So Derrick, Tony, Chris and myself went down to Macon last night to see Widespread Panic (awesome show, btw). While driving back to ATL, somebody who shall remain nameless (Derrick) had to pee really bad. We bypassed one exit off of I-75 because it only had one gas station listed on the sign. We figured our chances were poor at 2AM with only one gas station. So, we opted for the next exit. Unfortunately, it had only one gas station, which was 1.1 miles from the highway. "What the hell," we said and forged on through the darkness. Let it be said that the area between Atlanta and Macon is not too dissimilar from the area in North Georgia where Deliverance was filmed. It turns out there is a state park off of this road, which means it's pretty much deserted. We passed a lone deer on the way in. So we pull up to the gas station which is closed. It's basically a wooden clapboard shack, with a nice sign advertising their copious amounts of bait and tackle wares for sale. To our astonishment, the restroom was open and lit, so we stopped off and recycled the refreshments we consumed earlier. One of us stood watch, naturally, for fear that local would stop by for a midnight romp wit' dem city boys. We did not get any boiled peanuts either.
One cool thing about leaving San Fran is the promise of a fresh seafood dinner at Fisherman's Wharf. Here's the view from our table. Ah, there's nothing like the stench of diesel and halibut!
Here I am, crossing the Golden Gate again. This seems to be getting Old Hat. Speaking of which, I wonder why people always refer to something that is worn out and crappy as "old hat". I have a few old hats and they are actually just now getting to be broken in.
Picture of some flowers taken by my walking path this morning.
The hotel gym was packed this morning so I decided to do my laps around the hotel area. The problem: it's 50 degrees and I have shorts and a T-shirt. But the area around the hotel is pretty cool - tall hills, marshy lowlands and canals. I had no idea. There's even a big ol' boat sitting out here!
I just bought this phone a few weeks ago for use in San Francisco, specifically because my Sprint phone gets zero reception in the client office where I am. I don't even carry this phone around normally. And, wouldn't you know it, when I take it out of my bag after arriving in my hotel room, the screen is busted. This really blows. Luckily, it's a very cheap phone and easily replaceable. And, I didn't even pay for it to begin with. :)
You might've read in an earlier post about my new series in Bathroom Wall Graffiti, the first post of which was from Northside Tavern. Well, here's a shot of the band that was playing that night. Your typical old-skool blues band. The lead dude played off/on slide on a 60's Gibson acoustic while the bassist played an original Silvertone - Yep, just like yours pop, except his still had the "Silvertone" plastic logo on the headstock. :) He complained that it was hard to keep it in tune.
The band wasn't that bad, just not much variety in their selections. Mostly I-IV-V blues in major scales. I think it was their first time with the drummer as he didn't know a lot of their turn arounds and exits, but he did well enough. They also featured an accompanying trombone which was a welcome twist. All in all, a good night.
What you're looking at here is a 1952 Gibson Les Paul, Gold top. Not a player's guitar, but a collector's. It's worth probably somewhere around $15-18,000, and it includes the original case. I got to play it just a bit, but not amplified. This guitar belongs to Bill (arm pictured) who is a coworker. He was loitering around my cube the other day waiting to talk to the dude in the cube opposite mine. I said just have a seat in my lobby, there are magazines to read. Incidentally I just remodeled my cube "Office Space"-style by removing a half wall that blocked a window. I have a conference room in my cube now. :)
Anyway, Bill perused my mags, one of which was Vintage Guitar. Bill mentioned that he had an old Les Paul, and I must've started drooling as he said he'd bring it in to show. He did, and I'm showing you now. Bill got this when he was seven from his father's bud who played in a band. Man, that's a lucky sumbitch right thar...
This will be the first in my series of posts about strange crap I see on bathroom walls. This was from Northside Tavern, a well-established (read as "really old") blues joint in Atlanta proper. The bathroom smells like wet cinder blocks, and was painted a lovely shade of green.
This little gem says:Plumberman vs. Tyrannosaurus Bob
Fight till the death, or till the first hint of a free lunch.
I like tacos, myself. One time I ate a live badger taco. It really tasted awful and it was chewing on my tonsils the whole time.
You can't really fake this stuff.
I was in Staples the other day picking up some paper condoms (you know, sheet protectors) and saw these. Of course there's a picture of a woman on the front of the package, and all you see is "Lubricant Sheets" and you're thinking, "will these work with my rubber sheets?"
Yeah, keep dreaming. These are for lubing your shredder, you pervert.
No, it's not either of my Hondas, although you'd be correct in assuming that. Honda has designed a concept vehicle that is dog-friendly. Linky to photos posted on my photo album, which incidentally I haven't released to the world yet. :)
From the news article:
Honda Motor Co. has designed a car that's friendly for dogs — part of the Japanese automaker's ongoing effort to create vehicles that are easy to use and comfortable to ride in. The W.O.W. Concept, which stands for "wonderful openhearted wagon," shown to reporters recently, is an exhibition model with no plans for commercial sale that will be exhibited at the Tokyo auto show later this month. A special crate for dogs in the glove apartment allows owners to interact with their pets while driving. A bigger crate pops up from the floor in the back seat area and can be folded back into the floor when it's not needed. For even bigger dogs, just buckle them up with a special seat belt to the floor.
