Keurig is evil. They prey upon people's laziness to foist bad, over priced coffee on us. To make it even worse, their k-cups pile up in landfills where what ever comes after humanity will find them and be amazed at how primitive and backwards we were.
It is easy to make good single cups of coffee cheaply and without so much waste. Use a French press or a single cup filter. It tastes better and is better for the planet. As an added bonus, you will be forced to sit back and relax for a few minutes while your coffee brews.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Friday, September 16, 2011
Tangled
Tangled is not a movie I'm proud to say I've watched, particularly when I didn't watch it with a child. H and I watched it on Netflix when there was nothing else on the tube.
I expected Tangled to be pretty mediocre and was modestly surprised. It definitely isn't a classic, but it is more fun than it could have been.
The plot is pretty much what one would expect. The characters are all standard fare. The heroine is plucky and resourceful. The hero is a rouge with a heart of gold. Together they fall in love, defeat the forces aligned against them, and live happily ever after. There is betrayal, sacrifice, and help from a rouge's gallery of misfits. Oh there is plenty of singing.
The beautiful animation is one of the Tangled strengths. While the story is cookie cutter, it is a good story and it is well assembled. Everyone does a good job. Mandy Moore's singing is excellent. Zac Levy's rouge is dashing when needed and believable when he gets soft. The jokes are well done and well timed.
So, Tangled won't win any awards, nor will it become a classic. That said, it is a decent way to kill an hour and a half.
I expected Tangled to be pretty mediocre and was modestly surprised. It definitely isn't a classic, but it is more fun than it could have been.
The plot is pretty much what one would expect. The characters are all standard fare. The heroine is plucky and resourceful. The hero is a rouge with a heart of gold. Together they fall in love, defeat the forces aligned against them, and live happily ever after. There is betrayal, sacrifice, and help from a rouge's gallery of misfits. Oh there is plenty of singing.
The beautiful animation is one of the Tangled strengths. While the story is cookie cutter, it is a good story and it is well assembled. Everyone does a good job. Mandy Moore's singing is excellent. Zac Levy's rouge is dashing when needed and believable when he gets soft. The jokes are well done and well timed.
So, Tangled won't win any awards, nor will it become a classic. That said, it is a decent way to kill an hour and a half.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Gearing Up
I love my Tricross single speed. Not worrying about shifting and the silence of the drive train are magical. The only trouble with a single speed is that you need to be in good enough shape to complete your ride in the bike's gear. It was becoming obvious to me that I was not in good enough shape to complete my commute to and from work in the bike's gear. It was also obvious that I was not going to be able to get into good enough shape if I kept trying to do it on the single speed.
I needed gears.
I have an old geared bike, but I just don't like riding it. The drive train is twitchy and the aluminum frame rattles my bones over the smallest bumps. I could have done some upgrading by putting better components into the drive train and getting a carbon fork, but that seemed like a lot of money to put into a cheap bike.
So I decided to buy a new bike. I knew what I wanted: my single speed with gears. I considered putting an internally geared hub on the single speed, but there are no shifter choices for drop bars. I wasn't really prepared to spend the money needed to switch to straight bars. Nor was I convinced that I wanted to ride on straight bars.
Then I saw that my local bike shop had a new Tricross Comp in stock. It is the same frame as my single speed, but with a Shimano 105 drive train. I figured I'd give it a test ride and see if it felt right. While I was there I also tried out a few other cross bikes, just to make sure.
Two of the other bikes that I tried had SRAM components, but I really didn't like the double tap shifting. Remembering that one tap did something and two taps did something else and a long tap did a third thing just wasn't working for me. The other bikes were also more traditional cross racing frames and felt twitchy.
The Tricross' shudders are easy to understand and smooth as butter to shift. The geometry is nice as well. It is a slightly relaxed cross racing geometry. It is a little longer and more stable which is what I was looking for in a commuting bike. The Triccross frame also is fender and rack ready. O e other nice feature of the Tricross is the triple from ring. The granny gears come in handy on the big hill between the bike path and home after a long day at work.
After two weeks and 200 miles on the bike, I am very happy with the upgrade. It really is just like riding the single speed, but with gears. I thought that I would be bothered by needing to constantly think about the gears and the clicking of the cassette. Instead I find that I appreciate the gears because I can commute to work in a reasonable amount of time without nearly killing myself.
In fact, I hardly even think about the gears. I just tap the lever when I feel like I'm struggling. The click of the cassette is a pleasant chant reminding me that all is well. Good gears are great.
I needed gears.
