1. Has anyone else ever noticed that the Beatles' song "Birthday" sounds awfully sarcastic? Listen to it again. The tone of Paul and John's voices definitely have a certain harshness. It's almost as if they are mocking the subject of the song with each lyric.
"You say it's your birthday - well it's my birthday too, yeah!" --- this is like someone sneeringly claiming it's their birthday when it obviously is not just to spite the person whose birthday it truly is.
"We're gonna have a good time" --- No, we're not. Because I'm a jerk and I'm belittling you by making fun of your birthday party.
"I'm glad it's your birthday" -- No, not really. I'm just sarcastically saying that to make you feel bad. Ha Ha Ha.
2. This has been one of the nicest Autumns I can remember. Too bad I've spent most of it indoors doing engineering stuff. It never rained in September, and maybe rained twice in October. We had one week recently of 50 degree weather, but other than that it's been in the 70s and sunny.
3. I keep having dreams where I'm talking to Brett Favre as if we are friends or I at least have an opinion that he cares about. I've always respected Favre as a football player, but I'm a Bears fan - so it's not like he's been one of my sports heroes. I kind of feel for the guy right now. He's having a rough season...getting physically beat up, the media has swarmed over his "racy texts" scandal (even though it's really no one's business and shouldn't be news - the only purpose it serves is to keep Jenn Sterger's name floating in the ether and providing fodder for the aforementioned media), his coach stinks, his team is a mess...he's almost assuredly wishing he'd just stayed in Mississippi instead of coming back this time around. That being said, though, you have to be impressed by his ability to keep playing with men half his age. He's still very capable and one of the better players at his position.
4. Is it just me or does Thanksgiving seem to come more quickly these days and without any build up? From childhood through my college years there was always a month-long anticipation and excitement that brewed. But lately the big day just sort of rushes upon us with only a bit of fanfare on the day before. Could it just be that I'm older now and my mind is occupied by more important matters? Looking back at my 20 year old self, I had so little responsibility or truly important things to tend to that I could afford to think about Thanksgiving every day for a month leading up to it. Come to think of it...my 20 year old self was a head-shakingly shadow-like version of my current self. But then that's always been the goal: to constantly be improving and as a result looking back on old versions of myself with disregard and a roll of the eyes. It would be a shame to always consider your former self to be the better you.
Well, it's time to eat a late breakfast and go watch my Hurricanes stink it up against Georgia Tech. If we lose today I will then be in full hoping-that-we-tank-the-season mode and looking forward to hiring a new coaching staff (Jon Gruden please!). If we win...meh...I'll be happy for the players and will try to be optimistic about the future, but I won't be daydreaming of championships.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
3 Months of Busy-ness
I have a spare 15 minutes, so let's see how far I can get....
Another year, another fantasy football season that sees my team having unbelievably bad luck and all my opponents' players just happening to have career weeks against me. Also, just like last year, a lot of my opponents' players who have amazing performances against me end up getting hurt the following week (exhibit A: Michael Vick). This week my opponent had both Jay Cutler and the Giants defense, so something had to give. Unfortunately it was poor Jay's head. As a Bears fan, last night was a miserable game to watch....
Engineering school has reached new levels of ruthlessness. I'm constantly working and having to shun family, friends, free time, creative pursuits, and sanity.
My technological annoyances continue. Oh the woes of being a broke college student...it now appears that my creaky old laptop is too old for further software updates (this includes Itunes...apparently I'm stuck with version 9.2 from now on)...which also means I cannot update the software on my Iphone. (I'm on version 3.1.3 of that...) I could potentially upgrade the software from another computer, but apparently that would mean losing everything on my phone - including pictures (all 1000 of them). As my creaky old laptop is incredibly slow and short on memory, an attempt at transferring my pictures to my computer is no simple task. What I really need is a fairy-god-mother to show up at my porch door with a brand new Mac laptop (and Iphone G4 while she's at it) and a case of Newcastle. And since we're asking for really cool things to be delivered to me - how about my lovely girlfriend, too?
Alright, my allotted free time is up. The Engineering Monster is coming....
Another year, another fantasy football season that sees my team having unbelievably bad luck and all my opponents' players just happening to have career weeks against me. Also, just like last year, a lot of my opponents' players who have amazing performances against me end up getting hurt the following week (exhibit A: Michael Vick). This week my opponent had both Jay Cutler and the Giants defense, so something had to give. Unfortunately it was poor Jay's head. As a Bears fan, last night was a miserable game to watch....