The big danger for pets riding along in cars is that they get thrown out during a crash. About a fifth of Japanese households have a dog, and demand is growing for cars that cater to man's best friend, according to Honda. The W.O.W comes with removable, washable, rollout flooring and has wide sliding doors to keep dogs happy. "We created this vehicle from the point of view of a dog, but it turned out to be a gentler vehicle for the elderly, children and other family members," said Honda designer Katsuhito Nakamura.
The article:
FEATURE: The fantastic disappearing plastic, just add water(Kyodo)
Every day thousands of people around the world finish off a tray of biscuits or chocolates, and as they throw away the empty packet -- a symbol of the calories consumed --a wave of guilt engulfs them.
If this sounds like you, you are not alone -- and that is the problem. Because while you are mourning your expanding waistline, how often do you spare a thought for the Earth's "waste line?"
Plastic will survive forever in landfill, or, if it is burnt, as it is in Japan, it can release toxic and carcinogenic particles into the atmosphere.
But a small Australian company called Plantic says it has a solution -- just add water and the problem will disappear in front of your eyes.
Plantic markets plastic trays made from plants.
The patented formula comprises 90 percent corn starch and a number of other organic materials, including water, fatty acid and oil.
Starch-based plastics are not a new concept, says Plantic's business development manager Mark Fink, but Plantic is different.
"If I do this," he says pouring water on the product, "and count to three it starts to disappear, which is exciting."
Holes start appearing in the plastic biscuit tray.
"It's not dissolving, it's dispersing," says Fink, who compares the end product to the starchy substance left over when you cook rice.
But if you think a disappearing plastic is hard to swallow, have you ever tried eating normal plastic? Because you can eat Plantic.
"If it (Plantic) is eaten - and I eat a lot of it in front of plastics people -- then it's not harmful," says Fink.
"But we don't produce it as a food product, so for that reason we don't eat it in public and we prefer not to promote it as an edible material," he says.
Plantic conforms to the European Standard of biodegradability and its manufacturers are confident it will pass the strict Japanese test when the company makes a move into the Japanese market within the next year.
When placed on the compost heap, Plantic will disappear within three months -- releasing water into the soil and carbon dioxide into the air.
"When you can see that it can actually go away and get recycled into the environment and go back to where it came from -- you know it came from corn -- people can understand that and I think that's what makes this a good product to work with," says Fink.
And of course companies understand the good publicity that such a message brings.
"Every big company in the world has an annual report, and on the fifth or sixth page of every annual report, (is a section) about 'what a wonderful company we are to the environment,'" Fink says.
"But I imagine it's very hard to find stories to write about because in the end most companies aren't focused on the environment, and for that reason we do get a good hearing from senior management," he says.
A disappearing, environmentally friendly plastic may be enough to attract media attention, but it is not the real "wow factor" for companies, however.
The real surprise is its price, and that is where Plantic is ahead of all competition, according to Greg Lonergan, professor of biotechnology at Swinburne University in Melbourne.
Lonergan was involved in the development of the Plantic plastic and he heads a biotechnology group that tests the biodegradability of plastics.
"It's probably the first of the biodegradable (plastics) to get itself truly price competitive and I think that's quite an achievement really," Lonergan says.
Fink too is realistic about the reasons for the success of the product.
"I sell these to our customers in a competitive market -- they could choose plastic or they could choose Plantic," he says. "And although they are responsible environmental citizens, for them price is important. They won't decrease their bottom line significantly to change to this material."
Only 10 grams of corn kernels are needed to make a standard 10 gram biscuit tray and this is good news for Plantic because they do not need to worry about the rise of oil prices as do manufacturers of standard petrochemical-based plastics.
"The long-term pricing of petrochemical (plastics) is slowly increasing over time -- it's a finite resource -- the long-term pricing of crops, starch, is always decreasing," Fink says. "So we think, as time goes on, this is a more sustainable business practice as well as a more sustainable environmental material."
Plantic was developed in the mid-1990s during a seven-year research study into sustainable packaging by the Cooperative Research Centre in Australia. The study was funded by private companies, government departments and several Australian universities.
At the end of the program, a decision was made to commercialize the technology and the publicly listed company Plantic was established.
The company, which comprises 35 people, 10 of whom are technical staff, is based in Melbourne and began operations in 2002 with only four staff members, including Fink.
Since the multinational confectionary company Cadbury-Schweppes first began using a Plantic chocolate tray in 2003, more than 10 companies within Australia have also signed up.
And Fink says eight of the top 10 confectionary companies in the world are trialing the product.
Within the next few months, several European companies are also expected to publicly launch their Plantic packaging, which includes confectionary, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals packaging.
