By hadi alaeddin
Originally Posted On aslittledesign
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iPad is good… Wait, stop wining and let me explain you ingrateful geeks! (This is how Steve Jobs should’ve started his presentation)

Apple launched the iPad yesterday night, never felt geekier as i sat there checking out the live feed on gdgt.com clicking refresh every 30 seconds, stopping on every execs’ statements, and analyzing every picture. I was impressed by how good of a product it is, but it felt funny!

Bear with me on this ok… Now today, I woke up to a new apple homepage, and as usual they followed the keynote with the product showcase video, i thought after watching it, that strange feeling I had yesterday would go away, but still it didn’t.

You can get as much information as you want about the iPad, and all the features in depth, and here is an overview of what the iPad is for those with no idea what we’re talking about here.

But that’s not all what this post is about, this is a collection of my thoughts on why apple will one day rule the world! Oh really? yes really!

So, Two and a half years ago the iPhone was released, five years before that, the iPod, and three years before that was the iMac.

I still remember the hype over the iPhone, as I was still getting into knowing more about industrial design – I majored in 2006 two years after starting college – and in that time it was completely true when they said words like revolutionary, magical, innovative. I watched that video for six months not believing it will be produced until it was released in july 2006, then all hell broke loose.

iPhone, like the iPod and the iMac before it were in fact revolutionary products. They did not only change Apple as a brand, but they literally changed what people thought they need, they changed behavior, instilled loyalty, and gained popularity with people perceiving it as the way cooler, way better looking, way smarter kid that no other kid liked to play with! A show-off they called him! Some kids even called him an elitist, i have no idea where you’ll find a kid say that word but nevermind that!

That’s over-simplification i know but I’ll try to jam in all the info i need to get my point across…

What i mean by changing behavior can be explained by a couple of examples…

You bought an iPod while you have a pc at home, you’ve never used iTunes because you either haven’t heard of it or because you can never find any songs on it, unknown artist being the most dominant artist name in your library! but you don’t care, as long as you have an iPod it doesn’t matter, you can adapt!

Another example. You’ve had a long list of discarded mobile phones, but you’ve never really felt the need to open up your e-mail on those phones, online connection wasn’t that much fun was it, but you get an opportunity to buy an iPhone and suddenly you’re the busy, life on the go, all work no play type, with multiple e-mail accounts, calendar appointments, and to-do list applications installed. You changed, maybe to the worse or maybe to the better, but you changed.
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Now let’s talk about one of the more important things Apple did. As an industrial designer I’m always asked what I do and I always answer based on who is asking and when and why he’s asking… In this case, the definition of design given by the ICSID (international Council of Societies of Industrial Design) fits perfectly.

Design is a creative activity whose aim is to establish the multi-faceted qualities of objects, processes, services and their systems in whole life cycles. Therefore, design is the central factor of innovative humanisation of technologies and the crucial factor of cultural and economic exchange.

Since 1998, Apple has been taking gigantic leaps in innovation, risking massive losses with every new product launch, never compromising, never negotiating terms, and most importantly never disappointing (yes even the apple tv)

It’s now 12 years and Apple is now selling music, movies, applications, ebooks, publishing podcasts, treating software developers very well, and their retail customers better, designing the best accessories, while opening wide opportunities to the infinite amount of third party accessory companies, and doing that at very affordable prices (respectively) and above all that, guaranteeing the best user experience across all mentioned platforms!

“Objects, processes, services and their systems in whole life cycles.”

That’s why after this much growth and change on both ends of the company and the customer, this was the perfect timing for a product like the iPad, a product that’s not necessarily revolutionary in technology or aesthetic, but definitely in it’s positioning. it’s easy to disagree with this but iPad is the product the brings the apple brand to a full circle.

There you have it… I could have ranted and went on and on how un-amazed i was. I could’ve went on about the app icon layout, the big screen smudges, no usb, no camera, no multi-tasking, no new groundbreaking efforts in changing aesthetics, and i definitely could have shortened this post to one sentence that the iPad is a giant iPhone with iWork!… But I didn’t because the iPad is good! even if it is underwhelmingly good for now.

This is what the short-sighted review woul’ve looked like:

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Finally, you have to know by now… Look where the iMac, iPod, and iPhone were back in the day and where they are are now. So far it seems, the iPad might have the biggest prospects of any Apple product ever made! That is definitely worth waiting for!

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While you’re waiting, don’t forget to check out this video, and ask yourself how on earth does Apple think they’d get away with a name like the iPad!?

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iPad is good… Wait, stop wining and let me explain you ingrateful geeks! (This is how Steve Jobs should’ve started his presentation)

Apple launched the iPad yesterday night, never felt geekier as i sat there checking out the live feed on gdgt.com clicking refresh every 30 seconds, stopping on  every execs’ statements, and analyzing every picture. I was impressed by how good of a product it is, but it felt funny!

Bear with me on this ok… Now today, I woke up to a new apple homepage, and as usual they followed the keynote with the product showcase video, i thought after watching it, that strange feeling I had yesterday would go away, but still it didn’t.

You can get as much information as you want about the iPad, and all the features in depth, and here is an overview of what the iPad is for those with no idea what we’re talking about here.

But that’s not all what this post is about, this is a collection of my thoughts on why apple will one day rule the world! Oh really? yes really!

