My personal life has been very crazy lately. So has work. I'm also trying to get back in shape and have a more active lifestyle overall. I don't have much free time these days. All of these things have been making it very difficult to keep up with the ol' blog. I also have had a heck of a time thinking of something to actually write about other than my day-to-day.
I've been mulling this over for the last month or two and have concluded that it's time to say Auf wiedersehen. I may come back later once things settle down, but that's at least a year out. Thanks to everyone in the HoCo Blogosphere that made me feel welcome,
Take care,
-Tim
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
On Lists
Hi There.
Man, what a week it’s been. I feel like I’ve been run over by a steamroller or something, so I am very thankful that today is Friday. Since I profess to love them and you keep coming back to read them, it’s list time once again!
On Vacations with toddlers:
It’s an oxymoron, fyi. Tons of fun, never boring, but too much work for me to call it a “vacation”. It was only an overnight trip as well for a few reasons, but it turned out to be the perfect amount of time for our daughter’s first trip.
Anyway...
Last Sunday morning we made the trip east to Ocean City for our first vacation with the kiddo. She had never traveled or spent the night anywhere other than her room (or our room for those first few months) before, so we didn’t really know what to expect.
With that in mind, we blew what little money we had stashed away on our hotel room at the Hilton. If this was going to be a disaster, at least we would have a beautiful room with an oceanfront view, a great pool and easy access to the beach:
The travel portion was actually really great. We left on Sunday because everyone else leaves on Friday or Saturday, so we encountered no traffic whatsoever. We stopped at the Cracker Barrel on the other side of the Bay Bridge for breakfast, and then let the kiddo run around the store section for a good 30-40 minutes before putting her back in the car. From there we made it straight to OC in about 90 minutes or so. Not bad at all!
The first day was great! We went to the pool, the beach, the boardwalk, got a fancy dinner (read: expensive) and then relaxed with a DVD before bed time.
The evening was a bit of a mess, but after a couple hours of crying for “my own bed”, the kiddo finally passed out around 11:00. She is usually out by 8:30. The wife and I had a rough time sleeping too because at home we have a Tempurpedic, and once you sleep on one of those every night, every other bed feels like a torture device.
The next morning we were a tad groggy but totally invigorated by the sights and sounds of the ocean just outside the window. After a quick breakfast we were on the beach by 7:30 where we collected seashells, and then we hit the pool before checkout. From there we made our way to the main section of the boardwalk. The wife and I had a relaxing lunch because the kiddo passed out once we got her in the stroller, so after some souvenir shopping we decided to head back home.
We stopped at a mall in Salisbury for an hour or two so the kiddo could run around before making the rest of the trip. We got home by 5:00, beating the rush hour traffic from Annapolis, and that was the end of our vacation. Well, technically it continued Tuesday because I had the day off and we spent our time having some local fun, but you get the idea.
All-in-all it was a great time, but the wife and I only had those 30 minutes during lunch on day two to ourselves. The rest of the time was spent doing fun activates or keeping our daughter entertained. Our next vacation will likely be this Winter in Rhode Island to visit relatives, and even though it’s a lot of work to travel with a toddler we are totally up for it.
On Getting My @#$ In Shape:
Two weeks ago on a muggy Friday afternoon, after a long, boring day at work, I set out to cut the grass. As I was prepping the yard (putting away toys, cleaning up after the dog, etc) I began to feel short of breath. I realized then and there that I was in the worst shape of my life.
I’m 6’1”. Over the years I’ve weighed nearly 300 lbs at the highest (in my early 20’s) and 185 lbs at the lowest (in my mid-to-late 20’s). I’m in the mid 200’s now, so clearly I’ve weighed more. I was younger then and definitely not in good shape, but I never felt as tired and weak then as I did the other Friday.
I finished cutting the grass and reflected internally all the while. It was time. I needed to get back in shape.
Over the last year or so my level of physical activity has slowly dropped and dropped. Part of it was due to depression and other personal issues, but I knew it was bad and I knew I needed to do something about it. What I needed was to give myself permission to take care of myself, and that’s what I did on that Friday afternoon.
The promise I made to myself was simple: Improve my diet, do X number of crunches every day no matter what, get at least 20 minutes of physical activity per day no matter what and exercise for at least 40 minutes, 3 times per week.
Here’s how it’s gone so far:
- In 2 weeks I’ve missed the crunches 3 times, but increased the number from 30 to 50 to 75 per day.
- I’ve taken my dog for 45 minute “power walks” 8 times in the last 2 weeks.
- I’ve had at least 20 minutes of physical activity every day (short walks around the office, playing with my daughter in the pool, etc)
- I’ve removed sweets, sodas (diet as well as full flavored), non-beer caloried beverages, snacks that aren’t fruit and most restaurant food from my diet.
- I’ve reduced my overall calorie intake by at least 30%
- I dusted off the elliptical and put back to use once again
- As of Wednesday I am a member of Lifetime Fitness…mostly for the pool, but I plan to use some of the exercise equipment too.
I am happy to report that after just one week of this new lifestyle I felt my energy level increase, my mood improve and my dog is much happier too. Right now I am not tracking my weight for a few reasons. One, I’m not in this for weight loss, I just want to feel healthy. Two, I’ve lost weight plenty of times in the past and there is nothing quite as awesome as tightening your belt an extra notch all of a sudden, or having that shirt or those pants suddenly fit again instead of meticulously tracking your weight. Three, I don’t want to become discouraged if I feel better but still weigh the same. That’s just me, but as I said I’ve done this before and know what works best for me.
I know I have long way to go until I’m where I want to be, but I feel so much better and I am motivated to keep it up. Soon I will add free weights and more calisthenics to my daily and weekly routines, but it’s all about building up to it rather than jumping in over my head.
On Football:
Maybe the lockout will end next week?
Maybe the unproven but inspiring John Beck will be my teams starting QB?
Maybe the Redskins will make some smart moves with all of their Free Agency cash instead of another Hayensworth-like disaster?
Maybe my Ravens fan friends will have an even better season this year thanks to their main rivals potentially having a divided locker room this season after Harrison’s recent comments?
We're about a month away from Preseason...assuming we have a season...man I hope so.
On Being Tired As Hell:
I am tired as hell today. After the vacation I kept my activity level up, way up, and it caught up with me yesterday afternoon/evening. I was hoping to feel refreshed after a good night’s sleep, but instead I fought the alarm and have been dragging ever since.
But hey, it’s Friday! I’ll get some exercise in, make a good dinner, drink some good beer and then relax with a movie or a video game for a couple hours. That should make all the difference.
Man, what a week it’s been. I feel like I’ve been run over by a steamroller or something, so I am very thankful that today is Friday. Since I profess to love them and you keep coming back to read them, it’s list time once again!
On Vacations with toddlers:
It’s an oxymoron, fyi. Tons of fun, never boring, but too much work for me to call it a “vacation”. It was only an overnight trip as well for a few reasons, but it turned out to be the perfect amount of time for our daughter’s first trip.
Anyway...
Last Sunday morning we made the trip east to Ocean City for our first vacation with the kiddo. She had never traveled or spent the night anywhere other than her room (or our room for those first few months) before, so we didn’t really know what to expect.
With that in mind, we blew what little money we had stashed away on our hotel room at the Hilton. If this was going to be a disaster, at least we would have a beautiful room with an oceanfront view, a great pool and easy access to the beach:
The travel portion was actually really great. We left on Sunday because everyone else leaves on Friday or Saturday, so we encountered no traffic whatsoever. We stopped at the Cracker Barrel on the other side of the Bay Bridge for breakfast, and then let the kiddo run around the store section for a good 30-40 minutes before putting her back in the car. From there we made it straight to OC in about 90 minutes or so. Not bad at all!
The first day was great! We went to the pool, the beach, the boardwalk, got a fancy dinner (read: expensive) and then relaxed with a DVD before bed time.
The evening was a bit of a mess, but after a couple hours of crying for “my own bed”, the kiddo finally passed out around 11:00. She is usually out by 8:30. The wife and I had a rough time sleeping too because at home we have a Tempurpedic, and once you sleep on one of those every night, every other bed feels like a torture device.
The next morning we were a tad groggy but totally invigorated by the sights and sounds of the ocean just outside the window. After a quick breakfast we were on the beach by 7:30 where we collected seashells, and then we hit the pool before checkout. From there we made our way to the main section of the boardwalk. The wife and I had a relaxing lunch because the kiddo passed out once we got her in the stroller, so after some souvenir shopping we decided to head back home.
