I have half a mind to turn in my "Movie Buff" membership card. I can't believe I made the mistake of forgetting about a movie I was so interested in seeing when I first heard it was being made. The movie I'm talking about is Predators. Robert Rodriguez is taking a stab at the Predators franchise. Given some of the movies he has under his belt (Planet Terror, Sin City, Desparado), I truly think he can bring the Predator film series back to it's rightful status of FUCKING AWESOME!!!
Now about the title of this particular blog post. Every predator fan out there knows the shock of terror and glee when those tell tale three red dots appear on someone. Once you see them, you know that person's dead. And you're glad it's not you!!
In the trailer for the new Predators, Robert Rodriguez gives us a classic "OH SHIT" moment, where Adrien Brody doesn't have one set or two or three.... Check out the trailer below. Look for the "Oh Shit" moment at the 1:30 mark...
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The end of Numb3rs??
I wouldn't normally think so, but I'm starting to believe that I tend to watch bizarre television. Most of the shows that do manage to gain my interest are intelligent, detail-oriented shows that consequently don't last very long on tv. Dollhouse, Eyes, Terminator:The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Shark, Justice, Firefly, Raines, Daybreak, Drive, Brimstone. But enough shows do manage to stay on the air long enough to make watching tv worth it. One of those shows is Numb3rs.
To put it succinctly, Numb3rs is a series about FBI using advanced mathematics to aid in their investigations. The show centers itself around two brothers Don & Charlie Eppes (played by Rob Morrow & David Krumholtz respectively), Don works for the FBI, and Charlie is a genius mathematician at CalSci. Over the course of the show, the two brothers overcome their childhood estrangements, expand and grow into more respectable people, and solve a great many cases using mathematics in exceedingly creative ways.
This past Friday marked the end of the sixth season of Numb3rs. Rumors among those in the tv industry say that this is most likely the end of the series, given the drop in ratings this year and the fact that CBS cut their episode order from 22 to 16 for this season. The end of this season, while in no way ending the show with any kind of finality, felt like the end of the series. Characters started planning to move on to other things, the FBI team that had become such a cohesive crime solving machine lost some of its parts, and the events lead the viewer to think that this is where these people's lives diverge away from us. The producers of the show aimed to make this a satisfying finale for the series if they don't get picked up for next year, and they succeeded. They ended the show in the only logical way for the characters. Life goes on. Things keep happening, there's always a tomorrow.
Now, there is no official indication that Numb3rs is over. CBS says Numb3rs is in strong contention for a 7th season, and I hope the show gets the green light for another season. But, it just feels like it's over. And I'm saddened to see it go.
Thoughts On... Blogging
A couple of days ago, one of my favorite shows came back after a relatively long time on break. The show is House MD, and while I could go on for awhile about why the show is so awesome, that's beyond the scope of this essay. Suffice it to say that one reason I enjoy the show is because they tend to bring up intriguing topics to think about & discuss. This past ep brings up the idea of blogging and the effect it has on people. Both those who blog AND those who read blogs.
The patient in the last ep is a woman who is an avid blogger, who spends a good portion of time posting every detail of her life to her blog for public consumption. Including a fight she had with her husband, and all the issues with her treatments as events in the ep play themselves out. It was brought to a focal point, when she had to choose between two options for heart surgery and left it up to the opinions of her readers which option she would take. A decision that could determine whether or not she would be able to have children in the future.
Is it right to live your life so openly? Posting personal information not only about yourself, but also about those people who matter in your life? A friend of mine believes that losing yourself in a crowd of people can be therapeutic, and I agree. There is a balancing nature in hearing the varied opinions of the people around you in regards to the events you're dealing with in your life. But at what point does it stop being therapy and becomes a place to hide from making decisions on your own?
That's a huge danger of living life publicly. At a certain point, the pressure of your "followers" can overwhelm you into making decisions you wouldn't make under normal circumstances. Think about the example of the lady in the House ep. She was willing to make a decision that could prevent her from EVER having children based SOLELY on the input of her readers. And not what SHE thought was best for her. It's the difference between asking for advice & opinions from others and having your own thoughts overridden by the whims of the masses. Seriously, should you live your life according to the whims of your blog readers? People you don't know, and have never met??
And then there's the consideration of other people you mention in your blog posts. By putting them in your blog, you're taking away a part of their privacy. In today's modern world, there's an expectation of a small amount of public exposure. For example, my friend who has his own blog. I can safely reference anything in that blog, because it's already in a public forum. But at what point should the line be drawn. Would an argument between myself & my friend belong on my blog? It's part of my life, right? For me, I would leave it out, or if I did put it in, make the other person's identity as general as possible to protect their privacy. After all, no one likes unwanted public exposure. The ep mentioned that privacy is a modern concept since people lived in communities so small that it was impossible to keep secrets, but I disagree. If that were true, people would not have lived in in separate, discrete houses. The desire for privacy has been around for a long time. In fact, I would venture to say that it's a primal need. History is chock full of people going off on their own to discover themselves, or for adventures, or just for the solitude.
