Primer

I just finished watching another really interesting movie. It was one that was referred to me by a coworker called Primer. Very interesting movie, so interesting that as soon as it was over I left it in and watched the entire thing again with commentary. So here's another one to add to the Blockbuster/Netflix queue, Primer... Also, status update on the Samoas, they're gone, all gone. -w

two sided paddle

Well I was home this past weekend, Bisher and I ran to the big city to get some shopping done. Every time I go out into public I worry about running into an ex classmate and the issue with having to talk about what each is doing these days. A conversion always consists of two questions; Where are you living now, and where do you work. The funny thing is that when you mention that you live in the cities, and work downtown people are impressed. You don't need to even say what you do but just the fact that you work in the downtown region makes it seem that you are making good money or you are prestigious in one way or another. These mundane talks drive me nuts to the point that I almost duck into the nearest store to avoid the contact with someone from my past. Hell folks it has been over 7 years since I was in HS and I'm ready to move on with my life. I propose a new idea where everyone carries with them a two sided circle on a stick. One side of the circle would be green and other side would be red. Now if you approached someone who you knew you could hold up the green side meaning that you are willing to talk to them or hold up the red side saying walk on by because I have nothing to say to you. It would take two greens to make a conversation happen thus eliminating all the awkwardness. This would be great for ex-significant others, coworkers, or ex-classmen. Once we get this issue solved we can move on to other important subjects like getting people to use the right lane when driving except when they are passing another vehicle. -B.

Happy Endings

Em and I have been scraping at the bottom of the barrel when it comes to movies to get through our Blockbuster account. The result is that we end up watching a lot of random stuff that isn't very good. Last night we watched The Skeleton Key, which I would rate as average. We also watched Happy Endings, which was surprisingly good. Who would have thought that Tom Arnold and Lisa Kudrow could make a good movie together? Anyways, for those of you looking for a good movie, check out Happy Endings. As for updates on the 'burbia front, there aren't many, but the girl scout did deliver the cookies I ordered last night (Thin Mints and Samoas)! -w

Biosphere

So I am at the rents for the weekend and it just feels weird to leave the liberal world that is the cities. It almost feels like there is a giant bubble over the metro area and as soon as you leave it you are in the backwoods. Gone are the import cars and people who care what they look like and here are the domestics and proud American flags off of every house. Hell there are some of those flags just in random fields. This is going to be another interesting weekend. -B.

Giant Neon Box

The other day I was out eating lunch with a coworker with a couple of gentlemen sitting to the side of us. They were speaking quite loudly and whenever someone does that I feel that is an open invitation to eavesdrop and later make fun of the said conversation. While halfway through their boring talks about a case (I know one was a lawyer but the other one I would guess to be his client) the lawyer receives a phone call and takes it right then and there. So not only a loud talker but he is also rude in cell phone etiquette by answering the phone when in public and while conversing with someone. Now all cell phones have caller ID so he knew right away who the caller but he decided to take it anyway (maybe it was an emergency?) . It was his son having an issue with a printer on his computer. Now I would understand if this was a young kid having some computer issues but after the conversation the lawyer told the other man that it was his son, a senior at MCAD, who was having these issues. This is a grown 22-23 year old kid who is calling is dad (who is working hard) and asking him how to fix a printer. I guess I would feel a little worried as the father after I pumped in $100,000 in tuition to find out my son was a good for nothing. Hey maybe he was more into performance art where he dressed up in a black stocking and sprang around while blowing a kazoo with his nose demonstrating how the evils of corporate world are causing great depression in the flocks geese that fly in the once "V" pattern we have learned to expect. -B.