We stopped at a mall in Salisbury for an hour or two so the kiddo could run around before making the rest of the trip. We got home by 5:00, beating the rush hour traffic from Annapolis, and that was the end of our vacation. Well, technically it continued Tuesday because I had the day off and we spent our time having some local fun, but you get the idea.
All-in-all it was a great time, but the wife and I only had those 30 minutes during lunch on day two to ourselves. The rest of the time was spent doing fun activates or keeping our daughter entertained. Our next vacation will likely be this Winter in Rhode Island to visit relatives, and even though it’s a lot of work to travel with a toddler we are totally up for it.
On Getting My @#$ In Shape:
Two weeks ago on a muggy Friday afternoon, after a long, boring day at work, I set out to cut the grass. As I was prepping the yard (putting away toys, cleaning up after the dog, etc) I began to feel short of breath. I realized then and there that I was in the worst shape of my life.
I’m 6’1”. Over the years I’ve weighed nearly 300 lbs at the highest (in my early 20’s) and 185 lbs at the lowest (in my mid-to-late 20’s). I’m in the mid 200’s now, so clearly I’ve weighed more. I was younger then and definitely not in good shape, but I never felt as tired and weak then as I did the other Friday.
I finished cutting the grass and reflected internally all the while. It was time. I needed to get back in shape.
Over the last year or so my level of physical activity has slowly dropped and dropped. Part of it was due to depression and other personal issues, but I knew it was bad and I knew I needed to do something about it. What I needed was to give myself permission to take care of myself, and that’s what I did on that Friday afternoon.
The promise I made to myself was simple: Improve my diet, do X number of crunches every day no matter what, get at least 20 minutes of physical activity per day no matter what and exercise for at least 40 minutes, 3 times per week.
Here’s how it’s gone so far:
- In 2 weeks I’ve missed the crunches 3 times, but increased the number from 30 to 50 to 75 per day.
- I’ve taken my dog for 45 minute “power walks” 8 times in the last 2 weeks.
- I’ve had at least 20 minutes of physical activity every day (short walks around the office, playing with my daughter in the pool, etc)
- I’ve removed sweets, sodas (diet as well as full flavored), non-beer caloried beverages, snacks that aren’t fruit and most restaurant food from my diet.
- I’ve reduced my overall calorie intake by at least 30%
- I dusted off the elliptical and put back to use once again
- As of Wednesday I am a member of Lifetime Fitness…mostly for the pool, but I plan to use some of the exercise equipment too.
I am happy to report that after just one week of this new lifestyle I felt my energy level increase, my mood improve and my dog is much happier too. Right now I am not tracking my weight for a few reasons. One, I’m not in this for weight loss, I just want to feel healthy. Two, I’ve lost weight plenty of times in the past and there is nothing quite as awesome as tightening your belt an extra notch all of a sudden, or having that shirt or those pants suddenly fit again instead of meticulously tracking your weight. Three, I don’t want to become discouraged if I feel better but still weigh the same. That’s just me, but as I said I’ve done this before and know what works best for me.
I know I have long way to go until I’m where I want to be, but I feel so much better and I am motivated to keep it up. Soon I will add free weights and more calisthenics to my daily and weekly routines, but it’s all about building up to it rather than jumping in over my head.
On Football:
Maybe the lockout will end next week?
Maybe the unproven but inspiring John Beck will be my teams starting QB?
Maybe the Redskins will make some smart moves with all of their Free Agency cash instead of another Hayensworth-like disaster?
Maybe my Ravens fan friends will have an even better season this year thanks to their main rivals potentially having a divided locker room this season after Harrison’s recent comments?
We're about a month away from Preseason...assuming we have a season...man I hope so.
On Being Tired As Hell:
I am tired as hell today. After the vacation I kept my activity level up, way up, and it caught up with me yesterday afternoon/evening. I was hoping to feel refreshed after a good night’s sleep, but instead I fought the alarm and have been dragging ever since.
But hey, it’s Friday! I’ll get some exercise in, make a good dinner, drink some good beer and then relax with a movie or a video game for a couple hours. That should make all the difference.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Droid!
In honor of today, July 7, being the day that Verizon ends their unlimited data plan, I'm going to talk about my new toy, the Droid 2:
About 10 days ago I dropped my service with AT&T after being with them (previously Cellular One, then Cingular) for 10 + years. I was going to finish out my contract which ended this coming Spring, but once I heard that Verizon was ending unlimited data I wanted to get grandfathered into it ASAP!
I don't know that I need unlimited data per say, but I don't want to risk going over a preset limit and having to pay overage charges. If they can get the Netflix app working for the Droid 2 then the chances of going over a preset limit increase exponentially.
Anyway, this is my very first smartphone. I've owned and iTouch (iPhone minus the phone) for a few years and it's great. I've played around with the iPhone and it's great too, and overall I find the iOS to be very intuitive. Once I got my hands on a Droid though, I instantly fell in love and knew that I wanted one.
So far I am loving it! I've used it to:
- Take pictures and videos on the fly, mostly of my very cute daughter
- Upload said photos to Facebook, making family members happy
- Find my way back to the car after getting turned around
- Get realtime traffic updates
- Stream MP3's from my Amazon Cloud service
- Get tons of free apps and 1 paid app (angry birds rio)
- Check out coupons for local stores
In short, I have quickly becomes attached to this device as a way to assist me in my daily life rather than take control of it (as these things can easily do). I really don't want to be that guy with his face constantly in his phone instead of enjoying his family/friends/surroundings. So far so good.
About 10 days ago I dropped my service with AT&T after being with them (previously Cellular One, then Cingular) for 10 + years. I was going to finish out my contract which ended this coming Spring, but once I heard that Verizon was ending unlimited data I wanted to get grandfathered into it ASAP!
I don't know that I need unlimited data per say, but I don't want to risk going over a preset limit and having to pay overage charges. If they can get the Netflix app working for the Droid 2 then the chances of going over a preset limit increase exponentially.
Anyway, this is my very first smartphone. I've owned and iTouch (iPhone minus the phone) for a few years and it's great. I've played around with the iPhone and it's great too, and overall I find the iOS to be very intuitive. Once I got my hands on a Droid though, I instantly fell in love and knew that I wanted one.
So far I am loving it! I've used it to:
- Take pictures and videos on the fly, mostly of my very cute daughter
- Upload said photos to Facebook, making family members happy
- Find my way back to the car after getting turned around
- Get realtime traffic updates
- Stream MP3's from my Amazon Cloud service
- Get tons of free apps and 1 paid app (angry birds rio)
- Check out coupons for local stores
In short, I have quickly becomes attached to this device as a way to assist me in my daily life rather than take control of it (as these things can easily do). I really don't want to be that guy with his face constantly in his phone instead of enjoying his family/friends/surroundings. So far so good.
Holiday Weekend Part 2
Sunday was a lot of fun too. We started the morning with coffee and homemade blueberry muffins that my wife and daughter made was I was still sleeping. I love Sundays!
Our first stop of the day was to the other side of 108 where we walked the trails through Long Reach Village. What's great about these trails, particularly on a hot day is that there is a lot of shade and plenty of wonderful aroma's provided by the local plant life. We stopped at a few playgrounds along the way so the kiddo could get some swinging in.
When we got back home we were all feeling pretty hot, so we turned on the hose out front and went crazy for a good half hour or so (watering our lawn in the process). My daughter eventually built up the courage to run through the stream of water by herself after being carried by Daddy a few times.
After lunch and nap time we loaded up into the minivan and drove over to Clark's Farm to see the goats. The kiddo absolutely adores the goats at the petting farm and it was great to spend some time there with the place practically to ourselves.
Our last stop of the day was to Trader Joe's to pick up some supplies for dinner. We got home and unloaded the car just as it started to thunder, and a few minutes later the deluge began. Talk about good timing. We had a quite night in and an early bedtime for the parents after a fun filled day.
Monday was even more fun for the wife and daughter as they spent the day with my wife's family. I, on the other hand, went to work so I could save my time off for next Monday when we go to Ocean City.
Overall the weekend was great! I told my wife that I didn't recall ever feeling bored or lacking something to do, not too shabby when you consider we didn't have any set plans. The best part for me was that everywhere we went was totally devoid of crowds. I guess most of Columbia goes on vacation for the 4th? I ain't complaining ;)
Our first stop of the day was to the other side of 108 where we walked the trails through Long Reach Village. What's great about these trails, particularly on a hot day is that there is a lot of shade and plenty of wonderful aroma's provided by the local plant life. We stopped at a few playgrounds along the way so the kiddo could get some swinging in.
