So NPR talks about the Twitter goodness that goes on, and how it's changing forms of communication and it's all Web 2.0 and whatnot, so I decided to reactivate my account after losing interest and deleting my account. Well, got back in, and then to my disappointment it doesn't support my prepaid Sidekick plan, which means Twitter is just pretty much microblogging on the computer if I don't use it from my mobile. Hmm. So, there it goes, can't use it now. So much for Twitter.
Spending a bit of money on this odd Sunday, which has alternated between snow and a bit of sun. We've been hit by some odd April hail and snow, but after we emerged from Costco, it was a sunny spring day. Odd. Spend over 160 bucks at Costco, but also booking tickets for our Alcatraz cruise in May. Thankfully the kids are small enough to be freebies, otherwise it'd be costing a lot. Anyway, I'm fighting temptation to buy anything because it about a week I'll be blowing about 100 bucks on GTA IV and MarioKart. So I gotta be good for a while. But gaming goodness will be bestowed upon me.
Still doing the 58 hours a week schedule, though this week should be the last of it, and it'll likely only be a 48 hour week since the fiscal year ends on a Friday. Whatever, the OT will be worth the trouble. I never used to be a OT whore, but since I've had a month or two without any OT, I started to notice that cushion that the OT provided was actually kinda nice.
My friend loaned me his spiffy new iPod so that I could load it up with music and any video, and it helped inform me what to shoot for when I do have to replace my own iPod. My iPod's been acting up a little, but not quite worth replacing yet. It still does what it needs to relatively well, despite some soft resets throughout the day is inevitable. Not terrible of a reason enough for me to get a new one. But anyway, it doesn't settle any decisions about what I want to get, but it sure weigh it better. But man, 80 gigs is a lot of space to fill. I've thrown audio and video at it and there's still 40 gigs to fill. We're talking 3000 plus songs plus 6 or 7 movies and a bunch of podcasts. It doesn't stop.
The kids have been acting more human lately, and we believe that it's a strong correlation to the limitation of sugar we've placed on them. Way less junk food and candy makes for more agreeable kids. A noticable difference for sure.
Anyway, I'm distracted so I'll just end it here.
Showing posts with label ipod. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ipod. Show all posts
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Inspiration Struck and Hit Dansen
Yeah, it's been a while since a posty posty, but it's mostly because I was trying to let the April Fools joke take effect, since I know not everyone reads the blog everyday like my wife does. And then I got lazy and inspired!
So I was listening to the podcasts at work, slighty worried because twice in the week static electricity had travelled up my ears and shocked them. And yeah, it hurt like hell to get shocked inside your ears, and you do really hear a pop before the pain follows. So anyway, listening to podcasts and actually missing broadcasting. Shooting the witty banter and doing a bit of creativity. I thought about how to possibly find a mate to do it, and I couldn't figure it out. Then I thought of a guy whom I had great chemistry with, but he's in Japan. So we met up, he's game for it, and we're going to give it a go tomorrow night. We'll see what happens. A lot of technical obstacles, i'll say.
Work sucks.
Production had been on hold for the past 6 weeks and it had been absolute torture. They want us to stay busy, but there's really nothing worth doing. So I've been doing odd little menial tasks, like scraping old stickers off carts and moving shit around. Well, there was a glimmer of hope for about a day, but now a field action is causing us to basically be on hold for another 4 weeks. Aside from the additional dead time, it also means that all that sweet overtime that I've been anticipating is going down the drain. Because the company fiscal year ends in April, I doubt there will be any overtime for a while.
Apart from the homemade electroshock therapies I've received, my ipod is trying to fail on me. It freezes in mid-podcast, forcing me to reboot and rehunt where I left off. I would say about 8 reboots every day I work, which can be quite a nuisance. So I've done some research, and I've come up with a plan to get a nano sometime in September. Why then? Well, every September since its launch there's been a new redesign, and I'm guess they will likely bump up their base model to 8 gigs, easy. Furthermore, I'm siding with the nano not only because of the price, but also because it, like the touch, has a flash drive. The 3.5 drive in the classic is skipping in mine, I suppose they're not really made for too much movement or drops. So, that's the plan. If the ipod does die, I'll try my best to substitute it with something else. Between my PSP and my phone, I should have some alternative.
Right, its late now.
