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Day Zero Project Update: Week 49-54

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (26/26)

9. See 101 new movies (68/101)

  • Lockout -- Luc Besson's new scif(ish) adventure film.  It was fun, but there were a few scenes that just confused me.
  • Ran -- Akiro Kurosawa's film is based partly on Shakespeare's King Lear, so perfect to watch after reading the play.
  • The Blind Side -- Good feel good movie.  Grabbed it at the library
  • Safe -- J had been wanting to see this for awhile.  And I love a good action flick, especially starring Jason Statham.
  • The Mechanic -- Another Statham film, but one I hadn't seen and it was sitting on our shelf.  Not quite as good as Safe.
  • Moneyball -- Surprisingly good movie
  • End of Watch -- Got few tickets through AMC's Stubs program. Thank goodness we didn't pay.  Many issues with this one.
  • The Vow -- Redbox afternoon pick.  Typical Nicholas Sparks, but I do like fluffy romances every once in a while.
  • Friends with Kids -- A great, honest love story.
  • The Cabin in the Woods -- I loved the big twist concept.  Amazing movie!

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies(15/250)

  • Ran

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (7/7)

25. Buy a moleskine notebook -- Done!  I grabbed a classic black unlined one for my design inspirations.

28. Blog 1001 times  -- 59 times this period.  I'm past the halfway point for this challenge!  (582/1001)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (15/30)

  • Fables reading challenge -- Finally finished this by reading Cinderella: From Fabletown with Love
  • Romance reading challenge -- completed this one with the help of rest of Susan Wiggs' Tudor Rose trilogy
  • Harry Potter -- Loved rereading these and then watching the corresponding movie.

33. Read my height in books (68/68in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (97,642/250,000)

65. Save $5 for every task completed ($75)

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (50/50)

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

35. Join or create a book club -- I've found a club that will meet later in October.

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- I finished putting all the music on the server.  Now I need to sort through it...

Overall Progress

24/101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Monday 10.01.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Last of the Questions

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.  And here for questions #11-20. And here for questions #21-26.  And here for questions #27-34.  And here for questions #35-41.

42. Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous? 

No.  Being attractive or famous would not necessarily increase my quality of life.  I would rather have those ten year to increase my quality of life and enjoy life.  We have to strive to be happy in our lives the way they are.  We can aspire to change things, but obviously certain things are out of our control.  Having a fairy tale fantasy doesn't help focus on your current life.  I want to think about every day as a chance to enjoy life.  Better to back to enjoying it...

43. What is the difference between beling alive and truly living? 

Wow.  I didn't read this question before writing the previous answer.  I think it goes back to the idea of striving for better life every day and being complacent.

44. When is it time to stop calculating risk and rewards, and just go ahead and do what you know is right?

Now.  Too much time hemming and hawing gets you nowhere.  You don't get rewards or punishments not trying.  Instead you only become stagnant.  Get up and do something now.

45. If we learn from our mistakes, why are we always so afraid to make a mistake?

Uncertainty is always scary.  We are afraid to make a mistake because it is a mistake.  Instead, we should think of mistakes are learning tools.

46. What would you do differently if you knew nobody would judge you?

Dance and sing in the streets.  Wear whatever I happen to throw on in the morning (I have certain clothing rules).  Say what's on my mind.

47. When was the last time you notied the sound of your own breathing?

Last night while trying to fall asleep.  This cough has created some breathing issues especially at night.  The sound was a bit more of a wheezing than regular breathing.

48. What do you love?  Have any of your recent actions openly expressed this love?

My boys, J, reading, swimming pools, sunshine...  I think so.

49. In 5 years from now, will you remember what you did yesterday?  What about the day before that?  Or the day before that?

No.  I try to keep a good recollection of daily events, but many days fall into a pretty regular routine.  Neuroscientists know that our memories like the unusual.  We tend to remember big impact events (good or bad).  Waking up, eating, showering, going to work, etc, bed time is a routine but not very memorable.

50. Decisions are being made right now.  The question is: Are you making them for yourself, or are you letting others make them for you?

I like to think I am making decisions, but I also have considerations of other people dependent or directly connected to me.  No person makes a decision completely on their own.

tags: 101 in 1001, 50 Questions to Free Your Mind
categories: Day Zero Project, Writings
Thursday 09.20.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Spilling my guts...

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.  And here for questions #11-20. And here for questions #21-26.  And here for questions #27-34.

35. Why do religions that support love cause so many wars?

Misconstrued need to be included.  Many religions have a "us" or "them" mentality that taken to extremes can lead to war.  Instead of a love and understanding approach they take a militant convert everyone approach.

36. Is it possible to know, without a doubt, what is good and what is evil?

No.  Society collectively decides what is good and what is evil.  We generally adhere the standards, but of course there are those that deviate.  Thus, we have a societal system of promoting what is good and punishing those do what is evil.

37. If you just won a million dollars, would you quit your job?

Considering that right now I'm unemployed, this doesn't really apply.  Yet, let me answer as if I had a job.  No I would not quit my job.  First of all a million dollars really isn't that much.  It could make life easier temproarily.  It could pay off debts/mortgages/loans.  If could provide some instant entertainment.  It could pay for future endeavors.  But a million dollars isn't going to make you life-long no worries rich. Secondly, I have gotten super bored when not working.  I need something to occupy my time daily and help organize my life.  Left to my own devices, I blog and surf the web for hours a day.  (I'm actually working of two projects that could pay me for doing just that.)

38. Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?

More work that I enjoy doing.  I never minded the long hours of teaching as long as I was getting something out of it.

39. Do you feel like you've lived this day a hundred times before?

Yep.  Reading, housework, blogging, surfing, eating...  This is my life currently.

40. When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly beleived in?

Never?  I just don't think I've ever really marched into the dark, the twilight maybe, the sunset definitely.  I think I would like to jump into the unknown with passion, but at the same time, I am a big scaredy cat.

41. If you knew that everyone you know was going to die tomorrow, who would you visit today?

My children.  Although it would take most of the day to get there (damn non direct flights!)

tags: 101 in 1001, 50 Questions to Free Your Mind
categories: Day Zero Project, Writings
Friday 08.31.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 45-48

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- I have almost completed getting all my music onto the server so I can start sorting through them to find my favorites...

9. See 101 new movies (58/101)

  • The Dark Knight Rises -- I liked it, but it definitely had some drawbacks and inconsistencies.
  • The Decoy Bride -- Starring David Tennant.  A cute little romantic comedy.  Seen on netflix.
  • God Bless America -- J has been wanting to watch Bobcat Goldthwait's new movie for awhile.  Very dark but good.
  • New Year's Eve -- romantic crap, but just the ticket sometimes
  • Tonight You're Mine -- Awesome music romance...  pick it up!
  • Wanderlust -- I thought it was really funny, but then again I am in love with Paul Rudd
  • John Carter -- An entertaining old style scifi movie
  • The Raid: Redemption -- crazy action flick from Singapore.  J just had to watch it.  It was intense.

10. Spend a day in PJs watching movies -- I was feeling particularly crappy.  Thankfully I needed to watch The Wizard of Oz and Tin Man for my book review and I added the mini series Lost in Austen for a bit of fun.  √

12. See all of IMDB's Top 250 movies  (14/250)

  • 113. Batman Begins -- in preparation for going to see The Dark Knight Rises we had to rewatch the first two
  • 9. The Dark Knight -- Thankfully we own both movies

20. Reread all of Jane Austen's novels (1/6) -- Finished Northanger Abbey as part of Austen in August event

24. Keep a journal for this project -- ongoing

28. Blog 1001 times -- 35 times this period.  Not a huge amount, but a respectable number. (523/1001)

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (12/30)

  • YA Challenge -- I didn't read all the books I wanted to for this one, but I did have some great substitues.

33. Read my height in books (65/68in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (84,418/250,000)

65. Save $5 for every task completed ($65)

72. Complete "50 Questions that Free Your Mind" (34/50)

100. Scrapbook 100 pages (100/100) -- completed, but I'm still behind on my scrapbooking...

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (6/7)

35. Join or create a book club -- Still waiting to find a good one.

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (20/50) -- I'm getting through them very slowly

Overall Progress

19/101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Monday 08.27.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Some personal time...

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.  And here for questions #11-20. And here for questions #21-26.

27. Is it possible to know the truth without challenging it first?

No.  I meet way too many people that accept anything and everything without question.  Those people scare me.  They allow the status quo to continue without improvement.  Question everything.

28. Has your greatest fear ever come true?

Yes.  Although things have been improving.

29. Do you remember that time 5 years ago when you were extremely upset?  Does it really matter now?

No.  I don't remember.  2007 was a pretty decent year, nothing too bad happened.  Since then, there have been a few angry times that I still remember and are still a bit upset about.

30. What is your happiest childhood memory?  What makes it so special?

Probably Christmas Eves.  I love Christmas time full of lights, snow, presents, and awesome food.  I'm really looking forward to this Christmas.

31. At what time in your recent pas have you felt most passionate and alive?

I would have to say my time teaching.  I loved it, but man it was ton of work for little pay.  I can't afford to regret my decisions, but I really do miss it.

32.  If not now, then when?

Hopefully the coming months will hold some great and passionate times.

33. If you haven't achieved it yet, what do you have to lose?

34. Have you ever been with someone, said nothing, and walked away feeling like you just had the best conversation ever?

Many many times.  I love having those psychic-like connections with people.  It is an amazing feeling of connection with fellow humans.

tags: 101 in 1001, 50 Questions to Free Your Mind
categories: Day Zero Project, Writings
Saturday 08.04.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 41-44

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (20/26)

  • Alex Clare "Damm Your Eyes"
  • The Lumineers "Ho Hey"

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- in progress

8. Have a Pixar marathon -- ongoing

  • Wall-E -- A's pick
  • Brave -- I loved it!  A great new Pixar movie starring a girl!

9. See 101 new movies (50/101)

  • Rio -- Fairly decent kids movie
  • Brave -- Amazing!
  • The Amazing Spider-Man -- Great movie!
  • In Time -- so so
  • This Means War -- I could have done without the romance angle.  Would have been better as a buddy cop movie.
  • The Last Legion -- pretty boring retelling of the story of fall of Rome and Excalibur
  • One Night with the King -- a badly acted version of Esther's story from the Bible
  • 9 -- Great children's flick with an interesting message
  • Crazy, Stupid, Love -- Amazing movie with Steve Carrell and Ryan Gosling.  A Must See!
  • Bright Star -- This story of John Keats has been on my list forever.  Grabbed it from the library.  Good, if a little moody.
  • Unknown -- Liam Neeson being Liam Neeson.  Better than I thought it would be, but not really great.
  • 30 Minutes or Less -- Not the best...
  • Mirror, Mirror -- Loved that Snow White wasn't a damsel in distress, but the rest was a bit jokey.
  • Casa de Mi Padre -- Amazing Will Ferrell movie!  Loved the little touches.
  • Rise of the Planet of the Apes -- Better than I thought it would be...