"For a small Australian company, we have a very strong customer base and interactions with some very impressive companies, and (are) being taken very seriously by them," says Fink.
Other starch-based plastics on the market include a plastic bag called Mater-Bi produced by the Italian company Novamont SpA, and plastic bottles and food packaging products made from polylactic acid, developed by the privately owned Cargill Dow LLC in the United States.
The products are both biodegradable, although they are not direct competition for Plantic, Fink says, as each is focused on a different product area, with PLA and Mater-Bi able to resist water more easily.
These plastics need to be composted in an industrial setting and Lonergan also estimates they are from two to three times more expensive than their non-biodegradable alternatives.
But Plantic obviously has its own drawback -- its greatest strength is also its weakness.
"We're developing a more water-resistant version of the tray," says Fink, who admits a tray that disappears in water is good for publicity, but has limited uses.
It is the "Catch-22" for biodegradable plastics, Lonergan says, because to be biodegradable these plastics need to take up water --unlike standard plastics, which repel water -- but they also need to be able to hold water out long enough to have a usable shelf life.
Fink is confident a more water-resistant Plantic product will be available within the year, and it is not the science that is the problem, rather it is creating a cost-competitive product.
Plantic is also in the process of creating a thin-film, like a plastic confectionary wrapper, that will allow companies to use Plantic for their internal and external packaging.
Such products are sure to further boost their production, which has more than doubled in the last year.
And now Plantic has its eyes on the potentially lucrative Japanese market.
It took the opportunity to meet Japanese business leaders in July at the Aichi World Expo where it participated in an Australian government-led trade mission.
"To go to Japan is a big exercise," says Fink, adding, "We have to do it properly, we're doing our research."
Japan, with its environmentally conscious outlook and attraction to all things novel was an obvious market from the start, but Fink says: "For us, Japan is also a very different place and so we have a lot to learn."
He believes Plantic will be seen in Japanese stores within the year, once Plantic has worked out the regulatory requirements and finalized their business strategy.
"It's coming to an exciting time," says an optimistic Fink, "And I'm going to be busy."
For now the small Australian company Plantic is a pioneer in its field, but Fink welcomes the day when it will just be part of the norm and not the exception.
"I'm looking forward to the day when there is enough biomaterial of different sorts in the market that we start competing with another biomaterial," he says. "Because that means the world has changed enough that sustainable plastics are a common thing. That hasn't happened yet, but it will happen."
Ok, so I finally broke down and bought an XM radio, the Roady2. I had been against XM for a while now, seeing as how I have an iPod and get commercial-free music all the time. And, my range of music interests bell curve from the mid-60s and pretty much drop off at about 1981, with a minor swelling in the 90s.
Well, my commute to work is about 15 minutes, whereas Steph's is 35 - so I thought it would be good for her, since she loves new music. The best part is, our pal Davis already has XM, and we just added the receiver to his setup for an extra $7 a month. So, we split the difference and save $2 a month. I know, but that's $24 a year! That's like a case and a half of beer!
Anyway so far XM is pretty darn cool - especially the fact that it has uncensored comedy on channel 150 from Carlin, Pryor, Foxx and others... It's nifty.
When you wake up to rainbow outside your hotel room window, it will probably be a good day.
Ok, so as you might have noticed, I've been travelling between Atlanta and San Francisco for the past few weeks. Normally I return back on the Thursday night red-eye at 11:40pm, to arrive in Atlanta around 8am on Friday. This, because I have a gig on Friday nights that I have to prepare for.
Anyway, I snapped this shot at 7:50am on Friday. And guess what!! This is a picture of San Francisco! What gives? Well, I leave the client's pad around 7pm, meet up with Josh at the Thirsty Bear around 8:30pm. All is good. We down a few brews and some paella, catch up on things (he's recently broken up with his long-time worse half, Kim) and then I'm off to the airport.
I go to check in at the Delta Kiosk, and there's "a problem with your reservation, please see a kiosk agent for assistance." Well, I check with the kiosk chic, and she informs me that I've missed my flight. It's 10:30pm. My flight is in an hour and ten minutes. Rather, the flight that I thought I booked myself on. Turns out I had done a screwbooking. For the laypeople, and standpeople, that's my own term for making a reservation for a flight that you wouldn't usually take, and then forgetting about it and showing up for the flight you wanted to take). The screw was the 10:30pm flight with an hour layover in Cincinnati, which gets into Atlanta at 9:35am. Yuck. So, the nice chic rebooks me on the following flight in the morning, 8:35 am.Interestingly, I go to the Crown Room to check in the next morning (no, I slept in a hotel, not the airport. I am a business traveller, not a hostel-using, backpack-toting, granola-bar-eating, deodorant-not-wearing hippie; meaning I did not sleep in the airport). The woman at the desk chuckles when she looks up my reservation, and then clues me in. Apparently the chic last night put a note in my reservation record when she rebooked me: "PAX was confused, but very sweet".
Must've been the Vienna Waltz microbrews from The Thirsty Bear.