So I was listening to the podcasts at work, slighty worried because twice in the week static electricity had travelled up my ears and shocked them. And yeah, it hurt like hell to get shocked inside your ears, and you do really hear a pop before the pain follows. So anyway, listening to podcasts and actually missing broadcasting. Shooting the witty banter and doing a bit of creativity. I thought about how to possibly find a mate to do it, and I couldn't figure it out. Then I thought of a guy whom I had great chemistry with, but he's in Japan. So we met up, he's game for it, and we're going to give it a go tomorrow night. We'll see what happens. A lot of technical obstacles, i'll say.
Work sucks.
Production had been on hold for the past 6 weeks and it had been absolute torture. They want us to stay busy, but there's really nothing worth doing. So I've been doing odd little menial tasks, like scraping old stickers off carts and moving shit around. Well, there was a glimmer of hope for about a day, but now a field action is causing us to basically be on hold for another 4 weeks. Aside from the additional dead time, it also means that all that sweet overtime that I've been anticipating is going down the drain. Because the company fiscal year ends in April, I doubt there will be any overtime for a while.
Apart from the homemade electroshock therapies I've received, my ipod is trying to fail on me. It freezes in mid-podcast, forcing me to reboot and rehunt where I left off. I would say about 8 reboots every day I work, which can be quite a nuisance. So I've done some research, and I've come up with a plan to get a nano sometime in September. Why then? Well, every September since its launch there's been a new redesign, and I'm guess they will likely bump up their base model to 8 gigs, easy. Furthermore, I'm siding with the nano not only because of the price, but also because it, like the touch, has a flash drive. The 3.5 drive in the classic is skipping in mine, I suppose they're not really made for too much movement or drops. So, that's the plan. If the ipod does die, I'll try my best to substitute it with something else. Between my PSP and my phone, I should have some alternative.
Right, its late now.
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Dorky Apple Post
This is more or less a further discussion on Dave's iPod Touch decision.
I do think that they're either going to have notes, or even some kind of mail program on there so that you could compose a draft offline and then sent it when you get to a hotspot. If Apple doesn't include anything like that, a third party would undoubtedly fill that gap. Even though Wifi is seemingly everywhere, free wifi is certainly another thing. Even in Microsoft neighborhoods, there's only a handful of places with free wifi. The most notable one is Marymoor Park, which is a huge park that I guess, a lot of Microsoft employees go hang out during lunches or whatnot, and so they just made most of the park a free hotspot, which is pretty cool. Downside is that parking is a buck, but I suppose that's not that big of a deal.
For me, if I had the money, I would probably shell it out for the touch, since my "Cream of Crop" playlist is in the neighborhood of 5 Gigs, but it would still run a little tight. I wouldn't spring the extra hundred for the 16 Gig, because a 400 dollar iPod just seems a bit high.
I was going to use a analogy with my wife, whereby the PSP is like the well-rounded, practical marrying type and the iPod Touch was like the hot looker that turned heads but overall was more about presentation (though the function was definitely top notch, even if the storage was meager) and gadget lust. But I didn't get very far with that analogy because it made the term "wives" seem like a consolation prize.
But yesterday, my used copy of GTA: Vice City Stories came in the mail which was very exciting, and this afternoon I spend quite some time acquiring a PSP/Mac syncing program in order to coordinate all the media onto the PSP. I encoded a second movie (Van Wilder II: The Rise of Taj) in addition to the first (The Promise) without even knowing for sure if it would work with the PSP. So, all I need is the PSP and I can start having some fun!
I'm totally guessing on this, but Sony had neglected to make a big deal of this PSP Lite and Slim release, so when stores started getting stock on Thursday and Friday, some retailers, Target included, started putting them on shelves prematurely. One of the bundles was selling for 169.99, which is a great price, and some people online got a hold of it. I tried on Thursday but to no avail. Target had since taken that price offline, so I'll be hounding the papers for more details.
Well, geek out.
I do think that they're either going to have notes, or even some kind of mail program on there so that you could compose a draft offline and then sent it when you get to a hotspot. If Apple doesn't include anything like that, a third party would undoubtedly fill that gap. Even though Wifi is seemingly everywhere, free wifi is certainly another thing. Even in Microsoft neighborhoods, there's only a handful of places with free wifi. The most notable one is Marymoor Park, which is a huge park that I guess, a lot of Microsoft employees go hang out during lunches or whatnot, and so they just made most of the park a free hotspot, which is pretty cool. Downside is that parking is a buck, but I suppose that's not that big of a deal.
