I wrote an update yesterday but now I can't find out where it disappeared to.

I've watched a couple movies since Sunday -- The Cooler with William H. Macy and Alec Baldwin, and Big Fish with Ewan McGregor. The first was pretty good and I liked the second one a lot. Most symbolic feel good movies don't tug at any heartstrings, but this is one that I would watch again. The style is patently Tim Burton, and all the actors are perfect for their roles. Plus, I always like Elfman scores, even though they start to sound the same.

We're giving a demo of some of our stuff at a technical exchange this afternoon. I got in today at 5 so it looks like it will be a long day.

Two recent movies that I've seen are Ocean's Twelve and Sideways. The first used up its entire plot budget on paying the stars, so it wasn't as well-crafted as the original. It had plenty of style and was a fun diversion though. The Twelve in the title is something of a misnomer since there are fewer than five fleshed out characters, so it really should have been called Three with Ocean's Sounds.

Sideways was a good, quiet, well-done film with a few funny bits. If you know nothing about wine, you might even learn a few things. There really haven't been any superb non-animated movies in quite some time -- movies on par with Memento, L.A. Confidential, and Howard the Duck.

Friday Fragments

Fast acting relief for your urge to do any work today

The next version of my Warcraft III map, Micro Frenzy, is now available for download here. I'd tell you what's changed, but none of you care because only people with pink watches play video games. There are meat wagons in it though.

Speaking of LOST, holy crap. Wednesday night's twist makes a lot of sense, but I didn't see it coming, or expect it to happen so suddenly. That's some good TV. If you have already seen the episode, you can read this article for the producer's spin on what happened: (spoilers for last Wednesday's episode!). I'm not entirely sure I believe them.

Plan Day

Much like the third season of LOST (but without an obnoxious Kate character or any mention of tattoos), my 2008 is divided into two standalone sections. The first four months were a self-contained mini-series during which I ended up going to Europe. The last eight months are more open-ended, giving me room to pursue other projects that might come along. Here is a sneak peek of what you can expect:

As you can see, the closer months are more jam-packed with activities, but the later ones will probably fill up quickly. Of course, this website will continue to be updated daily so you can read it at work and use up one billable hour (this is my contribution to the stimulation of the economy).

And if I get really bored, I'll learn how to play the accordion. What are you going to do with the rest of your year?

Old Images Day

A smattering of old images from my extensive archives, none of which have ever been seen here.

My desk at work around 2003, when I shared a corner office with three other people and wrote documentation about really crappy third-party software solutions of vendors that start with a V and rhyme with "win yet".	My desk at home around the same time, where the standard decorating strategy for any temporary abode involved recital posters and some cats.
Wikipedia really has a nice taxonomy for when you are researching exploding animals.	Some of the popular searches from around 2002.
Sunshine Superman. Photoshop is fun.	I can't remember why I made this image, but surely it was a parody of something related to bitches. I would play this game.

Stuff in My Drawers Day: Mnemonics

How do you teach a bunch of remedial freshman musicians, most of them theatre majors and trumpeters, to hear standalone intervals? Here are the listening examples I taught in my MUT1241 class in 2003.

You are now ready for your interval quiz.

Review Day

There are no spoilers in these reviews.

In the Plex by Steven Levy:
I enjoy Levy's articles in WIRED and his previous book, Hackers so I picked up the Kindle edition of this book, even though I was a little Googled out after reading The Google Way. This book is better in every way -- it's less of a theoretical explanation for profit and success, and more a history / behind-the-scenes look at everything Google has done. The chatty, easy-to-read quality of Levy's prose makes it an easy read, and the fact that the book is organized by "types of inventions" rather than a continuous timeline does a nice job of tying everything together. I never got bored reading this book, although less technical folks might not get quite as much out of it as I did.

Final Grade: A-

Heroes, Season Three:
This season was awful, and only survived the F zone because it started to improve towards the end. The season has no clear focus and mainly involves the heroes running in circles, gaining powers, losing powers, or acting in ways completely outside of their predefined characters. Anytime a plot rears its head, it probably came straight from one of the plots already done in The 4400, and in a much more amateurish way. The last five episodes are actually pretty good, but it's too little, too late.

Final Grade: D+

Black Swan:
As a Darren Aronofsky movie, I expected some level of weirdness or artistic freedom here, but the movie managed to be weird without really resonating with me. Other than the fact that Mila Kunis and Natalie Portman are the stars, there's nothing here that would make me watch it again. If you like weird, psychological movies, you'll probably find something to enjoy here, but it wasn't my thing.

Final Grade: C+

Office, Season Four:
This is the writer's strike season, so the number of episodes is greatly pared down (at normal prices, of course). There are also more "super-size" episodes that are doubled in length. The problem with super-sized Office episodes is that the show is best taken in small doses. Twenty minutes is the perfect amount of time for a fresh, funny plot -- any longer than that and it just becomes apparent how irritating some of the characters are.

