After slacking off for the better part of a week, I finally broke the 4 mile barrier regarding how far I've jogged without stopping or walking. Along the way, I inhaled a bug through my nose and gagged as it thrashed in my throat, and later invited a heckler to fellate his friend.
It's a good bet I'll be up for some drinking tonight.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Inevitable
Precipice is a laugh out loud game. I agree fully with Alex's review on Webshite. But it's only about six hours long. I "hundred-percented" it way too quickly. While it seems that we won't have to wait long for a sequel, I am currently bereft of game once again and loathe to make yet another investment.
Last week at a work event in the Northern suburbs of Chicago, 2 Wii's were raffled off over the course of an after-hours outdoor cocktail event. In the fading twilight, as the last ticket number was announced, I noticed it matching so far with the one in my hand. 7...yes... 2... yes (ok, stay calm)... 7. Shit! I had a 1.
No one got up. My companions, who had lingered with me at the boring event just to see if I would win, jeered to me that I should just go up and claim it anyway. "You have to be here to win!" the announcer teased the crowd. I realized in the dark that I could be forgiven for mistaking the hook-topped 1 with a 7 should I be called on it, and if not, the Wii would be mine! I stood up.
But it was too late. Another ticket had already been drawn and the numbers were being read off. As a slightly intoxicated young woman giggled her way up to the table, the Wii was handed to her without even a glance at her stub.
But you know what? It's nice out anyway and as is often pointed out to me, my leisure time spent in front of a screen is better used for writing. So on that note, who's up for some golfing this weekend?
Last week at a work event in the Northern suburbs of Chicago, 2 Wii's were raffled off over the course of an after-hours outdoor cocktail event. In the fading twilight, as the last ticket number was announced, I noticed it matching so far with the one in my hand. 7...yes... 2... yes (ok, stay calm)... 7. Shit! I had a 1.
No one got up. My companions, who had lingered with me at the boring event just to see if I would win, jeered to me that I should just go up and claim it anyway. "You have to be here to win!" the announcer teased the crowd. I realized in the dark that I could be forgiven for mistaking the hook-topped 1 with a 7 should I be called on it, and if not, the Wii would be mine! I stood up.
But it was too late. Another ticket had already been drawn and the numbers were being read off. As a slightly intoxicated young woman giggled her way up to the table, the Wii was handed to her without even a glance at her stub.
But you know what? It's nice out anyway and as is often pointed out to me, my leisure time spent in front of a screen is better used for writing. So on that note, who's up for some golfing this weekend?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
The Thirst
Throughout history, when people found themselves in a climate that couldn't support the population, they die out or vacate for more life-friendly regions. One would think the easy answer would be to encourage the people to move to the water, not vice versa. But no, we actually have to worry about people being so environmentally infantile that they might lobby to siphon significant quantities of the Great Lakes to desert areas.
Move to the Great Lakes? Heavens no. It snows up there! Bring the water to me, that I might enjoy this inhospitable desert weather a while longer.
Move to the Great Lakes? Heavens no. It snows up there! Bring the water to me, that I might enjoy this inhospitable desert weather a while longer.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Don't touch anything!
I saw the new Indiana Jones movie. Here's my take, trying not to spoil too much. If you want to go in "pure", then don't read this until after you see it. If you want an idea of what you're in for before you spend the dough, read on.
It's easy at first glance to dislike the premise compared with the older movies, and I can grant you that it's a slight departure from the old stuff. But if you think about the sort of things atheists would be after compared with the Nazi occultists of the 30's, it's really the only way to throw Indy up against the "evil empire" of the time. In my opinion, it's handled well. A lot of what fans might gripe about seems to be addressed and quelled in the conversations Indy has with Mutt.
Speaking of whom, there seems to be some sort of viral predisposition out there to hate Mutt Williams, but his character helps the film. Just when Dr. Jones starts to look a little too creaky and incapable, the action seems to focus on Mutt and his youthful energy. Likewise, when you've had enough of Mutt's headstrong antics, you get a reprieve back with good ol' Indy, who can still throw a mean punch. And you may not like Shia LeBoeuf for whatever reason, but the guy does a good job, especially compared to some other kids tapped to carry on a mammoth legacy.
You may hate the CG, but I didn't think it was overdone. Indy movies have always been about closing off mysteries without ever fully solving them. You get the pleasure of being there with Indy as the last person to ever lay eyes on whatever it is they've been searching for. You get to experience the full power of the treasure, and then you both share the anguish in having to let it go forever. There was one point along these lines that bothered me a bit in that it cheapened an earlier film, but it was minor.
Is it as enjoyable as the first three? In a way. But we're not kids anymore, so it's harder to impress us and easier to enrage us. If you go in looking for the magic, you will find it. If you go in looking for the kind of crap that's been pissing you off about Lucas and Spielberg's latter day films, you'll find some of that too. I guess you have to want to enjoy it. I did.
Just a heads up, try to ignore the Janitor.
It's easy at first glance to dislike the premise compared with the older movies, and I can grant you that it's a slight departure from the old stuff. But if you think about the sort of things atheists would be after compared with the Nazi occultists of the 30's, it's really the only way to throw Indy up against the "evil empire" of the time. In my opinion, it's handled well. A lot of what fans might gripe about seems to be addressed and quelled in the conversations Indy has with Mutt.
