The (over)Zealous Curator

My name is Jessica, and I spend much of my time finding cool things around the internet. When my curiosity inevitably leads me down a rabbit hole of books to read, movies to watch, products to buy, and stuff to see, you'll hear about it!

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Update: Temporary Hiatus

Due to some personal circumstances, I'm going to be taking a break from this (admittedly new) adventure.

While I may not be documenting my curation, please know that I'll continue to follow my curiosity around as many corners of the internet as I have the time to!

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Movie Night: Netflix Project Update and a Trip to the Movies!

This week, I watched:

Captain America: The First Avenger

In Marvel's superhero slugfest, Steve Rogers volunteers for a secret experiment during WWII after being deemed unfit for duty. Transformed into super soldier Captain America, he takes on his Nazi-created counterpart, Red Skull, and the evil Hydra.

When this movie was first released, it was my favorite in the Marvel Cinematic Universe behind only Iron Man. While it's the most different in presentation and tone of all of the movies in the franchise--and there have been a few more down the line since its release--, it still fits in well and holds up. All of the Marvel movies are known for being extremely high on entertainment value while not always maintaining the same caliber of quality in terms of plot line and story, and the "weakling Steve Rogers" effects are a little jarring a noticeable to my eyes, I still rank this as one of my favorite superhero movies and my second-favorite solo hero movie in the series, still behind Iron Man! A (surprisingly enjoyable) trailer may be found here.

Marvel’s The Avengers

An all-star lineup of superheroes -- including Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk and Captain America -- team up to save the world from certain doom. Working under the authority of S.H.I.E.L.D., can our heroes keep the planet at peace?

I don't have much to say about this movie that hasn't already been said. It's one of my favorites and it's high enjoyable no matter how many times I see it! If you've passed on it up until this point, I (and probably all of your friends!) recommend that you give it a shot and enjoy the ride. It's not the tightest in terms of storytelling, but I've rarely had more fun with a movie. A trailer may be found here.

Overall: 5/5 stars = I love, love it and I own it!

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story

When megalomaniacal White Goodman, the owner of a trendy, high-end fitness center, makes a move to take over the struggling local gym run by happy-go-lucky Pete La Fleur, there's only one way for La Fleur to fight back: dodgeball.

This silly comedy is ripe with jokes to take away and quote with your friends. While pretty much completely ridiculous, it was fun to dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge through this movie after not watching it for a few years. A trailer may be found here.

Overall: 3/5 stars = I found this to be enjoyable for what it was, but I don't think I'll be the one to suggest watching it in the future; I decided not to own it.

The Hours

This gripping drama follows the parallel lives of three 20th-century women: incomparable writer Virginia Woolf, an unsatisfied 1950s housewife and a modern-day book editor who's losing her former lover to AIDS.

I watched this movie as part of my planning into another project I hope to have in full-swing by next January and Nicole Kidman's portrayal of Virginia Woolf was my impetus. Admittedly, I haven't read Mrs. Dalloway (although I hope to in the future!), but I loved to watch the stories of these three women interweaving with each other with not-terribly-subtle hints to their connection. I felt a bond with each of them at times and empathized with much that they experienced. Seeing Stannis Baratheon actor Stephen Dillane as Leonard Woolf was the icing on the cake! A trailer may be found here.

Overall: 5/5 stars = This was a beautiful movie that will serve my future project's purpose well, and I hope to own it soon.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Extending the saga of Marvel's The Avengers, this superhero sequel finds Steve Rogers living quietly in Washington but growing increasingly restless. So when a deadly new foe surfaces, he transforms into Captain America and allies with Black Widow.

I won't give away anything specific about the movie, but I did want to leave you with my impression of it after my first viewing. I thought this movie was a fantastic sequel and it really did the superhero side of Captain America justice! I enjoyed every minute of it, it was highly entertaining, and I hope to see it again! A trailer may be found here!

Overall: 5/5 stars!

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I'm not usually a great fan of "kids' movies", but Pixar has made a few that I enjoyed--nobody could be so cold-hearted as to hate Toy Story!

What struck me most about this video is how Research Lead Tony DeRose presented what most people--myself included--think of as "basic math" not as a stepping stone to calculus or rocket science, but as essential in itself in creating the complex figures and animations that make up Pixar movies and enchant audiences young and old. From now on, whenever I feel like I don't know enough to be valuable as an engineer or computer scientist, I can think back to this video and remember that not only does everyone have to start somewhere, but even simple ideas (and skills!) are useful for something, whether combined with those that are more advanced or not!

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My main takeaway from this video is something that I hope to apply to every child in my life and each one that I meet in the future: children are people and should be treated as such.