But when does blogging become too ridiculous? The woman in the ep says that she likes blogging because it's an avenue into how someone thinks and what they are thinking at any given time which, in her mind, makes for a stonger bond between her & her followers, or her and whatever blogger she's into at the moment. She actually stated the fact that she hated that her husband didn't have a blog, hated not knowing what he was thinking. To which I thought, why not just ASK him? Why not just SPEAK to him? To further illustrate the point, another scene in the ep has the blogger lady typing in a post, while a friend and reader catches up on the latest postings WHILE BEING IN THE SAME ROOM! They're in the same room together, and they're communicating via text on the screens of their respective laptops!! One has to ask, is the pseudo-public venue of blogging really a connection? Or is it just another virtual world we lay onto the reality around us to make it more palatable?
The patient in the last ep is a woman who is an avid blogger, who spends a good portion of time posting every detail of her life to her blog for public consumption. Including a fight she had with her husband, and all the issues with her treatments as events in the ep play themselves out. It was brought to a focal point, when she had to choose between two options for heart surgery and left it up to the opinions of her readers which option she would take. A decision that could determine whether or not she would be able to have children in the future.
Is it right to live your life so openly? Posting personal information not only about yourself, but also about those people who matter in your life? A friend of mine believes that losing yourself in a crowd of people can be therapeutic, and I agree. There is a balancing nature in hearing the varied opinions of the people around you in regards to the events you're dealing with in your life. But at what point does it stop being therapy and becomes a place to hide from making decisions on your own?
That's a huge danger of living life publicly. At a certain point, the pressure of your "followers" can overwhelm you into making decisions you wouldn't make under normal circumstances. Think about the example of the lady in the House ep. She was willing to make a decision that could prevent her from EVER having children based SOLELY on the input of her readers. And not what SHE thought was best for her. It's the difference between asking for advice & opinions from others and having your own thoughts overridden by the whims of the masses. Seriously, should you live your life according to the whims of your blog readers? People you don't know, and have never met??
And then there's the consideration of other people you mention in your blog posts. By putting them in your blog, you're taking away a part of their privacy. In today's modern world, there's an expectation of a small amount of public exposure. For example, my friend who has his own blog. I can safely reference anything in that blog, because it's already in a public forum. But at what point should the line be drawn. Would an argument between myself & my friend belong on my blog? It's part of my life, right? For me, I would leave it out, or if I did put it in, make the other person's identity as general as possible to protect their privacy. After all, no one likes unwanted public exposure. The ep mentioned that privacy is a modern concept since people lived in communities so small that it was impossible to keep secrets, but I disagree. If that were true, people would not have lived in in separate, discrete houses. The desire for privacy has been around for a long time. In fact, I would venture to say that it's a primal need. History is chock full of people going off on their own to discover themselves, or for adventures, or just for the solitude.
But when does blogging become too ridiculous? The woman in the ep says that she likes blogging because it's an avenue into how someone thinks and what they are thinking at any given time which, in her mind, makes for a stonger bond between her & her followers, or her and whatever blogger she's into at the moment. She actually stated the fact that she hated that her husband didn't have a blog, hated not knowing what he was thinking. To which I thought, why not just ASK him? Why not just SPEAK to him? To further illustrate the point, another scene in the ep has the blogger lady typing in a post, while a friend and reader catches up on the latest postings WHILE BEING IN THE SAME ROOM! They're in the same room together, and they're communicating via text on the screens of their respective laptops!! One has to ask, is the pseudo-public venue of blogging really a connection? Or is it just another virtual world we lay onto the reality around us to make it more palatable?
Friday, March 12, 2010
Adaptation...
A long time ago, Charles Darwin came up with the idea of evolution. He saw that, over time, creatures of all kinds grow & change to suit their environments. Those creatures that stop changing eventually die off, so he rightly concluded that the key to any species' survival is its ability to adapt to its changing environment. While at the time Darwin received a great deal of ridicule on the subject, humanity has come to see the truth in Darwin's statemetns and to marvel at how universally POWERFUL his conclusions are. Today, I marvel at how much a person can adapt to their ever changing surroundings.
