Invisible Hand

Deadlines approaching

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:04:16 GMT

15 days until UC Berkeley's deadline

Causeway Classic

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:31:29 GMT

Wow, UC Davis football is on TV. Go Ags!

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:05:15 GMT

I'm seeing Spring Awakening tomorrow. =)
A full update will come after the show.

Semper Terribilis

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:47:46 GMT

Semper Terribilis, my favorite comic strip from college, is now available as a book in the UCD bookstore. That totally made my day.

To think I went to the bookstore to buy binder paper and folders...

(500) Days of Summer

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:33:01 GMT

I watched (500) Days of Summer today. I should have watched it sooner, but I waited about 500 days to read a synopsis. At least I still caught it while it was in theaters.

As for the movie itself, I liked it. It's similar to Eternal Sunshine in its story-telling format, but it didn't strike a chord with me the way Eternal Sunshine did. 8/10

Frugal

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 19:32:01 GMT

In true economist fashion, I have been cheap, cheap, cheap lately.

Today I used the school bookstore's price-matching policy to save $5.27 on The Drunkard's Walk. It doesn't have that crisp "new book" feel, but that's okay, because now I can buy a sandwich.

I also listed a bunch of DVD's for sale. Feel free to buy!

~~Boy Meets World - The Complete First Season~~ SOLD!
~~Boy Meets World - The Complete Second Season~~ SOLD!
~~South Park - The Complete First Season~~ SOLD!
~~South Park - The Complete Second Season~~ SOLD!

Berkeley food trip

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:24:04 GMT

I went to Berkeley today... for food! I ate lunch at La Note, and got dessert at Ici. I liked both a lot. The food, the decor, the weather - all excellent. =)

49er and Diploma

Thu, 03 Sep 2009 23:00:43 GMT

Yeah, 49er Video is my kind of rental store! 2006 titles count as "new releases," and classics are to be amply represented. VHS if necessary!

This week I rented La Science des Rêves, Le Scaphandre et le Papillon, Raging Bull, Kill Bill, and Raiders of the Lost Ark; all for $7.99 + tax. I started with La Science des Rêves. It let me down a bit, but it's okay, because I have 4 others to pick me up!

I also picked up my college diploma - as in the physical document. The custom frames in the bookstore are a ripoff. Should I get one anyway?

EDIT: Reviews
1. La Science des Rêves - Reminded me of Being John Malkovich, but wasn't as good. I empathize with Stéphane for being so "out of it," but there wasn't enough else to captivate me.

2. Le Scaphandre et le Papillon - Artistically presented, but the themes were all over the place. I would have preferred one primary "take-home message."

3. Raiders of the Lost Ark - Lol, THIS spawned a movie franchise? Obviously it's not meant to be watched for the first time at 22 years old and by a serious movie fan, but this struck me as being comically implausible, and hence stupid.

4. Raging Bull - I wish Scorsese films didn't require so much attention. The Jake La Motta character was great, though, and De Niro really went all out for the role. Well done.

5. Kill Bill - Incomplete; DVD wouldn't play on my computer. =(

Consolidated movie reviews

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 08:16:00 GMT

In addition to finishing TTTW, I've also resumed watching movies lately. Recently I watched Citizen Kane, Paris Je T'aime, and American Psycho.

Citizen Kane was absolutely amazing; the perfect biopic, as far as I'm concerned. In essence, it was like a better version of The Aviator - same great acting, at least from the lead, but a more complete denouement.

Regarding Paris Je T'aime, the sequence of shorts was a nice change of pace from standard movie structure, but I think 18 was a few too many. It ended on a strong note, though; the last bit felt honest and close-to-home, and reminded me that I need to go to Paris sometime. (London, too)

American Psycho, lastly, was pretty good, but could have been better. Christian Bale did a good job portraying a deranged, superficial yuppie, but I didn't find the reason behind his guilty desires to be very convincing. I'm also not quite sure what to make of the ending; either interpretation faces apparent contradictions, and obviously it's meant to be open-ended, but despite its intrigue, it did not blow me away.

Upcoming: Boondock Saints, La Science des Rêves

TTTW

Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:46:03 GMT

I finally finished The Time Traveler's Wife!

Tomorrow I hope to watch the movie. It might be just my guy movie friend and me. If anyone asks, our dates are in the bathroom... the whole time.

EDIT: I indeed watched the movie. The first 30 minutes were rather cheesy, but it got better as it progressed.
Also, for anyone who cares, Niffenegger has a new book coming out later this year.

Bird Youtube videos

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 19:36:16 GMT

Sports fashion

Sun, 09 Aug 2009 08:38:45 GMT

Sports teams really need to stop using orange jerseys as a way to stand out. Those unis stand out... for all the wrong reasons.

