The Wrong Trousers...

I found this youtube video over on Dan Santat's blog.
These Kids are great! Ok, maybe the vocals need a little polish, but considering the venue and the crappy video recorder I'll give them a pass. They more than make up for it with their passion.

Oh, and read Dan's post here about getting older. It's both insightful and a tad bit depressing.

Last one standing...

I don't really understand this about myself...
I'm basically a pacifist at heart, yet I can really appreciate a good violent battle between men (or even women). For example, A good boxing match. I kinda got a little bit into the "ultimate fighter" show for a little while, but then I kinda lost interest in that - started to feel too much like professional wrestling.
So when I saw the promo's for this new TV show on (of all places) the Discovery channel called "Last one standing" I was curious. I think it's on Thursday nights, but I saw it tonight on Sunday. I really liked it! It was a little hoakey and the editing annoyed me (commercial break every ten seconds), but the show and premise I liked.
In a nutshell, they picked about 6 guys (some had accents, so I don't think they were all from America). These guys are athletes (though one is a BMX bike rider, not sure how he got in this group). But the "twist" is that these guys "from the west" go into these tribal scenarios to compete on tribal terms. Tonights episode, they went into the Brazilian Jungle to visit the Kalapalo tribe and learned how to wrestle. It was very interesting to see how these guys were accepted (or not accepted as some were not even allowed to fight) in the tribe.
I also liked the idea that I could learn something while watching this show. To see how another culture lives on this little blue planet.
Next week's show looks really great... they are going to learn "Zulu Stick Fighting"! Looks scary and cool! I have to laugh at this too, because I know my sister would Kick Butt in Zulu Stick Fighting! :) (when we were kids, we would have "fake" sword fights using sticks, and it never seemed to fail she'd somehow always manage to crack my knuckles each time. hee hee.

Check it out if you get the chance. Here's the official website on the Discovery Channel's website. (fyi, the discovery channel has a really difficult to navigate website).

Tech Tags: discovery.com discovery+channel last+one+standing television

Movies

Well since my back has put me outta commision this weekend, I had a chance to catch up on two of my movies from netflix. (I'm amazed at how fast my back is getting better though. I hope to be moving around like normal tomorrow).

The Guardian>
I'm not even sure what made me put this movie in my netflix queue :)
I do like Ashton Kutcher... When he's not being so goofy, I think he can really act. And of course Kevin Costner is always a gamble on the rolls he chooses, but again, I think he can really act well. This movie was not a great movie, but I have to admit I got sucked into it. It has probably been made a 100 times before as far as glorifying a military branch, the small hero, the older wiser man passing the torch to the younger protege, etc... But, maybe that's why this story is told 100 times, because it makes for a good movie. It's very predictable but even so, I liked this movie. IMDB.

Jesus Camp>
Wow, I'm not really sure what to say about this movie. I just finished watching it so I may need some time to process it. It's a bit of a harsh documentary regarding the "evangelical" church. Most of the time, I think a documentary should be less judgmental and try to let the footage speak for itself. I think the film would have been more powerful had we not seen the 4-5 cut scenes of a liberal talk radio host throwing in his two cents regarding the "evangelicals". I found myself agreeing with some of the things he said, but I also felt like they were cheap-shots. At the same time, there were defintely scenes in the movie that were very disturbing to me. To see how these children are manipulated is a bit scary. Again, at the same time, what one person sees as being manipulated, another sees it as teaching. Isn't all teaching some form of manipulation?
The movie also featured Ted Haggard... in an odd twist of fate, Ted has been through a lot and I'm sure really hurt the evangelical movement. In addition to making a strong point for the people who made this movie.
So I'm left with a lot of confused feelings about this film. On one hand, I agree with a lot of the points the film tried to make. On the other hand, It felt wrong, and underhanded. I'm finding it difficult to explain why, other than to say that maybe it didn't seem fair in the way it portrayed the evangelicals.
IMDB.


A really interesting sidenote... I watched the movie through the credits (it had one of my favorite songs - "spirit in the sky")... one of the last few title shots was for the film company behind this movie.. it was "Loki Films" - Irony doesn't get much better than this... So the name of the production company that criticises the evangelical movement is named after a Norse God that is associated with Lies and personified evil and would "lead the enemies of heaven".
wow. The name jumped at me from a strange reference... I had remembered the character that Matt Damon played the "Angel of Death" - a.k.a. Loki, in the Kevin Smith movie called "dogma". I had to google Loki a couple times to figure out exactly who Loki is/was. I'm not sure how Loki from the Norse mythology got to be considered a "fallen angel" unless that was just coincidence.
Loki on everything2.com.
Loki on wikipedia.
Loki quotes from the movie Dogma.