Engineering school has reached new levels of ruthlessness. I'm constantly working and having to shun family, friends, free time, creative pursuits, and sanity.
My technological annoyances continue. Oh the woes of being a broke college student...it now appears that my creaky old laptop is too old for further software updates (this includes Itunes...apparently I'm stuck with version 9.2 from now on)...which also means I cannot update the software on my Iphone. (I'm on version 3.1.3 of that...) I could potentially upgrade the software from another computer, but apparently that would mean losing everything on my phone - including pictures (all 1000 of them). As my creaky old laptop is incredibly slow and short on memory, an attempt at transferring my pictures to my computer is no simple task. What I really need is a fairy-god-mother to show up at my porch door with a brand new Mac laptop (and Iphone G4 while she's at it) and a case of Newcastle. And since we're asking for really cool things to be delivered to me - how about my lovely girlfriend, too?
Alright, my allotted free time is up. The Engineering Monster is coming....
Sunday, July 4, 2010
July 4th Musings
Good morning, America! Yes, we're still the greatest country on the face of the earth - despite the demolition that we are currently undergoing. This great holiday may be built upon ideals that many have forgotten or outright hate, but freedom is not something easily won or maintained. That liberty which so many Americans before us died for has often been threatened by outside and internal forces. Though these times may be troubling and dangerous, we must be confident that freedom and the American spirit shall endure.
So my fellow Patriots, enjoy this day. Spend it with the ones you love, bask in the sunshine, hold your special someone close, eat, drink, watch your goofy cousin blow his fingers off with firecrackers, wave to the ambulance as it drives him away, and go to bed remembering how lucky we are to live in this great nation.
Other random musings....
1. Did you know that in dry climates it is possible to cool your house with minimal electricity requirements? Evaporative cooling. It's a subject I've been researching lately for a project and for no apparent reason I feel like sharing. In deserts and other arid climates people can replace their standard air conditioning units with low-energy evaporative coolers (also known as "swamp coolers"). Basically the dry outside air enters the cooler and meets these saturated pads causing the water in the pads to evaporate. When the water evaporates this requires energy (in the form of heat) which comes from the air. As the air takes on water vapor and loses its own heat energy, it cools. A fan then blows the cooled air into your home. This air is actually rather humid - which many folks prefer because of comfort and its benefit to furniture, paint, etc. Also, evaporative coolers work just fine with the windows open. The result is a nice moist breeze flowing through the house. Additionally, solar panels may be used to power the cooler. While some companies have stated these coolers only require about 1/8 of the power of a standard AC unit, the use of solar power can lead to virtually free home cooling!
2. We have bald eagles still hanging around our house out here. Last week we saw two massive ones literally walking around on the ground. Until you've seen one in person, you really have no idea how HUGE these creatures are! When I saw them my first thought was - flying dinosaurs. I can completely understand how some people devote their lives to studying the many wild beasts of this world. Fascinating.
3. Last month I had the misfortune of seeing a tv performance by this abysmal band called Passion Pit. My last shreds of hope for society and our youth were dashed when I saw mindless "fans" cheering on these buffoons. For starters, the music is terrible. It's derivative of cheesy, bland 80s pop, but without any creativity or heart. The singer prances around singing in a falsetto. The whole time! He should be mocked and ridiculed for attempting to pass that off as singing! What have we come to?!?!?! These guys shouldn't be cheered, they should've been booed off the first stage they ever whined their way onto! What is wrong with our society?!?!? Bands are supposed to be cool looking, rebellious, tough, intimidating. They're supposed to write with heart and passion and creativity and experimentation! Singers should sing like men! With soul and anger and pain! They shouldn't look and act like spineless 15 year olds who do not have the capacity to ever be real men! Unless you're Robert Plant you shouldn't be singing in any range above tenor! Anyone who likes this band has been completely lulled to sleep by this society. Wake up! This is not cool - this is not real music - those are not real men - that's not singing! The thought of them having a record contract is so mind-melting that my brain has to trick itself into thinking the whole thing is some stupid joke. They can't actually be considered a real band and have real fans. No way.
alright folks...have a great July 4th! Don't let the socialists bring you down...
So my fellow Patriots, enjoy this day. Spend it with the ones you love, bask in the sunshine, hold your special someone close, eat, drink, watch your goofy cousin blow his fingers off with firecrackers, wave to the ambulance as it drives him away, and go to bed remembering how lucky we are to live in this great nation.
Other random musings....
