Sunday – 19 July 2009
SaraRules and I opted for a lazy, quiet evening after our excursions. With that in mind, I did a little work on my new ‘Clix building (the ground floor now has all its walls in place) and SaraRules did some reading and did a couple of Sudoku puzzles.
After that, we watched Push, starring Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning and Djimon Hounsou. It was pretty good, actually – unfortunately, it’s being packaged with Knowing on a 2-for-1 disc… The movie follows Nick (a telekinetic) and Cassie (a precog) as they attempt to stay one step ahead of the mysterious U.S. Government agency, known only as “The Division,” in a race to find a missing telepath and the case she’s carrying. There are plenty of twists and turns in the movie and there are a couple of times when you’re not entirely sure who’s on which side. The effects are good – one of my favorites was how objects that Movers (the TKers) were manipulating would shake and waver when the person was stressed or indecisive about something. And, at least according to IMDb, there wasn’t a lot of green screen used in creating the film’s effects. All things considered, the movie was fun and wasn’t a waste of an hour-and-a-half.
Today started with sleeping in. After breakfast, we hit the gym:
On the way to the gym, my superpower kicked in: As we approached the light at 6200 South and Highland Drive, we pulled up next to ‘s father. Very random.
We also went to see Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It’s been so long since I have read or listened to this book that I had forgotten a number of details about it. Fortunately, the movie did a good job of exercising my memory. The actors, comfortable in their roles, turned in excellent performances and the adaptation of the story moved the plot along nicely, while still leaving enough time to show nice bits of character development.
Saturday – 18 July 2009
After work yesterday, I headed up to hang out with the in-laws-to-be. SaraRules’ cousins (first cousin and her kids) were visiting for a few days and were there when I arrived. We all had dinner and then SaraRules and I headed off to Clitorati. When we got there Jim, Sandi and company were already waiting for us; that was a pleasant surprise.
I took my car to the dealership to get a leak looked at. I had taken it to the local Firestone last week and they said that at least part of the problem was the water pump – which I’ll get back to in a minute – but that there seemed to be something else leaking, as well – something not related to the water pump. They recommended taking it to the dealership and let the certified GM mechanics look at it. Made sense to me, so that’s what I did. I told them that there was “a leak” and asked them to check it out. While they did that, SaraRules and I went to have lunch with Perry. I got a call a short while later. Their answer: Water pump. Nothing else, just the water pump. They could install a new pump, this afternoon, for something in the $550 (USD) range.
*facepalm*
I told the rep that I’d come get the car and bring it back next week. *sigh*
<< REWIND << Back to the water pump. I’ve now taken my car to Firestone three times in the past six weeks. A lot of people might just write off the shop at that point, but I’m not. My rationale:
Trip 1: They replaced my old water pump.
Trip 2: After still seeing some leakage, they replaced a couple of bad hoses… which they missed the first time around. But, they did this on their dime… because they missed it the first time.
Trip 3: I took it back a week later. Turns out that the replacement water pump was defective. That’s when they found “Possible Leak #2” and suggested taking the car to the dealer to get fixed. Scott, the manager at the Firestone, said that they would replace the pump – even if they had to order a new one directly from Cadillac – under their warranty, because it should have been fixed the first time and because he wanted to make things right.
> PLAY >
That brings us back to today. I went back to Firestone to schedule the water pump replacement. I talked with Scott again and he said that they’ll take care of it on Monday. It looks like they may also cover the cost of having the GM dealership look at the car. On top of that, I discovered that Scott also lived in Baltimore. Not only that, not too far from where I grew up. We had a mini-homecoming right there in the store. SaraRules just laughed at us.
On a serious note: In my dealings with Firestone over the past few weeks, Scott and his team have, in my opinion, demonstrated that they want to foster good relations with their customers – They want to do the right thing and they want to be fair. I don’t think that you can really ask for much more than that from a business. So, with that in mind, I’m naming Scott and his crew at Firestone #595179as today’s Humans of the Day.