new toys

Over the past couple of weeks I have picked up some accessories to help my computer become more of what I need/want it to be. Last weekend I purchase a 16x DVD+R external drive (I have a 4x in my Powerbook) that has this new "lightscribe" technology where if you go out and buy these certain types of disks your can burn images on top of them. They gave me a free CD+R inside the box so I had to try it out and see what the it would look like. The bottom image is the result and after 23 minutes of burning I must say it looks pretty cool (Tom I hope you don't mind that I used one of your images to try it out, your images are known for their contrast). The issue is that the disk drive burns data at like 52x which is really just a minute or two for a full disk but then you need to wait 23 minutes to burn your image on top, are you really gaining anything?
The next thing I went and bought was this Wacom tablet. I got the Graphire one because I really didn't know how much I was going to use it so I opted for the lesser model with the ability to "grow into" the next one. So far I must say this is a life saver in Photoshop, Illustrator, and other programs. This has already saved me a ton of time in spotting and clean up and am finally getting the hang on how to use it. Oh yeah, those are Death Cab for Cutie tickets. JEALOUS???? Huh? I'm so pumped to go see them even though every time I hear them live on TV, they sound flat. I'm just pumped for that night.
New shades to end the post. Cool! $6.00 -B.

TMA, this one is for you!

I finally got a chance to go through some photos that were taken a few years ago when I was out in Penland, NC with Mr. Allen for a few months. I feel that a lot of what he has posted in the last few months can be summed up with corresponding photographs showing that history does in fact repeat itself. This is my dedication to Mr. Allen, my all time favorite teacher and photographer. Back during his Taboo post Tom talks about his wine drinking issues. This is actually the way he drinks wine. Then in his most recent post he talks about his portrait skills. Well his models are looking a lot cuter today than they did back in 2003. After the day that we like to call Black Friday at Penland, Tom started to act weird, almost like something was there when there was nothing. Sorry, I'm very much to lazy to run those through Photoshop twice and re-upload. Just deal. This is when he wanted to join the "cool" girls but they wouldn't allow him due to his ridiculous sense of style. I do love the 17" Powerbook though. Finally this is one of Tom's students after one of Tom's inspirational talks about how to capture the subject And what would a post be like without a famous group shot of me looking touch as nails! ::Sigh:: I sure miss Penland. -B.

Ska-U-Mah and Stuff

A listing and short commentary of recent events: Watched 2 movies, The Secret Lives of Dentists and Shaun of the Dead. The dentist movie I am embarassed to admit that I watched. Shaun of the Dead was not very good either, I actually fell asleep the first time I attempted to watch it. I think the British accents put me to sleep. I have been watching most of the Olympic hockey games. My gold medal favorite since they announced their roster is Slovakia. Just imagine if Slovakia and the Czech Republic were one country.... I snooped around my neighbor's house. It is not quite completed yet, but I would guess that the construction should be finished in April. I helped one of my friends move this past Saturday, one of the coldest days of the year. I have another friend I am helping move this coming Saturday. And, just for fun, I was told that I am moving desks again at work on Wednesday. Went out to a campus bar, The Library, after the Gopher's hockey game. Long Island Iced Teas for $2.50 is one hell of a special. -w

BB and NF

I know a lot of you have a subscription to Blockbuster Online or Netflicks so I'm going to throw out some movie titles because I have had complaint about not having enough movies to watch. Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind Hedwig and the Angry Inch I Heart Huckabees Meet Joe Black Mona Lisa Smile Lost in Translation Spirited Away Amelie Mulholland Drive Hearts of Fire English Patient Liberty Heights Blue Velvet Garden State Sleepy Hallow This should give you a few to add but I will try to add update with future posts. Please feel free to add to the list with comments. If I have enough additions I will update the post with them. Later gators, -B.

Double post but hell it is a holiday

After receiving the valentine from Tom and Miren yesterday I started to remember my childhood and how we celebrated Valentine's Day at school. You all remember when your biggest worry was the 20 addition problems you had for homework and what kind of afternoon snack you were going to eat while vegging out on the 8-bit Nintendo (I'm still a God at Ice Hockey and Excitebike). School activities would consist of the day or two before you would take an old shoe box, add some red, pink, and white construction paper to it, throw on some hearts (or little circles with a point for those with scissor issues) and cut a big slot in it for preparations of all the great valentines you would be getting for your fellow classmates. The night before the big party you would sit up at the counter and try to write as nice as possible the names of all your classmates while trying to pick out the best cards from the box to give to your friends or the girls that you wanted to hold hands with. Then you would tape on the candy or stickers or whatever junk you gave out and stuff them in envelopes awaiting the big party the next day. Once in school the real fun would begin as each cluster of desks would be released to disperse their valentines. You would watch as the other children would make their way around the room dropping their Toy Story, Barbie, or Fraggle Rock cards into the slots of their peers. After everything was passed out the teacher released you to open up your cards and enjoy the rest of the day munching on candy and seeing how "Pam" signed her name (does that "a" look like a heart to you?). In the spirit of the holiday and due to the fact that I don't have a date tonight I made a valentine for all of you. Take care and TRY to get some sleep tonight. -B.

