You don't know what you got 'till it's gone

Arrrrggghhhh!!!

I had no internet service over the weekend and it nearly KILLED me! OK, not really, I was able to get my internet fix while I was at work (shhh! Don't tell my manager!).

My local cable service provider, whom also supplies me with high speed internet, and who shall remain nameless (I don't want to piss them off now do I?) has been fiddiling with the cable for the past few weeks. Which explains why channels 4, 5, 6, and 7 have been very staticy and downright unwatchable at times. So I figure that my internet is tied to that in some way. They've done service before, and the internet usually goes down for one night. So I had to sit and suffer through the indignities of not being able to go on all the good gossip blogs all Saturday night, but I figure I'll survive one night. I baked an apple crisp in lieu of being able to surf, thinking all will be well on Sunday after I come home.

But NOOOO! There was my modem, with it's sad little LEDs blinking and taunting me with errors. So, doing all the tech support that I could figure out myself (I was also a little burned out because I had to tech support a friend over the phone at work because he couldn't get his cable-router all-in-one to work wirelessly), I was burnt out and resorted to my last measure, calling tech support at the cable company. I hate tech support. In fact, I hate talking on the phone all together. If I had my way, I would e-mail everyone for the rest of my life, and find all the information I would need over the internet, through product webpages and message boards. The only kink is when the internet doesn't work...

So anyway, I give the lady my info, and she says that the cable is working fine in my area. She told me it must be that the modem is on the fritz. Now granted, the thing is five years old, but it still worked pretty well, so I was skeptical that this was the cause. She told me that they would send someone over on Tuesday (tomorrow) to look at it, and perhaps supply me a new modem to rent (for $3 bucks a month to pop!). Being the skeptic that I am, I head off to work this morning, with the intention of using the internet to trouble-shoot my modem myself.

Well, talk about technology becoming obsolete at a breakneck speed, my old Motorola SurfBoard SB4100 modem (only 5 years old remember) isn't even listed on Motorola website anymore. There's support for you! So, fishing around for some more information, I finally decide to buy a new modem (it's a conspiracy I tell you! Making technology completely obsolete in a period of 5 years!). I decided to get the new model Motorola modem, the SB5120 (though, there is a SB5101 model, but I can't really tell the difference between the two). So a pit stop to Circuit City after work, and $80 later, I am now the proud owner of a new modem. And as you can tell, it works like a charm, since you all are reading this now, aren't you?

And to boot, it is a sleeker and smaller model all in black, instead of the old modem, which is a larger, clunky light grey. This new modem fits my current computer color scheme much better.

Long story short, I guess tech support was right this time, and I should probably trust what they are telling me every once in a while... Happy surfing!

I Am The Very Model Of A Cartoon Individual

A plug, a rant, and a rave. What more should you expect from the choitoy?

The Plug: The first season of the wonderful animated cartoon, Animaniacs, has finally come out on DVD (for those counting, a "best of" Pinky and the Brain has also come out). My sister and I LOVED these cartoons when they came out so many eons ago. All the characters on that show gave us pure silly pleasure. And when I was watching it, I was at that wonderfully awkward stage where I was no longer a kid, not quite grown up, but loved that the humor in the show catered to both kids and adults. I even loved all the secondary characters, Slappy Squirrel, the incorrigible elderly squirrel who tells wonderfully violent stories to her nephew, Chip (my favorite was "Bumbie's Mom", where she teaches him that old cartoons never die, they just retire off to trailer parks). Be sure to pick these up the next time you go hunting for new DVDs.

The Rant: The Duff sisters, Hilary and Haylie, are soon to release a movie that they star in together called Material Girls. So what do they do to promote this occasion? They of course have to cover Madonna's classic "Material Girl" song. Now, if I had never heard the original, I would have said that this version is OK, yet quickly forgettable. Unfortunately for the Duff girls, I have heard the original many, many times, and this version STINKS!!!
They sound like they are bored out of their poor little minds, like getting an hour long manicure while recording the song. The music is too synthetic and over produced (not that the originally wasn't "synthy" but it doesn't sound like muzak composed with old broken Casio keyboards). There is no energy coming off of the sisters duetting with each other, and they both sing with a three note range. Hopefully their movie will come out and die off quickly, so they don't try to promote this travesty with a music video. I won't even bother posting up a link for you to get a listen to it, because you really are better off not knowing what it sounds like. Just goes to show you that any old Joe or Jane Schmoe should not try to attempt to cover any of Madonna's songs, unless they really do bring some major cojones, and really do try to do something fresh with the song, instead of trying to force it into "hip-hop" light territory.

