10 pounds ‘o blog

wunderkind

Here is something I have been meaning to get done this month. The following are my 10 favorite movies of 2005. These are in no particular order and rank evenly.

1. Batman Begins
Anyone who knows me knows that I have an slightly disturbing fascination with Christian Bale. I’ve long said that he is one of the top actors working today and definitely my favorite. That said, when I heard that Bale would portray the dark knight in a gritty origin movie, I was psyched and I wasn’t let down. I think I smiled the entire movie. Bales performance was great (IMHO) and I was really impressed by Liam Neeson’s performance as Henri Ducard (or Ra’s Al Ghul). The only drawback for me was Katie Holmes….ugh….did we really need this flake onscreen? Thankfully I do not think she is set to star in the sequel.

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Things are changing, the shit is getting more grim and the gang from Hogwarts is back! I love the Harry Potter book series (just the kid in me I assume) and have generally enjoyed the movie (although the second was quite stupid). I was a big fan of the “Prisoner of Azkaban” although it was panned by many. I loved the dark approach brought by Alfonso Cuaron and hope it wouldn’t end with his departure and director Mike Newell did not disappoint me. Can’t wait for the next, “The Order of the Phoenix” is in pre-production and I hope the new director, David Yates, continues the traditional of being true to the books as much as one can without making it cheesy or campy.

3. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I liked it, come on, I’ve never seen a movie that had Darth Vader in it that I did not like. Get over it, there shouldn’t be anymore so let me have this one.

4. Sin City
Visually stunning, bloody violent, never held back, full force punches, incredible eye candy and a knockout cast; Jessica Alba, Mickey Rourke, Bruce Willis, Benecio Del Toro, Clive Owen..etc etc etc. I loved it and have watched it many times over since it came out.

5. Serenity
Hell yeah!! I saw the trailer for this movie long before it came out. I suddenly heard mad buzz about the series which surprised me because I had never before heard of it before. I went out and nabbed the first season on DVD and gave it a watch. The more I watched, the more hooked I was. By the time I finished the 13th episode, I was damn addicted!! Damn was that shit good!! Almost as good as BSG (but that’s another rant in and of itself). I was impressed that the movie picked up the storyline that the series set up and that creator Josh Wedon wasn’t afraid to kill off vital storyline characters. Keep up the good work Josh, you have my vote for a new series and or a new movie based on the Serenity cast.

6. Crash
There is good and bad in all of us. This movie explores this like no other. It will make you think about the nature of bigotry and stereotypes. The characters switch from heavy to hero in a way that is deeply moving and exhilarating. It is TV drama style writing where several different groups of characters and plots interweave (Paul Haggis) but with none of the limits of TV, it reminded me of “Hill Street Blues” which from me is a big compliment. I am a Don Cheadle fan and he captures the role. Sandra Bullock plays against character and pulls it off with ease. The most impressive performance to me was Ryan Phillippe’s. Almost every nationality in LA was represented and they all were interesting and realistic. The ensemble cast and various plots blend together and keep your interest. Cast is great, music is haunting, writing is superb. Go see this movie.

7. Syrianna
When you watch this you will immediately notice time similarities in directing style between this flick and Traffic. (the director also did Rules of Engagement, natch!!) A film of multiple story lines which involve middle eastern politics, US politics and intervention, Big Oil, the CIA and radical Islamic fundamentalism. When unravels is a spiders web of interweaving interests, conspiracies and plotlines which cements the movies taglines “Everything is Connected”. I didn’t really connect with any of the characters, (which is normally fundamental for me to enjoy a film) although I did feel for Damon’s character some, but I think that is to be expected because none of the characters were very likeable. They all had some bad mojo happening at some point and their scheming and conniving further distance them from you throughout the movie. The one character I wanted to like was Alexander Siddig who played Dr Bashir on Star Trek Deep Space 9. He was pretty cool but the film makers played a neat trick on you. They made him very dislikeable thru 3/4 of the movie when all of a sudden you realize that “hey, THIS is the good guy”. Nicely done and well written. Another neat thing I really liked was the lack of music thru the movie. No theme songs to tell you what to feel, the film makers let the celluloid do the emotion telling for you. It wouldn’t work on all films but it does here. The on-location shots were incredibly good and I have always been a fan of the “carried camera” bouncy shot look. For a dramatic work like this, it works very well.

