.the gpb kids.

World of Warcraft + 300

Posted by Mike - March 31, 2007 at 11:03:22 am

The combination made for a surprisingly good short video on GameSpot.

If you don’t get it, check out the 300 trailer on FilmSpot. Too bad there isn’t a way to embed these Trailers. >_>

Mike + Nerd = d(^_^)p

Posted by Jules - March 29, 2007 at 05:03:37 pm

[Post] removed for blurring maintenance

Film Weekend

Posted by Jules - March 25, 2007 at 09:03:19 pm

courtesy of SFIAFF

So for the last two days, my throat has been feeling a bit off. A little bit scratchy. And I had a fitful sleep all night because I felt really stuffy. Just in case it was something bacterial, I decided I would gargle Listerine. So at 7 in the morning, I’m standing in the bathroom with a little cup of bright blue, vile liquid. I can’t seem to gargle without gagging, but here goes. *gargle gargle*.. and yep, instead of gargling I manage to let some slide down my throat, rendering me a gagging, watering mess. *Shudder* I’m not very fond of Listerine, but Mike has a costco sized jug of it >_> I think I’m going to stay away from that stuff until I forget about my misery.

On other fronts, at noon, I will be going with James, Mike’s mum, and Katherine to go see a showing of “The Great Happiness Space: Tales of an Osaka Love Thief”. I think that that is a totally awesome title, but title aside, it sounds like a really interesting movie. I’ve seen this film mentioned here and there, so I’m really curious about it. Host clubs always seem to pop up in the mangas and live actions that I read and watch (not all of them mind you), so it seems that this type of thing is not particularly underground, and fairly well known. It’s interesting to note that in mangas that I’ve read, the host clubs discussed are often high school kids doing a more innocuous version of host club, serving tea and coffee and convo to star struck girls /boys to raise money for schools. In dramas, however, host clubs are often portrayed as hotbeds of deceit and carefully woven manipulation to get vulnerable women to spend more money or worse. So I’m curious about the balance that this showing will take. Unfortunately, Pacific Film Archive was completely out of tickets, and I didn’t feel like rushing, so I bought some tickets out in San Jose Camera 12 Theaters. Seems like people are less likely to see this in San Jose than SF and Berkeley, as there are still tickets available online at the SFIAFF for San Jose.

{edit} So the movie was pretty interesting. I’m too tired and lazy to go into it now, but it was a fascinating, though often disturbing, look into Osaka’s host world. Of note, 70-80% of host club clients are sex workers- either they became sex workers to support the habit of going, or they were already sex workers when they started frequenting the clubs. I think it would have been interesting to have been able to get the perspectives of working professionals who visited these clubs. But of course, they probably refused to be interviewed due to job security reasons.

Yesterday, I saw an interesting restored 35 min silent film that was made by the earliest known chinese american film director, from around 1916 in Oakland, CA. The footage was pieced together from deteriorating nitrate film (highly explosive, and you need a permit to handle it, apparently) and 16 mm film duplicated from the nitrate perhaps two decades ago. The sister in law of this filmmaker (and the main protaganist in the film) kept the film in her basement for years. On our way there, we saw a bunch of kids in suits mumbling to themselves in corners. Apparently a mock trial was going on… yay mock trials!

I’m too old for this

Posted by Mike - March 19, 2007 at 09:03:28 pm

So about a month ago I hopped onto a co-ed adult league soccer team. It’s the first time I’ve played with a full 11 person team with large goals in five or six years. It’s good to have running space again. Unfortunately, running seems to lead to injuries to me. In the first game I must have twisted my ankle or something. After the game it was swollen and hurt a little. A few days later a bruise semi-circle formed under the ankle on the inside of my foot. That’s not too bad. I’ve played two games on that, the last one with a brace which seemed to work pretty well.

Unfortunately in the last game I think I pulled or tore my hamstring. I had just got into the game during the second half and I made a break through the defense in anticipation of a through ball, which came right on target. I already knew I could beat any of their defenders in a sprint, but this time I think I ran a little too fast. I could feel something on the back of my left leg pull or tear or something. It wasn’t a pleasant feeling. I missed my shot (of course >_<) and started limping around. We got a corner kick which was deflected and recovered by me. I took another shot which was saved and then left the field to spend the rest of the game nursing my poor leg.

Those two shots were in addition to my four or so shots in the first half. It’s frustrating that I haven’t scored yet in this league. Every one was a clear shot that I should have scored. At least three were left footed and one hit a post. After I benched myself we scored two goals and won the game. Sucks to be sitting for that too.

So I’ve been using icyhot, which burns like crazy, and an ace bandage for pressure. It still hurts when I walk though. *sigh* I’ll probably sit out next game.

Ted Leo + MP3.com

Posted by Mike - March 13, 2007 at 04:03:16 pm

Once upon a time I went to see Ted Leo play in SF… and life was swell. MP3.com just interviewed him about his most influential albums. I went ahead and put the movie on GameSpot User Videos so I could share it with all of you. Enjoy!

Riding Around Mt Tam

Posted by Mike - March 11, 2007 at 01:03:11 pm

My brother and I went on a ride this weekend around Mt Tam. He puts a little digital camera in his helmet to record video. Here’s his video of me.