2010-07-14
2010-06-11
Overheard in the office
Co-worker: "I had a hard time adapting to Richard Dean Anderson in his role as Colonel O'Neill in Stargate: SG1 after being used to him playing the lovable, gun-hating MacGy..."
Me: "Make up your mind, will 'ya? Lovable or gun-hating, which is it?"
Me: "Make up your mind, will 'ya? Lovable or gun-hating, which is it?"
2010-01-05
Parental Aptitute - I haz it
Well, at least the amount I always said I have, according to the Supernanny test:
http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/supernanny/quiz/index.jsp
My results:
"You are fit to care for: A PET ROCK
Is there a nurturing bone in your body? You are clearly the center of your own universe. But that's okay; go on, have fun, don't worry about us -- the human race will survive without your contribution. (Seriously, before you even THINK about raising children, you need to watch a lot of "Supernanny" every night on Style."
http://www.mystyle.com/mystyle/shows/sup
My results:
"You are fit to care for: A PET ROCK
Is there a nurturing bone in your body? You are clearly the center of your own universe. But that's okay; go on, have fun, don't worry about us -- the human race will survive without your contribution. (Seriously, before you even THINK about raising children, you need to watch a lot of "Supernanny" every night on Style."
2009-12-30
Movie Review
Saw Avatar over the Winter Solstice.
Short version: Graphically stunning, but a first class WallBanger plot-wise.
Long version: The movie is a horribly preachy piece of white guilt and Greenpeace propaganda with all the subtlety of a stampeding herd of rhinos. My mother called it the most colorful black-and-white movie she ever saw, and she's right. Never since Atlas Shrugged have characters been this Purely Evil™ or Purely Good™. In fact, compared to this movie, the characters in AS are faceted and deep. Seriously.
There are many, many things wrong with this movie, for example the blatant racism of the writers, but I'd like to focus on the issues I had during the movie in the theatre.
First, the reason why the white man wants to wantonly destroy the peaceful and harmonious nature of Pandora: „It's all about the oil!“ Oh, sorry, my bad, it's not actually oil, but a metal(?) the writers actually had the nerve to call „Unobtainium“. The only reason given why the evil white man wants this Mineral MacGuffin is that it's pricey. No mention of what it's good for. Ever. In a three hour movie, they could not find the time to drop a single line explaining why the stuff is so gorram desirable. Of course, if the evil white man wanted the Unobtainium for anything but greed, it could make him appear less than Purely Evil™. We don't want that, do we?
Second, the lesson that life could be so perfect and wonderful if we could only find it in our hearts to learn from these Noble Savages and live in harmony with Mother Gaia. The blue aliens (called Na'Vi) are depicted as the perfect society. There is no war, no crime, no hunger, no disease, no poverty, not even death. I'm not kidding. When a Na'Vi dies, his consciousness is uploaded into The Great Hive Mind™. Which can, of course, be accessed by the convenient interface jacks just about every living thing on that planet has, to ask for advice and/or miracles. Which, of course, are conveniently granted, but only after apparently being denied for dramatic purposes. Bioluminescence is abundant, conveniently illuminating literally every step a Na'Vi makes at night. The trees they sleep in are even conveniently equipped with naturally-grown hammocks. I could go on and on.
My objection is that living in that kind of peace and harmony with nature may be possible on their planet. On ours, it is not. On Pandora, Mother Gaia has but one objective that she pursues with a fanatical single-mindedness: To provide a long and comfortable life to all her children. Here on Earth, nature does not give a crap when any number of organisms kick the bucket, human or non-human. Disease is abundant. If you find yourself in a forest after dark, it's dark, period. Nature does not provide us with comfy hammocks that are also protected from wind and cold.
On this planet, nature will fucking kill you if you let it, with not even a „sorry for the inconvenience“.
Short version: Graphically stunning, but a first class WallBanger plot-wise.
Long version: The movie is a horribly preachy piece of white guilt and Greenpeace propaganda with all the subtlety of a stampeding herd of rhinos. My mother called it the most colorful black-and-white movie she ever saw, and she's right. Never since Atlas Shrugged have characters been this Purely Evil™ or Purely Good™. In fact, compared to this movie, the characters in AS are faceted and deep. Seriously.
There are many, many things wrong with this movie, for example the blatant racism of the writers, but I'd like to focus on the issues I had during the movie in the theatre.
First, the reason why the white man wants to wantonly destroy the peaceful and harmonious nature of Pandora: „It's all about the oil!“ Oh, sorry, my bad, it's not actually oil, but a metal(?) the writers actually had the nerve to call „Unobtainium“. The only reason given why the evil white man wants this Mineral MacGuffin is that it's pricey. No mention of what it's good for. Ever. In a three hour movie, they could not find the time to drop a single line explaining why the stuff is so gorram desirable. Of course, if the evil white man wanted the Unobtainium for anything but greed, it could make him appear less than Purely Evil™. We don't want that, do we?
