All Click, No Point

Pie and Pints, Charleston WV

2011-03-16T14:37:00.004-05:00

Mrs. Allclick had the fantastic suggestion of driving up to C-town and checking out a new (for us) restaurant "Pies and Pints". I thought to myself "hmm I like pies" and we set off. After driving around the block several times we found an awesome parking space across the road from the restaurant and strolled in. I noted the decor was very clean, funky and modern as we made our way down the length of the restaurant to a pleasant little quiet nook, across from a large sign stating "BEER". We were quickly seen to and ordered a Spinach salad which was fresh, plentiful and had a delicious Gorgonzola dressing.

Then came the pies. We split a large pie with half my choice and half Mrs. Allclick's choice. I had margherita which I was extremely pleased with in all of my pie categories. The crust was light and buttery but was still firm without being tough. This meant you could pick up a big slice and not have to hold it above your head to take the first bite. The pizza sauce tasted like sliced fresh tomatoes but in a smooth and even sauce and the cheese was tangy and well distributed without being greasy.

Our waiter was very pleasant and attentive and the food came out really quickly so it was a near perfect experience. The only bad part of the meal was listening to a grumpy woman complain about her coffee for 10 minutes and then claiming the pizza was made incorrectly for another 15 minutes to the manager (despite that fact that it was made exactly as it should have been). I highly suspect when she was born she complained to the midwife that the wait was entirely too long and that she didn't appreciate being naked.

So, if you fancy a authentic and delicious pizza pie in Charleston go check it out. I believe they get incredibly busy around dinner time so go early and often.

Laughing through the tears

2011-03-05T20:44:00.002-05:00

A video that just kinda sums up the whole crap-tastic situation we live in:

The Daily Show
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

2 Guys 3 Movies - Ep4 - The Expendables, Devil

2011-01-27T23:20:00.003-05:00

A triumphant return for THE podcast of the day. Just one guy, moi, and two movies this week but don't feel too short changed. I'm sure plenty-o-movies will be coming your way in the coming weeks!

Enjoy!

More 2 Guys and 3 Movies coming soon!

2011-01-27T22:44:00.000-05:00

Christmas time

2010-12-20T14:03:00.003-05:00

Well, we are almost there at Christmas and so we thought it was just about time to put up the Christmas decorations at home over the weekend. The tree looks pretty darn good even if I do say so myself and it only took 5 sets of lights to light the whole thing! Amazing. Speaking of decorating I saw, but resisted the most awesome ornament:

Putting decorations up is usually a pretty simple task for me except when it comes to lighting the tree and putting up the ornaments. When I put the ornaments I am always overwhelmed by the amount of branches and seem to end up putting six ornaments on the same branch without realizing. Or I constantly pass up the "good branch" thinking that there will be a better or heavier ornament that needs it. It's usually takes a good hour to get the thing complete. With the lights I usually do a pretty good job despite being two feet shorter than the top of the tree and not being to reach around it without getting a face full of needles. In fact, most of the time I'm putting up the tree lights, or lights outside the house I look like Doc Brown from Back to the Future:
Never mind. All done for this year!

A Furn-ace oddity

2010-12-16T14:59:00.003-05:00

This article just made me burst into song today:

Ground Control to Major Tom
Ground Control to Major Tom
It's just a phone call I'm doing nothing wrong.

Ground Control to Major Tom
Get your cell phone, turn it on.
I'm outside your business, without my trousers on.

More on hard work

2010-12-14T11:11:00.004-05:00

If you are an avid reader of this blog you may remember an earlier rant all about the phrase "hard work" and how I really can't stand it. It lacks any meaning whatsoever yet people use it all the time to justify things and elevate them above the imaginary class of "non-hard working people" who I gather, in America, are people who are a little less disliked that Communists, and a little more disliked than socialists.

The term arose it's ugly head during this whole "tax the wealthy" debate currently going on. One side of the argument being that a) everybody should be taxed the same, b) rich people create jobs and c) rich people are rich because they worked hard and hard working Americans deserve to keep more money in their pocket.

By that logic, we should be swimming in jobs considering how the rich have gotten much more wealthy over the years.

