I thought a follow-up apology post to my computer was in order. You see, it turns out that it was not the computer with the sick sense of humor - but I do have the feeling that that humming noise coming from it was not the fan but rather a deep chuckle.
No, after further review, I discovered it was a not a hardware issue I was facing.
No, no - it was not a software issue either.
It was, in fact, a loose nut behind the wheel.
After weeks of pondering and troubleshooting and purchasing new hardware and all that jazz, a quick repair of the disk permissions solved all my problems.
And yes, Best Buy took back the external burner with little fuss.
All is right again with the world.
Now if I could only get my new Terabyte drive to finish making the copy of the hard drive so I can install Leopard on it.
Anyways, I knew you would all want to know.
2008-09-20
2008-09-19
Bridge School Lineup Announced!
After all the weeks of wondering, the Bridge School Benefit lineup was announced today. Check it out, mang.
Saturday Night
--------------
Neil Young
Pegi Young
ZZ Top
Norah Jones
Jack Johnson
Death Cab For Cutie
Wilco
Cat Power
Sunday Night
------------
Neil Young
Pegi Young
Smashing Pumpkins
Norah Jones
Jack Johnson
Death Cab For Cutie
Wilco
Cat Power
Josh Groban
My immediate thoughts are that there a few surprises in there but they are very solid lineups. Sunday looks very cool to me because the Pumpkins were one of my secret hopes for the show and Josh Groban is a major shocker to me but could be very cool.
Saturday Night
--------------
Neil Young
Pegi Young
ZZ Top
Norah Jones
Jack Johnson
Death Cab For Cutie
Wilco
Cat Power
Sunday Night
------------
Neil Young
Pegi Young
Smashing Pumpkins
Norah Jones
Jack Johnson
Death Cab For Cutie
Wilco
Cat Power
Josh Groban
My immediate thoughts are that there a few surprises in there but they are very solid lineups. Sunday looks very cool to me because the Pumpkins were one of my secret hopes for the show and Josh Groban is a major shocker to me but could be very cool.
2008-09-18
Blue's Reviews: Bad Monkeys
I finished reading "Bad Monkeys" by Matt Ruff a couple weeks ago but just never got around to reviewing it. This seems as good of a time as any to do so.
I dug the hell out of this book.
The author shows a lot of wit and clever humor throughout it. Fans of the Chuck Pahlanuk books like "Fight Club" or "Choke" would probably really enjoy this. And as I told a friend to his annoyance, "It's an easy read so you'd probably like it." Ehhh... I'm a dick. What can I say?
Back on target, I find that three things tend to make me buy a book.
1] Word of mouth
This is the most important one. If someone I trust gives me a suggestion, I often pick it up to see if they were on target. Of course, just as often, I totally ignore suggestions because I'm a dick [see above.]
2] The cover
So, I'm a sucker when it comes to an interesting cover. It's the first thing likely to grab someone's attention and I think authors/publishers who have a boring cover are likely missing a large potential audience.
3] The plot synopsis
A couple paragraphs to sell your book to me are absolutely key. I hate reading pages to "see if I'll like it" so if that back jacket doesn't convince me, you've likely lost me.
"Bad Monkeys" was a random pick-up, no one suggested it to me. But the cover...
...definitely got my attention.
If that wasn't enough, the back jacket reads:
How can you not buy that?
Some books you read and instantly become obsessed with the idea of them as a movie - this one will do it. Ever since I finished it, the aspiring screenwriter in me has envisioned different ways to do it on the silver screen. I think it'd take some tinkering but it'd be a hell of a flick to see.
Also, it has the kind of twist at the end that would make M. Night cry himself to sleep wondering what happened to his talent.
It's dark humor mixed with very cool action and a twist of the supernatural in a killer combination that works itself out in awesome fashion.
Did I mention it's an easy read?
Read it, suckas. You'll be glad you did.
I dug the hell out of this book.
The author shows a lot of wit and clever humor throughout it. Fans of the Chuck Pahlanuk books like "Fight Club" or "Choke" would probably really enjoy this. And as I told a friend to his annoyance, "It's an easy read so you'd probably like it." Ehhh... I'm a dick. What can I say?
Back on target, I find that three things tend to make me buy a book.
1] Word of mouth
This is the most important one. If someone I trust gives me a suggestion, I often pick it up to see if they were on target. Of course, just as often, I totally ignore suggestions because I'm a dick [see above.]
2] The cover
So, I'm a sucker when it comes to an interesting cover. It's the first thing likely to grab someone's attention and I think authors/publishers who have a boring cover are likely missing a large potential audience.
3] The plot synopsis
A couple paragraphs to sell your book to me are absolutely key. I hate reading pages to "see if I'll like it" so if that back jacket doesn't convince me, you've likely lost me.
"Bad Monkeys" was a random pick-up, no one suggested it to me. But the cover...
...definitely got my attention.
If that wasn't enough, the back jacket reads:
Jane Charlotte has been arrested for murder.
She says she's a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil. She says she's working with the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons aka "Bad Monkeys."