Second, the lesson that life could be so perfect and wonderful if we could only find it in our hearts to learn from these Noble Savages and live in harmony with Mother Gaia. The blue aliens (called Na'Vi) are depicted as the perfect society. There is no war, no crime, no hunger, no disease, no poverty, not even death. I'm not kidding. When a Na'Vi dies, his consciousness is uploaded into The Great Hive Mind™. Which can, of course, be accessed by the convenient interface jacks just about every living thing on that planet has, to ask for advice and/or miracles. Which, of course, are conveniently granted, but only after apparently being denied for dramatic purposes. Bioluminescence is abundant, conveniently illuminating literally every step a Na'Vi makes at night. The trees they sleep in are even conveniently equipped with naturally-grown hammocks. I could go on and on.
My objection is that living in that kind of peace and harmony with nature may be possible on their planet. On ours, it is not. On Pandora, Mother Gaia has but one objective that she pursues with a fanatical single-mindedness: To provide a long and comfortable life to all her children. Here on Earth, nature does not give a crap when any number of organisms kick the bucket, human or non-human. Disease is abundant. If you find yourself in a forest after dark, it's dark, period. Nature does not provide us with comfy hammocks that are also protected from wind and cold.
On this planet, nature will fucking kill you if you let it, with not even a „sorry for the inconvenience“.
2009-06-20
I had no idea that Climate Change was this harsh
19°C, light winds from SSW, mushroom clouds, 60% chance of mild fallout.
Seen on Vista sidebar w/ 8-bit color setting.
2009-05-02
One month's salary
I was at the supermarket today, where I encountered two prime specimens of us sophisticated, classy, refined Europeans.
She: Bare midriff, flip flops, belly button pushed outward, abdomen flabby and strechmarked.
He: Beer gut, formerly white tee shirt, lopsided ballcap, crucifix tattoo on right forearm.
One month's salary. That's how much I'd wager that these Herrenmenschen* think of Murricans as dumb, uncivilized hicks.
*Yes, I'm positive they weren't tourists. The flawless German was sort of a dead giveaway.
She: Bare midriff, flip flops, belly button pushed outward, abdomen flabby and strechmarked.
He: Beer gut, formerly white tee shirt, lopsided ballcap, crucifix tattoo on right forearm.
One month's salary. That's how much I'd wager that these Herrenmenschen* think of Murricans as dumb, uncivilized hicks.
*Yes, I'm positive they weren't tourists. The flawless German was sort of a dead giveaway.
2009-04-23
Mein Kampfy Chair
It's a "Le Corbusier LC4". I've wanted to own one ever since I was at a friend's house and sat in the one owned by my friend's dad. That was when I was about 15 or so. Feels great to fulfill a wish held for so long.Actually, it's a replica of an LC4. I had to order it in England and it was manufactured in Italy. Originals are even harder to get and about two or three times as expensive.
It's definitely worth the money, though.
2009-01-25
Freudian slip
Because I'm a dork who's feeling nostalgic, I went to one of them DVD-rental-by-mail sites and searched for "Flight of the Navigator". Only I didn't. What I actually typed was "flight of the vaginator".
2009-01-24
Lucky the Belgians have tight gun control
If they hadn't, people could just, like, walk into a daycare center and kill a bunch of little kids. Oh, wait...
2009-01-09
Let's talk about the weather
Although I'm not blogging much lately, I'd just like to point out that since about a week ago, the Great Outside is covered in roughly 25 cm (10 inches) of global warming.
2008-11-17
Getting old
Apparently it's not enough that I'm about to hit the big Three-Oh in a couple of weeks. No, lately I have started to like tea. Tea, for the love of all that is cute and fluffy. Tea!
Now it's only a matter of time until I start using snobby tea paraphernalia and begin questing for ever-increasingly exotic flavors, like thyme-pumpkin or sage-watermelon* tea.
* (with whole fruits)
Now it's only a matter of time until I start using snobby tea paraphernalia and begin questing for ever-increasingly exotic flavors, like thyme-pumpkin or sage-watermelon* tea.
* (with whole fruits)
2008-11-13
Overheard on the internet
CB: Well, there are other good TV shows.
Me: Not enough.
CB: Way too many.
Me: Pistols at dawn!
Me: Not enough.
CB: Way too many.
Me: Pistols at dawn!
2008-11-11
A wishing well, WWW-style
Change.gov invites every American to offer suggestions and ideas for the Messiah new President. Under "Open Government", the site encourages readers to "Share Your Vision" via email.
Oh, goody! I'll submit my suggestions right after I finish my letter to Santa Claus.
Oh, goody! I'll submit my suggestions right after I finish my letter to Santa Claus.
2008-11-05
It's official
People will look back on the Bush administration and call it the good old times. Soon.
At least, now I have very good reason to wear this new t-shirt I designed:
At least, now I have very good reason to wear this new t-shirt I designed:
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