Movie Mondays!


This is the original! The series springs from two of the most successful TV movies up to that time and is an inspiration for a generation of creators. Darrin McGavin carved a place out in the hearts of many scifi and horror fans with his performance as the cynical and jaded Carl Kolchak, a reporter who keeps being the only person in the room recognizing the monsters behind the stories he’s covering. While it might seem a little dated and sedate for today’s audiences, there is a certain nostalgic charm in watching this series. The biggest knock during it’s short lived run was how to stay fresh with a ’creature of the week’ format but, McGavin always managed to make each episode fun (and watchable). I also have to give a big tip of the hat to Simon Oakland, a long time TV veteran who plays Kolchak’s boss, Vincenzo. It wouldn’t have been the same series without him and he plays his part as a crusty, curmudgeonly editor to the hilt. The dynamic between the two male leads played a big part in the show’s success. I loved this show and was pleased to find it stands up well to the test of time; it’s still enormously entertaining. I would venture to say it could be good viewing for a family night (above say the age of seven or eight), just scary enough. Worth checking out without question!

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Let’s start the New Year off right!

This is my anthem for this year – partially because I really like this song and also because I will achieve the half century mark later on in the year:

AND YOU CAN SING ALONG!

There were eighty-seven Advil in the bottle now there's thirty left
I ate forty-seven so what happened to the other ten?
Why do you suspiciously change the subject and break my concentration
As I dump the bottle out and I count the Advil up again?

Don't interrupt me as I struggle to complete this thought
Have some respect for someone more forgetful than yourself

And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off

Hitting every pocket on my shirt, pants and overcoat
And I'm hitting them again but I don't know where I put my notes
Clearing my throat, and gripping the lectern I smile and face my audience
Clearing his throat and smiling with his hands on the bathroom sink

And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see stuff through the glass that I don't recognize at all

And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off

I'm not done talking yet
I'm not done talking yet

And when I lean my head against the frosted shower stall
I see a broken figure silhouetted on the wall

And I'm not done
And I won't be till my head falls off
Though it may not be a long way off
I won't be done until my head falls off

The stupid will inherit the Earth.

I was watching a documentary a few days back titled, Protocols of Zion. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a really good film about anti-semitic propaganda and how baseless it is. During the course of the movie, one of the people who makes it into the film comes across with the jewel PEPSI is really an acronym for Pay Every Penny Save Israel.

The really scary thing is this guy truly believes this crap. If you have any doubt about whether or not the stupid will inherit the Earth, I give you this as evidence. Seems I’m not the only one who was astounded by this as I came across an article about the very same topic:

Of course, Pepsi is hardly alone. Coca-Cola or Coke, neither of which lend itself to a cool slogan as easily Pepsi (though I am fond of Carry Only Klingon Embryos to start another urban legend) has also been hit hard by Muslim fundamentalists.

Snopes has a good page on the whole thing too that’s worth checking out here.

Movie Mondays!


While I had a lukewarm reaction to the other parts of this trilogy, I found the final installment of the Resident Evil series just plain old matinee fun. A hybrid of the Romero Living Dead movies with elements of Mad Max thrown in for good measure, there’s enough here to warrant a watch. It’s not high-art and the story is stretched as thin as could be but, it reminds me very much of the kind of old-time, Saturday gore-fest I grew up watching. I found I liked the fact that certain scenes were played (shot and edited) almost exactly like the video game quite entertaining. The performances are good for this type of feature, mostly they’re two dimensional cutouts but, then again that’s the kind of movie this is. It won’t challenge you intellectually but, it will give you a bit of escapist fun.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Before we got too far from it.

I wanted to share this drawing I received from my friend Gerry.

Gerry has been doing a lot of work in ballpoint and when we talk about it, I have to agree with him in there is something about working with a ballpoint pen. There is a quality of line and delicacy you simply can’t get with any other medium. Of course it helps in Gerry is extremely talented too! ;)

Anyway, I just thought it was nicely done and wanted to share.

Why I don’t miss comics:

Somewhere along the line, comics got to be something stupid. Maybe it wasn’t just comics but society as a whole changed and not in a good way. To me, I see it reflected in the stories people write for comics nowadays. Somehow creating a three dimensional character got confused with creating a incredibly flawed individual rather than a hero but, I’m going off the track...

I came across the image above via one of the blogs I read, Written World by Rangell. Ragnell used to be one of the players behind When Fangirls Attack and she took exception to the image and the fact it was popularized by Rich Johnston in his column over at Bleeding Cool. A flame war ensued and since I know (and respect) both parties, I chimed in albeit anonymously.

I think you’re all missing the point here. Aside from the fact that’s it’s just a set of t**s, save the outrage. What we really should be talking about is EQUAL TIME. In this sense what we should also have is a a pair of ring laden female hands concealing a male package. What’s good for the goose? I’d be less concerned about targeting a specific gender as much as what is sexualizing comics for no good reason. Of course, I stopped reading awhile ago now but last I remembered the GL books were still part of DC’s mainstream universe and geared towards all audiences. Nice to know the emphasis is on the trenchcoat crowd though.

My biggest problem is just that the image was bit tacky more than anything else. I have long since gotten past the point where I am shocked by a pair of boobs (or a boob using a picture of boobs). I readily acknowledge as a guy we have an unbelievable fascination with boobs, it may well be something hard wired into us (men).