Looking down on children strictly due to their age and (sometimes only perceived) lack of life experience isn't something I personally enjoyed as a child and young adult, and so, I don't want to perpetuate that sort of mentality and behavior. Here's to the youths in each of our lives!

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Reviewsday: Vinturi Essential Wine Aerators

These wine aerators aren't new for me, but Tuesday night was the first time I've had a chance to use either of them in months.

I'd noticed immediately that the wines from the case tasted more bitter than I remembered wine tasting, and I had two bottles of red and a bottle and a half of white wine to form this opinion from. I took the opportunity to test the white wine aerator out with the rest of the older half-bottle of white wine that had been opened days weeks ago.

First, without giving it any time to breathe (and without using the proper glassware), I poured a few gulps into a highball glass and gave it a sniff. Harsh and sour. I chugged it down quickly with a wince.

Then, I poured a similar amount of wine into the same glass (without rinsing) using the aerator. It really made a difference in my level of enjoyment! The wine in the glass smelled sweeter and lighter, without the scent being as concentrated as before. The taste wasn't as pleasant as some wines can be--and I don't blame NakedWines because the bottle was opened and sitting in the fridge for...a while...--, but there was so much less of the bitterness and sourness that I almost dropped what I was doing and wrote this post up on the spot!

I can very confidently say that, through this experience and ones in the past with cheaper (read: boxed and cooking) wines, the Vinturi Essential Wine Aerators make a difference. However, I'm sure that the experience differs by person, and maybe by wine. Since I'm not a huge wine snob, or even very well-versed in what makes a good wine good, the change after this type of aeration is enough for me to be able to enjoy my wines. Your milage certainly may vary.

Happily, I still have a bottle each of red and white from that case that I can finally crack open and enjoy!

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Musing: Good Proofs in Practice

One purpose of a proof is to establish the truth of an assertion with absolute certainty. Mechanically checkable proofs of enormous length or complexity can accomplish this. But humanly intelligible proofs are the only ones that help someone understand the subject. Mathematicians generally agree that important mathematical results can’t be fully understood until their proofs are understood. That is why proofs are an important part of the curriculum.

To be understandable and helpful, more is required of a proof than just logical correctness: a good proof must also be clear. Correctness and clarity usually go together; a well-written proof is more likely to be a correct proof, since mistakes are harder to hide.

In practice, the notion of proof is a moving target. Proofs in a professional research journal are generally unintelligible to all but a few experts who know all the terminology and prior results used in the proof. Conversely, proofs in the first weeks of a beginning course like 6.042 would be regarded as tediously long-winded by a professional mathematician. In fact, what we accept as a good proof later in the term will be different from what we consider good proofs in the first couple of weeks of 6.042. 

During my time as an engineering student, I've put many of the lessons that I've been learning into practice in other realms of my life. From this writing specifically, I can see the value in putting a game plan in place before tackling a project--whether that's creating a new piece of software, or tackling my finances--; keeping my plans and thoughts linear, orderly, and intuitive; expressing myself as clearly as I possibly can to avoid miscommunications and misunderstanding; revising and reiterating after some time to take stock of what's working in my life and what isn't (hello again, Spring Cleaning!); and, possibly most importantly, finishing what I start, even if that means throwing in the towel and deeming something a loss.

I love to find and make connections between things that aren't necessarily clearly connected, and this is one case where I think I'm not forcing too much of a stretch. The authors can see the practical value in their mathematical advice for building solid computer systems, but I can also see the value in it for building a solid foundation to live on.

This isn't the version of the text that I was given to read, but it's the same book by the same authors with the same intent. Feel free to peruse the entire thing, or just to jump to section 2.7 Good Proofs in Practice.

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The elements kept their bargain, and aspects of their nature were bestowed upon him. From Water he gained clarity and patience: for the first time in so many years, his thoughts were unclouded. From Fire he gained passion, a renewed appreciation for life, and the desire to overcome any obstacle. From Earth he gained resolve, a steel will, and unshakable determination. From Wind he learned courage and persistence: how to dig deep within and press on in the face of adversity

Micky Neilson, "Unbroken"

I think this quote illustrates something that atheists--myself, included--sometimes forget about the religious experience: Humans seem to want, often very strongly, to connect with and be inspired by something outside of themselves. Nobundo, one of the first Broken and the first shaman of the draenei race, felt like this when the elements of Draenor began to speak to him; I feel like this when I watch Cosmos or see the newest pictures from the rover Curiosity or the Hubble Space Telescope.

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The Feast: Going Hungry

I'm not certain when my kitchen will be up and running for a proper Feast, but I'll keep you posted when that changes!

If you have any suggestions for what to fill my Saturdays with when I'm not cooking, feel free to comment below.