The name says it all. From Wal-mart even. Read some of the interesting corporate spew from Grupo Bimbo.
I realize you can't read it, but what you have here is a 20 year old girl with a butt crack tattoo that says "Italian Princess".
Dare I ask why? No, I shouldn't dare. I'm not even really interested in the answer. What's more amusing is that this was taken in public, in the airport at 4pm on a Friday. On a train. Between concourses B and A. In Car #1. Like you care.
Ok so I violated FAA regulations and turned on an electronic device before the aircraft passed 10,000 feet. I usually ask myself, "passed 10,000 feet of what? And what was the plane eating that caused it to pass that much?".
Fecal jokes aside, what you're looking at is the Golden Gate Bridge and a nice chunk of San Francisco. My violation of FAA regs is your reward! PS the phone was actually off.
Another aerial shot of San Francisco; here you can just barely make out the toothpick and popsicle-stick Bay Bridge.
Wild Turkey - not only is it a nice bourbon, but it's also a description of the some of the locals around my client's campus. Who knew California had it all... wine, sun, and turkey droppings in the parking lot.
Well, the gig was a blast. I slept practically all day Friday after taking the red-eye home from San Francisco. Got up in time to relax a bit, then load the gear and run a few errands. We started about on time and played until well after 1 am.
We had quite a crowd of friends there, including Kim, Tony, Brian, Kristen, Holly, Sean, Davis, Debra, Michael, Tim and a few others. Fun was had by all.
See you there next Friday!!
Mullettime in San Fran. See, even metropolitan cities suffer the disparaging hairstyle, and most certainly lifestyle, that is.... The Mullet.
BJ has been waxing poetic about Squiggy, his new soon-to-be-bio-diesel Jetta. So, you've gotta wonder about where you can get bio-diesel. I mean, it says "bio" right in the name of the miracle juice, so you expect it to be something biological right? Right. I've got two words for you: dead cats.
Yep, some German guy found a way to recycle cats, and presumably other pets as well. No more will you have to slog through the local chinese restaurant's back lot to steal their waste fry-vat oil. Now, you just need to get real chummy with your local veterinarian so you can swap poop-scooping services for frozen Spots and Kittyboos. Wow, somewhere in there is a really strange coincidence what with the vet pet recycling and the chinese oil grabbing. Anyway.
Taking in a nice cab at Auberge Du Soleil in Napa. Widely recommended, highly overrated, drastically overpriced. At least the view was decent. The strange French muzak, er - muzaque, was really weird.
Auberge Du Soleil - the restaurant of the sun. Well, it's almost dusk here, so the name doesn't quite fit - but at least the view was decent. We just had a glass or two of wine and some horse doovers; just to say we'd been there/done that. Probably won't rebeen there or redo that anytime soon.
Here I am for another week of fun (not) in San Fran. Here's a quickie snappie of the Golden Gate Bridge.
No, it’s not the latest rage in first-person shooters… I’m in Southern California today, and finally after coming out here for 7 years I had my first earthquake. Not much to speak of (4.9 Richters, yo), and it’s categorized as a “light” quake (less filling, tastes great).
It was… interesting… Like being next to a B52 on takeoff (not that I’ve done that). Interestingly, it provided a brief respite from an otherwise boring meeting. Let’s hope for another tomorrow!!
The A List
So I've been working for the last 3 weeks in Los Angeles, and tonight I happened to be dining out with some folks in Hollywood, of all places. Just so happens, that tonight was the premiere of Charlie's Angels. Of course, we decided to do a little star-gazing... here's the list of people I recognized (most of em I don't know their real names, and I'm too lazy to look em up):
James King, Roseanna Arquette, Ali Larter, "Dax" (some guy from MTV's Punk'd - I dunno), Al Bundy, Junior (The Sopranos), Jacklyn Smith (!), lead singer dude from Green Day, Crispin Glover (aka Willard, Marty McFly Sr), Robert Forster (from Jackie Brown), and a host of others I didn't recognize... my feet hurt.
Pardon me, do you have the terror?
The bonkerheads up in DC keep playing havoc with my travel schedule (by upping the terror alert level, security lines at airports are longer). What do I do if I'm in a rush? I'll need to get one of these. Now I'll know before I get there!
Another light goes out in the White House
Sadly, not the one over W's head (though that's more like a match)... This time it's the administrator of the EPA. Say goodbye to environmental issues, folks. Say hello to pollution etc done Texas-style! Woo hoo! Does that tell you something when the administration is bailing out? Fleischer, Whitman, Schaeffer, O'Neill and Lindsey... (bet you don't remember those last few do you?)Lynch Debacle Reviz
Brian and I have been discussing the events in the saga of Saving Private Lynch. Now, AlterNet provides complete coverage of the rescue.
I'm wondering who will play the leads in NBC's made-for-TV movie.
Pentagon's TIA a boondoggle?