So, Two and a half years ago the iPhone was released, five years before that, the iPod, and three years before that was the iMac.

I still remember the hype over the iPhone, as I was still getting into knowing more about industrial design – I majored in 2006 two years after starting college – and in that time it was completely true when they said words like revolutionary, magical, innovative. I watched that video for six months not believing it will be produced until it was released in july 2006, then all hell broke loose.

iPhone, like the iPod and the iMac before it were in fact revolutionary products. They did not only change Apple as a brand, but they literally changed what people thought they need, they changed behavior, instilled loyalty, and gained popularity with people perceiving it as the way cooler, way better looking, way smarter kid that no other kid liked to play with! A show-off they called him! Some kids even called him an elitist, i have no idea where you’ll find a kid say that word but nevermind that!

That’s over-simplification i know but I’ll try to jam in all the info i need to get my point across…

What i mean by changing behavior can be explained by a couple of examples…

You bought an iPod while you have a pc at home, you’ve never used iTunes because you either haven’t heard of it or because you can never find any songs on it, unknown artist being the most dominant artist name in your library! but you don’t care, as long as you have an iPod it doesn’t matter, you can adapt!

Another example. You’ve had a long list of discarded mobile phones, but you’ve never really felt the need to open up your e-mail on those phones, online connection wasn’t that much fun was it, but you get an opportunity to buy an iPhone and suddenly you’re the busy, life on the go, all work no play type, with multiple e-mail accounts, calendar appointments, and to-do list applications installed. You changed, maybe to the worse or maybe to the better, but you changed.

…

…

Now let’s talk about one of the more important things Apple did. As an industrial designer I’m always asked what I do and I always answer based on who is asking and when and why he’s asking… In this case, the definition of design given by the ICSID (international Council of Societies of Industrial Design) fits perfectly.

Design is a creative activity whose aim is to establish the multi-faceted qualities of objects, processes, services and their systems in whole life cycles. Therefore, design is the central factor of innovative humanisation of technologies and the crucial factor of cultural and economic exchange.

Since 1998, Apple has been taking gigantic leaps in innovation, risking massive losses with every new product launch, never compromising, never negotiating terms, and most importantly never disappointing (yes even the apple tv)

It’s now 12 years and Apple is now selling music, movies, applications, ebooks, publishing podcasts, treating software developers very well, and their retail customers better, designing the best accessories, while opening wide opportunities to the infinite amount of third party accessory companies, and doing that at very affordable prices (respectively) and above all that, guaranteeing the best user experience across all mentioned platforms!

“Objects, processes, services and their systems in whole life cycles.”

That’s why after this much growth and change on both ends of the company and the customer, this was the perfect timing for a product like the iPad, a product that’s not necessarily revolutionary in technology or aesthetic, but definitely in it’s positioning. it’s easy to disagree with this but iPad is the product the brings the apple brand to a full circle.

There you have it… I could have ranted and went on and on how un-amazed i was. I could’ve went on about the app icon layout, the big screen smudges, no usb, no camera, no multi-tasking, no new groundbreaking efforts in changing aesthetics, and i definitely could have shortened this post to one sentence that the iPad is a giant iPhone with iWork!… But I didn’t because the iPad is good! even if it is underwhelmingly good for now.

This is what the short-sighted review woul’ve looked like:

…

Finally, you have to know by now… Look where the iMac, iPod, and iPhone where back in the day and where they are are now. So far, iPad might have the biggest prospects of any Apple product ever made! That is definitely worth waiting for!

…

While you’re waiting, don’t forget to check out this video, and ask yourself how on earth does Apple think they’d get away with a name like the iPad!?

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There is no doubt that the French are among the foremost culinary artists in the world, but I can’t simply give them carte blanche. Not all of their food is good. In fact, some of it is down right- gasp!- awful. When you’re in France, I would suggest avoiding the following establishments unless you are in true danger of starvation.

When in Paris, do not, under any circumstances, eat at…

• Le Boeuf sur le toit - 34, rue du Colisée          (M) Saint-Philippe-du-Roule

If you like oysters, this snotty French establishment is the place to be; their oyster bar is extensive and magnificent. The rest of the art deco restaurant, however, is sadly neglected and has begun to decay. What must have been a hot spot twenty years ago now screams of faded glory. The service is deplorable, and the food, which often arrives cold, is little better. To add insult to injury, patrons foot the bill for Le Boeuf’s high-rent location; prices are absurdly high- lunch for two can easily cost 100€.

• Le Grand Corona - 3, place de l’Alma          (M) Alma-Marceau

Much like at Le Boeuf, you pay for location at Le Grand Corona, not the food. Although their croque monsieur and hotdog parisien are as good as you’ll find them, nowhere on earth is a glorified grilled cheese sandwich worth 6€, no matter how close the restaurant may be to l’Ile-de-la-Cité. Add a 4€ glass of Fanta to your bill and you’ve spent your sightseeing money for the day. Walk a few blocks away from the Seine and you can eat for half the price; a quarter of the price, in fact, if you look hard enough.

• Restaurant Grill Hippopotamus - Multiple locations around Paris

This would-be American chain is nothing more than a tourist trap. The shiny lighting, homogenous décor and friendly cartoon hippo are designed to attract ignorant North Americans. They work every time. The food is bland, inoffensive and over-priced. If you really want to eat somewhere like Moxie’s, stay home.

