BrowserMetrics

Dear Capitol Swell,

If you can slow down a bit, please fix the light at Eastern and Chesapeake Park Dr. It's in your boss's district, and it takes f'ing forever for it to change. I hate pulling up to it after work, because it's a good 5 minutes before it changes. I think the sensors don't really work and are there to make you feel foolish.

Can you get right on this?

Thanks,
BrowserMetrics

Labels: lame idea

In the pantheon of American directors, Samuel Fuller seems to not get the recognition he deserves. I think his "Forty Guns" is one of Barbara Stanwyck's best pictures. Growing up, Capitol Swell loved his "The Big Red One." He pops up in cinema as an influence on the French Nouvelle Vague.

In a Fuller movie, you have either a gruff, but lovable sergeant or tough woman. The Naked Kiss is not a war film. In it, the main character played by Constance Towers is a former prostitute and of course with heart of gold. She gives up the street walking life running from her pimp whom she beats up in the pre-title sequence, and she finds a new life in small town America. All isn't as it seems. She falls in with the town's chief of police (Griff, you find one in every Fuller movie) for one last trick before going legit. She gets a job at the hospital helping disabled children. She falls in love with the town's pretty boy who has a sordid secret. Things in small town America ain't what they seem.

The movie is dramatic with a hint of noir. It's shot in crisp black and white. In 1964. It's another story written and directed by Fuller. And it's surprisingly frank in depiction of things. Prostitution and abortion. Love and lust. The naked kiss signifies her senses for the dark. And there is a twist in the movie that makes it even darker. Yet, she wins the town over. And becomes a new woman.

I liked this a lot. Coming from only knowing Fuller as hard boiled, it is an interesting flick. The woman is both hard but sympathetic, loving but bad.

There is a touching scene with the disabled kids singing a song and she with her pretty voice joins in. It's part of the ending twist, but it makes it all the more touching.

Fuller's opening is a can't miss. You'll love it. And then the hair comes off and you love it even more. The end is satisfying enough, because our heroine becomes a winner. So is Sam Fuller.

4 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies, Netflix Queue, review

July 9, 2005
10:00 Final day. I am already tired of the same old same old routine. When are we landing at home? I am done.

Final day at sea.

12:00 Really bored. Where to eat that we have not been to? Let's see. Nowhere!

A recap since I didn't maintain this journal too much. Thursday was St. Maartens where we rode horses through a chemical plant. Cute guide. Friday was a day @ sea. Just swam.

Labels: caribbean, time sink, travel log, vacation

While I am not so psyched to see old Indiana Jones huffing and puffing
through the jungle or to see the young Shia LeBouf pretending he's cool,
at least this bit of news sounds kind of cool.

http://hollywood-elsewhere.com/archives/2007/07/karen_allen_in.php

Labels: movies

Sadly the publishes Weekly World News has been abducted by space aliens and so they have ceased publishing.

It was one of the best things to read while in the checkout counter of the supermarket. Now, we're stuck with lame InWeekly clones worried about the thinning of celebrities. Doesn't any one have time to ferret out the zombies or aliens amongst us?

Labels: geeked, lame idea

I have too much to say about this one, but not now.

3 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies

The farce that is pro cycling ends. The current leader of the tour gets fired by his team. He wins today's stage, but loses it all out.

I am so disappointed. I love watching the tour. I love watching pro cycling. Even if it's boring to others, I find it exciting personally. I always wondered how they do it. Now we know.

Vinokourov out. Rasmussen out. Who's next? Is even Lance Armstrong innocent? We know Landis was caught. It puts everyone in the sport in a bad position. It puts the sport in a bad position. WTF?! It's sad.

Up until today le Tour was awesome. The alps. Rasmussen in yellow. The first time trial. The Pyrannees. Rasmussen v. Contador. Everything was exciting. The cycling was phenomenal. WTF? How did it come to this?

They really need to clean this sport up. I am sad again.

Labels: cycling, Le Tour de France, wankers

July 7, 2007
7:10 Ready for horses. Yesterday rode a bike on Water Island. Stacey was a guide and Jim was a hippy. Short ride about 3 miles. Ended up on Honeymoon beach. Swam in a thunderstorm.