The Rave: Finally, Lance Bass, ex-*NSync-er, and one time hopeful cosmonaut, has finally come out of the closet, telling all in an exclusive interview with People Magazine. It has been some time coming, as rumors have been swirling around since the boy band was still together, inundating us with boy band pop. In snippets of the article, he sounds happy, and is glad to be in a relationship with reality star, and Amazing Race winner, Reichen Lemkuhl. I'm happy that another celebrity has come out, just as Washington State has decided to ban gay marriages (boo!!!). The more people who are visible, the more we can beat minority statuses, and become a tolerant and diverse nation. I'm all for equality and anti-discrimination, being an overweight Asian guy, I have seen the hardships of discrimination (though not on the level as a lot of other people in minority groups in other areas of the nation). So now that the whole ordeal is finally over, I think Perez Hilton can finally breath a sigh of relief...

An Inconvenient Heat

Here I am again, apoligizing for being lazy about posting. I know, I know, "choitoy, you promised to post about your reaction to the shenanagins on season 3 of Project Runway. I want to know about what you think of a white guy named Kanye, and why Milan is such a creepy little villain last seen on Yu-Gi-Oh."

Well, tough! Just kidding! It's been hard to get anything done with this heat and humidity going on here in the Seattle area. Everyone I know feels just like lounging around and doing nothing. And the heat just makes you tired, but it's too hot to sleep comfortably. I hate waking up all sweaty. Fortunately, tomorrow is supposed to finally go down to more tolerable weather (mid to upper 70's, YAY!!!).

You know, I have this summertime conspiracy theory. Last summer, were were made to cheer on penguins trudging through Antarctica, and this hear the "hottest" (sorry, I just had to get it in there) documentary out there is stoic ex-Vice President Al Gore uncharistacly waxing poetic about the dangers of global warming in his new movie, An Inconvenient Truth. All while we escape the heat of the sun in a dark, air-conditioned theater. It's a big guilt trip into showing us how we are slowly distroying the environment, and thus ourselves. Wait, where was I going with this...? Oh yeah... Hot=Bad, Humans make Earth's atmosphere unnaturally hot faster than usual, Humans=Bad.

Guilt, it's a powerful thing.

Sorry, still no Catwalk action from me...

I still haven't got the time to write my post on my first impressions of the new Project Runway gang. And the second episode airs tonight!

I'll try to find the time soon, but with my mother at home with too many days off than she can deal with, I've been running around town and back with her for the past three days. It's exhausting. I'm driving Ms. Daisy, so to speak.

And now I have to go back to work tomorrow. No rest for the weary!

I'll try to have it up this weekend, I promise (but as Brenda says, you can poop in one hand and wish in the other, and see which one fills up first...)

Let Me Entertain You

I just joined up with the web blog "The Bestest Blog of All-Time", run by a guy named Billy. His blog is a type of link exchange blog, and thus a "you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours" idea where I post a link to his page (as noted in the new "favorite links" and "other blogs I like" sections in the sidebar, right under all those book covers), and he will link to mine.

The funny thing is that I have thought of this blog as a "personal" blog, acting as my online journal, but he has me placed under the "entertainment" blogs. At first, I thought, "hey, this is my personal blog, and in no ways affiliated with the entertainment industry, as in other blogs out there like my favorite, Perez Hilton." But going over some of my more recent posts that basically chronicle things that entertain me, from small electronics to new music CDs, I then thought to myself, "hey, maybe there is more entertainment in here than I thought. My blog was renamed to "the toybox" after all..."