• Quick - Multiple locations around Paris

A fast food chain based in Belgium, Quick makes all the same bad food that McDonald’s does, and then slathers some European-style cheese product on top of it. Their food looks singularly unappealing even in advertisements, and tastes even worse. Do not, even in desperation, succumb.

If you’ve eaten anywhere else in Paris that you think other travellers should avoid, share your experiences in the comments section!

It may seem that I have written quite extensively about Parisian tourist attractions, but the fact is, there are many I have missed. It may shock some travellers who are familiar with Paris that I left hot spots like the Palais de Versailles and Musée Picasso off my must-see lists.

I could have written about every single tourist attraction in Paris. But I chose not to. (The list would have become impossibly long, anyway.) The sites I wrote about are the ones I that I found to be awe-inspiring on my own visits. And the few that left me bitterly disappointed. I have mixed feelings about certain attractions, and chose to leave those out to avoid confusion. I don’t necessarily recommend the Palais de Versailles as a tourist attraction, but I know that many people love it. Similarly, I am not a big fan of Picasso, so an entire museum devoted to his work was a bit much for me. But just because I don’t love something doesn’t mean others won’t.

Paris is full of amazing things that are just waiting to be discovered. As a traveller, it’s up to you to find things that you will love. I just hope that I’ve nudged some of you in the right directions.

In Paris as in life, not everything is wonderful. Some Parisian tourist attractions are decidedly less attractive than their Homecoming Queen sisters, who I have devoted my past six posts to. You may not even have heard of some of the sites on this list. Some of them may seem synonymous with the Parisian experience. But trust me, they are all less than spectacular.

If you have a lot of time on your hands, by all means, visit these places. But if you’re trying to maximise your time, skip them all-together.

When in Paris, don’t feel obligated to visit these attractions. You won’t miss anything.

• Arènes de Lutèce

What it is… The remains of Paris’ Roman amphitheatre, built it the 1st century AD. The arena once sat 15,000.

Why not… Only a portion of the amphitheatre remains. The space is used as a public park, and is far more suited to being a soccer field for children than a tourist attraction. What is left of the Roman megalith can be toured in only a few minutes. And there is little else in the neighbourhood to see.

How to get there… (M) Cardinal-Lemoine

• Champs-Élysées/Place de la Concorde

What it is… A long, wide avenue of movie theatres, expensive car dealerships and designer clothing stores. Place de la Concorde, home of the Obelisk of Luxor, is at one end. L’Arc de Triomphe is at the other.

Why not… At one time, this street likely was a glittering wonderland of fashion and celebrity; a place to see and be seen. Today, it is nothing more than a tourist trap. Corporations like Virgin Megastore and McDonald’s vie to squeeze every last dollar from the sneaker-wearing masses who, dazed by the sheer foreignness of France and weighed down by their backpacks, are desperate to find something familiar. You will waste an incredible amount of time here, and all you will see are stores you can see almost anywhere else in the city.

How to get there… (M) Concorde

• La Défense

What it is… Paris’ business district- the only place in the city where modern construction and high-rises are allowed.

Why not… While the neighbourhood is bizarre in contrast with the rest of Paris, it looks very much like any other modern city. If you’re from North America, chances are that you’re already extremely familiar with high rises and don’t really need to see the French take on them.

How to get there… RER D – La Défense

• Cimetière Pere-Lachaise

What it is… The largest cemetary in Paris. Established by Napoleon I in 1804, it is home to the remains of many famous people, including (but certainly not limited to) Molière, Balzac, Chopin, Haussmann and, of course, Jim Morrison.

Why not… Long story short: this is a cemetary. A huge cemetary. Granted, if you troll around for hours on the uneven cobblestones, you might see where some relatively interesting people are buried. But, just like regular people, they were all far less interesting in death than they were in life.

How to get there… (M) Père-Lachaise

• Forum les Halles

What it is… The former site of Paris’ largest public market, Forum les Halles is now a large underground mall.

Why not… Remember when you were a teenagers with a lot of your time on your hands and nowhere to go? Remember how you hung out at the mall? Well, that’s what kids in Paris do, too. This place is teeming, particularly on the weekend, with kids who have nothing to do but get into trouble. If you do visit, keep your head down and hold your purse tightly- particularly at the street entrance.

How to get there… (M) Châtelet-les-Halles

• Le Musée des égouts

What it is… A museum devoted to Paris’ sewer system.

Why not… The museum is actually in the sewer. For 4,20€ you have the privilege of going underground, into the sewer, and read several artistically arranged placards about the Paris sewer system, from its inception to present. There are some dummy dressed up as city workers, too. The whole thing is ridiculous, and wouldn’t be worth the money if it were free.

How to get there… (M) Alma-Marceau

Well shoot. I’ve gone and started a blog.

Tentatively I’m going to focus this sucker on illustration, but I may venture into more full-on design related art should I feel it’s worthy of posting. I’m doing this to get in a good habit. I’m challenging myself to come up with one unique “illo” – re: illustration – every day outside of work.

That said, I don’t have anything new so I’m going to cheat and post a thing I did for work today:

Pseudo-final concept for some upcoming tote bags.

I know, I know it’s kinda lame. We’ll start with the whimper and build to the BANG! Or not.

Let’s just see what happens.

OH! And what’s up with Brad Pitt’s chin?

The newest Ocean's Eleven castmember.