For me, if I had the money, I would probably shell it out for the touch, since my "Cream of Crop" playlist is in the neighborhood of 5 Gigs, but it would still run a little tight. I wouldn't spring the extra hundred for the 16 Gig, because a 400 dollar iPod just seems a bit high.
I was going to use a analogy with my wife, whereby the PSP is like the well-rounded, practical marrying type and the iPod Touch was like the hot looker that turned heads but overall was more about presentation (though the function was definitely top notch, even if the storage was meager) and gadget lust. But I didn't get very far with that analogy because it made the term "wives" seem like a consolation prize.
But yesterday, my used copy of GTA: Vice City Stories came in the mail which was very exciting, and this afternoon I spend quite some time acquiring a PSP/Mac syncing program in order to coordinate all the media onto the PSP. I encoded a second movie (Van Wilder II: The Rise of Taj) in addition to the first (The Promise) without even knowing for sure if it would work with the PSP. So, all I need is the PSP and I can start having some fun!
I'm totally guessing on this, but Sony had neglected to make a big deal of this PSP Lite and Slim release, so when stores started getting stock on Thursday and Friday, some retailers, Target included, started putting them on shelves prematurely. One of the bundles was selling for 169.99, which is a great price, and some people online got a hold of it. I tried on Thursday but to no avail. Target had since taken that price offline, so I'll be hounding the papers for more details.
Well, geek out.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Damn You, Steve Jobs
Seriously, Apple really has me under its thumb. I was doing just fine and dandy and then they come along and mess with my reality, leaving me completely flustered with my options. I'm writing this because Dave evidently counts on me to give him the Apple scoop. I'm sure he's caught the news too, but for those who could care less, here's my lowdown on the Apple updates.
---
So I'm actually happy that the Nano has video capability, making it one of the first portable and affordable video players. It's not the first, and not the cheapest personal media player out there, but anyone who has an iPod knows iPod is really just half of the equation - iTunes is the other half. It makes getting music, organizing it, transferring it, and getting media for it a cinch. And unlike most other digital jukeboxes, it evolves over time.
The Classic iPod is now at an obscene 160 Gigs, which is something monstrous. I have hard drives that are smaller than that. My music collection alone is only about 15 gigs, and even when all my podcasts are decked out, it's only about 6 Gigs. What the hell would someone do with all that space? I suppose a buttload of movies could fit on that. Who knows.
And of course, the iPod Touch. When the iPhone came out, I thought that if they had that without the phone part, I would be sold on it. And for a while, when the rumors started swirling about a touch iPod, I was pretty tempted, but I was sure that it would just be an iPod, nothing fancy. And then I watched yesterday's presentation. 8 Gigs, Wi-Fi, keyboard, Safari, Youtube. And then today, ironically while searching for the PSP Bundle, I wandered into the Apple Store and played with the iPhone. And I was Smitten.
But anyway, it's all very confusing in my head. I told my wife about it and she's resistant due to the cost, which I don't blame her. It's $299, which is a far cry from the $169 I had tried to sell her on. I told her that with the PSP, with the $169 core, the $25 game, the $40 memory card, possibly the $20 case and some more games, it's easily the same price. I think that amused her even less. But there's my breakdown.
PSP Pros:
Actual Gaming portable, with big boy games.
Cheaper. Kinda.
Multimedia goodness.
PSP Cons:
Data entry for web surfing is phone-like, which is goofy.
Browser is supposedly iffy.
Doesn't do flash video or 640x480, which means a lot of video conversion.
Arguement:
How much web surfing will I do on the PSP?
Will future firmware fix the 640 x 480 problem?
Will I rely on Wi-Fi that much?
iPod Touch Pros:
Seamless integration with iTunes, less conversion
Freakin' touch interface, can download apps for iPod since it's running an OS.
Safari, QWERTY text entry... That's cool.
Youtube integration.
iPod Touch Cons:
No Games! Will Video wear off?
Two iPods is gadget redundancy.
Basically getting it mostly for the video playback and touch novelty.
Youtube is not the complete library, since Youtube is only starting to encode H.264 compatible videos that iPhones and Touch iPods can read. Only 2 of my videos were searchable.
iPod Argument:
How often am I around Wi-Fi and if I'm mostly at home, aren't I already on my laptop anyway? Touch keypad and all, will I even use it?
iPod clickwheel I can navigate without looking, but the touch will need to be flicked - so skipping a song or anything might be too much trouble.
I might get jacked - they are pricey little gadgets.
