tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51240192012-02-13T16:13:02.913-05:00Tales from Fly Over Country (I'm a Stranger Here, Myself)An attempt to balance the forces of good and evil in the world in order to put a finger on one side at the wrong timeBroklynitenoreply@blogger.comBlogger16171100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-25199952953801772742012-02-13T16:11:00.002-05:002012-02-13T16:13:02.919-05:00Anyone out there have the capability to digitize a VHS tape? I....sort of do if necessary, but not really. I bought a VHS tape today, and I want to digitize it.I know, I know. Why?Because it's a cheesy b-movie from my childhood that will never ever ever go onto DVD or anything. In fact, I grew up watching a beta rip of a VHS copy. Flush is the title of the movie. Think of It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-45623568781749292012-02-11T23:02:00.001-05:002012-02-11T23:02:19.132-05:00Just spent two and a half hours solving a math problem. For a friend of a friend. The whole time I was kicking myself because I knew that it was something stupidly straightforward. Halfway through I thought I had the answer but it was too complex. I send it to my friend who asked if it was equal to the answer. I said "you have the answer? Why don't you give it to me?" "oh, I didn't want to Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-2202108415385716562012-02-08T21:45:00.002-05:002012-02-08T21:57:09.679-05:00When did it become so hard to find things made in the USA? No, seriously. I've begun to actively search out products not manufactured in China. Will they cost more? Yes. But then I only need to buy them once. Germany would be fine too.I want a lunchbox. I am tired of carrying my sandwiches in a plastic pathmark bag. I want the classic lunchbox with thermos combination. I want it made from steel. Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-56139149491677897182012-02-02T09:29:00.001-05:002012-02-02T09:29:50.492-05:00Let me submit an idea. Let us posit for a moment that in most cases we can think of thought and emotion as separate entities. They can be used in conjunction but are ultimately two separate things.I think that in many ways this could explain what is wrong in America. In history, a state grown stable soon becomes a state grown decadent. Why? Because the state has done its job so effectivly that Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-89174265399365770242012-02-01T15:13:00.001-05:002012-02-01T15:15:45.544-05:00You ever get one of those days where you have a totally fucking rocking song going through your head non-stop? So that you're sitting in your chair and bouncing and bobbing your head back and forth to the song in your head, while everyone else thinks you're going the way of Michael J. Fox? I'm having a day like that.Here's the song:Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-72154625916964457322012-01-31T10:32:00.002-05:002012-01-31T10:36:47.642-05:00Dear Research Foundation,You are a bunch of lying, scum-sucking, maggot swallowing, mouth breathing, lying, cheating, good-for-nothing, pocket-lining jerks. -Me.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-13368552600756860452012-01-27T11:34:00.001-05:002012-01-27T11:35:57.264-05:00My paycheck is late, late, late. The people that process it sat on it for two fucking weeks. They are rush processing it today after I made a few calls.I realize that I sound calm. Externally, perhaps, I am. But with how desperately I need that paycheck, internally I am as such:Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-53109013621565388072012-01-26T17:52:00.002-05:002012-01-26T17:52:49.615-05:00Well, that's it. I've gone and put in my application for Astronaut. It's out of my hands now.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-45794319185097602982012-01-24T14:17:00.003-05:002012-01-24T14:19:56.659-05:00I've said it before and I'll say it again.It's Chinese New Year, not fucking Lunar New Year. I get that you're trying to be racially sensitive, but it's a goddamn Chinese holiday! There are many other cultures which use lunar calendars and have their New Years on completely different days. Referring to it as Lunar New Year is insensitive to all those other cultures. As for the Chinese? They don'tBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-83244257805680277332012-01-20T20:54:00.002-05:002012-01-20T20:57:05.411-05:00I have just received the *sixth* e-mail in the last 6 months regarding a hack in a forum or company with whom I have an account.Dear Internet,I don't trust you anymore. You want to be big boys and move to the modern dance, but you aren't bothering to keep your security up. In other words, you aren't taking the responsibility to go with your power. Spider-Man says you suck.-MeBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-70845428379738886182012-01-20T20:48:00.002-05:002012-01-20T20:53:57.912-05:00Dear CBS,Please, for the love of all that is holy, fire your creative team.Making a new Sherlock Holmes TV series set during modern day is neither creative nor innovative. Having it be named Elementary is retarded. Having it set in New York City is confusingly stupid.And it will suck.And we will go back to BBC's Sherlock.But christ.....really? I could weep.Oh, and stealing other people's ideas toBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-10777479583549983502012-01-20T16:36:00.002-05:002012-01-20T17:11:52.234-05:00I'm having a bit of a crazy, fucked up day. Emphasis on *bit*. It's not crazy enough or fucked up enough for me to walk out in disgust, but it has left me facepalming at my desk for much of it.So what the hell.What was the first book you fell in love with? When I was a very little kid, reading was more meh than anything. Yes, I know, shocking. Looking back, I think its because more of the books Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-46654931201083269702012-01-13T15:45:00.003-05:002012-01-13T15:50:13.792-05:00I got home early, having spent the entire morning at a seminar at the Grad Center. Had a nice lunch with Tavie, then headed home.And I'm damned if I can figure out why, but the back of my mind if buzzing. It's not the "I forgot something" buzz, but the "there's something wrong" buzz. And I can't figure out what it is. Usually I can at least tell if it has to do with my location, a smell, Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-82721216265696923232012-01-10T17:34:00.001-05:002012-01-10T17:35:59.511-05:00http://gawker.com/5874894/a-jewelry-store-in-brooklyn-is-selling-swastika-earrings"Before you get started, yes, these swastikas are "backwards." They're not the exact symbol used by the Nazis, instead the line turns to the left instead of the right. This is an ancient figure with plenty of meanings. But, come on, it's a swastika."You, sir, are an idiot and a douchebag. First of all, as you Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-35573205128765207632012-01-10T15:02:00.001-05:002012-01-10T15:03:31.730-05:00Why is it that every single semester, the Registrar switches operating systems to FOS (Finagle Operating System)?Edit: Perhaps more accurate would be POS?Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-35604455245468496192012-01-04T15:52:00.001-05:002012-01-04T15:53:26.125-05:00I just had to watch a video advertising a movie in order to read an article. The world is becoming surreal.Also, Wolfgang Peterson to direct the movie adaption of Old Man's War? Yes, please.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-64156655847117634322012-01-04T10:27:00.001-05:002012-01-04T10:28:53.114-05:00I am delighted to be used as an emergency contact for my friends and loved ones. But please don't put my phone number as an alternate phone number for yourself, it drives me crazy to have to field your phone calls for doctor appointments and bill collectors.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-88842803237278984762012-01-03T10:48:00.002-05:002012-01-03T10:48:56.456-05:00If the question "Should I post this on the internet?" ever enters your mind, the answer is always a resounding NO.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-75909911290814400782011-12-31T23:54:00.001-05:002011-12-31T23:54:26.174-05:00Watching Dick Clark tonight, I am convinced that the man has died and they are keeping it a secret, replacing him with a CGI version of himself.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-19881475139842461082011-12-31T21:40:00.002-05:002011-12-31T21:47:39.872-05:00Forty minutes ago, we were sitting around, chatting, having a pleasant, quiet close to the evening. Then the cacophany began. Across the street? A mobile Occupy Wallstreet unit began, making an ear-shatteringly irritating amount of noise. I can not describe how unpleasant it is or how pissed off I am, or how much I am wishing that they would all get beaten with urbber hoses. I can hear- lets see,Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-48041110437048056502011-12-12T16:12:00.002-05:002011-12-12T16:30:38.105-05:00"Andrew, why do you have to be such an asshole about people calling you in the middle of the night? You're just being dramatic."No, I am not. I realize that this is the age of instant communication, and the idea of not just sequestering yourself from electronics while on vacation, but at least once a day for a solid 8 hours or so seems odd. So once again, I will explain, with examples.My cell Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-27298941311644913302011-12-06T20:41:00.002-05:002011-12-06T20:45:32.185-05:00At the meeting tomorrow, I'm going to show a thirty second video I made, as requested a couple of weeks ago. It represents about 18 hours of work and $75. Naturally not one of the bastards will like it, and they'll all think it looks stupid. Well, it's a damn tech demo, a proof of concept which was designed to be worked from. And I would damn well like to see any of them do something this good inBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-55727669555219905312011-12-06T00:07:00.001-05:002011-12-06T00:08:20.533-05:00Things I get tempted to do to my players sometimes...http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2011/12/02Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-41038184854908946692011-12-04T17:41:00.002-05:002011-12-04T18:06:15.512-05:00So, after a minor amount of grumbling I was able to drag Joanna to go see Muppets today. We had a $10 gift card to the theatre that we had forgotten about for the previous year and a half, and I was delighted to use it."That'll be $17 please.""W- wait, what? Didn't you use the gift card?""Yes sir, it was $27, but now it's $17.""Seriously? Jesus. Okay, that's not a problem. I'm just...Jesus. I Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-1079807120336826482011-12-03T00:59:00.001-05:002011-12-03T00:59:01.543-05:00New house rule:Anyone who wants to dance to Smooth Criminal on the MichaelJackson Experience on Kinect has to wear a fedora while doing so. If you do not have a fedora, one will be provided for you. So let it be written, so let it be done.