1. Did you know that in dry climates it is possible to cool your house with minimal electricity requirements? Evaporative cooling. It's a subject I've been researching lately for a project and for no apparent reason I feel like sharing. In deserts and other arid climates people can replace their standard air conditioning units with low-energy evaporative coolers (also known as "swamp coolers"). Basically the dry outside air enters the cooler and meets these saturated pads causing the water in the pads to evaporate. When the water evaporates this requires energy (in the form of heat) which comes from the air. As the air takes on water vapor and loses its own heat energy, it cools. A fan then blows the cooled air into your home. This air is actually rather humid - which many folks prefer because of comfort and its benefit to furniture, paint, etc. Also, evaporative coolers work just fine with the windows open. The result is a nice moist breeze flowing through the house. Additionally, solar panels may be used to power the cooler. While some companies have stated these coolers only require about 1/8 of the power of a standard AC unit, the use of solar power can lead to virtually free home cooling!
2. We have bald eagles still hanging around our house out here. Last week we saw two massive ones literally walking around on the ground. Until you've seen one in person, you really have no idea how HUGE these creatures are! When I saw them my first thought was - flying dinosaurs. I can completely understand how some people devote their lives to studying the many wild beasts of this world. Fascinating.
3. Last month I had the misfortune of seeing a tv performance by this abysmal band called Passion Pit. My last shreds of hope for society and our youth were dashed when I saw mindless "fans" cheering on these buffoons. For starters, the music is terrible. It's derivative of cheesy, bland 80s pop, but without any creativity or heart. The singer prances around singing in a falsetto. The whole time! He should be mocked and ridiculed for attempting to pass that off as singing! What have we come to?!?!?! These guys shouldn't be cheered, they should've been booed off the first stage they ever whined their way onto! What is wrong with our society?!?!? Bands are supposed to be cool looking, rebellious, tough, intimidating. They're supposed to write with heart and passion and creativity and experimentation! Singers should sing like men! With soul and anger and pain! They shouldn't look and act like spineless 15 year olds who do not have the capacity to ever be real men! Unless you're Robert Plant you shouldn't be singing in any range above tenor! Anyone who likes this band has been completely lulled to sleep by this society. Wake up! This is not cool - this is not real music - those are not real men - that's not singing! The thought of them having a record contract is so mind-melting that my brain has to trick itself into thinking the whole thing is some stupid joke. They can't actually be considered a real band and have real fans. No way.
alright folks...have a great July 4th! Don't let the socialists bring you down...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Home Again
The following is an excerpt from an email to a friend earlier this evening:
"I might feel differently at another time, but right now...yes, I would say being 30 does feel different. You start looking back and seeing that you've been around 30 years - all of that went by in a blink...and if you're lucky, you've got about another 30 left before you're into what soccer buffs might think of as "injury time." It's sobering....and terrifying and seems impossible...but the only way to deal with it is to accept it and move forward. Charge ahead into the teeth of the enemy, letting your war-cry erupt from the depths of your soul, never looking back with a timid eye, but only to recognize where you have been...may the battle be long and glorious and end with a brilliance that blinds the sun itself."
Why do I share that here? Who knows...maybe it just felt like a complete musing and one that needed to be shared. Like a tune that cannot be held inside and must be allowed to pollenate new ears. (oooh, another complete musing...)
My journey to Chicago was fantastic. I cannot wait to return. Being back in a big city for an extended time reminded me of how despite the big bad world's dangers, it holds a lot of exciting, interesting, and necessary experiences for the human soul. When you've been in one place for a long time - a place that is comfortable and safe and familiar - you can forget how pleasing and fulfilling the outside world can be.
While I was away my tomato plants (which were but mere little protrusions from the dirt when I left) underwent a significant transformation into green, stretching, vibrant bio-high-rises. They even have little corner bars that friends gather at and a Treasure Island grocery store on every other block. Naturally, parking is a gigantic nuisance. I saw two bees and a catepillar get towed within 5 minutes this morning.
There are a large number of green tomatoes on the vines, however none have yet ripened. I'm already growing wary of the blight that destroyed last year's crop by the middle of July. And today i encountered the first dreaded hornworm of the season. I tried pulling him off of the leaf he was munching on (while laughing at me), but he refused to let go. So, I employed a new method of eviction -- the classic finger-flick. With one swift flick of my middle finger the green, leaf-gobbler set sail through the air, off the porch and landed somewhere on the rocks below. Unfortunately, I'm sure his friends will not be deterred.
