I have officially lost control of my curently science fiction kick. I'm reading Asimov's Second Foundation, have A Clockwork Orange on CD in my car, Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land on my iPhone, and Orson Scott Card's Empire on CD in the wife's car.
Utterly ridiculous.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Friday, February 19, 2010
Passing loved ones
I've had two friends lose grandfathers this week. It's a difficult situation for me.
I am, of course, sorry that they lost loved ones, but I find it impossible to become truly sad at the passing. I was the same with the losses of my various grandparents. It's terrible to say, but grandparents are supposed to die: that's how life is.
God willing, the young learn about death by losing Grandma or Grandpa. That is the best possible scenario. After a full life, a loved one makes their final journey. We all have to someday. As it turns out, both of these friends recently had sons of their own. A pair of proud great-grandfathers died. I'm sorry they passed, but I'm not sad about it.
I know it's tough on my friends right now, but it's really a sign of how very fortunate we are that we've never become accustomed to death. Very few people are lucky enough to more or less escape it's impact until they near 30.
Later, I'll post the speech I gave at my grandma's funeral. I'm not cold about the losses of others and then a drama queen about the death of our family's matriarch. I miss her, but she lived a life to be envied. And what I said at her funeral basically stated as much.
My love, condolences, and friendship to my friends, but not my sadness. There's nothing to be sad about. May I live to see grandchildren walk down the aisle. Anything after that is all gravy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I am, of course, sorry that they lost loved ones, but I find it impossible to become truly sad at the passing. I was the same with the losses of my various grandparents. It's terrible to say, but grandparents are supposed to die: that's how life is.
God willing, the young learn about death by losing Grandma or Grandpa. That is the best possible scenario. After a full life, a loved one makes their final journey. We all have to someday. As it turns out, both of these friends recently had sons of their own. A pair of proud great-grandfathers died. I'm sorry they passed, but I'm not sad about it.
I know it's tough on my friends right now, but it's really a sign of how very fortunate we are that we've never become accustomed to death. Very few people are lucky enough to more or less escape it's impact until they near 30.
Later, I'll post the speech I gave at my grandma's funeral. I'm not cold about the losses of others and then a drama queen about the death of our family's matriarch. I miss her, but she lived a life to be envied. And what I said at her funeral basically stated as much.
My love, condolences, and friendship to my friends, but not my sadness. There's nothing to be sad about. May I live to see grandchildren walk down the aisle. Anything after that is all gravy.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Avatar reviewed
Last week the wife and I finally got around to seeing Avatar.
Disclaimer: we enjoyed the film, or at least the experience of seeing it. Then mocking it. Avatar was visually stunning. The computer animated Nabuli (or whatever) looked real in a way no CGI ever has, Gollum from the LOTR trilogy included. The cinematography was arresting it was so beautiful--my jaw actually dropped at moments.
All this said, it was a terrible film. Not "okay", not "subpar"; this is an activley bad film. Possibly Transformers 2 bad.
The plot was trash. It was nothing that hasn't been done multiple times. Big picture, it was Dances with Wolves/Pocahontas with blue natives. Small picture, I'm pretty sure scenes were lifted directly from Ferngully. I've read the English find it amusing that we Americans show up in droves for films that are anti-imperialist in "un-American" way. I find it amusing that there are people in the world who could be insulted by such a dumb movie.
The greatest irony of all is that while Avatar is three-dimensional, not one of the characters is. Virtually all of the people are flat cliches. There's the (literally) grizzled sergeant who get's obsessed with the mission. "Youre not in Kansas any more," he actually says. The we have the altruistic scientist, dedicated to the end, who falls in love with the beings she studies. Her literal dying words wish for a sample. Then we have the conflicted, corporate pawn, who ultimately chooses mission before mercy, then, naturally, regrets it. They even have a few roided out, thick-necked killers who look like the rejects from Gears of War, the dedicated nerd who manages to find his stones at the end, and the ultra-tough chick who really has a heart deep inside her obsidian-hard exterior. Of course, she's played by the ever-versatile Michelle Rogriguez.