I've been employed at Single Digits for a little over a month now, and I'm surprised at the fact that I've grown so accustomed to circumstances which I find so intolerable. I don't have a car, yet through rides from buses, cabs, and my sister I've been able to make it to work on time (actually an hour or so early) to each and every shift. In the beginning, I was completely terrified about having to take calls all day and potentially doing something terribly wrong and destroying either a customer's machine or a hotel's network. (I know how dangerous having just a little information can be.) Now, it's becoming routine and almost boring. Yesterday, the application used to monitor the networks and document incoming calls went down for the SECOND time since I started. The first time served to enhance my fears exponentially, but yesterday all I felt was anger & frustration that the tool I use to do my job wasn't available.
I hadn't realized exactly how accustomed to this place I've become until after my shift last night. This place isn't my ideal job in ANY way and I dream of the day when I get back to writing code for a living again, but I can deal with it. Things will be a bit more of a struggle, but WELL within my levels of tolerance. I hope that someday soon I'll be able to get out of here be a software developer, but I've adapted to this place, and I'll be able to survive here. And I find THAT most amazing of all.
I've been employed at Single Digits for a little over a month now, and I'm surprised at the fact that I've grown so accustomed to circumstances which I find so intolerable. I don't have a car, yet through rides from buses, cabs, and my sister I've been able to make it to work on time (actually an hour or so early) to each and every shift. In the beginning, I was completely terrified about having to take calls all day and potentially doing something terribly wrong and destroying either a customer's machine or a hotel's network. (I know how dangerous having just a little information can be.) Now, it's becoming routine and almost boring. Yesterday, the application used to monitor the networks and document incoming calls went down for the SECOND time since I started. The first time served to enhance my fears exponentially, but yesterday all I felt was anger & frustration that the tool I use to do my job wasn't available.
I hadn't realized exactly how accustomed to this place I've become until after my shift last night. This place isn't my ideal job in ANY way and I dream of the day when I get back to writing code for a living again, but I can deal with it. Things will be a bit more of a struggle, but WELL within my levels of tolerance. I hope that someday soon I'll be able to get out of here be a software developer, but I've adapted to this place, and I'll be able to survive here. And I find THAT most amazing of all.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
There are many paths to redemption... not all of them peaceful
I once read an anecdote about Robert E. Howard. The person writing the tale stated that he heard Mr. Howard talk about the times that he was writing the story of his most famous character, Conan. According to the tale, Mr. Howard felt the presence of Conan as he wrote, defending him from the evils around him and at the same time FORCING him to commit Conan's story to paper.
It was an interesting bit of trivia that has always stuck in my head. Due to the fact that it reveals more about Robert E. Howard's mental state during his writing of Conan that the author would have liked. Today, I have discovered another character in Howard's gallery of rogues: Solomon Kane.
In the next couple of months, the US will be treated to a major film release telling an original story based on Robert E. Howard's work. I've seen the trailer, and it looks AWESOME!! Like Van Helsing meets Pan's Labyrinth with a touch of Lord Of The Rings. Check it out!!
Solomon Kane is played by James Purefoy (Rome, A Knight's Tale, Resident Evil). And if there's anyone who can play a 17th century Puritan badass, it's James Purefoy. The film was supposed to be released last November in the US, but the release was delayed. It should be out sometime in March or April. I, for one, can't wait to see it!
It was an interesting bit of trivia that has always stuck in my head. Due to the fact that it reveals more about Robert E. Howard's mental state during his writing of Conan that the author would have liked. Today, I have discovered another character in Howard's gallery of rogues: Solomon Kane.
In the next couple of months, the US will be treated to a major film release telling an original story based on Robert E. Howard's work. I've seen the trailer, and it looks AWESOME!! Like Van Helsing meets Pan's Labyrinth with a touch of Lord Of The Rings. Check it out!!
Solomon Kane is played by James Purefoy (Rome, A Knight's Tale, Resident Evil). And if there's anyone who can play a 17th century Puritan badass, it's James Purefoy. The film was supposed to be released last November in the US, but the release was delayed. It should be out sometime in March or April. I, for one, can't wait to see it!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Little known, but GREATLY appreciated
You know what the best thing about my friends? They INSPIRE me to greatness. One of my best friends, David, wrote a post on the cartoons that had a major formative influence on him. His post (to read it,click here) listed some great cartoons. So, now you're wondering what I was inspired to do by this posting?
I was looking at the intros he posted and a thought occurred to me. Everyone talks about the best cartoons of the 70s, 80s, 90s, whatever, right? Because David was talking about those shows that were important to him, I thought about a segment of shows that doesn't really get talked about: the shows that you watched that no one talks about. The cartoons that you watched that no else seems to have seen. For me, there's several.
