Monday, July 27, 2009
Torchwood, you *!#$(&^!
Torchwood is a series from the venerable BBC. It is a spin-off of their Doctor Who franchise. The name is an anagram of the first program, and a character or two has been known to cross over from one to the other. I've never gotten into the doctor, but I've enjoyed Torchwood, which is generally billed as like "Dr. Who but for adults." Good enough.
Last week they aired a five-part miniseries titled "Children of Earth." Well, we all are, but in this case it was about how one of the main characters, who is, too bad for him, immortal, gave some children to an alien race once and how now they're back for a lot more. They love 'em. Not to eat, but to produce "chemicals." Yes, they use children (adults don't work, apparently) to produce drugs.
So okay, it's no lamer than a lot of science fiction plots. The reason I'm mad is because of the ending. Apparently there was some sort of political axe to grind or something. They had the immortal have to use his own grandson, who didn't survive the procedure, to defeat the aliens. See, the aliens were demanding ten percent of all of the children of Earth, hence the title. Having the immortal off his daughter's child was a lame, easy, and stupid ending. Why didn't somebody ask the aliens how they planned to get their drugs after they wiped out humanity? Why didn't they have the aliens actually start to attack, but then mess up due to their drug-addled state? They even could have ended up with Earth making a fortune off of the aliens by synthesizing the drugs some way that didn't involve sacrificing children. But no, they screwed it up. Thanks a lot, guys! If there's another season (or series as they call it across the pond,) try to do a better job of plotting, okay?
I'd appreciate it!
Steve
Last week they aired a five-part miniseries titled "Children of Earth." Well, we all are, but in this case it was about how one of the main characters, who is, too bad for him, immortal, gave some children to an alien race once and how now they're back for a lot more. They love 'em. Not to eat, but to produce "chemicals." Yes, they use children (adults don't work, apparently) to produce drugs.
So okay, it's no lamer than a lot of science fiction plots. The reason I'm mad is because of the ending. Apparently there was some sort of political axe to grind or something. They had the immortal have to use his own grandson, who didn't survive the procedure, to defeat the aliens. See, the aliens were demanding ten percent of all of the children of Earth, hence the title. Having the immortal off his daughter's child was a lame, easy, and stupid ending. Why didn't somebody ask the aliens how they planned to get their drugs after they wiped out humanity? Why didn't they have the aliens actually start to attack, but then mess up due to their drug-addled state? They even could have ended up with Earth making a fortune off of the aliens by synthesizing the drugs some way that didn't involve sacrificing children. But no, they screwed it up. Thanks a lot, guys! If there's another season (or series as they call it across the pond,) try to do a better job of plotting, okay?
I'd appreciate it!
Steve
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Greetings, Shakespeare Fans
Well, I'm back from Cedar City, Utah. Didja miss me? Didn't think so. Every year we go up at least once to the Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City. It's the three exits just around mile 60 on Interstate 15. This year we saw three Shakespeares and one Coward. Noel Coward, I mean.
The Shakespeares were As You Like It, A Comedy of Errors, and Henry V. All well done, although As You Like It isn't as funny as most of his other comedies. I read once that it was his "popular demand" play wherein he put all the stuff fans said they wanted more of. Okay, but it just isn't as good. Now, A Comedy of Errors is pretty outrageous, start to finish, and I'd recommend it to anyone. As for old Harry (the name people called Henry V,) his story is interesting, but it is, after all, a history lesson. A reasonably accurate one, but also one that paints Harry as one heck of a fine king. That St. Crispin's day speech is probably memorized to this day by English school children. Still, he did great things while he lasted, and the play is a lot more fun than reading about it in some moldy tome.
We also saw Private Lives by Noel Coward. It's funny as anything. See it if you can.
We've about done what one can do in Cedar City. Seen the museum, the stores, eaten at most of the restaurants (forgettable, mostly,) got gas at most of the stations, even driven up to Cedar Breaks National Monument a couple of times. It's pretty, and the entire atmosphere is as if a big chunk of the "old" America is still alive and kicking. The small town where I grew up isn't like that anymore, but Cedar City is.
They have a livestock festival in the fall. The picture to the right is from the one in 2008. The big parade features about a gazillion sheep, and every line shack ever occupied in Iron County, Utah. See? Told you we'd done it all in Cedar City! Next time we're going to check out Parawan, the original site of Mormon settlement in Southern Utah. There's a cafe there that's supposed to be pretty good.
Meantime, if you have the means, by all means check out the excellent productions in this years Utah Shakespearean Festival. Good stuff, Maynard! The title link will take you there.
Steve
The Shakespeares were As You Like It, A Comedy of Errors, and Henry V. All well done, although As You Like It isn't as funny as most of his other comedies. I read once that it was his "popular demand" play wherein he put all the stuff fans said they wanted more of. Okay, but it just isn't as good. Now, A Comedy of Errors is pretty outrageous, start to finish, and I'd recommend it to anyone. As for old Harry (the name people called Henry V,) his story is interesting, but it is, after all, a history lesson. A reasonably accurate one, but also one that paints Harry as one heck of a fine king. That St. Crispin's day speech is probably memorized to this day by English school children. Still, he did great things while he lasted, and the play is a lot more fun than reading about it in some moldy tome.