Well, this actually helped. I think I'll stick with the PSP. Even though the Touch is fancier and has slightly more convenient video options, the fact that I'm not always around Wi-Fi, and the video only benefits of the touch iPod (as opposed to the video plus gaming benefits of the PSP) make the PSP the logical choice. I have to do a bit more maintenance for the PSP, but I think I'll get more mileage out of it. It's like the practical and the pretty. The practical PSP wins out.
But the Touch is sooooo pretty.
---
So I'm actually happy that the Nano has video capability, making it one of the first portable and affordable video players. It's not the first, and not the cheapest personal media player out there, but anyone who has an iPod knows iPod is really just half of the equation - iTunes is the other half. It makes getting music, organizing it, transferring it, and getting media for it a cinch. And unlike most other digital jukeboxes, it evolves over time.
The Classic iPod is now at an obscene 160 Gigs, which is something monstrous. I have hard drives that are smaller than that. My music collection alone is only about 15 gigs, and even when all my podcasts are decked out, it's only about 6 Gigs. What the hell would someone do with all that space? I suppose a buttload of movies could fit on that. Who knows.
And of course, the iPod Touch. When the iPhone came out, I thought that if they had that without the phone part, I would be sold on it. And for a while, when the rumors started swirling about a touch iPod, I was pretty tempted, but I was sure that it would just be an iPod, nothing fancy. And then I watched yesterday's presentation. 8 Gigs, Wi-Fi, keyboard, Safari, Youtube. And then today, ironically while searching for the PSP Bundle, I wandered into the Apple Store and played with the iPhone. And I was Smitten.
But anyway, it's all very confusing in my head. I told my wife about it and she's resistant due to the cost, which I don't blame her. It's $299, which is a far cry from the $169 I had tried to sell her on. I told her that with the PSP, with the $169 core, the $25 game, the $40 memory card, possibly the $20 case and some more games, it's easily the same price. I think that amused her even less. But there's my breakdown.
PSP Pros:
Actual Gaming portable, with big boy games.
Cheaper. Kinda.
Multimedia goodness.
PSP Cons:
Data entry for web surfing is phone-like, which is goofy.
Browser is supposedly iffy.
Doesn't do flash video or 640x480, which means a lot of video conversion.
Arguement:
How much web surfing will I do on the PSP?
Will future firmware fix the 640 x 480 problem?
Will I rely on Wi-Fi that much?
iPod Touch Pros:
Seamless integration with iTunes, less conversion
Freakin' touch interface, can download apps for iPod since it's running an OS.
Safari, QWERTY text entry... That's cool.
Youtube integration.
iPod Touch Cons:
No Games! Will Video wear off?
Two iPods is gadget redundancy.
Basically getting it mostly for the video playback and touch novelty.
Youtube is not the complete library, since Youtube is only starting to encode H.264 compatible videos that iPhones and Touch iPods can read. Only 2 of my videos were searchable.
iPod Argument:
How often am I around Wi-Fi and if I'm mostly at home, aren't I already on my laptop anyway? Touch keypad and all, will I even use it?
iPod clickwheel I can navigate without looking, but the touch will need to be flicked - so skipping a song or anything might be too much trouble.
I might get jacked - they are pricey little gadgets.
Well, this actually helped. I think I'll stick with the PSP. Even though the Touch is fancier and has slightly more convenient video options, the fact that I'm not always around Wi-Fi, and the video only benefits of the touch iPod (as opposed to the video plus gaming benefits of the PSP) make the PSP the logical choice. I have to do a bit more maintenance for the PSP, but I think I'll get more mileage out of it. It's like the practical and the pretty. The practical PSP wins out.
But the Touch is sooooo pretty.
Monday, September 3, 2007
Something about Nothing
I got something to say and nothing to say all at the same time. So here it goes.
These next couple weeks are going to be quite something for me. Since I don't really have any friends and all I write or think about is tech stuff, it's a fairly wet week for me. On Wednesday, Apple will be announcing the next line of iPods, and even thought the likelihood of me getting one is almost close to zero (see below), it's still exciting to see how they will confirm or astound the rumors that are currently out there. Certainly, a video iPod Nano is highly plausible, a touch screen iPod as well. The thing is if they've got something up their sleeve on top of that. The iPhone certainly floored all the mockups, I'm hoping this one will too.
---
This Friday Alex will be turning four, and we're going to the Puyallup Fair, which will be tons of fun. Even though I'll be getting a smaller paycheck this week because of Labor Day and the lack of overtime last week and this week, it'll be okay. Just have to chill out on the spending and since we already bought the tickets, the cost of everything should be manageable. I think the kids will have fun at the fair though. At the very least, I can get photos of the kids looking terrified on the kiddy rides.