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-60238358456019193792011-12-02T22:45:00.001-05:002011-12-02T22:45:05.826-05:00In an effort to both lose weight and finally start gaming again with my wife, I got a Kinect for my xbox.Holy crap is this thing fun. Ubisoft's fitness evolved 2012 is hands down amazing. If you are a fat bastard like me, you want the attention of a personal trainer but you don't want anyone to actually see your embarrassing chesticles. Especially if you go to a gym and everyone around you seems Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-60277361470365000542011-11-29T10:29:00.002-05:002011-11-29T11:14:45.730-05:00Some of you may be wondering why I haven't posted about the death of my aunt. I'll make this short. It's too personal. I know that almost nobody reads this blog. Still, I don't want to air something that personal to the world. It's a little tasteless to me. It's fine for other people- they have their blogs and such set up how they wish. For me, this is a place to rant, to talk about books and Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-53260796710747699772011-11-19T19:40:00.001-05:002011-11-19T19:41:35.738-05:00The question is not whether or not they CAN make a remake of Plan 9 from Outer Space, but whether or not they SHOULD make a remake of Plan 9 from Outer Space.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-58172177358372779452011-11-18T16:06:00.003-05:002011-11-18T16:17:02.033-05:00Just read a post from a woman who kept telling her son to suck it up and deal with the pain after he spent several days complaining about pain in his stomach, woke her up in the middle of the night complaining about the pain, finally started to cry from the sheer pain. She finally agreed to drag him to an ER where he had to undergo an emergency appendectomy.What possibly disturbs me more is the Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-62293290127989591002011-11-16T15:34:00.002-05:002011-11-16T15:38:28.234-05:00I appreciate the sentiments of wishing me a happy birthday, I do. But please, folks, I have to work on my birthday, and getting non-stop text messages and phone calls while I'm in a meeting is a tad embaressing. I mean, for fucks sake, my goddamn dentist texted me to wish me a happy birthday.Send an e-mail or a card or something. Or wait until the evening. No, scratch that- I like to have a nice Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-84508634714300571412011-11-10T10:12:00.001-05:002011-11-10T10:12:42.692-05:00Oh yea. I passed by a guy wearing a big name tag that said "hi, my name is Bob. Ask me about my poetry."He was clearly serious.I declined to inquire.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-41074343099671857362011-11-10T10:11:00.001-05:002011-11-10T10:11:13.438-05:00Just passed through Occupy Wall Street on my way to my doctors appointment. While on the one hand, I do agree with a lot of what they have to say, on the other hand I don't for many things. Of course, I also live here, so I have to pass them by and have them disrupt traffic every day.If you want to know what it was like, it was damp, filthy, greasy, and the smell was like durian.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-41843054626090296632011-11-10T10:08:00.001-05:002011-11-10T10:08:58.310-05:00Just saw Harold and Kumar 3 here in the theater. Just Joanna and I, sadly. I mean in the entire theater. Lots of fun, felt shorter than it was. Something of a return to form of the first movie, with a crazed, ridiculous quest which only becomes more hilarious and insane as the evening continues.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-32576810218033146502011-11-09T12:48:00.002-05:002011-11-09T12:54:01.768-05:00Ur. I just read Our Love Is Real.Look. Good Science Fiction is about people, first and foremost. It's how the people react to the unfamiliar, often whil being surrounded by things they find familiar and we the readers do not. It is also a way of showing how, no matter how things change, they still say the same. No matter how far ahead we get, we are still human. And this can be used in a wide Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-77597476821263469762011-11-04T19:52:00.002-04:002011-11-04T19:54:04.287-04:00I...I don't know if this is the gayest epic thing ever, or the most epic gay thing ever. But it is fucking amazing. Amazing especially because- why was everyone ignoring them? And why was Times Square deserted? Check out 3:20, when you can see the dude thinks he's going to get mugged. Boy was HE wrong!Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-44007611118427982602011-11-02T11:09:00.002-04:002011-11-02T13:07:45.712-04:00Andrews phrase of the day.WOT Syndrome: literally Wall Of Text syndrome. The belief by a person that A Wall Of Text is exactly what PowerPoint was designed for. To project page after page of pure, small font text, to be read off the screen verbatim by the presenter.Used in a sentence: John is sitting in an audience while watching hour after hour of presentations. Yet another one is put up with Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-65726502197462716292011-11-01T14:36:00.001-04:002011-11-01T14:36:38.439-04:00I am coming to realize that coming to work is just getting more and more depressing. And it isn't the work itself- I enjoy that. It's my coworkers. They all just speak to one another in Mandarin non-stop. So in the morning I have a quick kiss with the wife, a train ride to work, all day with mandarin in my ears, then back to an empty apartment where I kiss my wife good night when she gets home. IBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-848517062959862352011-11-01T14:17:00.001-04:002011-11-01T14:17:43.990-04:00Urgh. I need to start avoiding listening to The Wall. I love the album, but it puts me in a dark place.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-50906100138322839542011-10-31T21:25:00.003-04:002011-10-31T22:00:22.406-04:00Just thinking about AI today, given how much it has been popping up in the news in the last year. I'm reminded of Feynman's definition of inertia. I'm paraphrasing here but it's something along the lines of "Something that we don't really understand, but that we give a name do so that we can work with it, and pretend that we understand it. But we don't really."I start with one basic assumption. Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-55306485329762907342011-10-24T17:59:00.003-04:002011-10-24T18:03:42.224-04:00"We want jobs!"No. You want high-paying jobs which you feel that you are entitled to after having wasted several years and tens of thousands of dollars on getting a bullshit degree on the subject. What did you think your political science degree was going to get you? Or your film studies degree? Or, god help us, your feminism, english, history, etc. degree?No, there aren't enough jobs. But I justBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-29643227548177399202011-10-24T16:24:00.002-04:002011-10-24T16:25:54.643-04:00Two down, one to go!Of course, it should have been three today, but maybe it's as well that it wasn't- then I'd feel like slacking off and celebrating tonight. This way I can do that on Friday, then help Tavie move with a hangover.Urrr...I hadn't thought this through too far.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-31831990869801268292011-10-23T16:16:00.003-04:002011-10-23T16:26:12.491-04:00I suppose that this is rhetorical. Why is it that TV and radio personalities are constantly going on about "the liberal media"? As near as I can tell, with the exception of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, every single one of these shows goes on about "the liberal media." Which would seem to imply that they themselves are not, right? So...where exactly is this liberal media? As far as I canBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-2278864033814502692011-10-21T13:38:00.002-04:002011-10-21T13:47:17.232-04:00I miss vacations. I mean, vacations back before cellphones, let alone smartphones, where you have access to email on your frigging phone. Because now, you are expected to contribute to the happenings at work, from your phone, while on vacation.And for certain positions, I can understand that. Frankly, if you're getting paid enough, you are expected to be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-72896028070572401762011-10-16T13:53:00.002-04:002011-10-16T14:07:04.348-04:00Back from vacation and straight to NY Comicon.Joanna and I haven't been for two years. Two years ago was only their second year here in New York, when they still weren't sure what they were doing, and there have been significant changes since then. And not for the better either. Although the convention has naturally been about making a profit, it has also been about fans meeting one another, Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-4307444415121782282011-10-11T20:03:00.001-04:002011-10-11T20:03:16.758-04:00Did you know that Disney has a baby alligator (overall length shorter than my arm) living in the water in Adventureland?I didn't. Apparently, neither did Disney.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-53820592505007356972011-10-05T17:15:00.002-04:002011-10-05T17:16:11.295-04:00I think that the Gotham Police Department might be overdoing it a bit with their whole philosophy of "Naming a villain after his modus operandi"Don't you agree?Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-53686732619690827782011-10-02T09:56:00.002-04:002011-10-02T09:57:05.041-04:00God bless America, the CDC has posted a preparedness guide for surviving the Zombie Apocolypse. No, really.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-5942235089043228162011-09-30T16:17:00.003-04:002011-09-30T16:24:28.726-04:00I swear to god, my jobs gets me to the weirdest fucking sites sometimes. This time, I found myself on the Gillette page, specifically the area where there are animated videos which show both how and why a man should shave his face, chest, back, pits, and groin.Hi, I'm a hairy guy. Dear Gillette,Go fuck yourself.Do you have any fucking idea how much time, effort, and money I would be required to Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-71229432478537674902011-09-15T10:41:00.000-04:002011-09-15T10:42:22.091-04:00"A few years ago, a poll showed that 58% of British teenagers thought that Sherlock Homes was a real person."Did they do the poll in the Terminally Stupid ward of the local hospital?Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-86327962136251104362011-09-13T12:10:00.003-04:002011-09-13T12:28:00.716-04:00The new Fright Night remake- I liked the original better, but it was okay. Fun but not great. The original had so many great ideas. A vampire living in the suburbs. Not a modern, sparkly vampire, or weepy one, whatever. A classic, monsterous beast. And how it is slowly revealed, where it might be coincidence or not. Then when it is finally revealed, the little cat-and-mouse games he plays, Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-51330495163687029522011-09-11T21:44:00.001-04:002011-09-11T21:44:43.461-04:00I'm here in Pennsylvania tonight. For the fun of it, my best friend, my wife and I decided to go to Becky's Drive-in to watch a double feature. Neither of them have ever been to a drive in, and both seem to be pleasantly delighted with how much fun it is. We just finished seeing Apollo 18, and are about to watch the new Fright Night remake. Apollo 18 is Blair Witch in space, but it's done very Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-196215425555693762011-09-08T11:27:00.003-04:002011-09-08T11:54:20.687-04:00Look, I can appreciate nostalgia over something from your childhood which, on viewed with adult eyes, is unbelievably stupid but you love it anyway.But Power Rangers? Really? God, I hated that show, even when I was a kid and part of the target demographic. I apparently noticed things my contemporaries didn't. Like how the lip sync didn't quite work, how every single episode had identical plots, Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-76104000650069989872011-09-08T10:19:00.002-04:002011-09-08T10:21:12.456-04:00The irony of the near-perpetual rainstorms here, so close and yet so far from Texaas where the forest fires rage. I found a neat video on weather.com which shows the fire spread. We hear about how a forest fire can outrun a man, but most people, I think, tend to take that concept as a joke. Well, take a look below, you might be surprised.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-79539839797704078462011-09-02T11:19:00.001-04:002011-09-02T11:19:33.101-04:00Dear Crackhead Burnouts,Don't talk to me, don't look at mr, don't ask me where I live, if I rent/condo, don't ask if I live ther with my girlfriend, if I'm a local, whatthefuckever. Just leave me the fuck alone. I'm trying to have a nice breakfast with my wife, and I don't need your noseless face leering over me and making me want to throw up my coffee.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-46640016225471349232011-09-02T11:17:00.001-04:002011-09-02T11:17:31.651-04:00I fully admit that I am an earthquake virgin. They hit new York every few years, but everytime they do, we all look at each other and say "there was an earthquake?did you feel it? I didn't feel it." So when the 14th floor at city college, in the marshak building (made from Chinese newspaper and spit) turned into water under my feet, I didn't know what was happening, I was scared as hell, and I Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-52577630532916984332011-09-01T07:51:00.003-04:002011-09-01T07:54:27.087-04:00Dear Star Wars Fans,
Isn't it time to just come over to the Star Trek side already? Nobody ever went back and altered a single episode of the series.
Also, everyone knows what you really want. A remastered HD edition of the original. And George isn't going to do that- because if he did, you might never buy it again. At least not for many more years when the new HD standard comes out. So in the Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-80537788392431142672011-08-30T11:41:00.005-04:002011-08-30T12:01:23.825-04:00Life can be pretty funny. I am astonished when I think how close to the bone Joanna and I live, and yet how much our combined income is. No, really- my entire family lived better on less for many years. We don't splurge constantly, don't go around buying expensive unnecessary niceties. I cook most of our food from groceries bought in bulk at Pathmark, 95% of which I buy from the sale circular. WeBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-47349705216037988582011-08-30T10:59:00.002-04:002011-08-30T11:04:49.253-04:00I stumbled onto something kind of nice this morning. There's a fairly new farmer's market which opened up around CCNY on Tuesdays that I like to peruse. More often than not, I don't buy anything since it's a tad inconvenient to schlep throughout the day. But this morning I saw a load of apples being sold that widened my eyes.
When I was a kid, we had a number of apple trees on our farm. I had a Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-15336177573632534702011-08-21T22:47:00.001-04:002011-08-21T22:47:15.661-04:00So, I bought my new binoculars. I fully admit to being nervous. You hear about how much they help at all, you do your best to find a compromise between price, magnification, weight, optics, lens size, etc. You read the reviews again and again. Nonetheless, I live in downtown manhattan, one of the brightest places on earth. At night, it never gets fully dark, but a light purple that you can ven Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-74475292478200146442011-08-17T18:01:00.002-04:002011-08-17T18:19:31.469-04:00
That's the view from across the street, where I live, of today's Verizon protest.