I have an old geared bike, but I just don't like riding it. The drive train is twitchy and the aluminum frame rattles my bones over the smallest bumps. I could have done some upgrading by putting better components into the drive train and getting a carbon fork, but that seemed like a lot of money to put into a cheap bike.
So I decided to buy a new bike. I knew what I wanted: my single speed with gears. I considered putting an internally geared hub on the single speed, but there are no shifter choices for drop bars. I wasn't really prepared to spend the money needed to switch to straight bars. Nor was I convinced that I wanted to ride on straight bars.
Then I saw that my local bike shop had a new Tricross Comp in stock. It is the same frame as my single speed, but with a Shimano 105 drive train. I figured I'd give it a test ride and see if it felt right. While I was there I also tried out a few other cross bikes, just to make sure.
Two of the other bikes that I tried had SRAM components, but I really didn't like the double tap shifting. Remembering that one tap did something and two taps did something else and a long tap did a third thing just wasn't working for me. The other bikes were also more traditional cross racing frames and felt twitchy.
The Tricross' shudders are easy to understand and smooth as butter to shift. The geometry is nice as well. It is a slightly relaxed cross racing geometry. It is a little longer and more stable which is what I was looking for in a commuting bike. The Triccross frame also is fender and rack ready. O e other nice feature of the Tricross is the triple from ring. The granny gears come in handy on the big hill between the bike path and home after a long day at work.
After two weeks and 200 miles on the bike, I am very happy with the upgrade. It really is just like riding the single speed, but with gears. I thought that I would be bothered by needing to constantly think about the gears and the clicking of the cassette. Instead I find that I appreciate the gears because I can commute to work in a reasonable amount of time without nearly killing myself.
In fact, I hardly even think about the gears. I just tap the lever when I feel like I'm struggling. The click of the cassette is a pleasant chant reminding me that all is well. Good gears are great.
Chariot Courgar
H and I wanted a way to take Bug biking with us, so we needed a baby carrier for our bikes. We both liked the idea of a trailer better than a child seat. The trailer seems safer because it is lower to the ground and has a built in roll cage. Having a child carrier on the back of a bike (I cannot even imagine that the front mounted seats are safe) changes the balance of the bike and means the baby falls the same distance to the ground.
I did a bunch of research to see if my bias was wrong. The bike mounted carriers are generally cost less than the trailers. It turns out that there are a lot of conflicting opinions, but no hard facts. There is no statistical evidence that either the trailer or the bike mounted carrier is safer. Carrier people like having the child close to them so they interact with the child and feel that the risk of a trailer getting hit by a car is worth the danger of the child falling. Trailer people think the trailers are safer because they are less likely to flip and the child is better protected in any accident.
Since there was no hard evidence, we decided to go with a trailer. Then we had to find the right trailer. There are a wide range of trailers on the market and a correspondingly wide range of prices. We quickly ruled out the low end trailers. Some just looked cheap others didn't get good reviews. Bug's safety and comfort is worth going up a notch.
The two big names in trailers are Burley and Chariot. I looked at both and read a ton of reviews. The prices were comparable as were most of the features. From my reading, the Chariot trailers seemed to be a notch better. The Chariot's also had a few spiffy features the Burley did not: adjustable spring suspension, easy store trailer arm, and a ton of conversion kits.
We opted to get the mid-level Chariot, the Cougar. It was not cheap, but it seems worth it so far. It is well constructed. The cockpit is well ventilated and the integrated screen and rain cover is easy to use. The strap system is well padded and easy to use. One nice feature is that the back has a pocket so that the back of the child's helmet doesn't push against the back panel.
The trailer also has a ton of storage. There is a good sized trunk and a big mesh pocket on the back.
We've taken it out once, and it performed admirably. The hitch is a simple ball hitch that hooks up without any trouble. When in motion it rolls along smoothly. You can tell there is some weight behind you, but it is not too bad. Getting used to the wider turn radius was a little difficult.
Bug seemed to enjoy the ride. She chatted away one the way out and fell asleep on the way home.
The best part was that we had a stroller to push around in between bike riding stints. We had ridden into Lexington to do a bit of shopping, so having a stroller was key.
I did a bunch of research to see if my bias was wrong. The bike mounted carriers are generally cost less than the trailers. It turns out that there are a lot of conflicting opinions, but no hard facts. There is no statistical evidence that either the trailer or the bike mounted carrier is safer. Carrier people like having the child close to them so they interact with the child and feel that the risk of a trailer getting hit by a car is worth the danger of the child falling. Trailer people think the trailers are safer because they are less likely to flip and the child is better protected in any accident.
