some movie redemption

Let the Right One In

Had heard about this one a while ago but never got the chance to see it. But glad I did - quite good.

Kind of a sweet love story. But certainly kept my attention. I liked the Swedish setting.

Apparently Hollywood will attempt a remake. I do not see why they feel the need to do this; aside for money. I doubt the remake would be as good.

punishment of self in movie form

After a very long, exhausting week, and some misadventures in an attempt at camping on Saturday, we ended up back home at 11pm, tired, dirty, smoky, and in need of a drink & a laugh.

So, decided to try out our netflix on-demand & see some comedies.

I should have known better with these titles, but part of me was holding out that these were un-noticed gems. I was wrong.

1. Almost heroes

Chris Farley & Matthew Perry star. Christopher (Spinal Tap & Best in Show) Guest directs. Sounds like it should be awesome on paper. Something seems to have gone awry. Each scene seemed to be a setup for some little gag, and sure enough, some super cliched and obvious joke comes in. And that's it, onto next scene. I gave it a full 10 minutes and then decided to move on.

2. Bob the Butler

Tom Green. Post 90's Tom Green. Again, I was hoping for something brilliant/inspired to happen...but after 20 minutes, I just saw Tom Green being awkward, Brooke Shields being a corporate bigwig that was really busy for some reason, and then some kids that were brats around other babysitters but yet got along with the misunderstood non-conformist laid-back Tom Green. Again, waited for something inspired (Freddie got Fingered style) to happen, but instead a lot of tired sight "gags".

We weren't laughing, so we went to bed.

Maybe will have better luck with something else.

hiking today

 

Went up to the first lookout point on Rattlesnake Ridge outside of Seattle. It was good. Went up with a group of people and had good converstaions all the way up and down. Dim Sum for lunch.

Going to see "The Hangover" later. Solid weekend so far.

random note - geeky again

Started watching "Death Note" on Hulu. The series seems okay, aside for that it (hulu) is a little taxing on the Atom-powered box that I have hooked up to my TV. I should really try getting my older motherboard & graphics card hooked up in a working case again...just have been bad at justifying a reason to go to spend money on new equipment that I don't really need and don't really have room for.

Should do an update - so here goes...

Haven't updated blog in a while. So feel like I should. Now I'm getting re-acquainted with it, like a friend you haven't seen in a while.

I've been a little better about doing a Twitter post every day or so, but lately have been slacking on that too.

The thought process behind doing a 160 character tweet vs a potentially unlimited blog post is certainly different, and I guess I feel like it's time to balance out the super-brief posts I had been doing with something that offers, well...at least 300 characters. :)

Some thoughts:

1. Getting sick - not sure how this happens, but it's crazy how one day you can be feeling pretty good and the next day suddenly run down. I think the wife was stealthily contagious.

2. Apple Keynote today - I admit, I was quite interested with news concerning the latest iPhone (and potential significant firmware upgrade for people with the 3g). Contrasting it with the flurry of attention around the Palm Pre has made for some interesting podcasts to listen to. My take: Palm Pre may have the more compelling OS & software but it needs to quickly gain a lot of adoption by customers and developers in order to remain viable. I really hope it works out for them, but I'm currently only 4 months into a new 2-year contract; I'm not about to go anywhere from that. Apple has shown that they've been really good at pushing new functionality onto their iphone platform and keeping upgrades steady. I figure that they're a safer bet. The iphone will also be getting a version of PlecoDict at some point, which is still my personal "must have" app. Hopefully I'll be in a position sometime in the next year or so where I will need to use Chinese more often during work or travel.

(Also, after living in China and dealing with the convenience and freedom of using GSM phones, the prospect of becoming really locked down to a CDMA provider with gimped phones like Sprint & Verizon offer seems very unappealing...yeah, I know that the iPhone is locked down too but it's still trivial to unlock should you wish to travel with it and not be tied to "the man").