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (12/250)

  • Wall-E

24. Keep a journal for this project -- Ongoing

26. Keep a “Six Words to Describe the Day” journal for 6 months -- Finished!

27. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (45/101) -- added to the page

28. Blog 1001 times (488/1001) 76 posts this period

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (11/30)

  • Graphic Novel
  • Vampires
  • Support Your Local Library

33. Read my height in books (60/68in.) -- 5 inches this period

95. Participate in or create a scavenger hunt -- I made one for the boys

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

35. Join or create a book club -- Still waiting to find a good one.

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (20/50) -- really slacking on these...

Overall Progress

17/101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Sunday 07.29.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- New Music V

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am finding some new music.  Specifically I want to find a great new-to-me band for each letter of the alphabet.  Today, I have a few songs to share.

Music Selections: 

Alex Clare "Damn Your Eyes" (Etta James cover) -- I ran across one of his songs on another blog (can't remember which) and now I'm captivated by his voice.

The Lumineers "Ho Hey"

Complete A to Z list (so far):

  • A – Awolnation “Not Your Fault”
  • B – Birdy “Just a Game”
  • C – Cake “Mustache Man (Wasted)”
  • D -- Alex Clare "Damn Your Eyes"
  • E – Ellie Goulding “Lights”
  • F – Fun “We are Young”
  • G – Gotye “Somebody That I Used to Know”
  • H – Edward Sharpe “Home”
  • I – Imagine Dragons “It’s Time”
  • J -
  • K – Kindness “House”
  • L - The Lumineers "Ho Hey"
  • M -
  • N – Neon Trees “Everybody Talks”
  • O – Of Mosnter and Men “Little Talks”
  • P – Punch Brothers “Dark Days”
  • Q -
  • R – Radical Face “Welcome Home”
  • S – St. Vincent “Cheerleader”
  • T – GROUPLOVE “Tongue Tied”
  • U -
  • V -
  • W – Walk the Moon “Anna Sun”
  • X -
  • Y -  Young the Giant “Cough Syrup”
  • Z – Zulu Winter “We Should Be Swimming”
tags: 101 in 1001, Alex Clare, The Lumineers
categories: Day Zero Project, Music
Monday 07.23.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 36-40

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (18/26)

  • Kindness "House"
  • Birdy "Just a Game"
  • Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros "Home"
  • Radical Face "Welcome Home"

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- in progress.  I am currently working through the Js.

6. Watch all the James Bond movies (22/22) -- Finished!

8. Have a Pixar marathon -- ongoing

  • Up -- started with the saddest one, but a good one

9. See 101 new movies (35/101)

  • Super 8 -- Great story.  Could have done with the Abrams patented lens flares.
  • Like Crazy -- Awesome quiet little story of love.  Most of it was improvised dialogue between Felicity Jones and Anton Yelchin.
  • One for the Money -- Ugh!  Thank goodness this was a Redbox movie.  Crap!
  • Secret of My Success -- How have I not seen this awesome 80s Michael J. Fox farce?  And we even own it.
  • Haywire -- Good action sequences, blah storyline...
  • The Three Musketeers -- Overly hyped and stylized.  Just didn't get me at all.  I was laughing at the ridiculousness.
  • The Woman in Black -- Very predictable.  And hard to see Harry Potter as a widow with a young boy.

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (11/250)

  • Up -- Always makes me cry

14. Choose an actor/actress and see all their films (1/ 22) -- I picked Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.  One movie complete this week.

  • The Rundown

16. Spend an afternoon in the park reading -- Perfect week to do this when the boys were at summer camp.

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (6/7) -- One to go...

24. Keep a journal for this project -- Ongoing

26. Keep a “Six Words to Describe the Day” journal for 6 months -- Ongoing

28. Blog 1001 times -- 45 posts this period (412/1001)

30. Finish 100 creative writing prompts (4/100) -- I only do these at the coffeehouse...  I need to do more.

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (8/30) -- Completed the Read Your Name Challenge with 23 books.

33. Read my height in books -- 5 inches this period (55/68in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (79,394/250,000)

60. Try 30 new recipes (25/30)

  • Chocolate avocado muffins
  • Blueberry buttermilk cake

65. Save $5 for every task completed ($55)

100. Scrapbook 100 pages (84/100) -- 16 pages in the boys' books completed.

What I Plan to Do Next Week.

35. Join or create a book club -- Still waiting to find a good one.

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (20/50) -- Have the templates ready, just haven't answered them yet.

Monthly Goal -- July

My day in 6 words.  Ongoing for the next three months.

Take 26 photos of things that inspire me (one for each letter of the alphabet).  I am going to try and complete this goal this month...  Maybe the bosy can help me think of things.