After that, SaraRules and I went to the Utah Museum of Fine Art. One exhibit features art from Southeast Asia; there are some amazing pieces in there, including some elaborately detailed ivory carvings from China. It was a nice way to spend part of the afternoon. On the way home, we stopped for a bite to eat at Dask’s.
Friday – 17 July 2009
It’s kind of odd to be at work on a Friday. Well, not entirely odd, as I do it every other Friday, but this is the first Friday that I’ve worked in a month, thanks to harmonic convergence the way that my 9/80 Fridays and the Fourth of July worked out. Fortunately, it’s most coworkers’ 9/80 day off, so it should be rather quiet around here.
Reeling by on Celluloid
I chatted with MarknTyme this morning about the Cool World/Long Kiss Goodnight Scale. I was looking for an icon to represent that scale in the same way that I use the red LEGO brick for thigns that I like. Both he and had suggested using Mega Blox, since they are a LEGO knock0ff. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a picture of a single Mega Blox (Blok?), so that became a moot point. MarknTyme then suggested a Lawn Dart. That seemed to fit better – “Aiming for the target… but just missing the mark.” So, I give you the official icon for the CW/LKG Scale: The Lawn Dart.
We also hammered out a few other points about the scale:
The standard, as put by MarknTyme, is: “…the worst movie I paid full price to see.”
It’s a “mirror” of the normal scale, with Cool World as the -10 and Long Kiss Goodnight at -1
The worse a movie is, the more darts it gets.
Regardless of whether some other movie rates a -10, Cool World will retain it’s spot as the “name” at the bottom end of the scale. It’s tradition, after all.
Allowances can/will be made to add rented movies to the scale. (I’m looking at you, The Spirit…)
And, with that out of the way…
Last night, Logan came over for dinner. While eating, we watched Krull, a movie that I’d never seen before, but that SaraRules and Logan watched – fairly often, I took it – while growing up. It was a bit dated, in terms of special effects and it didn’t have the greatest acting or dialogue, but it was still amusing and entertaining. Even more of a shock to me – no, lj user=”applevenus” , not a shocker – was to discover that the lead actor, Kenneth Marshall, later went on to portray Lt. Cmdr. Michael Eddington, an antagonist of Capt. Benjamin Sisko, on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Also in the movie were a younger Liam Neeson and Robbie Coltrane. While this was a “fun” movie, it wasn’t a “great” movie. Thus, it gets the dubious honor of being the first movie to get darts from the CW/LKG Scale:
After Krull, we watched The Day the Earth Stood Still. No, not the Keanu “Whoa… I know alien invasions” Reeves version; we watched the 1951 classic version. It was definitely a movie of its era: Full of Cold War suspicion and platitudes about the power – and danger – of using atomic energy. It was also amusing to note the way the military “protected” the general public from the enigmatic visitor, as well: Klaatu’s spaceship landed in President’s Park, in Washington, D.C. The public, after the Army established a cordon around the ship, stood right behind the firing line. Let’s look at why this is funny to me:
Spaceship in the park. (Okay, this one isn’t funny by itself, but bear with me.)
Army forms a circle around the spaceship. (Now we’re getting somewhere…)
All weapons (small arms and heavy artillery) are pointed towards the center of the circle
The general public was standing – between 25 and 50 feet – around the perimeter of the circle.
Apparently, no one was worried about ricochets or “collateral damage.” *shrug*
All-in-all, I can see why this movie is considered a staple of “classic science fiction.” It was a good movie and kept me both entertained and engaged.
Stray Toasters
Yep. I’m a Legion fan. And, a freely-acknowledged overgrown kid. Need proof? I just ordered this.
DC Comics’ summer event, Blackest Night, kicked off on Wednesday. If it maintains the pace set by its first issue, this is going to be very good.
In a related note, a couple of months ago, asked me why I’m such a big Green Lantern fan and how I came to be one. It took me a few moments to formulate a fully-realized answer, but I came up with one:
I had read comics with Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) in them as a kid and I also remembered watching him in various incarnations of Super Friends on Saturday mornings. His power: He had a ring that could create anything that he could imagine. He had the ultimate answer in “wish fulfillment,” almost literally in the palm of his hand. Years later, I bought issues of Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corps, because I liked the character and the space-faring adventures.