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Movie Night: Netflix Project Update

This week, I watched:

Creation

Paul Bettany stars as Charles Darwin in this BBC biographical drama that captures the legendary scientist in a period of intense mourning -- and expansive intellectual discovery -- following the untimely death of his young daughter, Annie. As Darwin dares to question the existence of God, he pens his groundbreaking tome, On the Origin of Species -- much to the chagrin of his religious wife, Emma (Jennifer Connelly).*

I enjoyed this film quite a bit. Based on its description, I anticipated seeing into Darwin's personal life in a way that the film didn't seem to intend to tackle, such as following him on his journeys on the HSM Beagle or dealing with the aftermath of the publishing of his book, On the Origin of Species. Other, more personal topics were shown, such as the death of Darwin's eldest daughter and his near-breakdown while writing his landmark book. A trailer may be found here.

The Mask

A meek bank teller discovers a magical ancient mask that unleashes his deepest desires -- and gives him the superhuman ability to act on them. Meanwhile, he battles gangsters who seek the mask's powers.*

This is one of my all-time favorite movies! Few roles seem to be as perfectly filled as those of "The Mask" and Stanley Ipkiss by Jim Carrey--although, I certainly might be biased as a huge Jim Carrey fan! Every few months, I find myself in the mood to re-experience this movie, and "Cuban Pete" has gotten stuck in my head too many times to count. Cameron Diaz' debut in this movie is probably my favorite role to watch her in. A trailer (which is surprisingly terrible) may be found here.

Overall: 5/5 stars = I'd love to watch it again, and I own it!

Ong Bak 2: The Beginning

Tien, the son of Lord Sihadecho -- a murdered nobleman -- is taken under the wing of Chernang, a renowned warrior and leader of the Pha Beek Krut who teaches Tien a variety of deadly fighting styles.*

I'm nowhere near a "kung-fu movie buff", but there are a few that I've enjoyed. This Thai-language movie, while not very gripping in terms of plot, was very exciting to watch for Tony Jaa's cool moves. I haven't seen Ong Bak, nor this movie's sequel, and after Ong Bak 2, I don't think I intend to. However, if you enjoy martial arts on film or Asian-style storytelling, you'll probably appreciate this movie. And, if you love bad lip-readings or ridiculous voice acting, watch it with the English dubbing! A trailer may be found here.

Overall: 2/5 stars = I watched the entire movie, but don't really want to see it again and I decided not to own it.

Carnage

In this comic drama from director Roman Polanski, two sets of parents meet in the aftermath of an incident in which one of their children bullied the other. As the evening progresses, the adults confront each other in increasingly hostile ways.*

Two of my favorite actors are in this film--Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz--, but they couldn't save it for me. It started slowly, I wasn't sure where the plot was headed and, once it picked up steam and made me feel connected to the characters and what they were going through, it ended without any resolution. While short, clocking in at around 80 minutes, I was rather disappointed that I'd given the movie my time, and it only proceeded to tease me without providing an ending that really concluded the story in a manner that I found satisfactory. The acting, while a little stage-y and wooden at times, became much more enjoyable after the introduction of a little alcohol! A trailer may be found here.

Overall: 3/5 stars = I enjoyed it after a slow start, but I don't think I'd like to see it again and I decided not to own it.

Changeling

Christine Collins is overjoyed when her kidnapped son is brought back home. But when Christine suspects that the boy returned to her isn't her child, she begins to challenge the authorities and the police captain has her committed to an asylum.

While watching this movie, I felt the entire gamut of emotions: fear, discomfort, anxiety, joy, confusion, outrage, you name it. I'm not sure I can remember seeing such an evocative movie. I enjoyed every second of it, even though I really felt like I needed a hug to help me get through all the gut-wrenching, tear-jerking, panic-enducing situations that Angelina Jolie's Christine Collins endured. My only complaint about the movie is its claim of being "a true story," which immediately set off my curiosity alarm during the opening credits. I withheld my judgment and did no research until the end and, when I did, I confirmed (through nothing more than a Wikipedia search, I admit) that one shouldn't immediately believe everything they read! A trailer may be found here.

Overall: 5/5 stars = A fantastic movie that I loved, but I don't think I could watch again, due to extreme emotional discomfort, and I chose not to own it.

* All descriptions are from Netflix.

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Hersday: Check-in

I want to introduce this section with an update on what I’ve been doing lately by telling you about the games I’ve been playing and the book I’ve been reading.

The video game I’ve experienced most recently–yes, I use that word on purpose—is Grand Theft Auto V. Sandbox and open-world games are often too unstructured for my taste; and, whenever a new Grand Theft Auto game is in the news, I generally run in the opposite direction of it. However, each and every time that I’ve been convinced to sit down with one of the games in the series, I always find them to be massively enjoyable. The “Lifestyle” presented in the games holds absolutely no appeal for me as a player or as a person, but the satirical voice that Rockstar uses to present that lifestyle reminds me that I am not the only person who feels the way I do about life as we all know it. Many things in the real world fall short of being ideal and the game is a love letter to that sensibility. I did not watch so much of the game, nor did I follow the plot so closely, as to be able to provide an in-depth review, but I did enjoy what I saw of the story, the gameplay, and the game itself in general. I believe that I would recommend it to anyone who is already familiar with the franchise or interested in a video game’s commentary of the society we all live in.