---
And of course, the PSP. I've been granted permission to get it when it comes out, including an advance from my Mom. And I've ordered a used copy of Vice City Stories for the PSP just to keep me busy. But mostly, I'm excited to start putting video on that sucka and have a portable media player. Woot, baby.
---
I'm often a late adopter of Web 2.0 (although I was early on Flickr and Blogger, though I didn't use Flickr for a while after I initially used it.), but I'm discovering that Digg.com is actually really cool. It started out with me watching the Diggnation podcast, which is this breezy, low production yet high entertainment value podcast of these guys responsible for Digg.com talking about the highly Dugg articles. Their banter and ease about the whole thing just seems like it's just a bunch of guys, just jabbering about cool news and tidbits. I like Digg so far because of its range. From serious news to trivia to tidbits, just basically the best bits of news out there as determined by nerds like myself.
---
It's almost 2 in the morning. Tomorrow I have to wake up at 4:30am. That is hell on my internal clock.
These next couple weeks are going to be quite something for me. Since I don't really have any friends and all I write or think about is tech stuff, it's a fairly wet week for me. On Wednesday, Apple will be announcing the next line of iPods, and even thought the likelihood of me getting one is almost close to zero (see below), it's still exciting to see how they will confirm or astound the rumors that are currently out there. Certainly, a video iPod Nano is highly plausible, a touch screen iPod as well. The thing is if they've got something up their sleeve on top of that. The iPhone certainly floored all the mockups, I'm hoping this one will too.
---
This Friday Alex will be turning four, and we're going to the Puyallup Fair, which will be tons of fun. Even though I'll be getting a smaller paycheck this week because of Labor Day and the lack of overtime last week and this week, it'll be okay. Just have to chill out on the spending and since we already bought the tickets, the cost of everything should be manageable. I think the kids will have fun at the fair though. At the very least, I can get photos of the kids looking terrified on the kiddy rides.
---
And of course, the PSP. I've been granted permission to get it when it comes out, including an advance from my Mom. And I've ordered a used copy of Vice City Stories for the PSP just to keep me busy. But mostly, I'm excited to start putting video on that sucka and have a portable media player. Woot, baby.
---
I'm often a late adopter of Web 2.0 (although I was early on Flickr and Blogger, though I didn't use Flickr for a while after I initially used it.), but I'm discovering that Digg.com is actually really cool. It started out with me watching the Diggnation podcast, which is this breezy, low production yet high entertainment value podcast of these guys responsible for Digg.com talking about the highly Dugg articles. Their banter and ease about the whole thing just seems like it's just a bunch of guys, just jabbering about cool news and tidbits. I like Digg so far because of its range. From serious news to trivia to tidbits, just basically the best bits of news out there as determined by nerds like myself.
---
It's almost 2 in the morning. Tomorrow I have to wake up at 4:30am. That is hell on my internal clock.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Rethinking the iPod Lust
I like my iPod, I really do. It's the 4th gen iPod with photo capability, with 20 Gigs of storage, and it's just perfect for me. And bonus! It was free. My mom had found it months before at the hotel and nobody had claimed it, so she did. I know, somebody had to lost their iPod for me to find it, so I do feel a tad guilty that I'm not its rightful owner. But I sure am a grateful owner.
Anyhow, the only thing I wished that I could change about it was some video capability. I'm sure all this iPod needed was a video codec or something in order to play video, since it could technically run some video in Linux, but still I wouldn't shell out the extra money for the current video iPod. The screen is just too meager.
That said, the rumors that a wider, probably touch screen iPod has got me salivating... until I looked it up on Wikipedia. The last price points were initially 299 and 399, steep considering what I really just want is a bit of video to kill time at work, or in between doctor's appointments. I really don't need that much more space, nor am I particularly unhappy with my current iPod. In fact, I cringe to think that my speaker dock might have to be rejiggered to fit a newer design, along with the power adapter.
Then this morning, a unrelated gadget that I've been aware of popped into my head. In September, the PSP will have a newer design - though not a complete overhaul. Just slimmer, lighter, and faster, with an assortment of colors. But more than that, the price point of 169.99 plus the cost of a memory card might be the ultimate answer to my portable media problem. The PSP plays mp4s, and some other files, and most of the podcasts I watch are already mp4s. Some movs, but that's easily fixable. That way, I have no redundacy in my gadgetry, plus I have a portable gaming device. And since Alex has hijacked my DS for his pottytime, it'll give me something to do while I ignore people. And despite of what I've read about PSP games, the tweaky one analog control, and numerous camera issues with a lot of games, it's still got a nice big screen with crisp colors. Can't really fight that too much.
