For some reason I’m on a huge Sir Mix-A-Lot kick lately. I’ve got the
Mack
Daddy
album in my car, bumpin’ away. I suppose it could be worse. I could have
old NWA cranked.
No, I don’t even think I could stand that. Mix-A-Lot’s my limit.
I finally got my copy of The Bourne
Identity
(the 80’s TV miniseries) and I watched the first half last night.
I think it’s a toss-up between this version and the movie. The movie
was much faster-paced and had action like nobody’s business, but it
wasn’t too deep, didn’t let you really care about the characters, and
didn’t remotely hold true to the book. The miniseries, so far, has
been way more faithful to the book and has given me time to get to
know the characters. I like that. The problem I’m seeing is that stuff
isn’t explained too well. It’s sort of glossed over quickly and assumed
that you picked it up, or they make subtle points that are actually very
important to the plot but almost impossible to catch… almost like you
have to have read the book prior to watching the movie.
Having read the book, I am liking the TV miniseries quite a bit. I’m
not sure if it’s keeping Jenn’s attention too well, though, due to it’s
substitution of intrigue for action. Also, since it was 80’s TV, you
really don’t get too much in the way of good fight scenes, nor do they
show any skin. (In the sex scene, the guy has his shirt off - and
that’s it - and the girl has a full body briefer and a slip on. What’s
that all about?)
I think if they were to remake the miniseries today, it would be the
best of all worlds. Unfortunately, since we have the movie, I don’t
think that’s going to happen. I suppose you can’t win ‘em all.
Here’s something that’s bugged me already this morning: At work I
participate in the employee stock purchase plan, where you can buy
shares of the company stock for a discounted price. I figure why not; as
soon as the market goes back up, it could be really good for me. Anyway,
the way we do it, once you’ve bought your shares, they go directly into
an E*Trade OptionsLink account. Note that
this account is substantially different than your standard
E*Trade account. I already have a brokerage
account with a local firm, Bidwell & Co.,
which I am very happy with (thank you very much). The problem is, I
can’t specify that, rather than go to the OptionsLink account, I’d like
my shares to go to my Bidwell account. I can’t tell OptionsLink, via an
online method, to transfer my shares to Bidwell.
Instead, I have to first attempt to remember my fucking OptionsLink
login information, which I use only once every six months when the stock
purchase plan shares get deposited in my account. I never remember it
because I never use it. Then I have to figure out exactly how many
shares are in the account. Then I have to get in this fax war with
E*Trade to manually tell them to ship my shares over to Bidwell.
Finally, I have to go to Bidwell every day to check to see if the shares
were transferred, because God forbid someone call me or send me some
sort of notification that the transaction was completed.
I hate E*Trade. I suppose it’s great for the investor who’s been in
the market for a while, knows how it all works, and knows what they want
done. I’m not that guy. I own shares in, like, two companies, and only
because I was (or am) employed there. I need the dude/chick on the phone
to walk me through the transaction process when I make a trade so that I
know I didn’t mess it up.
Maybe someday I should take the time to figure all that out. Now,
though, is not that time.
The Frederick’s catalog came in the mail
yesterday and there are some pretty nice tops in there. Jenn says she’ll
be more interested in wearing them once she has abs. (Note: The
definition of “abs,” at least as far as I’m concerned, is “the lack of
non-ab material.” That is, the donut you see around my waist is
“non-ab.” When I have successfully tamed that beast, I will have “abs.”
This does not imply that I will be “cut” or have a “six-pack.”) I
totally encourage the ab-making effort and am very much looking forward
to that day. I love a chick with good abs.
(I also like big butts, and I cannot lie… I think I have another
Mix-A-Lot blast coming on…)