While in Chicago, my dearest sweetheart successfully made me a full-fledged fan of two shows that I previously did not watch (or watched very rarely): How I Met Your Mother and South Park. I've seen my fair share of South Park over the years, but never really watched it regularly. Now I can't get enough. Butters is a hilarious little character! And the episode where the kids rescue the killer whale literally made me cry with laughter. How I Met Your Mother has sort of made me feel better about turning 30. All those characters are in their 30s and still seem to have long lives ahead of them. Maybe 30 really is the new 20/25. I'm serious. People are living longer and, at least in our culture, people are maturing (mentally - not physically) more slowly. You disagree? Look back at generations from the World Wars and compare how mature and responsible they were compared to our current generations of increasing self-absorption, blaming everyone else, unnecessary litigation, MTV, etc, etc, etc....do I really have to have this argument with you kids right now? Anyway...they're both great shows and just like Family Guy two years ago and The Office this past year, they will likely be my flagship shows in the coming year. Expect me to quote them and reference them at annoying levels.
Anybody have winning lottery numbers for me? How about someone who wants to be my rich benefactor? Seriously. Maybe a transport plane with a malfunctioning back door will fly overhead and accidentally drop a load of gold coins onto the front yard....
Okay, that's all for now, folks. May you all have pleasant lives until you hear from me again...and may you next hear from me when I'm in Chicago...
"I might feel differently at another time, but right now...yes, I would say being 30 does feel different. You start looking back and seeing that you've been around 30 years - all of that went by in a blink...and if you're lucky, you've got about another 30 left before you're into what soccer buffs might think of as "injury time." It's sobering....and terrifying and seems impossible...but the only way to deal with it is to accept it and move forward. Charge ahead into the teeth of the enemy, letting your war-cry erupt from the depths of your soul, never looking back with a timid eye, but only to recognize where you have been...may the battle be long and glorious and end with a brilliance that blinds the sun itself."
Why do I share that here? Who knows...maybe it just felt like a complete musing and one that needed to be shared. Like a tune that cannot be held inside and must be allowed to pollenate new ears. (oooh, another complete musing...)
My journey to Chicago was fantastic. I cannot wait to return. Being back in a big city for an extended time reminded me of how despite the big bad world's dangers, it holds a lot of exciting, interesting, and necessary experiences for the human soul. When you've been in one place for a long time - a place that is comfortable and safe and familiar - you can forget how pleasing and fulfilling the outside world can be.
While I was away my tomato plants (which were but mere little protrusions from the dirt when I left) underwent a significant transformation into green, stretching, vibrant bio-high-rises. They even have little corner bars that friends gather at and a Treasure Island grocery store on every other block. Naturally, parking is a gigantic nuisance. I saw two bees and a catepillar get towed within 5 minutes this morning.
There are a large number of green tomatoes on the vines, however none have yet ripened. I'm already growing wary of the blight that destroyed last year's crop by the middle of July. And today i encountered the first dreaded hornworm of the season. I tried pulling him off of the leaf he was munching on (while laughing at me), but he refused to let go. So, I employed a new method of eviction -- the classic finger-flick. With one swift flick of my middle finger the green, leaf-gobbler set sail through the air, off the porch and landed somewhere on the rocks below. Unfortunately, I'm sure his friends will not be deterred.
While in Chicago, my dearest sweetheart successfully made me a full-fledged fan of two shows that I previously did not watch (or watched very rarely): How I Met Your Mother and South Park. I've seen my fair share of South Park over the years, but never really watched it regularly. Now I can't get enough. Butters is a hilarious little character! And the episode where the kids rescue the killer whale literally made me cry with laughter. How I Met Your Mother has sort of made me feel better about turning 30. All those characters are in their 30s and still seem to have long lives ahead of them. Maybe 30 really is the new 20/25. I'm serious. People are living longer and, at least in our culture, people are maturing (mentally - not physically) more slowly. You disagree? Look back at generations from the World Wars and compare how mature and responsible they were compared to our current generations of increasing self-absorption, blaming everyone else, unnecessary litigation, MTV, etc, etc, etc....do I really have to have this argument with you kids right now? Anyway...they're both great shows and just like Family Guy two years ago and The Office this past year, they will likely be my flagship shows in the coming year. Expect me to quote them and reference them at annoying levels.
Anybody have winning lottery numbers for me? How about someone who wants to be my rich benefactor? Seriously. Maybe a transport plane with a malfunctioning back door will fly overhead and accidentally drop a load of gold coins onto the front yard....
Okay, that's all for now, folks. May you all have pleasant lives until you hear from me again...and may you next hear from me when I'm in Chicago...
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Live in Chicago!