When we got back home we were all feeling pretty hot, so we turned on the hose out front and went crazy for a good half hour or so (watering our lawn in the process). My daughter eventually built up the courage to run through the stream of water by herself after being carried by Daddy a few times.
After lunch and nap time we loaded up into the minivan and drove over to Clark's Farm to see the goats. The kiddo absolutely adores the goats at the petting farm and it was great to spend some time there with the place practically to ourselves.
Our last stop of the day was to Trader Joe's to pick up some supplies for dinner. We got home and unloaded the car just as it started to thunder, and a few minutes later the deluge began. Talk about good timing. We had a quite night in and an early bedtime for the parents after a fun filled day.
Monday was even more fun for the wife and daughter as they spent the day with my wife's family. I, on the other hand, went to work so I could save my time off for next Monday when we go to Ocean City.
Overall the weekend was great! I told my wife that I didn't recall ever feeling bored or lacking something to do, not too shabby when you consider we didn't have any set plans. The best part for me was that everywhere we went was totally devoid of crowds. I guess most of Columbia goes on vacation for the 4th? I ain't complaining ;)
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Holiday Weekend Part 1
We had no real plans for the 4th of July. My brother and his wife went to Ocean City, or the O.C. (don't call it that) to enjoy one last getaway before their lives are overrun by their first child, due to be born next month. They are our go-to people for doing stuff. We had plans to have my wife's family over on Monday, but that left the other 2 days wide open. Let's start with Saturday.
First we took a short drive up 100 to Meadowbrook Park so the toddler could run around for a bit. If you have kids, this is the playground you've been looking for...unless you are looking for a playground with swings. There are so many cool things there and the sheer size of the playground equipment is really something to behold.
Next we headed over to Lakefront for a picnic. Our daughter loves getting to see "big water", so it was tough convincing her to stay seated on the blanket and eat her lunch when all she wanted to do was run back to the fountain or down to the lake. It was nice getting to see some of the prep work for the 4th since we wouldn't be able to make it out for the fireworks. My daughter go to see ducks and a turtle which was a pretty big thrill for her. Here are a few pictures I took on my new Droid 2 (more on that in another post):
It was starting to get really hot by this point, so our next stop was the Tutti Frutti next to the Columbia Target. It's a frozen yogurt joint that lets you have as much or as few toppings and "froyo" as you want and then charges you by the ounce (45 cents per ounce as I recall). We made a big cup with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, then added some M&M's, peanut butter cups and sprinkles and split it 3 ways. Here's a picture of my daughter getting the last couple of bites:
After that, I went next door to BGR to order some take-out for the wife and I (the earlier picnic was kind of impromptu and we only had food packed for the kiddo). We both ordered bacon cheeseburgers, but much to our dismay there was no bacon to be found on either burger and they gave me swiss cheese instead of american. I liked the burger, but snafu's like that combined with the 20 + minutes it took to for our order to be ready with very few customers in the store make me skeptical about returning.
Anyway, I paired my burger with my latest libation obsession: 21st Amendment's Hop Crisis:
This is a winter seasonal, but it's been in stock at The Perfect Pour for at least the past couple of weeks. Anyway, Hop Crisis is a 10% Imperial IPA that drinks like a 5% Bitters. I brought some up with me the last time a visited my brother because if he likes something, you know it's good. He was in awe of it, as I continue to be. Imagine a very shoddy Kennedy impression as I type the following: "Drink this beer".
I'm trying for the life of me to remember what we did later that evening, but I am drawing a blank. I do recall making some homemade pizza (mmm), watching an episode or two of The Kennedy's miniseries on Netflix (awesome) and Tangled on DVD (also awesome), but I know there was another out-of-the-house activity wedged in there too. Ah well.
Anyway, Sundays events will continue in Part 2. Until then!
First we took a short drive up 100 to Meadowbrook Park so the toddler could run around for a bit. If you have kids, this is the playground you've been looking for...unless you are looking for a playground with swings. There are so many cool things there and the sheer size of the playground equipment is really something to behold.
Next we headed over to Lakefront for a picnic. Our daughter loves getting to see "big water", so it was tough convincing her to stay seated on the blanket and eat her lunch when all she wanted to do was run back to the fountain or down to the lake. It was nice getting to see some of the prep work for the 4th since we wouldn't be able to make it out for the fireworks. My daughter go to see ducks and a turtle which was a pretty big thrill for her. Here are a few pictures I took on my new Droid 2 (more on that in another post):
It was starting to get really hot by this point, so our next stop was the Tutti Frutti next to the Columbia Target. It's a frozen yogurt joint that lets you have as much or as few toppings and "froyo" as you want and then charges you by the ounce (45 cents per ounce as I recall). We made a big cup with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, then added some M&M's, peanut butter cups and sprinkles and split it 3 ways. Here's a picture of my daughter getting the last couple of bites:
After that, I went next door to BGR to order some take-out for the wife and I (the earlier picnic was kind of impromptu and we only had food packed for the kiddo). We both ordered bacon cheeseburgers, but much to our dismay there was no bacon to be found on either burger and they gave me swiss cheese instead of american. I liked the burger, but snafu's like that combined with the 20 + minutes it took to for our order to be ready with very few customers in the store make me skeptical about returning.
Anyway, I paired my burger with my latest libation obsession: 21st Amendment's Hop Crisis:
This is a winter seasonal, but it's been in stock at The Perfect Pour for at least the past couple of weeks. Anyway, Hop Crisis is a 10% Imperial IPA that drinks like a 5% Bitters. I brought some up with me the last time a visited my brother because if he likes something, you know it's good. He was in awe of it, as I continue to be. Imagine a very shoddy Kennedy impression as I type the following: "Drink this beer".
I'm trying for the life of me to remember what we did later that evening, but I am drawing a blank. I do recall making some homemade pizza (mmm), watching an episode or two of The Kennedy's miniseries on Netflix (awesome) and Tangled on DVD (also awesome), but I know there was another out-of-the-house activity wedged in there too. Ah well.
Anyway, Sundays events will continue in Part 2. Until then!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Listen to Bon Iver Now!
The new Bon Iver album Bon Iver is streaming in its entirety on NPR music right now. It will be available for purchase in just under 2 weeks, but here's your chance to check it out for free ahead of time. Listen listen!
Friday, June 3, 2011
A New Crime Map
From one of my daily geek blogs Gizmodo comes an article about a new service that Trulia.com is offereing: Crime Maps.
Trulia is one of the many real estate search engines out there, but so far they are the first (and probably only) sites that offer this easy to understand graphical representation of where the most crime occurs in and around select major cities.
Baltimore is one of the major cities that this service is available for. Here's a snapshot:
Obviously the color red is bad, yellow/orange is pretty bad, green is average and white represents lack of data.
If you follow this link you will see the map is positioned right above Columbia. So far there is no data available for Columbia proper, but you can see some of the neighboring areas.
Trulia is one of the many real estate search engines out there, but so far they are the first (and probably only) sites that offer this easy to understand graphical representation of where the most crime occurs in and around select major cities.
Baltimore is one of the major cities that this service is available for. Here's a snapshot:
Obviously the color red is bad, yellow/orange is pretty bad, green is average and white represents lack of data.
If you follow this link you will see the map is positioned right above Columbia. So far there is no data available for Columbia proper, but you can see some of the neighboring areas.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Air Conditioning: A Rhetorical Question
On a particularly warm day in April, we discovered that our wonderful family-mobile (an '07 Honda Odyssey Touring) had an unknown shortcoming in the form of working AC. We took it into the shop the next day, and our mechanic found that the van had been depleted of its freon. Freon was added, problem was solved.
Over the last week, we've noticed that the van's AC is losing its effectiveness. Now it's at the point of being completely useless. Cold air blows from the vents on one side, but hot air blows from the vents on the other side. These vents cannot be closed. The hot air prevents the cold air from doing its job and it leaves the humans on board feeling very uncomfortable. The Touring edition comes with very comfortable leather seats, unless it's over 90 degrees, humid and the AC isn't working, then those same seats become torture devices. It's getting fixed tomorrow, also known as the day that the temperature is set to drop a good 10 degrees.