Her confession lands her in the jail's psychiatric wing and earns her countless hours of poking, probing, and questioning by a professional. But is Jane crazy or lying?
Or is she playing a whole different game altogether?
How can you not buy that?
Some books you read and instantly become obsessed with the idea of them as a movie - this one will do it. Ever since I finished it, the aspiring screenwriter in me has envisioned different ways to do it on the silver screen. I think it'd take some tinkering but it'd be a hell of a flick to see.
Also, it has the kind of twist at the end that would make M. Night cry himself to sleep wondering what happened to his talent.
It's dark humor mixed with very cool action and a twist of the supernatural in a killer combination that works itself out in awesome fashion.
Did I mention it's an easy read?
Read it, suckas. You'll be glad you did.
2008-09-17
The Worst Drink Ever
Just a quick post tonight as I just got home and need to get some sleep.
In the lifetime battle to determine the absolute worst alcoholic drink I've ever imbibed, we have a new champion. Tonight, the Missus and I ventured into Hollywood to celebrate her birthday and went to Koji's, a sushi/shabu shabu joint in the Hollywood & Highland shopping area thing. The sushi was good, the shabu shabu was good, the first drink I had was great.
I should have stopped there but instead, I decided to be a little adventurous.
And thus, a new champion is crowned.
The Delta Tau Delta "jungle juice" made out of a vodka with the brand name "La Cadena"? No longer on the radar.
The orange and cream martini I had in San Diego a few years ago that I so colorfully labeled as the Spoogetini because instead of having the splash of cream it advertised, it appeared someone had taken the glass back in the kitchen and... well, you get the point. That drink? Not even close.
Not even the vile concoction that the bartender at Dave & Buster's gave me when I asked for the strongest shot he knew at two minutes before the end of Happy Hour - a hellbeast of a drink known as the Four Horsemen that consisted of one part Jack Daniels, one part Jim Beam, one part Johnny Walker, and one part Jose Cuervo - not even that one registers anymore.
A new champion was crowned tonight in the form of the Sake Martini.
It sounded simple enough.
Vodka + Sake + something called Muddled Cucumber.
I was unsure of it but the Missus assured me that no matter how bad it was, I was sure to be able to drink it.
My brain, feeling 19, agreed. My stomach and liver feeling 31 begged to differ.
First off, it was strong - damn strong. But that's okay. I like my drinks strong usually.
But it was the taste that did me in. The cucumber thing made it bad. But the overabundance of vodka did me in. I couldn't even taste the sake which, in my mind, would have sweetened it up enough to make it drinkable. Instead, it simply tasted like someone had thrown some cucumber into a glass of straight vodka. I just couldn't do it.
I'm not much of a straight hard liquor kind of guy. I like my Jack and Cokes. I like my Screwdrivers. I like my... well, you get the idea. I'm not the guy who orders shots of straight booze typically.
I realize that this statement either a] makes me look really old or b] makes me look like a giant sissy and honestly, I think I'm okay with that assessment.
Hey, if you'd tried to drink that vile shit, you'd be okay with it too. Fuckers.
In the lifetime battle to determine the absolute worst alcoholic drink I've ever imbibed, we have a new champion. Tonight, the Missus and I ventured into Hollywood to celebrate her birthday and went to Koji's, a sushi/shabu shabu joint in the Hollywood & Highland shopping area thing. The sushi was good, the shabu shabu was good, the first drink I had was great.
I should have stopped there but instead, I decided to be a little adventurous.
And thus, a new champion is crowned.
The Delta Tau Delta "jungle juice" made out of a vodka with the brand name "La Cadena"? No longer on the radar.
The orange and cream martini I had in San Diego a few years ago that I so colorfully labeled as the Spoogetini because instead of having the splash of cream it advertised, it appeared someone had taken the glass back in the kitchen and... well, you get the point. That drink? Not even close.
Not even the vile concoction that the bartender at Dave & Buster's gave me when I asked for the strongest shot he knew at two minutes before the end of Happy Hour - a hellbeast of a drink known as the Four Horsemen that consisted of one part Jack Daniels, one part Jim Beam, one part Johnny Walker, and one part Jose Cuervo - not even that one registers anymore.
A new champion was crowned tonight in the form of the Sake Martini.
It sounded simple enough.
Vodka + Sake + something called Muddled Cucumber.
I was unsure of it but the Missus assured me that no matter how bad it was, I was sure to be able to drink it.
My brain, feeling 19, agreed. My stomach and liver feeling 31 begged to differ.
First off, it was strong - damn strong. But that's okay. I like my drinks strong usually.
But it was the taste that did me in. The cucumber thing made it bad. But the overabundance of vodka did me in. I couldn't even taste the sake which, in my mind, would have sweetened it up enough to make it drinkable. Instead, it simply tasted like someone had thrown some cucumber into a glass of straight vodka. I just couldn't do it.
I'm not much of a straight hard liquor kind of guy. I like my Jack and Cokes. I like my Screwdrivers. I like my... well, you get the idea. I'm not the guy who orders shots of straight booze typically.