That thing’s taking on a life of its own right!? On the plus side you can cast the goatee as yet another wacky sidekick in the next ‘Ocean’s’ movie. ZING!

OK, posting gossip-related things makes me a little ill. I’m going to leave this stuff to the pros.

That’s it.

This may explain why Harvard gets its ass handed to it on the gridiron year after year...

To the Admissions Board of Harvard University:

This letter of intent has been written to announce my intentions to receive a four-year scholarship as your starting quarterback. While I have had a few options in the academic market, none of the community colleges or online universities have the wealth of history (and history of wealth) that Harvard’s MBA program offers.

While a quick look at my enclosed SAT scores may not reflect the level of excellence you have come to expect from incoming students, let me assure you that they no not reflect my years of “real world” experience.

I would also like to point out my historical reference work, The Presidents of Harvard University (Vols. 1-4). While not as thorough as the incredibly brief Wikipedia entry, the four essays do shine some new light on some unknown aspects of the prestigious line of Harvard presidents. Keep in mind that it is heavily peppered with swear words, the vernacular of the common man.

You may be asking yourselves why a 35-year-old high school graduate would be interested in pursuing a starting position on the Harvard Crimson football squad. You may also be wondering why I put quotes around “real world” rather than “experience.”

Two words: Harvard Tradition.

While there are many Division 1-A schools out there with more competitive teams and a more sports-oriented focus, the truth of the matter is that their competitiveness often works against them, and especially, me. Let’s be honest with each other: Harvard’s focus has always been on academic success rather than athletic glory. I believe this meshing, if you will, of our strong points will allow me to skate by with a low-C average while still allowing you the luxury of having a somewhat athletic quarterback.

I may need to lose about 30 pounds and get my 40-yard time down into the low 7’s, but I believe I can probably meet the goals in time for next year’s football season. I will also look into cutting back on my 4-pack-a-day habit, which is spiced up with the occasional box of cigars.

I’ve been working out during what I’m proactively referring to as the “offseason” with an under-employed neighbor who has played professionally with a variety of arena football teams in the capacity of equipment manager. We’ve done some laundry, watched some highlight tapes and tossed the ol’ pigskin around for the past several weeks. I will continue this vigorous training until camp opens or he is evicted, whichever comes first.

On the academic side, I am currently brushing up on my long-neglected math skills and reading up on current events. I am hoping to be prepared to “nail down” a two-year business statistics degree within the next 4-6 years. During this time I will also serve as the starting quarterback from the Fighting Crimsoneers.

I would also like to take this time to mention my respect for your proud tradition of gentlemanly sportsmanship, as is evidenced by your unwillingness and inability to “run up the score” on opponents. I hope to personify these traditions with my ability to “manage the game” and “not turn the ball over too often.” Let’s work together to play to the best of our abilities and not beat ourselves.

Thank you in advance for your prompt attention.

Sincerely,
CLT

P.S. I am serious.

P.P.S. Do you have an application for “Skull and Bones” I can fill out in advance? I understand the application process is complicated, humiliating and possibly done at another Ivy League school altogether.

This episode better have Dinobots in it.

The autobots go camping, where they are attacked by a giant monster thing. The monster thing ends up being made of “Space Barnacles”, which have taken over some construction machinery. The original Space Barnacle monster is defeated, but Prowl gets infected and is reduced to a zombie-like state.

Spiffy:

• The tiny construction robots are obviously based on the constructicons colour wise.
• The giant monster thing has a scoop for an arm, which reminds me of Devestator somewhat.
• Prowl uses an awesome fire beam thing at one point.
• Good lord Prowl is scary as a space barnacle plaything.
• Sari is honestly a pretty likable character.

Iffy:

• I cannot believe I just wrote “The autobots go camping”. The Gee-wunner inside me just died a little.
• “Autobots do human things” gags are still not particularly funny.
• “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size” is the worst, most overused piece of dialogue EVER.
• No Dinobots
• No Decepticons either :|

I’m not TRYING to dislike this show, it just keeps disappointing me. The “Autobots attempting human things” gag is way overplayed, and simply not funny most of the time. The biggest problem this show has is that the script is just so generic: These aren’t stories written for Transformers, they’re generic stories anyone could be starring in. Replace the main characters with random people and replace the space barnacles with a zombie plague and hey, instant story!

Sorry guys, but I’m honestly not sure how much more of this show I can take. Considering I own a good 4 other series of Transformers (The original, Headmasters, Super God Masterforce, Victory) I’m not seeing any reason to keep watching right now.

ROAR. or something.

Yoga Fire!

Zombieformers. Hopefully not appearing in the next Michael Bay movie.

When watching a Godzilla movie there’s 2 things you can do. You can either just enjoy it for what it is, or you can nitpick and laugh at the stupid things it does. I tend to do both.

In the aftermath of Mechagodzilla Against Godzilla, Mothra has appeared and demands that Godzilla’s bones be returned to the ocean. Why? Yeah I dunno, just because. Mothra fights Godzilla, Kiryu attacks Godzilla, big fight ensues. Kiryu gets damaged (Again) and someone has to go fix him (Again).

Spiffy:

• Kiryu somehow looks MORE awesome than in the previous movie.
• Kiryu absolutely wipes the floor with Godzilla until a lucky hit from Godzilla.
• Kiryu uses his hand as a DRILL and atually manages to hurt Godzilla.
• Seriously Toho, give Kiryu his own spin off movie. Oh wait, no. You killed him off in this one. Losers.