Since there was no hard evidence, we decided to go with a trailer. Then we had to find the right trailer. There are a wide range of trailers on the market and a correspondingly wide range of prices. We quickly ruled out the low end trailers. Some just looked cheap others didn't get good reviews. Bug's safety and comfort is worth going up a notch.
The two big names in trailers are Burley and Chariot. I looked at both and read a ton of reviews. The prices were comparable as were most of the features. From my reading, the Chariot trailers seemed to be a notch better. The Chariot's also had a few spiffy features the Burley did not: adjustable spring suspension, easy store trailer arm, and a ton of conversion kits.
We opted to get the mid-level Chariot, the Cougar. It was not cheap, but it seems worth it so far. It is well constructed. The cockpit is well ventilated and the integrated screen and rain cover is easy to use. The strap system is well padded and easy to use. One nice feature is that the back has a pocket so that the back of the child's helmet doesn't push against the back panel.
The trailer also has a ton of storage. There is a good sized trunk and a big mesh pocket on the back.
We've taken it out once, and it performed admirably. The hitch is a simple ball hitch that hooks up without any trouble. When in motion it rolls along smoothly. You can tell there is some weight behind you, but it is not too bad. Getting used to the wider turn radius was a little difficult.
Bug seemed to enjoy the ride. She chatted away one the way out and fell asleep on the way home.
The best part was that we had a stroller to push around in between bike riding stints. We had ridden into Lexington to do a bit of shopping, so having a stroller was key.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Kick Ass
I've had Kick Ass on my list of movies to see for ever. The opportunity finally popped up last weekend. H was too pooped to argue and it was on Netflix.
I was prepared to be disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty awesome. The characters, visuals, acting, and action were great. I liked the origins of the title character. I particularly liked Hit Girl.
The weakest part of the story was the love story. I found it unbelievable even for a movie about super heroes. I know every super hero needs a girl, but a little effort could have been made to make it work.
I was prepared to be disappointed, but was pleasantly surprised. It was pretty awesome. The characters, visuals, acting, and action were great. I liked the origins of the title character. I particularly liked Hit Girl.
The weakest part of the story was the love story. I found it unbelievable even for a movie about super heroes. I know every super hero needs a girl, but a little effort could have been made to make it work.
Baby Backpacking with Kelty
H's cousin gave us a used Kelty Journey when bug entered the scene. Until recently, we'd been using either a stroller or carrying bug in a Baby Borne when we'd go on walks. Then I pulled the Kelty out of the basement because the Baby Borne was wrecking my old, chair conditioned back.
The Journey looks like a serious back pack with the storage compartment converted into a chair. We didn't have instructions, so figuring the harness system out was a challenge. Once you figure the straps out it makes perfect sense and they keep the passenger snug, but comfortable.
With the technical hurdles overcome, the real challenge was seeing how bug, and I, did on an actual walk... We started small with a walk around the neighborhood. Bug liked it a lot. She was able to see stuff and move around a little better. My back liked the Kelty much better than the Baby Borne. The weight is well distributed.
We've taken out two more times since then. We did a 5k charity walk that was most fun. Today we did a short hike that was marred by mosquitoes. On both occasions the Kelty did excellent. Bug likes hanging out in it and my back is much happier!
The Journey looks like a serious back pack with the storage compartment converted into a chair. We didn't have instructions, so figuring the harness system out was a challenge. Once you figure the straps out it makes perfect sense and they keep the passenger snug, but comfortable.
With the technical hurdles overcome, the real challenge was seeing how bug, and I, did on an actual walk... We started small with a walk around the neighborhood. Bug liked it a lot. She was able to see stuff and move around a little better. My back liked the Kelty much better than the Baby Borne. The weight is well distributed.
We've taken out two more times since then. We did a 5k charity walk that was most fun. Today we did a short hike that was marred by mosquitoes. On both occasions the Kelty did excellent. Bug likes hanging out in it and my back is much happier!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Chuck Anticipation
I'm psyched that Chuck is getting one more, albeit shortened, season. It is a fun, action comedy and the central characters—Chuck, Sara, and Casey—are interesting. You want them to succeed and be happy. The rest of the cast makes a nice back drop, as long as they don't get too much air time.
I thought the season finally was, although predictable, excellent. It showed Chuck's growth in terms of self-confidence and skills, it resolved the Volkoff storyline, and tied up the family issues. I also liked that it set up the next season for big changes.
The one concern I have, and it was one of the things that bothered me all season, was the expansion of Morgan's role. As the slacker friend in the first few seasons he was a nice comic side-kick. This season his position as "team member" put him on screen too much, and his role is set up to be even bigger next season.