Still, there was the tacky aspect along with the issue I consider Green Lantern more of a mainstream property. Mainstream in the sense you would be okay with an eight or nine year old reading it so the implicit sexuality of the image seemed inappropriate. If your goal as a publisher is to grow readership (yes, as I wrote that I realized the pun in there), you have to make allowances and tone down certain aspects to make your product family friendly.

I was glad to see however, someone picked up on one of my suggestions. Namely, flipping the image so to speak and reversing the gender roles. The column and images are actually pretty funny.

CAN YOU SURVIVE!?!?

The horror of the guest room?

The ongoing project of cleaning, organizing and renovating never really seems to end. Certainly though I have been making great headway and I have to confess to finding myself increasingly happy about the situation, the more progress I make.

While I can’t say it’s really done (because eventually I intend to gut it – redo the wiring, put up new sheetrock and flooring), my guest room is pretty much ready for use. I’ve got a few people who’ll be visiting over the coming year and I couldn’t be happier than to have a nice space for them and to play the host.

Dealing with stupid people. (COMC)


Sometimes I get tweaked. I get tweaked by people who speak out of their ass. People who talk about something, say they want the world to change, but only IF EVERYONE ELSE CHANGES!

It’s like NIMBY - Not In My BackYard. Things are perfect, it’s easy to take up a cause until you yourself are required to sacrifice or follow some rules. Case in point, a friend on Flickr posted a photo of an empty lot in Williamsburg where a garage is being built. Parking garages are just ugly. Ewwwwww... parking garage! Ewwww...

On a level, I can understand. People may not find parking garages the most attractive structures but, they have a function. Given the choice between a parking garage and a neighborhood where traffic is always congested, there’s a ton of double parking and people are driving round and round looking for a place to park? Well, I’ll take the parking garage.

Then, in the comments under the photo,develops this discussion about how EVIL the autmobile is. It’s just evil. Evil! EVIL!

So, here is the comment stream for the aforementioned pic:

Just what the neighborhood needed

(picture)

A parking garage! (I am being sarcastic.)

world of pj says: Actually, given how crowded the neighborhood has become - it probably does need it.

animalvegetable says: I don't think any dense neighborhood needs a parking lot. I think we need more bicycle parking, more ferries to manhattan, a pedestrian bridge to manhattan, more buses and streetcars. we don't need more cars on the streets. parking lots were gotten rid of in soho and in astor place to great success. this parking lot will probably meet that eventual end. the century of the car is over.

dirtycrumbs says: lol!

Well said av!

:-)

So gross... and a disgrace considering Williamsburg has the highest % of bike commuters in Brooklyn.

Ugh. This pisses me off.

I actually think the cure-all for gentrification is car-free zoning. No yuppies will ever corrupt a neighborhood if they can't bring their cars. And it's win-win b/c housing would be more affordable (less space you have spend accommodating 2000 pound steel boxes...) and alternative transportation options would be more appealing - so poor people won't get priced out...

Williamsburg would be a lot better off if it took that turn a few years back. Inviting all the cars in will only hasten its demise and speed up its inevitable SoHo-ification.

Javier Hernandez-Miyares says: since my jeep was stolen in 1995, i have lived happiest in nyc without a motorcar. if u won't use public transportation, then please move to mississippi. we won't miss you.

world of pj says: Okay, in order... a parking lot brings people into the neighborhood. It keeps on street parking cleared up, although you personally may not like it, the merchants in your neighborhood are more than happy to have more people streaming into your ’hood to pay for the rather high square footage costs of commercial space.

Also, having a safe place to park your vehicle? Kinda avoids stuff like this happening - since my jeep was stolen in 1995.

Gentrification?

Ha!

I get the sense you are gentrification buddy! Because long before you showed up on the scene there was a whole community of people living in that neighborhood and the rather huge influx of folks like you managed to do one thing... displace the original residents and make it impossible for them to remain in a neighborhood where they have roots and memories.

It cracks me up to ride the “L” train, see all those freshly scrubbed faces and remember what it was like to ride the same line 25 years ago.

You want to advocate something besides a parking lot? How about construction of true low-income housing? And I’m not talking about the kind of thing some midwestern import can share with four friends either.

As far as moving to Mississippi? Sunday I walked eight miles through the city, maybe nine. I enjoy walking through the city and I enjoy it a lot more than riding the subway or the bus at times. However, there are also parts of the city that are underserved by public transportation. Cars are a reality, get used to them - maybe you’re the one who should move to a place where they don’t have them?

world of pj says: Oh, and while I’m at it... as far as you bicycle clowns go.

First thing the city should do is license anyone who owns a bicycle the way motor vehicle operators are licensed and force you all to carry insurance.

Second you should be subject to all the same laws and rules of the road I’ve seen bicycle riders in this town flaunt on a daily basis. You know those rules, ones like driving with the flow of traffic, staying in the bicycle line, obeying traffic signals.

After being hit by one of you idiots, who just happened to be riding the wrong way on a street and having to force the guy to hang around for the police (which was funny just watching him try to lie by giving false information and getting caught in the lie), I have little sympathy for any of you at all.

To quote an observation from Red Forman: Dumbass!

This is like genius Bloomberg’s idea for congestion pricing. It’s such a great idea, why? Because it gives New Yorkers the chance to have othere people pay their freight.

New York does have a marvelous transit system and I take advantage of it but, let’s get one thing straight! Funding for that marvelous transit system, it’s done on the backs of drivers.