Fast forward to 2001… Cartoon Network brought the Justice League back to the screen in animated form. The show focused on DC’s seven “big guns”: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Martian Manhunter, The Flash, Hawkgirl and Green Lantern. This time, however, they didn’t use Hal Jordan; they went with another Earth-based Lantern, John Stewart. As Bruce Timm put it:
He’s the most controversial character so far from what we’ve been gathering on the Internet. When the show’s lineup was first announced, there were a lot of people saying, “Why aren’t they using Hal Jordan? No, it’s got to be Guy Gardner. No, it’s got to be Kyle Rayner.†Obviously, we picked the wrong one, but the reason we did choose John Stewart are various—I think they’re all valid. Right off the bat, I’ll just say it: you know we did need ethnic diversity in the Justice League. We felt that the show is going to be seen worldwide and I think having a member of the Justice League who is not just “Mr. White Bread†is a good thing.Another reason why we chose him: literally, out of all the Green Lanterns we could have chosen, we all kind of liked the John Stewart character from the comics, especially the Denny O’Neil / Neal Adams version. When they first introduced him he was like the angry young black guy…you know, in 1969 and 1970. Even though that’s not really relevant today—like the whole Black Power movement and everything—we still wanted to keep that kind of edge and attitude with him.
And so, just in banging around ideas of what to do with him, going back to the original idea of the Green Lantern Corps—where they’re basically Lensmen [the pulp characters created by E.E. “Doc†Smith]—they’re space cops, they’re space marines. We’re like, “Okay, he’s a military guy.†And then somebody said, “Louis Gossett Jr.—An Officer and a Gentlemen.†I said, “Yeah,†and I went, “Wait a minute—Samuel L. Jackson,†and everyone went, “Yeah!†So that’s kind of who he is. He’s a real rugged, no-nonsense, barking orders kind of Green Lantern—and we love him to pieces. We love him so much [that] he’s like in almost every episode. I predict that you guys are going to love him too.
And he was right. I did… and still do. It was great to not only have a Green Lantern on the team, but to have one who was Black brought something else to the table: A role model, of sorts, for kids (and at least one or two adults I know). It was good to see someone of color portrayed on-screen with a positive influence and not just “guy on the street” or “thug of the week.” That – and the way that the character was developed in both the animated series and in comics – only helps to cement John Stewart as a favorite character of mine.
Thursday – 16 July 2009
Another NBN Thursday gets under way. So far, it hasn’t been too bad; hopefully, that trend will continue.
Last night, SaraRules and I watched Bride and Prejudice, a Bollywood-esque remake of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. (Likewise, it is not to be confused with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.) I enjoyed the costumes and the locations… and even the song and dance numbers. And, although it was “the same role,” I liked the portrayal of the mother in this movie far more than the one in Pride and Prejudice. It has been a long time since I watched a Bollywood movie with ; this was a nice change of pace from the movies that we’ve seen recently. All-in-all, this movie was just… fun.
Workout
Wes and I hit the gym at lunch, for a basic recap of Tuesday’s workout:
Decline Sit-ups: 3 sets/15 reps
Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs
Bench Flys (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
Compound Row: 3 sets/15 reps, 145 lbs
Tricep Extensions (rope): 3 sets/15 reps, 90 lbs
Dips: 2 sets/10 reps
This morning’s weight: 184 lbs
Stray Toasters
MarknTyme sent me a link to this, which made me smile:
Monday – 13 July 2009 Waking up and getting up
Has never been easy
…especially when you start to fall asleep on the sofa…
…and then have a hard time falling asleep when you get into bed…
…and the first alarm doesn’t trigger your “I should get out of bed” senses.
But, other than that, it’s been a decent morning.
Last night’s Tower of Power concert was fun. SaraRules and I took her father as his belated Father’s Day present; he had a ball. We also ran into Paul (my boss) there; he grew up in Sacramento and has been a ToP fan for many, many moons. He enjoyed the concert, too.