Overall Progress

14/101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Sunday 06.24.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 1
 

Music Monday -- New Music IV

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am finding some new music.  Specifically I want to find a great new-to-me band for each letter of the alphabet.  Today, I have a few songs to share.

Music Selections: 

Kindness "House" -- I think I now get most of my new music from AltNation.

Birdy "Just a Game" -- From The Hunger Games soundtrack.

Radical Face "Welcome Home" -- This keeps popping up on the Mumford and Sons Pandora challenge.  Love it!

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros "Home" -- Another Pandora find.

Bonus fun live version:

Complete A to Z list (so far):

  • A - Awolnation "Not Your Fault"
  • B - Birdy "Just a Game"
  • C - Cake "Mustache Man (Wasted)"
  • D -
  • E - Ellie Goulding "Lights"
  • F - Fun "We are Young"
  • G - Gotye "Somebody That I Used to Know"
  • H - Edward Sharpe "Home"
  • I - Imagine Dragons "It's Time"
  • J -
  • K - Kindness "House"
  • L -
  • M -
  • N - Neon Trees "Everybody Talks"
  • O - Of Mosnter and Men "Little Talks"
  • P - Punch Brothers "Dark Days"
  • Q -
  • R - Radical Face "Welcome Home"
  • S - St. Vincent "Cheerleader"
  • T - GROUPLOVE "Tongue Tied"
  • U -
  • V -
  • W - Walk the Moon "Anna Sun"
  • X -
  • Y -  Young the Giant "Cough Syrup"
  • Z - Zulu Winter "We Should Be Swimming"
tags: 101 in 1001, Birdy, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, kindness, Radical Face
categories: Day Zero Project, Music
Monday 06.11.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

James Bond Movie Month(s)

#12 on my Day Zero Project is to watch all of the James Bond movies.  I haven't seen that many of the old ones.  Thankfully, we own all of them.  I insisted that we watch them chronologically with regard to release date.  Originally this was going to take place during the month of January.  As you can see, that just didn't happen.  And so James Bond Movie January became James Bond Movie Months.  Instead of full reviews of each movie, I'm just going to list, comment, and rate them.  All in all, it was an enjoyable time watching Bond through the years.

  1. Dr. No (1962) -- Set in Jamaica.  A great introduction to Bond and Mr. Connery.  Of course there are cheesy lines and improbably circumstances.  But I love all of it.  Extra points for Dr. No's unbelievably amazing island lair.  And that Ursula Andress, too perfect to look at. 5/5
  2. From Russia with Love (1963) -- Set in Istanbul.  This one was more political and full of intrigue than the big action sequences.  There are action sequences, just not as many as Dr. No.  I really liked the slower pace and more twists and turns of this one.  5/5
  3. Goldfinger (1964) -- Ohhhh... definitely a fun movie.  Great lines.  A great villan.  Even a great Bond girl.  Definitely one of my favorites. 5/5
  4. Thunderball (1965) -- Not my favorite Bond movie.  Two bright spots: Bond villan Fiona and the big underwater fight scene at the end.  It's a bit ridiculous and not really practical, but crazy enough to fit into a Bond film.  Love it!  4/5
  5. You Only Live Twice (1967) -- Set in Japan.  Volcano lair!  Awesome!  And we get Blofeld.  My only complaint is the women.  They try to not be eye candy, but it ends badly.  4/5
  6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) -- So incredibly cheesy.  Definitely not my favorite.  I doubt this is even going in the top 10.  3/5
  7. Diamonds are Forever (1971) -- Loving this one...  Something about the plot or maybe the characters that I really enjoyed.  5/5
  8. Live and Let Die (1973) -- The first Roger Moore Bond movie.  I love how he plays Bond, much suaver than Connery.  And yes, this really is the best theme song.  5/5
  9. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) -- Really loving the Roger Moore Bond.  He has a way of saying the cheesiest, creepiest lines and somehow they come off sexy.  Love it!  This one was great mostly because of Christopher Lee as the villain.  I could have done without Goodnight.  5/5
  10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) -- Definitely not my favorite... there's just something about it (maybe too cheesy) that didn't sit right with me.  The only redeeming parts were Jaws and the giant aquarium set.   3/5
  11. Moonraker (1979) -- Loved it!!!  So cheesy, but in a very good way.  And that space battle at the end was to die for.  And we get Jaws and the villan is uber evil.  5/5
  12. For Your Eyes Only (1981) -- This one just didn't do anything for me.  No giant villain lair.  No great one liners.  A pretty boring Bond girl.  The only bright spot in this one was Topol.  Even Bond was looking a little old and tired.  It was 81, so we get some horrendous fashions.  The nail in the coffin: the horrible Sheena Easton theme song; definitely one of the worst. 2/5
  13. Octopussy (1983) -- Bond's looking a bit old, but overall I like this movie.  The mystery woman is intriguing for a little while, but then she just feels flat.  And the chase through the Indian marketplace is too amusing.  3/5
  14. A View to a Kill (1985) -- A fitting end for Roger Moore as Bond.  I loved the Duran Duran theme song.  Christopher Walken and Grace Jones as the villans were perfect.  And the final showdown on top of the Golden Gate bridge was full of suspense.  Extra bonus points for the "Bond drives an odd vehicle for the chase" scene was in a fire engine.  5/5
  15. The Living Daylights (1987) -- Our first Timothy Dalton.  And I must agree with J on this one: I like the dialogue but the stunts are way too cheesy.  Dalton plays Bond a lot harsher than Moore, more like Connery. 4/5
  16. License to Kill (1989) -- Uber cheesy Timothy Dalton.  I just couldn't take this one at all.  Glad we've moved on to something better.  2/5
  17. GoldenEye (1995) -- Ohhh  Pierce..  Good but not quite as good as some of the others.  Although I really do enjoy this one.  And Sean Bean dies, who would have guessed?  Although I must agree with J that 006 would never have been a double agent.  5/5
  18. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) -- Not as awesome as GoldenEye, but a respectable showing for Bond.  I love Christopher Price as a villain.  He has the right mix of crazy and evil genius.  And Teri Hatcher isn't bad as a Bond girl (probably because she gets killed fairly quickly in the movie).  But the best part of the movie is the soundtrack.  I love it!  5/5
  19. The World is Not Enough (1999) -- The opening action sequence is just great fun, but then the movie starts to go downhill.  Once I started to suspect Elektra King, I just lost complete interest in the movie.  And then we get the introduction of Christmas Jones.  Ugh!  3/5
  20. Die Another Day (2002) -- Once again, the opening action in North Korea is just beautiful.  The pacing is great.  The character are fun.  And more than anything, it's believable.  The sword fight with Gustav (Toby Stephens -- forever my Mr. Rochester) is a lot of fun.  Unfortunately the rest of the storyline is just blah.  I couldn't really get into it.  An invisible car!  Just kill me now, please. One upside: the use of The Clash's "London Calling" was just a great bit of fun. 4/5
  21. Casino Royale (2006) -- Goodness I so love this one.  Craig has the best mix of sauve and rugged sides.  I usually don't like the Bond girls, but Vesper is a different sort of character.  Overall the movie has great pacing and action sequences.  The addition of Felix is a nice reminder of the old movies.  And the opening credits are just amazing. But the best part is the black and white opening sequence.  5/5
  22. Quantum of Solace (2008) -- At first I didn't think I would like the "starting right where the last one left off" timeline, but this made sense with who Craig's Bond is.  I loved seeing Matthas and Felix yet again.  Fields is just annoying, but she serves her purpose and dies.  I do love the idea of an out of control Bond.  Very nice. 5/5
  23. Skyfall (2012) -- Looking forward to this one...
My Bond rankings:
  1. Sean Connery
  2. Daniel Craig
  3. Roger Moore
  4. Pierce Brosnen
  5. Timothy Dalton
  6. George Lazenby