Labels: caribbean, cycling, travel log, vacation

While I don't think any in the final four are worthy of being the best
character ever, I urge you to vote Moe to keep the hegemony of Homerism
out of the office.

http://redeye.chicagotribune.com/red-simpsons-tourney,0,536877.special

Troy McClure should've cleaned up here. You remember him from such
polls as "The top 5 lawyerisms," "Mince or Mice," and "Who's afraid of
Yolanda Wolf?"

July 6, 2005
7:37 Bought a piece of art at the auction yesterday. How am I going to bring it home? I am getting heavier with all the eating. Well, we're in the St. Thomas US V.I. Will be biking today.

1:15 Toured St. Thomas. Perry was our guide. Megan's Bay public beach. Blacknbeard and Bluebeard. Not too much pirates.

Labels: caribbean, travel log, vacation

Home with the rest of the muggles. Harry may be dead. Or may not be. I'll have to wait to read the book. All over the world, little kids and the older versions are diving into the last book and finding some fun. Yet it must be a bitter ending. Years for this and it ends for them this tonight.

Sad.

It's so final.

Labels: thoughts

July 5, 2005
Ran again. 17 laps (2+2). Good to see things in the morning. What is there to do on this day at sea?

Labels: "la familia", caribbean, hunh?, travel log, vacation

July 4, 2005
7:51 Breakfast. Again. Wakeup early and ran (or ran/walked) 15 laps at 6:00 am. The sign says 9 laps is a mile.

Breakfasted at 7:00 and was seated with Jerry and Lorraine from Boston. Coming alone meaans you will be seated w/others.

Nassau. Going to another Blue Lagoon

9:45 Missed the boat again! Confusion on getting off the boat. Forgot my ID. How do we get off this ship!

Waiting now for the boats to the Blue Lagoon. Should be any moment.

8:43 Formal dinner and I am full. Blue Lagoon supremely disappointing. No food. No drink until the end. What a ripoff of $40. A luke warm stream

Labels: "la familia", caribbean, lame idea, travel log, vacation

Because everyone seems to be out on vacation, going to vacation, or coming back. Here's my journal from the cruise the family took to the Eastern Caribbean Islands. Like my last travel log for the European Cruise, I'll post an entry at least once a day. Then after that I may go on vacation myself.

July 3, 2005
9:25 Reagan National. Waiting for boarding. We've been delayed. Hopefully we won't miss the boat. Security is a hassle. Take my shoes off? I knew I should've stuck with the slippers.

10:13 Super late. Just barely made it onto the ship. Literally, the last ones to board. Except we did not miss the lifeboat drill.

Watched Miami recede into the distance before having a pre-dinner snack. Eating has started. Off to dinner.

Labels: "la familia", caribbean, travel log, vacation

Now this post isn't about one movie per se. It's about two movies that I had put in my queue a while back expecting them to get to me during the fourth of July week, but I lost one of them in the mail and the other was stuck in the short wait queue.

Both deal with the US armed services in the Philippines in 1942 as they made their gallant stand on the Bataan peninsula. One is about the army nurses who served close to the front and helped put the soldiers together to keep fighting. The other is about the navy in particular the PT boat captains that tried to keep the Japanese from closing the supply lines. I had wanted to see these films just for the patriotic feelings it would give me. One did the other not so much.

So Proudly We Hail! was stuck in mail hell. I had to wait that extra week before getting this disc because it was lost in the mail. It would've been a great flick to have seen on the fourth, but you can't have it all.

So Proudly We Hail! was about a set of green army nurses shipping off to Hawaii in December, but routed to the Philippines once Pearl Harbor happened. The unit is lead by Claudette Colbert and they pick up Veronica Lake from a torpedoed ship. Paulette Goddard falls is the third star of the film. She falls in with a hick from the sticks whom she names Kansas. Colbert falls for a corpsman played by Superman, George Reeves. Lake has a dead fiancee who perished at Pearl Harbor, a wicked hatred for the Japanese and a death wish. These nurses care for the wounded throughout those desperate days until they are ordered to the Rock, Corregidor, and finally, flown out to safety in Australia. The film is about the ladies with love in their hearts and a soft gentle hand to ease the pain of the soldiers.