But let's take a look at my real beef, the "hard working" aspect. So, are rich people rich simply because they worked harder than the rest of us? Let's look at some rich people like say.. LeBron James. He earns $14.5 million a year right now over at Miami (who said I didn't know anything about sports? I surprise myself sometimes). I wonder how hard he worked to get to the NBA and be a successful athlete? My guess is probably pretty hard! A lot of hours on the court and off the court improving physical and mental skills in order to play at a professional level. But let's say there was another player who trained with LeBron, taught him everything he knew but just didn't want to play in the NBA and plays for a local amateur team, or was off sick the day the talent scouts came knocking and got a job at Big lots instead. His level of "hard work" is equal (if not more) yet his salary is probably around 1%. How can that be?

It's because hard work doesn't = success or wealth. Just look at former Governors of Alaska. I should also add that I doubt LeBron James is creating too many jobs. Not when he's blowing his money on big fancy houses.

It seems to me that the rich and super rich made or make SO much money because of the "hard work" of others and so they do deserve to pay their fair share. LeBron is only making that amount of money because many hard working Americans pay lots of money to buy the overpriced Heat Merchandise, buy an overpriced ticket to the game and buy overpriced snacks while at said game. Then they get home to watch the highlights on overpriced cable on their overpriced TV in their undervalued house. Therefore, he should have to pay a fair amount of taxes to give back to the society that allowed him to have the success in the first place. It is not taking the hard earned money out of his pockets, it is claiming back the loan that America, the society, has given to him.

Those who still believe that the wealthy shouldn't be taxed highly cling onto the irrational belief that wealth is heading their way soon so we better keep taxes low for me. Which is probably why the lottery is still so popular.

A day in the snow

2010-12-13T22:53:00.005-05:00

Well, it was a snow day today and although I do not go to school or have any kids I was still granted a little extra in bed this morning thanks to the wonderful white stuff. I didn't escape completely unscathed, however, as I still had an appointment in the afternoon which I kept and had a fun time driving on two lane snow covered roads to get to.

It honestly wasn't too bad. It didn't snow, the roads were fairly well traveled. In fact, I didn't have any incidents of note until I got to the housing development and some jerk-face starts backing his car out even though he could have seen me coming about 5 minutes down the road, if he would have turned his head to look. The roads in the development were snow on ice, on snow on frozen water that had been covered in Vaseline...that's how slippery they were. He only put on the brakes when I hit the horn and both of us ended up skidding a little.

Thankfully we missed each other. Or should I say, he missed me. and I carried on...after yelling "jerk-face" out of the window...O.K. not really. It is the season after all...so I used far worse language than that. Let's just say the air went blue, and somewhere far away a sailor covered their ears bashfully.

On a completely different note, did anyone see Paul McCartney on SNL and Jimmy Fallon? He still has the magic.

Finishing a good thing/Must all good things come to an end?

2010-12-12T20:39:00.004-05:00

I struggled to come up with a decent title for this post. I wanted to describe a phenomenon that was brought to my attention this week so if y'all have ever experienced it and have a much better title let me know so I can steal it and take all the credit for it.

Here's what it is...have you ever received say...a box of fancy cigars? Expensive wine? Delicious chocolates? Have you ever DVR'd a whole tv series or bought one on DVD? Trying, tasting, watching the first item is always deliciously scrumptious and a real highlight to the week. You savor the moment and put a joyous note in your diary: "Dear Diary, today rocked. I had some awesome cupcakes!"

Well, that is all well and good..but what happens when you reach the last few, the last drops, the last tv show? Now, excitement and wonder have been replaced with a bitter sweet dread. If I watch the last episode, you say to yourself wistfully, then there will be no more. A tear rolls down your face as you insert the dvd and watch the last ever episode of Two and a Half Men (I know that show hasn't finished yet, but hey, I can dream).

What I am having difficulty labeling is that experience of prolonging the last of something enjoyable. But not because of delayed gratification but more because you are almost too scared to allow something enjoyable to end. I was listening on the radio this week to a discussion about comic books and the host stated to the guest that he had read all of his comic book series (The Black Orchid, I think) but couldn't bring himself to read the last 3 or 4 episodes because he didn't want the series to end. He liked it so much he couldn't finish it. It sounds crazy.