Stray Toasters
I think that my mother just signed up for Twitter…
Friday – 10 July 2009
It’s finally the weekend; thank Heaven for 9/80 Fridays.
The second half of yesterday’s workday was slow, which wasn’t necessarily “bad.” I was able to clear a few things off my task list and there weren’t any large fires to dowse. And, we once again had ice cream! Nevertheless, I was glad when quittin’ time rolled around.
Last night, SaraRules and I headed to the gym. For a change of pace, we stayed in the free weight room for our entire workout:
Bench Dips: 3 sets/10 reps – w/ 25lb plate on sets 2 and 3)
Later in the evening (read: “In the wee hours of morning…”), I played City of Heroes. I wasn’t able to find a team to join, but I was able to solo a couple of story arc missions that I had pending.
Stray Toasters
While I was preparing to play CoH, I left the TV on. Oprah follows The Late Late Show. Last night’s show was about Dani Lierow and her family. All that I can say is: “Wow.” Major kudos to the Lierows for the love, time and patience that they’ve had to give to a little girl who had been dealt a bad hand. They get half of today’s nod as my Humans of the Day…
…the other half of the honor goes to my friend Joe, who’s shipping out today to provide IT support in Iraq. For a year. He is chronicling his adventures at: On the Rear Lines.
Thursday – 09 July 2009
It’s supposed to be an NBN Thursday and my technical Friday… but this morning, it was pushing the envelope. That’s not entirely true: GoogleTalk was a righteous pain in the keister this morning. For some reason, it decided to tell iChat and Adium to “Sod off!” It’s working now. So, all things considered, it’s still a good day.
Last night, while SaraRules went off to a Zumba class, I fired up City of Heroes and patrolled Paragon City with a pick-up team. The mission level was “a little high” on the first mission we ran, but the others went well. By the time it was all said and done, I had tacked a couple more levels onto Khnurn.
This morning, someone came over and commented about how large my monitor (the 42″ TV) is. I retorted that it is, in fact, large. He asked if it was for a project; I told him that it “kind of” was. He asked if it was for work or personal. At this point, I had a very quick internal monologue… that somehow managed to stay internal:
“Is this for a personal project?”
Come on. Rub two – JUST TWO – brain cells together and get a synapse or two to fire. If this was for a personal project, don’t you think that someone (ANYONE!) – from my manager all the way up to one of the execs – would have said something and/or repossessed it long before now? Idiotstick.
It didn’t help that this was one of my “not-as-favored-as-others” coworkers. *sigh* Monkeys.
Then I had a presentation to give in today’s staff meeting. That went well. At least, I think it went well. And really, that’s all I am concerned with right now.
Item One: I just found out, by way of , that Keanu Reeves will be portraying Spike Spiegel in the upcoming live-action Cowboy Bebop movie. (Details here.) While his rough/stilted acting(?) style didn’t really hurt his portrayal of John Constantine in the movie that thankfully was not called Hellblazer (because maybe they’ll try again someday… and get it closer to “right”), I just don’t see him pulling off the cool and casual swagger of Spike.
The conversation went like this:
[12:54] :Â http://io9.com/5132554/neo-goes-bebop
[12:54] : No.
[12:54] : No.
[12:54] : Just…. No.
[12:54] : DO NOT WANT
[12:56] : why stop there, really?
[13:00] : vin diesel could play jet black. lindsay lohan as faye. tom cruise as vicious. bjork as edward.
[13:00] : the taco bell chihuahua as ein.
[13:01] : (marketing tie-in)
[13:01] : You’re not making it any better.
[13:03] : i’m only doing it to cover up the sobbing inside.
[13:05] Tears of a Clown to Bebop fans everywhere…
Item Two: Is it just me or does Google Chrome’s icon look like it was separated at birth from HALO‘s 343 Guilty Spark?