What a movie! It is best to watch and remember that the movie was released in 1943 so the memories were very recent to the audience. And it ends with hope. Will the lovers re-unite? You have to remember Gen. MacArthur's return in 1944 had not happened yet so the women were separated from the men the loved without knowing if they went on the Death March.

I'll admit to tearing up at the finale, because I expected a happy ending. Seems I forgot that the ending wasn't written yet. They'll keep hope alive was the most I can feel.

4 of 5 stars.

They Were Expendable is a John Ford movie with John Wayne. I expected action. With a title like that I expected some final defensive stand on the Bataan peninsula. Sadly, no.

They Were Expendable was about the PT boat captains who harassed the Japanese. It was also about PT 41 who's commander won a CMH for helping to transport Gen MacArthur from the Philippines. This was more of a conventional story. Too trite, because I needed John Wayne to start kicking ass onscreen. The only neat part was the PT boat attacks. That's what I wanted to see, but there was not enough of it.

Again, this film had an army nurse played by Donna Reed (sigh). She falls for John Wayne. Unlike So Proudly We Hail. It is the nurse that we don't know what happened to her. Is she one of the few that made it off Corregidor? Or did she get caught in the retreat from Bataan? Since I saw this movie after the other, I expected them to meet in Australia (Wayne was sent there to help get the plan set up for more PT boat usage), but they didn't. Sad.

2 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies, Netflix Queue, review

Almost forgot. It's iCal day! Did you put your mac under your pillow to receive warm Apple Inc. goodness.

Now the calendar on my iPhone matches the one on my macs, Dorthonion and Doriath!

Labels: Apple, hunh?, Macs, time sink

Today I went down a spooky country lane known as Gores Mill Rd. It's just off of Nicodemus and about 7 miles from the door to my house. This road is even spookier than Ivy Mill. Ivy Mill dives down towards Liberty reservoir in the shade, but it's two lanes. Gores Mill quickly becomes one lane which goes through a few forests. Up and over a stream and then steep into another dark forest glade. You can go fast. You want to go fast thinking about what's out in the woods here. Finally, you climb a small hill and are very soon close to Reisterstown.

From here, a dog chased me. She was a small little thing and I had to turn around and bring her back to her home where her master was waiting. I was down the road and knew she was still after me, but I couldn't let her hang out there it would've been dangerous. So I turned around and pedaled her back to her house. Dumb dog.

The rest of the ride was uneventful. Reisterstown Road to Berryman's Lane which is a usual part of my loop was easy. I only went out for an hour and about 15 miles. I was short on finishing up 150 miles this month by tenths of miles. Perhaps tomorrow I can cover that. What's the weather supposed to be like?

Labels: cycling

As I read the series, this book was my favorite until the latest. It gets away from the schooling and more into the fighting. The film version does the same.

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the series's Empire Strikes Back. While sitting through it you are somewhat shocked at all that is going on. Maybe too much story is being told. The book was around 900 pages so the job by Michael Goldenberg condensing it was amazing. It's dark, fitting in with the mood of Harry Potter who knows what death is and who will taste its bitterness yet again. Faced to face with Voldemort and with the wizarding community not believing it, a challenge is put upon the boy who lived to unmask Voldemort's lies and show wizarding world that he really is back.

Like The Empire Strikes Back, this story is at the middle of the tale. In a normal action movie, this is about where the action team kicks start their program to getting ready to kick ass. Bad to the Bone should've been playing as Dumbledore's Army assembles and practices their charms, hexes and spells. Expelliarmus!

And like Empire it was moody. Too much so that it was hard to believe the audience enjoyed it. They left in silence. Yet, as the book finishes and the films are done, we'll look back at this film and see how good a movie it was. We'll appreciate it much more in the context of the whole. It brings us to the beginning of the end. The stakes are raised and witches and muggles will die, but Harry Potter will stand tall with his friends. They're what helps him in the end.

4 of 5 stars.

PS. Saw this at the out of the way place of Towson Commons 12. More adults than kids in the audience. Or rather the adults were just as awed as if they were 12 years old again.

Labels: movies, review

This is a list of those other bloggers who have decided to write something for Barbara Stanwyck's 100th birthday. By all means not the most definitive, but the ones that I have read for today.