At work, the room I sit in is having AC problems. It's rather warm and humid at my desk, though not quite as bad as being outside, it is a far cry from what one would consider to be a comfortable temperature. Since this problem started late last week, I bought a small fan the other day and placed it under my desk. Thanks to my brilliant foresight I am the only comfortable person in the office today.
I remember a few years ago, before the kid, our AC unit at home completely died on the hottest day in the middle of the Summer. You couldn't go on the top floor without feeling like you would spontaneously combust. It was the worst.
So my rhetorical question is this: Why is it that Air Conditioning always seems to go out on the days that you need it the most?
Over the last week, we've noticed that the van's AC is losing its effectiveness. Now it's at the point of being completely useless. Cold air blows from the vents on one side, but hot air blows from the vents on the other side. These vents cannot be closed. The hot air prevents the cold air from doing its job and it leaves the humans on board feeling very uncomfortable. The Touring edition comes with very comfortable leather seats, unless it's over 90 degrees, humid and the AC isn't working, then those same seats become torture devices. It's getting fixed tomorrow, also known as the day that the temperature is set to drop a good 10 degrees.
At work, the room I sit in is having AC problems. It's rather warm and humid at my desk, though not quite as bad as being outside, it is a far cry from what one would consider to be a comfortable temperature. Since this problem started late last week, I bought a small fan the other day and placed it under my desk. Thanks to my brilliant foresight I am the only comfortable person in the office today.
I remember a few years ago, before the kid, our AC unit at home completely died on the hottest day in the middle of the Summer. You couldn't go on the top floor without feeling like you would spontaneously combust. It was the worst.
So my rhetorical question is this: Why is it that Air Conditioning always seems to go out on the days that you need it the most?
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Dream Star Wars Cast: Assemble!
It's been a long, hot weekend. Days like the ones we've had recently inspire me to dream myself away from the heat and humidity and off to somewhere less oppressive. Normally it would be the ocean or a pool, but today it was all about Star Wars. That has led me to this post.
Okay, so we will probably never see Star Wars Episodes VII-IX put to film anytime soon, at least not as long as George Lucas is alive and/or retains the rights to his magnum opus. That said, the Star Wars geek in me loves to dream about a proper follow-up to the trilogy I grew up with.
So, let’s pretend that Father Lucas allows the Heir to The Empire Trilogy to be adapted from the novels into a screenplay. Let’s assume that Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker all return as Chewbacca, Threepio and Artoo respectively. With that in mind, let’s cast our returning 4 major hero’s, our 3 major villains and our 2 wild karrdes (see what I did there? No? Than read the books).
Luke Skywalker: Seth Gabel
Sure, he’s a bit of a pretty boy, but so was Mark Hammil back in the 70’s. I know Seth as Lincoln Lee from Fringe and I can tell you he is just great. He has the right look, he has the chops and the nerd-cred to take on the role of the worlds most famous Jedi Knight.
Han Solo: Aaron Eckhart
I recently watched The Dark Knight and was paying particular attention to Aaron Eckhart’s performance as Harvey Dent. Something about Harvey reminded me of Han Solo. I’m not sure if it’s the hair, the ego, the charm or the ballsy-ness/stupidity in the face of danger (maybe all of the above), but for me it was Han Solo through and through. Most characters that Eckhart plays ooze of charm which reminds me a lot of Harrison Ford’s body of work, particularly from the 80’s.
Princess Leia: Sarah Lancaster
She’s lovely, she’s talented and she has nerd-cred in the form of Ellie Bartowski, older sister to everyone’s favorite nerd/spy Chuck. This picture almost looks like a young Carrie Fisher to me too. I don’t know how great her range is as an actress considering her body of work, but I like her for the part.
Lando Calrissian: Denzel Washington
Sure he’s getting up there in age, but it’s Denzel Freakin’ Washington! I challenge you to name a better actor to portray our favorite space hustler. Plus, he brings credibility to any role/movie he’s involved in. I chose this picture because of the mustache. Gotta have the mustache.
Grand Admiral Thrawn: Jason Isaacs
He’s a recognizable villain from The Patriot and The Harry Potter movies, and to me he straight-up looks like the cold, calculating Grand Admiral I would see in my minds eye as I read the Heir to The Empire books. I did the worlds worst photoshop real quick so you can see what I see.
Captain Pellaeon: Jared Harris
Another Fringe vet, also more widely known for his role in Mad Men, Jared Harris was born to play an Imperial. Who better than Pellaeon. I'm sure there are other actors out there that could play this part just as well, but I don't care! I want Harris! Watch him in Fringe or Mad Men and you will see what I mean. He belongs with The Empire!
Joruus C'Baoth: Stephen Lang
You loved him in Avatar and you will probably love him all over again when Terra Nova kicks-off this Fall. Stephen Lang is perfect for this part as a mad, ex-Jedi bent on galactic domination. That is all.
Talon Kardde: Josh Holloway
He was great as Sawyer on Lost, and Kardde is a pretty similar character: Bad on the outside, good on the inside. In fact, the author of the books thinks of Karrde as what Han Solo would have become had he never met Luke and the gang. Sawyer was definitely the Han Solo of the Lost bunch, so why not shoot him off to space and see what happens?
Mara Jade: Alicia Witt
This is a tough one, really. An obvious choice would be Scarlett Johansson, especially given her role in Iron Man 2. The thing is, Mara Jade is pretty similar to Black Widow in appearance and ability, and for me it was a suspension of disbelief to see “ScarJo” as an action heroin. I like this actress as Mara. I know her from Friday Night Lights (the best TV drama you never watched). She has the looks, and she is relatively unknown enough to take on the role of The Emperors Hand without pissing off too many fanboys for not picking "the right girl" (whoever that may be).
So there you have it, my dream cast for the never-going-to-happen final 3 chapters of the Star Wars Novology (I made that up myself). Now back to reality...and the heat.
Okay, so we will probably never see Star Wars Episodes VII-IX put to film anytime soon, at least not as long as George Lucas is alive and/or retains the rights to his magnum opus. That said, the Star Wars geek in me loves to dream about a proper follow-up to the trilogy I grew up with.
So, let’s pretend that Father Lucas allows the Heir to The Empire Trilogy to be adapted from the novels into a screenplay. Let’s assume that Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels and Kenny Baker all return as Chewbacca, Threepio and Artoo respectively. With that in mind, let’s cast our returning 4 major hero’s, our 3 major villains and our 2 wild karrdes (see what I did there? No? Than read the books).
Luke Skywalker: Seth Gabel
Sure, he’s a bit of a pretty boy, but so was Mark Hammil back in the 70’s. I know Seth as Lincoln Lee from Fringe and I can tell you he is just great. He has the right look, he has the chops and the nerd-cred to take on the role of the worlds most famous Jedi Knight.
Han Solo: Aaron Eckhart
I recently watched The Dark Knight and was paying particular attention to Aaron Eckhart’s performance as Harvey Dent. Something about Harvey reminded me of Han Solo. I’m not sure if it’s the hair, the ego, the charm or the ballsy-ness/stupidity in the face of danger (maybe all of the above), but for me it was Han Solo through and through. Most characters that Eckhart plays ooze of charm which reminds me a lot of Harrison Ford’s body of work, particularly from the 80’s.
Princess Leia: Sarah Lancaster
She’s lovely, she’s talented and she has nerd-cred in the form of Ellie Bartowski, older sister to everyone’s favorite nerd/spy Chuck. This picture almost looks like a young Carrie Fisher to me too. I don’t know how great her range is as an actress considering her body of work, but I like her for the part.
Lando Calrissian: Denzel Washington
Sure he’s getting up there in age, but it’s Denzel Freakin’ Washington! I challenge you to name a better actor to portray our favorite space hustler. Plus, he brings credibility to any role/movie he’s involved in. I chose this picture because of the mustache. Gotta have the mustache.
Grand Admiral Thrawn: Jason Isaacs
He’s a recognizable villain from The Patriot and The Harry Potter movies, and to me he straight-up looks like the cold, calculating Grand Admiral I would see in my minds eye as I read the Heir to The Empire books. I did the worlds worst photoshop real quick so you can see what I see.
Captain Pellaeon: Jared Harris
Another Fringe vet, also more widely known for his role in Mad Men, Jared Harris was born to play an Imperial. Who better than Pellaeon. I'm sure there are other actors out there that could play this part just as well, but I don't care! I want Harris! Watch him in Fringe or Mad Men and you will see what I mean. He belongs with The Empire!
