Movie Mondays!

It’s a decidedly different Doctor here in the series early days and while I found it charming at times, it is very much a product of its day. It most likely will not appeal to anyone other than a true Doctor Who fan but you can see the foundation being laid for the long running and successful franchise here. One does have to wonder though why some of the aspects personality wise of this Doctor are not incorporated into the performances of more recent Doctors.

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.

Movie Mondays!

One of Marvel’s better entries in the process of bringing their characters to life via animation. Here is an origin story of Doctor Strange that strays from the original at times but keeps enough to be entertaining. Also, when it does diverge it does it in a way that makes sense to the film’s plot. I can find little fault with a film that stays true to the spirit of the character and the animation here was quite good. The Ancient One, Baron Mordo, Dormammu all play key roles in this film that appeals to all ages. They mark it as iffy for 11 but I think 9 and up is okay for this, it is scary for the younger set at times but with a parent present shouldn’t present too much of a problem and you’ll be entertained as well by it.

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.

Mega_Mosaic

Mega_Mosaic, a photo by world of pj on Flickr.

This is really worth looking at at the original size, I find it just fascinating and came across it the other day and was just really amazed at some of the shots. It would’ve been nice to link to each of the photos but I figure that would have been way too labor intensive.

Z is for Zed.

Z is for Zed., a photo by world of pj on Flickr.

Just another shot from the walk I went on with some fellow GWNY’ers but some interesting Simpson’s like graffiti.

You have been warned.

Maybe you did a little online shopping while at work yesterday?

Spending too much time online at work can cost you. In the survey, 22 percent of employers said they have fired someone for using the Internet for non-work related activities. Half of employers surveyed said they keep tabs on their employees' Internet and email usage, up 3 percentage points from last year.

Makes me think about all those people I see at work spending the better part of their day with FaceBook up in the browser window – if you think your company doesn’t notice, you’d be sadly mistaken.

Movie Mondays!

Everyone’s favorite serial killer returns with a more complicated life as Dexter tries to balance career, family life and being a serial killer. Of course, something’s got to give and the tightrope Dexter walks becomes ever harder to balance upon as the season progresses towards a shocking conclusion. John Lithgow is featured as the “villain of the season” and it’s another tour de force performance by the acting veteran as he proves the toughest adversary Dexter has faced to date. You can’t help but praise what is a solid cast, great acting and terrific plotting as the season of 12 episodes darts past all too quickly. Of course there is the usual blood, gore and violence but with this franchise it never seems gratuitous - not for the squeamish Dexter still proves to be solidly entertaining and one of the best shows out there today.

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.

Rainy evening.

Rainy evening., a photo by world of pj on Flickr.

A shot from a night before Thanksgiving when I found myself in Times Square on my way to dinner. It was a brutal night, cold and wet but the city had something of a wonderful quality in spite of it.

Movie Mondays!

You’d think with the success of the live action Iron Man films Marvel would put something together better than this stew of disparate pieces. A mixture of traditional and 3D animation doesn’t help matters either as the plot takes liberally from the Iron Man mythos and modifies to poor effect. I’ve seen a few animated superhero films of late and when they work they can appeal to all audiences young and old alike, here there just isn’t anything worth praising, the animation is passable as poor Saturday morning cartoons and the story is just an out and out mess. Marvel does do good animated flicks, this just isn’t one of them, do yourself a favor and pass.

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.

New stuff!

I wanted to put up something for the few people who still stop by and as a precursor to something I had wanted to start a week or two ago, for now I am going to put up what is one of my favorite performances of a favorite song.

Movie Mondays!

ONE OF THE BEST MOVIES I HAVE SEEN IN SOME TIME! Funny! Charming! Endearing! A terrific story and great performances! A young artist develops insomnia as a result of his breakup with a long time girlfriend and spends his sleepless nights toiling away in a discount store (think the British equivalent to a 24 hr WalMart). The hours drone on endlessly but is there a way to step between the seconds? A delightful, humorous love story that is a home run as a first feature from director/writer Sean Ellis.

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.

Crash

Crash, a photo by world of pj on Flickr.

Walking home from work on Thursday night I happened upon this scene on Madison Avenue in Murray Hill. The weather has been nice so I was enjoying the walk and I hope no one got hurt but at the end of the day you have to be amazed stuff like this doesn’t happen more often.

Get lost William!

Get lost William!, a photo by world of pj on Flickr.

I don’t know if the USPS will return any person named William who is mailed undelivered but anything written in big block stenciled letters should be heeded!

A morning stroll(er).

A morning stroll(er)., a photo by world of pj on Flickr.

I didn’t get the shot I wanted to get which was of all the orange shirted children being herded like ducks into the playground but what I did get is a reminder of how the world is taken over at different times by different ages and while the rest of us are toiling away behind desks there is a generation that is discovering the joys of a swingset.

