A Truly Portable ‘Tripod’
A Truly Portable ‘Tripod’ - It’s basically a lump of beans used to stabilize your camera. However, I can see myself using it, as it would allow a camera to be set on the ground, but aimed.
A Truly Portable ‘Tripod’ - It’s basically a lump of beans used to stabilize your camera. However, I can see myself using it, as it would allow a camera to be set on the ground, but aimed.
I left the athletic building and went to unlock my bike today. It’s a Mongoose mountain bike of some sort - not flashy enough to attract the attention of thieves, but certainly rugged enough to bike around town and traverse the occassional rock garden. Regardless, I did a double take when I went to unlock my trusty bike from the bike rack today.
There was an identical bike next to it. I mean, what the heck. Same color, size, same model, and same handlebars - I had had those handlebars put on specially because they were straight instead of the stock curved ones. You know, you think you are unique with your choice of bike and then, out of nowhere, somebody is rockin’ the identical set of wheels. Girls, think of how you feel when you show up to a formal dance in the exact same dress as someone else. You’d rather not be connected by association with some random hoodlum who picked up the same item as you. Yet, you can’t condescendingly criticize their choice since … you made the same one. At least you know you look better than they do.
So, Mr. (Ms.) St. Thomas Mongoose Rider, let’s paint our bikes different colors or … you buy a new one or something. Alternatively, if anyone ever targets my bike, there’s a good chance they’ll get the wrong one (yours). Ha! That said, I’ll just go on being a lemming today.
Whether I realize it or not, I have become accostomed to a certain pace of movies. That is, the viewer sees the main thrust of the story within x minutes. Naturally, I do not know when x is, but I know when a movie stretches out that time, as The Constant Gardener did. The movie is a hybrid love-story and espionage story (love stories mixed with things have been popping up lately, given my recent review of Jacket …), and it’s also one that you may not like right away. Characters put you off, mislead you, seem to be much more or much less than they are. The distinction of good and evil on the character level is very blurry, making you second-guess everyone’s words and actions. However, the more global good/evil battle in the movie is a very clear one, and gives the movie a good framework on which to hang these characters’ stories.
All that said, I would watch it again. Though, if you had asked me right away, I would have said I could care less about seeing The Constant Gardener again. I think my change of heart is due to this being a smart movie, one that sticks in your head, and hits deep emotions without silly acoustic music walking scenes or unrealistic speeches. It is consistently (emphasis on consistently, given some movies’ trying to be everything to everyone) subtle, quick-paced, and twisting. It’s no “everyone is out to party for a long weekend” movie, but it is a great “weekend evening thought provoking” show. Highly recommended.
Backpack that Charges Your Cell Phone - This takes the up-and-down movement of the load in your backpack and translates it into up to 7 watts of electrical energy. This makes so much sense for college students and city dwellers.
Stonehenge Watch - A watch that is a sundial. Who wouldn’t want one?
What a bizarre thought that passed through my head but … does everyone wash their hair second in the shower? What I mean is, I always wash myself first, and then wash my hair. It has always made sense to do things that way, but it’s one of those things in life that just makes you wonder, do I have any compelling reason (heck, any reason at all) to do it this way? Do other people think it sacrilege to wash hair first? Honestly, though, I hope there aren’t too many things in my life that I do simply because I have always done them that way, it would be an “unexamined life,” to quote Socrates. I do things like drive on the right side of the road not on the left, sleep at night not during the day, and wear socks with shoes all for very good reasons … I guess I will try to make sure I have reasons for most everything.
Also, posts like this give the blogs a bad name. E.g. (this kid actually wrote about washing hair!)
Very artsy movie. Not horror-film esque really … there were horrible parts, but no jumpy scenes, and none of this ‘opening a door and getting attacked by something’ that I hate so much. Quick diversion from this movie: I can’t stand when I know the horror formula, but it still scares me. Sure, there’s going to be something in the next room, sure the slow walking and rising soundtrack strings indicate something bad approaching, but it still scares the heck out of me - I hate that. Anyway: this movie was not like that.
As some of the reviews noted, the movie is a fusion of a love story, sci-fi time travel, and thriller. The movie put itself together rather slowly, and the link to the war, to me, is still very tenuous. So, the core of the movie is a good intriguing plot, but some of the extra dongles hung around that plot distract from the focus. The movie is very reminiscient of The Butterfly Effect, and maintains the same death-grip on your thoughts. Once you fall into the pattern of the movie, the main characters’ ability to move about in time and bring bits of information from the future into his current time (with profound effect on those around him), you have to know how it ends. I think more could have been done to explain what was going on, why the doctors wanted to do what they did (more details would have made it more ‘believable’), but I can understand why that information might be considered extraneous to the plot development.
I especially liked the ending: for all the crazy and horrible things that happened throughout the movie, seeing what happened at the end made the movie worth watching.
Rolling Stones in St. Paul - These guys are still rockin’ after all this time? Amazing. I did not have the financial means to attend this concert, but I am quite impressed with the review:
“The Stones played with the energy and drive of a band about to say farewell — even though the band members have never confirmed this is their last tour. Indeed, the band’s new album ‘A Bigger Bang’ is the best Stones disc in decades, and they’ve hinted that it’s just the start of a creative revival in the studio.”
Yesterday, I has the privilege of witnessing the fastest cell-phone-turn-off in the history of panicked faux-paus committing individuals. Indeed, only 3 or 4 notes (notes!) of the beginning of an annoying ring sung out until the individual responsible (a business major in the third row) instinctively flinched, silencing the sound. It was almost so short that the pause in the class was everyone checking their sub-conscious, wondering if it was just a random synapse firing that had caused them to think of what they did.
The situation was similar to the beginning of Fight Club, where the screen flashes for a quick moment (literally one frame), foreshadowing the protagonist’s insanity. Thankfully, in this case, I think we are all quite sane; and I do have a lot of respect for whoever managed to turn off their cell that quickly. If it happens again, though, and nobody else notices, I am going to be a little worried re: my own sanity.
Three may keep a secret if two of them are dead.
— Benjamin Franklin
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