We also saw Private Lives by Noel Coward. It's funny as anything. See it if you can.
We've about done what one can do in Cedar City. Seen the museum, the stores, eaten at most of the restaurants (forgettable, mostly,) got gas at most of the stations, even driven up to Cedar Breaks National Monument a couple of times. It's pretty, and the entire atmosphere is as if a big chunk of the "old" America is still alive and kicking. The small town where I grew up isn't like that anymore, but Cedar City is.
They have a livestock festival in the fall. The picture to the right is from the one in 2008. The big parade features about a gazillion sheep, and every line shack ever occupied in Iron County, Utah. See? Told you we'd done it all in Cedar City! Next time we're going to check out Parawan, the original site of Mormon settlement in Southern Utah. There's a cafe there that's supposed to be pretty good.
Meantime, if you have the means, by all means check out the excellent productions in this years Utah Shakespearean Festival. Good stuff, Maynard! The title link will take you there.
Steve
Labels: Reviews
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
NO TOADS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS POST
I live where it doesn't rain all that much, but it does rain a lot when it does rain. (The preceding sentence was deliberately left obtuse.)
What I'm saying is that we had a really great thunderstorm last evening. It thrashed the trees, sent sheets of water blowing down the street, left all sorts of crap in my swimming pool, and, most importantly, gave us a good dose of water for free.
We have toads in the yard. Mostly they hunker down in moist spots and look at me sideways when I notice them. Sometimes I see them hopping around the edges of the house, which is where the bushes are that get watered. With water on the bushes comes a place for a toad.
Toads apparently aren't all that bright. We've had a series of storms this week, although mostly they didn't provide any significant rain. When the storm winds pick up all sorts of trash gets dumped into the swimming pools in the area. Trash from places you've never visited in your life winds up in your skimmer. Then, the past couple of days, so did the toads.
I found my first swimming toad yesterday morning. They swim really well, just like frogs (there's a surprise, huh?) What they can't do, of course, is hop up eight inches out of the water to get out of the pool. Some pools have ramps leading in and out. Ours has steps. Several sets, but every top step is firmly under water. The toads are, sad to say, screwed.
Today I found a toad swimming in the skimmer when I went to clean the debris out. I flipped him into the garden. Then I saw another one along the edge of the pool, so I flipped him out. Then I saw yet another one, this one looking sort of tired. I flipped him out. Then I went and emptied the debris basket at the pump (if you have a pool you know what I mean.) When I returned I noticed a fourth toad valiantly kicking himself along the edge.
Now, really, I don't mind toads. They eat bugs, after all. But I wish they'd stay out of my pool. Like I want to go for a dip at bedtime (which I sometimes do) and end up with a dead amphibian next to me in the water. Or maybe I'll pull a dead toad out of the skimmer basket. I mean, come on, guys, I don't call the exterminator, now do I? Have some courtesy, okay? Sit under the bushes in the dampness and enjoy life. Eat all the bugs you can catch. Just, please Mr. and Ms. Toad, resist that urge to go for a swim. Leave that to the frogs. I mean, humans.
Thank you,
Steve
What I'm saying is that we had a really great thunderstorm last evening. It thrashed the trees, sent sheets of water blowing down the street, left all sorts of crap in my swimming pool, and, most importantly, gave us a good dose of water for free.
We have toads in the yard. Mostly they hunker down in moist spots and look at me sideways when I notice them. Sometimes I see them hopping around the edges of the house, which is where the bushes are that get watered. With water on the bushes comes a place for a toad.
Toads apparently aren't all that bright. We've had a series of storms this week, although mostly they didn't provide any significant rain. When the storm winds pick up all sorts of trash gets dumped into the swimming pools in the area. Trash from places you've never visited in your life winds up in your skimmer. Then, the past couple of days, so did the toads.
I found my first swimming toad yesterday morning. They swim really well, just like frogs (there's a surprise, huh?) What they can't do, of course, is hop up eight inches out of the water to get out of the pool. Some pools have ramps leading in and out. Ours has steps. Several sets, but every top step is firmly under water. The toads are, sad to say, screwed.
Today I found a toad swimming in the skimmer when I went to clean the debris out. I flipped him into the garden. Then I saw another one along the edge of the pool, so I flipped him out. Then I saw yet another one, this one looking sort of tired. I flipped him out. Then I went and emptied the debris basket at the pump (if you have a pool you know what I mean.) When I returned I noticed a fourth toad valiantly kicking himself along the edge.
Now, really, I don't mind toads. They eat bugs, after all. But I wish they'd stay out of my pool. Like I want to go for a dip at bedtime (which I sometimes do) and end up with a dead amphibian next to me in the water. Or maybe I'll pull a dead toad out of the skimmer basket. I mean, come on, guys, I don't call the exterminator, now do I? Have some courtesy, okay? Sit under the bushes in the dampness and enjoy life. Eat all the bugs you can catch. Just, please Mr. and Ms. Toad, resist that urge to go for a swim. Leave that to the frogs. I mean, humans.