3. Conan O'Brian making fun of Twitter - I'm a fan of (but not obsessed with) Twitter. I found the recurring jokes last week at the expense of Twitter to be very funny. A good contrast to its treatment in mainstream media otherwise, which tends to be fluffy, fawning, or dismissive by people who don't quite get it.

4. Hiking - when the weather is nice in Seattle, there's really no acceptable excuse to be inside. There are so many trails & hikes to do around here (for very cheap), it's a shame to not see them. So Marsha and I are finally getting started with that.

5. Long days - one benefit of living in a very northern location is that the summer days last a long time. Still having twilight at 10pm is just fine by me.

geeky note - star trek & other things

Haven't posted about something fairly geeky for a while, so here goes:

1. Star Trek (the new movie) - saw it, liked it. Pretty well done, respectful to the original yet making it fun & approachable for people new to the series. No big complaints about it at all...good start for a summer movie season (and it seems like there's a few more movies worth seeing later on...Terminator & "Year One" are looking potentially quite sweet).

I like the fact that in the film, Iowa is a center of interstellar ship construction. Why not?

2. What is up with people applauding in a movie theater when they see scenes that they like? (Get off my lawn, you damn kids!)

I just don't get this.

Not to say I begrudge these other people the right to enjoy their film - just wondering what effect applause is intended to have when in a theater at a 3:30 matinee showing and no bigwigs or actors are there and only a smattering of die-hard fans are in attendance.

It's not the Rocky Horror picture show; it's not an interactive experience. It's not like when there's a comedy & something funny happens and people laugh.

It's like they have to let people know they are happy someone famous is on screen? It escapes me.

I'm glad that they're happy Leonard Nimoy makes an appearance, but if their applause is drowning out dialogue...lame - their behavior is encroaching on my enjoyment of the movie.

So yeah, again - get off my lawn, you damn kids*!

(*ignoring the fact that many of the fanboys attending ranged in age from 18 - Fiftysomething)


3. Wii games

Just saying, it's somehow much more fun playing a video soccer game when your whole team is made up of big-head versions of your friends and random characters/celebrities.

 

saw the 2008 movie Appaloosa

Interesting movie.

At first felt as if it was a cliched western; but it took a turn off in another direction altogether.

Pretty good. Feels pretty timeless; it's not a re-invention of the western; just a well-done story - clearly with love for the genre.

I appreciate the attention to historical detail; didn't seem like they glossed over too much.

Felt like it was almost going to be epic, but felt almost more like a character study.

Not a bad film; Ed Harris, Vigo Mortensen (sp?), Jeremy Irons, and Renee Zweliger (sp?) are all pretty solid too.

getting adjusted

So, have been back in the US for just over a week now; after a 10-day trip to China.

I guess the re-adjustment period coming back this time was not too difficult; culturally or in terms of jet-lag.

Starting a new job probably added some extra complication & motivation.

I'm not used to getting up at 6:15 am every day (not to whine, just sayin').

But that + jet lag + all day training sessions where I'm doing a lot of listening & not so much talking/doing is a little strange.

Culturally, the new company is a little different than where I worked before (not a surprise or anything). While there still are people in the office who enjoy video games, just seems like that's not as common a topic for discussion as before. Also, I get to wear "real" work clothes. Real business casual. Not so much of the sandals+shorts+t-shirts that were quite tolerated before. Will take a little getting used to but not that big of a deal.

The "novelty" of ironing my pants & shirts has worn off though.

New office is pretty close to the place we're renting. Depending on how favorable the crosswalks are, I can walk there in 15-20 minutes.

Being in China was really good...good to see & feel the energy there and meet & talk with so many ambitious people. Heartening to see that things are being done.

Back home, it seems like people are tired (fatigued, even) & constantly running in damage control mode. I suppose that's necessary, given the hemorrhaging of the US financial system & the nasty complications that have ensued. I hope that, despite everything, people over here do not lose sight of their ambitions, goals, and plans to grow and thrive.

To put it bluntly, although the situation is kind of a kick to the _____ (nuts, face, stomach, pick one), we as a nation need to dust off, pick our selves up, and keep moving onward & upward. If we choose to sit idly and whine on by, then we will fade - there's lots of people out in the world who are keeping up with the keeping on, and it is not our time to rest yet.