Ok, I wasn't going to say anything about this because it sounds too conspiracy minded, but there were some other "ironic" things that jumped at me in the movie...
The Evangelical camp they went to was called "Kids on Fire" (On the website it is listed as "Families on Fire") - Is it me, or isn't that kind of a negative image? Um, brings up images of people burning in hell doesn't it?
Then to top it off, the "Jesus camp" itself was held at a campground in "Devils lake" North Dakota!
And lastly - One of the kids featured as being a "warrior for God" and a preacher, was named Levi. I couldn't help but to think of the one other person (except for the Levi in the Bible) that I knew of called Levi... Eliphas Levi. I'll remind you to rearrange the letters in Levi and tell me what that spells... See! I told you it was Conspiracy minded!

Tech Tags: the+guardian movies netflix Jesus+Camp Loki Loki+Films Irony

Ouch!

Quick update on the big hole in the ceiling from the Fios installer... It's still there.
They kept me waiting over 2 hours yesterday - so I left.
This morning, they sent a woman around at about 9:30 to tell me they'd be there at 10:30... At 11:15 still no sight of them so I left again. Grrrr... We'll see what Monday brings. I think I'm going to call Monday and ask them where I should send my bill for my time.

So this morning I'm getting dressed, and went to pull my shorts on (yes, still wearing Shorts in October!) When something in my back "snapped". Not an audible snap (thank goodness), but man, the pain that I felt was unbelievable. I almost fell to the floor, but instead Froze, wondering what to do. I made it over to the edge of my bed to sit, and boy did that hurt! I can only remember one other time when I felt that much pain... I accidentally stood up in the entrance to our garage and the garage door was half-way down, so I smacked my head into that. I literally saw stars that time. This time the pain was enough to make me sweat and loose my breath! After about 20 minutes of not moving, and wondering what I was going to do, I managed to slowly stand up. I was able to walk then (slowly) and after about an hour, I was able to move again. I'm still in a constant pain now, but it's dull - unless I stand up. I'm currently using my old 5-Iron golf club as a cane! :)
So wish me luck on a speedy recovery. Really messed up my plans this weekend.
Amazing, to me how you can be feeling 100% fine then in the blink of an eye, something gives. At this point, I'm hoping it's a muscle pull, and not a nerve, but I'm not sure. I think it's muscle, because it seems to be feeling a little better.

Hope your TGIF is going better than mine.
Cyen out

people good...

So after my earlier rant today regarding people and how they can inconvenience your life, or simply just "not make any sense", I had a run in today with a guy who taught me something.

I've always wanted to wear a silver bracelet that was just a little bigger than my wrist. It would mean cutting the bracelet and welding/solder/brazing it together so it was attached to my wrist. I've always refrained from doing this, because I also have a mental image of what would happen if the bracelet ever got caught on something and didn't want it to pull my hand off!

Well, over the years, I've noticed that many of the guys who work at the gas stations in this area often wear silver bracelets. They don't seem to be anything fancy about them, just some grooves, or something simple, but I always notice them. I've wanted to ask them about the bracelet and where they got them, but never felt comfortable in doing so.
Well, over the past couple months I've been going to a new gas station because they almost always have the cheapest price on gas. I've noticed that two of the guys that work there are usually pretty nice. They say thank you, they call me sir, etc... One's a younger guy, and one's an older guy. The older guy has a silver bracelet and the turban also. So this evening on the way home I stopped in to get some gas. The older guy wasn't waiting on me, but he wandered over while counting some money and asked me how I was doing. (At least I think that's what he said, he has a very thick accent). I guess I had a look of puzzlement on my face because he asked me again and gave me a "thumbs up" signal. I smiled, and said, I'm doing well thanks.
So this was my chance to ask him.
I said, I liked his bracelet...
He smiled and said (I'm paraphrasing due to his accent), thanks and said it's "sick".
Sick? He repeated it again, then I remembered hearing about a religious sect called the Sikh. I nodded to say "ah, Sikh" to let him know I understood.
I said, I've noticed a lot of "you guys" wear them? (not trying to sound "racist" but it still came out sounding that way - to me anyway).
He smiled again, and said it's a religious thing.
Ah, so that was what he was saying "sikh". Then he started to point to his turban. This too, is religious, then he said "sing".
I got confused again, and thought maybe now he wasn't saying "sikh" but rather "sing". He then said that the leader of India also wears a turban and his name was Singh!
Ah, I said, still not 100% sure I was understanding him.
There was an awkward silence, then I realized, He said it was a religious thing to wear his bracelet but he didn't explain, so I asked "So, the bracelet, Why do you wear it? Is it like the cross for a Christain?" - He was very happy to explain to me...
He said it's a reminder to "not cheat". He said as one reaches out to accept money from someone, they look down and see the bracelet, and it's a reminder to pull your hand back and not cheat someone.
I thought that was pretty cool. I thanked him. Then he said, if he goes back to India, he will get me a bracelet :) (I'm pretty sure he was kidding :)
So I drove away with some new knowledge. I got home tonight and confirmed what I thought he was saying "Sikh" and "Singh". I didn't think to ask if the bracelet had a name or not.
I'm glad I spoke up, and I'm glad I met a nice Sikh to explain it to me.
Thanks to wikipedia the bracelet is called a "kara".