Joruus C'Baoth: Stephen Lang
You loved him in Avatar and you will probably love him all over again when Terra Nova kicks-off this Fall. Stephen Lang is perfect for this part as a mad, ex-Jedi bent on galactic domination. That is all.
Talon Kardde: Josh Holloway
He was great as Sawyer on Lost, and Kardde is a pretty similar character: Bad on the outside, good on the inside. In fact, the author of the books thinks of Karrde as what Han Solo would have become had he never met Luke and the gang. Sawyer was definitely the Han Solo of the Lost bunch, so why not shoot him off to space and see what happens?
Mara Jade: Alicia Witt
This is a tough one, really. An obvious choice would be Scarlett Johansson, especially given her role in Iron Man 2. The thing is, Mara Jade is pretty similar to Black Widow in appearance and ability, and for me it was a suspension of disbelief to see “ScarJo” as an action heroin. I like this actress as Mara. I know her from Friday Night Lights (the best TV drama you never watched). She has the looks, and she is relatively unknown enough to take on the role of The Emperors Hand without pissing off too many fanboys for not picking "the right girl" (whoever that may be).
So there you have it, my dream cast for the never-going-to-happen final 3 chapters of the Star Wars Novology (I made that up myself). Now back to reality...and the heat.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Weekend Beers: Aged in Barrels
It had been a while since I tried anything new in the beer department. Between the various dental work and playing catch-up on my household duties, I basically stuck to to my defaults. That usually means Dales Pale Ale or Loose Cannon.
Having recovered and caught up on stuff, this past weekend felt like the right time to get out there and try something new. While browsing the sometimes overwhelming variety of The Perfect Pour's shelves, I decided to go for a theme to help narrow down the selection.
I recalled a post from Baltimore Beer Guy about Heavy Seas releasing a series of wood aged beers called "Plank":
No Plank series beers were available at The Pour last Thursday, so I decided to go for barrel aged beers instead.
Side note: I now have in my possession Plank I, an 8% ABV Olde Style English Ale aged on roasted Poplar. I picked it up at Corridor last night while in search of the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Mix Pack that P90 mentioned. No Beer Camp for me and I haven't tried Plank I yet, but once I do I'm sure I'll have something to say about it. Anyway...
Here are my thoughts on the barrel aged beers that I tried:
1. Dogfish Head Red and White
image source
Holy crap! This was one of the most amazing beers I have ever tasted. Smooth, flavorful and powerful (10% abv), this is an argument for brewing as an art form. If you've ever had a Blue Moon than you should be familiar with the whole Belgian Wheat with orange peel and coriander thing. If you've ever seen thewine porn movie Sideways, chances are you were inspired to try a decent Pinot Noir shortly thereafter. Something magical happens in the combination of these two very distinct flavors, like chocolate and peanut butter magical. Get out there and try it if you can, it's one of Dogfish Head's limited releases.
2. Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Below Decks
Sorry I don't have a better picture for this one. This is an English barley wine that has been aged in a bourbon barrel. This is also my second ever barley wine, my first being Devils Milk by DuClaw. I did not care for Devils Milk when I had it (at least 6 or 7 years ago), had not tried a barley wine since and therefore had very low expectations for this Heavy Seas release. I was very surprised to discover just how delicious this beer was. The flavor profile was on the sweeter side with hints of vanilla, oak and of course bourbon. It's also another strong brew at 10% abv. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would gladly pick it up again.
3. Harpoon Single Hop ESB (100 Barrel Series #31)
image source
I picked this one up thanks mostly in part to the "100 Barrel" logo on the bottle. I assumed that meant is was barrel aged, but instead it refers to limited quantity aspect of the 100 barrel series. So while not technically a barrel aged beer, it still sort of fit the theme of stuff with the word "barrel" on it. The second reason I picked this up is because it's an ESB, or Extra Special / Strong Bitters, more commonly referred to simply as a 'bitters'. I like the concept of bitters because they offer huge flavors that are commonly found in IPA's, but with a much lower abv, 5.8% in this case. While I did enjoy this beer, I found myself wishing I had a 6 pack of 21st Amendments Bitter American instead. Still, good beer.
So there you have it. All 3 were at least good and one, the Red and White, blew my mind. If you see any one of these on the shelf you will not be disappointed if you take one home with you. Cheers!
Having recovered and caught up on stuff, this past weekend felt like the right time to get out there and try something new. While browsing the sometimes overwhelming variety of The Perfect Pour's shelves, I decided to go for a theme to help narrow down the selection.
I recalled a post from Baltimore Beer Guy about Heavy Seas releasing a series of wood aged beers called "Plank":
Over a year in development, Plank boasts a new and revolutionary way of adding wood to the brewing process. The beer is allowed to mature on the wood during secondary fermentation. Combinations of many different woods, beer styles, yeasts and aging times were tested.
No Plank series beers were available at The Pour last Thursday, so I decided to go for barrel aged beers instead.
Side note: I now have in my possession Plank I, an 8% ABV Olde Style English Ale aged on roasted Poplar. I picked it up at Corridor last night while in search of the Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Mix Pack that P90 mentioned. No Beer Camp for me and I haven't tried Plank I yet, but once I do I'm sure I'll have something to say about it. Anyway...
Here are my thoughts on the barrel aged beers that I tried:
1. Dogfish Head Red and White
A big, belgian-style Wit brewed with coriander and orange peel and fermented with Pinot Noir juice. After fermentation a fraction of the batch is aged in one of our giant oak tanks.
Holy crap! This was one of the most amazing beers I have ever tasted. Smooth, flavorful and powerful (10% abv), this is an argument for brewing as an art form. If you've ever had a Blue Moon than you should be familiar with the whole Belgian Wheat with orange peel and coriander thing. If you've ever seen the
2. Heavy Seas Bourbon Barrel Aged Below Decks
Our award winning barleywine which has been aged two ways - in either wooden bourbon barrels or cabernet barrels. While great at their release, they will evolve with aging.
Sorry I don't have a better picture for this one. This is an English barley wine that has been aged in a bourbon barrel. This is also my second ever barley wine, my first being Devils Milk by DuClaw. I did not care for Devils Milk when I had it (at least 6 or 7 years ago), had not tried a barley wine since and therefore had very low expectations for this Heavy Seas release. I was very surprised to discover just how delicious this beer was. The flavor profile was on the sweeter side with hints of vanilla, oak and of course bourbon. It's also another strong brew at 10% abv. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and would gladly pick it up again.
3. Harpoon Single Hop ESB (100 Barrel Series #31)
The 31st offering from the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series is the Single Hop ESB, brewed...using one hop varietal, Delta, exclusively throughout the process. The Delta hop is a brand new American-grown hop developed by Hopsteiner...A cross between Fuggle and Cascade hops, Delta hops yield an unrestrained earthy/floral aroma and taste that compliment the rich flavors of traditional British malts and yeast.
I picked this one up thanks mostly in part to the "100 Barrel" logo on the bottle. I assumed that meant is was barrel aged, but instead it refers to limited quantity aspect of the 100 barrel series. So while not technically a barrel aged beer, it still sort of fit the theme of stuff with the word "barrel" on it. The second reason I picked this up is because it's an ESB, or Extra Special / Strong Bitters, more commonly referred to simply as a 'bitters'. I like the concept of bitters because they offer huge flavors that are commonly found in IPA's, but with a much lower abv, 5.8% in this case. While I did enjoy this beer, I found myself wishing I had a 6 pack of 21st Amendments Bitter American instead. Still, good beer.
So there you have it. All 3 were at least good and one, the Red and White, blew my mind. If you see any one of these on the shelf you will not be disappointed if you take one home with you. Cheers!
New Album Alert: Bon Iver
On June 21st, Bon Iver will release their (his?) self-titled, sophomore album. Some lucky iTunes users were able to download it yesterday thanks to a mess-up that has since been corrected. I was not one of those lucky few. Ah well.
The story of how Bon Iver came to be is really quite interesting. While stricken with mononucleosis and dealing with the dual break-ups of his band and girlfriend, singer/songwriter Justin Vernon packed his bags and moved home to Wisconsin. He spent the Winter there, living in his fathers cabin while he recovered. During that time he began writing and recording songs with the intention of shipping them off to record labels who would hopefully sign him and allow him to re-record in a professional studio.
