Author Archives: Kristy Nicole

Memin’ Again

Posted on by
13

Amy’s fault again, too.

Spell your name without vowels: Krsty Ncl Hrtr

What color do you wear most?: black

What’s for dinner tonite?: veggie fried rice

Are you happy with your life right now?: Absolutely

Tell me a secret about one of your siblings: No

Anyone ever said you resemble a celebrity?: Yes

Last thing you bought over 50 dollars?: My 30 gallon aquarium

How’s the weather?: Cold and blechy

What chores do you have around the house: Straightening and ironing

Finish this sentence. I wish: I had a maid/butler

One word to describe you: Outgoing to a fault

What should you be doing right now?: Aforementioned straightening and ironing

Who did you hug today?: Carlton

What are you listening to right now?: My reef aquarium’s pump humming

Done anything you regret so far this week?: Nope

Describe where you are right now: At a desk in my bedroom

Say one of your friends and an inside joke with them: ACD, when I pick my nose I think of you

How many homes have you lived in? Seven (not counting dorms)

What food did you eat last night?: Spinach penne pasta with parmesan

Do you dress for style or comfort?: style…but sometimes comfort wins

Name someone with the same b-day as you: my first boyfriend’s mom

What is your favorite Michael Jackson song?: Scream

If you could eat one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?: Salad

What curse word do you use the most?: the f bomb

Do you own an iPod?: No

Have you ever bid for something on Ebay?: Yes

Where do you buy your groceries?: Target

What was the last movie you watched?: Jet Li’s last wushu film

Do you prefer regular or chocolate milk?: Chocolate

Has anyone told you a secret this week?: No

When was the last time someone hit you?: College

Can you whistle?: Yes

Have you ever participated in a protest?: Yes

Who was the last person to call you?: my dad

What is your favorite ride at an amusement park?: Everything- but I’ve only been once!

What is something you must do everyday?: Talk to people

What is your job title?: Quality Associate.  Hello, Wal-Mart!

What do you miss most?: College life

Would you ever sky dive?: Nope

What movie do you know every line to?: The Princess Bride

What color is your bedroom painted?: A cool, textured, custom taupe stripe

Can you skip rocks?: No

Do you sleep on your side, tummy, or back?: Lots of flipping from side to side, ending on stomach

If you were born the opposite sex, what would your name have been? Jeffrey Randall- They were so sure that I didn’t have a name for 5 days

Has anyone ever called you spoiled?: No.  HA HA uh, all the time.  I may be spoiled, but I’m so thankful for all of my blessings

Did you ever go to the same school as your parents?: No

How many hours of sleep do you need to function?: What’s considered functioning, and how many caffeine units?  I’ll go with 5 and 3, respectively

How much is gas where you live right now?: $1.93 per gallon gas

What album did you buy last?: I don’t.  My husband buys ’em for me

How many pairs of shoes do you own?: 35-40

Are your days full and fast-paced?: I love to be driven!

Did you ever get in trouble for talking in class?: No

Were you a “planned??? child?: Not at all

Are you a good dancer?: Eh.

Are you a nice person?: Too nice

The Alphabet

Posted on by
2

Blame Amy for reigniting my meme habit. 

THE LETTER A:
Are you available?: No
What is your age?: 33
What annoys you?: Carelessness

THE LETTER B:
Do you live in a big house?: Yes

When is your birthday?: 29 September
Who is your best friend? Family members excluded, ACD

THE LETTER C:
What’s your favorite candy?: Really dark chocolate

Who’s your crush?: Ron Livingston (ask again in 5 minutes)

When was the last time you cried? Monday

THE LETTER D:
Do you daydream?: All the time.  It fuels me
What’s your favorite kind of dog?: Maltese
What day of the week is it?: Friday

THE LETTER E:
How do you like your eggs?: Organic and free range
Have you ever been in the emergency room?: Monday

What’s the easiest thing ever to do? Be careless

THE LETTER F:
Have you ever flown in a plane?: Yes
Do you use fly swatters?: No
Have you ever used a foghorn? No.