I believe in unions. I believe them to be a great way to combat the ever rising tide or corporate greed, to fight for the rights of the workers, to effectively negotiate the best they can for the workers. I also think that unions can make stupid mistakes, and can be too powerful, to te point where they dictate Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-28939775684094405752011-08-17T14:11:00.000-04:002011-08-17T14:11:25.024-04:00It's Only Funny When I Say It
Read this article through once. Then, once you've finished, read it a second time to laugh your ass off.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-60718502929937159382011-08-09T13:55:00.003-04:002011-08-09T14:03:21.566-04:00Alright, let's get this straight.
Dear video game companies,
Please do the following:
1. Ensure that inexpensive (if not free) internet access is universally available wherever you plan to sell your game.
2. Make sure that that internet experience is both high quality broadband (you know, so other people sharing the bandwidth like in a multi-computer household) as well as pretty much 99.99999% Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-63442017989264091762011-08-02T11:02:00.001-04:002011-08-02T11:03:38.831-04:00ARGH ARGH ARGH ARGH ARGH, THE ALIENS ARE FIRING FUCKING PEGS!HOW DID THIS MOVIE COST 200 MILLION DOLLARS? WHY DID THIS MOVIE COST TWO HUNDRED MILLION FUCKING DOLLARS?I don't normally blog in all caps, but this seemed justified.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-26450309088281212052011-07-29T16:00:00.003-04:002011-07-29T16:04:08.417-04:00Dear scientific community,I get it. You want to be "hip" and you want to be "cool" and you want to be "with it" and try to get the kids interested in science by integrating with all the "bitchin'" new technological developments. Some of these are good ideas, some are even great. The ability to monitor and control an instrument from my iphone? Very nice. But requiring me to log in to facebook in Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-55268374970967123822011-07-22T13:41:00.002-04:002011-07-22T13:43:57.622-04:00It's fucing hot. Today, with the heat index, it is 110 degrees. I am sweating in my jeans. My wife tells me that she is planning to buy some dresses because of the heat. I thought to myself- how come men can't wear skirts when it gets hot? I don't particularly care for shorts. Then I thought- why not wear a kilt? Much more comfortable than shorts, longer too.Of course, in my neighborhood, I'll Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-48705995605229850452011-07-17T22:22:00.001-04:002011-07-17T22:22:42.906-04:00I had a tooth removed yesterday. Long story short, I had a very rare set of circumstances wrapped in a set of low probabilities that ended with the tooth having two sets of root canals, followe by being extracted along with a chunk of gum near the bone which had jellified. So, yea, I'm not in a happy place right now. That said, my oral surgeon is hands down astonishingly good. Just, wow. If you Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-2149403825274864332011-07-15T14:16:00.003-04:002011-07-15T14:18:20.568-04:00Would someone please explain to me exactly why an ebook costs exactly the same as a real book? An explanation, that is, which publishers might actually use to justify this, rather than just being greedy. Because I know that Amazon fought to keep the prices down for a long time, and the war was pretty much lost. I just don't see the point in paying more than a dollar (and even at a dollar I am Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-44227218745356023672011-07-14T19:55:00.002-04:002011-07-14T20:01:10.471-04:00Universe Sandbox is not fun. It is not a game. Its controls are unintuitive and cryptic. And it is something that I cherish nonetheless.US is a physics engine which devotes itself to gravitational calculations of both fictional and real planetery bodies, from asteroids to galaxies. The scientist in me cries out in joy to see this gem sold commercially and quite popularly. The little boy in me whoBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-2561472619670128052011-07-13T20:24:00.002-04:002011-07-13T20:46:38.760-04:00Dear Gentlemen of the MTA,Let me start this letter in the proper way by inviting you to come over to my house and suck my dick. Every single day I go through the same ritual on my way home. Regardless of the time of day (I arrive anytime between 4:00pm and 9:00 pm, typically) I take the 1 train down to South Ferry. I am always to be found in the first car, 4th door. This is important, as it Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-39975716701159362852011-07-07T12:36:00.002-04:002011-07-07T12:53:07.315-04:00I recently got an important paper from Science (1983). The problem was that it was imperfectly transcribed (typos to the point that I cannot actually understand what the person is saying) and with every single figure removed. So, I went downstairs to the sub basement fo the library and found a bound copy of the actual journal. It's always eerie for me to be there, as I only have to go find a hardBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-58413688073404941082011-07-07T10:29:00.004-04:002011-07-07T11:30:28.288-04:00For the love of god, why do I keep watching the new V Saga? It is so awful. They had the budget to do surprisingly good special effects, hire some really top-notch actors, but the writing is so awful. The first few episodes were a lot of fun, lots of action and suspense and mystery. I'm halfway through the second season, and it is becoming painful now. Why? Several reasons.1. The primary reason. Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-90408825067701345612011-07-05T11:40:00.002-04:002011-07-05T11:43:19.075-04:00Gee, Andrew, did you see the fireworks last night?Nope. I didn't even *hear* the fucking things. Normally I can, no problem. But ever since the city decided that Jersey should get a good look at the fireworks rather than, say, Brooklyn, my view has been really shit. Fuck the Hudson, I don't see Jersey willing to help pay for the fireworks.That said, do you have any idea how many fireworks go off Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-18397809159376185742011-07-01T10:51:00.003-04:002011-07-01T11:33:20.755-04:00From a CNN article about Go The Fuck To Sleep:""Imagine if this were written about Jews, blacks, Muslims or Latinos," says Dr. David Arredondo. He is an expert on child development and founder of The Children's Program,"What, you mean like instead of:"The eagles who soar thru the sky are at restAnd the creatures who crawl, run and creep.I know you are not thirsty. That's bulls**t.Stop lying.LieBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-83643178863909715332011-06-25T18:51:00.003-04:002011-06-25T18:53:50.538-04:00The best part of this is that two of them are named Flory. At least I think the first one is, the second might be Glory, but let's go with Flory. Considering that one of my best friends is named Flory, is also a very attractive young woman, is actually very intelligent, and also a gamer chick, this cracks me up to no end.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-65329235706016707672011-06-25T18:44:00.001-04:002011-06-25T18:45:43.717-04:00The new Captain America trailer kicks an unholy amount of ass. I never even particularly liked Cap. But this looks great. Incidentally, yes that is the guy from Pricilla/Matrix/LOTR as Red Skull. That just makes it more awesome.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-40938969810481363212011-06-10T13:24:00.002-04:002011-06-10T13:26:50.585-04:00Some days, it's just hard to do any real work. When the temperature is uncomfortably warm, and you find yourself fighting your own instincts to protect yourself from the heat by falling asleep, when you see the shining sun and the leafy trees out the window...Some days I think to myself that there's something wrong with a society where we can't just take a day off here and there to enjoy the day Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-48985753622522100612011-06-10T09:46:00.002-04:002011-06-10T10:07:36.204-04:00It's funny, I was just thinking yesterday about different measurement systems, and how comfortable I am with them. For example, if I am driving (well, being driven, since I don't drive), I like to use miles. Or when I'm doing something with short lengths, feet are good. But under, say, half a foot, I like using metric. It's true. I never really got all the comfortable with inches- when I picture Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-87643521926832847612011-05-26T16:05:00.001-04:002011-05-26T16:06:26.982-04:00Watch this trailer. Not just the beginning. Trust me. Watch the whole thing. You'll know why.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-67913796254248105672011-05-22T17:45:00.002-04:002011-05-22T17:52:32.324-04:00I have always had difficulty with changes of status. Maybe that's why I loathe Facebook as much as I do. I don't object to change, in fact I generally welcome it. But I have difficulty assimilating it. The result is that I'm a 27 year old man, married a little over 6 months, working on a PhD in Nanotechnology, but in my mind I'm still some 16 year old kid. Part of that is the whole being in Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-54805561563469064812011-05-22T08:18:00.004-04:002011-05-22T09:12:11.241-04:00From http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/timstanley/100088908/the-rapture-aside-americas-evangelical-christians-deserve-a-little-respect/"...evangelicalism is a motor of social change. To give one example, the church I went to runs an outreach program for prisoners. Sweet little old ladies give up their time to meet and pray with rapists and murders. The statistics seem to confirm that the best wayBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-52900246359388313932011-05-21T18:30:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:30:19.944-04:00It's anarchy. The sky is blackened, the river has turned red, and I can see some dogs and cats, and they look like they're getting along!Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-77051884980003482072011-05-21T18:24:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:24:45.029-04:00Day of the Raptor: 6:22Actually they're stealing plastic crates and running.West side story moment. The looters are all on those stupid little scooters. A bunch of guys on skateboard just passed and they started yelling at each other before breaking into a bloody fight. Is this still posting?Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-43794820374862405592011-05-21T18:21:00.003-04:002011-05-21T18:21:38.319-04:00Day of the Raptor: 6:21Well, the looting has begin. Dunno why those kids are breaking into the rite aid but okay.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-9699705188500663092011-05-21T18:21:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:21:01.348-04:00Day of the Raptor: 6:20Come tothink of it, nobody rose up from the projects. Those look normal.