Speaking of whom, there seems to be some sort of viral predisposition out there to hate Mutt Williams, but his character helps the film. Just when Dr. Jones starts to look a little too creaky and incapable, the action seems to focus on Mutt and his youthful energy. Likewise, when you've had enough of Mutt's headstrong antics, you get a reprieve back with good ol' Indy, who can still throw a mean punch. And you may not like Shia LeBoeuf for whatever reason, but the guy does a good job, especially compared to some other kids tapped to carry on a mammoth legacy.
You may hate the CG, but I didn't think it was overdone. Indy movies have always been about closing off mysteries without ever fully solving them. You get the pleasure of being there with Indy as the last person to ever lay eyes on whatever it is they've been searching for. You get to experience the full power of the treasure, and then you both share the anguish in having to let it go forever. There was one point along these lines that bothered me a bit in that it cheapened an earlier film, but it was minor.
Is it as enjoyable as the first three? In a way. But we're not kids anymore, so it's harder to impress us and easier to enrage us. If you go in looking for the magic, you will find it. If you go in looking for the kind of crap that's been pissing you off about Lucas and Spielberg's latter day films, you'll find some of that too. I guess you have to want to enjoy it. I did.
Just a heads up, try to ignore the Janitor.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
End of a blighted age?
So rising fuel costs are starting to reach very threatening stages in Europe. A recent Time article noted that gasoline costs an average of $9-$11 a gallon over there. Imagine if that were the case here, the widespread panic could lead to a gasoline-free revolution on our way of life. I'm not looking to get into a debate here, just imagining the benefits beyond "no more gasoline cars".
1: The return of the Age of Sail. In the wake of untenably expensive oil, shipping and other maritime industries turn back to wind, this time augmenting cloth sails with solar powered electric engines for when the doldrums hit. Ships once again take on a sleek, majestic look. Things take a little longer by sea at first, but that's ok, no one's spilling oil all over the ocean anymore. Dredge fishing becomes more difficult and sea life maybe begins to rebound in some of the more scoured areas.
2: Modern rail takes hold in America for reals. Seeking an alternative to high jet fuel costs, magnetic induction trains like the French TGV and the Japanese bullet train begin to become more prevalent here in the states. Zoom. Caped villains rejoice in the ability to once again terrorize maidens by tying them to tracks.
3: The home office. Telecommunications advances continue to astound. How long before the notion of coming to work in an office building on a daily basis becomes needless and antiquated for the commercial sector? Many folks already enjoy telecommuting certain days of the week. I have the tools and access to do it, but rarely am I granted the option to do so. It'd be nice, is all I'm saying. Perhaps once a light rail is built in Buffalo (ha!), this becomes irrelevant since I'll have true rapid mass transit options.
4: I don't know, teleporters or some shit. Maybe we'll finally see an end to the noisey, pollution spewing internal combustion engine once and for all. A crude transitional piece of technology that can finally be laid to rest.
1: The return of the Age of Sail. In the wake of untenably expensive oil, shipping and other maritime industries turn back to wind, this time augmenting cloth sails with solar powered electric engines for when the doldrums hit. Ships once again take on a sleek, majestic look. Things take a little longer by sea at first, but that's ok, no one's spilling oil all over the ocean anymore. Dredge fishing becomes more difficult and sea life maybe begins to rebound in some of the more scoured areas.
2: Modern rail takes hold in America for reals. Seeking an alternative to high jet fuel costs, magnetic induction trains like the French TGV and the Japanese bullet train begin to become more prevalent here in the states. Zoom. Caped villains rejoice in the ability to once again terrorize maidens by tying them to tracks.
3: The home office. Telecommunications advances continue to astound. How long before the notion of coming to work in an office building on a daily basis becomes needless and antiquated for the commercial sector? Many folks already enjoy telecommuting certain days of the week. I have the tools and access to do it, but rarely am I granted the option to do so. It'd be nice, is all I'm saying. Perhaps once a light rail is built in Buffalo (ha!), this becomes irrelevant since I'll have true rapid mass transit options.
4: I don't know, teleporters or some shit. Maybe we'll finally see an end to the noisey, pollution spewing internal combustion engine once and for all. A crude transitional piece of technology that can finally be laid to rest.
Monday, May 19, 2008
A few things
1. Camping season is all but upon us. Can you smell the crisp pine scent? The campfires? The grungy aroma of humanity?
2. Went looking for an old video game in my storage bins and instead found a creepy ass bug with the body of a silverfish and the long hairy legs of a spider. Briefly conferred with Johnny via email, decided it was a Hybrid Zob and a harbinger of the end of the world. A "zob" for you laymen is any bug that gives you the heebie jeebies. All silverfish count, as do any spiders larger than a grain of salt. The name comes from the noise they are thought to make as they come skittering across the kitchen floor, hungry for blood.
3. West Virginia is no surprise and of little consequence at this point. Kentucky will go the same way. Clinton tells us she's on a roll garnering the whiskey-tango vote, but the reality is her "core" is scared racists and giggling republicans playing the spoiler. What a coalition!
2. Went looking for an old video game in my storage bins and instead found a creepy ass bug with the body of a silverfish and the long hairy legs of a spider. Briefly conferred with Johnny via email, decided it was a Hybrid Zob and a harbinger of the end of the world. A "zob" for you laymen is any bug that gives you the heebie jeebies. All silverfish count, as do any spiders larger than a grain of salt. The name comes from the noise they are thought to make as they come skittering across the kitchen floor, hungry for blood.
3. West Virginia is no surprise and of little consequence at this point. Kentucky will go the same way. Clinton tells us she's on a roll garnering the whiskey-tango vote, but the reality is her "core" is scared racists and giggling republicans playing the spoiler. What a coalition!
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