I realize that this statement either a] makes me look really old or b] makes me look like a giant sissy and honestly, I think I'm okay with that assessment.
Hey, if you'd tried to drink that vile shit, you'd be okay with it too. Fuckers.
2008-09-16
Dance, Johnny, Dance!
This one is fun too:
This one is too but ignore the guy who does comments in-between the clips. He's a little irritating:
And of course, the one everyone is talking about:
2008-09-15
FWD: lawl!! this is great!!!
How many e-mails forwards do you get a week?
Uh huh.
Now how many of those do you actually read?
That's what I thought.
I open all forwards with the thought, "Why the fuck do you send this shit to me?" So, imagine my surprise when I got a forward this week from a good friend who had some very important points to make. I hardly ever pass along forwards but this one deserved to have a larger audience.
Without further adieu...
From: info@barackobama.com
Subject: Forward this email
Date: September 13, 2008 6:12:13 PM PDT
To: My Boy Blue
Blue --
You'd be surprised how many people you know aren't registered to vote.
Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election.
Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website.
Just forward this message.
VoteforChange.com makes it easier than ever to register. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote. You can also:
Confirm your existing registration
Apply to vote absentee
Find your polling place
If you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now.
This race is too close and too important to stay home on Election Day.
If you take the time to register and vote -- and make sure everyone you know is registered as well -- we'll be able to turn the tide of the past eight years.
It's people just like you who will transform this nation.
Thanks,
Barack
Uh huh.
Now how many of those do you actually read?
That's what I thought.
I open all forwards with the thought, "Why the fuck do you send this shit to me?" So, imagine my surprise when I got a forward this week from a good friend who had some very important points to make. I hardly ever pass along forwards but this one deserved to have a larger audience.
Without further adieu...
From: info@barackobama.com
Subject: Forward this email
Date: September 13, 2008 6:12:13 PM PDT
To: My Boy Blue
Blue --
You'd be surprised how many people you know aren't registered to vote.
Registration deadlines are coming up soon, and we need every single vote we can get to win this election.
Tell your friends, family, and neighbors to check out our new one-stop voter registration website.
Just forward this message.
VoteforChange.com makes it easier than ever to register. Instead of tracking down the right forms, all you need to do is answer a few basic questions and you'll be ready to vote. You can also:
Confirm your existing registration
Apply to vote absentee
Find your polling place
If you don't know your own registration status or you'd like to learn more, take a minute to visit the site right now.
This race is too close and too important to stay home on Election Day.
If you take the time to register and vote -- and make sure everyone you know is registered as well -- we'll be able to turn the tide of the past eight years.
It's people just like you who will transform this nation.
Thanks,
Barack
2008-09-14
Blue's Reviews: Tropic Thunder
So, the Missus and I decided to try and start catching up on some movies we've missed over the past couple months. Oddly, it seems like we've seen most of the dramas/actioners but our comedy fill wasn't quite met. Pineapple Express, Hamlet 2, and Burn After Reading remain on the list but last night, we crossed Tropic Thunder off the list.
Now, I hate movie reviews for the most part. Same thing for music reviews. Most of the time they're just filled with uber-pretentious shit that anyone who actually goes to a movie for fun could give a flying fuck about so instead, I'm going to make an effort to keep it real, yo.
Tropic Thunder is a story of two movies - one that at times could be as boring as watching shit harden in the desert sun (never done it to tell the truth but I bet it's dull!) and the one that at times was just absolutely brilliant. It's rare to see such a duality in a movie actually. Usually, it's just really good, really shitty, or really blah. This one manages to pull off really good and really shitty AND really blah all in two hours.
The acting was hit and miss with some really funny stuff and then just some really kinda there stuff. The Robert Downey Jr. as a black guy routine got kinda old pretty quickly. Oddly, I never got tired of the Simple Jack voice. It's the little things, you know? Jack Black was awesome in it as his usual overacting self. Nick Nolte was entertaining. Shockingly, it was Tom Cruise who stole the show - of course, if you stayed for the end credits, that too got old quickly at that point.
I realize it sounds like I didn't like this movie but I actually kinda did. I just thought it was poorly paced and was probably a bit too long for what it was. On the other hand, I think it's absolutely amazing as a "rehab" flick for some careers that were spiraling down the shitter. As mentioned before, Tom Cruise was awesome and it made me appreciate Tom Cruise again. Nick Nolte was fun in it and almost made me forget The Hulk. Matthew McConaughey even got in on the fun with the most entertaining I've seen him in a long, long while too. Plus, Jack Black got to wash the stink of the Tenacious D movie off himself. So many actors went into this movie soiled and came out much better than they were.
Would I go see it again? Nah, probably not. I'll probably watch it when it makes the movie channel rounds though. Would I buy it? Again, probably not, but I've been known to change my mind on such things after repeat viewings.
All in all, it was a fun way to spend two hours but I don't think it'd crack the upper echelon of my favorite movies I've seen this year.
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