Greetings from the not-so-windy city! I'm in Chicago and am having an even better time than I expected. No roving packs of street thugs, gang-wars, serial killers, Terminators, or even an attack from the Cloverfield monster! I'm surprised by how (for the most part) I've felt safe and comfortable in this MASSIVE city. Seriously -- this place is like 10 other cities all glued together. At times I've been struck by the realization that human beings built all this! Imagine landing on a new planet with no cities of any kind and someone hands you the blueprints to the city of Chicago and says "Okay, this is what we're going to build." Of course, if you haven't seen Chicago that idea won't have the same impact...but for those of you who live here...yeah...imagine that.
I'm currently gazing out the window as the sun settles in the west (just over the 3rd base upperdeck of Wrigley Field) and enjoying a couple of tasty Newcastle Summer Ales (I had no idea they even made those!!!! For those of you who know me personally, you know that Newcastle has always been one of my favorite beers. And now they make a summer ale!!!!).
Some random thoughts:
1. We went to Giordano's for pizza in Greektown last night. Out of this world! We are not big fans of deep dish (I'll probably get a knock on the door shortly from the local authorities just for typing that), and went with the "thin" crust which was absolutely phenomenal! It was so good I had leftovers for breakfast. It's the kind of pizza that even when you're stuffed (and I mean STUFFED) you still want to keep eating it because it tastes/smells SO good! As we left I kept smelling my hands and salivating. The box of leftovers was several times heavier than most full pizzas.
2. Lower Wacker Drive will now forever be associated with the movie The Dark Knight in my mind. Too bad I left my Joker t-shirt (and voice) at home....
3. The condos on the Lake Shore (Lake Shore East) are really really sweet! But being 33 stories up and looking down from a little glass section of a living room that juts out from the building with floor to ceiling glass makes me break out in instantaneous cold sweat.
4. The food. Everything is awesome. I know - that's a lame description, but imagine yourself having just eaten something fantastic...now add in some sleepiness and maybe a few drinks...now try to form a complete sentence...yeah...not so easy, is it?
5. Wrigley Field. The atmosphere and neighborhood surrounding Wrigley is certainly something to be experienced. We picked up tickets for tomorrow night's game against the Dodgers (consequently, the last time I went to a major league game was several years ago in St. Louis when the Cardinals also played the Dodgers...and that year the Cardinals won the World Series. Wait it gets better. The time before that that I attended a major league game was in Miami for the Marlins vs Cubs....and that year the Marlins won the World Series....see the pattern Cubs' fans? Ya gotta believe...). We also conducted a search of every apparel shop and stand for a certain red-billed blue Cubs hat that I became enamored with. However, there were only mediums and smalls to be found except for at one shop. Unfortunately the "large" there was too tight and the XL was too loose. If anyone reading this happens to know their Cubs' apparel - it's a weathered looking blue cap with a red "C" with a bear inside and a red bill. I must have one. Or several hats of equal or greater cool-ness.
6. DePaul...I've been to a lot of college campuses...and attended quite a few of them...while hanging out at DePaul last evening I was struck by how, though the times, fashions, and faces change - the college kids stay the same. So young and lacking in experience...ah, how they think they know everything about the world....makes me appreciate who I am now...
7. Parking/driving in this city is nuts. I don't know how you Chicagoans do it. Nuts. That's the best word. Nuts.
Alrighty, dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed this little posting and if I find the time, I'll tell you more about my adventures up here. mmm...pizza...
I'm currently gazing out the window as the sun settles in the west (just over the 3rd base upperdeck of Wrigley Field) and enjoying a couple of tasty Newcastle Summer Ales (I had no idea they even made those!!!! For those of you who know me personally, you know that Newcastle has always been one of my favorite beers. And now they make a summer ale!!!!).
Some random thoughts:
1. We went to Giordano's for pizza in Greektown last night. Out of this world! We are not big fans of deep dish (I'll probably get a knock on the door shortly from the local authorities just for typing that), and went with the "thin" crust which was absolutely phenomenal! It was so good I had leftovers for breakfast. It's the kind of pizza that even when you're stuffed (and I mean STUFFED) you still want to keep eating it because it tastes/smells SO good! As we left I kept smelling my hands and salivating. The box of leftovers was several times heavier than most full pizzas.
2. Lower Wacker Drive will now forever be associated with the movie The Dark Knight in my mind. Too bad I left my Joker t-shirt (and voice) at home....
3. The condos on the Lake Shore (Lake Shore East) are really really sweet! But being 33 stories up and looking down from a little glass section of a living room that juts out from the building with floor to ceiling glass makes me break out in instantaneous cold sweat.