The blue critters are almost as unanimously brought to us in the tiny squares that pop out of the cliche icecube maker. The valiant (and best) warrior who would be chief. The noble chief, who will die. His shaman wife. Their daughter, the "local tail" that brings about the change in the protagonist.
Question: has any female lead in this type of story NOT bought the daughter of the chief/king/leader? Even once? Can we get one female who is, on her own merit, intriguing enough to be the love interest? Does she ALWAYS need the royal pedigree? James Cameron, could you be any lazier?
I'd go back to continuing the to line up the stereotypes of native peoples, but that's all there are. After that Hollywood says they all have to be noble but completely interchangeable. That's how we (figuratively) paint American Indians, even when they are (literally) painted blue. Speaking of American Indians, it's time to address how offensive these cliches really are.
Dear Hollywood: Native Americans were human. They had wars. They killed. They murdered, raped, plundered and acted like, well, savages. Just like people on every other continent. Humans were and are creatures of evolution: we've treated each other very badly for a very long time. American Indians were and are the same species as the rest of us. Please stop pretending they were anything more, as it inherently means they were also less. Thank you.
Back to the film, would it have been impossible to get a single surprise along the way? The second we saw the giant pterodactyl, we knew Sully was going to ride it. That wasn't enough. Later Cameron felt in necessary to tell us only five had ever ridden Big Bird. How much would I have bet on who would be number six? Oh, everything I own. When Sigourney Weaver was dying, the shaman said it was up to the planet whether or not the transfer would work. At that second I would have honestly bet my life Sully was going to successfully transfer at the end. I mean that.
In the end, when he was attempting the transfer, I was silently begging the film to have him not survive it. Not because I wanted him dead, but just because I really wanted just one curveball in the film. It was THAT predictible from start to finish.
If Avatar wins best picture it will be the most pathetic selection in the history of the Academy. Worse than Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan. Worse than Crash over A History of Violence (which wasn't nominated). The fact that this film is even nominated, much less the fact that it's a front-runner, is offensive. I can understand why this film made a lot of money. It was worth my cash to see the beautiful CGI on an 80 ft screen. But make no mistake, this is a very bad movie.
Disclaimer: we enjoyed the film, or at least the experience of seeing it. Then mocking it. Avatar was visually stunning. The computer animated Nabuli (or whatever) looked real in a way no CGI ever has, Gollum from the LOTR trilogy included. The cinematography was arresting it was so beautiful--my jaw actually dropped at moments.
All this said, it was a terrible film. Not "okay", not "subpar"; this is an activley bad film. Possibly Transformers 2 bad.
The plot was trash. It was nothing that hasn't been done multiple times. Big picture, it was Dances with Wolves/Pocahontas with blue natives. Small picture, I'm pretty sure scenes were lifted directly from Ferngully. I've read the English find it amusing that we Americans show up in droves for films that are anti-imperialist in "un-American" way. I find it amusing that there are people in the world who could be insulted by such a dumb movie.
The greatest irony of all is that while Avatar is three-dimensional, not one of the characters is. Virtually all of the people are flat cliches. There's the (literally) grizzled sergeant who get's obsessed with the mission. "Youre not in Kansas any more," he actually says. The we have the altruistic scientist, dedicated to the end, who falls in love with the beings she studies. Her literal dying words wish for a sample. Then we have the conflicted, corporate pawn, who ultimately chooses mission before mercy, then, naturally, regrets it. They even have a few roided out, thick-necked killers who look like the rejects from Gears of War, the dedicated nerd who manages to find his stones at the end, and the ultra-tough chick who really has a heart deep inside her obsidian-hard exterior. Of course, she's played by the ever-versatile Michelle Rogriguez.
The blue critters are almost as unanimously brought to us in the tiny squares that pop out of the cliche icecube maker. The valiant (and best) warrior who would be chief. The noble chief, who will die. His shaman wife. Their daughter, the "local tail" that brings about the change in the protagonist.
Question: has any female lead in this type of story NOT bought the daughter of the chief/king/leader? Even once? Can we get one female who is, on her own merit, intriguing enough to be the love interest? Does she ALWAYS need the royal pedigree? James Cameron, could you be any lazier?