tags: 101 in 1001, action
categories: Day Zero Project, Movies
Tuesday 05.29.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 32-35

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (14/26)

  • Zulu Winter "We Should Be Swimming"
  • St. Vincent "Cheerleader"
  • Walk the Moon "Anna Sun"
  • GROUPLOVE "Tongue Tied"
  • Imagine Dragons "It's Time"
  • Punch Brothers "Dark Days"

5. Make a playlist of my favorite 101 songs -- I started sifting through my 9400 songs on iTunes.  I'm only in the Ds, so this will take a while.

6. Watch all the James Bond movies (20/22)

  • The World is Not Enough
  • Die Another Day

9. See 101 new movies (28/101)

  • The Avengers

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (4/7) -- Finished Goblet of Fire, heading to Order of the Phoenix

24. Keep a journal for this project

26. Keep a “Six Words to Describe the Day” journal for 6 months -- Ongoing

28. Blog 1001 times -- 45 posts this period (367/1001)

30. Finish 100 creative writing prompts (1/100) -- I started a new notebook to collect all of my writing exercises.

33. Read my height in books -- 4 inches this period (50/68in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (74,946/250,000)

54. Throw away all my underwear and start again

60. Try 30 new recipes (23/30)

  • Pumpkin dessert
  • Buttermilk chicken
  • Orange teriyaki chicken
  • Farmer's casserole
  • Sloppy joes
  • Clam chowder
  • Lemony flank steak

What I Plan to Do Next Week

12. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (10/250) -- I really need to get moving on this.

16. Spend an afternoon in the park reading -- There are some great parks around here.  I need to start scouting.  And with a bike, it will be much easier.

32. Finish 30 reading challenges (7/30) -- Hope to knock out a few this next session.

35. Join or create a book club -- I found a couple on Meetup for the area.  I sent a join up email and am waiting to heart back.  I hope one of them is a perfect match for me.

72. Complete “50 Questions that Free Your Mind” (20/50)

Monthly Goal

My day in 6 words.  Ongoing for the next four months.

Overall Progress

12/101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Sunday 05.20.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- New Music III

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am finding some new music.  Specifically I want to find a great new-to-me band for each letter of the alphabet.  Today, I have a few songs to share.Music Selections: 

Zulu Winter "We Should Be Swimming" -- Recommendation from YouTube from watching Gotye.  I really like it.

St. Vincent "Cheerleader" -- Another YouTube recommendation. They are really getting good at this. I love this song.

Walk the Moon "Anna Sun" -- Another one. But I also heard this on AltNation on Sirius XM many times, and never caught the name. So excited to know who this is now.

GROUPLOVE "Tongue Tied" -- Another AltNation find. Creepy video, but great song.

Imagine Dragons "It's Time" -- AltNation, I Love You! I found the video and this amazing acoustic version for your enjoyment.

