This is the website of Abulsme Noibatno Itramne (also known as Sam Minter). Posts here are rare these days. For current stuff, follow me on Mastodon

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November 2008
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Curmudgeon’s Corner: At Odds for Many Many Years

Sam and Ivan talk about:

  • The Common Cold
  • Mumbai
  • Black Friday
  • Ivan Tries to get Arrested (Again)
  • Automakers
  • Bailouts and Stimuli
  • Obama a Surprise?
  • W’s Legacy
  • Bad Presidents

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Cinema: Twilight

So yes, I have a teenage daughter, so yes, I had to see Twilight. It was not a movie I would have chosen. But never the less, there I was, on opening weekend, in a theater full of teenaged girls and a handful of parents and dragged along boyfriends. And yes, I was watching Twilight.

Although of course Amy has, and Brandy has as well, I have NOT read the book, so I had no real idea about the details of the plot or anything, although of course I knew that there were vampires and a love story. That was enough to make me somewhat scared of the movie, as were the hordes of teenage girls. But here we were.

And so…

Well, it is certainly true that a good deal of the movie is just the two main characters staring at each other and swooning over each other. And while that does get old fast, it just made me laugh. Funky camera angle. Close up shot of characters eyes looking intensely at other character. Teenage brooding. I’m not sure if it was supposed to be taken seriously, but whenever they did that sort of thing I had trouble not laughing out loud.

And then at some point you got into actual running around avoiding and fighting bad guys. That wasn’t all that bad. I mean, not great either, but you at least something was happening other than people pining over each other. Then there is the big fight in the end. And then we get things set up for the sequel.

Pretty much all par for the course.

Overall, I surprised myself by not hating this movie too much. It was OK. It was kind of cute. I did not mind spending a couple of hours watching it. I would of course though never have any desire to see it again.

Of course, Amy has already seen it twice. Which means it hit the intended audience perfectly.

It Begins With Lights

Fourteen Weeks of SemiProductivity

I started these tallies when I took time off during the conventions to watch the conventions and to get some stuff done during that time. When I wasn’t taking time off, I of course didn’t get as much done, but I still got some done.

In the two weeks that included my time off, I did:

  • 7 hours of random things from my projects list
  • 5 hours of catching up on putting things in Quicken and/or paying bills
  • 4 hours on genealogy stuff
  • 2 hours of catching up on old email
  • 1 hour of reading

In the 12 weeks since then, I’ve done…

  • 15 hours of catching up on putting things in Quicken and/or paying bills
  • 3 hours of catching up on old email
  • 2 hours of reading

Yeah… I need to pick up my pace a bit. And I can’t use the election as an excuse any more.

The Real WKRP

Having just watched the famous turkey drop episode yesterday, I couldn’t resist this:

Really on air in Cincinnati
(John Kiesewetter, Cincinnati Inquirer, 28 Nov 2008)

WKRP is on the air in Cincinnati.
Advertisement

Really.

Low-power Channel 38 – known as WBQC-TV since 1995 – has changed its call letters to WKRP-TV to promote its new digital TV signal.

This is the first time a station here has been known as WKRP since the CBS premiere 30 years ago of “WKRP in Cincinnati,” a TV sitcom about a wacky rock radio station fictionally set in Cincinnati.

(via Fark)

Turkey Day 2008

Stupid CNN

I once again am frustrated by a live news event on CNN, because they keep showing the stupid American CNN people instead of just switching full time to CNN-IBN which is doing a fine job with much more serious and knowledgeable people. In this case it may just be because they are local, but they still are better placed to talk about this than the US anchors. Dump the US anchors, and show us the locals, thank you.

Every time I see CNN International (which was on CNN overnight), or other “serious” international news coverage of events I am reminded of just how vapid the American version of CNN is these days, and it is annoying and sad.

(Note: The CNN International and CNN-IBI feeds are available online at the moment… here. I’ve switched to that for now.)

Trip to Russia

Pretty much as soon as I got home from work, I fell asleep. Many many hours earlier than I would normally sleep.

Soon thereafter I was in an airport terminal waiting to board a plane to somewhere in Eastern Russia. Somewhere in Siberia. It was a random trip. I was supposed to be staying with some family at my destination, but I was getting nervous because I just realized I didn’t speak even a word of Russian and was traveling alone. They started boarding the plane. Somewhere around this point I thought, “Hey wait, maybe I need a visa to go to Russia” and I called Ivan. Ivan was whispering, because he was also on a flight, and was not supposed to be using his phone. I asked him what to do. He told me of course I needed a Visa, and I should not get on the plane. I looked for a help desk to ask what to do, but I could not find one. So I got out of line and left the airport.

And then I woke up.

Meanwhile, while I was sleeping, things continued to play out in India. While normally this is something I would have been glued to the TV for, this time it initially happened while I was at an all day meeting at work, and then I just came home and fell asleep, so I am a bit behind.

Marmoset

Yeah, yeah, I know, I haven’t posted anything of much substance since election night. I haven’t been inspired, and outside of work have basically been relaxing and spending more time with the family rather than blogging or for that matter doing anything really useful at home.

So here, have the Marmoset Song.

(via Slog)

Curmudgeon’s Corner: Sam and the Pirates

Sam talks about:

  • Pirates
  • Hillary
  • Other Appointees
  • Moderate Obama?
  • More Bailouts

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