I'd go back to continuing the to line up the stereotypes of native peoples, but that's all there are. After that Hollywood says they all have to be noble but completely interchangeable. That's how we (figuratively) paint American Indians, even when they are (literally) painted blue. Speaking of American Indians, it's time to address how offensive these cliches really are.
Dear Hollywood: Native Americans were human. They had wars. They killed. They murdered, raped, plundered and acted like, well, savages. Just like people on every other continent. Humans were and are creatures of evolution: we've treated each other very badly for a very long time. American Indians were and are the same species as the rest of us. Please stop pretending they were anything more, as it inherently means they were also less. Thank you.
Back to the film, would it have been impossible to get a single surprise along the way? The second we saw the giant pterodactyl, we knew Sully was going to ride it. That wasn't enough. Later Cameron felt in necessary to tell us only five had ever ridden Big Bird. How much would I have bet on who would be number six? Oh, everything I own. When Sigourney Weaver was dying, the shaman said it was up to the planet whether or not the transfer would work. At that second I would have honestly bet my life Sully was going to successfully transfer at the end. I mean that.
In the end, when he was attempting the transfer, I was silently begging the film to have him not survive it. Not because I wanted him dead, but just because I really wanted just one curveball in the film. It was THAT predictible from start to finish.
If Avatar wins best picture it will be the most pathetic selection in the history of the Academy. Worse than Shakespeare in Love over Saving Private Ryan. Worse than Crash over A History of Violence (which wasn't nominated). The fact that this film is even nominated, much less the fact that it's a front-runner, is offensive. I can understand why this film made a lot of money. It was worth my cash to see the beautiful CGI on an 80 ft screen. But make no mistake, this is a very bad movie.
Monday, February 8, 2010
New School
A gent in my company has been in petroleum, quite literally, longer than I’ve been alive. He’s argued to me that none of his experience prior to the last seven years even helps him any more. He has a point.
On a random day early this spring, he asked me if the market was up huge that day. I said no, only about two bucks. He paused, then muttered to himself about how the game has changed when someone can look at a $2 dollar jump in crude and not think of it as worth writing home about.
Prior to ten years ago, it would have been among the all-time biggest movement days. Prior to last year, it would have been quite a noteworthy day. Such days barely catch my eye any more. I’ve only been in petroleum 3.5 years, so I know crude moves of over $4 per barrel are amazing. Time alters perceptions, and the oil markets have fundamentally changed in the last 3 years.
Everyone needs to get their feet wet. My generation is doing so in a hurricane
On a random day early this spring, he asked me if the market was up huge that day. I said no, only about two bucks. He paused, then muttered to himself about how the game has changed when someone can look at a $2 dollar jump in crude and not think of it as worth writing home about.
Prior to ten years ago, it would have been among the all-time biggest movement days. Prior to last year, it would have been quite a noteworthy day. Such days barely catch my eye any more. I’ve only been in petroleum 3.5 years, so I know crude moves of over $4 per barrel are amazing. Time alters perceptions, and the oil markets have fundamentally changed in the last 3 years.
Everyone needs to get their feet wet. My generation is doing so in a hurricane
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Mitch Albom is a punk
Okay, so I admire him as a writer. And his books are touching in a personal, meaningful way, without being overly preachy. So there are life lessons aplenty to be learned from his books, ones that could really help provide clarity and priority to those of us who are a little lost.
I accept and freely admit all these things.
Time to vent. I finished "For One More Day," his life-after-death view of a man's goal of suicide and how he was saved. Mitch, if I see ever see you in public I'm gonna throw you a beating. Frickin rip my heart out, why don't you? You bum.
If you ever want to be more appreciative for your parent(s), read this book. You'll regret every injustice you've ever done your mom and/or think of your dad as Superman.
Unless, of course, you're parental relationships were actually worse than his, in which case, God bless you.
I accept and freely admit all these things.
Time to vent. I finished "For One More Day," his life-after-death view of a man's goal of suicide and how he was saved. Mitch, if I see ever see you in public I'm gonna throw you a beating. Frickin rip my heart out, why don't you? You bum.