All the city-centric who think it’s a great idea for the rest of the world to pay to make your life some idyllic perfect paradise, here are some real suggestions for you:

First, charge a bus and subway fare that costs what it actually takes to run all those trains and buses without subsidies. In other words, without federal funding (from the highway transportation fund), without the money that is diverted from the maintenance and upkeep of roads. This includes quite a bit of money that is directed at public transportation from tolls on bridges and tunnels. Facilities that had the tolls instituted originally to pay for their construction and upkeep and that have provided a steady revenue stream for public transportation for decades. Oh, and while we’re at it - let’s get rid of the tax on gasoline that every driver pays at the pump, or rather let‘s take the money from gasoline taxes and put it only towards roads.

Second, hey I agree - the city has great public transportation!

So if you live in the five boroughs, you don’t need a car! CERTAINLY IF YOU LIVE IN THE FIVE BOROUGHS YOU DON’T NEED AN SUV! So, why not tax those city residents or charge NYC residents a premium for owning a car? Let’s go one step further, let’s base the tax around gross vehicle weight! So, you live in Williamsburg or Manhattan and feel the need to drive something that gets 15 miles to the gallon, you should pay for the privelege. Certainly, you aren’t going off-roading so what’s the point in owning such a large vehicle?

While we’re at it. Let‘s talk about the whole congestion pricing plan.

I’ve lived in and around New York for a long time and I can tell you that the part of Manhattan below 96th street down to the Battery is not the only part of NYC to be subject to congestion. Somehow, the dim bulb who is the mayor believes it is. My question though is this: if you live in the congestion zone (that very expensive, desirable part of the city), why do you own a car!?!? With the many bus and subway lines there is absolutely no need for it! So rather than charging people outside the congestion zone, why aren’t they charging the people who live in the congestion zone $500 a year for owning a car?

See, that way if they instituted the congestion zone pricing, it would be fair to everyone. If you tried to dodge the fee for owning a car by registering it out of state, outside of the city (both of which are way illegal) you would have to pay the congestion charge like everybody else.

The silence from the mayor’s office on this was deafening.

Third, I’m serious about licensing bicyclists! They should have done that a long time ago! I can’t begin to tell you the many stories I’ve heard of people getting hit or nearly hit by bicyclists on city streets. I drive a scooter as well as a car.

Any motorcycle or scooter is two wheeled and still has to follow traffic laws.

Why?

cause there is a danger of an accident, bicyclists in the city are no different. They should be licensed, registered and required to carry insurance. They should also get ticketed the for breaking traffic laws. This means all those guys who can’t be bothered to stop because of a light or who ride the wrong way up the street or on the wrong side of the street should be hit with the kind of tickets motorists are! Let ’em get a nice $110 or $160 ticket and see how quickly the city gets enough revenue to run the transit system.

Fourth, get rid of cabs. Cabs are not public transportation! Any idiot who actually talks about outlawing cars but then parks his or her ass in the back of a cab to ride out to the airport or back home to the boroughs after a night out partying with friends just is full of sh*t! Plain and simple, a cab is a convenience, riding in a cab means that you are opting for convenience over the public transportation system.

Let’s face facts here, the other thing people in the five boroughs don’t seem to recognize is how much their convenience is built on the backs of the internal combustion engine. City dwellers want to pretend it’s the passenger car that’s the problem and turn a blind eye to trucks when practically everything, EVERYTHING in New York City is transported by truck.

It’s the very thing that cuts the legs out of the argument of these flower power morons. They enjoy the convenience of everything being a few blocks from where they live because IT’S TRUCKED THERE! Of course, when you talk to these idiots they just skip over that fact.

(cleaning out my closet from 10/08)

The older I get...

...the more complicated women become:

The Unicorn and the G spot?

Are they both mythical creatures?

Well, apparently the brits seem to think so as evidenced by this study:

The King’s College London team believe the G-spot may be a figment of women’s imagination, encouraged by magazines and sex therapists.

Then again, my bretheren would seem to disagree (offering up hope):

The latest research, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, was carried out the Dr Emmanuele Jannini at the University of L'Aquila... Dr Jannini said: “For the first time, it is possible to determine by a simple, rapid and inexpensive method if a woman has got a G spot or not.”

Or is it simply a matter or genes, or who a woman allows into her jeans?

The reason why some women have problems reaching orgasm might be down to their genes, say UK scientists.

Either way, there is no denying you ladies are a complicated lot. :)

Movie Mondays!



While Will Smith gives a fine turn in the lead, many viewers may find themselves to be disappointed by the pacing of this film that at times can seem a bit plodding - I was reminded of the Tom Hanks vehicle Castaway. Smith is the lone survivor of a self induced plague that has swept the globe. Good work is done with presenting New York City as an abandoned ghost town but, the film for all its show lacks something. This is the third adaptation of the story and viewers may be better served seeking out The Omega Man which is a classic.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

The New Year Diet.

You know how everyone always talks about overindulging during the holidays?

There always seems to be this focus on the amount of gluttony people can exhibit during the holiday season, so much so it is usually the fodder of nightly newscasts throughout November and December. Lots of hints on how to keep from packing on excess poundage and tips on the things that are more fattening for you, foods you should stay away from and the like.

Shortly after Christmas, newscasts shift their focus to dieting techniques because one of the more frequent resolutions people make is to lose weight in the early part of the New Year. Although I wonder if there ever has been a study about whether or not more people lose weight during January and February than any of the other months throughout the year.

Well, fortunately another holiday season is just about departed. Hooray! Or is it better put - Bah! Humbug!

As I had written a few weeks ago, I look forward to the warmer weather in any event... but I digress.