Punch Brothers "Dark Days" -- From The Hunger Games soundtrack. I adore Chris Thile (lead singer) and somehow missed that he has a new band. No actual video, just enjoy the music.

Complete A to Z list (so far):

  • A - Awolnation "Not Your Fault"
  • B -
  • C - Cake "Mustache Man (Wasted)"
  • D -
  • E - Ellie Goulding "Lights"
  • F - Fun "We are Young"
  • G - Gotye "Somebody That I Used to Know"
  • H -
  • I - Imagine Dragons "It's Time"
  • J -
  • K -
  • L -
  • M -
  • N - Neon Trees "Everybody Talks"
  • O - Of Mosnter and Men "Little Talks"
  • P - Punch Brothers "Dark Days"
  • Q -
  • R -
  • S - St. Vincent "Cheerleader"
  • T - GROUPLOVE "Tongue Tied"
  • U -
  • V -
  • W - Walk the Moon "Anna Sun"
  • X -
  • Y -  Young the Giant "Cough Syrup"
  • Z - Zulu Winter "We Should Be Swimming"
tags: 101 in 1001, Grouplove, Imagine Dragons, Punch Brothers, St- Vincent, Walk the Moon, Zulu Winter
categories: Day Zero Project, Music
Monday 04.30.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 29-31

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

9. See 101 new movies (27/101)

  • Journey 2: The Mysterious Island -- Impromtu movie while in Philadelphia.  The boys loved it and I actually enjoyed it.  A fun little adventure.
  • Sleeping Beauty -- Not the Disney version.  The art house indie version.  I just didn't get it and was bored for most of the movie.  It helped that I was packing while watching.
  • Take Me Home Tonight -- Typical boy obsessed over girl in high school, meets again years later.  Although having this movie set in the early 80s was a bit of a treat.
  • Titanic -- The ABC mini series that just aired.  You could definitely tell that it was written by Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey).  It was definitely Downton on a sinking ship.  Entertaining, but nothing that I would want to own.

24. Keep a journal for this project

26. Keep a “Six Words to Describe the Day” journal for 6 months -- Ongoing 28. Blog 1001 times -- 25 posts this period (322/1001)

33. Read my height in books -- 4 inches this period (46/68in.)

65. Save $5 for every task completed -- $10 for these weeks ($45)

85. Stay at a Bed and Breakfast -- We stayed at one in the Philadelphia area during our Spring Break trip.

96. Visit 5 museums (5/5) -- all visisted on our Spring Break road trip

  • Carnegie Mellon Museum of Naturla History -- my favorite from the trip
  • Franklin Institute
  • National Museum of the Air Force
  • Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater

What I Plan to Do Next Week

Not much as we are in the process of moving.  I will still be doing my journal and possibly some reading.

Monthly Goal

My day in 6 words.  Ongoing for the next five months.

Overall Progress

12/101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Monday 04.23.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 25-28

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (8/26)

  • Cake "Mustache Man"
  • Fun "We are Young"
  • Of Monsters and Men "Little Talks"

6. Watch all the James Bond movies (18/24)

  • GoldenEye
  • Tomorrow Never Dies

9. See 101 new movies (23/101)

  • Swimming with Sharks -- Awesome Devil Wears Prada-ish story before DWP and with evil boss Kevin Spacey.  Loved it!
  • Catch-22 -- One of J's favorite movies and I'd never seen it.  Alan Arkin was just amazing.
  • The Hunger Games -- OMG!  Had to see it.  Loved it, even with the changes from the book.

17. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (3/7)

24. Keep a journal for this project — Obviously an ongoing goal. I got a beautiful black soft cover journal to use.  I am determined to journal at least a bit each day.

27. Make a list of 101 quotes that inspire me -- 11 more added to the page (36/101)

28. Blog 1001 times --   for this week 48 blog posts (297/1001)

33. Read my height in books — This week’s height: 3.5 in   (42/68 in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge -- This month's pages 3739  (70,702/ 250,000)

38. Have a facial 39. Get a full body massage

55. Have manicure or pedicure

60. Try 30 new recipes (16/30)

  • Poppy Seed Pound Cake Muffins
  • Sour Cream Cornbread Muffins

96. Visit 5 museums (1/5)

  • Rosicrusian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, CA

100. Scrapbook 100 pages -- 10 pages this week (68/100)

What I Plan to Do Next Week

The next couple of weeks are going to be very busy with vacation and readying to move to California.  I probably won't get a whole lot checked off of the list, but I'm going to try.  I won't do another update post until the end of April...

Monthly Goal

I am going to start my "Day in 6 words" challenge.  I have a "One Line a Day" 5 year journal, so I will just modify that.  I might also keep a running tally on my update posts...  And I swear we are going to finish James Bond Month(s) soon.  We only have a few to go.

Overall Progress

7 / 101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Sunday 04.01.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 22-24

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

3. Listen to 26 new bands (one for each letter of the alphabet) (5/26)

  • Young the Giant
  • Gotye
  • Ellie Goulding
  • Awolnation
  • Neon Trees

12. Watch all the James Bond movies (16/24)

  • For Your Eyes Only
  • Octopussy
  • A View to a Kill
  • The Living Daylights
  • License to Kill

15. See 101 new movies (20/101)

  • Green Lantern
  • Contagion

19. Blog 1001 times --  30 for this week (249/1001)

22. Keep a journal for this project — Obviously an ongoing goal. I got a beautiful black soft cover journal to use.  I am determined to journal at least a bit each day.