8. The 40 Year Old Virgin
Ok, so the premise seemed silly and I assumed it would be a lot of shallow make-fun-of-the-virgin humor. What a great surprise. I laughed so hard I cried at some of the jokes. This film is a must see for anyone with an open mind and a slightly twisted sense of humor. OK…..this is not a movie to go to with your grandmother (Jack Palance?) or small children. The language is filthy, the jokes are (very) crude, and the sex talk is about as graphic as you’ll find anywhere. What’s amazing, however, is that the movie is still a sweet love story. My girlfriend (read platonic) and I both loved it. Steve Carell is terrific, but (like The Office) the supporting cast really makes the film work. All of the characters have their flaws, but they also have depth and likeability. Everyone pulls their weight and the chemistry is perfect. I can’t wait to get the DVD. I’m sure it will be up there with Office Space for replays and quotable lines.

9. The Constant Gardener
It’s been less than a day since I have seen it and I find it difficult to get it out of my mind. The images and feelings stay with you. The direction, cinematography and editing is superb. If you loved the style of “City of God” with its “documentary style” camera work then you’ll love this too. The story is done “non-linear” like it was in the book….and I thought it made the experience of seeing the movie so much more enjoyable. Since the film starts off very early with the death of Tessa and then continues with Justin’s journey of discovery to find out the cause of her death which only seems to bring even more heartache and anger…..the non-linear style allowed for some light hearted moments from Justin and Tessa’s marriage to break up the tension.The performances by both Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes are excellent. The relationship between Justin and Tessa came across as very real and touching and it’s a testament to the chemistry between the 2 actors. The intimate moments were some of the most realistic I have ever seen of a couple in love……unlike “Hollywood movie love”. Fiennes performance is unforgettable. I would have to rate this very close to the quality I saw in “Schindler’s List”. He demonstrates such a change from the beginning of the movie to the end. He conveys so much with just his face. Justin will break your heart… especially as he gains wisdom. The soundtrack provides a wonderful complement to Justin’s journey of discovery. The music has a haunting quality as does this movie. It’s a testament to Meireilles that the movie seems to slowly draw you in and hooks you as you go along with Justin. It challenges the viewer to see the poverty and forces you to face your own complacency in the world. So as Justin gains wisdom and is forced out of his complacency….. it is like Meireilles is turning the mirror towards the audience and asking them “Do you see what’s happening in the world? What are you going to do about it?”. It is a powerful and moving story and I think will soon become a favorite. A movie that will probably never leave my mind, much like 21 Grams has not.

10. Good Night and Good Luck
I recently caught this movie (yes yes, in JANUARY, gimme a break) and I was wicked hella gnarly style impressed. I saw many an independent film this last year and this was my fave by far. (yeah I thought Broken Flowers sucked, blow me) The film does not - as some have suggested - unfairly portray McCarthy as a sub-human monster. Its presentation of McCarthy is limited strictly to the thread of the storyline and never does it waver toward name-calling or character assassination. This is particularly striking given that MCarthy was a well-seasoned alcoholic and clearly suffered from a narcissistic personality disorder. He was ripe for parody because his eccentricities were so pronounced, but this film is remarkably even-handed about the Senator’s deeds and behavior. There are no allusions either to his peculiar friendship with Roy Cohn, whose notorious homosexual relations with private G. David Schine eventually led to McCarthy’s demented charge that the Army was infested with Communists. Some have even suggested that McCarthy was no stranger to gay trysts. All of this could have made for an explosive - and typical - “Hollywood” movie and would indeed have been propagandistic, shallow and simple-minded. Instead Clooney has made an intelligent, cogent, fair-minded film about ethics, high standards and integrity. Kudos to you George, you was da bomb in Oceans, yo!!