I hate to admit this, but this was my first introduction to the Native American mindset. I was a kid, okay? But the show was cool in my book. It was sci-fi with a western twist and an element of magic. It appealed to me greatly, but very few people know about this show. For years, I thought I had made it up.
I've always liked police officers. Anyone that accepts lousy pay to protect me from crap gets my respect. For me this was, is, and always shall be the ONLY cops show I will EVER watch.
I.... have no excuse for this. There's no merit to this show, except the memory of me running around my room as a kid striking various "Power Poses" and yelling "CENTURIONS... POWER EXTREME!"
I read the comics, and I liked the idea of a team of anti-heroes kicking butt and loving it. They did it because they were getting paid. And they didn't like each other either. This was more than X-Men infighting, and the theme of a non-cohesive unit is so good, the comics industry is STILL using it (look up Thunderbolts). The cartoon didn't capture as much of that flavor, but it was more than was readily available to me at the time I watched it.
I have had many conversations with people listing their favorite cartoons and this one never comes to mind. Then I mention that I'm a big fan and I get "Oh my god, YEAH!! I loved that cartoon!!" Again, we have the blend of sci-fi & magic (a big thing for me, it just makes stories SO much more interesting) but there's something about a character's search for family that just speaks to me. Normally, it would be the wizard who I would like the best, but in this case I watched the show for Jayce, hoping every episode that he would find his father.
This is the greatest cartoon I EVER watched. The story is engrossing, the characters were amazing and surprisingly nuanced. And if I remember it right, it's also the only cartoon of its time to be historically accurate. And that INCLUDES it's portrayal of the Spanish conquistadors and their actions in the "New World". I love it so much, that it's the only intro I'll embed in this posting.
I was looking at the intros he posted and a thought occurred to me. Everyone talks about the best cartoons of the 70s, 80s, 90s, whatever, right? Because David was talking about those shows that were important to him, I thought about a segment of shows that doesn't really get talked about: the shows that you watched that no one talks about. The cartoons that you watched that no else seems to have seen. For me, there's several.
BraveStarr
I hate to admit this, but this was my first introduction to the Native American mindset. I was a kid, okay? But the show was cool in my book. It was sci-fi with a western twist and an element of magic. It appealed to me greatly, but very few people know about this show. For years, I thought I had made it up.
COPS: Central Organization of Police Specialists
I've always liked police officers. Anyone that accepts lousy pay to protect me from crap gets my respect. For me this was, is, and always shall be the ONLY cops show I will EVER watch.
Centurions: Power Extreme
I.... have no excuse for this. There's no merit to this show, except the memory of me running around my room as a kid striking various "Power Poses" and yelling "CENTURIONS... POWER EXTREME!"
WildC.A.T.S.
I read the comics, and I liked the idea of a team of anti-heroes kicking butt and loving it. They did it because they were getting paid. And they didn't like each other either. This was more than X-Men infighting, and the theme of a non-cohesive unit is so good, the comics industry is STILL using it (look up Thunderbolts). The cartoon didn't capture as much of that flavor, but it was more than was readily available to me at the time I watched it.
Jayce & The Wheeled Warriors
I have had many conversations with people listing their favorite cartoons and this one never comes to mind. Then I mention that I'm a big fan and I get "Oh my god, YEAH!! I loved that cartoon!!" Again, we have the blend of sci-fi & magic (a big thing for me, it just makes stories SO much more interesting) but there's something about a character's search for family that just speaks to me. Normally, it would be the wizard who I would like the best, but in this case I watched the show for Jayce, hoping every episode that he would find his father.
The Mysterious Cities of Gold
This is the greatest cartoon I EVER watched. The story is engrossing, the characters were amazing and surprisingly nuanced. And if I remember it right, it's also the only cartoon of its time to be historically accurate. And that INCLUDES it's portrayal of the Spanish conquistadors and their actions in the "New World". I love it so much, that it's the only intro I'll embed in this posting.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Creepy, and Kind of Sad
My sister just showed me a very creepy little animated short. It's by first time director Rodrigo Blaas, and it's called Alma. Check it out:
Wasn't that creepy? And also sad? The cool thing about this is that the short rivals the best of what Pixar has brought to the big screen. I would recommend that you watch it again. You'll pick up on things you missed the first time. And it gets just a little bit creepier. Oh, and one other bit of info:
Alma means "soul" in spanish. Take a guess where the short was made?
Wasn't that creepy? And also sad? The cool thing about this is that the short rivals the best of what Pixar has brought to the big screen. I would recommend that you watch it again. You'll pick up on things you missed the first time. And it gets just a little bit creepier. Oh, and one other bit of info:
Alma means "soul" in spanish. Take a guess where the short was made?
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