28. Reread all of the Harry Potter books (2/7)

32. Read my height in books — This week’s height: 3 in   (38.5/68 in.)

37. Pass 250,000 pages read for my 1,000,000 pages challenge (66,963 / 250,000)

55. Try 30 new recipes (14/30)

  • Cranberry Chicken
  • Apricot Glazed Chicken Tenders
  • Salsa Shredded Beef
  • Italian Beef
  • Honey Pork Chops
  • Breakfast Burritos

What I Plan to Do Next Week

  • Finding some new bands
  • Obviously read some more
  • Finishing the James Bond movies
  • A couple of new recipes

Monthly Goal

Our James Bond month has turned into the James Bond quarter.  That's okay, we're getting there.  We only have Pierce and Daniel to get through...  I need to start my 200 squat challenge.  I was supposed to do that in February, but that didn't happen obviously.  So on to March.

Overall Progress

7 / 101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Monday 03.05.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Music Monday -- New Music

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am finding some new music.  Specifally I want to find a great new-to-me band for each letter of the alphabet.  Today, I have few songs to share. 

Music Selections: This week's new-to-me selections all come from listening to Alt Nation on satellite radio.  J has it in his car, so we always get to listen to great music.  Unfortunately I have to make due with the local channels.  It's funny that all of these songs are ones I've been listening to for months on Alt Nation and they are finally getting some air play on the Omaha channels.  At any rate they are completely stuck in my head...

Gotye "Somebody That I Used to Know"

Neon Trees "Everybody Talks"

Young the Giant "Cough Syrup"

AWOLNATION "Not Your Fault"

Ellie Goulding "Lights"

Complete A to Z list (so far):

  • A - Awolnation "Not Your Fault"
  • B -
  • C -
  • D -
  • E - Ellie Goulding "Lights"
  • F -
  • G - Gotye "Somebody That I Used to Know"
  • H -
  • I -
  • J -
  • K -
  • L -
  • M -
  • N - Neon Trees "Everybody Talks"
  • O -
  • P -
  • Q -
  • R -
  • S -
  • T -
  • U -
  • V -
  • W -
  • X -
  • Y -  Young the Giant "Cough Syrup"
  • Z -
tags: 101 in 1001, AWOLNATION, Ellie Goulding, Gotye, Neon Trees, Young the Giant
categories: Day Zero Project, Music
Monday 02.20.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 18-21

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

6. See all of IMDB’s Top 250 movies  (11/250)

  • Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels

12. Watch all the James Bond movies (11/24)

  • Diamonds are Forever
  • Live and Let Die
  • The Man with the Golden Gun
  • The Spy Who Loved Me
  • Moonraker

15. See 101 new movies (18/101)

  • Gen-Y Cops
  • Cowboys and Aliens
  • 50/50
  • What's Your Number

19. Blog 1001 times -- 43 for this week (219/1001)

22. Keep a journal for this project — Obviously an ongoing goal. I got a beautiful black soft cover journal to use.  I am determined to journal at least a bit each day.

32. Read my height in books — This week’s height:  in   (35.5/68 in.)

What I Plan to Do Next Week

  • Read Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  • More Inspirational Quotes
  • New Bands
  • Finish James Bond Movies
  • 200 Squat Challenge
  • Some more scrapbooking

Monthly Goal

January’s task was to watch all of the James Bond movies.  Obviously we didn't finish in January, so this one is continuing into February along with starting the 200 Squat Challenge.

Overall Progress

7 / 101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Monday 02.13.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

50 Questions - Part 4

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.  And here for questions #11-20.

21. Would you rather be a worried genius or a joyful simpleton? Worried genius.  I like my education way too much to be a joyful simpleton.  Life is nothing without education.

22. Why are you, you? Nature and nurture.  There's the psychologist in my coming out.  My genes make up part of me.  My life experiences make up the other part.  To be more detailed, I would have to tell my life story, and that's a pretty long story.

23. Have you been the kind of friend you want as a friend? Yes and no.  I think I have overall been a good friend to people.  There have been instances that I wish I had put more effort into my friendships.  But all I can do now is try harder in the future.

24. Which is worse, when a good friend moves away, or losing touch with a good friend who lives right near you? Losing touch with a nearby friend.  Staying in touch across miles takes time and effort, and sometimes you lose friends.  It's not necessarily a horrible, world stopping thing.  It just is.  But losing the friend down the street means something happened.  People got lazy.  People drifted apart.  People betrayed each other.  Whatever it was, it was probably bad and that's the sad part.

25. What are you most grateful for? My health.  I know that many parents would answer: my children.  But without my health, I would not be able to function, let alone live life to the fullest.  I would not be able to enjoy the time with my children, and friends, and family.  I would be preoccupied by my health.  So I am grateful to be alive and healthy.