I think so. Read the ACLU's report about the Dept. of Defense's Total Information Awareness project. What a load of shit. Looks like the ol' US of A is turning into an ÜberState of All.This is too telling. Bush the socialist? What I can't believe is how all this is going to occur in Iraq and we can't even get shit done back home. I'm just waiting to see what's going to happen. If Iraqis end up with universal healthcare, I'm headed to Washington.
Cheesiness
So I just bought The Matrix on DVD. Yeah, I know, but I had it on VHS so I didn't need to "upgrade". Anyway, so I'm reading the back of the DVD package. Do you realize how stupid some of these writers must be to describe this or any movie using the language they've chosen? I quote....
Mind-warp stunts. Techno-slammin' visuals. Mega-kick action...
Never mind "what is the matrix?", how about "what is techno-slammin'?"
The GA Littles ~ In SimsVille
Since Steph was home all week last week, and I was on a biz trip, she's been playing The Sims quite a bit. I got this piece of software about 6 months ago (maybe more) that lets you put yo'se'f into the game... Take a look at the newest residents of Simsville, Simsteph and Simandy! What a hoot.
Geek Alert
Hah! I ordered one! I'll be sporting the bling bling biiiiotch! Actually, I can't refuse some piece of hardware that has a programmable interface ~ especially when it's phat!
This is a well-done site. I'm seriously now considering the possibility of adding some kid's toy to my PC, a-la Tickle Me Elmo?
This is a well-done site. I'm seriously now considering the possibility of adding some kid's toy to my PC, a-la Tickle Me Elmo?
She's Sinking!
The site's a bit weak, but this is a cool DIY home improvement idea that I saw on DIY.I love it : "We have cracked foundations, a trailer off its foundation, tools off the wall, that kind of thing," said Susan Battles of the DeKalb County emergency management office in Fort Payne."
Just what I always wanted to do on an afternoon. Build my owncasket.
The following article is a very interesting parallel between our current president and our geopolitical situation, and something that occured in history. Highly informative reading. When Democracy Failed: The Warnings of History.
New Fambly Member
As promised, pictures of our new pup, Stella: one & two.
As expected, she's about twice the size in these pictures. I'm wondering when she can be fitted for a saddle.
Bulldozer runs Over PacNoWest Girl; Bulldozer Unhurt
That may seem a bit callous, but for pete's sake, how much of a moron do you have to be to lay down in front of a bulldozer? I was thinking: one of the tenets of the anti-war movement is that we don't need to be meddling in the affairs of a sovereign state. I think the same applies to the beanheads acting as human shields in Palestine: it's not your country; so why are you meddling? I've adopted a very isolationist POV lately, in all things geopolitical.
Perhaps if folks concentrated on issues at home and less on those abroad we'd be in a little better favor with our neighbors.
French to Send Pretzels to Bush
Can we send some beer too?
'bout time the French stood up and did something. I think it's damn funny.
Newsline
Axes of Evil
Bitter after being snubbed for membership in the "Axis of Evil", Libya, China and Syria today announced that they had formed the "Axis of Just as Evil", which they said would be >more evil than that stupid Iran-Iraq-North Korea axis President Bush warned of in his State of the Union address.
Axis of Evil members, however, immediately dismissed the new Axis as having, for starters, a really dumb name. Right. They are just as evil . . . in their dreams!" declared North Korean leader Kim Jong-il. "Everybody knows we're the best evils . . . best at being evil .. . we're the best."
Diplomats from Syria denied they were jealous over being excluded, although they conceded they did ask if they could join the Axis of Evil. "They told us it was full," said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
"An axis can't have more than three counties", explained Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. "This is not my rule, it's tradition. In World War II you had Germany, Italy, and Japan in the evil Axis. So, you can only have three, and a secret handshake. Ours is wickedly cool." International reaction to Bush's Axis of Evil declaration was swift, as within minutes, France surrendered.
Elsewhere, peer-conscious nations rushed to gain triumvirate status in what has become a game of geopolitical chairs. Cuba, Sudan and Serbia announced that they had formed the "Axis of Somewhat Evil", forcing Somalia to join with Uganda and Myanmar in the "Axis of Occasionally Evil", while Bulgaria, Indonesia and Russia established the "Axis of Not So Much Evil Really as Just Generally Disagreeable".
With the criteria suddenly expanded and all the desirable clubs filling up, Sierra Leone, El Salvador, and Rwanda applied to be called the "Axis of Countries That Aren't the Worst But Certainly Won't Be Asked to Host the Olympics".
Canada, Mexico and Australia formed the "Axis of Nations That Are Actually Quite Nice But Secretly Have Some Nasty Thoughts About America", while Scotland, New Zealand and Spain established the "Axis of Countries That Want Sheep to Wear Lipstick". "That's not a threat, really, just something we like to do", said Scottish Executive First Minister Jack
McConnell.
While wondering if the other nations of the world weren't perhaps making fun of him, a cautious Bush granted approval
for most axis, although he rejected the establishment of the "Axis of Countries Whose Names End in 'Guay", accusing one of its members of filing a false application. Officials from Paraguay, Uruguay, and Chadguay denied the charges.