4. The food. Everything is awesome. I know - that's a lame description, but imagine yourself having just eaten something fantastic...now add in some sleepiness and maybe a few drinks...now try to form a complete sentence...yeah...not so easy, is it?
5. Wrigley Field. The atmosphere and neighborhood surrounding Wrigley is certainly something to be experienced. We picked up tickets for tomorrow night's game against the Dodgers (consequently, the last time I went to a major league game was several years ago in St. Louis when the Cardinals also played the Dodgers...and that year the Cardinals won the World Series. Wait it gets better. The time before that that I attended a major league game was in Miami for the Marlins vs Cubs....and that year the Marlins won the World Series....see the pattern Cubs' fans? Ya gotta believe...). We also conducted a search of every apparel shop and stand for a certain red-billed blue Cubs hat that I became enamored with. However, there were only mediums and smalls to be found except for at one shop. Unfortunately the "large" there was too tight and the XL was too loose. If anyone reading this happens to know their Cubs' apparel - it's a weathered looking blue cap with a red "C" with a bear inside and a red bill. I must have one. Or several hats of equal or greater cool-ness.
6. DePaul...I've been to a lot of college campuses...and attended quite a few of them...while hanging out at DePaul last evening I was struck by how, though the times, fashions, and faces change - the college kids stay the same. So young and lacking in experience...ah, how they think they know everything about the world....makes me appreciate who I am now...
7. Parking/driving in this city is nuts. I don't know how you Chicagoans do it. Nuts. That's the best word. Nuts.
Alrighty, dear readers, I hope you have enjoyed this little posting and if I find the time, I'll tell you more about my adventures up here. mmm...pizza...
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Movies and Things That Dangle Under Trucks
File this under things you don't see you every day:
So the other day I was driving home on the interstate. I was in the left lane and just in front and to my right was a white pickup truck. Traffic was pretty heavy (for around here). I happened to notice something dangling from underneath the truck's front axle. It looked rather like a snake to me and my imagination began to picture it as such a creature clinging to the underside of the truck, having just awoken, and wondering "This is going to be a bad day." But I soon reasoned that it was springing up and down too stiffly to be a snake and had to be a wire or cable of some sort. However, as the truck and I moved along down the road I noticed the cable started to dangle further and further - and bounce more and more with the turbulence of the road. I thought to myself that the cable was likely important and it would be bad if it fell off completely. A few seconds later, it did fall off. As it came out from under the truck I was stunned to see that it had indeed been a snake all along! It appeared that the semi immediately behind us took care of the snake, but the lasting impression of a snake hanging out on the underside of one's vehicle has stuck with me ever since. As I passed the truck I looked over at the guy and thought "Dude, you have no idea..."
I saw the Russell Crowe movie Robin Hood last week. It was pretty good...not on the level of Gladiator by any means, but worth seeing. It was definitely better than Iron Man 2, which halfway through I realized that nothing interesting had really occurred yet. And then nothing interesting really occurred in the second half. I can't even think of any other big movies coming out this summer. Or at least "big" in terms of movies that I would actually go see. So, whatever Twilight and Harry Potter sequels they're on now do not fall into that category. I've found that it really takes a lot these days for a movie to impress me. Either I'm getting older and it takes more to amuse me, or the quality of movies in general continues to decline. I'm thinking it's likely a combination of the two factors.
Of course, Hollywood ran out of ideas long ago. Now we unfortunately live in an age dominated by phony computer-generated special effects and formulaic corporate-Hollywood plots. Give me scale models and guys in latex masks any day over effects that obviously look computer generated. I don't care how "real" the CGI looks -- it still is obviously CGI and thus fake.
I've heard that there is a movie version of Stephen King's the Dark Tower in the works. Somehow I'm sure it will be a total Hollywood disaster. Now if they were to give the project to Christopher Nolan (one of the very few people in Hollywood I'd trust with any project), then we could have something special...
So the other day I was driving home on the interstate. I was in the left lane and just in front and to my right was a white pickup truck. Traffic was pretty heavy (for around here). I happened to notice something dangling from underneath the truck's front axle. It looked rather like a snake to me and my imagination began to picture it as such a creature clinging to the underside of the truck, having just awoken, and wondering "This is going to be a bad day." But I soon reasoned that it was springing up and down too stiffly to be a snake and had to be a wire or cable of some sort. However, as the truck and I moved along down the road I noticed the cable started to dangle further and further - and bounce more and more with the turbulence of the road. I thought to myself that the cable was likely important and it would be bad if it fell off completely. A few seconds later, it did fall off. As it came out from under the truck I was stunned to see that it had indeed been a snake all along! It appeared that the semi immediately behind us took care of the snake, but the lasting impression of a snake hanging out on the underside of one's vehicle has stuck with me ever since. As I passed the truck I looked over at the guy and thought "Dude, you have no idea..."