---
I had a dream last night that I was either homeless or unemployed. I was trying to work at Safeway or something, and then I was sleeping in the pews at a church. The pastor would tell me that I couldn't sleep there, I'd apologize and get up. Anyway, that's plenty weird in itself, imagine how I felt when I came to work and it felt familiar. It's my third week and there was a sense of comfort showing up for work. I dunno, a lot still in transition, though I have to say that a three day weekend is pretty sweet. Now if only the kids acknowledge that, it would be supper. Yes, I meant to say supper.
---
I keep thinking about what I have to do with my life, and I think the thing that I really still want to get accomplished isn't more school, different jobs, or selling of souls to anyone. It's about making movies, as it's always been about. I could try to jet off to CA and start off as some lowly production assistant or grip and try to work my way out, but I think I'd just like the freedom to be able to make movies without worrying too much about what I say and how I say it. Woody Allen has a great job, a movie every year, low budget with artistic clout that anyone will work for scale for you, and no pressure from the studios to perform exceptionally at the box office. I would love that job. Of course, I would need writing talent too, but that would just be asking for too much.
Well, back to work.
Anyhow, the only thing I wished that I could change about it was some video capability. I'm sure all this iPod needed was a video codec or something in order to play video, since it could technically run some video in Linux, but still I wouldn't shell out the extra money for the current video iPod. The screen is just too meager.
That said, the rumors that a wider, probably touch screen iPod has got me salivating... until I looked it up on Wikipedia. The last price points were initially 299 and 399, steep considering what I really just want is a bit of video to kill time at work, or in between doctor's appointments. I really don't need that much more space, nor am I particularly unhappy with my current iPod. In fact, I cringe to think that my speaker dock might have to be rejiggered to fit a newer design, along with the power adapter.
Then this morning, a unrelated gadget that I've been aware of popped into my head. In September, the PSP will have a newer design - though not a complete overhaul. Just slimmer, lighter, and faster, with an assortment of colors. But more than that, the price point of 169.99 plus the cost of a memory card might be the ultimate answer to my portable media problem. The PSP plays mp4s, and some other files, and most of the podcasts I watch are already mp4s. Some movs, but that's easily fixable. That way, I have no redundacy in my gadgetry, plus I have a portable gaming device. And since Alex has hijacked my DS for his pottytime, it'll give me something to do while I ignore people. And despite of what I've read about PSP games, the tweaky one analog control, and numerous camera issues with a lot of games, it's still got a nice big screen with crisp colors. Can't really fight that too much.
---
I had a dream last night that I was either homeless or unemployed. I was trying to work at Safeway or something, and then I was sleeping in the pews at a church. The pastor would tell me that I couldn't sleep there, I'd apologize and get up. Anyway, that's plenty weird in itself, imagine how I felt when I came to work and it felt familiar. It's my third week and there was a sense of comfort showing up for work. I dunno, a lot still in transition, though I have to say that a three day weekend is pretty sweet. Now if only the kids acknowledge that, it would be supper. Yes, I meant to say supper.
---
I keep thinking about what I have to do with my life, and I think the thing that I really still want to get accomplished isn't more school, different jobs, or selling of souls to anyone. It's about making movies, as it's always been about. I could try to jet off to CA and start off as some lowly production assistant or grip and try to work my way out, but I think I'd just like the freedom to be able to make movies without worrying too much about what I say and how I say it. Woody Allen has a great job, a movie every year, low budget with artistic clout that anyone will work for scale for you, and no pressure from the studios to perform exceptionally at the box office. I would love that job. Of course, I would need writing talent too, but that would just be asking for too much.
Well, back to work.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Loose Ends
Blogging from work during lunch, and though I'm basically emailing this entry to myself, I don't reckon that they'll go so far as to keep a key logger of some sort to monitor employee activity. At any rate, the blog isn't really mentioned and I'm not about to talk about work, so I don't think it'll be a problem.
Just thought about a few loose ends...
---
So we went to the Bite on Friday, and now that Alex is potty trained, we have to constantly make him go to the bathroom because he either doesn't think about it until it's too late, or he ignores the warnings. Anyhow, I had to take Alex and Zoe each to the bathroom at least once that day, and the results are mention worthy...