Happy V'tines day

I was working on a pretty negative entry on this holiday when I go to check my email and this is in it. How such a small thing can brighten one's day is unknown. Thank you Miren! -B.

OCD Ongoing

"Also, I would like to clarify one thing, I am not a germ-a-phobe as implied by the Toothpaste for Dinner link, that would certainly compound my problems." ::WAVE:: Hello! Plus my large bottle on my desk at work. (I got 20% more for free!) Here is my second: -B.

OCD Follow-Up

After reading Tom's comment on my previous entry, I had to post this picture. His comment was rather frightening to read since I do not even know Tom, but I felt like he has been in my closet. Closet is organized exactly as Tom described, although, I feel like I got one additional quirk, all my hangers are white. This is not because we only have white hangers, Em's side has all the "misfits", black, green, blue, etc. Also, I would like to clarify one thing, I am not a germ-a-phobe as implied by the Toothpaste for Dinner link, that would certainly compound my problems. -w

OCD

Lately (yesterday) some people (my wife) have called me out as having OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). This is not new, as I have heard this (from her) before. Yesterday on my day off, I happened to rearrange the pantry rather than watch the day-time TV crap (enter your favorite here, Price is Right, Judge Judy, etc). She (my wife) came home from work and claimed I had an OCD fit. I disagreed, since I am stubborn (actually, I think I am). Here's the picture I took this morning, I'll let you be the judge. Even if I am, as long as I don't negatively affect others, is it really a problem? -w

Pinhole Photography

Thursday night, The Office just got over with and I'm to lazy to really write anything of meaning. So I present you pinhole photography. I did not shoot all of these. If you look closely you might even see a famous photographer and his girlfriend. -B.

Ski Races

Sunday I had the opportunity to go to the annual cross-country ski races in Uptown with Adam. Side Note: I feel everyone has a wrestler name within them and Adam's would be "Adam the Cockblocker". His finishing move would be similar to Jake the Snake's were he would have a sack but instead of a snake there would be some foul smelling product in it and when his tag-team teammate would make a move on the opposing team's diva, he would step in and open the bag causing both parties to pass out. I would be "Mr. Efficient" and I wouldn't need a finishing move as I would win very quickly. My trademark would be dumping some good old hand sanitizer on my opponent after I won. But I'm not talking about wrestling. This was my first time to the races so everything was new to me. The biggest new of all is quite embarrassing as it was my first time walking on a frozen lake. I am a born and raised Minnesotan but it took me 25 years just to walk across a lake. Not only was it exciting but it was also scary at times because every once in a while you hear a snap, much like the sound of someone snapping a tight chalk line on cement, and then you look down to see a crack. You need to repeat to yourself that it is only the ice expanding and that you aren't falling into the freezing water below. All in all it was a good day and I snapped a few pictures that I am quite fond of. I think any reason to get me out of the apartment to pick up the camera and shoot is a good day. -B.

#5 Update

5) People who pee on the edge of the urinal. This doesn't just apply to working in a commercial building but all urinals in general. The "aiming hole" is large enough to birth a freaking whale in and yet people are hitting the edge in record numbers these days. I'm sure that some of it is nothing more than a little drip or shake off but most of it is poor aim. This cycle grows exponential with every user of the urinal as people move farther and farther away from it trying to avoid any sort of contact with the strangers pee. SIDE NOTE: It has been proven that urine is very sterile and we should have nothing to fear from it. By the end of the day the floor is soaking in piss and you avoid the bathroom like the plague. I bring you an update on this ongoing problem as today when I walked into the bathroom I find that someone had been "multi-tasking" while he pissed. Right there on the rim of the porcelain was a bloody booger. This combined with their lack of pissing skills doesn't make sense in terms of Darwinism. If they can't hit a gapping urinal hole while the are taking a leak, then how the hell can they direct their erect member into a much smaller opening in the sack? Either that or their wifes/girlfriends/SOs have bruised stomaches, thighs, and sore asses. -B.

