Fun TV Bosses

I am a fan of TV comedies set in the workplace - mainly because it's a great opportunity for writers to poke fun at Corporate America and allow all of us to laugh off our daily stress with reminders of how goofy and silly it can all be. And often, these workplace comedies allow us to appreciate our real jobs.
It's all about perspective right?

Guyism.com has a fun post on "7 TV Bosses Who Would Be Fun to Work For," with reasons why, and the list is quite good. My favorites from the list are Jack Donaghy from 30 Rock and Jimmy James from News Radio. They're both quirky and power figures - you understand they have the qualities that made them powerful and wealthy and worked hard to reach their accomplishments, but they're so good at it they often make it look easy. They may test you in ways you never expect and at the same time support you in ways you never realize. And don't you just love some of the crazy things they come up with.

I do have a few other bosses I'd like to add to the list:

Veronica Palmer, Veridian Dynamics, Better Off Ted
OK, the truth is working at Veridian Dynamics would be hell, and Veronica would be one of the intimidating bosses anywhere, not to mention manipulative and unrelenting. But look, she always has a smile on her face and she has such excellent power outfits, and if you can earn her respect like Ted has, then that crazy ultra-corporate life MAY be manageable. If I had to work at a big, faceless, money-driven, ethics-lacking corporation, at least let me work for a kooky, intimidating yet oddly appealing boss who will bat for you when her conscience does kick in, even if that's only once a year. At least she doles out crazy funny sayings on a regular basis to keep you entertained, or scared. Besides, better her be on your side than have her be the head of a competing department. Not to mention she at least is someone who values intelligence and strength, so you know where you stand. [image via abc.go.com]

Jack Gallo, Blush Magazin, Just Shoot Me! 
Blush Magazine just seems like one of the greatest places to work - this is of course in the pre- Great Repression era where corporate perks in the fashion/publishing industry were rampant for all to enjoy. Add on top of that, a boss in Jack Gallo who may seem like your regular business mogul who only cares about a good game of golf, besting Donald Trump, and having a young sexy trophy wife, but deep down he is a man who truly sees and develops the talents of each person he employs, and in fact builds real friendships with them. So much so that his personal assistant dreams of having Jack as his own father. And I sure would love to play with all the crazy gadgets he's always testing out. [image via tveo]

Murphy Brown, FYI, Murphy Brown
OK, Murphy Brown is known for not being able to keep a secretary or nanny, but, if you're Eldin Bernecky, she would prove to be the best boss ever. So secretaries and nannies need not apply, but if you're an artist, she's the boss goldmine. After all, Eldin went from a house painter to her artist-in-residence who got to execute his artistic visions just as he wished. And he basically got to live at her expensive townhouse for free. Granted he had to deal with her PMS and other personality quirks, but I think he got a pretty good deal out of the bargain. If I were an artist, I could only dream of finding a patron who would enable me to fulfill my artistic dreams, and get free lodging out of the deal. And if you love kids, you have the option to pick up the nanny gig on the side. [image via babble]

3D IMAX Movie Experience

IMG_0264, originally uploaded by szueechen.

It took us FOREVER, but E and I finally went and saw Avatar, of course in 3D IMAX. We knew the movie would be a visual spectacle, so we wanted to maximize that experience, be as immersed in Pandora as possible. I was a bit skeptical about the 3D but it really did add levels of dimension to the visuals. The odd angle and huge size of the glasses were hard to get used to though, and with my lack of bridge I kep thinking they were going to slide off my face.

E was SO very entertained by how I looked in the humongo 3D glasses we had to take some pics to commemorate. The frames were beyond Martin Scorsese large - they made me feel like a miniature person. And well, I looked it too.

Asides from the goofy glasses, Avatar was truly a gorgeous and deeply engaging visual feast. I was bored by all the stereotyped, undeveloped characters and frankly disappointed in the uninventiveness of the storyline, and this despite my already low low expectations about the plot given what I've already heard. Really, Mr. Cameron, I can't help but feel you just got lazy and cheaped out on writing a story worthy of the visual and imaginative world you've created. It is literally a rip-off of Pocahontas/Dance with Wolves. As a filmmaker, how would you be ok with that?

But I must thank James Cameron for the rich, lush, and wonderfully detailed Pandora - although I suspect much of the credit belongs to the animators. I loved being in Pandora and watching the wonderful na'vi, the creatures, and landscape that I didn't want the movie to end. I was even okay enduring through the cheesy and oh-so-expected storyline and blatant rip-offs of Native American cultures. To me, Cameron has redeemed himself from the sappy dopey storyline of Titanic with the visual feast that is Avatar.

Oh and by the way, there are a couple even goofier pics of us in the glasses...E LOVES them...so here's the links if you're curious:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/szuann/4350142151/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/szuann/4350888372/

Juxtaposition

I stumbled upon Judy Olausen's work the other day and fell instantly in love with her photography. This one particularly titled "Sheriff" of a stern, meticulous, weathered, old lawman outside a jail cell juxtaposed with his antithesis - a soft, furry, innocent little kitten being held in his hand. It is a lovely image that speaks volumes. Apparently it is part of a book called "Rescued" that unfortunately is yet unpublished.

Thank you Judy Olausen for sharing your work online. Your work is inspiring and so memorable.

[via Judy Olausen Photography]

Climbing the Diamond

Fifty Classic Climbs of North America from Mark Smiley on Vimeo.

Here's a great video on a 1,000' climb on the Diamond on Longs Peak, Rock Mountain National Park in Colorado. The climb starts at 14,000 feet above sea level, adding another level of physical challenge to the very vertical climb. It's also one of the 50 top classic climbs in North America - I love that the Smileys are planning on climbing all of them as a team.