Iffy:

• The reasoning behind Mothra’s inclusion in the movie is, at best, incredibly weak. No real reason is ever given for why Godzilla’s bones have to return to the ocean, other than “Because I said so”.
• One scene has a CGI Godzilla underwater: It looks like rubbish
• In the previous movie they mention masers having no effect on Godzilla. Why stick one on Kiryu?
• Kiryu doesn’t actually do anything until the 45 minute mark.
• The plot and pacing of this one are pretty weak overall. Not to mention the plot itself is basically identical to the last film.
• The subtitles are kind of inconsistant. Kiryu is referred to as “Mechagodzilla” throughout, presumably because none of us saw the movie before and we’re all idiots?
• Just generally feels like a much, MUCH weaker version of the previous movie in all regards.

This is honestly one of the weaker Godzilla movies until about the 50 minute mark when Kiryu hits the scene, and even then it’s only about 5-10 minutes until Kiryu is knocked out. To me this really does seem like the sort of movie that they made simply by going “That last movie was great, let’s make another one”. There’s no real reason for Mothra to be in this movie whatsoever, her input into the story is simply to attack Godzilla, get wasted by Godzilla, then use the Mothra larvae to coat Godzilla in webbing.

But DAMN Kiryu is awesome.

MISSILE HASSHA!

GIGAAAA DRIIIIILL BREEEEEEEAK!

THUNDAAAAAAA BREEEEEEEAK!

Baer, Martha ~ As Francesca

When I selected this book I thought
Wow, everything’s different in ‘B’. It’s darker and more mysterious and then I realised that’s because the ‘B’ shelves are further from the sunny northern window than ‘A’ *d’oh*. The book’s blurb sounded like an interesting foray into the muddling of professional and online lives.

50-word description
Elaine Botsch is a go-getter in a soulless corporation and in the night hours becomes Francesca, the online sexual plaything of a dominatrix named Inez. After ‘Francesca’ mistakenly logs in under her real name, Inez hints she knows the real-life Elaine, sending her into an emotional and professional tailspin.

150-word review
The premise of ‘real’ and online worlds colliding was daring at the time (the book’s release in 1997 was still in the early days of widespread popularity of internet chat rooms) but the novel’s execution fell flat.

Plot climaxes slipped by quietly, hidden in long and rarely insightful prose about identity. The overall theme of the book suffered from confusion between wanting to be a cautionary tale of who we share our secrets with, a mystery novel or a precursor to the darker chick lit genre.

I couldn’t identify with or be drawn into the corporate and virtual worlds created by the author because neither was tempting. Most of the characters were thinly rendered and didn’t evolve past initial glimmers of interest.

I kept reading out of curiosity to learn which character was behind Inez’s user name. However, by the end it didn’t really matter because most of the suspects had been discounted too early in the text.

martha baer ~ as francesca

Found in
Fiction B

Read
Jul 09

Links
Random House book blurb
Frankston Library catalogue link

Rating
Underwhelming

This is book 25 of the project.

When I was younger, about five years ago, I became slightly fascinated with the supernatural and paranormal aspects of life.  I remember having a couple books on ghosts, one of which I treated as my bible of supernatural knowledge.  I remember one particular recurring dream I had about vampires, and lying awake in bed thinking about how a UFO could swoop in over my house and abduct me through my window.

That fascination manifested itself into a different one, extra-sensory perception.  To be more concise, I will use the acronym ESP.  ESP is the technical term that encompasses the phenomenons of clairvoyance, telepathy, and precognition.  Still in the realm of the paranormal, I drifted away into dreams of believing I had a variety of psychic powers, from mind-reading to telekinesis.

I did not just want it, I prayed for it before I went to sleep at night.  Yeah, I suppose I always had my head in the clouds.  I knew there were tricks, but I never wanted to trick anyone into thinking I had psychic powers.  I just wanted the magic. So, what does a boy do when he finds his dream impossible?  He loses it.

I do not recall who initiated it.  This girl and I were sitting near each other in World History class.  She maintained a very Gothic look daily; some people teased that she was a vampire.  I do not recall if I ever did.  Anyway, one of us asked if I could think of a color, and she would guess which color it was.  That day, she guessed right.  I asked her if she could guess again, and she replied that she could only guess once a day.

The next day I asked, and she guessed right again.  Some days she would refuse to answer, but every time she guessed she guessed correctly.  Only once I complicated the game (“navy blue,” “lime green,” “silver”) did she start losing.  Every time she guessed right though, my friends and I would credit her “Jedi powers,” and she would smile to herself, secretly hiding the key.

I think it only occurred to me to ask her the key much later.  She gave herself away quickly.  I was stupefied; she guessed based on the color I was wearing that day.  It made total sense to me why that would work on someone else, but I could not believe that I had fallen for a ruse so… obvious.  I suppose it is not really a ruse; no one tricked me into picking the colors I picked.  That was the magic.

I decided to test the method.  That day I asked another girl I knew to think of a color.  This girl was the type to always fall for a clever trick, what my friends and I dubbed “solely book smart and without common sense.”  Based on her clothing I deduced the most likely candidate was blue.  She shook her head; the color was purple.  I was both frustrated and perplexed.  I asked her why she chose purple, and she replied that it was her favorite color.