I managed not to put any poundage on during the holidays, as a matter of fact I believe I actually lost weight and it was an accidental if welcome side effect.

See, a few days before Christmas itself I awoke in the middle of the night with the most terrific pain along the left side of my face below the cheekbone. And when I use the adjective terrific, it’s not in the sense of wonderful but rather overwhelming. If you can imagine, I woke literally sometime around 3am and it hurt like all hell. At first I had thought maybe I had taken over to grinding my teeth during sleep (something that happens to a lot of people although I can’t say I ever have been known to do it).

Over the next few days, it just got worse and worse and worse and worse.

My pain tolerance level is pretty high as these things go. It’s not that I don’t feel pain, I’m just not too much of a baby about these things (as evidenced earlier this year when I picked myself up after the scooter accident and with broken leg, broken rib and serious gashes drove the scooter home and then drove myself to the hospital).

Christmas day, it was pretty bad.

Now this Christmas as these things go was a good one. I got a great gift the day before the holiday in that my car got through inspection and on the day itself my cousin got me one of the best gifts I’ve received in recent memory but I also got the worst gift in this really bad tooth thing.

Really bad in that I had an infection and I it was inordinately painful.

I haven’t had a normal dentist in a few years now and part of the problem was trying to find a new dentist that I could feel comfortable going to. The last go round I had at the dentist was horrible, I had been going to the NYU Dental School for treatment and I had gotten stuck with a stinker of a student. She was just a twit for lack of a better word and she did a really bad job that wound up causing me to lose part of a tooth.

So, I’m gun shy.

And I put this thing off because finding someone to treat you during the holiday season usually is difficult at best because everyone is on vacation and if you don’t want to incur the expense of emergency care your options are limited.

Well, rather than drone on, the upshot is I’m finally going to someone tomorrow (and starting off my New Year with a nice Root Canal... YUM!) but, on the good side if you ever want to keep the weight off or stop yourself from overindulging during the holidays? All you need is a nice abscessed tooth to keep you from eating, it works wonders.

Take my word for it.

Does anyone else...

See the irony of this situation?


Iran's police chief threatened Wednesday to show "no mercy" in crushing any new opposition protests and said more than 500 demonstrators have been arrested in the wake of this week's deadly clashes. At least eight people were killed in street violence Sunday, the country's worst unrest since the aftermath of the disputed presidential election on June 12.

I keep flashing back to the Iranian revolution against the Shaw for some reason. Funny to see how the same people who overthrew the Shaw because of his oppressive regime feel perfectly justified in practicing the same methods on their opponents.

GOING COMMANDO!

In case you’re traveling sometime in the near future, remember after Richard Reid (the failed shoe bomber) made his botched attempt to bring a plane down, air travelers were forced to take their shoes off before boarding any plane.

Well, it stands to reason after the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a Delta flight prior to landing in Michigan with an underwear bomb (as it is being referred to in the media), you’ll now have to strip off your skivvies before you take that vacation this year.

Being a member of airport security just got to be a little more interesting. Either that or this Nigerian fellow was working for Fruit of the Loom or Victoria’s Secret.

Movie Mondays!



It’s not overwhelming but Cloverfield is entertaining. A giant monster attacks New York City and four people set out on an odyssey that takes them through the destruction. The camera work is shot to simulate a handheld video recorder, it’s a technique that works for this movie but some may find it tiresome. Also, if you are at all uncomfortable about the events of 9/11, I would suggest avoiding the movie becaude it strikes a little to close a chord to that days’ events. Overall, I found it entertaining if a bit unsettling. The effect are great, the acting works (it’s believable) and although the story is not wrapped up in a neat little package, in this case it makes absolute sense. Cloverfield is not your standard horror flick but it is worth a watch.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

This is very relevant.

Over the last few years, I know of three people who have been stricken with brain cancer two of whom who have died. I resisted getting a cell phone and even though I acknowledge how useful the things are I still have a great deal of apprehension in regard to using the thing excessively.

While there's been no long-term studies on cell phones and cancer, some scientists suggest erring on the side of caution.

Last year, Dr. Ronald B. Herberman, director emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent a memo to about 3,000 faculty and staff members warning of risks based on early, unpublished data. He said that children should use the phones only for emergencies because their brains were still developing and that adults should keep the phone away from the head and use a speakerphone or a wireless headset.

Herberman, who says scientific conclusions often take too long, is one of numerous doctors and researchers who have endorsed an August report by retired electronics engineer L. Lloyd Morgan. The report highlights a study that found significantly increased risk of brain tumors from 10 or more years of cell phone or cordless phone use.

More wonderful FACEBOOK stories.

I’m anti FACEBOOK as previously expressed. Never been much of a joiner and having been online since the very early days of the web, I’m more than slightly wary of what I put out there. Here’s a little jewel I came across yesterday, speaks to both the desperation of guys to get laid and the basic stupidity of my gender:

Police identified 31 victims, each of whom exchanged nude photographs or videos with someone they thought was a female. More than half said the person with whom they communicated threatened to release the images unless they agreed to let the person’s male friend perform sex acts on them.

What I fucking hate.

I realize I usually refrain from using profanity in my writing. I do this mainly because there is such a prevalence of it in my normal speech and I often find myself ashamed of it (the frequent use of profanity). I’ve gotten better through the years about not using it as much, if I had had children no doubt I would’ve taken some other track as I notice most of my friends with children use fuck substitutes so they don’t expose their children to the word. It still comes across as the same thing to adults but it doesn’t hold the fascination the true ‘F’ word does in terms of the shock value it gets when uttered from the mouth of someone under the age of 10.

