Rotten Tomatoes are ... rotten!

I went out to check Rotten Tomatoes about "The Terminal" and found it only had a sixty something rating. Looking over the blurbs it becames obvious that the people who didn't like it didn't because of either the sentimentality ("mushy" was thrown around a lot) or they simply didn't get the deeper message about the airport being a microcosm of American Society.

But then I considered what qualifications you had to have to be a movie critic (on the web even) and decided they didn't know what the heck they were talking about and I didn't care what they thought. Of course if good movies don't do well then there will be fewer good movies made ...

"America is Closed"

I saw a few movies this weekend (well two). Yesterday I saw The Terminal with Tom Hanks. I hope he wins an award for this one, it was great. But I don't think it's doing as well as it should at the Box Office because so many Americans don't really understand what it's like to be in a foreign airport where not only do you not speak the language, but you can't even read the signs (the alphabet is totally different) and everyone is in a tremendous hurry. Stanley Tucci doesn't even look like himself without hair but he was as fabulous as the rest of the cast. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays the woman most geek men have met who likes real people, men who aren't phony good looking liars, but who is hopelessly addicted to them and even when presented with a nice guy she knows she could fall in love with, can't extract herself from her habits to give it a go. And Tom Hanks is great, even if the role could have been given to a slavik or Russian actor. His speech manerisms are as close to slavik as I've heard (and I've met a few Russians, including two Ukranians who work with me), his other mannerisms are great and it's a wonderful story. Go see it.

On Saturday I went (not bothering to call people and ask who wanted to go since the last two times it didn't work out and I ended up not going myself) to see The Chronicles of Riddick. I enjoyed it, as I knew I would, and I could see all kinds of nods and homages to assorted films. Conan the Barbarian, the first one (Pitch Black which is understandable) and others that I can't bring to mind. It was very sci-fi/gothic looking and reminded me of Warhammer 40k. The look of the armor, the buildings, some of the weapons. It had a good deal more gritty flavor but I can see how it might be hard sometimes to convey that in a minatures game. I could identify conflicts and I started thinking about some of my lit classes way back when. Man against Nature, Man against Man (of course in this kind of film). Not so much Man against Himself but there was a lot of that in the first film where we see the character the first time and we know he's tortured (and we've heard Vin Diesel talk about Riddick being the Anti-Hero enough!). But I thought there was another kind of conflict and couldn't remember what it was. Ah well, have to talk to Jack or Mary, they should know.

"A quality name in reality television"

Lana used that term this morning on the radio about Mark Burnet, you know the guy who created Survivor. My other rants about how stupid reality TV is aside, if I recognized him in the parking lot it would be the devil's own time to not run over him. It's not that I wish him dead, I just wish him in the hospital long enough that he can't create any more idiocy. And given most American's attention span if he's out of things for 18 months the craze should die (I say this knowing full well this only applies to good things which disappear to soon and never to crap that lingers longer than it's smell).

Oh and isn't this one of those oxymorons, like "military intelligence"?

The moving has started. Or actually the throwing out has started. I showed the house to Lorie this weekend and took three bags of trash from the garage to the old house so I could put it out Tuesday evening. Then I started on the garage and filled three more bags without really trying. I alternated between the garage, the front bedroom (not much progress made there) and gaming. Too much gaming and not enough throwing out.

Pictures of the house

I stopped by last night and took some pictures and posted them here. I welcome any decorating advice since all the furniture I own is "bachelor" furniture (meaning it probably ought to be left at the old place and forgotten that it ever existed). About the only thing I've decided is that I don't much like the look of the heavy, dark "classic" wood look. Something a bit more modern and/or with lighter color woods and more simple lines.

Now the ugly part starts, the moving. Fortunately the lease on my duplex doesn't run out until the end of July so I've got a few weeks to sort stuff out, throw out 15 years of junk, pack up the good stuff and move it the six blocks from one to the other.

"Finally, it's all about me!"

I heard this on the radio this morning. It was an ad for a local bank. I understand their real message, "Don't settle for shoddy service, come to our bank and we'll take care of you" and I agree with it. We shouldn't give our money to companies who don't make an effort toward customer service and meeting our needs. But in our modern American society, do we really need to encourage people to be more self-centered? <raised_eyebrow>

Today I close on the house. I'll take my new toy (the digital camera) over there tonight and get some pix to post tomorrow. I was going to go by this morning on the way to work to get an outside shot but instinct is strong that early in the morning and I was already down the street in the wrong direction before I remembered.