THE LETTER G:
Do you chew gum?: No

Are you a giver or a taker?: Too much of both
Do you like gummy candies?: Waste of calories

THE LETTER H:
How are you?: Tired
What’s your height?: 5’6″
What colour is your hair?: Blondish

THE LETTER I:
What’s your favourite ice cream?: Mint chocolate chip or cherry cordial
Have you ever ice skated?: Yes
Would you live in an igloo? Never

THE LETTER J:
What’s your favourite jelly bean?: Coconut
Have you ever heard a really hilarious joke?: Yes
Do you wear jewelry?: Yes.

THE LETTER K:
Who do you want to kill?: People who take out their frustrations on lesser or weaker beings

Do you want kids?: Not really, but if it happens…

Where did you have kindergarten? Columbus, Indiana

THE LETTER L:
Are you laid back?: HA HA HA ahem, no.
Do you lie?: Sometimes
Have you ever been to London?: Twice

THE LETTER M:
What’s your favourite movie?: LoTR Trilogy
Do you still watch Disney movies?: Sometimes

What type of music you listen to?: Alternative/Pop/Rock/Top 40

THE LETTER N:
Do you have a nickname?: A million.  Nee-cola, Picky, Pickle, Krystal-Belle, Pick, Brat, Pirhana, K-Nick, Sweethoven,….

Favourite number?: 10 (my name was always tenth alphabetically in grade school)

Do you prefer night over day? Yes

THE LETTER O:
What’s your one wish?: An end to cruelty
Are you an only child?: Nope. Baby of three
Do you wish this was over?: Never.  I love quizzes!

THE LETTER P:
What one fear are you most paranoid about?: Losing a family member
Do you love the colour pink?: eh.  Depends on shade
Are you a perfectionist? Yes

THE LETTER Q:
Are you quick to judge people? Yes, and usually regret when my judgement is harsh
Do you wish you were a Queen?: No
Have you ever rode a quad? Huh?

THE LETTER R:
Do you think you’re always right?: Usually
Do you watch reality TV: Never
What’s a good reason to cry?: Whatever pain is real to the crier

LETTER S:
Do you prefer sun or rain?: Rain
Do you like snow?: Heck no
What’s your favourite season? Fall- chilly and crisp

THE LETTER T:
What time is it?: 2041
What time did you wake up?: 0330 (too busy daydreaming about my aquarium)

When was the last time you slept in a tent? Um…..age 12?

THE LETTER U:
Do you own an umbrella?: Several
Can you ride a unicycle?: No
Have you ever said someone was ugly?: Yes

THE LETTER V:
What’s the worst veggie?: Zucchini

Where do you want to go on vacation?: Anywhere

Where was your last family vacation to? Charleston South Carolina

THE LETTER W:
What’s your worst habit?: Overcommitting
Where do you live?: Indianapolis Indiana
Who’s your hero?: My parents

THE LETTER X:
Have you ever had an x-ray?: Yes
Have you seen the x-games?: No
Do you own a xylophone?: No

THE LETTER Y:
Do you like the colour yellow?: It’s my favorite

What year were you born in?: 1973
What’s one thing you yearn for?: Enough money to open a cruelty-free aquarium store

THE LETTER Z:
What’s your zodiac sign?: Libra
Do you believe in the zodiac?: It’s against my religion and silly anyway
What’s your favourite zoo animal?: Zoos are mean

Miami Vice directed by Michael Mann

Posted on by
1

Cover ArtIMDb link

As a child of the eighties, Miami Vice was one of my favorite shows.  Cool people, hot guns, heart-pounding music…it was the definition of cool.

I was relieved and worried that Michael Mann, the original producer, was on board with the movie.  Mann had an opportunity and a budget to make the movie all that he wished the show could have been- hotter people, hotter cars, better effects.  This is a dangerous proposition, as those elements (while horrendously fun) do not by themselves make a good movie, as we have woefully seen from George Lucas.  This film was not just a redux of the original.  Mann created the new century vision of Vice with plenty of traction and feel from the original.  The script actually gave the actors good material.