Final Grade: B-

Weekend Wrap-up

On Friday night, we entertained Joe & Katie with dinner on the back porch, featuring grilled blackened chicken breasts and hot dogs. I ate all of the hot dogs because hot dogs are delicious.

On Saturday, following a family event in Taylorstown, we purchased and planted our crop of tomatoes for the year. Last year, we planted two normal tomato plants and two cherry tomato plants. This resulted in more tomatoes than anyone could possibly eat, so we cut back this year -- two normal tomato plants and a sweet pepper plant.

On Sunday, we went to the baptism of Brian & Page's daughter, Hartley, at one of those Catholic megachurches in Reston that is apparently competing with all of the other Catholic churches to win at having an overflowing parking lot. We then had Rebecca's friend, Hannah, over for dinner (Quatro de Mayo tacos and Devil's Backbone Vienna Lagers).

How was your weekend? Are you going to watch the return of 24 tonight?

Quiz Day: Me Me Me!, Part V

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV

How much you know about me? Hover your mouse over the right column to see the correct answers.

Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

Firewall (PG-13):
This is one of those movies that I will not even remember having watched in about six months. Harrison Ford stars as the network security manager at a bank, in the crosshairs of a team of thieves who want to steal money. The soundtrack is noticeably awful, and Harrison Ford puts on a strong game face in spite of the fact that the role was written for someone twenty years younger. Also, there were no firewalls playing a role in the plot, so the title is rather nonsensical. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: C-

The Secret Service by The Hoosiers:
The latest album from The Hoosiers falls somewhere between Bumpy Ride / Illusion of Safety and News from Nowhere on the bombastic energy scale. It has better beats than News, and seems more exciting, although there are no stand out single tracks. This will probably be an album that grows on me over time, not unlike this mushroom on my ankle.

Final Grade: B

Spotlight (R):
This movie about investigative newspaper reporters and the Catholic Church child abuse scandal is a very slow build. The first forty minutes are almost too slow, but you'll be heavily invested by the end. The characters and even the scandal itself are secondary to the process of investigating. It's well-made but you need to be in the mood for a picture with heavy talking and too many old white guys that look similar (Rebecca's words, not mine).

Final Grade: B-

V for Vendetta (R):
I watched this movie because Rebecca was out of the house and it seemed like one she wouldn't be interested in. It's set in a near future dystopia and is full of big ideas, but doesn't really add up to much in the end. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: C+

Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

American Crime Story: The People v. OJ Simpson:
This (dramatized) reenactment of the OJ Simpson trial is well-acted and a lot of fun. I got tired of Cuba Gooding Jr. and whatever he was trying to accomplish with his raspy voice affect, but that happens for me in everything he's in. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: B+

Infiltrator (R):
This movie features Bryan Cranston as an undercover cop posing as an accountant in the 1980s cocaine trade. It does a very good job sustaining tension, but seems a little redundant when compared to all of the movies and shows it borrows from. There are also too many minor characters to keep track of. Good for a throwaway movie when nothing else is on. Free on Netflix.

Final Grade: B-

Gravel & Wine by Gin Wigmore:
This album has sparkles of promise, but is weighed down by overly repetitive songs and Wigmore's voice, which is similar to the voice of Elle King or Paloma Faith, but more scratchy and less polished. Listening to one song in isolation is a good experience, but the flaws start appearing when you hear more songs back to back.

Final Grade: C-

3D by Casey Driessen:
This album of modern bluegrass came up on my Gangstagrass Pandora station and its a fun change of pace from what I normally listen to. It reminds me a little of Ashley MacIsaac, whose albums I play every year on St. Patrick's Day. Gaptooth is a good, representative track.

Final Grade: B+

Easy Photos Day

First bath.

Meeting more grandparents.

Maia finds a legit four-leaf clover.

Zonked out.

Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

NUT by KT Tunstall:
Following KIN and WAX, NUT is another album of pleasant, but not immediately memorable songs. I can't always tell if my listening habits have changed or if the 2007 era songs really were that much better.

Final Grade: B

Welcome to Chippendale's:
This show about the first Chippendales male strip club started out interesting but then went to treading water pretty quickly. Other than the 70s vibe, it doesn't bring much that's new to stick out of the crowd of other shows worth watching. We gave up after 4 episodes.

Final Grade: Not Rated

Abbott Elementary, Season Two:
The second season improves upon the first, with more long-term callbacks and interesting guest stars. None of the characters feel overused yet, and there's guaranteed to be a few laughs in every episode.

Final Grade: B

Beef:
This dramedy about a road rage incident that spins out of control is excellent and artsy. It doesn't hit the typical story beats you would expect which makes it feel very fresh. The final episode is a daring choice but works very well to close out well-earned character arcs.

Final Grade: A