I never meant it for me to look like this, the placid victim of the corporate monster of consumerism, but never the less, my consumer habits has nearly grabbed all aspects of my life, hook, line, and sinker. Just today, I spent $30 on books (yes, me going on with the reading again!), and another $70 at Best Buy on DVDs (Ren & Stimpy: The Lost Episodes is one DVD that's full of goofy, irrelevant naughtiness! Don't show this to the kids, especially when there is an episode entitled "Naked Beach Frenzy"!). I'm spending money at such an alarming rate, it will be a small miracle if I ever will make the grandest of all purchases, a house for myself.

Lo Stivale

Sorry about the lack of an update recently. I have all the stuff to write down a new blog on Season 3 of Project Runway that premiered last Wednesday (I promise to try to post it tomorrow), but I have been busy sending off my sister and father to a three week Italian vacation. Lucky stiffs! I would have gone, but the only way to get three weeks off at my work is to sell my left nut, or to quit. Not very appealing choices I'm sure, but at least I get the house (mostly) to myself for about 3 weeks. Don't forget to bring back some souvenirs Karmen, like a FIFA World Cup Italian Championship t-shirt. Don't party too hardy with the Romans there without me...

P.S. Karmen, about Darren Hayes, I told you so (*does the "Told You So" dance* as made famous by Bobbi Adler on Will & Grace). Anyway, adding to a growing list of finally out celebrities (no matter how far from "A-List" you are), we still love you and thank you for putting a face to the "closet". Bravo to you (and much more respect, as I've been trying to convince my sister for YEARS that you are what you are). I hope you finally have found happiness in your life. And thank you for joining the ranks of John Barrowman and George Takei. (They're waiting for you now, Lance Bass!) (Look at me, I'm Perez Hilton now!)

P.P.S. For those of you going though either:
A.) Bjork withdrawal because Medulla was released so long ago
B.) Radiohead withdrawal because Hail to the Thief was released even longer ago
C.) Quiet, introspective electronica withdrawal
Then check out Thom Yorke of Radiohead's solo album, The Eraser. It's pretty cool, like a male version of Bjork's Vespertine, with deconstructed electric micro-beats, sadly falsetto voice, and introspective lyrics. Fans of A., B. and/or C. (like me at times) will be delighted to have this to listen to and brood over.

I need a Roto-Rooter!

Nothing much happening for the past few days. The sun hasn't officially come back to grace Western Washington with it's presence ever since the July 4th holiday. Oh sure we have had the occasional sunbreak, but for the most part, there are just some lingering clouds in the air, which unfortunately makes for a hot and humid afternoon. Now, granted, it isn't a "August in Atlanta, Georgia" humid, but with the way I am, anything above 50% humidity is too humid for me. I sweat like a pig (well, actually, pigs don't sweat, but I sure do! Got those darned sweat genes from my mom!).

It also doesn't help that I am usually completely congested in the nasal area due to both allergies and a naturally small nasal cavity. And the combination of the heat, humidity, and my plugged up nose is giving me a wicked headache. I live for air conditioning, with it's de-humidifying, cooling, and air-blowing qualities.

I am so desperate that I'm considering a laser ablasion of my nasal passageways again. Basically, it's a nice fancy term for "Roto-Rooter"ing the inside of my nose. They lightly burn and scar the lining of the nasal cavity to help bring down the swelling and inflammation of the nasal linings. I had this done once, but only while I was knocked unconscious during my tonsilectomy. My ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor) says that this procedure can be done on a clinical, outpatient basis (read, in the doctor's office, and not a surgery suite). But I don't know. Since I won't be "out of it" while this is happening, I think I may be too painfully aware of what's going on in there, when I would much rather blissfully not know. That, and the smell of burning flesh is so not a good thing. Trust me on that one. I've been through enough surgery cases that I know what I'm talking about.

The School of Speed-reading

I have become something of a fast summer reader. Either that or the books that I'm choosing have either:
A) Not enough plot.
B) Not enough pages.
C) Too much spacing in between lines.