I was angry at the time, but now I understand.  She was playing with much more simpler rules in mind.  Simple magic, like cracking a hollow egg to find there is no yolk.

It would have still been an incredible feat to suck all of the yolk from an egg without breaking it, but to break an egg your audience knows to be hollow, only to find it empty, is an underwhelming trick.

It would have still been an incredible feat to find out her favorite color from one of her friends without her knowing, but to guess purple correctly, simply based upon the fact that its your audience’s favorite color, is an underwhelming trick.

That failure caused me to take some action.  I wanted to know how people worked.  A simple person would say I just wanted to know what color you are thinking of; I say this went a little deeper.  I have, over the past few years, examined the people around me closely.  Just now am I seeing the results of it.  Very often now, I see the hidden motives behind the actions of others.  Sometimes, I know exactly what a person will say before they say it.  I once drew from one person’s comment, a person I know very well, an entire network of thoughts and resulting actions inside my head.

Television and movies?  Please.  If you pass me half of a conversation on a Hollywood script, I could tell you the other half, word for word.  Lets just say that many films are below my standards of approval.  Never sit next to me during a movie, I’ll annoy the hell out of you by pointing out product placements, plot holes and “obvious” foreshadowing.

In a way, I have furthered myself into discovering ESP.  Clairvoyance, telepathy and precognition are still within the realm of possibility.

Because what is precognition but projecting current knowledge into a prediction of the future.  What is telepathy but finding the mental rules by which someone plays, and knowing (not guessing) what he/she thinks.  And what is clairvoyance but to figure out, by all your worldly experiences, whatever it is that you want to know, and having no one doubt you.

The Bollywood Slumdog Awar– er 81st Academy Awards were a real snooze fest. Underwhelming barely describes it. The winners were utterly predictable, the jokes were lame, much of the music performance shameful, the presenters awkward and bizarre, and the memorial tribute for members of the Academy that have passed away was the most disgusting insult that I have ever seen. I could go on for hours (really), but I’ll try to be brief (something that the Oscars did not grant us… thank you Jerry Lewis though for trying to speed things up with your 2-minute acceptance speech)

Presenter Woes

What was up with the bizarre mix-bag assortment 5 former winner presenters in the acting categories? I can sort of see where they were going with this – trying to get a sense of legacy and of past winners passing on the torch so to speak, but what we got was a long, dull, drawn out process. We had to sit through each of the former winners heap praise on the nominees individually, often incoherently, like a very leathery, mannish-looking Sophia Loren on Meryl Streep.

And why would we care what they had to say anyway? They are actors, not critics. The show made them out to be mentoring “Oscar Gods” – taking the focus AWAY from the nominees – when really they are all colleagues on equal footing, as far as I’m concerned, and they had no reason even to be mentoring anyone.

And did they seriously bring Cuba Gooding Jr. back as one of the presenters for Best Supporting Actor? Like anyone takes anything he says seriously anymore? After his 1996 Oscar win, he has starred in such masterpieces as Snow Dogs, Boat Trip, Rat Race, Daddy Day Camp, and, I kid you not, The Land Before Time 13. Instead of on a mentoring pedestal, he should be used as a prime example of what not to do after winning the Oscar.

It never ceases to amaze me how some good actors suck at reading naturally off of a teleprompter. Can’t they just pretend that they are acting in a movie?

Memorial Disgrace

The tribute to people in the film industry that have died in the past year was an utter disgrace! There were dozens of screens on the stage and the camera was wildly flying around, zooming in and out, instead of focusing on the main screen. In years past, there has been somber music playing in the background. This year they had Queen Latifah singing some sort of ballad in the center of the stage, taking the attention away from those being honored! Yes, the camera even focused on her for much of it. I could BARELY make out who it was on the tribute screens.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, we could hear exactly how much the audience was applauding each person. Little-known actors and “unimportant” production people received almost nothing! Heck, Paul Newman didn’t even get all that much. People have been saving their whooping applause to honor Heath Ledger, whom they must have forgotten was honored in last year’s tribute. This whole display was disgusting. Why not just save the applause until everyone has been honored?

Music Disappointment

The selections from the nominated best scores must have been the most boring sections from each.

The tribute to musicals was an utter cheesy mess. That has got to be the most incoherent and random mess of a musical medley that I have ever experienced. It was as if the person responsible for it (apparently director Baz Luhrmann of Moulin Rouge, which actually explains a lot) had never even seen the movie musicals to which he was making tribute. Mamma Mia was partially performed by some bizarre drum line instead of the actual performers (who appeared randomly for 30 seconds, along with Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens, who mercifully appear for about the same amount of time.) and I can only describe Beyonce’s performance, in the most unflattering outfit that I have ever seen her wear, as insipid and uninspired. Is it now a requirement that Beyonce perform at the Oscars every year? At least she wasn’t performing every single song this year!

The Best Song category is once again a joke this year. There were only three nominees, two of which are from Slumdog Millionaire. All three are featured in the closing credits of the movies. Come on, let’s get some songs that are actually featured in the movies! All three were performed Bollywood style… yes, even the song from Wall-E, which was oddly sandwiched between the two Slumdog songs.

The best original song from a film this past year was without a doubt Rock Me Sexy Jesus from Hamlet II, which was totally snubbed.