26. Would you rather lose all of your old memories, or never be able to make new ones? As much as a treasure old memories, I would lose them to gain new ones.  I am determined to look toward the future more.

tags: 101 in 1001, 50 Questions to Free Your Mind
categories: Day Zero Project, Writings
Friday 01.20.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 3
 

Day Zero Project Update: Week 15-17

Instead of daily posts, I thought it would be a lot easier for me and you if I did weekly update posts.  These will track my progress each week.  I will highlight what I’ve done, what I want to do, and any interesting tidbits.  Sometimes I’ll add pictures and/or links.  Hopefully these posts will keep me accountable to me list…

What I Did

6. See all of IMDB's Top 250 movies  (10/250) -- All rewatches this time around. We introduced the boys to the Star Wars trilogy.  I'm happy to say that they loved all three movies.  Plus we started on the Indiana Jones trilogy (there are only 3).

  • 23. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  • 16. Star Wars
  • 12. The Empire Strikes Back
  • 100. The Return of the Jedi
  • 108. Die Hard
  • 190. Ratatouille

12. Watch all the James Bond movies (6/24)

  • Dr. No
  • From Russia with Love
  • Goldfinger
  • Thunderball
  • You Only Live Twice
  • Her Majesty's Secret Service

15. See 101 new movies (14/101)

  • Arthur Christmas -- Actually a decent Christmas movie with the boys.  I'm not planning on owning it or anything, but it was a good 90 minutes spent.
  • We Bought a Zoo -- Went last night with a friend.  Loved it!  A real feel good movie.

18. Make a list of 101 inspirational quotes (25/101) -- You can find them here.

19. Blog 1001 times (176/1001)

22. Keep a journal for this project — Obviously an ongoing goal. I got a beautiful black soft cover journal to use.  I am determined to journal at least a bit each day.

28. Reread all of the Harry Potter books -- I joined a Harry Potter reading challenge.  The plan is to read one novel a month.  This month I re-reread Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

32. Read my height in books — This week’s height: 3 in   (33.5/68 in.)

72. Complete "50 Questions that Free Your Mind" (20/50) -- Answers to questions #11-20.

100. Scrapbook 100 pages (58/100)

What I Plan to Do Next Week

More James Bond, more blog entries, more inspirational quotes.

Monthly Goal

January’s task is to watch all of the James Bond movies.  We have 22 movies to watch this month.  We're getting there.  One Connery to go, finished with the Lazenby, on to Moore!

Overall Progress

7 / 101

tags: 101 in 1001
categories: Day Zero Project
Monday 01.16.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
 

Questions Questions

As part of my Day Zero Project, I am answering “50 Questions to Free Your Mind” (Google it).   I had originally thought to do these in my personal journal, but then I thought, why not put them on my blog.  So get ready for some rambling answers.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you… Here's my post for questions #1-5.  And here for questions #6-10.

11. You're having lunch with three people you respect and admire.  They all start criticizing a close friend of yours, not knowing she is your friend.  The criticism is distasteful and unjustified.  What do you do? Speak up.  I'm not sure why people feel the need to be negative all the time.  I know that I need to work on this and I think everyone else also needs to focus on this.  Since working in customer service, I've noticed how negative people are to total strangers.   I can't imagine how negative they are around so-called "friends."   

12. If you could offer a newborn child only one piece of advice, what would it be? Don't let people talk down to you or put you down in any way.  I spent too much time in my life feeling like there was something wrong with me.  It all goes back to kindness...

13. Would you break the law to save a loved one? Yes.  While I believe that the law is very important to our society, human life is even more important. 

14. Have you ever seen insanity where later saw creativity? Yes.  In teaching, we often view others' ideas and techniques with suspicion.  Only later does it become apparent that some of those weird ideas and techniques were pure genius!

15. What's something you know you do differently than most people? Lately, I've been getting the feeling that I think about and consider others more than most people I know or meet.  I'm not saying that I am in any way an awesome person, but I try to be polite and courteous most of the time. 

16. How come things that make you happy don't make everyone happy? Because we all unique beings.  I know, such a clichéd answer, but it's true.  Each one of us responds postively to different things.  I love a good book, a hot cup of tea, and a dark chocolate bar.  Not everyone finds so much satisfaction in those things.  That is what makes humans so interesting.

17. What one thing have you not done that you really want to do?  What's holding you back? Travel... time and money.  Up until now, I've had a ton of constraints on my time.  In reality, I still do, but some of the current commitments are more flexible.  And up until now, and still now really, I'm fairly poor.  I would love to have the time and money to travel all over the world.  As it stands, I have limitations.  But I'm really pushing for an out-of-state vacation within the next year.  It doesn't even have to be out of the country, I'd be okay just getting out of Nebraska (and not back to Indiana).

18. Are you holding onto something you need to let go of? Yes.  Anger.  I still have some anger about things from my past.  I am working to let go.  I've been working for years to let go.  I still have some to go.  It's an ongoing process.

19. If you had to move to a state or country beside the one you currently live in, where would you move and why? Somewhere warmer.  I like snow, I really do.  It's beautiful and fun to play in.  But then the bitter cold sets in and I get sick.  And suddenly winter isn't fun anymore.  I would love to move somewhere southern.  (But then I would have to deal with extreme heat and humidity...  blah!)  How about Hawaii?

20. Do you push the elevator button more than once?  Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster? No, but I see people do it all the time.  I really want to smack them...  Does that make me a horrible person?

tags: 101 in 1001, 50 Questions to Free Your Mind
categories: Day Zero Project, Writings
Sunday 01.08.12
Posted by Tobe Buffenbarger
Comments: 5
 
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