Anyhow... what I really despise is the end of daylight savings time.

So much so, I am actually moved to using profanity in my writing. I really hate this part of the year that much.

There is something inherently wrong with the sun going down before 5pm (today’s sunset was 4:48pm)...

I started this entry back on November 2nd and here we are just past the Winter Solstice and to tell you the truth I am very happy now. I’m happy because the days will slowly start getting longer again. I’m happy because New Year’s is almost past. I’m happy because in about six weeks or so pitchers and catchers will report.

Yeah, we still have to get through January and February but at least we’re well on the way to spring. Check out the link above (on Winter Solstice) to see how cultures around the world treat the day.

Movie Mondays!



Watchable but, barely. The odd thing is, I really wanted to like Torchwood! I was looking forward to it greatly but, what a disappointment! I’ve started off with disc two and so far, it’s just a mess. Torchwood lacks the charm of the reimaged Doctor Who. The performances are way over the top, the cinematography is abysmal and the writing (at least of the episodes I’ve seen) is nowhere near the standards I had hoped for. Torchwood tries very, very hard to be edgier and darker than Who (obvious comparisons being made since Torchwood is a spin off of DW) but, it winds up lacking all the charm of its parent. The dynamic between the ensemble cast is still very much in flux, I can’t say for sure if the actors fall into more natural roles as the series progresses but, if the episodes I have seen so far are any indication, the performances are forcibly contrived. John Barrowman, who works well as a supporting actor, falls horribly short as a lead (I particularly liked one instance where he looked directly into the camera during a scene, instead of at the actor he whose head he had a gun pressed against). Torchwood makes the mistake of some scifi series in that it is heavy on the spectacle and gadgetry as opposed to the underlying emotional thrust of the story. The weak underpinnings show through making Torchwood passable entertainment at best.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

PAY ATTENTION!

Cell phones are ubiquetious these days and I resisted getting a cell phone as long as I could because I found myself so often annoyed while commuting by those incessant riders who would loudly proclaim, “I’M ON THE TRAIN...”

Still, finally having given in I must admit to finding the cell phone a handy tool to have and I wouldn’t want to relinquish the device.

Moderation is the key in all things though and cell phones illustrate the hazards of over indulging like no other aspect of modern life. The compulsion to be constantly connected means a person’s focus is too readily diverted from the task at hand much to everyone’s peril as this article so aptly demonstrates:

At Beth Israel Medical Center in Manhattan, Marc Felberbaum, an emergency room doctor, said he had been seeing more of this over the past year. He recalled in particular one patient who had tripped on a curb while texting, not only breaking his wrist but losing grasp of his cellphone, whereupon it was crushed by an oncoming car. (And yes, it was with some satisfaction that the doctor recounted the last part of this cautionary tale.)

Movie Mondays!


Death Proof harkens back to the days when you could go to a drive-in and see a triple feature. It’s not high art and if that’s what you’re looking for, look elsewhere. Death Proof is more about B-movie goodness. If you love films and have an appreciation for schlock, you’ll enjoy this flick. Tarantino throws in lots of little kudos to movies of that era - I particularly liked one sequence he pulled from an early Steven Spielberg flick-Duel (you’ll know it when you see it, shot out the rear window with a car bearing down on the viewer). Lots of T and A, lots meandering dialogue and the kind of finish that comes straight from the 70s. Everything down to the intentional bad quality (streaks) on the print are done with loving care. I can hardly wait for MACHETE!

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

This really appeals to me.

I’ve been a bit amused by the Facebook phenomenon mainly I believe FaceBook is another faddish frenzy that will wane with time, just like MySpace before it and Twitter ultimately. Aside from time being far too precious, the thing I am ceaselessly astounded by is how readily people will give up personal information that will leave an indelible virtual footprint. So when I ran across this article today it gave me a good chuckle: 

“Rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, ancient Japanese samurai preferred to die with honour, voluntarily plunging a sword into the abdomen and moving it left to right in a slicing motion,” the site notes.
This form of ritual suicide was known as “seppuku.”
“As the seppuku restores the samurai’s honour as a warrior, seppukoo.com deals with the liberation of the digital body,” the site says.
Today the enemy is not other bands of noble warriors but corporate media who use viral marketing to make huge profits by connecting people across the globe.

Movie Mondays!


A decidedly different kind of movie from Ridley Scott, Matchstick Men pairs Sam Rockwell (who was fresh off Confessions of a Dangerous Mind) with Nicholas Cage and both actors are at the top of their game. Cage’s character, who plays the senior of two grifters (the Matchstick Men of the film’s title), is stricken with OCD. Cage covers ground already staked by Tony Shaloub in TV’s Monk but, I can’t say I mind. Rockwell’s manic energy works as the perfect counter balance for Cage’s craziness and together they make for a very watchable pair. Of course, Rockwell has already worked along these lines in David Mamet’s Heist but here, he has a leading role. The movie also has the feel of another favorite, The Grifters, mainly because of the subject matter. There are enough twists and turns to keep you entertained throughout and a nice surprise at the end. Everything is shot lovingly with the kind of sensibilities you’d come to expect from a Ridley Scott film. In essence, the cinematography is wonderful. The movie is tight with strong performances all around. I went in without expectations and came away pleasantly surprised. An enjoyable movie indeed!

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Hard to resist.


Yesterday I found myself in an animal shelter – I wasn’t dropping anyone off nor was I there to pick anyone up but, I have to say it was hard to resist.