When I took Alex, he went first, and then I went after him, and he said something that I always wanted to hear, except in my mind it wouldn't be my little son saying that. More like a hot blind girl with no nerve endings on any of her appendages. But he said, "You got a big peanut, Dad." And I just laughed. Then he reached over to touch the toilet bowl and I said, "Don't touch that," and then realized how terrible it sounded to everyone else in the bathroom.
Then when Zoe went, she asked what I was doing, and after I told her, she exclaimed, "You got a peanut like Alex, huh? I don't have a peanut."
And by the way, we do use the actual word for that body part - they just hear it differently.
---
We ditched a sleeping Zoe yesterday and took Alex to see "Transformers", which was actually better than expected. I've heard that reaction with other people, and I have to agree that it's pretty much true. It's better than most Michael Bay movies, which always include a thing or two that doesn't seem quite right. Like how Pearl Harbor had that really cool, yet inappropriate tracking shot of a bomb going into a ship. And his romance scenes are always icky, like Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler playing out some deranged infantile safari with animal cookies. Or the body tossing chase scene in Bad Boys 2. Just not quite right.
The thing I liked about this movie was how diverse the cast was. The top hacker was a black kid, the girl was a grease monkey, and both their stories didn't seem forced. The plot moved the story right along, and the supporting cast and even Shia was actually not bad. The graphics of course, were fantastic. Completely seamless CG.
The things I didn't like with the movie was when the Autobots talked, it seemed weird. They were also too human to be alien. During a comedy bit, they were even going out of their way to hide from Sam's parents - quite silly if you've seen the rest of the movie. And the whole alien technology being able to make metals and machinery expand and contract to transform seem... suspect. And I'm being nitpicky here, but why would these robots fire traditional ammo? Like rockets and bullets? Wouldn't they be better off with lasers? Ammo has to be reloaded and rearmed, and it's not like there's a ammo dump for alien robots that's accessible to them. Maybe, but I don't think so. That said, I do prefer real world ammo. Lasers would just seem cheesy. But just the logic of it doesn't stick.
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Well, finishing up the blog from home since a few paragraphs ago.
I think one of my issues about work is how overeducated I feel at the place. I mean, I'm not implying snobbery by any means, but thinking that I spent all that money for tuition to work here? Makes me feel a bit peeved. And I think one of the biggest problems with being educated is that now I feel unchallenged. Nothing at work takes more than simple mechanical memory to complete. I'm currently working under someone and he still doesn't call me by name, just "hey" or "you". Nice.
On the good side, it is a M-T work week, and I have three days off after four ten-hour days. It makes me tired and short on time on the weekdays, but it's nice to have a regular schedule that my wife can work around.
On the downside, it is a contract position with no medical, and the pay is only slightly better than most. But by and far, the biggest obstacle is that it is not challenging. Oh well, it'll do for now until I get those blueprints for the bank.
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Ok, this is mostly for the one Apple geek that reads this. But there's been rumblings on the rumor mill about the iPhone nano, and the 6th gen iPod. There were some screenshots that were on a website, but Apple legal had them taken off which either means they're fishing for moles with intentional leaks, or they were on to something.
Here's what I'm hoping it'll be. I want a widescreen iPod with touch screen. That's all I want. But I think they're going to hold off on the widescreen. I think they might still have touchscreen, but who knows. To have an iPod with a touchscreen may be a bit goofy - it'll be hard to just skip a song without having to look at the screen. But they could very well do the opposite of iPhone, and just release an iPod with basic phone capabilities. But man, I'm really dying for a widescreen iPod. I don't even mind if it isn't touch screen. I just want a wide screen to watch my podcasts... August 7 is the rumored date for news. Just gotta be patient.
---
I've been a geek for the History Channel recently, watching a ton of their documentaries but I was cemented as a fan when they showed Band of Brothers over a weekend a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, I missed 3 episodes, but the first 5 have been exceptional. If you've forgotten or not cared, it's a 10 part mini-series that revolves around Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment during WWII. What makes the stories amazing is that it's mostly based on real people, and the History Channel was true enough to leave the documentary uncensored. I think that's outstanding considering how touchy the networks can get.
But if you've got a chance, rent that mini-series. Every episode has so far been stellar, and each stands well on its own.
Just thought about a few loose ends...