Either way, I just finished two books in a period of three weeks. I finished Mark Haddon's book, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, in two days (Maybe I have too much down time during the weekends?). It was a pretty good book, and it really got you into the mind of someone who has some special needs. Mr. Haddon has worked a lot with autistic children, and he was really able to give us some insight into the minds of kids who are socially challenged, but when alone, their capacity for memory and sheer brilliance for logistical thinking simply astounds. It starts off as a murder mystery, turns into a pseudo "coming of age" story, and ends up as an inspirational tale, all in about 240 pages. And it was a refreshing change of pace from my last book I read, Lisa See's Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which was Amy Tan meets melodramatic Chinese historic soap opera. That book was O.K., if only it didn't have such stilted dialog at times.

I did notice that both books quote praises from Arthur Golden, author of Memoirs of a Geisha, one of my favorite books that I have read. Yet he has technically written only one novel.

My next book is Winkie, by Clifford Chase. It looks interesting, as the premise of the book is that a stuffed teddy bear is indicted on charges of terrorism. Seems both absurd yet timely. Kinda like President Bush, except with out the "timely" part.

All this reading almost makes me want to try my hand at writing my own book. I usually have ideas for poems and plays and novels floating around in my head, but I never really do anything about them. Some other time maybe...

100!?!

Well, it's been a little over a year and a half, but I finally made it to my 100th blog entry!

Starting on December 14, 2004, "my bleah blog," as it was known, was given form and shape (well, virtual data form and shape anyway) by me. I guess that I started posting as a type of self indulgence and catharsis. I didn't think that anyone would actually read my thoughts. Well, at least that's what I first imagined this blog to be; a collection of my current thoughts, hopes and dreams. Kinda like an online journal (nee, (am I man enough to admit it?) a diary). Only this journal could be read by anyone with internet connectivity. So I have to watch what I say, you know what I mean?

I have previously tried, to no avail, writing in a hand written journal. I bought a neat little sea foam green flocked blank journal, 200 pages of vast off-whiteness, waiting for my words to lovingly and emotionally fill up those pages on a daily basis. This happened for exactly one week. I then proceeded to write in it, off and on, for another three months, before abandoning it completely. To this day, I have no idea where it is now. Probably in the clutches of my sister. Not that she would know where it is either, as both of our bedrooms are complete and utter disasters on a near "Katrina" scale, filled to the brim with the excesses of consumerism. Even though my flirtation with journal writing was brief, it was also tumultuous, as it chronicled some very low points for me (one entry chronicled me traveling to a friend's house after a particularly heated argument with my mother, that lead me to near the point of suicide).

I never knew exactly why I never kept up with journal writing. Perhaps it was because my hand would cramp up after about 10 minutes of writing, no doubt a side effect of the punishments my father used to conjure up for me. Since I was a home body as a child, and never had that many friends or worried about going out and having a social life, my father would punish me by having me write a sentence 1000 times on lined paper about how I would never do the punishable offence again. After my hand cramped up and was completely numb to all sensations, I learned my lesson: if I ever did anything bad, never let my parents know about it.

I digress.

So I didn't have much expectations for this blog to work out. I never thought I would actually make it to 100 posts (actually, if you went back and counted, this probably would only be my 99th published post, as I have one post that I've worked on to near completion, but have never posted it due to it falling out of my scope of thoughts to finish it. I may go back one day and post this "lost" post, as it is still on file). I worried early on that I might lose interest (a lot of other personal blogs out there also abruptly stop posting, I surmise, due to lack of interest). I actually did only post less than a few times a month early on. But in early 2005, after getting my tonsils out, and thus not having a voice, I decided to take up a New Years Resolution to read and write more, both of which I think I have done by trying to post a blog entry at least once a week, and to read a new book at least once a month. I also now know that my blog entries do not fall onto only my own ears (eyes?). A few of my co-workers regularly check out my blog (bless them all for not trying to throw me into the "looney bin" after a few of my posts). So I guess this really hasn't been a decadent waste of time.