I saw the Russell Crowe movie Robin Hood last week. It was pretty good...not on the level of Gladiator by any means, but worth seeing. It was definitely better than Iron Man 2, which halfway through I realized that nothing interesting had really occurred yet. And then nothing interesting really occurred in the second half. I can't even think of any other big movies coming out this summer. Or at least "big" in terms of movies that I would actually go see. So, whatever Twilight and Harry Potter sequels they're on now do not fall into that category. I've found that it really takes a lot these days for a movie to impress me. Either I'm getting older and it takes more to amuse me, or the quality of movies in general continues to decline. I'm thinking it's likely a combination of the two factors.
Of course, Hollywood ran out of ideas long ago. Now we unfortunately live in an age dominated by phony computer-generated special effects and formulaic corporate-Hollywood plots. Give me scale models and guys in latex masks any day over effects that obviously look computer generated. I don't care how "real" the CGI looks -- it still is obviously CGI and thus fake.
I've heard that there is a movie version of Stephen King's the Dark Tower in the works. Somehow I'm sure it will be a total Hollywood disaster. Now if they were to give the project to Christopher Nolan (one of the very few people in Hollywood I'd trust with any project), then we could have something special...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Apparently You Can Return Beer
It seems apparent to me that they have 13 year olds creating all the commercials these days. Who else would think a Staples ad featuring a moron screaming "WOW! That's a LOW price!" over and over would be a good idea? And must I rehash my disgust and loathing of Flo from the Progressive commercials?
Did you know that you can return beer if you are unsatisfied with it? Well, perhaps it depends on the location and how well customers are treated there. Earlier in the week I purchased some Schlafly beer from my favorite local liquor store. I bought two different styles - Kolsch and the Summer Lager. I have had both previously and knew what they should and should not taste like. Unfortunately when I got home and tried each kind, I found that both tasted like cider and were rather flat. A cidery taste is often the result of adding too much sugar in the final conditioning stage. This often happens to home-brewers (yes, it happened to me). Because it happened with two different styles, the only thing I can figure is that Schlafly operates their process with a universal conditioning/bottling unit. In non-engineer-speak -- the different styles are brewed separately, then the liquid beer flows out of each tank and fills bottles. These bottles then travel along a conveyor belt along parallel or even the same path. Then they pass under some device which deposits a little extra sugar or other fermentable into each bottle which reacts with the leftover yeast to give beer that wonderful bubbly carbonation we all love. (And for the CO2-obsessed out there, this is naturally created CO2 from the chemical reaction. Large breweries like Budweiser actually pump CO2 straight into the bottle. Now, which one is more carbon-neutral and "green?" Can we consider beer bottles to be sinks for CO2? But aren't all large corporations like Budweiser evil? So pumping CO2 into beer from the surroundings must be evil...right?)
Speaking of CO2 - I haven't shared my simple idea for fixing the whole CO2 emissions thing. First, I'd like to once again point out that there are more than sufficient reasons for finding new energy sources and cleaning up pollution without even touching the CO2/climate change thing. The CO2/climate change thing has become nothing more than a politicized bulldozer for pushing through some factions' agendas. It's all about power and control. Create fear, push through the agenda that you want, and gain control. But I digress....
If we really want to get rid of CO2...why not create plants that have accelerated photosynthetic cycles to consume the excess CO2? We can genetically manipulate plants to grow faster, taller, resist disease, produce hybrid fruits, sing songs, and scare away burglars. Why not just make super-ravenous plants? Then we wouldn't have to have Cap and Trade, or bring America's economy down to the level of the rest of the world, or punish people for being successful, or have one world government, or have a massive federal government involved in every aspect of each individual's life. Just make the damn plants and let them do what God meant for them to do: Consume CO2 and produce oxygen. Oh...and let's also stop clear-cutting the Amazon while we're at it. Thanks.
Oh, just a reminder from our fearless leader -- information is a distraction. Yes, we wouldn't want people having too much information...they might get confused...better to just let the government decide for us which sources of information are true and accurate. (Psst....in case no one else is noticing, the feds are moving to make internet providers public utilities. This means they can regulate the internet without having to institute Net Neutrality. Ah, but I digress again...)