Watch it here:

Final Thoughts

One of Hugh Jackman’s only funny lines is that he didn’t see The Reader, and Jack Black jokes that he hasn’t seen any of the films nominated this year besides his, and that “neither did a lot of people.” It’s funny because it’s true. We need less art house movies nominated and more movies that people actually watched and enjoyed – you know, the whole point of movies existing in the first place.

Well, I wait for five movies that I am looking forward to review, Slumdog Millionaire, Revolutionary Road, Doubt, Rachel Getting Married and The Wrestler to see. I want to see another list of those films that I was surprised that I liked and also those films that I thought were overrated films getting a lot of Oscar buzz that are not needed.

Surprising movies of 2008:

“Hamlet 2″

People were very lukewarm to this movie. Saying it was very offensive and bashing Christianity. I think when people take themselves too seriously then they should be made fun of. I thought the actual production was genius.

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona”

I was hesitant to see this film because I was angry when I saw “Cassandra’s Dream” and “Scoop”. I was expecting to hate this movie, but I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this film. I had some problems with the characterizations of Bardem’s and Cruz’s characters, but I enjoyed the dynamics with the characters in different configurations.

“Role Models”

This movie was slow to start with me. Some of the jokes fell flat, but when the Big Brothers (Rudd and Scott) begin to immerse themselves in the lives of their Little Brothers (Mintz-Plaas, Thompson) it really shines. Also, the epic battle sequence at the end was classic.

“Gran Torino”

I heard people trashing movie, Clint’s performance, the young actors, the ridiculous situations, and everything in between. I quite enjoyed this film. Is it the best film of the year? No. Was it a fun ride? For me, abso-fucking-lutely. I liked the playful racist banter between Walt and the barber and the supervisor at the construction site. It was hilarious to me.

“Zack and Miri Make A Porno”

It’s not that I had low expectations of this movie. This film is coming from the wonderfully dirty of Kevin Smith. I was surprised that the film did not make enough money when it was released on Halloween. I listen to his podcast, SModcast for awhile and I was disheartened that Kevin was holed up in his house for months when he learned that the film barely broke even at the box office.

I thought the film was hilarious. Jason Mewes getting incredibly ripped at showing what he’s got. Dutch-ruddering. Classic Kevin Smith. Don’t worry, Kev, people will definitely purchased this on DVD.

“In Bruges”

I saw the trailer for this film at the beginning of the year and I thought it was just another hitman movie. I’ve seen enough of those. When I heard the guys at “Filmspotting” and the hosts of “Cinebanter” praise this film. I wanted to see it when it came out on DVD. This is the most vastly underrated movie of the year. It’s so good with it’s politically incorrect dialogue, unsympathetic characters that have some redeeming qualities about them, also the undercurrent of faith, life, death, and purgatory was perfectly captured in this film.

“Iron Man”

When I heard that “Iron Man” was coming out in theaters, I was iffy with it. Then, after the box office bonanza, I wanted to see it, but I was holding out for “The Dark Knight” and “Sex and the City: The Movie”. I saw this movie around the time the DVD came out. I was hesitant with the beginning sequences in Afghanistan. It went on a little too long, but when it got back to America. It soars. Literally. The special effects, the flying, the way the suit build around Tony Stark. I had a mind-gasm. Let’s not forget the last line of the movie. Pretty bad ass.

Underwhelming movies of 2008:

“Frost/Nixon”

This film has been nominated for a couple of awards; Golden Globes, SAGs, Critics Choice, etc. Frank Langella was good as Richard Nixon. Michael Sheen is an underrated actor as well as Sam Rockwell. The movie as a whole didn’t grab me. This was a play converted to the big screen by Peter Morgan, based on his play. I didn’t feel anything. We all know what happens in the end. The “documentary” vignettes were unnecessary. I wish there was more umph.

“Twilight”

People were going apeshit over this movie. Teenage girls were creaming their panties over Robert Pattinson. Fans of Stephanie Meyers were salivating over seeing this film. I was just curious at what the fuss was all about. The movie was blah. It just laid there like a lump of coal. It was washed out. There was no action in it. The questionable hair choices of the cast. The endless stares. I could go on and on, but I won’t. This movie was disappointing to say the very least.

“The Visitor”

I heard about this movie on one of the podcasts that I listen to. I watched the latest movie from Tom McCarthy and I really liked it, but it lacked the depth and subtly like he had done with “The Station Agent.” Richard Jenkins was good as well as Haaz Sleiman as Tarek. The culture aspect of the film was good, but the hanging chad that was the immigration issue was not explored further.

“Snow Angels”

Here is another film that I heard of and I checked it out and I was not into it like I wanted it to be. The characters were unsympathetic and have no redeeming qualities. I didn’t care about them. I only cared about the teenagers in the movie and Amy Sedaris.

“WALL-E”

I was up and down whether this movie should be here. I like the movie, I almost cried when WALL-E almost died. However, the blatant environmental message that Andrew Stanton tries to downplay. I don’t buy it, sir. I wish that the message did not slap you in the face. The fat people rolling around like blobs of flesh. The inexplicable babies in the nursery when the people always stayed in those hovering chairs.