diktat

This has to be a joke, right? Earlier this week we were noting how the greed over ringtone sales was leading the recording industry and the mobile industry to seek out other ways to charge you yet again for the same song you probably already purchased. Ringback tones have now been around for a little while (replacing the “ringing” noise that people hear when they call you — meaning, yes, you’re paying for someone else to listen to music as you’ll never hear it yourself) and have succeeded mainly in confusing a lot of people into thinking that they dialed incorrectly. On Monday we were talking about SMStones, as the latest idea to get you to pay again for an even shorter clip of music… but that’s already out of date. Now people are talking about endtones, hang-up tones and drop tones – bits of music to play when a mobile phone conversation ends via people hanging up or a call is dropped. While there may be something to said for knowing when a call gets dropped (to avoid that awkward moment where you just keep talking and wonder why the other person is being so quiet), are there really people who are going to pay to have a special song play whenever they’re reminded that their mobile operator’s coverage sucks?
This, of course, brings me back to a few points in my Manifesto
recording companies suck
cell phone companies suck
movie studios suck (sorry, I had to throw it in)

(taken from TechDirt)

grandee

Holy Cannoli!! The Italians move pretty fast I have to say. I did my evaluation and consult work yesterday and today when I arrive on site I find that they are already installing the equipment I requested and there is a group of guidos ready to remove the assed-up cabling from this cluster so it can be reinstalled in a “less than assed up” manner.

I respect that. I say jump and they jump. I feel like a dictator. Call me Mussolini from now on, ok?

Yesterday after my colleague and I did our “thing-thing” at CINECA we walked around the city centre of Bologna. I wore the same shoes that I wore to work and that was a mistake. Cobble stone roads and sidewalks equal a pair of pretty gnarly dogs this morning. I have a nasty blister on my right heel and on one of my toes on the left. On another note, we almost got lost again. Its easier to do than it sounds. The streets are narrow and once it gets dark or dusky you cant see landmarks. We backtracked until we found some familiar shops and made it back to the hotel. I was cold though, very cold! Its sub-freezing temperatures here and I don’t have gloves. By the time we got back to the hotel, I had had enough Bologna and was seriously grinding for a little San Diego action. Right now I don’t know how that is shaping up though. I have been warned that the client at my next job in France is not ready for me yet. What will I do? Will I fart around in Italy? I don’t know. Probably not, it is cheaper to fly me home than to pay for me to chill in a 5 star hotel in Italy doing nothing. With my luck I will be asked to move into a hostel. Shrugs.

So I just came back from lunch and I have to say that the Italians know how to eat!! They are treating their new fascist dictator (me) quite well. We went to this traditional Italian eatery. I had a jug of water and so many different breads, pastries, veggies, meats and cheeses. I can’t even start to name them all because I can’t remember them all. There was a lot of it and even after I was full and had pushed my plate away, they kept forcing food on me. I’m so stuffed right now I want to slip into a coma. Afterwards we had an espresso which helped out a lot but I still want to go take a nap.

Ok now I’ve had a nap and I am bored to tears. One of the things I like to do when I am bored is to watch Italian (or Dutch) TV and make up my own dialogue. It is especially entertaining when watching a serious drama like a crime program and then you make up wacky over the top politically incorrect dialogue. It can be hilarious but even that has gotten old. Dinner is on my mind. More to come later, I have to put on 14 layers of clothes now……it snowed this morning.

prediliction

I got hit by a moped (Italy of course) today. He rounded the corner and blew the red light right as I started to cross with the green (I had been waiting for the green) and clipped me good. I spun around and went down and he laid the moped down.