Anyway, in case you didn't notice, I have a new title for my blog (as chronicled a few posts ago), "the toybox." Nothing is really going to change in my blog posts, but I will try to have a less pessimistic outlook on life, which required me to stop thinking in terms of "bleah"s, and start thinking in terms of life being a "toy" or a "gift." We'll see about that... Just remember that I'm the king of pulling out explanations, reasoning, and metaphors out of my ass also.

See you for the next 100 posts!

- choitoy

I'm bringing PsychoBack

Well, upcoming music time...

Seems like September is going to be a hot month for new music releases. It also seems that having a space in between the words in song and album titles is soooo passé.

On September 12, Justin Timberlake is finally releasing his sophomore follow up album, FutureSex/LoveSounds. His new single, "SexyBack" is going to hit the radio waves tomorrow (as we speak). I gotta say that there are a lot of songs out there that at first listen, I absolutely HATE! But with further listening, the song grows on me (especially if it at least has a good beat), and I end up "hating the haters" so to speak. This has happened to me with the Black Eyed Peas insipid "My Humps," and Gwen Stefani's "Whatcha Waitin' For," but this phenomenon has gone as far back as Destiny's Child's song "Jumpin' Jumpin'," because I thought they were never going to top "Say My Name." Sigh...

Anyway, the song has a really cool beat to it, supplied by none other than Timbaland (who always has a habit of dropping some cool, experimental beats and sounds on us, whether it's through his old stand-by, Missy Elliott, or his newer protege's, like Nelly Furtado). The song sounds to make for a promising second album by the former boy band bopper, though it doesn't erase the thoughts of him wanting to become black.

However, he does look kinda psycho killer preppy in the single cover. I think I actually have seen this picture before, on Bret Easton Ellis' book, American Psycho. Interesting choice for young JT.

In other sophomore album news, I am happy to hear that the Scissor Sisters has a new album title and release date set. Ta-Dah! will hit American shores on September 26 (it "comes out" (so to speak) about a week earlier in Europe). I've been drooling with anticipation over some new Scissor Sisters material, as I have worn out their last album to the nub. (It's true, just ask my sister). I can't wait to hear the new single, "I Don't Feel Like Dancin'," which is a duet with one of their more obvious influences, Elton John. Too bad that they aren't releasing this single until September 4th; so while we have the whole Summer dancing with Justin's "SexyBack," I still have a two month wait to see what glammed it's way to the disco dancefloor with the Scissor Sisters. Too bad that they are not touring into Seattle anytime soon, as I hear that they have been premiering many of their new songs at their shows. I don't see why they can't come here. The lead singer, Jake Shears, has a little history in this area (word has it that before the band formed, he was a "Go-Go" dancer at a few of the clubs around town).

Oh, and don't think that the Scissor Sisters would get off without me tying in the title of this post to them. Rumor has it that one of the songs on the new album is called "HairBaby," which another site writes is, "the first song about tumors with unborn fetuses in them." Sounds gross, but it's actually true! Teratomas are tumor like clusters, usually found near germ cells (undifferentiated cells that can turn into any cell in the body, but usually happens while we are just a little mass of them in utero, or in future baby production sites, like ovaries and testicles!) that can grow hair, teeth, bones and nails. This was most recently referenced in pop culture by Grace Adler (in Will & Grace) being freaked out by a Discovery Channel show where there was a tumor with "mini teeth, and mini hair, and when they poked it, it went 'OW!'" God, I love Will & Grace. (By the way, this was in reference to Grace also finding out that her current boyfriend has six toes on one foot).

Anyway, at least I have something to look forward to in the upcoming months. Darn! Can't jump in front of that bus just yet!!!

Almost 100!

In anticipation of my 100th post (yes, only 100. I'm not as prolific as some of those other bloggers out there), I've renamed my blog from the ho-hum "my bleah blog" to the more appropriate "the toybox".

It's mostly a cosmetic name change, as I haven't really "bleahed" about anything much recently. I've just mostly interspersed my musings on the music that I'm listening to, with my sad and depresso poetry that I write. Once in a while, I'll drone on about the wonders and horrors of technology. Speaking of which, I just got a new "toy" for myself, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W100. With 8.1 megapixels packed into a pretty small and light point and shoot camera, it's a cool little bauble for myself that I'll get to start using sometime in August (my sister is going to road test it in Italy, where she will be spending three weeks of her Summer with my dad).