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-72334911733256447552011-05-21T18:17:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:17:47.831-04:00Day of the Raptor: 6:17Sun finally came out. It's rising. In the west.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-59687292021455765932011-05-21T18:15:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:15:15.173-04:00Blog of the raptor: 6:14When I took the picture the white spot dissapeared. Oh well. I'm sure we've all seen them now.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-2861992340093590032011-05-21T18:13:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:13:23.408-04:00Blog of the Raptor: 6:12 A chopper with what Adam calls a radiation detector on the front just passed.Wish I hadn't released those rubber sizies filled with helium earlier. I feel like a bit of a jerk now. Attempting to take a picture of one of the ascended.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-83120332651140414632011-05-21T18:08:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:08:27.943-04:00Blog of the Raptor: 6:07Wow, seriously? Left me behind, huh? Well, fuck you too, Jesus. Amusingly, I'm not seeing all that many flying people. And they're all white. Weird.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-52025752981967003212011-05-21T18:04:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:04:40.202-04:00Blog of the Raptor: 6:03Well, looks like someone is having a wedding. Good timing, folks.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-45052073722613284692011-05-21T18:02:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:02:47.756-04:00Blog odthe Raptor: 6:01There was an earthquake a moment ago. The Brooklyn bridge just collapsed, but it happened a few moments after the manhattan bridge.People are starting to come outside and some are flying through the air. Naked.Joanna, why are you taking off your clothes?Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-83597444639963407532011-05-21T18:00:00.001-04:002011-05-21T18:00:04.691-04:00Blog of the Raptor: 6:00Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-73393961274777741362011-05-21T17:59:00.001-04:002011-05-21T17:59:39.121-04:00Blog of the Raptor: 5:58The church bells are ringing early and the cops in police plaza are mobilizing like crazyBroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-88594287962444162682011-05-21T17:57:00.001-04:002011-05-21T17:57:33.076-04:00Blog of the Raptor: 5:56Whoever is the asshole playing the really loud trumpet, knock it off.I was right. The grilled chipotle kabobs are off the fucking hook!Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-1998329508854197962011-05-21T17:52:00.001-04:002011-05-21T17:52:35.286-04:00Blog of the Raptor:Okay, cards on the table time. I just noticed a giant cross on the skyline for the first time. Weird.No kidding, some guy just let out a bloodcurdling scream moments ago. Then again this is Chinatown. Nobody comments.I made chipotle mayo, and it is damn good. I decided to put some on a Shish kabob on the grill. Smells damn fine.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-75049254861683798662011-05-21T17:48:00.001-04:002011-05-21T17:48:00.618-04:00Blog of the Raptor: 5:47Joanna just said in a little panicked voice that she smells burning flesh. I think it's the Shoah kabobs, personally.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-67152768763999982292011-05-21T17:45:00.001-04:002011-05-21T17:45:47.915-04:00Blog of the Rapture: 5:43The air feels charged. There is a mysterious cloud that looks like an explosion in the distance. The fire trucks are wailing around non-stop.The burgers and Shish kabobs were delicious so far, by the way.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-78458865168989360872011-05-21T15:58:00.003-04:002011-05-21T15:59:56.908-04:00Tales of the Rapture: 3:58So, Flory just texted to let me know that she can't come because her grandmother is terrified of what'll happen to her when the Rapture doesn't happen and people start going crazy because it didn't.Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-65072149048123229302011-05-21T12:10:00.002-04:002011-05-21T12:12:21.897-04:00Day of Rapture: 12:11 pm.So, having a barbeque today. Went shopping this morning and bought a bunch of meaty, delicious supplies. Should be fun! People start to arrive ~5:00 tonight. And maybe start to leave ~6:00 ;)Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-55588323287644977132011-05-21T08:54:00.002-04:002011-05-21T08:57:30.266-04:00I am really excited about the new e-cigarette that I ordered. The technology has come a long, long way since 5 years ago when I first tried it. Among other things, the ability to fully customize both the ecigarette itself as well as the refillable liquids is very exciting. Fingers crossed, I'll be weaning myself off of regular cigarettes. Once it arrives, I'll do an in-depth review with all 9 Broklynitenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5124019.post-88001711367638699412011-05-20T19:03:00.003-04:002011-05-20T19:04:08.226-04:00I know I just posted, but I was reading an e-mail while on the phone and one fo the ads on the side of my gmail snatched ha ha) my notice. Note that the email was with a friend, discussing fan-made Tron gear."Meet Pretty Oriental LadyFeel alone?Meet sweet chinese girl& share romance with her!Join free.www.ChnLove.asia"HAHAHAHAHAHAHABroklynitenoreply@blogger.com0