Meh.

BTW - this swine flu coverage is annoying. If you're sick, stay home. If you're fine; go out & live. Wash your hands often. End of story.

reflecting on trip

In Seoul-Incheon airport at present, where my laptop is running on fumes (but at least I am taking advantage of the free wi-fi while it lasts.

Visiting China was real good - really good to be back and see all my friends there (who all seem to be thriving; and that was very inspiring to see). Practicing Chinese was good too.

If I find a power outlet somewhere maybe I'll upload some pictures...but I'm not counting.

Need to get mentally prepared to just sleep & sleep during next leg of travel so that I'm not a total zombie after I land stateside.

a few days into it

Beijing is different than I remember it. No surprises in that, really,
as it changes a lot.

I had lived there for a year in 2000-2001, and then again from
2002-2003, and visited once in 2005 and again in 2006.

But still - some striking things:

1. The city is filling out. Last time I was there, it did not seem as
there were many high-rise buildings beyond the fourth ring road. Now,
however, there are solid high rises well past the fifth ring road. The
feeling out there (in terms of density & quality of construction) is
similar to what the areas in between the 3rd & 4th ring roads was like
back in my student days. Compared to life in the US, it's mind-blowing
how fast the city can grow and change here.

2. Seems like there's a better English-level among the populace. Could
also be reflective of the company I was keeping and the places I went
to hang out...certainly, at some restaurants I would have been SOL if
I didn't speak Chinese.

3. People are more stylishly dressed than ever. Lots of teenagers
carefully dressed up. Still some country bumpkin looks among people in
the outskirts, but as one heads more centrally into the city it
appears that people are more sophisticated. Again, I guess this should
be expected as Beijing matures & grows as an international hub; on the
other hand it seems like this is one of those things that may not
strike you as you live in the city on a day to day basis.

4. Lots of cool places to hang out. One's options for night life seem
pretty diverse. Unfortunately, my jet lag seems to be kicking in with
a vengance around 23:00 or 23:30 most of the time now, and I'm not
staying out super late. (The first night, however, I was out well
until after 2 am - had a blast)...

5. Have not heard too much Kenny G being played at various stores &
public spaces - though we were passing by an elementary school and his
distinctive sax playing was heard through a loud speaker for the
children as they completed their afternoon exercises...

Anyway, I should get some brunch or something soon. Will be heading
down south to Shenzhen later today.

- Dan

good to be back

After a 12 hour flight to Seoul, and a 2 hour flight to Beijing, I
landed, was picked up by friends and immediately went out to eat some
Xinjiang food (Chinese muslim food).

Good to see friends, drink some local beer, and eat lamb on a stick.
In a part of Beijing's eastern sprawl - everything looked new at
night, but reviewing stuff in the morning will be good too.

Will probably visit the area in town around the forbidden city today,
and maybe visit some friends.

Jet lag had me up at ~5:15 local time, which I guess is okay. We'll
see if I can stay up past midnight today.

moonwalker

So yeah, one evening while the wife was watching Korean TV dramas online (mysoju.com is excellent for this), I was left to my own devices.

With my laptop (on my lap) I decided to play a couple games. I had MAME installed and fired it up. Nothing was holding my attention, but Michael Jackson's Moonwalker totally did.

Apparently the game came out in 1990, and 19 years later (wow, I feel old), it is still a weird game.

The reasons for this be three (plus one):

1. You play as Michael Jackson, and fight against ninja and robot enemies by shooting some kind of magic fire from your hands.

2. You run around levels rescuing tied up little children.

3. Your special "clear all bad guys" attack is the "moonwalk" button, and so you start dancing and all the bad guys start dancing too then blow up.

4. If you find michael's pet monkey, 'bubbles', and touch him, then you turn into a Michael Jackson terminator robot and your arms turn into guns for maximum long-range blastination of your enemies.