Braid Me

A couple of weeks ago I overheard a conversation on the train from a woman on a cell phone and what seemed to be one of her friends. The lady was describing her previous days activities and what she did the previous night, which happened to be baby-sitting for a different friend. The conversation was going well when all of a sudden they talk about payment and how she didn't get paid for baby-sitting. She didn't seem very upset about it, being as it was her friend and all, but then she said "she didn't even offer to do my hair". This was sort of a shock to me as I didn't know that styling hair was a form of payment these days. Sure their are some weird forms of payment throughout the world including cattle, gold, farms, and offspring but at last check you couldn't pay for your E-bay purchase with two hours of hair braiding nor can you deposit a beehive in your Paypal account for a future online purchase. The last time I checked when passing a homeless person the sign didn't read "Will work for a mohawk" or "God bless you. I'm as poor as my bald head". -B.

Writer's Block

This weekend I had high expectations for some inspirational moments that would spin-off into a blog entry. For some reason, none of the expected moments ocurred and now I am stuck with the memories of a pleasant weekend with nothing to complain about. I did not have any awkward run-ins with the neighbors, my problems with Blockbuster DVDs went away without a struggle, and everything else has worked out rather well. As I sit here listening to Vast trying to be inspired, I realize that this isn't so bad and I should go back to reactive blog entries and stop trying to be proactive with them. After all, it's just a blog. -w

Know Your Blogger Part 2

As I lay here in bed watching what I believe is the post post game show review (I think they have analyzed what brand of shoe laces and socks each player wore and how they affected the corresponding plays) for the most uninteresting Super Bowl in history I feel I should give the people something to read when they come into work on a nice Monday morning. So in continuation with the series "Know Your Blogger" I bring you my top 5 rants against the ideas of corporate america. 5) People who pee on the edge of the urinal. This doesn't just apply to working in a commercial building but all urinals in general. The "aiming hole" is large enough to birth a freaking whale in and yet people are hitting the edge in record numbers these days. I'm sure that some of it is nothing more than a little drip or shake off but most of it is poor aim. This cycle grows exponential with every user of the urinal as people move farther and farther away from it trying to avoid any sort of contact with the strangers pee. SIDE NOTE: It has been proven that urine is very sterile and we should have nothing to fear from it. By the end of the day the floor is soaking in piss and you avoid the bathroom like the plague. 4) The blind leading the blind. This one is pretty simple but I feel anyone working in the corporate setting will fully agree that the people training have no knowledge of what is going on and this is a continual cycle that gets worse with every generation. This could be compared with inbreeding. Sure the first generation might not have any mutations but by the time that you get 3 or 4 generations down the road you have a pretty messed up thing on your hands. 3) Email Conversations. There are many times when emails come into ones email box that have nothing to do with them. As you aren't the only one on the email you ignore it figuring that someone else will take care of the problem/issue/joke list. This is where that big ugly REPLY TO ALL button jumps into the equation and you then are dodging emails left and right about something that doesn't even pertain to you. After a good 20 emails you think that the problem is finally over with and the cycle starts over again. 2) Candy Dishes. A candy dish in my opinion is for someone who has a great deal of restraint making it nothing more than a decoration on your desk (much like a coffee cup full of pens or a rubber-band ball). The problem I have with them is I'm totally not a person that has any restraint at all when it comes to candy. The second issue I have is that I enjoy eating when I'm bored. Put these two things together and what you have is a major problem. 1) Communal Printers. This has to be one of my biggest (really I don't know if this list is in order or not...you decide) irks. This is the modern day version of the water cooler with people wanting to talk to you about the darnest things well are you want to do is pick up your printouts and get back to work. There are people who hang around the printer waiting for prints that are 10 items down the queue but they still check every piece of paper coming out of the slot to see if it is theirs. I have actually restored to wearing my headphones to and from my desk to avoid the awkwardness that is the communal printer. AUTHORS NOTE: This is in no way a reflection of my job, this is just a collection of ideas I have learned through my years on earth -B.