It many ways Morgan is just a delayed version of Chuck. Adding a second Chuck into the mix cannot be a good idea. It will either distract from the main arc of Chuck's development or be just an easy way to keep fall back on previously trodden territory.
I hope the writers can find a way to keep the story focused on the central trio. I imagine there is a way Morgan can be integrated into the story and his status elevated such that he enhances the central narrative. I just hope the writers pull it off.
I thought the season finally was, although predictable, excellent. It showed Chuck's growth in terms of self-confidence and skills, it resolved the Volkoff storyline, and tied up the family issues. I also liked that it set up the next season for big changes.
The one concern I have, and it was one of the things that bothered me all season, was the expansion of Morgan's role. As the slacker friend in the first few seasons he was a nice comic side-kick. This season his position as "team member" put him on screen too much, and his role is set up to be even bigger next season.
It many ways Morgan is just a delayed version of Chuck. Adding a second Chuck into the mix cannot be a good idea. It will either distract from the main arc of Chuck's development or be just an easy way to keep fall back on previously trodden territory.
I hope the writers can find a way to keep the story focused on the central trio. I imagine there is a way Morgan can be integrated into the story and his status elevated such that he enhances the central narrative. I just hope the writers pull it off.
Easy A
The highly rated teen drama staring the highly regarded Emma Stone makes Hester Prynn a web caster - sort of. It is a neat idea to update the classic in a respectful manner without a naked Demi Moore. Sadly, Easy A is not the film to do it.
Emma Stone's performance is strong and the supporting performances by her character's family member are perfect. The film does deal with the issue of character assassination and false piety, but it gets lost along the way. There is the whole rumors running wild conceit, the whole being infamous has a dark side conceit, and the whole be true to yourself conceit. They all have a place, but in this case I found that they detracted from the main thrust of the story.
The writing and humor was well delivered, so it is a watchable movie. It was definitely an OK Saturday Netfilx film.
Emma Stone's performance is strong and the supporting performances by her character's family member are perfect. The film does deal with the issue of character assassination and false piety, but it gets lost along the way. There is the whole rumors running wild conceit, the whole being infamous has a dark side conceit, and the whole be true to yourself conceit. They all have a place, but in this case I found that they detracted from the main thrust of the story.
The writing and humor was well delivered, so it is a watchable movie. It was definitely an OK Saturday Netfilx film.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
The Joneses
H and I streamed this movie a few nights ago when the TV selection was particularly dismal. The description on the tin sounded promising. It hints at a dark secret that will be exposed. I was hoping for something really sorted and nasty. Instead, it turns out that the big secret is that they are not a real family; they are a lifestyle marketing team that pushes high end goods to their posh neighbors.
It is a cool and relevant concept for a story that is ripe for plumbing. There are many interesting places a story like this could explore like the morality of what they are doing, the shallowness of the rich and gated, the impact of advertising on our culture, what it means to be a family, if there is more to life than owning the best toys, what is the nature of happiness and success.... Pick one, or two, and you can have a really good story.
Sadly the movie cannot make up it's mind and turns into a pretty, but sprawling mess. The daughter has an affair that ends badly, the son ends up to be gay, the neighbor is spending more than he makes to keep up, the father isn't sure what he is doing is right and is in love with the mother. The only thing missing is the kitchen sink. The end result is a movie that says so much it all gets garbled together.
The one nice thing is that the plot follows a predictable three act sequence and has a happy ending. It made it a three out of five stars and an OK way to waste a couple of hours in front of the tube.
It is a cool and relevant concept for a story that is ripe for plumbing. There are many interesting places a story like this could explore like the morality of what they are doing, the shallowness of the rich and gated, the impact of advertising on our culture, what it means to be a family, if there is more to life than owning the best toys, what is the nature of happiness and success.... Pick one, or two, and you can have a really good story.
Sadly the movie cannot make up it's mind and turns into a pretty, but sprawling mess. The daughter has an affair that ends badly, the son ends up to be gay, the neighbor is spending more than he makes to keep up, the father isn't sure what he is doing is right and is in love with the mother. The only thing missing is the kitchen sink. The end result is a movie that says so much it all gets garbled together.
The one nice thing is that the plot follows a predictable three act sequence and has a happy ending. It made it a three out of five stars and an OK way to waste a couple of hours in front of the tube.
Monday, April 11, 2011
Driving Priusly
H, bug, and I spent the weekend visiting my Mom in FL. For ground transport, we rented a Toyota Prius. I thought it was a good idea to save gas and it might be neat. We didn't save much money because a Prius costs more to rent than a car of similar size, but we did save on gas.