While I was there there was a point where they had four cats out on a countertop and the cats were being transferred from a carrier to cages. The cats were scared and two of them were crying, it just broke my heart. I went over and started to stroke one through the cage to try and get it to calm down. Three beautiful Egyptian Blues and a striped grey Tabby. All of them adults but really beautiful cats nonetheless.

I could easily see how there are people in this world who have tons of cats, especially when the shelter while doing an admirable job is a kill shelter meaning if an animal isn’t adopted it’s put down.

I’ve been catless for a year and half now and I miss having a little friend around that purrs and nuzzles up against you when the cold weather sets in.

In the meantime I saw this on tv today and I couldn’t resist because it’s just so damn cute:

Movie Mondays!

Pure popcorn, a bit formulaic and trite at times but fun and something that can be watched with the kiddies too.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Speaking of lasting.

I was doing some quick looking around and came across a site dedicated to those old phones. Interesting stuff and as they put it on the splash page:

Western Electric telephones made prior to the breakup of the Bell System (January 1, 1984) were designed and built to last for decades. If a Western Electric phone ever quit working your local Bell Operating company would send out the “telephone man” to your house and fix it for free. Those days of quality built telephones and free visits to your home by a telephone repair person are gone - replaced by cheap throw-away phones from Taiwan and China.

Giving thanks.

An ongoing project around here in the old Fortress of Solitude (as it is referred to by some) is the clean, contain, clear out and repair. I keep coming across these things, some of which will be sold, some of which are going to charity and it is akin to a walk down through the annals of memory.

One of the treasures I came across is pictured above, the old dial phone. The thing is like a brick, it weighs a ton but amazingly enough it still works. I tested it out and made a few calls on it without a problem at all. It’s a testament to something we’ve lost in our culture. Here is a phone that is over three decades old and it still works, it still does the job it was designed to do and it does it well.

I had been reading awhile back about different business philosophies, one of which is built-in or planned obsolescence. It strikes me one of the most dysfunctional things about our current economy is holding to the tenant of planned obsolescence. Growing up. a pillar of business was ‘American Craftsmanship’ but the concept is the antithesis of Planned Obsolescence. You look at what happened to American automakers and you can’t help but wonder if they choose the wrong horse.

Back to the phone though...

Using it was really interesting. It was interesting because dialing a number takes a bit longer than punching a number into a keypad and there is something entirely welcoming about dialing a number again. It allows you to embracing the pause between the thought of calling someone and actually getting connected to them. It slows life down just enough.

Also, wouldn’t it be much nicer than to just dial than to have to press ‘one’ or whatever digit only to be presented with an ever growing litany of options via a prerecorded voice?

So today, I am giving thanks for the reminder of the wonderful treat that is slowing down. Holidays are good for pausing, giving us a break in the week and allowing us to break the routine. Here’s hoping everyone enjoys that break.

I feel your pain.

Vince (or is it Vinnie) does a terrific job describing every project ever undertaken by a do-it-yourselfer. I understand this so very well as recently I was putting a plastic cap around a basement window when the pane of glass in the selfsame window (which already had a nice crack in it) finally gave up the ghost and broke. This now became a matter of replacing the pane. Easy enough until it became obvious the frame itself would wind up being a problem. Nothing is ever as easy as it seems with any of these jobs but then again the level of satisfaction one feels when you finally finish one of these projects is immeasurable.

Check out the strip here, it’s quite funny.

When bad design happens.

Up on the BBC site they have a retrospective of the various logos for the Doctor Who program (or if I want to give a nod to the people on the other side of the pond - programme). They’ve also got a newly designed logo (pictured above) up as well. It’s an interesting stroll down through the years because it’s a reminder of some things not to do when it comes to design.

I love alphabets.

To put it another way, I’m a type junkie. Typography is something of a dying art today but it’s such an important element of design. Letterforms are amazing in their ability to convey messages to us on a subconscious level. The choice of the correct typeface can impart to the viewer qualities such as strength, stability, speed, innovation - a whole host of character traits that underscore what the creator of the message wants to get across. Inversely, when the selection of a typeface is less than appropriate, it’s a jarring experience for the viewer and sends a mixed message.

Look for yourself though, you can find a gallery of all the Doctor Who logos here (click through).

I myself was taken aback by the early seventies logo (the faux acid trip, melting type look). The eighties logos are especially hideous, what neon signage has to do with science fiction I just don’t get. The only thing missing is a disco ball. There is a good decade of just ugly, ugly work whether it’s the neon lighting stuff or the bad ‘chrome’ effect. Most of the logo design from the period would be more appropriate for some dance contest show. Just a perfect example of when bad design happens to good projects.

Movie Mondays!


A scifi classic worth seeing if only for Edward G Robinson’s very poignant last appearance ever on film. Charlton Heston plays a hard-nosed detective trying to ferret out the truth about a murder. The backdrop is a city succumbing to the evils of overpopulation and (prophetic for its time?) global warming. Joseph Cotten (Citizen Kane), Brock Peters and Chuck Conners (TV’s The Rifleman) round out the cast. Very much a product of its day, Soylent Green is one of those scifi standards you have to see at least once.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

My new favorite.

The Adam Corolla Podcast.

The Adam Corolla podcast.

What are these?

and

Two faces of the same beast, more to come.

Movie Mondays!