Has Orwell's 1984 been banned yet? I figure it's a little like a football team having it's playbook left on an airport bench.
Wait a minute...wasn't I talking about cidery beer? So, my beer was nasty. I didn't think there was anything that could be done other than complain to the brewery (like they were really going to throw out an entire production line of beer because someone got their flowrates wrong) and let the liquor store know of the problem. Yesterday I went in and explained to them what happened. They said they hadn't gotten any other complaints and seemed a little skeptical. They even asked if maybe the beer is supposed to taste that way. Kolsch and Summer lagers are NOT supposed to taste like flat cider. You know what IS supposed to taste like flat cider? Screwed up batches of beer that need to be thrown away. I was pleasantly surprised when the manager said I could bring the rest in for credit. Hopefully he doesn't forget that between now and the next time I can get in there with my cidery beer. The lesson: While Schlafly is one of my favorite micro-breweries -- steer clear of their products for the time being.
Did you know that you can return beer if you are unsatisfied with it? Well, perhaps it depends on the location and how well customers are treated there. Earlier in the week I purchased some Schlafly beer from my favorite local liquor store. I bought two different styles - Kolsch and the Summer Lager. I have had both previously and knew what they should and should not taste like. Unfortunately when I got home and tried each kind, I found that both tasted like cider and were rather flat. A cidery taste is often the result of adding too much sugar in the final conditioning stage. This often happens to home-brewers (yes, it happened to me). Because it happened with two different styles, the only thing I can figure is that Schlafly operates their process with a universal conditioning/bottling unit. In non-engineer-speak -- the different styles are brewed separately, then the liquid beer flows out of each tank and fills bottles. These bottles then travel along a conveyor belt along parallel or even the same path. Then they pass under some device which deposits a little extra sugar or other fermentable into each bottle which reacts with the leftover yeast to give beer that wonderful bubbly carbonation we all love. (And for the CO2-obsessed out there, this is naturally created CO2 from the chemical reaction. Large breweries like Budweiser actually pump CO2 straight into the bottle. Now, which one is more carbon-neutral and "green?" Can we consider beer bottles to be sinks for CO2? But aren't all large corporations like Budweiser evil? So pumping CO2 into beer from the surroundings must be evil...right?)
Speaking of CO2 - I haven't shared my simple idea for fixing the whole CO2 emissions thing. First, I'd like to once again point out that there are more than sufficient reasons for finding new energy sources and cleaning up pollution without even touching the CO2/climate change thing. The CO2/climate change thing has become nothing more than a politicized bulldozer for pushing through some factions' agendas. It's all about power and control. Create fear, push through the agenda that you want, and gain control. But I digress....
If we really want to get rid of CO2...why not create plants that have accelerated photosynthetic cycles to consume the excess CO2? We can genetically manipulate plants to grow faster, taller, resist disease, produce hybrid fruits, sing songs, and scare away burglars. Why not just make super-ravenous plants? Then we wouldn't have to have Cap and Trade, or bring America's economy down to the level of the rest of the world, or punish people for being successful, or have one world government, or have a massive federal government involved in every aspect of each individual's life. Just make the damn plants and let them do what God meant for them to do: Consume CO2 and produce oxygen. Oh...and let's also stop clear-cutting the Amazon while we're at it. Thanks.
Oh, just a reminder from our fearless leader -- information is a distraction. Yes, we wouldn't want people having too much information...they might get confused...better to just let the government decide for us which sources of information are true and accurate. (Psst....in case no one else is noticing, the feds are moving to make internet providers public utilities. This means they can regulate the internet without having to institute Net Neutrality. Ah, but I digress again...)
Has Orwell's 1984 been banned yet? I figure it's a little like a football team having it's playbook left on an airport bench.
Wait a minute...wasn't I talking about cidery beer? So, my beer was nasty. I didn't think there was anything that could be done other than complain to the brewery (like they were really going to throw out an entire production line of beer because someone got their flowrates wrong) and let the liquor store know of the problem. Yesterday I went in and explained to them what happened. They said they hadn't gotten any other complaints and seemed a little skeptical. They even asked if maybe the beer is supposed to taste that way. Kolsch and Summer lagers are NOT supposed to taste like flat cider. You know what IS supposed to taste like flat cider? Screwed up batches of beer that need to be thrown away. I was pleasantly surprised when the manager said I could bring the rest in for credit. Hopefully he doesn't forget that between now and the next time I can get in there with my cidery beer. The lesson: While Schlafly is one of my favorite micro-breweries -- steer clear of their products for the time being.
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