Instead, he ended up releasing the album himself with all of the songs in their original state. Later, an indie label would pick him up and give the album, titled For Emma, Forever Ago a larger release (the songs remained unchanged from his self-released version). What you get is an artfully crafted, one-man masterpiece that bleeds integrity. It feels like musical therapy, and one can't help but wonder if that was how Vernon felt while writing these songs considering his situation at the time.
Take a moment to listen to the titular song from For Emma, Forever Ago and see what you think:
If you like what you hear, do yourself a favor and get the album now! The MP3 version is available for a mere $5 at Amazon.
I am extremely excited for the new album. I can't say much about it because I have only heard one song so far. It's called Calagry and it is wonderful. You can listen to it here.
You can tell that Bon Iver is taking an artistic step forward, experimenting with new instruments and sounds while still maintaining their signature sound. Check out their page on Wikipedia to get an idea of how Bon Iver could end being up pretty different from For Emma, Forever Ago.
Whether it's totally new or just a continuation of the first album, Bon Iver is easily my most anticipated release of the year. I'm sure I will have more to say on the subject after June 21st.
The story of how Bon Iver came to be is really quite interesting. While stricken with mononucleosis and dealing with the dual break-ups of his band and girlfriend, singer/songwriter Justin Vernon packed his bags and moved home to Wisconsin. He spent the Winter there, living in his fathers cabin while he recovered. During that time he began writing and recording songs with the intention of shipping them off to record labels who would hopefully sign him and allow him to re-record in a professional studio.
Instead, he ended up releasing the album himself with all of the songs in their original state. Later, an indie label would pick him up and give the album, titled For Emma, Forever Ago a larger release (the songs remained unchanged from his self-released version). What you get is an artfully crafted, one-man masterpiece that bleeds integrity. It feels like musical therapy, and one can't help but wonder if that was how Vernon felt while writing these songs considering his situation at the time.
Take a moment to listen to the titular song from For Emma, Forever Ago and see what you think:
If you like what you hear, do yourself a favor and get the album now! The MP3 version is available for a mere $5 at Amazon.
I am extremely excited for the new album. I can't say much about it because I have only heard one song so far. It's called Calagry and it is wonderful. You can listen to it here.
You can tell that Bon Iver is taking an artistic step forward, experimenting with new instruments and sounds while still maintaining their signature sound. Check out their page on Wikipedia to get an idea of how Bon Iver could end being up pretty different from For Emma, Forever Ago.
Whether it's totally new or just a continuation of the first album, Bon Iver is easily my most anticipated release of the year. I'm sure I will have more to say on the subject after June 21st.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Thoughts on Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2 was my first R movie. I was 13 when my Dad rented it from Blockbuster. Before we watched it, my Dad told my brother and that there were a few rules we had to follow before going in:
1. Do not repeat the bad language that we are about to hear.
2. Don’t tell our friends that we were allowed to see it.
3. Don’t expect to be able to see any movie you want just because you get to see this one.
Rule one was obvious enough. We hadn’t been exposed to a high amount of foul language growing up, just the normal stuff you hear on the playground. My parents, relatives and friends rarely cursed, at least not around my brother and me.
Rule two was explained in a little more detail. My Dad was an elder at our church, and most of my friends happened to be the other elder’s kids. While my parent’s were okay with their kids watching an R movie, the other parents might not be. My Dad didn’t want the other kids going to their parents asking to see the movie because Tim and Dave were allowed to. That and the possibility that the more conservative folks in the congregation may not approve of an elder letting his 11 and 13 year old kids see an R movie were probably the main concerns for rule two.
Rule three made enough sense, but I seem to recall getting to see the Alien movies, Lethal Weapon as well as a host of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies several months later. (Side note: did you know that “Schwarzenegger” is in MS Word’s spell checker? As of now I do.)
Anyway, the reason I am writing this is because I watched T2 over a recent weekend. It had been a few years since I’d last seen it and I was in the mood to revisit it. This was and still is one of my favorite movies of all times. It represents several things for me beyond the fact that it’s a highly entertaining film.
First, in some ways it’s a coming of age rite. It was my first R movie, so I had a lot of excitement about that when I was a kid getting to see it for the first time. Terminator 2 is a movie made for grown-ups, and I get to see it!
Second, it was a big secret. I wasn’t allowed to tell my friends, and this only added the excitement I was feeling when watching it. Of course I would later find out that nearly all of my friends saw Terminator 2 on video that year and were all given similar “do not tell” instructions by their parents. We all got a good chuckle out of that one.
Third, I had never seen anything like it before. The special effect were groundbreaking, and while slightly dated they still hold up quite well 20 years later (holy crap, this movie is 20 years old! How the hell did that happen?). I was so amazed but what I was seeing that I had to know how they accomplished the visual effects. I grew up in a world where the effects from Star Wars were a given, so this was the first big, visual cinematic leap that I was privy to. After seeing Terminator 2 I was not just a fan of movies, but a fan of the movie-making process and have been ever since. I’m the guy that watches all of the special features on the DVD so he can know more about how the movie was made, and I have the amazing special effects from T2 to thank for that.
Lastly, and perhaps a little on the sobering side, watching Terminator 2 is one of the last happy memories I have of my family being together. My parents separated when I was 15 and later divorced. Things got pretty bad in the time leading up to the separation, but I still remember sitting down as a family and watching this movie together. In fact, it may be the last movie we watched as a family. In some ways, Terminator 2 feels like a relic from another life while also serving as a portal to it. I cherish my childhood and am happy when my mind allows me to return to those simpler, happier times.
So maybe I am bias in my praise of this movie considering all that it represents to me personally, but I was amazed at just how great it still is. Besides having all of the action, suspense and moments of terror one would expect from a movie called “Terminator”, there is also a fair amount of humor (John teaching the Terminator to smile, Arnold’s various one-liners), sentiment (Sarah and Johns unrelenting love and need to protect each other, self-terminating with a thumbs-up) and empathy (Sarah breaking down once she see’s the fear in the eyes of Miles Dyson and his family when she attempts to assassinate him).
I doubt everyone would want or even bother to look for these extra layers of depth, but for me they solidify these fantastical events firmly in a believable reality. The depth of story and character are what allows T2 to resonate with me after all of these years, the visual effects and action are merely the icing on the metaphorical cake.
1. Do not repeat the bad language that we are about to hear.
2. Don’t tell our friends that we were allowed to see it.
3. Don’t expect to be able to see any movie you want just because you get to see this one.
Rule one was obvious enough. We hadn’t been exposed to a high amount of foul language growing up, just the normal stuff you hear on the playground. My parents, relatives and friends rarely cursed, at least not around my brother and me.
Rule two was explained in a little more detail. My Dad was an elder at our church, and most of my friends happened to be the other elder’s kids. While my parent’s were okay with their kids watching an R movie, the other parents might not be. My Dad didn’t want the other kids going to their parents asking to see the movie because Tim and Dave were allowed to. That and the possibility that the more conservative folks in the congregation may not approve of an elder letting his 11 and 13 year old kids see an R movie were probably the main concerns for rule two.
Rule three made enough sense, but I seem to recall getting to see the Alien movies, Lethal Weapon as well as a host of Arnold Schwarzenegger movies several months later. (Side note: did you know that “Schwarzenegger” is in MS Word’s spell checker? As of now I do.)
Anyway, the reason I am writing this is because I watched T2 over a recent weekend. It had been a few years since I’d last seen it and I was in the mood to revisit it. This was and still is one of my favorite movies of all times. It represents several things for me beyond the fact that it’s a highly entertaining film.
First, in some ways it’s a coming of age rite. It was my first R movie, so I had a lot of excitement about that when I was a kid getting to see it for the first time. Terminator 2 is a movie made for grown-ups, and I get to see it!
Second, it was a big secret. I wasn’t allowed to tell my friends, and this only added the excitement I was feeling when watching it. Of course I would later find out that nearly all of my friends saw Terminator 2 on video that year and were all given similar “do not tell” instructions by their parents. We all got a good chuckle out of that one.
Third, I had never seen anything like it before. The special effect were groundbreaking, and while slightly dated they still hold up quite well 20 years later (holy crap, this movie is 20 years old! How the hell did that happen?). I was so amazed but what I was seeing that I had to know how they accomplished the visual effects. I grew up in a world where the effects from Star Wars were a given, so this was the first big, visual cinematic leap that I was privy to. After seeing Terminator 2 I was not just a fan of movies, but a fan of the movie-making process and have been ever since. I’m the guy that watches all of the special features on the DVD so he can know more about how the movie was made, and I have the amazing special effects from T2 to thank for that.