Related to that, the 1990's were an awkward period for NBA uniforms.
Thankfully, some teams have returned to their senses.

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 22:21:31 GMT

I've been taking my time with TTTW, but with the movie release coming up quickly, I may need to speed up my pace.

Anyway, I think I would like to live like Henry. It may be a gift/curse to be a time traveler, but imagine the perspective one gains when he or she can revisit things at different points in life. It sure makes normal methods of self-reflection look obsolete. Plus you get Rachel McAdams!

JRB and Beatles

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:44:11 GMT

TTTW reminds me that i need to watch The Last Five Years eventually.

Elsewhere, yesterday I made some more mix CD's to drive to. I want to make at least one more, of Beatles songs not featured on the Beatles 1 CD I have.

Tentative track listing:
1. All My Loving
2. And I Love Her
3. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away
4. I've Just Seen a Face
5. Nowhere Man
6. In My Life
7. Strawberry Fields Forever
8. Getting Better
9. Revolution
10. Dear Prudence
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
12. Blackbird
13. Octopus's Garden
14. Here Comes the Sun
15. Across the Universe

On the fence:
Please Please Me
Things We Said Today
You're Going to Lose That Girl
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds
Lovely Rita
Happiness Is a Warm Gun

Anybody want to help me finalize the tracks?

New look

Sun, 02 Aug 2009 07:13:04 GMT

I revamped my journal's appearance yesterday.

While doing so, I finally upgraded from S1 to S2. I like it; it looks modern, adds handy features, and has a lot of good themes to choose from. This one is called River at Night.

Pre-Pro

Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:56:45 GMT

Around 4 AM, I suddenly thought to buy a Stephen Curry jersey - from college!

There is a precedent for this. I liked Niko Dimitrakos a lot when he was with the Sharks. After seeing another fan at a game wear a Jonathan Cheechoo jersey from Canadian junior hockey, I suddenly couldn't resist doing something similar myself. So I did!

Bargain Reading

Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:00:02 GMT

I went to Borders today. I only intended to pick up The Time Traveler's Wife, but the store successfully caught my eye with two good bargains.

I may never read the Hollywood/Broadway one, but with my interests, it would have been a crime to pass on it.

Krugman vs. Mankiw

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:58:03 GMT

lol, couldn't resist.

lefty..... righty

Sat, 25 Jul 2009 08:40:44 GMT

for the one guy who cares, i indeed started a VG franchise with the a's, making them good.

lineup:
3B Sandoval
SS Peralta
1B Giambi
DH Cust
CF Sizemore
LF Choo
RF Sweeney
C Suzuki
2B Ellis

reserves:
RF Buck
CF R. Davis
2B Kennedy
3B Hannahan
(1B Barton in AAA)

----

rotation:
Verlander
Cain
Eveland
Gallagher
G. Gonzalez

bullpen:
Devine
Casilla
Wuertz
Breslow
Foulke (lolz)
Braden (LR)
Outman (LR)

trades with CLE, SF, and DET

and a link

Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:29:32 GMT

lol, a sports econ blog!
shockingly, i'm actually not going to subscribe. but i love that it exists.

related: top 25 econ blogs

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 09:41:20 GMT

in a continued effort to culture myself, i aim to watch some classic movies in the upcoming weeks (GRE? what's that?)

1. Citizen Kane
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. 12 Angry Men
4. Raging Bull

on the fence: A Streetcar Named Desire (Stella!!!)

apt hunting

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:11:38 GMT

i went to davis today to (among other things) check out possible apartments for next school year. one of them really impressed me.

the apartment itself is pretty well-equipped, and the people seem great. they're essentially all PhD students, and appear quite cultured and balanced. it could be a great experience living with them (which i missed for 1.5 years previously). on the other hand, i would hate to have misread the fit and find myself disrupting the household balance. as a spectrum, things could turn out much better to slightly worse than the "no strings attached" vibe of some alternatives.

i'm still figuring things out, but i definitely like the potential. hopefully things will turn out well.

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 23:22:36 GMT

i think i figured out why i don't like the current Fray album. the song intros are all ho-hum - not very catchy and generally too similar in the way they ease into a chorus. i like the band's subdued sound, but it needs variety, too. maybe next time around...

Giants and SF Fair

Sat, 11 Jul 2009 07:42:55 GMT

i went to the giants game today, because there was also a fair going on nearby. the fair proved to be quite fun, and the game saw jonathan sanchez no-hit the padres. sadly, i didn't see the complete no-hitter because i missed the final six outs to return to the fair. darn competing priorities!

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:31:36 GMT

i watched Leon the Professional, and sadly, i was disappointed.

the bond between hitman and girl felt forced, and altogether there just wasn't as much plot development as i'd expected. the plant symbolism needed more, too.

can't win 'em all, i guess. up next: Being John Malkovich