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So we went to the Bite on Friday, and now that Alex is potty trained, we have to constantly make him go to the bathroom because he either doesn't think about it until it's too late, or he ignores the warnings. Anyhow, I had to take Alex and Zoe each to the bathroom at least once that day, and the results are mention worthy...
When I took Alex, he went first, and then I went after him, and he said something that I always wanted to hear, except in my mind it wouldn't be my little son saying that. More like a hot blind girl with no nerve endings on any of her appendages. But he said, "You got a big peanut, Dad." And I just laughed. Then he reached over to touch the toilet bowl and I said, "Don't touch that," and then realized how terrible it sounded to everyone else in the bathroom.
Then when Zoe went, she asked what I was doing, and after I told her, she exclaimed, "You got a peanut like Alex, huh? I don't have a peanut."
And by the way, we do use the actual word for that body part - they just hear it differently.
---
We ditched a sleeping Zoe yesterday and took Alex to see "Transformers", which was actually better than expected. I've heard that reaction with other people, and I have to agree that it's pretty much true. It's better than most Michael Bay movies, which always include a thing or two that doesn't seem quite right. Like how Pearl Harbor had that really cool, yet inappropriate tracking shot of a bomb going into a ship. And his romance scenes are always icky, like Ben Affleck and Liv Tyler playing out some deranged infantile safari with animal cookies. Or the body tossing chase scene in Bad Boys 2. Just not quite right.
The thing I liked about this movie was how diverse the cast was. The top hacker was a black kid, the girl was a grease monkey, and both their stories didn't seem forced. The plot moved the story right along, and the supporting cast and even Shia was actually not bad. The graphics of course, were fantastic. Completely seamless CG.
The things I didn't like with the movie was when the Autobots talked, it seemed weird. They were also too human to be alien. During a comedy bit, they were even going out of their way to hide from Sam's parents - quite silly if you've seen the rest of the movie. And the whole alien technology being able to make metals and machinery expand and contract to transform seem... suspect. And I'm being nitpicky here, but why would these robots fire traditional ammo? Like rockets and bullets? Wouldn't they be better off with lasers? Ammo has to be reloaded and rearmed, and it's not like there's a ammo dump for alien robots that's accessible to them. Maybe, but I don't think so. That said, I do prefer real world ammo. Lasers would just seem cheesy. But just the logic of it doesn't stick.
---
Well, finishing up the blog from home since a few paragraphs ago.
I think one of my issues about work is how overeducated I feel at the place. I mean, I'm not implying snobbery by any means, but thinking that I spent all that money for tuition to work here? Makes me feel a bit peeved. And I think one of the biggest problems with being educated is that now I feel unchallenged. Nothing at work takes more than simple mechanical memory to complete. I'm currently working under someone and he still doesn't call me by name, just "hey" or "you". Nice.
On the good side, it is a M-T work week, and I have three days off after four ten-hour days. It makes me tired and short on time on the weekdays, but it's nice to have a regular schedule that my wife can work around.
On the downside, it is a contract position with no medical, and the pay is only slightly better than most. But by and far, the biggest obstacle is that it is not challenging. Oh well, it'll do for now until I get those blueprints for the bank.
---
Ok, this is mostly for the one Apple geek that reads this. But there's been rumblings on the rumor mill about the iPhone nano, and the 6th gen iPod. There were some screenshots that were on a website, but Apple legal had them taken off which either means they're fishing for moles with intentional leaks, or they were on to something.
Here's what I'm hoping it'll be. I want a widescreen iPod with touch screen. That's all I want. But I think they're going to hold off on the widescreen. I think they might still have touchscreen, but who knows. To have an iPod with a touchscreen may be a bit goofy - it'll be hard to just skip a song without having to look at the screen. But they could very well do the opposite of iPhone, and just release an iPod with basic phone capabilities. But man, I'm really dying for a widescreen iPod. I don't even mind if it isn't touch screen. I just want a wide screen to watch my podcasts... August 7 is the rumored date for news. Just gotta be patient.
---
I've been a geek for the History Channel recently, watching a ton of their documentaries but I was cemented as a fan when they showed Band of Brothers over a weekend a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately, I missed 3 episodes, but the first 5 have been exceptional. If you've forgotten or not cared, it's a 10 part mini-series that revolves around Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment during WWII. What makes the stories amazing is that it's mostly based on real people, and the History Channel was true enough to leave the documentary uncensored. I think that's outstanding considering how touchy the networks can get.
But if you've got a chance, rent that mini-series. Every episode has so far been stellar, and each stands well on its own.
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