For two days the rental fee, with Budget, was $244. That included the $56 dollars in extra insurance I got suckered into. For roughly 200 miles of driving we used about 4.5 gallons of gas which was running around $3.80. We averaged 40+ mpg. The most similar car on offer at Budget was a Nissan Sentra which gets around 30 mpg. A bit of quick math: the Prius cost us $19 in gas, the Sentra would have cost us $26 in gas, the rental price difference was about $20. We didn't save any money, but it was close. If we had done more driving, or used the climate control less, we would have saved.
As for the neat factor, it wore off pretty quickly. The Pruis drives like any other gas sipping compact car. It accelerates smoothly, but not quickly. It handles fine. It is a pretty boring car to drive.
The one area where I found it truly lacking was the feedback it provides to the driver. The dashboard offers a plethora of information, but I found more distracting than informative. The car's blinds spots are gigantic and visibility out the back window is terrible. Our car lacked the rear camera, which should be standard equipment. The accelerator and steering are dead and provide no feedback at all. The one piece of feedback that was noticeable was the wind noise at highway speed.
As a city/light commuting car, the Prius is likely an excellent car. If you want some fun in your ride, or spend a lot of time on the highway, I'd go for something different. Hopefully someone will make a fun, affordable, efficient car.
After getting back into H's Forester, I realized that I really didn't like driving the Prius.
For two days the rental fee, with Budget, was $244. That included the $56 dollars in extra insurance I got suckered into. For roughly 200 miles of driving we used about 4.5 gallons of gas which was running around $3.80. We averaged 40+ mpg. The most similar car on offer at Budget was a Nissan Sentra which gets around 30 mpg. A bit of quick math: the Prius cost us $19 in gas, the Sentra would have cost us $26 in gas, the rental price difference was about $20. We didn't save any money, but it was close. If we had done more driving, or used the climate control less, we would have saved.
As for the neat factor, it wore off pretty quickly. The Pruis drives like any other gas sipping compact car. It accelerates smoothly, but not quickly. It handles fine. It is a pretty boring car to drive.
The one area where I found it truly lacking was the feedback it provides to the driver. The dashboard offers a plethora of information, but I found more distracting than informative. The car's blinds spots are gigantic and visibility out the back window is terrible. Our car lacked the rear camera, which should be standard equipment. The accelerator and steering are dead and provide no feedback at all. The one piece of feedback that was noticeable was the wind noise at highway speed.
As a city/light commuting car, the Prius is likely an excellent car. If you want some fun in your ride, or spend a lot of time on the highway, I'd go for something different. Hopefully someone will make a fun, affordable, efficient car.
After getting back into H's Forester, I realized that I really didn't like driving the Prius.
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Crazies 2010
After seeing the original Romero version of The Crazies, I was not certain I wanted to see the remake. Remakes usually just up the gore level to cover up a complete lack understanding of the original and an utter lack of originality.
We had free Starz this weekend and they happened to be showing the remake of The Crazies and there was little on other than basketball and baseball. Given my choices, I went with the remake.
I was pleasantly surprised. The gore factor was ampler up, but just enough to make it feel modern. They managed to keep the tension up and the sense of paranoia high. If anything the government in the remake is more sinister. In Romero's version, the military was a little clownish in the face of their futility. The military in the remake is more shadowy and therefore more menacing.
I really enjoyed the remake and think it is a worthy version of a classic.
We had free Starz this weekend and they happened to be showing the remake of The Crazies and there was little on other than basketball and baseball. Given my choices, I went with the remake.
I was pleasantly surprised. The gore factor was ampler up, but just enough to make it feel modern. They managed to keep the tension up and the sense of paranoia high. If anything the government in the remake is more sinister. In Romero's version, the military was a little clownish in the face of their futility. The military in the remake is more shadowy and therefore more menacing.
I really enjoyed the remake and think it is a worthy version of a classic.
Naked Heat
I make no secret of my love for Castle. The mystery's are not puzzling and the plot is predictable, but the writing is fun and the the interplay between Castle and Beckett is sweet.
One of the other fun things about the show is that ABC actually has books written by Rick Castle that match the books he writes on the show. The second one, Naked Heat, came out late last year and I put a hold on it at the library almost immediately. My turn to read it just came round.
Like the show, the book is not going to win any awards or be mistaken for high culture. It is a quick read with a few laughs. It also sticks to the form of a modern police procedural novel.
The thing I like most about the novels is that they make me appreciate the TV show more. The dialog in the novels is snappy, but it doesn't have the same buddy quality that the actors bring to it. The characters in the book are flat compared to their TV counterparts despite the fact that the novel gives us glimpses of their interior thoughts. The action in the book lacks the funny tension of the TV show.