The Self Styled Siren
The Shamus. This may disappear quickly.
Another Old Movie Blog
Coffee, coffee, and more coffee does a review of Roustabout (The title of this blog is perfect for Marge)
The Shiela Variations
Spout Blog

If you come across anymore, feel free to post them in the comments.

Labels: Barbara Stanwyck, lists

If you haven't seen any of Miss Stanwyck's films, I again ask you to check out TCM who are celebrating her birthday today with 24 hours of her films. But if you're like me stuck at work, here's my list of 5 favorite Barbara Stanwyck films. I liked these the most.

The Lady Eve. I find this to be her best. She's alluring and conniving, sexy and devious, witty and charming. She received an Academy nomination the same year for Ball of Fire, but it should've been for this role.

Meet John Doe. A lesser Frank Capra film, but still it had Miss Stanwyck. Even with the corn that Capra dishes, Stanwyck brings the joy out. This film was released in the same year as The Lady Eve and Ball of Fire (1941). It may not be as superb as those two, it sure has a moving performance from her.

Forty Guns. Miss Stanwyck in Samuel Fuller film. 'Nuff said. The song written about her character nails it, "She's a high riding woman with a whip."

Sorry, Wrong Number. Barbara as a helpless victim? She's not convincing, but she did garner her last Academy nomination for this role. Charged with playing a dubious hypochondriac she does show in the flashbacks why she's such a dangerous woman.

Walk on the Wildside. One of her last roles on the big screen. She's a New Orleans madam with a wicked crush on one of her girls. She's villainous reminding us of her femme fatale role as Phyllis Diethrichson, and also reminding us why she's wickedly bad.

Honorable mentions: Ball of Fire. Double Indemnity. Stella Dallas. Baby Face.

Labels: Barbara Stanwyck, lists, movies, The Lady Eve

Tomorrow would've been Barbara Stanwyck's 100th birthday. TCM is celebrating it by showing a whole day of her movies. I implore you, if you have the time catch a few of these. If you don't, get your Tivo started. I certainly am.

Just check out the films, you'll find something you like:

6:00 AM Night Nurse (1931)
A nurse discovers that the children she's caring for are murder targets. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Clark Gable. Dir: William A. Wellman. BW-72 mins, TV-G
7:15 AM Lost Lady, A (1934)
A bitter woman who thinks she'll never love again marries, only to fall for a brash young man. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Morgan, Ricardo Cortez. Dir: Alfred E. Green, Phil Rosen. BW-61 mins, TV-G
8:30 AM Ladies They Talk About (1933)
A lady bank robber becomes the cell block boss after she's sent to prison. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Lyle Talbot, Preston Foster. Dir: Howard Bretherton, William Keighley. BW-69 mins, TV-G
9:45 AM Breakfast For Two (1937)
A Texas heiress competes with a gold digger for the love of a playboy. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall, Glenda Farrell. Dir: Alfred Santell. BW-68 mins, TV-G
11:00 AM Meet John Doe (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business. Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold. Dir: Frank Capra. BW-122 mins, TV-G, CC, DVS
1:15 PM Christmas In Connecticut (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can't boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-102 mins, TV-G, CC
3:15 PM Two Mrs. Carrolls, The (1947)
A woman slowly discovers that her artist husband is a deranged killer. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-94 mins, TV-G, CC
5:00 PM Jeopardy (1953)
A woman desperately seeks help to prevent her trapped husband from drowning. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Ralph Meeker. Dir: John Sturges. BW-69 mins, TV-G, CC
6:15 PM These Wilder Years (1956)
A wealthy businessman sets out to find his long-lost illegitimate son. Cast: James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Pidgeon. Dir: Roy Rowland. BW-91 mins, TV-PG, CC
8:00 PM Baby Face (1933)
A beautiful schemer sleeps her way to the top of a banking empire. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, John Wayne. Dir: Alfred E. Green. BW-76 mins, TV-PG, CC
9:30 PM Barbara Stanwyck: Fire and Desire (1991)
Barbara Stanwyck's multi-faceted career reveals uncanny reflections of her off-screen life. Cast: Sally Field, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper. Dir: Richard Schickel. C-46 mins, TV-G
10:30 PM Annie Oakley (1935)
The famed female sharpshooter learns that you can't get a man with a gun when she falls for a rival marksman. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, Melvyn Douglas. Dir: George Stevens. BW-90 mins, TV-G, CC
12:15 AM Clash By Night (1952)
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband's best friend. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe. Dir: Fritz Lang. BW-105 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS
2:15 AM Executive Suite (1954)
When a business magnate dies, his board of directors fights over who should run the company. Cast: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck. Dir: Robert Wise. BW-105 mins, TV-PG, CC, DVS
4:15 AM Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)
A neurotic invalid accidentally overhears a phone conversation plotting her own murder. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Wendell Corey. Dir: Anatole Litvak. BW-89 mins, TV-PG, CC