Strange I'm not more stressed about going more than a hundred thousand dollars in debt.

Extra Gmail invites

I got one of these accounts because I blog here. I set mine up, not really expecting to use it because Erik was all excited about getting Mary's. I got three invites and gave them to guys in the group. I got three more in the last few days and saw on WWDN a site where we could go to donate them to troops overseas. Go to http://www.gmail4troops.com/ if you need one or if you have any to donate.

A lot more public support than when we "Cold Warriors" were manning the wall in Germany, but I can't find it in my heart to be anything but proud of these damn civilians since no one was shooting at us.

No books from the rest of the team so I'll have to get a smaller box and send a note to Tony to see if he knows any Engineer First Sergents over there who could distribute these for me. And if I have an address perhaps I could order some stuff and have it deliver to the APO bound for them.

It was a dark and stormy night ...

Well actually it's rainy and kind of gray as I was driving to work this morning. When it's like that I turn my lights on so that other people can see me. Am I the only one here who does? No, I can't be because every now and then I saw people with them on. A few other people with their ... now I can't remember what they're called. On a boat or an aircraft they'd be the running lights. But so many with nothing on and it being rainy it was hard to see them in the rear view mirror. Symptomatic of people not thinking I suppose.

"Wienerdogs in Lederhosen"

"Dogs haven't had this much fun since they played poker!"

Thanks Lana & Mo. Now to find the link to the story she read.

Send care packages

I post the link to "Books for Soldiers" (I found it on the sidebar on Wil Wheaton's blog) and went into the boards and now I've gotten all mushy. Got to dig through stuff and get my dups together to send to Iraq. And maybe order some stuff and have it shipped over there.

Phone cards are another thing that goes a long way for them.

Achilles!!!

Mary and I skipped out of work early yesterday and went to see "Troy". I enjoyed it and even though they may have mutilated "The Illiad" (it's been so long ago I've read it I don't remember enough of the details to know) it was a fun romp. The horses had no stirrups, the spears looked accurate, chariots, short swords, etc. And only Agememnon seems to be the real villian and the hero is fighting for him (albiet reluctantly). Gonna get this one on DVD but you should see it on the big screen since the huge armies won't be as impressive on your TV.

A cool Trek story on WWDN, check it out.

The house inspection yielded a few things but only one that Erik and I can't fix. And last night the realtor and I went out to the house to verify it and she's going to call a plumber to take a look at it. Now I need to get the homeowner's policy set up.

Lost my ID card too so I'm going to have to jump through some bureaucratic hoops today or tomorrow.

Running in the street

I wonder why it is that a good portion of the people I see jogging, do it in the bike path beside the road instead of on the sidewalk. When I'm walking somewhere (or in a parking lot) I usually like to keep something between me and the cars going by. A curb would work great I think since if they aren't paying attention and they're "coming right for me" they would bump over it and hopefully that would draw their attention back to their driving (or lack thereof).

But so often I see people jogging (against traffic usually, which implies they're not totally insane) on the side of the road instead. Both are paved surfaces so it's not like one will be easier on the feet. You can do side by side running if there are two (or more) of you but that puts somebody even further out there in the no-mans land that our roads are today.

So what's up?

House Inspection

The house inspection is this morning. Going to be edumacated about houses and all the things that can go wrong with them! :) Let the madness begin (but it won't even be close to the madness Tristin went through when they were getting prepped to leave).

Erik "rolled" his scooter yesterday. He went to turn but the tire slid and it didn't turn so he jumped off and rolled. No injuries, no damage to the scooter. But apparently it doesn't have the juice to go uphill so he has to push it.

Went to see the new Harry Potter movie. The jury is still out on it but there were a few things that I really liked and nothing that struck me as really bad. There were parts where I wondered what the story was and my attention kind of wandered. But the scenery was fabulous and much more what I would think a place like that would be, out of the way somewhere it wouldn't draw attention. And the scenes seems very clipped at both ends with only what was essential, however he (the director) did a good job conveying the passing of seasons I think. I think I would have preferred a bit more stuff in there so a longer film. I shudder to think what they will do with the next one which is even longer (the book). However the tone got much more adult which I think is fitting since these guys are growing up and finding out that life it's just chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor beans.