In the tabletop gaming sphere, I recently received my Kickstarted copy of Myth that I’ve been clumsily digging my way into—I’ll share the blame with maker Megacon Games. The game is currently still unavailable for direct purchase as the company is finishing up with mailing out base games to international Kickstarter backers and manufacturing and mailing out the (amazing!) stretch goal components to everyone who helped make the game a reality. Once I receive my complete game, including the base game, stretch goal game pieces and parts, and updated rule book, I’ll do a full review. Until then, feel free to ogle the website and plan a tabletop night with your favorite game!

My most-recently finished book is World of Warcraft: Rise of the Horde, written by my (so far) favorite Blizzard-related author, Christie Golden! I’ve been happy to immerse myself so deeply into Blizzard and Warcraft lore after quite a long hiatus from being active in that universe. This book is my second piece of reading from WoW Insider’s Chronological Guide to Warcraft Novels, Manga, Comics, and Short Stories which presents the Warcraft extended universe materials in in-game chronological order. After a short story posted to Battle.net titled "Unbroken" and written by Micky Neilson, I will be starting World of Warcraft: The Last Guardian by Jeff Grubb.

Rise of the Horde is a retelling of the final years of the orcs’ idyllic way of life on their home world, Draenor, and their descent into bloodlust and slavery at the whim of the Burning Legion. Each chapter opens with a short, diary-style entry from Thrall, the current (at the time of the book’s events) Warchief of the Horde, as he laments the tragedy of his people’s fall from grace and their turning of their minds from their traditional ways of harmony and peace toward demonic magics and genocide. These reflections are fleshed-out by the story of Durotan, Chieftain of the Frostwolf clan—and Thrall’s doomed father—as he struggles to resist the destruction of the orcs at the hands of those who pretend to act in the best interest of their people.

I enjoyed the book and would not only recommend it to any Blizzard fans or Warcraft nerds, but also to anyone who enjoys high fantasy and is looking for a new universe to explore. I even expect to read the book again in the future!

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This week's The Watch introduces a project I've been working on since last year: creating monthly YouTube playlists around a central theme (with some videos I curated during that same month for levity). The theme for April is "Energy" and, while the playlist is currently only one video, I expect it to morph and grow over the coming months and years. 

In the playlist's single video (clocking in at a rather whopping 27 minutes on its own), energy innovator Amory Lovins presents the ideas that informed his book, Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era. Talking in the TED office in New York City in March of 2012, he says that by combining technology, policy, design, and business strategy, we can unite transportation, buildings, industry, and electricity behind the need to transition to a renewable energy model.

This Talk sparked a keen interest in me to find out more about the planet's energy options and prospects, and I hope it--and it's future playlist buddies--will do the same for you!

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CRH: The Kindness of Strangers

A young man (who I presume was on his way to high school) was having some kind of car trouble and it suffered a breakdown. Two much-older men in two separate cars stopped, got out, and both helped to push the young man’s car to the side of the road...with him! They both asked him if he could take care of himself after that, and they got into their cars and left.

From my vantage point coming down the sidewalk across the street from him, I could see that he was taken care of and, as I walked past, he was calling someone to lend him more aid.

It made me very happy to see because I’ve been in that place before, by myself and broken down in the middle of an intersection. And I’m very, very glad that he had passersby--strangers--who were willing to help. That’s not the type of thing you see every day!

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Reviewsday: Cheri Jubilee Slipper Socks

When I first saw these dark red, fluffy sock-slippers, I knew I had to try them! To begin with, they're as adorable in person as they are in the site's photo, and the colors are true, although seeing the white inner lining through the red yarn is off-putting. They don't sit on my legs and feet quite as comfortably as they look like they should, and the bottoms feel noticeable around my toes and heels (I got the M/L, but because they're not on the site for purchase anymore, they don't include the size chart that I used to determine my size!). Sadly, early on, one of the yarn threads snagged on the bottom of the couch and ripped.

Overall, they've been soft, warm companions since they arrived, but because of the funny sizing (and how delightfully gigantic they make my feet look!), I haven't worn them every day like I ought to have. That's right, I've owned these and still let my toes get cold. So, I spent around $20 on them and didn't immediately glue them to my feet like I expected to want to. I don't think I'll buy a new pair next winter, but I won't just throw these away without replacing them with something that--hopefully--works out even better.