Also, if you're in LA you should check out the Academy's display of her posters and lobby cards just because you can.

Labels: Barbara Stanwyck, get off your butt

Firebreather
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.

Zack blowing fire!



Sent from my iPhone

Labels: picture

Alexandre Vinokourov of Team Astana was a pre-race favorite. He'd finished 3rd in the 2003 Tour and is always fun to watch race because of his attacking style. I am in his camp and always cheer him on because he seems so wreckless.

Today he wrecked.

A nasty one. If you see the pictures, he's pedaling with his ass hanging out of his torn shorts. Yet, to salvage his tour he kept on going minimizing the damage done. He finished 1 minute 20 from the winners. Overall he sits closer to the bottom at 2 minutes 10 to the leaders. Not far off since the race is still in the flats, but the Alps are coming this weekend. Can he do it? Can he rip off a crazy move? I am rooting for him. Allez vino.

This fifth stage was an awkward one with plenty of up and down hills, a very difficult stage. Not the mountains, but it played out like one. Le tour is cruel.

Capitol Swell asked where the podium girls are. He should check out the pictures posted at the end of the stages on the official site. They've changed their style and the podium shots are starting to include the girls. Or he can check out a flickr photo pool.

Labels: cycling, Le Tour de France, sports

This year I've been cycling since May. My last post mentions that I've done about 400 miles. The last couple of times have been epic 20 milers for an hour and a half.

Today was just 9 miles. Easy right?

Look at this route's profile. Notice those V shaped valleys. Those I climbed! If you know Caves Road, then you know that hill. I calculate it at a 12% grade. I have a map of cycling routes in Baltimore County which shows the grades of different routes. It's marked as a red above 8%! It's short and steep. It sucked, and I was sucking wind several yards from the top. There was also a dead cat on the road with flies buzzing around him. That sucked too.

I spent the next mile saving for the climb up Garrison Forrest. That was hell too. I was passed by two other cyclists who seemed to sprint up it. I stopped at the top to get my wind back.

For the rest of the ride, I was tired. Perhaps a rest would've had me going again, but at the time, I just wanted to sit down and die. The rest of the route was no cake walk either. If I read my Topo correctly, this 9.06 mile ride had 650 feet of climbing. I don't think that's true but it sure as hell feels it. I'm gonna need a ride with 1500 feet of elevation change or start a hill climbing workout!

With this ride, I'm officially past 400 miles, but barely. I need to step it up in order to get to 500 (450 is too easy as of now).

Labels: cycling

Ever since Miguel Indurain won his 5 tours in the early 90s, the way to win was a big show at the time trials but keep contact in the mountains. This continued with Lance Armstrong with his seven wins, but adding kicking ass in the mountains instead of staying with the pack. It's been a while for the yellow jersey to go out and win a stage that should've been for the sprinters.

Fabian Cancellara goes into time trial mode in the final kilometer to take out the breakaway and beat the sprinters to the line to take the stage for the yellow jersey. It was awesome.

Except for the breakaway. Two of the riders were away since the 6km mark. The stage was the longest in the Tour 236kms. That a long way to lose it in the final kilometer. They spent that final kilometer jockeying for position. Did they not care about the peleton closing on them? Perhaps. Too much playing not enough doing. That's unfortunate.

What a strange stage this one was. The cyclists took six hours to finish the stage. My Tivo didn't even record it, because the finish occurred past the designated time. They lollygagged for quite sometime letting the breakaway go. Yet, they kicked it into to gear to make the stage exciting in the end. Except for the breakaway.