After getting such strong feedback from everyone on their favorite Chipolte treat, I decided I must have gotten the wrong thing and needed to try it again. Being that it is Friday, what is a better way to kick off the weekend than eating a something that is going to make you spend the better part of your evening on the pot? I decided to go with the Carnitas soft shell tacos and was very happy with my decision. I wouldn't call it out of this world or something to write home about, but I did enjoy it immensely in comparison with the steak. Thanks for everyones insight and if only I could get that kind of feedback on something important...::COUGH:: Bowling ::COUGH:: -B.

Groundhog's Day

Happy Glorified Gopher day folks. This is the day when that little rat bastard pops his head out of a hole and something about a shadow or not and how many freaking days of winter we have left. It may not be any important day to everyone but this day holds a special meaning to me because many moons ago I became a man on this day. I don't want to come across as crazy but the reason I know this is because one of my ex's birthdays was on this day and so the following ex and I just kind of; you know. Maybe it was out of spite or maybe it was due to the fact that we were young and the hormones drove through us like US cattle. There were no candles, no massage oils, or anything fun and after the two minutes of bliss we went to Perkins for a late night breakfast. I don't remember if the groundhog saw his shadow that day but I know that mine lost his. -B.

Real Life 24

In the past few years the television show "24" has produced a following of diehard viewers waiting to see what Jack Bauer's next move is going to be in his attempt to save the world from those evil terrorists. I'm going to state right off the top that I have never seen a single episode of this and I might be making fun of the greatest TV shows of all time but from my impressions of the previews (that are on every single time a commercial happens on FOX) it seems that all he does it run, yell, and shot a gun. That to me doesn't sound like much of a series but I guess it must get pretty good rating as it still is on 3 years later. This is an issue I have with the show as how the hell can one guy have three bad days in a row. I can see him saving the day once, and maybe even twice, but now they are just pushing their limits with three bad days. I have lived on the earth for 25 years now and haven't had a day like any of the ones he has in a two year span. Zap. So I got to thinking about what a show would be like with a real person with a normal job and the life that they lead for 24 hours. So I will take a bad day that I had a couple of months ago to compare with Jack. Clunk. My alarm went off at 5:10 in the morning so I hit the snooze two more times before I finally roll out of bed and check my email (face it I'm a total computer geek). I jump in the shower and let the water hit me for a good 10 minutes before actually washing up and getting out. Dry off, take care of the regular H & B needs, pack a lunch and leave for work. On my way out the door I grab the garbage and throw it in the dumpster but I throw my mitten in the dumpster also. ::Intense music starts up here and you can tell this is going to be the climax of the show:: So I take my little red that I have attached to my keychain and jump in the dumpster after it. I retrieve it and get in my car. That is a whole episode right there, how freaking exciting. Snap. Show two could begin with me fighting traffic on the Minnesota River Bridge and waiting around for the Light Rail to show up and take me to work. You have a camera zoom and pan as I enter the train, sit down and take out a book to read. I could just see the camera coming down the aisle to see what book I was reading and have it sit over head I continue this all the way to downtown. Talk about interesting programming. Pow! I'm not going to go through all 24 hours of the day but some more highlights include an episode based on a problem with a work issue. You can see me banging my head against the cubical wall trying to get all the problems to work out. By this time you would be banging your head against your wall if you were still watching the series. This would be 8 straight episodes, but let us not forget that I get a 30 minute lunch in there so you would get to see me eating a 6" meatball sub complete with chips and a soda. The train ride home would be another adventure just waiting to happen with the book from the morning commute replaced with my Molskine and iPod. Zip, bang, boom. Let us not forget about the 7 hours of sleep I get every night. Maybe I should pitch this one to FOX, they do have worse programs than this on the air.