I can think of two examples from my own experience of the same thing. The first happens when I receive food that I really enjoy from England that is unavailable over here. Number one are cheese shapes (any generic kind will do) and number two are Minstrels. Every now and then a member of my family will send me these at my request. I'll eat a bag or two but struggle to bring myself to eat the last bag. What's real stupid is that I let them expire rather than finish the last one...even though I could probably order them on the internet or simply request more.

Another example is when Mrs Allclick bought the Firefly series for me. We watched the first 9 episodes but as the one and only series drew to a close it became harder and harder to watch the episodes. I think there were at least 2 months between when we watched the last episode and the episode before it.

So, what is that all about? If you have some examples I'd love to hear them and a bonus prize to someone who can describe it better than me!

Podcast Episode 4: Preview

2010-12-07T21:35:00.002-05:00

Podcast coming soon! On it, I review "The Expendables" and "Devil" as One guy with Two movies.

FYI, the dodgy audio quality was a conscious but not completely controllable choice...

A question of "Jerk-facedness"

2010-12-06T22:20:00.003-05:00

So, let's say you come up with a great idea. You put a lot of time into the idea and think it's awesome. You share it with someone. Then a few months down the line everyone is using your idea but no-one can remember where the idea came from. Is it jerk-facedness to point out to everyone it was your idea in the first place and therefore everyone should bathe in your awesomeness?

I find it a difficult conundrum. I honestly do not like talking about my accomplishments or cool things I have been fortunate enough to do unless I'm flat out asked about it or I'm with company who know I'm not a self-obsessed jerk-face. Yet, in the work environment in the US it seems that if you don't promote yourself no-one else is looking after your back. It also seems pretty common to hear folk talking about themselves in flattering ways in everyday conversation around these parts so maybe I should join in.

However, I tend to think that if I have to tell everyone how awesome I am, I'm probably not all that awesome....

(but actually I am!)

/Jerk-face

How to start a hoax

2010-12-04T18:11:00.006-05:00

I have finally figured out the secret to how hoaxes start...let's take a look...

First, think of a belief you have that you want everyone else to have.
Second, Look for evidence of this belief.
Third, when you find that there is no evidence or barely any decide it's time to make some up/misinterpret other evidence on purpose.

The best way to do this is to think of something that really scares people such as this word list:
Rabies, germs, Deficit, criminals with guns/having sex/voting, foreigners, New Jersey, Socialists, Michael Myers.... Mike Myers...

and then connect that really scary thing to a current piece of legislation/new law/thing you once heard someone say on the telly/Fox News story.

Next step think of a catchy gimicky soundbite like: "He's not one of us!" or "New law makes it illegal to eat food!" or "Government now must sign off before you wipe your ass! And it has to be on government approved toilet paper!" or you can take the easy way out and just decry vague sentiments of how "America is changing for the worst/being flushed down the toilet/being screwed up into a tight paper ball and launched across a busy work environment into a steel trash can/where is my America???"

Once that is complete, go forth and spread the word! It really helps if it's a site that allows comments because then you can personally answer ALL the comments. You can support those that comment about how great you are and awesome for realizing the "truth" and the state that anyone who disagrees with you is "stupid", "delusional", and "brainwashed".

After degrading them you have therefore made what they say unimportant and therefore can't possibly be true! Great job!

For extra credit, you can also make a point, when people complain, of saying things like "You do know that Snopes.com is incredibly biased to the left/the right/the middle/big business/the government." or "You do know that all your "facts" are unbelievable because I don't like them". That way, you have instantly stopped others from actually checking into your hoax! Kudos to you!

Before I finish, I would like to say that this post couldn't have been made possible without this gem:

http://hubpages.com/hub/SB-510-and-your-right-to-grow-your-own-food

So, thank you RachellRobinson...keep up the good work, star pupil of mine!

A sincere apology

2010-11-22T16:58:00.009-05:00

It's nice to see in today's modern world that people still send cards and can express their true and honest feelings not through the medium of computers but the old fashioned "sending a greeting card" way. It was with such warmth in my heart that I decided to take a peek at a greeting card I found stuffed between the drivers seat in a rental car I picked up a couple of weeks ago. I first assumed it had needed to be mailed but soon realised it was already open and obviously the recipient had decided it wasn't worth keeping. With no real way to send it back to the owner I thought I'd take a looksie:

Aww. Maybe this will be a love note! How juicy! Someone has been on their mind.