He got pretty animated and I thought he was asking if I was ok. I then figured out he was pissed. I was a tad embarassed and then pretty indignant after the realization of what happened. He was yelling and pointing and I couldnt understand him and then I got pretty pissed and said some things of my own that he couldnt understand. It was getting fairly intense and then………………..

Then the cops showed up.

Cops are even scarier when you dont understand them and they take your passport. Thankfully this chick starts talking to the cops and she speaks english and it all get worked out and they ask me (thru her) if I need medical because Im jacked up. I say no and drag my ass back to the hotel about 50 yards away.

Bloody knee, swollen, bruises, ripped jeans.

All in a days work.

incommunicado

I arrived in Bologna about 6 hours ago. Getting here was much easier than getting to Almere since I just grabbed a cab and handed the cabby a note with the hotels name and address on it. The place is, as I said before, post baby, real posh. It is also really large and quite cold feeling. The service is outstanding but I am not used to this level of class in my living arrangements. I feel so out of place that I might just find a place that is a bit more my level. I was also expecting better food but that could just be because I at here at the hotel. I ordered a shrimp scampi, at least that’s what it said on the menu but what I got was 4 large prawns, squash and onions, all lightly fried, battered with something similar to tempura. I guess I was expecting something oily or buttery but that’s what I got. I have yet to hear from my colleague, he may still be traveling though.

I took a walk earlier and got lost looking at all the architecture. Seriously, lost as in “don’t know where the shit I am” lost. I walked into a library (I think) and tried to get some directions from an employee. It’s hard to believe but my Dutch is great compared to my Italian. I have the pronunciation down but what I think is the correct word is often far from it. Anyway, she let me use her computer to find the hotel and she drew me a rough map of where I was in relation to the hotel’s address. On top of all that, its very cold here, colder than in the Netherlands, about 27 degrees and windy. I was frozen by the time I made it back to Baglioni.

Peace out playas, Gs and hustlers.

recondite

YES!! I finished the SARA gig in Almere and as of late last night around midnight and am back in Amsterdam. My part was done around 4pm but the Cisco guy took forever verifying the fabric work. Fuck it, another cluster complete and I am looking towards the next cluster in Italy. This job was a lot of fun though, the Dutch guys I worked with were really cool. Very smart. One of them, Bas, showed me an email from Google where they just recently offered him a job. I was impressed to say the least. This was a 256 node cluster running a Debian variant with Topspin switching technology. Typical shit. A few of the Dutch guys I worked with from SARA are development contributors for Ganglia, open source software that ive used in the past on these clusters. Cool shit and smart people. Now I have the weekend to get krunk durty souf style with the Amsterdammers. Tonight I am going to a live music thing. Some kind of Dutch hip hop rock thing. Should be the titties. One of the devs at SARA gave me a bunch of Dutch music recomendation to download or buy. Here is a pic of me and the head dev guy from SARA, Bas (and Ganglia). He is the guy in the middle.

So on Monday I fly to Bologna, Italy for another cluster. I was looking for a proper hotel to stay in and then my new Cisco colleague said he was staying at this place called the Grand Hotel Baglioni. Sounds pretty posh, aye? Well I look it up on the web and sure enough, its posh. Since he says this is a Cisco approved hotel I book a week. The cost? PFFFT…only about 2000 euros. Check it out HERE. Look for the one in Bologna because that is where I will be. Posh baby, suave posh!!

Ok Ive had enough online fun I think. I need to book travel to Italy, go buy some deodorant, find a laundry, do some shopping and get some dinner before I go out tonight. Miss you all, 1 week down, many more to go. Until then I will leave you with a few dutch phrases I have found useful.

“I need an ambulance, the spiders are everywhere and I’m really quite scared”
Dutch: Ik heb een ambulance nodig, er zijn overal spinnen en ik ben heel erg bang.
Phonetic: Ick hep un um-boo-luns-uh no-digg, ur sign over-ul spin-nun en ick ben hail air-gggh bung.