As movies based on comic properties go, X-Men 3 is nothing special. If you’ve read the comic you’ll be pleased to see Juggernaut, The Beast and Angel all realized on the big screen but if you’re not familiar with the characters you may wind up being a bit lost. Certainly X-Men 3 doesn’t go off the rails as badly as the Batman movies of the 90s did but, some of the shine is off the apple so to speak. The newness of seeing the X-Men on film isn’t there and the story is passable at best. There’s enough action in the film to keep you watching but afterward you may find yourself somewhat unsatisfied. The performances, effects and pacing all make X-Men 3 a yeoman’s effort but in the final analysis it’s a bit of a lackluster film. Worth a watch but don’t ramp up your expectations because if you do you’ll wind up disappointed.

I’m repurposing content by taking my NetFlix reviews and posting them here on the blog. If I could figure out a way to do it, I’d post some kind of link for people to connect and make me their friend on the service. Unfortunately, it isn’t altogether clear how one would do that - so if you know a way, pass it along. In the meantime, I’ve got steady content for at least a year.

Jamelah’s Meme.

I found this in the drafts queue from a few months back. I never got around to posting it and really, nothing has changed so I figured on putting it up now:


Idly surfing the net and catching up on some blogs (because I just have been busy with other things). I came across this meme up on Jamelah’s blog and I thought I would give it a go:

1. ONE OF YOUR SCARS, HOW DID YOU GET IT?
When I was kid while living in an apartment complex I made the mistake of trying to feed a strange dog some food. It bit me clean through the finger (literally). I couldn’t have been more than 12. I just remember punting the animal in response.

2. WHAT DO YOU WANT MORE THAN ANYTHING RIGHT NOW?
To have all the stuff I want to sell sold.

3. DO YOU KNOW WHAT TIME YOU WERE BORN?
I think it was at night.

4. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHILD?
Major Matt Mason. There was a whole set of toys and during the sixties the space race was a big deal. Astronauts were a big deal and everyone’s imagination was captured by the race to the moon. I just remember one Christmas where I got a bunch of Major Matt Mason stuff and being really, really happy.

5. THE BEST TV SHOW EVER CREATED:
I want to say LOST, maybe Deep Space Nine, Six Feet Under... Geez! I could go on and on but it has to be Seinfeld. There are just too many times it struck gold and permeated society’s consciousness.

6. THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO?
This is kind of interesting because it stopped me and made me really think about it. I was down at the local Village Hall and I was speaking one of the women there in the asseessor’s office. Before that I was wishing one of the people I know down at the Post Office where I pick up my mail a nice weekend. On the trip home I was talking to the conductor who I must say was extraordinarily pleasant (so much so I was considering writing Metro North commending him. As I walked out of work today I said bye to everyone and wished them a good three day weekend. If it’s someone close though it was my cousin who I try to speak with every few days.

7. DO YOU GET SCARED IN THE DARK?
No, not really. If I’m scared it’s only because I’m afraid I’ll trip over something more than anything else.

8. THE LAST PERSON TO MAKE YOU CRY?
My cousin’s daughter - they had a party to celebrate her oldest’s communion and as part of the party they showed a video that was a montage of photos set to music. There are some people we’ve lost over the last decade who I really miss and I couldn’t help but tear up during it (although I fought it every step of the way).

9. HOW MANY WISDOM TEETH DO YOU HAVE?
None.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOGNE / PERFUME?
I’m not really a big cologne or perfume person. I don’t use cologne because nothing beats a freshly scrubbed clean body. Also, I’m not too crazy about people who ladle the sh*t on to cover their B-O. Take a shower!

11. WHAT KIND OF HAIR/EYE COLOR DO YOU LIKE ON THE OPPOSITE SEX?
I really like blondes but it’s not a deal breaker or anything. Blue eyes are nice too.

12. WOULD YOU RATHER BE SMART OR FUNNY?
Smart (because if you’re smart you can see humor all around you in the world).

13. COFFEE OR ENERGY DRINKS?
Neither. I stopped drinking coffee a few months back now as part of an overall goal to change my dietary habits and I haven’t looked back. None of that stuff is really good for you anyway. (Update - I’m back on the coffee jones)

14. IF YOU COULD EAT ANYTHING RIGHT NOW, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
This was very difficult because I love food but I’m a very picky eater. I’m up at a really weird hour too because I fell off this afternoon and wound up sleeping a really long time. I’m not hungry at the moment so I’m not craving anything.

15. WHO IS THE LAST PERSON YOU MADE MAD?
I don’t know really. I don’t go out of my way to piss people off or anything although I’m sure they get annoyed with me on a regular basis. Just to throw a name out there I’ll say Steve.

16. DO YOU SPEAK ANOTHER LANGUAGE?
I brutalize several. I’m not fluent in any one but I can have a basic conversation in Spanish (at least to make myself understood at times), know a little Italian and some Japanese.

17. DO YOU LIKE SOMEONE?
I like a lot of people but, I get the sense this question pertains more to ‘LIKE’ like. No one at present is at that level but I am always doing appraisals.

18. WOULD YOU FALL IN LOVE KNOWING THAT THE PERSON IS LEAVING?
Probably not.

19. WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TELL SOMEONE HOW MUCH THEY MEAN TO YOU?
Just to say it. Life is too short to leave things unsaid, especially stuff like that.

20. WHAT ANNOYS YOU MOST?
Rudeness.

21. HAVE YOU BEEN OUT OF THE U.S.?
Yes.

22. YOUR WEAKNESSES?
I’m too concerned about what other people think at times and so I vacillate between the extremes of wanting to please and just telling people to go f**k themselves.