Israel, meanwhile, insisted it didn't want to join any Axis, but privately world leaders said that's only because no one asked them.
By John Cleese of Monty Python fame.
Steve Miller Band Promotes Evil
Ever wonder why Brian David Mitchell abducted Elizabeth Smart? Mitchell was described by his stepson, Derrick Thompson, as a "weird" man who had talked to God in the desert after taking 10 hits of LSD. "They said they weren't on drugs," Thompson told the Deseret News of his stepfather and his mother, adding:
"But we think that was a lie. We think that's how they communicated with God, that and listen(ing) to the Steve Miller band."
I knew that 70's music was poison.
reference
Ad Boys, Ad Boys, Watcha Gonna Do?
Sorry for my delayed posting, I've been working in Hartford CT this week. Interestingly enough, I was watching local news (nice to see local news is the same across the US) and heard a story about some towns in CT that are cutting deals to allow corporations to place ads on police cars. Coming soon, ambulances and fire trucks. Lovely! The company performing the decoration is based, you guessed it, the home of NASCAR - NC. The artist's rendition showed your typical NASCAR-style stickers over the vehicles.
Now, I understand that the municpal budgets are tight and by doing this they can get police cars for a dollar a year, but c'mon! Seems like some sort of an ethics violation to me.
I just can't wait for the po'lice to swing up to the Hooters sporting an owl on the hood.
Oh yeah, we also added a new member to our GA Little's clan. Stella B. is a 7 week old lab muttriever. Pix up tonight or tomorrow.
I have gone wireless. Just got a killer deal on 802.11b wireless gear from Best Buy. I picked up a pcmcia card for $70, with 2 $10 rebates. Also got a usb adapter for $70, with 2 $10 rebates. AND (the unite de la resistance or something like that) picked up the wireless access point + router station for $119.99 with a $20 rebate. Not bad for the day's haul.
I can't wait to see the fallout on this little tidbit. Imagine, you can't take that vacation to West Palm Beach because you're blacklisted...
Well duh. I finally took a few moments to get my archive working. I'm very impressed with myself. Perhaps a new template is in order.
BJ gets the blog credit for posting this, but I found it... what a riot...
So's I'm out in California until 14 Feb, with my laptop and WITHOUT any good gaming. Unfortunately, biznez lt's generally feature a wonderful low-end graphics card. I mean, c'mon, all my coding needs to happen in OpenGL with 64 MB of DDR RAM. Not mention the fact that my compiler needs to be DirectX 8.1 compliant.
Maybe I'm just lamenting the fact that I got Grand Theft Auto 3 the day before I left to come out here and it WON'T RUN on my laptop. Sniff.
Extreme ironing? Better believe it. I'm personally waiting for xTremE-Kwilting.
This is just too nuts for words. I've seen this before, but not the "new & improved" version. Sheesh. We accidentally got to this link whilst searching for a home security system.
Sorry I've been away from the blog for a while; life's been pretty hectic. A few updates:
1. Closing on our house is tomorrow.
2. I head out for 10 days on Monday
3. Steph flies out on Saturday
4. We move on the 13 Feb
5. I get back on 14 Feb.
See what I mean? Sheesh.
Shatner breaks new record
Well. As if The Transformed Man wasn't enough, the former Capt. J.T. Kirk has decided to release another album of his "singing". I poked around Bill's official website, but didn't find any evidence of said upcoming album. I can't wait.You've heard of the Vagina Monologues, no doubt. Not to be outdone, meet Phallic Baldwin and Peter Fondle, the flaccid performers in The Penis Dialogues. Sure to win a Tony, no doubt. Or maybe a Dick.
Mechanical TV?
Most people know about electronic television. If you're reading this, then you're familiar with the concept. What most people don't know about is mechanical television. Yep, mechanical! Invented by a Scotsman in the early 20th century, John Logie Baird devised a method of mechanical television transmission that didn't rely on the then-superior cathode ray tube. Due to opressive corporate entities (i.e., The Man), Baird's mTV didn't live past the 1930's as the BBC enacted an agreement with the newly-formed EMI, which developed their own version of the technology.Baird didn't stop there - he later went on to prototype 600-line TVs in the 40s, urged government types to consider HDTV of 1000+ lines of resolution for post-war development, developed the basis for television recording and did the first color cinema showing. Read more about John Logie Baird.
Wait for Another Day
Well, I finally got around to seeing the latest installment of what M calls the "dinosaur of the Cold War". Yes, it's the next serial in Ian Fleming's mildly popular among the gadget-having/wanna-be womanizing/imaginary-gambling/fast-car-driving set. And as usual, it's loaded with cool effects, bizarre plots of world domination and Bond seducing any number of sexyhot bad women in as few minutes as possible. Well, only two this time.