The cast is what makes Castle magic.
One of the other fun things about the show is that ABC actually has books written by Rick Castle that match the books he writes on the show. The second one, Naked Heat, came out late last year and I put a hold on it at the library almost immediately. My turn to read it just came round.
Like the show, the book is not going to win any awards or be mistaken for high culture. It is a quick read with a few laughs. It also sticks to the form of a modern police procedural novel.
The thing I like most about the novels is that they make me appreciate the TV show more. The dialog in the novels is snappy, but it doesn't have the same buddy quality that the actors bring to it. The characters in the book are flat compared to their TV counterparts despite the fact that the novel gives us glimpses of their interior thoughts. The action in the book lacks the funny tension of the TV show.
The cast is what makes Castle magic.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Me and Orson Wells
If the Wittertainment gods had not favorably reviewed Me and Orson Wells, I would never have considered watching it. I have an unreasonable urge to dislike Zac Effron (it is not as strong a completely reasonable dislike of Will Ferrel).
The recommendation from Dr. K and the price (free streaming on Netflix) made it an easy decision to give Me and Orson Wells a try.
It is a good character piece. Zac Efyoung plays the innocent, ambitious young actor to a tee. Christian McKay nails the narcissism of Orson Wells. Claire Daines is a perfect up and comer. The supporting cast adds a dash of comedy to the show.
It was a fun way to spend an evening.
The recommendation from Dr. K and the price (free streaming on Netflix) made it an easy decision to give Me and Orson Wells a try.
It is a good character piece. Zac Efyoung plays the innocent, ambitious young actor to a tee. Christian McKay nails the narcissism of Orson Wells. Claire Daines is a perfect up and comer. The supporting cast adds a dash of comedy to the show.
It was a fun way to spend an evening.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Better Off Ted
Better Off Ted is a short lived, witty take on Dilbert. (I lo e the fact that Netflix let's me watch things like this!) It is so much more than Dilbert though.
The show is centered around Ted who looks like a generic successful white male executive at a large generically evil mega-corporation. He has two whacky scientists that work for him and a nice, honest tester who plays his sort of love interest. Ted also has an affectless maniacal boss. It takes this cliche cast and spins gold.
The dialog is fast paced and spot on. The plots are original but laced with enough convention that you don't miss the satire. The cast plays things perfectly. They oscillate between subdued and over the top deftly. It is like Arrested Development meets The Office. Except that it is way better than The Office. I think it makes The Office look like a cheap community production.
The show is centered around Ted who looks like a generic successful white male executive at a large generically evil mega-corporation. He has two whacky scientists that work for him and a nice, honest tester who plays his sort of love interest. Ted also has an affectless maniacal boss. It takes this cliche cast and spins gold.
The dialog is fast paced and spot on. The plots are original but laced with enough convention that you don't miss the satire. The cast plays things perfectly. They oscillate between subdued and over the top deftly. It is like Arrested Development meets The Office. Except that it is way better than The Office. I think it makes The Office look like a cheap community production.
Monsters
I've wanted to see Monsters I first saw the trailer. I almost paid $10 to rent it from iTunes before it was in theaters, but my inner cheapskate won out. Since my ability to get to the theater lately is nill, I was forced to wait for it to wait for it to be on pay per view. I got lucky though and it showed up on Netflix(in HD) at about the same time.
Monsters is billed as a smart, independent monster movie that was made for a pittance. The film maker did the special effects on a MacBook Pro and they look as good as anything being out out by the big studios. The movie delivers on its promises except for the one in the title.
There are monsters and they are big and scary, but they are not the focus of the movie. It is also possible that the title is a metaphor. The monsters are the backdrop for a quest story. The main action of the story is two people, one rich and one poor, trying to get home. The journey is perilous because they must cross a quarantine zone that is populated by the monsters of the title. There is also tension in the journey because home is fraught with complications for both characters.
The thing that makes the movie is the relationship between the central charters as they travel through the quarantine zone. The actors, who are a real life couple, bring the rawness and complexity of their charters to life. The male lead is a war photographer who has been sidelined by his employer. He is tasked by his employer to bring the employers daughter home. The daughter is in South America for unknown reasons and does not seem thrilled to be going home.
As the journey progresses, we learn why they are both so raw. We are also presented with subtle commentary on war and futility.
I highly recommend renting Monsters.
Monsters is billed as a smart, independent monster movie that was made for a pittance. The film maker did the special effects on a MacBook Pro and they look as good as anything being out out by the big studios. The movie delivers on its promises except for the one in the title.