You will always be an important person to me? Aww. This is turning out to be such a sweet card. It must be two lovers. Maybe two friends who have drifted apart recently. Anyone else think that "Enjoy one another's company" is a thinly veiled euphemism? Let's see the hand written part.

Wait, what??

End of the week

2010-10-01T15:44:00.004-05:00

It's Friday and another week draws to a close for me and all in all I'm ready for a nice long rest Saturday morning. Trouble is I'm getting up bright and early to participate in my first ever yard sale, as a yard seller. It's excitement and dread all rolled up into one as I'm sure I'll have to be up before dawn in time to hear the crack. Still, I'm curious as to how it will go. Will we sell a lot? Will there be "professional" yard sale buyers there before we are set up to get a look at our wares? Will old ladies barter me down from $10 for a television set to 50 cents and still complain about the prices?

"Hmm...Da Vinci you say? I'll give you a dollar"

-----------------

Bad news: My little space heater than I love is now a little cold air blower. I still enjoy the noise but my feet are getting cold.

Worse news: We took Sydney and Oliver to the vet this week for their 4th booster shot and rabies and bordatella. Oliver is doing great but Sydney has had chronic diarrhea...basically since we got him. They were both in a pretty rough state so we assumed it was stress, or change in diet, or just a kitten thing but the vet seemed a little concerned that it still hasn't cleared up. The worst possible scenario is that he has Feline Coronavirus or FECV (or FoCv I think) and that could lead to FIP which is incurable and fatal. Typically once you get the FIP diagnosis you may only have a few weeks to a few days. He is otherwise healthy. He eats, sleeps, plays and gets into trouble so I am hoping it is simply the best case scenario: He is simply allergic to something in his diet. The vet didn't say this or suggest it but after some research I decided that the least we could do is try to change his diet and see what happens.

We have to wait a week after his vaccines before he can have a blood test as the vet recommended that we knock him out first. That way he won't panic and fidget while they are drawing blood AND they can neuter him at the same time. Man, I'd hate to be a cat. Even after the blood test FIP is very hard to diagnose so just keep your fingers crossed that he turns out ok. Here's a picture for those who like to visualize:

------------------

Do you ever sleep so soundly that you don't even move in your bed? You can usually tell as you'll wake up with deep creases along your arms or face. Ever have to go to a meeting wearing a short sleeve shirt and forget that your arms look like you have some weird disease due to the said deep arm creases? I don't recommend it.

Happy Weekend.

A Tuesday update

2010-09-28T23:54:00.002-05:00

Things started off well this morning. Kashi cereals actually really do taste pretty good! I was fully expecting to enjoy eating the box more than the contents but was very pleasantly surprised with how my breakfast turned out. I even threw in a couple of strawberries and handful of blueberries. I felt positively cosmopolitan. Then later I had a healthy yoghurt. Man I was doing well. That was until the newly remodeled Applebee's sucked me in to it's meaty grasp.

I have a love/hate relationship with Applebee's. The food and menu always look so good but the food is always a let down. But I just keep letting my stomach over-rule my brain. Well, tonight the food actually wasn't half bad. I had the incredibly healthy swiss dip sliders mmm in extra lean au jus and split an appetizer. Yummo. I was good with desert though. I waited till I got home and helped myself to a sugar free werther's orignal. Thank goodness for candy from Grandma's.

------------------

I listened to the Too Grumpy Critic's podcast over the weekend and now am fixated on turning off lightbulbs. All I can think about is: I'm cooking a chicken, I'm cooking a chicken. It's been difficult writing this by candle light but, by jove!, I think I've done it.

------------------

Trying to figure out someone's disposition via email is such a tricky thing. I received a couple of work emails from a person I hadn't met. She has always been very curt and abrupt in her emails so it was confusing enough already. Then she replied to one of my requests with a double question mark at the end: "30 pages should be enough, right??"
I couldn't figure out if it was a genuine question, a statement that she would only be doing 30 pages or some seriously painful sarcasm. It didn't help when after I agreed to the amount of pages she said "I look forward to finishing it!!".