On the negative side, the casting for Crockett’s love interest was horrid.  She was supposed to be from Cuba but was obviously Asian and had a purely Asian accent.  There was no reason not to cast a Latina or at least any actor who could master the accent.  Li’s thick Asian accent was so bad in some scenes that we rewound several times and still could not understand her.  I didn’t buy her as the ultra-hot woman that everyone wants, either.  While she was very attractive, her costuming included a dress that looked like eighties chintz curtains and her makeup made her lips look chapped and her eyes tired.  Her scenes with Crockett were the only ones that looked somewhat forced.

Much as I dislike Colin Farrell, kudos for being able to act in a washed out pseudo-mullet.  And Jamie Kennedy owned the Tubbs role in a way that was totally different from the original.  Don’t miss the DVD special features where Farrell recaps his experience training with real vice cops on a drug sting.  A fantastic story for fans and for haters like me.

This is an average intelligence, average sex appeal movie with a fun background, great soundtrack, and plenty of thrills for Vice fans of old.

[rate 3]

 

Last Holiday directed by Wayne Wang

Posted on by
2

last_holiday.JPGIMDb Link

I saw this film several months ago, so please pardon the fuzzy recall.

The plot begins with Georgia Byrd (Queen Latifah) as a woman unable to experience life. She loves to cook but feeds the fruits of her lbors to a neighborhood kid. She has a crush on a guy (LL Cool J) but can’t ask him on a date. She meticulously saves her money but never spends any on herself.

After a nasty fall at work (a job she despises for good reason), she receives news that she has a rare brain condition and has only three weeks to live. With no family to speak of, she decides to blow her life’s savings. She goes to the restaurant of her dreams, eats with the decadence of Marie Antoinette, and lives for the first time. She stops to view beauty all around her and proverbially smell the roses. This is all rather textbook, but it has some nice touches I like. For example, she becomes more outgoing, but in a gentle, kind way that would explain her new magnetism. Most people throwing around that kind of money quickly learn they can be rude to other people who serve them. Instead, she takes moments to show them the magnificence of life that surrounds them.

Many of the movie’s themes surround food. As somewhat of a foodie myself, this element of the movie was very enticing. I love chopping, sautéing, and all manner of cooking challenges. Master chefs all know that one of the crucial elements of successful cooking is tasting each dish and adjusting seasonings accordingly. Watching Georgia refuse to eat her own creations was frustrating. The thing I found interesting about the point-counterpoint of her cooking is that before the diagnosis, she followed each recipe to the letter. After, she was tasting, adjusting, and not just cooking…she was creating. Crafting unique recipes leads to incredible satisfaction; it’s not just that the dish is tasty, but also that one can share the experience with others by serving the new creation.

I thought that Last Holiday was going to be all comedy, but I was wrong. The movie is pure Hollywood: perfect hair and makeup on everyone, a trite message, and a requirement for a healthy dose of suspension of disbelief. Add a dash of the storybook ending and you have nice, tidy movie.

[rate 2.5]

My Enemy, My Friend: The Scooba and Roomba

Posted on by
2

Official Manner of Forcing Scooba to Clean. It doesn't work so well.I have had a Roomba for about six months now and it has made my life a lot easier. I have a rabbit and two cats that shed fur as a hobby, so as much as I should probably vacuum daily, I…don’t. Then came my Roomba. I have it scheduled to run daily and my home has become a lot cleaner. I still have to vacuum occasionally but the level of cleanliness of my home has definitely elevated.

My house has an open floor plan and it all needs to be vacuumed. The Roomba simply cannot do a good job on all rooms, hence the daily vacuuming needed. I want one on each level of my house for daily pet hair duty. I have considered buying not only a Roomba for the lower level carpeting, but also an extra Roomba for the upstairs and using a virtual wall to split the house. After I realized I’m not made of money, I just learned to live with the fact that the Roomba almost never finds its home base and I have to put its carcass to recharge. No big deal since I have to empty the bin anyway. I have a sick joy in emptying the bin and knowing I didn’t have to vacuum.

I was so happy with Roomba that I advertised it to my parents. Even though they have a weekly cleaning person, the Roomba runs in their home nearly every day and they love emptying the bin and seeing how effective the Roomba is.

I received the Scooba as a thank-you gift from my parents. It’s only been a couple of days, but I’m telling you that it’s love-hate. Reviews I’d read said that the only drawback is that it’s slow. True, but who cares?? I can go watch an episode of Heroes and not even have to hear the thing. Plus, playing with a gadget is much more fun than scrubbing, no?
However.