Tuesday: Coda
I meant to record today’s lunchtime gym excursion, but work got in the way. (Imagine that…) But, nevertheless, Wes and I went for a brief workout today:
Leg Curls: 1 set/10 reps, 60 lbs
Leg Extensions: 1 set/10 reps, 65 lbs
Sit-ups (decline): 3 sets/15 reps
Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs
Chin-ups: 3 sets/10 reps (80 lbs assisted)
Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 120 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/15 reps, 160 lbs
Post-workout weight: 185.6 lbs
The chin-ups, something I haven’t done since I worked in A.F., were pitiful. Seriously bad. But, I did all three sets… for better or worse.
After dinner, SaraRules accompanied me to South Jordan and The District. I was in search of a foamcore cutter by Foamwerks and Hobby Lobby was the only place that was still open tonight that had them. I found the cutter I wanted and foamcore (50% off!). We took the scenic route back home.
SaraRules picked up Knowing from Redbox; both of us had an interest in seeing it, but we missed it at the theatre. After seeing it, all I can say is: It was…
…a mess.
Honestly, that’s the best way to describe it. It was:
One part suspense movie
One part sci-fi/alien movie
One part faith-based/religious movie
Blend well.
Serve with a garnish of Nicolas Cage.
I honestly don’t know HOW to rate this movie. It had a few good parts, but it just… fell apart. And the end was completely unsatisfying. Actually, I take that part back – it was the perfect concept video for Styx’ Come Sail Away. So much so that I was surprised that the music didn’t crescendo from the classical-sounding music into Come Sail Away.
Wow.
Maybe David Letterman and Craig Ferguson can fill the void.
Monday – 06 July 2009
A new work week begins. Not too oddly, when the alarm went off this morning, I didn’t want to get out of bed. However, “Time and tide…”
Yesterday, SaraRules and I went out so that I could do a little shopping. While out, we stopped at a 7-11 and tried the “Liquid Artillery” Slurpee®, their fourth movie tie-in flavor in the past two months. After that, we had coffee with Perry, followed by dinner with SaraRules’ family. After dinner, we watched Futurama: Bender’s Big Score. It was fun, but more like an extended episode of the show.
Once we got back home, I logged into City of Heroes while SaraRules did some quilting. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a team to join, so I mostly wandered through Paragon City. After game/quilting time, we watched a movie left over from Bad Movie Night: Undead or Alive – a zombie western. It was fun… and funny. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the movie came in the first minute (maybe minute-and-a-half) of the film – during the intro text. It wasn’t a “great” movie, I’d still put it on the Cool World/Long Kiss Goodnight Scale, but it’s probably an 8 or 9 on that scale. (Man, I really need to figure out an image to use for the CW/LKG Scale…)
Stray Toasters
sent a link to “Blasted Behavior,” which features the Star Wars characters… in therapy.
This weekend’s Riverwalk Jazz featured an adaptation/interpretation of The Wizard of Oz. While listening to it, I realized that I have never read that book.
I just received confirmation that my new jersey has shipped. I had been thinking of getting a new one for a while, but hadn’t committed to it. Steve McNair’s passing cemented the decision.
Sunday – 05 July 2009
Yesterday was another mostly lazy day in the valley. I slept in (a little) and then made my way into the living room, where I started reading American Psycho. I’m only 20 or so pages in, but I’m enjoying it so far. After SaraRules woke up, we had breakfast and headed to the gym:
Leg Extensions: 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs
Leg Raises: 3 sets/10 reps, 60 lbs
Glutes (Kick-backs): 3 sets/10 reps, 70 lbs
Flys: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
Lower Back Extensions: 3 sets/15 reps, 160 lbs
Lat Pull-downs: 3 sets/10 reps, 110 lbs
Forward Lat Raises (w/ rotation to the side): 3 sets/10 reps, 15 lbs
Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
Sit-ups (decline): 3 sets/15 reps
On the way home, we stopped at SaraRules’ parents’ so that she could get a recipe for coffee cake. (More on this below.) We had a lazy aftenoon. For dinner, we headed to Outback Steakhouse – I had been craving Aussie Cheese Fries and decided to fulfill that desire. They – and the rest of dinner (prime rib, salad, baked potato) – were just what the doctor ordered.