I gotta say it. As much of a Bond fan that I am, I haven't really gotten the vibe for Pierce Brosnan since Goldeneye. The last few flicks have been somewhat believable (well, it *IS* Bond of all things), but Die Another Day lacks a puncher plot. At least Tim Dalton had some interesting things going on in Eastern Europe. Now the baddie is a North Korean (interestingly enough given today's headlines) and he's hell-bent on exacting punishment on the Western World for all it's done to him (like giving him lots of money, fast cars, a confidential secretary, etc).
Die Another Day is the usual Bond fare for the last few flicks - fast paced, quick cuts and jagged editing. The effects are pretty good, the acting is up to Bondian par for all parties involved (although Halle Berry is kind of wooden through the whole thing. I don't think she watched enough vintage Bond to get the feel for the witty reparte).
And imagine this, I can't actually imagine that Q came up with some of the stuff he did. Granted, it's usually quite fictional, but on some level you have to believe that this stuff can be pulled off -- but an invisible car? Leave that to Linda Carter. I mean, a bad guy having the change to launch a space shuttle to a space base I can believe, but an invisible car? Puh-leeeze.
As I was saying, I walked out of the theatre exhausted because of the fast pace. Usually Bond gets around the world to a number of places, but the writing/editing puts you there for at least an amount of time that feels like he did some groundwork before waltzing in to beat the bad guy in some lofty endeavor like baccarat or fencing on his own turf. I guess what I'm getting at is that Bond used to have a more European flavor -- suave, sophisticated and ballsy enough to pull off stunts that would get normal 00 agents waxed, but with enough restraint to (usually) pick his battles. Now he's pushed to the edge, flying by the seat of his pants and generally moving like he had a breakfast of speed and sugar washed down with a sixer of Jolt.
But, given all of that, I still love it anyway. My favorite scenes from this pic: the Hong Kong hotel (classic Bond) and the fencing scene (makes you want to dabble in swordplay).
This fruitloop seems to think bananas are endangered due to the seedless fruit and asexual preferences... However, since bananas are grown from roots I don't see how that will be a problem. Looks like Frison was looking for some genetic research funding. Or just limelight. Pardon the puns.
You know, regarding the SUV link, I take exception to the authors comment that most SUV drivers are assholes. I mean, I personally know 10 people that drive them. One is 45, balding, divorced, has two kids. He's not an asshole. I think maybe he's overcompensating for something. ;) No, actually he hauls his kids around in there, and since they don't live with him he carries the "house" around. He tried a truck, but the kids weren't comfortable. Some others I know are a few lesbians - not assholes. I doubt they really need SUVs, but they are huge ones either. Just 4runners. A good friend of mine drives an xTerra.
Anyway, the point is that before the author jumps onto her soapbox (which I agree with for the most part), we could do without the mudslinging in the first paragraph.
Finally! Mobile Pr0n! I don't know about you, but I've had a hard-- er, I've been waiting for this for a damn long while. No more boring meetings, waiting around in airports with nothing to do, no more just walking down the street flaccid and all.
I suspect a "deflationary" pill will be following, or maybe the image of Margret Thatcher, naked on a cold day when you sign off the mobile pr0n site...
LOL... commenting on BJ'sSUV linkage: I think if more people knew what sybaritic meant, they'd reconsider:
\Syb`a*rit"ic\, Sybaritical \Syb`a*rit"ic*al\, a. [L. Sybariticus, Gr. ?.] Of or pertaining to the Sybarites; resembling the Sybarites; luxurious; wanton; effeminate. ``Sybaritic dinners.'' --Bp. Warburton. ``Sybaritical cloistres.'' --Bp. Hall.
Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
If you're a LOTR fan, and a Jack Black fan (who isn't), then this is for you.
Hmm. I only wanted an SUV for cargo room, and the occasional offroading. Personally, I think I'll opt for a '73 Series III Land Rover. :D
Gas passers anyone? Yes, you know who you are. Fear not, there is relief!!
Brian responded to my response about his response to Se7en (confusing?), and to that I'd just say... hey, it was *only* two hours. It could have been Titanic. :P
I read Brian's review of Se7en, and while he makes a lot of arguable points, I'd like to contend with just the biggest gripe. Why one character over another? Why did Pitt's wife instead of Freeman die? Why did any one of them die?
Rather than attribute this to bad writing, perhaps it's a direct result of the emotional tension Spacey's character has been going through. Yes, he was cold and calculating for over a year. Do I think he planned specifically for some manly copy with a pretty wife to come along? Probably not. In fact, he probably didn't realize he was going to be the vehicle for the completion of his "work" until he was close to being captured. To that end, I suspect he was flying by the seat of his pants during the last portion of the film.
Why did the hooker die when she wasn't guilty of lust? Why not the john? Yes he suffers and doesn't die, but imagine what pictures he has in head now and everytime he beds someone. I daresay he'll be suffering more and longer than the hooker did, so Spacey did his deed to satisfaction.
That's all.