We tried to go see "Troy" yesterday but the timing didn't work out. Maybe we'll take off after the staff meeting on Tuesday.

A non-lowfat condiment

I was listening to the radio this morning (as I always do while I get ready for work) and I hear the new Subway commercials. Annoying but primarily for the source material they were making fun of, motivational speakers. However they said "Atkins" sixteen times (or so it seemed). But I guess if you're paid a royality for a name you want to use it as much as you can (which reminds me of an old cartoon I saw years ago talking about a radio station's "play it till you're sick of it weekend" - "only seven hundred and forty-three more calls before we stop playing ..." I don't even remember the name of the song).

After Erik bought his scooter, Mary found two for sale (new ones) for the same amount (so they both could have one). D'oh.

He told me last night that you can't keep frozen food in your freezer for months unless you have a 'deep freeze'. So I put my last pound of shrimp (farm raised of course) in the fridge to defrost. Now, what to fix it in?

<omit a section about people's driving since I complain enough about that as it is>

I knew there was something else I meant to say. I get so many ideas for things to comment on here when I'm in the shower and then I inevitably forget 95% of them before I get here and can post them.

Double negatives. A "non-lowfat condiment" (mayonaisse - sp?) for the subway sandwiches to be under 6 grams of fat. NO CHEESE! Blasphemy! But I've heard double negatives like that used so infrequently in advertising that I wonder how many people will catch that and realize that you're not supposed to put mayo on the sandwich in order to keep down the fat content.

The only Lannister you can trust is a dead one

And if they died north of The Wall they might not even be trusted to stay dead!

I just finished "A Game of Thrones" and went to the bookstore last night looking for the rest of the series. I got the next two but didn't find the 4th. Started reading "A Clash of Kings" nearly immediately.

And Erik bought a scooter last night. We went to the place I'd gotten my bike and he got a helmet today at lunch.

There IS no "ah" in occasion!

Okay, however I expect local radio commercials to be lame by default. And I realize it's supposed to be a pun. But I get flowers, when I need them, from a place close to work and I doubt that commercial will cause me to change my florist. I do remember at least one of the three names though so it kinda worked (in reverse since I'll avoid that place in particular).

Mediacom FINALLY fixed whatever was wrong with my connection to the internet. I was back in Galaxies last night trying to catch up with everything I'd told people I'd do for them. So I didn't play Hordes of the Underdark at all although I still want to give it a run to find out how good the various prestige classes are. And I'll probably switch from Mediacom to someone/something else when I move since they didn't impress me much. There was a call on my answering machine telling me the connection was back, which was nice, but it doesn't entirely make up for the lack of information regarding the nature of the problem and their progress addressing it. I'm pretty sure that all of campus would be peeved as hell with us if we had a four day network outage and didn't tell them what the heck was going on.

Arghh!!

Okay I heard a commercial this morning for the Missouri Lottery. The "Lost Treasure" promotion. A cubicle dweller is being rebuked by his boss for standing outside another dweller's cubicle in a puffy shirt and eyepatch telling him he should prepared to be boarded, then stealing his stapler, paper punch, etc. Pirate informs Boss that he didn't steal it, he "plundered". Boss asks if he still has the items and Pirate tells him they're in his "treasure chest". Boss tells him he should give them back and Pirate tells him "okay, but he'll need this map!".

I almost spit toothpaste all over the mirror! (okay maybe you have to hear it)

The recent Sprint commericals aren't too bad either, where the teacher is telling all her 2nd graders that they'll have to tell her how many minutes they want to use the dodge ball for next year. Of course with Sprint the horse will be a fossilized and in the process of being unearthed by future archeologists before they stop beating it so you all can "enjoy" these too. But at least they're better (keeping in mind that three times zero is still zero) than the frat/sorrity (no it's not spelled right but I care so much about the "Greeks" that I'm not going to go look) ones where they scream.

"I'm melting ..."

There must be a ton of "wicked witches" out there. Sheesh people, it's only rain and not even cold, wet (really wet), nasty rain either. Kind of soft gentle almost warm rain. But they're still running around holding goofy things over their heads because it's raining.