But that's not all that is up Sony's extensively large sleeves (wait, wasn't it just a few months ago that I was boycotting Sony because of their DRM schemes to copy protect their CDs?) is the new Sony VAIO UX micro PC. This little wonder weighs in at just over a pound and sports a 4.5 inch screen, but the real wonder is that it is a full fledged computer that has tech specs that can rival low end laptops that are over twice the size. It's like a PDA with all the functionality of a full computer, with a 1.2 Ghz Intel processor, a 30 Gig hard drive, and all. It's making me drool just thinking about it. I actually did drool while watching a video of this guy, Lorin Thwaits, unpack his new uber-toy in the middle of the Temple District of Nagano in Japan. (See the video by clicking here. I'm jealous that he rubs in the fact that he got this new plaything and is unwrapping it like a spoiled kid on Christmas morning. I'm also jealous of the fact that he's in Japan, as I would love to visit there someday. My only consolation is that the woman that he's with that's shooting the video (Wife? Girlfriend?) is probably going, "Oh my God, what a GEEK!!!" the whole time). The $1799 price tag may seem a little steep, but considering what this is, a whole actual computer that will fit in the palm of your hand, it seems worth it to splurge on. Too bad I don't have $1799 lying around. Time to go check those Mega Millions tickets...

Go BOOM!

I hope that all of you have a safe and happy 4th of July celebration.

Here in Seattle, Mother Nature doesn't fail to disappoint the general public and meterologists by lulling us into a false sense of security with hot, sunny weather the week before the 4th, and cloudy, rainy weather on the holiday. It's an ongoing joke that it just isn't the 4th of July in Seattle without a little rain.

But more disappointing than the rain was the 4th of Jul-Ivar's show over at Elliott Bay (I didn't actually go to any of the shows, as I hate loud noises (i.e. fireworks), and large crowds. I actually watched the show from the comfort of my own couch with pajamas on). The show, broadcasted on KOMO TV channel 4, was lackluster in any event. I had a co-worker who told me that a few years ago, she was finally able to get the day after the holiday off of work and she and her hubby went to the show, and after a few years of excellent displays, she told me that the show sucked. I was wondering how a fireworks show can "suck," I mean it's all exploding balls of pretty colors. But watching the 4th of Jul-Ivar's, I can honestly say that yes, a fireworks display can suck. It looks like there was only one barge that carried fireworks, the music selection was old and lousy, and there was nothing new or exciting about the fireworks that went off (when they did go off that is. There was way too much of a gap in between bursts).

Way better was the show going on over at Lake Union's Gas Works Park. Officially called the WaMu Family 4th Show, this show had a lot going for it. From an eclectic music selection, mixing traditional orchestral songs like "Beethoven's Symphony No. 9," with some more recent and random selections like "Blitzkrieg Bop" by The Ramones. This show utilized three barges, each loaded to the gills with an excellent assortment of fireworks, from the golden weeping willow effect of the "Triumphant Storm" fireworks, to the angelic and ghostly "UFO" fireworks that seemed to just slowly and lazily rise up from the water, only go less than 100 feet high, and slowly drift off and disintegrate before us. Even the coverage by the KING 5 news team was hipper, even with the old stodgy standbys of Dennis Bounds and Lori Matsukawa. They had John Curley form "Evening Magazine", and Bender of KISS 106.1's morning show "Jackie & Bender," doing some odd stuff, like arm wrestling with the North American arm wrestling champ (that and it was fun calling them "Curley Bender," sounds like some kinda new mixed cocktail drink). It made poor Dan Lewis and Kathi Goertzen, as much as I love them, look like they were hosting a geriatrics parade.

Anyway, the folks putting on these shows always say next year will be bigger and better, so I'm looking forward to what WaMu will offer next year and hope that the Ivar's show will improve. Of course, I'll be at home on the couch with a bowl of ice cream in hand. The rest of you can fight the crowds.