23. IF YOU COULD GET PLASTIC SURGERY WHAT WOULD IT BE?
Gosh! That’s a really good question! If I thought it would be worthwhile there are probably a lot of things I would get work done on but I just keep flashing on the woman who made herself into a lioness and all the other really plastic looking people I’ve seen.

24. WHY DID YOU FILL OUT THIS SURVEY?
Boredom.

25. ARE YOU TOO SHY TO ASK SOMEONE OUT?
Oh, yes but I’m getting better about these things.

26. WHAT DO YOU GET COMPLIMENTED ABOUT MOST?
Smarts?

27. WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF ALCOHOL BECAME ILLEGAL?
Sneak it. I’d probably make my own wine or beer.

28. HOW MANY KIDS DO YOU WANT?
Well, I don’t even know if kids are still in the cards at this point. I may have missed the boat on that. I would’ve liked to have had about five.

29. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
Yeah, the old man.

30. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY?
I can’t think of it now but I do know I bawled like a baby when I had to have my sweet little cat put down.

31. ANY BAD HABITS?
Loads! Yet, I keep working on them and trying to do better. They’re slowly diminishing but I’ve still got a lot of work to do.

32. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Definitely.

33. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE FAMOUS?
Well, a lot of people come into my orbit and some of them have varying degrees of fame. Not anyone I’m best budds with though.

34. DO LOOKS MATTER?
Yeah, on a certain they do. Pretty people definitely get more breaks in this world than ugly people do.

35. HOW DO YOU RELEASE YOUR ANGER?
I’m trying not to be angry so much anymore. There comes a point where anger is actually a destructive thing for a person. I’m trying to learn better ways to control it and to let things go, even little things. I could be a real animal, it comes to me very easily but it’s not something to be proud of. Mainly I try to remind myself life is short and giving in to anger only empowers others over you.

36. DO YOU TRUST OTHERS EASILY?
No, not easily. I would like it if that weren’t the case but there are good reasons for that.

37. FAVORITE THOUGHT PROVOKING SONG:
Ouch, I was listening to some music on the ride in today. I started off with Hot Fun in the Summertime by Sly and the Family Stone.

38. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR?
The first day of baseball season.

39. FAVORITE EXPRESSION?
Dude!

A new answer to the boob job?

Could it be the days of silicon implants are numbered?

So far, the technique has only been tested in animals, which grew new breasts within six weeks. Experts predict the process could take up to eight months in women, and the experiments are very preliminary.

I am still very much a juvenile.

By that, I mean to say I still get quite the laugh out of the most inane and vulgar things I come across. Sometimes I spend far too much time thinking about funny things than doing funny things but that’s besides the point...

Today, I had the TV on in the background. I do that much of the time, have the TV on in the background. It’s just something about having noise, the voices in the television providing a backdrop, it doesn’t bother me and somehow it fills up the empty space.

Tosh.0 was on which is the latest in a long series of shows that have internet videos with goofy commentary. Truly the funniest things happen in life without planning or more often than not when life goes awry.

In the course of commenting on a particular video, the phrase ‘Hot Pocket’ came up. Now, I’ve never been big on Hot Pockets. Maybe it’s an age thing (me being too old for them or something) but I am vaguely familiar with them as foodstuffs and it seems they’re always wrapped around some joke about the cliched picture of computer geeks.

In this case however, Hot Pocket meant something totally different and was part of slang I never heard before. When I looked it up, well... I just about passed out, I had a laughing fit that was so extreme, tears were in fact rolling down my face. Mind you, it’s totally vulgar, disgusting, repulsive - there are just a litany of adjectives that would apply but, I was consumed with laughter (which says a lot about me and my sense of humor).

Judge for yourself, from the urban dictionary:

1. The act of shitting inside a fold-out couch and then re-closing it, leaving it for an unsuspecting guest. (see similar terms: “upper-decker,” “mexican waffle,” “trunk muffin”)
   That drunk guy that slept over last night left us a hot pocket.
   
   
2. When a girl is going down on a guy and his balls start kickin right before he's about to cum, you shove his balls in his anus and yell "HOT POCKET!"
   “I'm about to cum...” (She shoves his ballsac into his anus)
   “HOT POCKET!”
   
   
3. Falling off ones skateboard in such a way that they land on their side. It usually happens when you lean back too far.
   “I went for a kickflip down that set but I was leaning back too far and I hot pocketed”
   
   
4. The act of taking a shit inside of a fold out bed and folding it up for someone else to find
   “SHIT that bum gave us a hot pocket last night”
   
   
5. Name for a pastry that took after the pop tart. except it is filled with nasty meat. It can only be served 2 ways;
   1. Warm outside, frozen inside.
   2. boiling lava hot, will destroy your mouth.usually given to patients suffering from constipation.
   “Hey Travis, would you like a hot pocket?”
   “NO!”
   
   
6. Prison term: two pieces of white bread with mayonnaise smothered in between. The mayo sandwich is then placed in the microwave to heat it up so it resembles a woman's vagina. It is then fucked.
   
   
7. Firstly a tight seal must be created- the male covers the vagina with his butthole. This is essential. Next the male emits a fart that MUST BE gassy and hot into the vagina. The desired effect mimics that of a microwaved hot pocket where the bag expands. After completing the emission the male quickly covers the vagina with his hand (as to maintain the seal). At that point he performs cunilingus. (Girl bragging to friend) “My boyfriend loves me so much that he gave me a hot pocket while we were watching the Wonder Years.”