Inspections

Well I've got the house inspection scheduled and the lender called to tell me she put my numbers in and it came back approved so things are proceeding apace. I'm working on the list of furniture necessary by room and Blake, Brian and I are going to rent a truck and drive down-state to buy some furniture from his father's factory. Tomorrow I think I'll start talking to people about fences across the one side in back so that the dog has a place to run. Hmm, what else am I forgetting, homeowners insurance I think.

Always more to do (don't even mention packing yet!).

"What I choose is my choice"

Okay when you type it out like that is looks as stupid as it sounds. When the Smashing Pumpkins sing it it's better

...

No, wait, it isn't, it's still stupid. Hmmm, song lyrics, when you can hear them and successfully decipher them, are ... well sometimes they're fine, sometimes they're great and sometimes they're stupid like this. And this coming from a Master of the Blatantly Obvious!

Makes me really appreciate guys like Wierd Al who can take a tune and create lyrics which are *almost* the same but very different and hugely funny.

Bring me the head of the marketing guy!

Okay the original phrase was from Dilber ("Bring me the head of Willy the mailboy"). But my point is that commercials these days are stupid and getting more stupid (no, "stupider" is not a word!). I remember those Taco Bell commercials with the chiwawa (that's not how that's spelled either ... looking it up, ... well that was too easy, apparently it's "chiuaua"). Those were generally pretty funny. My favorite is when he's (it was a she, wasn't it?) running through the scene again and again and goes by some old people in a retirement home watching Jeopardy. She pauses long enough for you to hear the question and then says "What is a logarithm?" in that voice they gave her.

But I heard one of their new radio spots this morning while I was showering. Something stupid about some former frat guy who put "low grade explosives" (what does THAT mean?) in the pinatas he made (also spelled ... well not wrong but missing the tilde). Their food I don't mind (it's not beef but it's not bad) and eat occasionally, but their commercials suck a$$ ever since they got rid of the chiuaua.

Sonic is another one in this boat. I like their food. Their popcorn chicken was good, tater tots are always good and the fried cheese can't be beat. But those two idiotic guys in the commercials making fun of other fast food places. You want to reach through the screen and slap them. Hard!

And this doesn't even cover commercials for things/places I don't like.

So if the intelligence or creativity of the advertising folks is gone, where did it go? Certainly not to the TV script writers. At least not on the big networks. I hear the Sopranos season finale was really good so maybe the good ones went to cable.

And when is this guy who came up with the idea for Suvivor going to fall off the Earth?

One step closer to being deeply in debt

I had a meeting with my lender this morning. It seems I may be worth more now than I figured. But she's still worried about my debt ratio being close to 50%. However after the down payment I should still have enough left to get some decent furniture and most other unexpected expenses. Got to make some phone calls now. I'll post some pix some place once I get Erik to remember to bring his digital camera or find that issue of Consumer Reports that talks about them and get a new one myself.

Alton Brown rocks!

Okay I knew that already. After all I'd seen "Good Eats" a few times. He doesn't mess around in the kitchen, doesn't have a catch-phrase ("BAM!") and doesn't do that foo-foo stuff. He makes good things to eat and tells you how to do it yourself. He tells you why!

But I just got done going through his blog. He doesn't cut the mustard there, he says what he thinks and doesn't seem to care what people think or if they disagree. I, however, tend to agree with most of it.

And his new bike is wicked cool!

Oh and look at the Feb 05 entry, it's pretty funny!

Telemarketers

Everyone hates them. They hate themselves. Dave Barry got two weeks worth of blog entries off of a column he wrote about them publishing one of their organizational phone numbers telling people if they were unhappy with them as a group to call and let them know (it took less than a day before it went to a machine and another day before they had to shut it down entirely).