Someone really needs to invent a symbol for sarcasm. Can't we just steal the upside down exclamation point. Oh, wait is this the sarcasm symbol (!) Cause that would be bloody brilliant (!).

A lifestyle change

2010-09-27T20:19:00.003-05:00

Change is always difficult. Especially for those of us that like to know with almost certainty what to expect which is why I like to drive the same routes, eat at the same places and sleep on the same side of the bed. But this week I'm attempting to make a change to my eating habits and it takes some getting used to. For one I'm personally waging a war against High Fructose Corn Syrup. It's been blamed for the obesity epidemic (well, that and Tudor's Biscuit World) and surprisingly to me it is found in practically everything. You could say I'm on the HFCSF diet but that would sound stupid.

So now I can no longer have regular Heinz Tomato Ketchup, no more Raisin Bran, no more Carrot and raisin salad at Chik-fil-a, no more regular cokes or pepsi's, no wheat bread at Subway (Wtf?), no Sara Lee Heart Healthy Whole Grain Bread, and no Pop-tarts...and the list goes on.

On top of all that I'm also trying to eat more fresh fruit particularly because I don't like vegetables on the whole. Especially those that are really good for you. Catch me on a good day and I'll eat spinach and a bit of red pepper. Catch me on a bad day and I'll eat 4 different types of potato with some chives.

It's going to be tough because I've always just eaten what I wanted to really. Which turns out isn't all that bad but it's not all that good either. Thankfully I am addicted to certain healthy things like these raw Spanish peanuts I'm snacking on. On the other hand, those milk duds over there sure look tempting...

$2.99 at Kroger FTW

Thanks Paul

2010-09-23T11:10:00.001-05:00

I see your "Kahncat" and raise you this:

Perspective is all relative

2010-09-22T21:25:00.004-05:00

Einstein made famous the notion of time being relative. The example I think he used goes something like: 5 minutes can seem to pass quickly when you are in the arms of your lover but would seem like a lifetime when you are sitting on a hot stove. It make a lot of sense to me and makes me think about how my perspective on other things in life can change in an instant. For example, before we adopted the kittens I would browse the list on pet finder just looking for interests sake rather than looking for a pet. At that point in time it would feel like none of the pets would ever find a home. I felt sad looking at the long list of great pets that have to live in the cramped and crappy conditions of the shelter.

The perspective can quickly change when you suddenly are looking to adopt. Then your thinking changes to "I better get down to the shelter before someone else gets there and adopts the cat I want!" as if people are streaming down to the shelter adopting left, right and center. Isn't that strange?

I think it's part of the reason Ebay has been so successful too, especially for folks like me. When it's something I don't want to buy I scoff at other user's wondering what they were thinking trying to sell THAT. When it's an item I really want I'm desperate to procure it, imagining that in a warehouse somewhere in the hills there are 10,000 computers and 10,000 operators all logging into Ebay to purposefully outbid me on a PC-CDROM version of Blade Runner from 1997 and so I must log on 10 billion times a day in order to outbid the unseen masses.

What's worst is that advertisers and retailers know this. They are master manipulators of our strings causing us to spend thousands on stuff we didn't really want but thought we had to get before they all sold out. Look for this especially at Christmas time when mysterious articles appear in the press announcing the "must-have" toy for Christmas long before it is actually "must-have".

I'm back...with cats

2010-09-15T15:14:00.007-05:00

As you may have noticed I've been gone, as some might say.

I'm back, at least for today, just to say "hey" and "how are ya?". I think the main reason I've been absent has been a lack of enthusiasm for getting on my computer plus an increased work load. It's the busy season for me right now. Also, I have two amazing little kittens to take care of right now and anyone who has kittens in their house knows just how much attention these little guys need. Just in case you were wondering, here's a piccie:

That's Sydney with the markings and Oliver hiding in the back and they are not as innocent as they look. And just so my other cat doesn't feel neglected here he is, yawning:

Or yelling a war-cry. I forget which one now.