Lastly, and perhaps a little on the sobering side, watching Terminator 2 is one of the last happy memories I have of my family being together. My parents separated when I was 15 and later divorced. Things got pretty bad in the time leading up to the separation, but I still remember sitting down as a family and watching this movie together. In fact, it may be the last movie we watched as a family. In some ways, Terminator 2 feels like a relic from another life while also serving as a portal to it. I cherish my childhood and am happy when my mind allows me to return to those simpler, happier times.
So maybe I am bias in my praise of this movie considering all that it represents to me personally, but I was amazed at just how great it still is. Besides having all of the action, suspense and moments of terror one would expect from a movie called “Terminator”, there is also a fair amount of humor (John teaching the Terminator to smile, Arnold’s various one-liners), sentiment (Sarah and Johns unrelenting love and need to protect each other, self-terminating with a thumbs-up) and empathy (Sarah breaking down once she see’s the fear in the eyes of Miles Dyson and his family when she attempts to assassinate him).
I doubt everyone would want or even bother to look for these extra layers of depth, but for me they solidify these fantastical events firmly in a believable reality. The depth of story and character are what allows T2 to resonate with me after all of these years, the visual effects and action are merely the icing on the metaphorical cake.
Friday, May 20, 2011
The Rundown
Now for something lighter. How about a list?
1. Sorry I missed the blogger party yesterday. I had every intention of going, but between an insane week at work, lack of sleep and a sick child I just didn't have any steam left. Hopefully it was a good time for all, and hopefully I can make the next one.
2. I picked up 3 new beers for the weekend. I went for a barrel aged theme. I will review them later, but in case you're curious I went with the following:
-Harpoon Single Hop ESB (100 Barrel Series #31)
-Heavy Seas Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks
-Dogfish Head Red and White (aged in Pinot Noir barrels and 89% aged on oak barrel staves)
I love that The Perfect Pour is something that exists!
3. Thor! Captain America! X-men: First Class! Super 8! Tree of Life! Harry Potter! I'm a fan of genre cinema, and 2011 just might be the year I put my convictions aside and return to seeing movies in the theater. We'll see...
4. In a recent post, P90 Noir mentioned that we should all be listening to the band The Head and The Heart. He was right to do so as they are amazing. I've been humming Lost In My Mind all week. Thanks P90, I'll see if I can return the favor!
5. Best Buy is running a promotion where you trade-in any DVD movie for $5 off of a selection of 135 sale-priced Blu-Ray movies (limit 5 per visit). I scored the original Terminator, Heat and The Departed for a grand total of $26. I might go back for a few more before the promotion ends.
6. My family is in the process of expanding. We will welcome our niece to this world in a few short months! My Dad and his girlfriend are getting serious these days, so I hope to see more of her and her two daughters, maybe even officially welcome them to our family one day. All this leads to a gaggle of birthdays for the rest of the year. 2 in June that are 3 days apart. 2 in July on the same day. 2 in August within a week of each other (depending on the exact date my nice gets here) and then one per month until the end of the year. This may not sound out of the ordinary to larger families, but for a long time it was just my Dad, brother and I. The change is a welcome one :)
7. In a recent detour due to a major back-up on 95 South, I found my way to the intersection of Route 1 and Route 175. I've been trough this intersection hundreds of time, but I never noticed the following sign until now:
Image is from this site
I found the fact that our first President's trivial/morbid diary entry was worthy of memorializing particularly amusing.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend!
1. Sorry I missed the blogger party yesterday. I had every intention of going, but between an insane week at work, lack of sleep and a sick child I just didn't have any steam left. Hopefully it was a good time for all, and hopefully I can make the next one.
2. I picked up 3 new beers for the weekend. I went for a barrel aged theme. I will review them later, but in case you're curious I went with the following:
-Harpoon Single Hop ESB (100 Barrel Series #31)
-Heavy Seas Cabernet Barrel Aged Below Decks
-Dogfish Head Red and White (aged in Pinot Noir barrels and 89% aged on oak barrel staves)
I love that The Perfect Pour is something that exists!
3. Thor! Captain America! X-men: First Class! Super 8! Tree of Life! Harry Potter! I'm a fan of genre cinema, and 2011 just might be the year I put my convictions aside and return to seeing movies in the theater. We'll see...
4. In a recent post, P90 Noir mentioned that we should all be listening to the band The Head and The Heart. He was right to do so as they are amazing. I've been humming Lost In My Mind all week. Thanks P90, I'll see if I can return the favor!
5. Best Buy is running a promotion where you trade-in any DVD movie for $5 off of a selection of 135 sale-priced Blu-Ray movies (limit 5 per visit). I scored the original Terminator, Heat and The Departed for a grand total of $26. I might go back for a few more before the promotion ends.
6. My family is in the process of expanding. We will welcome our niece to this world in a few short months! My Dad and his girlfriend are getting serious these days, so I hope to see more of her and her two daughters, maybe even officially welcome them to our family one day. All this leads to a gaggle of birthdays for the rest of the year. 2 in June that are 3 days apart. 2 in July on the same day. 2 in August within a week of each other (depending on the exact date my nice gets here) and then one per month until the end of the year. This may not sound out of the ordinary to larger families, but for a long time it was just my Dad, brother and I. The change is a welcome one :)
7. In a recent detour due to a major back-up on 95 South, I found my way to the intersection of Route 1 and Route 175. I've been trough this intersection hundreds of time, but I never noticed the following sign until now:
I found the fact that our first President's trivial/morbid diary entry was worthy of memorializing particularly amusing.
That's all for now. Have a great weekend!
The Apocolypse
There's a lot of talk around those interwebs about tomorrow, May 21st, being the supposed end of the world. There are stories on this subject that come from all sides, including those who believe the world is ending tomorrow and who is to blame, as well as others that choose to make light of the situation.
I wan't to get a little personal here. This whole thing pisses me off. Here's why.
I grew up in a fairly typical Christian household. We went to Church, had Bible studies / home groups and socialized with friends from our Church. One family friend, who's name I shall omit out of respect, was very close to my entire family and many other families in the Church. Most of us kids called him "Uncle" (I will refer to him as Uncle for the rest of this post). He would play with us each and every Sunday. He knew karate, he could run up walls, he was the fastest runner we had ever seen, and he always had an extra large pack of gum to share with the kids.
Something happened to him though, and eventually we saw less and less of him. Turns out he got caught up in this cult that believed the world was going to end on September of 1988. I call it a cult because f**k them! Here is a brief snippet from this website:
Since you are clearly reading this post, you know that the world did not, in fact, end in September of 1988. Something else ended though, and it was my innocence. On a Friday evening a week or so after September 13th, 1988, a lot of people showed up at my house. My parents told my brother and I to go downstairs. Later, my Mom came down and told us that Uncle had died in an accident at work. We were devastated.
The hours went by as more and more people came to our house to talk, mourn or just try to make sense out of this. They needed to make sense of it because he didn't die in an accident, he took his own life because he couldn't handle the thought of living any longer on this Earth. He wanted to be with God. He wanted to be in Heaven.
Later that night, my parents told us the truth. They felt we were owed that. I was only 9 years old. As the days went by I would learn that he chose to shoot himself in the stomach. He knew it would take time for him to die, and he used that time to write an apology note to his roommates and family. He also used that time to repent to God.
What I didn't know about Uncle was that he had a lot of troubles. His life was rough and he was vulnerable because of it. This group took advantage of that vulnerability, and with it they took someone who was loved by many. The only other death that close to me was that of my paternal Grandfather. I was barely three when he died, so this was the first death I can recall. It's also the messiest.
I think about Uncle to this day. I miss him. I wish I had known he was hurting so I could have helped him. I'm sure everyone who knew him wished the same thing. I hope Mr. Whisenant is pleased with his book sales, unaware of the personal cost his beliefs had on my family and friends. Mostly, I hope that when we all wake up on the 22nd, alive and un-raptured, that no one else will become so overwhelmed with sorrow that they choose to take their own lives.
In case you are curious, this experience did not and never could rattle my faith in God. It did, however, open my eyes to the fallacies of the modern Church. Salvation cannot be be packaged as a product, delivered in a Sunday message or a book or a building. The consequences of this are all too real for me.
I wan't to get a little personal here. This whole thing pisses me off. Here's why.