I got tired of it around half-way through level 3. I guess some of the intrigue is gone when you just need to hit the "5" key instead of pumping quarters into a machine.

Worth a look if you are some reason:

1. missing 1990
2. missing Michael Jackson
3. missing turning into a robo-killing machine after touching a monkey

on software lock-in

I dislike growing to be dependent on something (software-wise).

Splash ID is one program that I have grown to appreciate and keep using, and "need to have it" on whatever PC/Mac/mobile phone that I use.

Scriviner might be the next one. It's OS X only, but I am seriously loving it. It's not really a word processor, but more of a way to organize & compose outlines & notes & drafts. I do not want to go back to using just word or open office or whatever - this works better for me.

(I  had been on the fence about what to replace my aging but still functional iBook G4 with...but this is kind of making me lean "another mac" for now).

Clearchannel modern rock

So, seriously, apparently 1991 -era pearl jam, nirvana, alice in
chains, Soundgarden, and Bush are still so vital that their music
needs to be in hourly rotation 18 years later?

I appreciate the contributions by those respective bands (whom, except
Bush, were influential to me when I was in junior high), but come
on...they should get migrated over to the classic rock station and the
"modern" rock station should get a refresh.

And yet the suits behind the RIAA can't fathom why people are
rejecting their old, tired business model?

Count it Off!

The Saturday Knights - "Count It Off" from Lincoln Leopard Films on Vimeo.

I was thrilled to see this video from one of my favorite Seattle bands, The Saturday Knights.

Very well done video. I really hope these guys make it big nationwide. Fun music, and they are musically solid. The whole album is good.

Their other big hit was "45". It got a lot of college radio airplay last summer/fall; I'm glad that they are still working it.

New prince record

The cover of "crimson and clover" is pretty sweet.

Nothing else super special. I'm usually pretty forgiving to prince's
90's and later musical efforts. But I want my 11.98 back.

Guilty pleasure

From the circa 1998 chef aid album: "nowhere to run". Featuring DMX,
Ozzy Ozbourne, and Ol Dirty Bastard (while he was in his "Big Baby
Jesus" phase).

This should have been a throw away track, but it is still super
enjoyable & fresh sounding to me.

the curious case of benjamin button???

Had heard that this movie sucked.

I was pleasantly surprised. Although, perhaps a little slow, I thought it was pretty interesting. Well done.

Juxtaposition of age opposite of one's life experiences provided interesting contrast to exploration of the human condition.

Will probably think about this movie for a while afterward.

Chinese Feast!

 

So I felt like cooking today...2 hours later, here's my results. From the top of the picture down (for any of you reading this on Facebook, I'm not sure if the picture will syndicate properly), the dishes are: Ma po dofu, Indonesian Fried Noodles, Gan bian si ji dou, and Gong Bao Ji Ding. (Forgive the bastardized names, that's what I know them as and I don't want to look up whatever the prevalent translation is over here).

Lots of left-overs...I can take a break from cooking for a couple days!

The Ma po dofu was a little disappointing in that I accidentally added some Lee Kum Kee branded spicy garlic sauce (the characters on the jar were 鱼香酱 - fish flavor sauce - usually very tasty in China when done properly but this crap was NASTY). The aftertaste is still lingering unpleasantly in my mouth.

The Gong bao ji ding (Kung Pao Chicken) turned out pretty okay. I used the recipe from the book "Land of Plenty". It turned out to be fairly tasty, although not quite the same as I remember the dish to be when prepared in the best kind of dive restaurants in Beijing.

Anyway, the wife was very happy to come home and see most of this stuff ready.

plans aren't firm yet, but....

Probably will do a little bit of international traveling in the relatively near-ish future.

The amount of time I'll spend on it is a little up in the air at this point, but it seems very likely that I'm at least going somewhere.

Woot.

Good to have something to look forward to.

We'll see how this goes.

While I do appreciate having time to myself, adequate time to go to the gym, myriad chances to cook, and many opportunities to prove to my cats that I'm a worthy host, the prospect of getting away from all that sounds pretty sweet.