Educashun

2010-08-26T12:15:00.003-05:00

Well it's back to school for a lot of folks and it's got me thinking about the whole education thing. As I went through school I typically achieved average to above average grades. I was often interested in the subjects, did my homework, studied for tests etc... but I was never really that motivated. I was much more interested in discussing and analyzing topics than I was in simply remembering all the important facts and regurgitating them on exam day. In fact, I think people like me are at a distinct disadvantage in the current education system because a) we sucked at most sports and b) exams simply tested our ability to store and retrieve information.

I really think it's a major flaw in the system that is reliant on achieving test scores so that funding can be allocated. Why couldn't we be tested by, say, hosting a debate on a chosen topic, leading the class in a lecture, explaining your use of art techniques and inspirations...etc.. For those of us that second guess ourselves in exams and can't remember the exact date of every battle in the reign of Henry VIII this would be much more appropriate and fitting.

One has to look at the actual end result: What skills do you want these children to have when they finish education? Sure, they are now great at remembering the shopping list they left at home but can they put forward a reasonable, informed argument about why they believe in freedom of religion, or gay marriage, or why the sky is blue? Are our children leaving the school system curious about the world and open to critical thinking about their lives, or did athleticism or brain power allow them to achieve the highest accolades in school but leave them closed minded and inwardly-focused?

In some fields simply remembering the facts is actual very important. Such as the laws of physics and math. Engineering pretty much relies on absolute truths. However, I completed a degree in the human science field which pretty much leads to working with people yet I found myself sitting with at least 4 or 5 people in every class who lacked even basic people skills. These same people usually aced every exam though. They had neat folders with coloured tabs marking each different topic, they brought Dictaphones to every lecture, they asked endless, pedantic, questions when it came to test time or writing a paper. "How long should it be?" "How short can it be?" "Can I use a pencil?" - demanding guidelines and rules in a field where the papers are as long as it takes you to explain the topic adequately.

Unfortunately, I see these people out in the field now. Working with people yet seemingly mystified by them. Some even seem to be angered by others, and without that ability to look inwards or ask "why?" they have walked into the cage of their profession without thinking to check the combination lock on the door.

Debit card blues

2010-08-09T11:04:00.002-05:00

Well it happened again. Someone tried to use my debit card to make charges I didn't authorize and no it wasn't Lady Allclick. She learned her lesson well after I prosecuted to the full extent of the law (kidding, of course!).

I checked my bank last week and while skimming through noticed a charge of $1.00 to "APL*ITUNES 866-712-7753 CA". It was still "Pre-AUTH" so it hadn't completed yet but I knew something wasn't right. I called my local bank but as it was 4:31 they were closed and there was no-one available to speak. In the end I called the stolen/lost hotline and they canceled the card. Even the $1.00 didn't go through so that was great, but for the second time in two years I'm waiting for a new debit card to arrive.

I decided to report the card after doing a little research. It turns out that lots of people have fallen victim to this. Some with or without itunes accounts. Frighteningly, many people reported that when they had alerted Apple to the fact that someone had made fraudulent itunes purchases on their account Apple did jack squat and state that they do not refund any "authorized purchases". Some folks had hundreds of dollars of charges. Another guy had his itunes connected to his paypal and they were able to draw $4999 out of his bank without a red flag. Apparently in the small print it says that by linking the accounts you agree that up to $5000 can be made in purchases without letting the individual know.

From reading lots of comments it seems that the scam works by someone guessing your debit card number. Most banks use sequential numbering so once they have one debit card they can guess at the next number in the sequence. Then when they think they have the details they try the $1.00 purchase...if that goes through they go to town and rack up the big bucks, so check your bank statements often.

2 Guys / 3 Movies Podcast - Movies we thought would suck...but didn't

2010-08-07T15:31:00.004-05:00

Episode 3 is here with a bang and some discussion about CB radios and Ted Levine. This week the guys talk about 3 movies they thought would be pretty darn awful but...turns out they were wrong!

Fans of Kate Winslet will be happy here, however, those who love Peter Jackson and Quintin Tarantino will probably want to write in to complain…to this address:

allclicknopoint at the Gmail address

or check this blog and:

The Film Geek

This is Rusty Nail...