I actually went to a movie last night - first one since seeing Two Towers. This particular flick was "Catch Me if You Can". Overall, B+. You wouldn't have figured the movie to be Spielberg (plus a John Williams soundtrack), but it holds it's own. It's kind of peculiar, actually. It's very sappy, and you feel as though you want the protagonist and antagonist to "win". You can almost smell the bubble-gum and malts in the theatre. Of course it has a good ol' It's-a-film-released-at-Christmas-so-make-them-feel-good-when-leaving-the-theatres kind of feel. But enough about that.
The film is actually very cool -- stylish even. You'll be amazed at some of the vintage clothing, housing, decor, etc - somebody did their homework. The cinematography is quite good, reminiscent of TV's golden eras (you know, 1950-1970 right?). Even the opening credits montage is something short of a piece of art film - very cool. The wife couldn't believe it was so cool.
As for the acting... the flick stars in no particular order:
Granted, there are plenty of other parts in the film, but it's not a character study on any figure except the protagonist, so there's that to consider.
One final note: after you see the movie (or read the book), make sure you check out the real-life-guy that the film is about, Mr. Frank W. Abagnale - yup, it's pretty much a true story, and yes the end and epilogue are correct, he works with the FBI and major corporations. And of course he's got the usual disclaimer in his personal website about the movie, since he's trying to be friend and mr. good guy to the Fortune 500. Above all, my favorite comment is right on the front page of his website, next to last bullet point. Check it out.
One more thing - if you use Blogger's BlogThis! toolbar extension for IE, this may be useful. I use BlogThis quite a bit, and it's somewhat of a pain since I want all of my URLs to open in new windows. So, just right-click your BlogThis! button and select properties (do whatever on Macs, I haven't a clue). Look in the URL textbox for portion of the URL that looks like this escape(location.href)+'&n='. Once you locate that, modify that portion by inserting the text show in red here: escape(location.href)+escape('" target="_new')+'&n='. Just like that!
Again, I'm on my soapbox, this time The Pres The Moron is going to cut capital gains taxes, specifically on stock dividends. Well, first off, who is going to issue dividends when the market has been performing like shit?
Buying a home must be the largest pain in the ass EVER. I'm completely disgusted by the process.
If you've ever seen Robert Tilton (or if you haven't) and you think that TV evangelism is complete lunacy (of if you don't), you need to see this!!
Yahoo! News - Mystery Man Revealed in Microsoft Xbox Hack Contest
So why should I care if Microsoft creates a game box that runs its software? Did Nintendo or Sony or Sega do anything different? Robertson's claim that "Xbox sets a dangerous precedent" is lame. What precedent it is setting? So... Sony develops it's own operating system (see many Vidcams and Digicams) and decides to run it on Vaio PCs... Will Robertson be singing the same tune? Doubtful. He's just vying for publicity...
What a moron. What world "leader" (and I use that term VERY loosely) would blantantly state out loud that an attack on our country could cripple our economy? Is he trying to goad Americans and those countries dependent on our economy into supporting a preemptive strike on Iraq? Does W believe that people would believe the rhetoric? I mean, what does he think, we're idiots? Like we would believe this because it's printed... anyway, I'm really too incredulous to continue. read for yourself.
I'm leaving work early today. Lucky me! Think I'll go geocache...
This is a very good article from Ben Stein (whose money I'd like to win).
Went geocaching today with my bro & pops ~ lotsa fun, if you haven't tried before. Located two caches in Reedy Creek park ~ GC765 and GC365. Fun fun!
Just got back from seeing Two Towers. Pretty rockin flick, I have to say. It didn't quite follow the book, but the general plot is the same. There are some markedly non-Tolkien elements added for dramatic effect. I suppose these cover up some of the missing plot elements that you'd get only from reading all of the Tolkien lore and accompanying footnotes. All in all, 5 stars!
Don't let anyone tell you that buying a home isn't a big pain in the ass. It is! There's even a whole set of words you gots to learn, like 'points'. What the hell is a point anyway? When I was a kid, points were something you WANTED to get. Eh anyway....
This is apparently something else that's going around the web again.
Yay! Finally updated a good enough chunk of the website to put it up.
Finally figured out what kind of dog we're going to get. I was hoping for a lab, but since Steph's never had a dog before, we figured we might as well get something that's not going to be too rambunctious. So we've looked at goldens. Additionally, the 'rents have one that she adores and so she'swe've decided, I think, on a golden -- of the english variety.
Still working on redoing the website. Family in NC got socked in by the ice storm. How's the weather? Heh.
Well, not much going on. Thanksgiving is over, now back to work! Heh.. Actually, just prepping for Christmas. Got the tree put up 2 days ago; a nice fake one. Why waste a perfectly good tree, eh?
Hah! I woke up before 2pm on T-Day. Not bad considering I was up 'til 5 redoing our website. Sadly I'm not even finished. But, Steph made it home at 8:30 this morning! Whee! Life is good.
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm giving thanks for Vince Guaraldi at the moment; he's been in the playlist for a few hours while I've been trying to reorg my office.