Thank you,
Steve
Labels: Info
Friday, July 17, 2009
Weather Bragging
I just checked the current conditions on the nearest weather station to my house. It's less than two miles away. It is, and I quote, 111.6 degrees, and the humidity is 2 percent. It is cooler, of course, than it is down where I lately lived, so that's nice. But, I just thought I'd brag a bit about the remarkably harsh weather we're having in Vegas.
Maybe I'll go shovel something, for old time's sake. But what? The streets are clear!
Steve
Maybe I'll go shovel something, for old time's sake. But what? The streets are clear!
Steve
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I'm Rich!
A while back we visited England. Somewhere I listed my email address. I know this because I now get spam like this:
Microsoft Award Team
20 Craven Park, Harlesden
London NW10, United Kingdom.
Attention: Winner,
This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUND (£500,000.00) for the New Edition 2009 Lottery promotion which is organized by YAHOO LOTTERY INC & WINDOWS LIVE in conjunction with a few other internet providers.
YAHOO & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo and Hotmail we only select five people every Month as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying, we congratulate you for being one of the people selected.
you are required to contact our fudiciary agent with the below contact details:
CONTACT PERSON: SIR. Chris McCormick
Email: chris_mccormick@w.cn
Tel :+447045763429
Wowzers, huh? Five-hundred thousand pounds! That's almost a lot, innit? What's interesting is the way that the scammers don't bother to edit their lists. And why should they? For one thing, the domain w.cn is not anywhere in the United Kingdom. The UK uses, well what do you think they'd use? .uk. .cn is from China, but, and this is also interesting, anybody can buy a .cn domain extension because China likes making money off of stuff (for supposed Communists they're pretty money grubbing.) So, it could be anywhere, but one thing for sure, it ain't Microsoft or Yahoo, both of which have domains in the UK ending with .uk.
If you'd like, feel free to call the number above. Let me know who answers if you do. In North America the + represents 011, by the way. I have no idea what other places use as an international code. But do go for it. Say you're me. You can have one hundred percent of the profits from the prize.
Ain't I the generous one?
Steve
Microsoft Award Team
20 Craven Park, Harlesden
London NW10, United Kingdom.
Attention: Winner,
This is to inform you that you have won a prize money of FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUND (£500,000.00) for the New Edition 2009 Lottery promotion which is organized by YAHOO LOTTERY INC & WINDOWS LIVE in conjunction with a few other internet providers.
YAHOO & MICROSOFT WINDOWS, collects all the email addresses of the people that are active online, among the millions that subscribed to Yahoo and Hotmail we only select five people every Month as our winners through electronic balloting System without the winner applying, we congratulate you for being one of the people selected.
you are required to contact our fudiciary agent with the below contact details:
CONTACT PERSON: SIR. Chris McCormick
Email: chris_mccormick@w.cn
Tel :+447045763429
Wowzers, huh? Five-hundred thousand pounds! That's almost a lot, innit? What's interesting is the way that the scammers don't bother to edit their lists. And why should they? For one thing, the domain w.cn is not anywhere in the United Kingdom. The UK uses, well what do you think they'd use? .uk. .cn is from China, but, and this is also interesting, anybody can buy a .cn domain extension because China likes making money off of stuff (for supposed Communists they're pretty money grubbing.) So, it could be anywhere, but one thing for sure, it ain't Microsoft or Yahoo, both of which have domains in the UK ending with .uk.
If you'd like, feel free to call the number above. Let me know who answers if you do. In North America the + represents 011, by the way. I have no idea what other places use as an international code. But do go for it. Say you're me. You can have one hundred percent of the profits from the prize.
Ain't I the generous one?
Steve
Labels: England, Info, Social Commentary
Monday, July 13, 2009
Meet Our Latest Addition
Here she is. She's a 10-year old mostly basset that we got from Basset Rescue. We weren't looking for another dog, but the odds of her being adopted were pretty slim, so we volunteered to look after her. I don't know why she ended up in the shelter, because she's a very sweet old girl. They called her 'Talulah', if that's even how you spell that name. Tami hates it, though, so we're casting about for something we like. She really seems happy to be in a home with a family again. We were told she was pretty vocal, but here she doesn't make a sound. As you can see, she does indulge in an old hound's favorite pastime a great deal. She's also housebroken and kind to cats. Somebody's loss is our gain.Steve
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Public Enemies
Johnny Depp doesn't make bad movies, in my experience. What more do you need to know?
Steve
Steve
Labels: Reviews
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Happy Birthday!
As everyone knows, it's an important birthday today. We have fireworks, picnics, parades, good times all around. And why not? It's not every day my brother Bob celebrates another birthday!
Happy Birthday Bob!
Steve
Happy Birthday Bob!
Steve
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Blogging to Work is LIve!
My new site, Blogging to Work, designed to help people market themselves into a job or career, is now live. I just posted the first daily article. More will be forthcoming, well, daily. And no, I'm not abandoning this blog. My usual irregular and erratic schedule still applies. Aren't you glad?
Steve
Steve
Labels: Info
