Disney is gearing up to purchase (http://www.businessinsider.com/disney-to-acquire-marvel-in-4-billion-deal-2009-8) Marvel Entertainment and its cast of characters for $4B. I wonder what that will mean for the future... [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text Larger version here
My sister's been continuing her cake rampage. Her latest is a steak dinner, complete with a baked potato and peas & carrots. Looks good enough to eat... except I've cut sweets out of my diet in addition to meat. Sucks to be me. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Went to see Inglourious Basterds (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inglourious_Basterds) this weekend. It was wonderfully done and well-acted. I'd call it daring and brilliant... if it wasn't directed by Quentin Tarantino. For him, I'd call it lazy.
The dialogue is strong but wit is scarce. The plot is multi-layered but only one layer drives the ultimate outcome. The story is rich and complex but it boils down to a revenge story, just as Kill Bill was. The last scene is fairly predictable and mimics yet another Tarantino story. Strangely, while he leapt into new territory with this film, I felt the underlying story took too much from his past works.
That said, it is only my familiarity with those past works that dampens my enthusiasm for Basterds. Judged on its own merit, it is an excellent film though it relies heavily on the viewer's understanding of the setting. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Getting back to my look at how I blog, here's a look at where the content comes from.
Scribbles: Most of what I post here consists of musings about politics, culture, and my personal thoughts and experiences. No real rhyme or reason to it, but I'm led to a lot of topics via the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/). Others are just stuff I run across randomly on the net.
Rambles: This is mostly simple observations. Lot of photos to track where I've been and when. Short thoughts on things I've found. I'd say the content is primarily spontaneous.
Notes to Self: Still working out the transition on this, but should still include thoughts I want to say aloud or can't stop to type out. Still figuring out how much other content to post here, but thanks to my Evernote upgrade (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/08/07/why-im-now-an-evernote-premium-user/), I've got all types of content to choose from.
GottaBeMobile: Here's where the outside sources really come in. I check a lot of feeds from tech sites looking for anything interesting. I also channel them through Yahoo! Pipes (http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/pipe.info?_id=xr1YdoMh3hGmVMOopQt1Yg) to weed out anything related to Tablet PCs and mobile computing. I add more to this periodically, so check the pipe for the full listing. The output is also in my sidebar under "Tablet PC News". [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Watching scenes of angry and fearful protesters rail against "death panels" and taxes to pay for universal health care, I find myself ever more disappointed that the media pays such attention to the irrational side of democracy. Yes, we should hear all sides of an argument, but how many different ways do we need to hear "I'm afraid of death and hate paying taxes"?
More to the point, why do we give these cheap populist tactics any legitimacy? Everyone is afraid of death to some degree and would prefer to not pay taxes, but that's true all the time. The opponents are targeting specific parts of the proposals, but the core motives and arguments are driven solely by those basic emotions, not by the rational thinking needed to work out this intricate debate.
of course, this isn't the first time these irrational extremists let their fear and anger control them. The so-called "teabaggers" rallied against higher taxes. apparently unaware the Tea Act that led to The Boston Tea Party actually lowered a tax on tea. The "birthers" are sticking to their story despite a complete lack of evidence to support them and a mountain against them. Health care reform is the first non-imaginary cause they've taken up, but they seem intent on focusing on imaginary issues, like "death panels". Such a tragic waste of time given all the actual problems that need to be worked out. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
No worries if you already have one of my phone numbers, but as I mentioned on GBM (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/08/12/make-calls-through-google-voice-from-your-iphone-contacts/), I now have another number through Google Voice (https://www.google.com/voice). I kind of only got one because all the other GBM'ers were getting them, but also I was hoping to get one that spelled "SUMOCAT". Sadly, there wasn't one available in any of the area codes offered, so I settled for one that was close to both the spelling and my location.
Not sure exactly how I want to employ it, but given I've figured out how to make calls through it from my iPhone contacts, I guess I should give it a go. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Okay, I guess I can't make that claim with any real authority. Not like I've seen every Hello Kitty (http://annieaiko.xanga.com/709357503/new-birthday-cakes-update/?nextdate=last&leftcmt=1) cake ever made. But I did go as far as searching Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Hello%20Kitty%20cake&w=all&s=int) for Hello Kitty cakes. Found a few that were similar, but not as good, and none scored the extra points of having her hold a present and candles.
Awesome job, sister! you need to show this off to the HK fans. They will hail you as their new cake queen, not counting those who hate you for putting their cakes to shame. Such is the price of awesomeness. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Apparently I struck a nerve with Jeremy Toeman (http://www.livedigitally.com/2009/08/05/are-you-a-jerk-with-a-keyboard/) when I called him out for lacking imagination (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/08/04/rant-dont-blame-the-tablet-because-you-suck). His response? Call me a jerk with a keyboard and claim I wouldn't say that to his face. Here's why Jeremy is ridiculously wrong.
#1 - Where's my keyboard? You know I'm a tablet zealot. You think I need a keyboard to be a jerk? That shows imagination. See? No keyboard there.
#2 - You don't think I'd say that to your face? How about the next best thing? Call me tomorrow between 9 and 4 ET
Oh no, I'm not giving you a number, but I'll give you a hint: It's published.
See, Jeremy, the thing is, you do lack imagination. You think I'm hiding behind a screen name, but Sumocat is actually a nickname used by my oldest friends.
The fact is, I'm completely discoverable, which you can prove for yourself. I laugh at anonymity harder than you do. I blog in my own handwriting, in my own voice, and don't hide where I am, not that I can for the most part.
So by all means, give me a call, and we'll discuss this as jerks without keyboards. As a bonus, I will be forced to acknowledge you have a measure of imagination. Not as much as the person who found me without prompting, but it's still something. And I suppose that would afford you a measure of respect, but fair warning: I must watch my language online but not where you can call me. Intrigued yet? [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Ah, so nice to have a sweet treat at today's staff meeting followed by an invigorating rant (http://www.gottabemobile.com/2009/08/04/rant-dont-blame-the-tablet-because-you-suck/) against an anti-tablet critique written by someone with no apparent tablet experience over lunch. Not a whole lot of willpower exercised today, but I sure feel focused... except that I totally forgot about eating lunch until I found it in my lunch bag after I got home. We'll call that overly focused. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
I bought a new tablet device last week, which I am testing now. Functions a little differently than what I am used to, yet I can use it with all the same apps. Any guesses as to what it is? [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
Been actively working to reduce my blood glucose levels lately. I cut sweets, soda and pastries down to next to nothing. Working on the other end of it too with exercise to burn glucose. Eating less crap. Getting more exercise. Feeling absolutely terrible.
My focus and motivation have diminished to nothing. Damn near everything requires an exertion of willpower, from waking up to going to bed, and I've got none to spare because willpower is fueled by glucose (http://psr.sagepub.com/cgi/content/short/11/4/303)! So not only am I trying to push down my glucose level from both ends, but I'm doing the same to my willpower level in the process. Oh what a vicious cycle. [+/-] Hide/Show Text [+/-] Hide/Show Text