“I appear to have soiled myself, could you please call me a taxi?”
Dutch: Ik heb mezelf lichtelijk bevuild, kunt u een taxi voor mij bestellen?
Phonetic: Ick hep muh-self ligggg-tuh-like buh-foult, cunt ooh un taksi for my best-helen

“Please pump my stomach”
Dutch: Kunt u alstublieft mijn maag leegpompen?
Phonetic: Cunt ooh ul-stew-bleeft mine margh lay-gh-pom-pun?

and my personal favorite, most used phrase……..
“I have diplomatic immunity”
Dutch: Ik heb diplomatische immuniteit.
Phonetic: Ick hep deep-low-mat-ish-uh im-mune-eee-tight

quondam

She was a girl from Birmingham
She just had an abortion
She was a case of obscenity
Her name was Pauline she lived in a tree
She was the one who killed her baby
She sent her letters from the country
She was an animal
She was a bloody disgrace !

Mummy
I’m not an animal !

Mummy
Screamin fucking bloody mess
It’s not an animal
It’s an abortion

Body I’m not an animal
Mummy I’m not an abortion !

Throbbing squirm gurgling bloody mess
I’m not a discharge
I’m not a loss in protein
I’m not a throbbing squirm

Fuck this and fuck that
Fuck it all and fuck
The fucking brat
She don’t wanna baby that looks like that
I don’t wanna baby that looks like that
Mummy
I’m not an animal
Mummy
I’m not an abortion

I’m not an animal Mummy !

irrefragable

I traveled for something like 18 hours straight to get to Almere, NL. It is much different from Amsterdam or Rotterdam. The place has only been here for 30 years because it was built over the water. Seriously, this was all aqua about 55 years ago. Everything is very laid out and distant from one another and there is absolutely nothing to do or anywhere to go. No wonder nobody ever recomended it to me on the previous trips to Holland. Anyway, that great hotel they recomended which was supposed to “overlook SARA” is about 9 miles distant from SARA. But hey….it has free wireless!! The wireless is just a signal, you never get an IP or external connectivity from anywhere within the building but hey……its free! Ive tried to call you and email you but I cant get out on my phone and the internet is very spotty. SARA wont let me plug my laptop into their network because they were warned that I am completely leet in every way, especially my computer hacking skills so the best they could do was one of their terminals. (SARA is my client)
I made it and I slept like a babe on the Virgin flight. After that things got dicey. They misplaced my luggage at Heathrow and I was wondering if I would ever get it back. I finally did with about 45 mintues to spare. The flight to Amsterdam was uneventfull but I was so tired. Then trying to negotiate a way to Almere……..on the train…….with luggage and train transfers was a pure hassle. Once I got there…….no hotel………it wasnt where I was told it was. I called them and yeah….its about 6 miles away and there is no shuttle. I waited for an hour for a cab and finally made it. Nice hotel but the dutch are not known for the amenities. The guy I am working with is a nerd to the max, he is wicked-hella annoying too. Yesterday he spilled an entire glass of pear and rasberry juice on me and my clothes. That is one of 3 pairs of jeans I have with me ruined. I wanted to kill him…………

I have 4 days to get this cluster finished and be done with the Cisco guy and Almere before I move on back to Amsterdamn and then off to Italy.

plenary

Great article here about the levees in New Orleans, looking back and being right but not feeling good about it.

redivivus

Good morning, happy new years day.

What is your number one resolution this year? Mine is to fight crime and injustice. I will be a champion of the indigent, all those who cannot defend themselves against the forces of tyranny will have to answer to me. And I will need a slogan, a story, a short blurb about me and what I do….something like this

Knight Rider, a shadowy fight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade to champion the cause of the innocent, the helpless in a world of criminals who operate above the law.

Cool, im way cool.