“Australia”

Except for the orgasmic scene of Hugh Jackman bathing, this movie began so awkwardly. The dynamic between Lady Ashley and the Drover was awful in the beginning. In the middle, I finally saw it. The scenery of Australia was gorgeous. The cinematography, top-notch. The last half of the movie should not be there. The villain was so evil that I could see his side. No ground was broken in this film. I love Bax Luhrmann, but I expected so much more from this ill-conceived epic.

“Sex and the City: The Movie”

I was looking forward to movie when I was angered by the shiteous series finale of this show. I thought that it would be a good book end to the franchise as a whole, but not. Some scenes could have been cut out.

Jennifer Hudson’s character was completely wasted in this film. (My thoughts are with her since her family tragedy.) Samantha did not have sex with Dante (Giles Marini). Dante showed all of his goods. I love that. The men in this movie were wasted as well, except for Big and Steve.

I heard that their might be a sequel. What else can they do?

I wanted to share the movies that were good and not so good. I hope you enjoyed my tirade.

Allende, Isabel ~ Daughter of Fortune

When I selected this book I thought
This has to be part of the unintentional family grouping on the A shelf, and I’ve never read an Isabel Allende book. I know, I know, famous and critically-acclaimed writer who’s sold mountains of books; I’m playing catch-up.

50-word description
In mid-1800s Chile, an orphan baby is taken in and raised by a middle class British family. The girl defies her careful upbringing and falls pregnant, which sparks a series of dangerous journeys to find her lover who is pursuing wealth in the Californian gold fields.

150-word review
My mother used to bring home towers of secondhand books when I was young and I did my historical saga apprenticeship with the biggest of James A Michener and Leon Uris.

I haven’t read one for a while though and was let down by Allende’s almost reportage style of narrative. New characters kept walking onto the pages and tedium set in while determining passages that could be skimmed and when sharp concentration was required to keep track of the central story. My yardstick of a book is how late I stay up reading on a work night – this was all early nights and I could easily control idle curiosity about how heroine Eliza’s life would pan out.

Allende’s descriptions of Chile, California and China were well rendered, as were her portrayals of social classes and perspectives of women during the period. Apart from that, trying to find memorable themes to discuss a week after finishing the book is a challenge.

isabel allende ~ daughter of fortune

Found in
Fiction A

Borrowed
Nov 08

Author’s link:
Author’s web site

Rating
Underwhelming

This is book 10 of the project.

As I reflected on my engineering values this evening over a good cup of coffee, I noticed a common theme: I value underwhelming, useful tools.

Many of the underwhelming, useful tools I value (including tools which have been around for decades along with those which are only ideas in my head) fall into two distinct categories:

• web applications
• command-line tools

By underwhelming, I mean distinctly not overwhelming, not even remotely so, though Merriam-Webster defines underwhelming as “failing to impress or stimulate.” Perhaps both are accurate to my point. If a software tool is simple and all too useful, it no longer feels like software, it fails to continue to impress, and is able to become one with your activity space.

Not all underwhelming tools are useful, which is why I value tools both underwhelming and useful. When a tool is overwhelming, it may be difficult to understand its utility. When a tool is underwhelming, its utility quickly presents itself.

I find this blog underwhelming at times… Now to make it useful…

Hurrah and yeehaw [!] to smarts, organizicles, intellectualites, mentalness, explanaticles, knowns, literists and literallites, understoods, theorettes, synthesises, philos, semios and logos, questionables, rightficles, goodses, conversablenessis, all this unreal talk straight over the cliff in the whisp of a spark.

So that was that..”the speech.”  What was shocking about it was how dull and vanilla it was. When John F. Kennedy gave his Catholic speech, he had fire in the belly and was delivering it in front of an actively hostile audience. Romney, not so much. In all seriousness, Mitt Romney’s problem is not that he is a Mormon but rather that he seems to have no higher purpose than the advancement of Mitt Romney. Indeed this particular line from the speech was unintended comedy:

“Americans do not respect believers of convenience. Americans tire of those who would jettison their beliefs, even to gain the world.”

Who let that line slip by? Mitt, thats the problem with your campaign, not your religion but your convenience. I’d vote for a Mormon in a heartbeat despite their opposition to my Catholic faith and the fact I dispute their Christian orthodoxy, as in the past I have voted for Jewish candidates who share my values and policy concerns. Indeed, if Romney wins the nomination if will vote for him but the big question with Romney is his principles or lack thereof. It is that on which he needs to reassure voters and perhaps give “the speech”. 

As Im getting older I think its underwhelming  that

1) Swedish waiters ad bartenders are even worse then Danish (its off course just because of the welfare) – but its strange that one have to apologize to get early to a Cafe to the staff – who are all mad and morning pissed (and stay pissed all day)…

2) That its so embarasing to have been wrongly charged at the Hotel Movie system – that even I really dont like to complain…

3) Its absolutely UNDERWHELMING to see so many BIG COMPANIES not follow compaetition and open the HIGHWAYS OF OPPORTUNITY to young (and old) and worksome risktakers – in the OVERWHELMING technology space called THE INTERNET

4 ) Its underwhelming that NO ONE does better movies – with the low price of production and the easy access to editing on a PC. In Denmark – HE GOVERNEMENT pay 40% of ANY HALF GOOD MOVIE IDEA – and you cant even imagine the amount of crab comming out – its UNDERWHELMING.

5) Im underwhelmed that I wrote this – in stead of celebrating life… But Im a bit down – and complain about 1000% more then normally…