We headed up to Eastwood Elementary School to watch the Sugar House Park fireworks display. When we returned home, SaraRules put in Clash by Night, featuring a pre-The Big Valley Barbara Stanwyck as well as Marilyn Monroe. I was distracted/put off by some of the storyline, but it was a decent movie.
I’m not sure what I want to do today. I have an option on playing ‘Clix with Chris and , but I’m not sure that I’m in the mood for it. (I know…!) I wouldn’t mind playing a little City, either. Or even Marvel Ultimate Alliance. And there are a couple of new ‘Clix building designs running through my head that I need to get onto paper, too.
The Best: The Man Who Sold the World
David Bowie vs. Nirvana vs. Lulu
David Bowie released this song in 1970. And it was good. Lulu, possibly best known in the States for To Sir, With Love, did a cover in 1974. Nirvana, a band I’ve never really been a fan of, covered the song in 1993.
I’ve liked the Bowie version since I first heard it, many moons ago.
I thought that the Nirvana cover was… decent, but didn’t really do anything “different” to put their own spin on it.
I heard the Lulu version yesterday, for the first time.
Friday – 03 July 2009
Last night, we went out to dinner with SaraRules’ family, to celebrate her mother’s birthday. Post-dinner, we headed to her parents’ house for a birthday cake pie – a rich, multi-layered chocolate affair that SaraRules made from scratch, including a crust made from crushed nuts. It was very good and VERY rich.
Back at home, we vegged. After watching a bit of TV… and having the TV watch me, as I nodded off on the couch… I finished up my new ‘Clix building.
Sleep was intermittent; it felt like I woke up eleventy billion times during the night.
Stray Toasters
One of the designers from WorldWorks Games is a Transformers fan. He still is, even after seeing the new movie; but he wrote a review that made me smile.
Thursday – 02 July 2009
Today has been… a day. It hasn’t really been “hellish,” so to speak, but there has been a lot going on. However, there is a plus side to the day: IT is having “Team Jersey/T-shirt Day” and we’re having ice cream (with cookies and toppings and waffle bowls).
Last night, I got the roof on the lobby of the new ‘Clix building and the water feature in front of the building. It required buying a new set, Seaworks: Atlantis, but I realized that I can now make the “Great Arena” Map in 3D using parts from the Atlantis kit.
Stray Toasters
SaraRules and I went for a walk yesterday evening. While out, we stopped at Red Mango; I had a yen for a Green Tea Yogurt. I discovered something… horrible: Red Mango no longer makes/carries the Green Tea Yogurt.
Wednesday – 01 July 2009
A new month begins… with a brief rain shower.
Yesterday, SaraRules, Marci, Wes and I hit the gym at lunchtime for a short workout:
Sit-ups: 3 sets – 20/10/10
Bench Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 205 lbs
Incline Chest Press: 3 sets/10 reps, 80 lbs
Reverse Flys: 3 sets/110 lbs
Curls (dumbbell): 3 sets/10 reps, 30 lbs
Post-workout weight: 185.4 lbs
Last night, SaraRules and I watched Vantage Point, by way of Netflix’ “Instant Queue” on the 360. Streaming movies on a game console… over the Interwebs. Who knew?! The movie depicts the attempted assassination of an American President from eight points of view. It was an interesting concept and it was pulled off fairly well. We realized, after the movie was done, that this was the second consecutive movie that we’ve seen with Forest Whitaker in it wherein his character’s life intertwines with other characters’ lives in an unusual synchronicity, the first being The Air I Breathe.
After the movie, I did a little more work on my ‘Clix building. All of the walls are up, now I just need to put the main roof and the lobby roof on and add a few tiles of water and it will be complete.
This morning, I really didn’t want to get out of bed when the alarm went off. But, I did. And took care of the morning hygiene rituals. And, as I was finishing with the work-prep, I turned on the TV… and Breakin’ was on. And, yes, I did stop and watch a bit of it.
. and  