Labels: cycling, Le Tour de France, sports

When I had that lame ass motorola phone, it was no problem to keep it in the back of my jersey. With an iPhone, I get scared that it will pop out of my jersey on a bump and that's the end of it. So lately, I've been packing my light jacket to act as a buffer for the iPhone so that it sits tight in the jersey. I'm little heavier, but a little saner. I also have been packing it in a sandwich bag to keep it from getting too moist. It's strange.

Anyway, I'm about at 400 miles so far this year. I am aiming for 450 by the end of July, which should be easy if I keep up my pace. If I can get past 500 this month, I'll be really happy.

I need to also think about getting a longer stem. My position on the bike feels too upright. It needs to be stretched out. I'm going to go with a 120cm stem. There's a 100 cm stem on there now I think. It would also be good to lower the stem as well. That means cutting some of the fork down. It's gotta be done soon so that I get use to the position.

It's been a fun year so far.

Labels: cycling, iPhone

I'm blogging while watching the first stage of Le Tour de France. My legs are somewhat stiff from riding 30 miles yesterday. It was an adventure!

Anyway, vive Le Tour!

UPDATE: Robbie McEwan the ozzie rocket comes from back of the pack to take the sprint. Can anyone stop this guy? Watching the replay and he comes flying through leaving Tom Boonen and Thor Hushovd bobbing in his wake. Damn! That guys a fast finisher!

UPDATE 2: Even better than the sport are the podium girls. I love 'em. Girls in white and navy for the winner of the stage. Girls in yellow for the tour leader. Girls in green for the points leader. Girls in polkadot dresses for the King of the Mountain. Girls rock!

Labels: cycling, Le Tour de France, sports

At yesterday's party, people wondered why I wasn't blogging more since I got my iPhone. It's awesomeness not withstanding, I don't like to do it from the smallish keyoard. But to get back on the daily blogging track, I guess I should post my review of Ratatouille, which is only two weeks late.

At the end of the movie, I turned to The Seed and said that Pixar has a problem. Now it's not the quality of the movie, but a marketing one. It's a very good movie, but to market it as a fun ride for kids is selling it short.

Ratatouille centers around Remy the rat that has an uncanny sense of smell which leads him to wanting to cook. He makes it to Paris and the kitchen of Gusteau's a former 5 star restaurant trying to get its reputation back. With the help of the dishwasher, Remy, brings back the gusto to Gusteau's.

It's an amazingly solid story with ebbs and flows that arise naturally. Nothing seems to have been added haphazardly. Like a good dish! It's very mature story. One that would be hard to keep the young kids in line to watch. Maybe the animation will hold their interest, but after awhile the themes of the movie will go over the young one's head and he'll want to go eat some fried chicken fingers.

One thing about watching rats in the kitchen, it makes you want to puke. The advances in CG turned some of the shots of the rat warren rather disconcerting. It's a cartoon but it looks so real. Gross.

In the end, this is another Pixar homerun. It's made Brad Bird a very famous director who imbues stories with humanity. It's rumored that he's going to direct a live action film. It's too bad, because he's shown that the animated film can bring about some good storytelling.

4 of 5 stars.

Labels: movies, review

Fiesta Prep
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.

Sent from my iPhone

Labels: picture

Lechon!!!
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.

Sent from my iPhone

Labels: picture

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

It goes on to list the offences that the King had done to the colonists. If I read it right, it could also be assigned to our one king, the fucktard, George W. Bush. Revolution!

Labels: independence, thoughts

Transformers. I'm posting this review out of order because The Seed has a neat little review. In it, he hesitates to give it a 4 star rating. I'm much the same way.

For the first hour, I was completely enthralled enjoying the thrill ride that Michael Bay created. It was completely fun. The audience was into it as well. Holy Moses, they cheered for the trailers! I don't know if it was nostalgia or what but I was getting into it. The story was really flimsy and makes no sense. In fact, it's rather stupid, but I wasn't going to let that distract me.

The story starts in the beginning with an cube (energon?), which on a distant planet had the autobots and decepticons fighting over for supreme rulership. It flew to earth where it has been for thousands of years waiting for Col. Witwicky to find it. Needless to say his descendants have to protect it from falling into Megatrons hands. Fighting ensues.