I grew up in a fairly typical Christian household. We went to Church, had Bible studies / home groups and socialized with friends from our Church. One family friend, who's name I shall omit out of respect, was very close to my entire family and many other families in the Church. Most of us kids called him "Uncle" (I will refer to him as Uncle for the rest of this post). He would play with us each and every Sunday. He knew karate, he could run up walls, he was the fastest runner we had ever seen, and he always had an extra large pack of gum to share with the kids.
Something happened to him though, and eventually we saw less and less of him. Turns out he got caught up in this cult that believed the world was going to end on September of 1988. I call it a cult because f**k them! Here is a brief snippet from this website:
Edgar C. Whisenant, a former Nasa engineer and Bible student, wrote and published 88 Reasons Why the Rapture Will Be in 1988, in which he claimed the world would end that year between September 11 and 13.
Scheduled to coincide with Rosh Hoshana, the Jewish New Year, the prediction was based on 88 'proofs' calculated from biblical and historical fact. The failure of Judgement Day to arrive may have left Whisenant with egg on his face, but also money in his pocket: the book reportedly sold millions of copies across the United States.
Since you are clearly reading this post, you know that the world did not, in fact, end in September of 1988. Something else ended though, and it was my innocence. On a Friday evening a week or so after September 13th, 1988, a lot of people showed up at my house. My parents told my brother and I to go downstairs. Later, my Mom came down and told us that Uncle had died in an accident at work. We were devastated.
The hours went by as more and more people came to our house to talk, mourn or just try to make sense out of this. They needed to make sense of it because he didn't die in an accident, he took his own life because he couldn't handle the thought of living any longer on this Earth. He wanted to be with God. He wanted to be in Heaven.
Later that night, my parents told us the truth. They felt we were owed that. I was only 9 years old. As the days went by I would learn that he chose to shoot himself in the stomach. He knew it would take time for him to die, and he used that time to write an apology note to his roommates and family. He also used that time to repent to God.
What I didn't know about Uncle was that he had a lot of troubles. His life was rough and he was vulnerable because of it. This group took advantage of that vulnerability, and with it they took someone who was loved by many. The only other death that close to me was that of my paternal Grandfather. I was barely three when he died, so this was the first death I can recall. It's also the messiest.
I think about Uncle to this day. I miss him. I wish I had known he was hurting so I could have helped him. I'm sure everyone who knew him wished the same thing. I hope Mr. Whisenant is pleased with his book sales, unaware of the personal cost his beliefs had on my family and friends. Mostly, I hope that when we all wake up on the 22nd, alive and un-raptured, that no one else will become so overwhelmed with sorrow that they choose to take their own lives.
In case you are curious, this experience did not and never could rattle my faith in God. It did, however, open my eyes to the fallacies of the modern Church. Salvation cannot be be packaged as a product, delivered in a Sunday message or a book or a building. The consequences of this are all too real for me.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Royal Taj
I love Indian food, but am far from a connoisseur. I've eaten at Ackbar in Baltimore, had some surprisingly good take-out from Gateway (one of my local pizza joints that happens to serve Indian food) and Trader Joe's has some decent frozen Indian dishes that I like to pick up for lunch once and a while.
Last night I was out with family at Royal Taj to celebrate my brother-in-laws birthday. This was my second tip to "the Taj" and definitely not my last. Both times upon arriving our party was greeted and seated within moments. Water glasses were filled and the complimentary papadum with what I assume (I didn't ask) was pickled onion, mint chutney, and tamarind sauce were placed on the table.
Both of my visits to Royal Taj have been on weekdays around 5:30, and both times the place was mostly empty. I'm not sure if this is always the case, and for the sake of their business I hope not. In any case, the service was fantastic, and given how these guys roll I doubt that the service would suffer much if the place was packed.
After taking our orders we never had to worry about a glass or basket of papadum emptying. Refills came without asking, as did a complementary Mango Lassi for my daughter. Last time we were their we had to spoon the drink to her because she couldn't drink from a straw or from a "big girl cup". Fast forward a few months and she had no problem drinking through the straw. She downed the whole (small) glass in a few minutes and instantly wanted more. The staff is enchanted with her so they were happy to oblige, but were sensible enough to wait until dessert to deliver it.
Our appetizers came out after about 10 minutes. We ordered:
The Onion Bhajia was very similar to onion rings and very delicious. The Alu Tikki was awesome, but I didn't care for the Naan. Next up were the entrées. Though several were ordered, I have only had the following:
The Saag Paneer was my dish. I ordered it the first time I dined here and it was so good that I simply had to have it again. My brother ordered the Chicken Tikki Masala. Both dishes are spicy (without being "hot") and flavorful which will make it very difficult for me to ever try anything new in future visits. The Saag Paneer is not unlike spinach dip in consistency and blends wonderfully with the Basmati rice that is delivered with the meals. The Chicken Tikki Masala is rich and creamy, so be sure to order some Naan to sop up the remaining sauce.
For dessert we were brought some complimentary:
I enjoyed it, but wouldn't order it myself. As I mentioned earlier, my daughter received her second glass of Mango Lassi and happily went at it. After we finished our leftovers were boxed, the check was delivered and we left with full stomachs. I cannot stress enough how polite and attentive the staff was, which in and of itself can make dinner out worthwhile. Add to that the delicious food, inviting atmosphere and great company and you have all the ingredients for a successful night out.
Check this place out, you won't regret it.
Royal Taj 8874 McGaw Rd, Columbia, MD 21045 (near the Green Turtle and across from the future Wegmans)
hocofood@@@
Last night I was out with family at Royal Taj to celebrate my brother-in-laws birthday. This was my second tip to "the Taj" and definitely not my last. Both times upon arriving our party was greeted and seated within moments. Water glasses were filled and the complimentary papadum with what I assume (I didn't ask) was pickled onion, mint chutney, and tamarind sauce were placed on the table.
Both of my visits to Royal Taj have been on weekdays around 5:30, and both times the place was mostly empty. I'm not sure if this is always the case, and for the sake of their business I hope not. In any case, the service was fantastic, and given how these guys roll I doubt that the service would suffer much if the place was packed.
After taking our orders we never had to worry about a glass or basket of papadum emptying. Refills came without asking, as did a complementary Mango Lassi for my daughter. Last time we were their we had to spoon the drink to her because she couldn't drink from a straw or from a "big girl cup". Fast forward a few months and she had no problem drinking through the straw. She downed the whole (small) glass in a few minutes and instantly wanted more. The staff is enchanted with her so they were happy to oblige, but were sensible enough to wait until dessert to deliver it.
Our appetizers came out after about 10 minutes. We ordered:
ONION BHAJIA
Thinly sliced onions, lightly deep fried in chick pea batter.
ALU TIKKI
Mashed potatoes patties dipped in spicy chick peas batter and fried till golden brown.
KASHMIRI NAAN
Naan stuffed with Rasins & Almonds.
The Onion Bhajia was very similar to onion rings and very delicious. The Alu Tikki was awesome, but I didn't care for the Naan. Next up were the entrées. Though several were ordered, I have only had the following:
SAAG PANEER
Homemade cheese cooked with fresh spinach, seasoning and spices.
CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA
Chicken breast tenders marinated in spices and yogurt then baked in a tandoor oven and cooked in a tomato based creamy sauce.
The Saag Paneer was my dish. I ordered it the first time I dined here and it was so good that I simply had to have it again. My brother ordered the Chicken Tikki Masala. Both dishes are spicy (without being "hot") and flavorful which will make it very difficult for me to ever try anything new in future visits. The Saag Paneer is not unlike spinach dip in consistency and blends wonderfully with the Basmati rice that is delivered with the meals. The Chicken Tikki Masala is rich and creamy, so be sure to order some Naan to sop up the remaining sauce.
For dessert we were brought some complimentary:
GULAB JAMUN
Deep fried cottage cheese balls, dipped in honey and sugar syrup
I enjoyed it, but wouldn't order it myself. As I mentioned earlier, my daughter received her second glass of Mango Lassi and happily went at it. After we finished our leftovers were boxed, the check was delivered and we left with full stomachs. I cannot stress enough how polite and attentive the staff was, which in and of itself can make dinner out worthwhile. Add to that the delicious food, inviting atmosphere and great company and you have all the ingredients for a successful night out.
Check this place out, you won't regret it.
Royal Taj 8874 McGaw Rd, Columbia, MD 21045 (near the Green Turtle and across from the future Wegmans)
hocofood@@@
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)