If you ever want to be more appreciative for your parent(s), read this book. You'll regret every injustice you've ever done your mom and/or think of your dad as Superman.
Unless, of course, you're parental relationships were actually worse than his, in which case, God bless you.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
iLetDown
Steve Jobs called it "revolutionary and magical." I'm guessing he doesn't know the definition of either word.
The iPad is a large iPod Touch. That's what it is. So it's not revolutionary. At all. Making old technology bigger does not impress. Note to Apple: every tablet ever has been a failure. The iPad's hope for success? The Cult of Apple. That's it. Suckers, err, people, so obsessed with the brand they can't think logically about it.
Let's breakdown the iPad. What is it technologically? Improved semiconductor (read: processor speed and efficiency), not Apple's thing; and LED technology (read: LG or Samsung or Sony -powered), not Apple's thing. So, we're looking at a non-Apple Apple Revolution? Pass.
As for magical, really Jobs? You kidding me? It transforms life? It's your computer, then you "dock it and it becomes your alarm clock." Like my cell phone since 2001?
My iPhone is magical, I believe that. It's this amazing computer that makes phone calls and fits in my pocket. ... ... Why do I need a bigger one? That won't make phone calls?
The iPad takes the iPhone and kills what makes it awesome. Way not to over-hype an XXL-iTouch.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The iPad is a large iPod Touch. That's what it is. So it's not revolutionary. At all. Making old technology bigger does not impress. Note to Apple: every tablet ever has been a failure. The iPad's hope for success? The Cult of Apple. That's it. Suckers, err, people, so obsessed with the brand they can't think logically about it.
Let's breakdown the iPad. What is it technologically? Improved semiconductor (read: processor speed and efficiency), not Apple's thing; and LED technology (read: LG or Samsung or Sony -powered), not Apple's thing. So, we're looking at a non-Apple Apple Revolution? Pass.
As for magical, really Jobs? You kidding me? It transforms life? It's your computer, then you "dock it and it becomes your alarm clock." Like my cell phone since 2001?
My iPhone is magical, I believe that. It's this amazing computer that makes phone calls and fits in my pocket. ... ... Why do I need a bigger one? That won't make phone calls?
The iPad takes the iPhone and kills what makes it awesome. Way not to over-hype an XXL-iTouch.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
So long, "Sword"
Last night I finally gave up reading "Sword of Shannarah," as I just couldn't take it any more. It's easy to see how Terry Brooks grew into a solid author, as there are flashes of brilliance, but on the whole it's just bad writing.
When the word choice is so poor it's distracting, there needs to be an intervention. The worst part is you can see what he does right so clearly that the weaknesses are tragic for what they ruin. Brooks has some incredibly original thoughts, and some very clever views of human history. Then he shrouds them in cliches.
I currently have Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" in my car, and listen to it while I drive. I've read it before, but I'll still fund myself shaking my head at her astonishing word selection. It's humbling, to say the least. Combining her diction with the multiple interweaving storylines, we have a modern classic.
Then I go home and see where Brooks named the bad guys "the Skull Kingdom" and their leader "the Warlock King" and I want to slap him all the way back to "Rainbow Lake."
Ugh.
There are too many good books in the world to force yourself to read something anywhere below top quality.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
When the word choice is so poor it's distracting, there needs to be an intervention. The worst part is you can see what he does right so clearly that the weaknesses are tragic for what they ruin. Brooks has some incredibly original thoughts, and some very clever views of human history. Then he shrouds them in cliches.
I currently have Elizabeth Kostova's "The Historian" in my car, and listen to it while I drive. I've read it before, but I'll still fund myself shaking my head at her astonishing word selection. It's humbling, to say the least. Combining her diction with the multiple interweaving storylines, we have a modern classic.
Then I go home and see where Brooks named the bad guys "the Skull Kingdom" and their leader "the Warlock King" and I want to slap him all the way back to "Rainbow Lake."
Ugh.
There are too many good books in the world to force yourself to read something anywhere below top quality.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)