See. Stupid.

But the first hour was still fun. Even though it had to set up the plot, I got into it. I think Michael Bay learned a lesson from his last few outings. Ditch the gravitas and have fun. It reminded me of Bad Boys. And that girl was a Tea Leoni clone. Lots of running. Some of the action sequences was very hard to understand what was going on as if they knew the CG was going to look like shit so make the robots nothing but a blur of metal. If only we had gotten better views of the fight.

Then, the movie fell into a rote action flick once Optimus Prime showed up. It bogged down in the middle especially a scene involving hiding these huge robots from the parents. And it slowly became boring. With the action scenes hard to understand, it also slightly became frustrating. I wanted to see robots bashing robots, but I saw streaks. Streaks!

This movie will make bank judging from the audience reaction. It will spawn a sequel. Don't let that get in the way of enjoying it now.

3 of 5 stars. Could've been 4 if it didn't get slow.

John Rodgers is credited with some of the story. He also wrote Catwoman. He blogs at Kung Fu Monkey. Read him.

Labels: movies, review

On the road. The pretty country
Originally uploaded by browsermetrics.

Rode my moms route. Hills. Up. Down. 46 mph!!! :) here's a break in the action



Sent from my iPhone

UPDATED!!


This is a pic I shot with my new iPhone. Looks cool. I originally sent it from the iPhone, but didn't really know how to post pictures directly to my blog. Now I know.

Sent from my iPhone

Labels: picture

CapitolSwell has a really thoughtful post on his new iPhone.

With the iPhone there is a conscienciousness [sic] which slows ones actions so you see the whole picture. Seeing the whole picture gives one clarity beyond clarity. the iPhone is the Kwisatz Haderach from Dune, the sleeper has awaken.

This is a good stepping point for my second impression of the iPhone. I remember complaining to whoever would listen that I wouldn't get an iPhone because I didn't use my cellphone in that manner. I hardly had the need for using mobile internet. It cost too much already and was slow. Yet, I did buy the iPhone for use as a mobile internet device. If it had phone capabilities then more power to it.

So I primarily was drooling over the need for mobile internet. At a cost of $20, I get unlimited EDGE network data transfers. Will I be using it as much? Well, the iPhone comes with WiFi. I got it working after some fiddling with settings, resetting the iPhone, and rebooting a couple of times. I haven't noticed if the WiFi is faster, but at times it can be slower.

Safari on this thing rocks. The user interface has just been fun to learn. Plus when I am not using it, I am starting to make gestures on the trackpad of my TiBook. I tried to page up by flicking my finger. Weird! The fonts screen are too small though. I think I may need to start wearing my glasses. Or go for a checkup.

I have crashed several apps already. You're working in one and then, swoosh, you're back at the main screen. When you reconnect with your computer, iTunes will ask to send the crash reports to Apple. I looked at the logs and they're pretty interesting.

Syncing is something strange. You have to use iTunes. I wish they had a standalone app to do this. It's awkward to use. If you uncheck items that you had previously checked, then synced, those items are deleted from the phone which, to me, was unexpected. Syncing is one way -- from your computer to the iPhone. I wanted to update some of my contacts on my computer, but it wanted to erase the changes.

Google maps rocks. It's got a traffic report on it which I have to wait until monday to test out. That iPhone commercial is true. You can find the nearest seafood restaurant near you and call it or get directions.

Mail is fun and frustrating. I have it syncing with my yahoo email account, but can also do it with my Mindspring accounts as well. There's no spam filter so you better get used to sorting by hand. It's also doesn't have the check box thing to do batch operations on. If you want to move a file to a folder, you have to open up each one and do it by hand. I am thinking about a new yahoo mail address, so I can get a fresh start on it.

I have been texting more. Mainly with Margaux. My plan has 200 free text messages. The way the iPnone displays them similar to an iChat session seems to me to make it more easier to use all 200 in a month. Hilarious.

The iPhone forces you do become more digital. Before, I barely cared about my mac addressbook, ical and others, but now with the ability to take it on the road with me I think I have to update those things better. It is truly a convergence device.

Labels: geeked, iPhone, thoughts