I filled the tank, using the Clorox cleaner included in the correct ratio. Luckily my 5800 also works with vinegar/water or plain water. I’ve read complaints that the older models and the 5900 require the expensive and eco-unfriendly cleaner. I found these complaints because I did a quick search for “check tank error.” You know why…because my Scooba refused to start, claiming the tank was not seated properly. After a twenty minute battle and two internet searches, I finally made it work. Twelve minutes into the cleaning cycle, it
again gave the error. I attached and detached the tank twice and it finally went along.

I used the thing again today and it worked at first, but gave an error after about 30 minutes of cleaning. I think this is unacceptable and I will be exchanging the Scooba for an identical robot. If the new robot has the same issue, I will have to fire Scooba and *groan* scrub on my hands and knees again.

I was very pleased to see the comprehensive customer support answers to my questions, but I have a nagging doubt that the Scooba might just be too delicate to do its job properly.

Down with Elmo: Cruelty to Goldfish Dorothy

Posted on by
15

Cruelty to GoldfishPlease be prepared, as this is going to be an angry rant.

I love Sesame Street.  I love its multiculturalism, its learning opportunities, and its special place in my heart.  However, I’m pretty upset with one thing about the otherwise adorable Elmo: his goldfish.

In each episode, a baby goldfish is housed in a bowl.  They stick all kinds of stuff in the bowl and who knows if they’ve bothered to see if it will be toxic to the fish.  I’ll bet that “Dorothy??? has died numerous times of the torture of the goldfish bowl.

You see, goldfish bowls are terrible for the poor fish forced to live there.  Goldfish are thick-bodied fish who eat a lot and produce a LOT of waste.  A goldfish in a bowl quickly pollutes the water.  The fish is then forced to breathe its own concentrated waste.  If you think that bowl smells bad above water, imagine trying to breathe below the surface.

Goldfish need a lot of water per fish.  There are lots of good sources  for goldfish information, and they all say pretty much the same thing.  Baby goldfish- the kind you see in the pet store- require at least TEN gallons of water per fish.  Most fish bowls contain half a gallon or less.  As they grow- to over four inches long with very high body mass- they need THIRTY gallons per fish.

You may argue that you have a goldfish in a bowl or tiny aquarium for a year or more and it hasn’t grown, so that’s OK, right?  That’s because the poor fish has had its growth stunted by living in such small quarters.  If that doesn’t somehow seem cruel to you, imagine buying a Saint Bernard puppy and keeping it in a two foot by two foot crate, never letting the poor guy out, and only cleaning his messes once a week or so.

Goldfish never belong in a bowl.  I can’t believe a socially responsible show like Sesame Street would do something so cruel.  I know of several moms who, with best intentions, have bought goldfish in bowls for their Elmo-loving kids.  The pet store employees have either hidden the truth or were ignorant to the facts of these wonderful pets.

Goldfish live a long time.  If you think keeping a fish in a bowl for a couple of years is a success, it isn’t.  Non-fancy varieties live to be teenagers or older.  Fancies, such as double tails, black moors, and lionheads can live to be 30!  Again, think of owning a kitten and it dies in a year or two.  Does that sound like the right lifespan for a cat?

If your kid wants a “Dorothy??? like Elmo, there are three good options.  First, buy a small aquarium and house a few fish that are gold in color but aren’t goldfish.  A ten-gallon aquarium with two or three gold-color Mickey Mouse platys will bring a lot of joy to your child.  Second, if a full-size aquarium is simply out of your budget, buy a bowl of a gallon or more and house two or three White Cloud Mountain Minnows and a nice growth of Java Moss, but no gravel (for easy cleaning).  Last, if all of this sounds too difficult, don’t buy any fish.  Aquaria are an addition to your household chores and lives are at stake.

Finally, I don’t blame the people who want the goldfish bowls.  I blame the pet stores and irresponsible employees who promote goldfish in a bowl. 

Mostly, I blame Elmo for marketing goldfish in a bowl to children.  It is cruel, irresponsible, and unnecessary.