But I've got a new arch-nemesis (my arch-annoyance is still Ray Bacon). Charitable organization collection agencies. Awhile ago I came into enough money that I decided to expand my yearly donation to the Alzheimer's Foundation (no idea if I spelled that correctly). I ended up giving some money to about four or six different things. They were happy. For a little while. Then they started calling asking for more, but it wasn't the next year it seemed. I pared things down until now it's only my original charity, a Missouri police organization and a firefighters organization. Eventually I started keeping much closer track of when I last donated so that I'd confirm that they had already called and I caught one attempt. Then I read somewhere that there are whole "telemarketing" companies that specialize in charitable donations. However only about 30 cents of every dollar actually gets to whomever they're soliciting for. And their just as annoying as regular telemarketers. I was running late this morning (I stayed up way to late playing Neverwinter Nights) and the phone rang just as I was getting my breakfast, moments from rushing out the door. It was a woman calling for the firefighters. I told her to send me something in the mail and hung up on her. (usually I'll listen long enough for them to say their name and who they're with before I tell them I'm not interested and hang up)

I know perfectly well that the police officers and firefighters aren't the ones calling but their the ones who have my undying respect and admiration (as opposed to the telemarketers who are only slightly above politicians and slightly below used car salesmen). But still I'd be more willing to sit and listen to THEM talk than the people who do call.

A *Bicycle* helmet???

Driving to work today a guy pulled in front of me. I didn't quite curse him but once he was in my lane I saw why. There was a guy on a scooter putt-putting down the road (this is Providence so it's a four lane inter-city arterial). I got even with him and noticed that this was one of the ones who DOES wear a helmet on his scooter. A double-take revealed that it was a bicycle helmet with orange tinted ski goggles.

Now personally I think these people are on the very edge of insanely stupid (or stupidly insane?) since I don't trust people not to run into me when I'm in a bright yellow CAR much less riding on a scooter. And scooters also strike me as motorcycle wannabes. People who don't have enough money or moxie to get a bike. But then it doesn't hurt me any so more power to them. Until they get themselves killed by some guy talking on his cellphone while he was supposed to be driving.

I don't have any problem with people who want to engage in activities which are likely to kill them. I spend thirteen odd years of my life defending their right to kill themselves. However when they end up taking someone else with them, that's when I start objecting. And I don't think we should have legislation to prevent them from killing themselves. If they're so genetically deficient that they don't avoid deadly things then perhaps it's better for the race as a whole to let them do it. Hopefully before they pass on these genes to their young.

I finally saw Ryan and Tristin's house. It's very nice looking from the front and I'll try to get a pix to post somewhere but inside is fabulous. So I'm definately going to buy it. The price isn't bad, the master bedroom is nice (HUGE closet, you could put a rollaway bed in there), jacuzzi bathtub and shower, two other bedrooms (one with another big closet), kitchen with an island and a nice dinning room area plus a living room. Now I'll have to actually get furniture to put in there or it's going to seem empty.

Jack emailed me yesterday asking about our summer games and we're working on things so that we alternate between him running a Firefly game (YEA!!!!) and Jason running the "Fourth Age" game he did at the retreat (1930s where Tolkien was right, there are orcs and elves and such!). Plus we combining our small group (now that Aaron and Jeff left) with what's left of his group to make one of reasonable size.

Well more later.

Okay I give up

Jeff is having his "bachelor" party next month up in Colorado and we have a bunch of cool activies planned. But in order for me to survive I need to dump about 30 pounds and get some of my endurance back. So today I rode my bike (need to put more air in the tires) over to the gym. I found the door in the same place as last time (three weeks ago?) but everything inside had moved with no indication where the changing rooms were. They haven't had a shower there in forever but after wandering around for twenty minutes I've decided to go join some gym which is actually RUN like a business.

I mean I know that they wanted to keep it open for people to use (in a desparate attempt to keep some of their "customers") and that probably extended the project timeline by 1.5. I tried to continue to patronize the place but this is the fourth or fifth time I've had this happen. If they communicated with us to tell us that things had moved then I think I wouldn't have been nearly as frustrated. Even a map inside saying "hey we've moved the changing rooms to here!".

Time to dig out that free trial for Gold's.

(Contrite)

Well Aaron has taken me to task for being mad at Tristin's realtor. Pointing out (quite logically and correctly!) that they put a lot of work and effort into listings, they don't get salaries all their income comes from commissions and to do the work and then be cut out of the loop would be tantamont to a slap in the face.

I can't (and won't even try) to argue with the fact and it was second hand information so commenting without both sides or all the facts is just blowing smoke. But then this is a smoke covered blog! :)

More later.