There are monsters and they are big and scary, but they are not the focus of the movie. It is also possible that the title is a metaphor. The monsters are the backdrop for a quest story. The main action of the story is two people, one rich and one poor, trying to get home. The journey is perilous because they must cross a quarantine zone that is populated by the monsters of the title. There is also tension in the journey because home is fraught with complications for both characters.
The thing that makes the movie is the relationship between the central charters as they travel through the quarantine zone. The actors, who are a real life couple, bring the rawness and complexity of their charters to life. The male lead is a war photographer who has been sidelined by his employer. He is tasked by his employer to bring the employers daughter home. The daughter is in South America for unknown reasons and does not seem thrilled to be going home.
As the journey progresses, we learn why they are both so raw. We are also presented with subtle commentary on war and futility.
I highly recommend renting Monsters.
Romero's The Crazies
I was intrigued by the Crazies idea. I am a big zombie and government conspiracy fan. However, I decided that instead of watching the new remake, I'd watch the Romero original. The originals are always better than modern remakes. Right? Most remakes of class in horror movies usually take one of two tacks: add gore or soften it up for the PG-13. They also typically dumb the material down.
I think I made a good choice. The Romero version was light on gore, but high on tension. The acting was terrible, but the story was well paced. It was interesting to see where all of the zombie movie conventions originate. They are all here in their rawest form.
I enjoyed the Crazies too much to go back and see the new one for fear it would ruin the old one for me.
I think I made a good choice. The Romero version was light on gore, but high on tension. The acting was terrible, but the story was well paced. It was interesting to see where all of the zombie movie conventions originate. They are all here in their rawest form.
I enjoyed the Crazies too much to go back and see the new one for fear it would ruin the old one for me.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Overdrive for iOS
Overdrive finally came out with a solution for getting library books onto iOS devices. It took them long enough, but apparently not long enough.
At first the app was iPhone only (crazy for an e-book app) and it took a month for them to update it to a universal app. I didn't even bother with it until it was universal. The iPhone screen is great, but it is not my first choice for leisurely reading.
On the iPad it is a passable experience. The text is clear, pages turn using the standard tap on the side motion, and the interface is nice and sparse. Along the bottom you can see how far you are into the current chapter, but this display auto-hides and I found it tricky to bring back up consistently. There along the top there are buttons for getting to the TOC, adjusting text size, adjusting brightness, bookmarking, and getting to the main menu.
I found the text layout flat, but that could have been the e-book. I also found the lack of a dictionary troubling. I guess I've become spoiled by being able to look up words without leaving the book.
Getting books into the app is where it really falls down. To check books out of the library, you must leave the app and go to the library's web site. The app sort of helps you locate the right library, but the mechanics of it are poor. Basically you need to scroll through long lists. The Boston Public Library's site was OK on the iPad, but not great. Searching was terrible.
All in all the app is OK. It is not the one of the more polished e-book apps out there, but it will get library books onto your iPad.
At first the app was iPhone only (crazy for an e-book app) and it took a month for them to update it to a universal app. I didn't even bother with it until it was universal. The iPhone screen is great, but it is not my first choice for leisurely reading.
On the iPad it is a passable experience. The text is clear, pages turn using the standard tap on the side motion, and the interface is nice and sparse. Along the bottom you can see how far you are into the current chapter, but this display auto-hides and I found it tricky to bring back up consistently. There along the top there are buttons for getting to the TOC, adjusting text size, adjusting brightness, bookmarking, and getting to the main menu.
I found the text layout flat, but that could have been the e-book. I also found the lack of a dictionary troubling. I guess I've become spoiled by being able to look up words without leaving the book.
Getting books into the app is where it really falls down. To check books out of the library, you must leave the app and go to the library's web site. The app sort of helps you locate the right library, but the mechanics of it are poor. Basically you need to scroll through long lists. The Boston Public Library's site was OK on the iPad, but not great. Searching was terrible.
All in all the app is OK. It is not the one of the more polished e-book apps out there, but it will get library books onto your iPad.
Friday, February 11, 2011
The Talk
H got a Groupon for a new restaurant in Watertown called The Talk. It was a good enough deal that we splurged and got a baby sitter. It was so nice for the two of us to get out and have some adult time that we didn't care if the food was awesome.
It was a good thing we weren't expecting much. The atmosphere tried to be upscale. The prices were upscale. The food was just OK. The Talk suffers from The Cheese Cake Factory syndrome, without the fabulous deserts.
I'd be hard pressed to say anything bad about the food or the service. It was just OK. I get food that is that good, and often better, when eating at home. For the prices The Talk charges for their food, I should be able to say something superlative about the food.
