about 10 minutes later. When I did notice, I just shrugged my shoulders and went back to listening. I even ended up getting some work done. On New Year's! Lack of a social life? Not really (well, others may beg to differ), it's just that I don't really care for all the festivities. So if I'm not going to be spending the night with a bunch of people who're giddy just because they get to use a new calender, I might as well do something productive. Managed to get about half a review done, which should make the rush job easier when I eventually blow the deadline, ha ha.
Went to bed around 4, spent most of the day in bed and the rest of it on the 'net, carrying on with the
Transformers: Generation One cartoon infatuation. (Man, those were some dorky episodes with ludicrous plots, but hey, it's all about the nostalgia.) In other words, just another typical day at home. I foresee many more days like this in the near future.
Now don't get me wrong, 2004. It's not that I despise you. Heck, we've only known each other for almost a day. It's just that all your predecessors have come and gone, promising hope but in the end delivering very little. Actually it's not their fault either, since everyone's life is what they make of it. And I guess I haven't been making much of my own life lately. So here's what, 2004: I'll try harder to make this a good year, if you don't force me to be all festive about it. Besides, you've already had about 95% of the human population boozing in your honour, so you don't really need little ol' me. We'll see how things ago on December 31st...that is, if I can still be bothered writing this blog for that long.
Later.