UPDATE: I've thought about this some more... I will look at these guys that pump gas in a different light now. I had always held a "grudge" or maybe it was a bit of prejudice that they wore those turbans. I thought "if you are going to come to a new country, you should try to fit in better" - but now, I know it's a religious expression. These guys are basically like a nun or priest pumping gas. And where else but America should someone be made to feel comfortable due to their religious beliefs. So, I'll make a conscious effort to remember that in the future, and not so judgmental in my thinking.

Tech Tags: singh sikh kara turban religion people

People Rant...

Ok, I've been pretty busy lately so no time to post. I'm gonna try to squeeze this one in real quick, because my rants are starting to build up!
The other day, my google quote of the day was pretty apt...
Society is like saltwater, it's fun to swim in, but difficult to swallow.
Another saying I like...
People! You can't live with them, and you can't cut em up into little pieces and put them in your trunk.

So first one...
The other day, I stopped up at the wawa convenience store to get some lunch. It was only a roll and a small container of chicken salad. As I was counting my money, the woman put the items in a bag. I paid her, then said , "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't need a bag" and proceeded to take my two items out and leave the bag open on the counter. The woman took the bag, crumpled it and threw it in the trashcan! I wasn't gonna say anything, but I just couldn't believe it. So I did...
I said, "You know, the whole reason I said I didn't need a bag, was to help the environment so I didn't have to through it out. You don't just give them to the next customer?"
She just kinda smiled and said "well, once I pull it off the rack, the bags are hard to open so I just throw them out".
I just shook my head and walked away.

I had a CFL (compact fluorescent Light) bulb go on me the other day at the office. I know that each of these bulbs contains a small amount of mercury (which is hazardous) in them. And when they go on ya, you have to dispose of them properly.
I've been jumping through hoops trying to figure out what to do with this thing.
I found one website that tells me I have to take it to my county recycle center (which is about 40 minutes away). So I'm trying to find someplace closer. First I called the recycle center... the woman who answered the phone told me to simply throw them out. Um, but they have Mercury in them... OH! Then you'll have to bring those up to the hazardous waste drop-off. Ok, I said, what about my local recycle center? She didn't know but gave me their phone number.
I called yesterday, spoke to a guy, he said "Oh, you can just throw those out" - but they have Mercury in them! - OH! Then I'll have to ask my supervisor call back tomorrow.
I call back today... Spoke with a different guy (not sure if he was the supervisor)... "Oh, you can just throw those out" - again... "but they have mercury in them" - Oh, I'll have to call the county then to find out. I'll call you back tomorrow.
Ugh! You try so hard to do the right thing for the environment, and this is what you get!
ME - having to remind my county authorities that these light bulbs are hazardous - thats scary.

Last one...
I get home from art class last night (which was great by the way) and found a letter on my doorknob. Turns out my apartment complex is getting Verizon Fios (Which I'm happy about cause then I can dump Comcast!). So the letter proceeds to tell me I have to let someone in to get access to run the wires! Ugh, nice warning!? I have a private lock, (last time I trusted maintenance by themselves in my apartment, I had stuff stolen). So I wait around this morning, and turns out, they don't need access to my apartment because my neighbor has the access panel in his closet to get into the attic! Great I said! A minute later, I hear them knocking on his door and his dog is barking like crazy! He's got a big dog that sounds plain nasty! HA I said, this should be good. I wonder what they'll do now? Well, a minute or so goes by, I can here them all saying "I'm NOT going in there with that dog in there!" - sure enough, I get another knock on my door. They want to cut a NEW access hole into my closet ceiling to get up into the attic. I was actually thrilled to hear this. That means that when I have Squirrel problems, I can set my own traps now and NOT have to put up with maintenance! So, the guy comes in, cuts a big hole, and a small Mexican guy jumps up into the attic. I said, "your gonna put some sort of door in right?" The supervisor says, we'll just put up some trim, and slip the sheet rock on top of that. Ok fine. About 11:30, the Mexican guy comes down and leaves. I figure he's going to get the trim, cause he left his ladder there. So I wait... and wait... and wait. Finally about 1PM, I say, "this is crazy". So I lock my door and leave. I saw the security girl, and said "I have to go, tell him to come by tomorrow morning to fix the big hole please" She said "ok."
So, now I'm curious if they will in fact stop by tomorrow, or not. If nothing else, I still have their ladder, so they should come back for that! :)

this is pretty amazing

I don't know if you will appreciate this, but since I'm into graphics and photography, this is pretty amazing. The term they are using is called "seam carving". I just heard about this via my email subscription to photojojo.com. I just watched the above tutorial because I simply couldn't believe what I was reading. I still remain skeptical even after watching the tutorial, but even if it only works some of the time, it's really amazing.
I'm not a fan of uploading photos to just any ol' website, so I'm not endorsing Rsizr (yet). Simply just pointing out the technology.
SideNote: As always, this is on a PC only so far. I so look forward to the day when all applications will run on all operating systems.

Tech Tags: photojojo rsizr seam+carving photography graphics art technology