If you are desperate for a night out and want to feel upscale The Talk will work. If you want good food, there are better options.
It was a good thing we weren't expecting much. The atmosphere tried to be upscale. The prices were upscale. The food was just OK. The Talk suffers from The Cheese Cake Factory syndrome, without the fabulous deserts.
I'd be hard pressed to say anything bad about the food or the service. It was just OK. I get food that is that good, and often better, when eating at home. For the prices The Talk charges for their food, I should be able to say something superlative about the food.
If you are desperate for a night out and want to feel upscale The Talk will work. If you want good food, there are better options.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
An Education
Over the weekend H and I watched "An Education" on Netflix. The reviews were mostly positive and the movie deserved them. It was well done. The acting was excellent, the story was well crafted, and the cinematography was top rate.
That said it was not a great movie. Like most European dramas it felt slow. We kept waiting for something to happen. This is because "An Education" relies on character and good acting instead of big plot arcs.
Also, the whole story is a little creepy. Perhaps my work with mentally ill kids who have had run ins with pedophiles, or the fact that I'm a new father of a lovely daughter, makes me particularly sensitive. I suppose the argument could be made that in 1960 such an affair would be more common, but I find it hard to believe.
Despite the movie's flaws we gave it four out of five stars.
That said it was not a great movie. Like most European dramas it felt slow. We kept waiting for something to happen. This is because "An Education" relies on character and good acting instead of big plot arcs.
Also, the whole story is a little creepy. Perhaps my work with mentally ill kids who have had run ins with pedophiles, or the fact that I'm a new father of a lovely daughter, makes me particularly sensitive. I suppose the argument could be made that in 1960 such an affair would be more common, but I find it hard to believe.
Despite the movie's flaws we gave it four out of five stars.
Friday, January 14, 2011
Resolutions
I recently read an article by one of those magazine shrinks that said that the important part about new years resolutions isn't keeping them; it's making them that matters. The process of making resolutions forces you to imagine how you would like your life to be different and imagine actions you can take to make the dream real. The more specific the resolutions the better.
Since it is that time of year, I'm going to take the article to heart and make three specific resolutions; one for work, one for family, and one for me.
For work I resolve to work as part of a team that accepts nothing short of excellent. Far to often we settle for doing the minimum because of resource constraints or we accept crappy user interfaces because the developers know best. This year I resolve that I will strive to do what is needed to provide the maximum benefit for the end user. I will not simply accept good enough. I will not sit idly by when a developer creates a bad UI or tries to slip a buggy feature into a release because it is good enough or there isn't enough time to fix it.
At home I resolve to do more around the house. I have a bad habit of putting off washing the dinner dishes until H just does them. I also tend to let laundry sit without being folded. In the warmer months I'm not great at keeping up with the yard work. This year I will be better about getting this stuff done.
For myself I resolve to take better care of myself. This includes flossing every night, doing something active at least three times a week, and eating better. I'll think twice before stopping at the McDonalds for a super size Big Mac meal. I'll actually order non-fat lattes. I'll eat more veggies. I'll actually start using the gym at work.
I want to be around for Kenzie for as long as possible. I also want to be a good role model for her. I want her to grow up seeing her dad living a healthy lifestyle, treating his partner with love and respect, and striving to be the best the he can be.
I know I'll fall short of these resolutions, but I will try to get closer to living my life according to them.
Since it is that time of year, I'm going to take the article to heart and make three specific resolutions; one for work, one for family, and one for me.
For work I resolve to work as part of a team that accepts nothing short of excellent. Far to often we settle for doing the minimum because of resource constraints or we accept crappy user interfaces because the developers know best. This year I resolve that I will strive to do what is needed to provide the maximum benefit for the end user. I will not simply accept good enough. I will not sit idly by when a developer creates a bad UI or tries to slip a buggy feature into a release because it is good enough or there isn't enough time to fix it.
At home I resolve to do more around the house. I have a bad habit of putting off washing the dinner dishes until H just does them. I also tend to let laundry sit without being folded. In the warmer months I'm not great at keeping up with the yard work. This year I will be better about getting this stuff done.
For myself I resolve to take better care of myself. This includes flossing every night, doing something active at least three times a week, and eating better. I'll think twice before stopping at the McDonalds for a super size Big Mac meal. I'll actually order non-fat lattes. I'll eat more veggies. I'll actually start using the gym at work.
I want to be around for Kenzie for as long as possible. I also want to be a good role model for her. I want her to grow up seeing her dad living a healthy lifestyle, treating his partner with love and respect, and striving to be the best the he can be.
I know I'll fall short of these resolutions, but I will try to get closer to living my life according to them.
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