cyranoVR's Journal: Reviews and other stuff

My friend who was in the car accident is now out of the hospital and at a rehab/therapy clinic. His recovery has been rather incredible.

On Thursday the club manager told me that I have the potential to make the top-32 of a World Cup. Since Keith made the #1 world ranking, a lot more things seem possible - the Europeans don't seem so invincible. Of course, now we have to watch out for the Koreans and the Chinese too :\

My practices have been going well, save that I have some irritating injuries that haven't fully healed. My front elbow still hurts when I over extend it, I have tendonitis in a weird spot in my back ankle (from my shoe rubbing against my foot in a tender spot due to my new engarde stance) and my front ankle isn't fully healed from twisting it a few weeks back, and my shin splints...man.

Reviews:

Chelsea Sewing Center
225 West 23rd Street
New York, New York

I went here to buy a new zipper for my fencing jacket ($4.50). The proprietor - a middle-aged spanish woman - was very friendly, although she spoke little english. When I showed her my Startex (tm) fencing jacket, she went on and on about how beautiful the material was - and judging from the bolts of exotic cloth she had in her closet-sized store, she knows a lot about the subject. She told me that the zipper I found was "waiting for me," which I found both a bit melodramatic but also charming.

By contrast

Greenberg and Hammer, Inc.
24 West 57th Street
New York, NY

was not as great an experience. They had the velcro strips ($2.70/yd) and elastic ($1.80/yd) that I needed for further repairs on my jacket, but the staff was hardly as helpful and friendly as the Chelsea Sewing Center. The store is spacious, clean and well-lit, however the cold demeanor of the staff overshadows these points. They barely grunt an answer if you ask a question, and take your money with little more than brief eye contact.

For example, I tried to ask about Singer Sewing Needles (for MrsVR) but the only assistance the staff offered me was an irritated inquiry as to what model machine the needles were for.

Love Hina (Manga), Vols 1-9
While it's true that I am happily married to a beautiful woman, reading the english transation of Love Hina (published by Tokyo Pop) has had me longing for a romantic love-triangle like the one depicted. I really missed out in high school by not trying to have a girl-friend...of course, it's one of those "if I knew then what I know now" situations (I'm talking about relationships, not sex -get your mind out of the gutter).

I think the author, Ken Akamatsu, sometimes goes overboard with "fan service" scenes. How many times can Keitaro accidentally grope Naru without her getting a restaining order??? That nonsense aside, the best way to describe the series is "charming."

For those of you familiar with the anime series - the manga goes longer than the TV series and the Movies (not sure about the OVA that hasn't been released in the US yet). I haven't seen the Anime. Volumes 10 - 14 will finish being released this year (14 is the last volume).

Buffy - "Dirty Girls"
Ok, Buffy is taking a turn for the really dark. Who are they kidding, 15-year old girls can't take on double-knife wielding servants of darkness, WTF??? And poor Xander. I am a bit underwhelmed by Caleb...his "southern accent" is not convincing at all...and wasn't he the captain on Firefly?

Anyway, I am starting to like Angel more (this past weeks episode aside, which sucked). Hopefully, they will syndicate it soon so I can catch up. Also, Amy Acker is hot.

* * *

GOODBYE COUNTER-STRIKE

I finally deleted fucking Counter-Strike off my computer. I'm not wasting any more time or losing any more sleep on that fucking, piece-of shit game.

FUCK VALVE
FUCK SIERRA GAMES
FUCK ALL OF YOU CS'ERS YOU'RE ALL A GANG OF HACKING FAGS

* * *

Neutrogena "On the Spot" Acne Patch

Ever get one of those rock-hard, painful, quarter-sized pimples in the middle of your back? (Actually, it's more like a full-blown infection than a mere case of acne). Well, these little patches apply 2% Sacylic Acid directly to the aforementioned zit. Over the course of two days they disolved the skin off the acne, leaving behind a small, bloody crater. Thanks, Neutrogena!

Bring It On

The perfect way to end the perfect day. MrsVR and I watched our Bring It On DVD because nothing good was on. Man that is a good movie.

Service vs. price

[Safety Cap]

Isn't service nice?

For important items, I'll take service over price any day.
For mundane garBage, price wins.

Beer, toilet paper, tissue, and underwear are not mundane.

buffy

[memfree]

Getting darker? More like getting ever-increasingly darker. The whole Buffy's ripped-from-heaven-depression/ Tara-murdered-Willow-turns-Evil thing was seriously dark. Every one of 'em has gone through increasingly black stuff -- including the comparitively minor Xander non-marriage, the longing for death, using people/sex (okay, girlsusing Spike) stuff. All the characters have become increasingly unhappy and disconnected for the last two seasons.

Did you notice the villain was the Captain from "FireFly"