Sunny morning.

Sunny morning., a photo by world of pj on Flickr.

Fulton Street on a day that reminded me a bit of another fateful day. It’s rare to find such temperate weather in November but such a welcome when it makes a visit.

Movie Mondays!

Good cast and acting can’t save this clunker of a story and plot right up through the rather predictable twist ending. A large portion of what makes movies great is the ride the viewer is taken on as the movie draws to its conclusion and this ride is plodding and overly long. If you’re one of those people who has to see every De Niro or Pacino movie you'll watch but you’ll walk away feeling they were only in it for the paycheck. For a better pairing of these two acting legends do yourself a favor and watch HEAT instead.

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.

Movie Mondays!

The problem with these movies is we’ve now gotten to the point where each successive film in the genre has to top its predecessors. We just go further and further down the road into overblown special effects, movie clichés and formulaic characters and acting. Check your brain at the door there’s nothing more than special effects to watch and even that gets tiresome after the first hour. Also, this is not family entertainment, it’s the kind of thing likely to give a kid a good set of nightmares so under the age of 11 need not apply. SPOILER ALERT! By the end of the movie the little girl no longer needs to wear Huggies - a good thing since the supply after an extinction event is probably pretty low 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.

You ever get the feeling?

That some of your co-workers are just putting in a little too much time and working a little bit too hard?

Just started a new gig and I’m beginning to wonder about my workload?

Movie Mondays!

Simply amazing! Even if you haven’t seen any of the Torchwood series before you’ll enjoy this dramatic mini that hits all the high notes. Russell Davies serves up a story that has big slimy aliens, lots of political intrigue and hints of creepiness ala those old horror classics Children of the Damned and Village of the Damned. While it has scifi trappings, the performances are totally down to earth in tone and spot on. I can't say enough good things Children of the Earth. I was just floored by the quality of this mini and you will be 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.

And now, for something completely different...

A Woman’s Perspective on Robot Hookers

With the thought that as a man, it’s always good to hear a woman’s viewpoint if only to try and understand them better.

Today’s Special!

I hate having to be in the city for one or two things only because invariably things go awry and I am forced to find some way to occupy myself in between appointments. Today was like that as I am trying to be very productive but found myself in that in between appointment limbo.

So after weighing a few options and coming up short, I availed myself of the cuisine at the most excellent Jin Fong in Chinatown and enjoyed a leisurely lunch of Dim Sum.

Movie Mondays!

Substandard, in terms of animation and story. Really not much better than mid 80s Saturday morning animation fare in style or execution. I expected more, got less - little in the way of drama although the movie is supposed to be based on the Death of Superman arc, it bears little resemblance to it. I just watched another DC animated film recently (Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths) and had high hopes based on that film but Superman Doomsday falls woefully short and comes nowhere near matching the quality of the Justice League movie - very uneven.

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.

And now, for something completely different...

A Woman’s Perspective on Video Games

With the thought that as a man, it’s always good to hear a woman’s viewpoint if only to try and understand them better.

Movie Mondays!

A solid scifi picture with good acting and a well-paced story. There are enough twists and turns to keep you entertained throughout. Bruce Willis is a detective trying to solve a murder in a world where everyone uses robot proxies in their daily lives. The rub of course is whether people are truly living their lives when they spend the majority of their time with their consciousness locked in an idealized proxy, what are the ramifications for the people and the society they live in. Funny moment was seeing Bruce Willis’ proxy and being reminded of one of the disguises of the character he played in the movie The Jackal. Entertaining!

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.

And now, for something completely different...

A Woman’s Perspective on First Dates

With the thought that as a man, it’s always good to hear a woman’s viewpoint if only to try and understand them better.

Looking for support.

You know I think we all have a tendency to get wrapped up in our own lives and our own problems but the thing I often remind myself off is there are people who are in infinitely worse shape than I am and I should count my blessings.

Case in point, a few years back one of my dear friends, Monica succumbed to a brain tumor (click through to read what I had to say) and it was just a tragic thing to bear witness to for the loss of a special person and also the impact it had on her loved ones.

In an odd bit of coincidence she was not the only person I know who struggled with a brain tumor. An old friend’s wife also struggled with the very same thing and although she managed to beat it, it wasn’t without a terrific fight on her part and indeed she is very lucky to have won the battle. You can read about her experiences at her blog: Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Woman

But what I wanted to talk about was something she has taken upon herself to do, in an effort to raise awareness about the issue, Heidi has embarked on a walk from her home in Long Island to the hospital in Boston where she was treated. Along the way she will be speaking at various schools and of course if you’re on her route I’m sure she would welcome the company. She is a powerfully strong person and in many ways I think of her as very similar in temperament and mien as was dear, departed Monica.

Heidi has also formed a charity: www.brain-matters.org

I wanted to at least try and help and get the word out in a show of support.