2010-08-02T09:48:00.002-05:00

For those of you that may have missed this back in 2001 here is a great little thriller written by none other than J.J. Abrams himself. If you like driving. If you like cars. If you like truckers and CD radios and deadly pursuit then this is for you. Plus, you'll be able to understand what the heck I'm talking about on this episodes podcast. You can't stream it on Netflix unfortunately so you will have to watch it the old fashioned way....by adding it to your Netflix list of course.

A question for all

2010-07-30T10:47:00.003-05:00

We have all been there, haven't we? The wife suggests going to see a RomCom which you know will star someone like Gerard Butler, or that guy from Twilight and no doubt they'll be shirtless for no apparent reason. Or your hubby suggests the newest Jason Statham action movie which didn't even look good in the commercials. You let out a little groan but go anyway for the popcorn/~~after movie sex~~ love of your wife/husband/partner.

You may have also been that person who gets a movie in the mail from Netflix and then lets it sit there on the countertop for days at a time. "I'm just not in the mood for that" you think to yourself as you wonder why the heck it was even in your queue and how did it get to the top before "Couple's Retreat"?

But then....it turns out you rather liked it! Ha-Zar! You wonder why you fussed and moaned in the first place.

If this is you then get in touch! The Film Geek and I will be back podcasting our way through the weekend and this episodes topic is:

"3 movies you thought would suck, but ended up enjoying".

Feel free to post a comment here with your answer or send an email to:

allclicknopoint at the mail of G.

Super geeks read on

2010-07-29T15:48:00.002-05:00

Yer, I'm a geek.

I wear glasses, I like Science Fiction, I'm currently enjoying watching "The Universe" on the History Channel, I play video games. Nuff said.

I like doing geeky things. Like reading PDF articles on my iphone using the stanza app (which is an awesome ebook reader for the phone).

If you also need/want to try this out head over to:

http://epub2go.com/Web/Default.aspx

Where you can upload your pdf file (or point it at the file online) and then have it email you a link which then loads up in your stanza app.

Awesome.

Just a couple of Friday questions

2010-07-23T16:20:00.005-05:00

Just a couple of questions floating around my head today. Both vaguely "time" themed in two different ways:

I was at the cinema last week watching "Predators" (which was awesome fun, despite any sign of Arnie or Jesse Ventura) and noticed (as I have done on several occasions) two guys walking in together and sitting down in their seats with a space between them. One empty seat splitting them. Why is this? It's 20-freaking-10. You are grown mid-20-something year olds. This is not 5th grade P.E. where simply admitting friendship with another boy will result in outcries of "Gaylord! Gaylord!" for the next 18 years of your life (and counting!).

Two queens forget the "one seat" rule

How does one seat even make a difference? You still invited another dude to come sit with you in a dark room for 2 hours. On a Saturday night. And brought "snacks".

PLLUSSSSSS!!!! - It was really freakin distracting when you had to reach over to kiss.
Also on my mind is this:

I was on the phone today with one of those mail places. The ones that photocopy, fax, take your UPS deliveries, sell you packaging stuff and have an endless supply of peanuts.

Dry Roasted or lightly salted?

I needed to run down there and drop off a fed-ex parcel but wanted to make sure the driver hadn't already been and gone. So I said:

"Hi, umm what time do you guys close today?"

"It's Friday so 5pm"

"Great, has your Fed-Ex already been?"

"Yeah, he came in about an hour ago and we usually have to give him 3 hours warning (WTF?)"

"Oh, O.K. Any ideas?"

"Well, how big is your package?"

"....."(laughs until cries)"...."(hangs up).

Question: Is that SO wrong?

"It's THIS big"

Those Forr'un films

2010-07-20T00:39:00.003-05:00

For all you out there that don't like those strange, foreign films where they talk a bit funny and usually drive on the wrong side of the road, DON'T check out "Shiver" and "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" because you won't like them.

If however, you have realised that Hollywood ran out of original plot ideas about 20 years ago, then forgot to re-hire any decent writers after the strike, and decided to plump for big pew pew pew blockbuster movies (in 3D with a surcharge of course) you may have noticed that the "decent movie" market is quickly being populated by countries all over the world.

You can get those two movies on Netflix Instant Streaming right now (woot!) and I also thoroughly recommend "Let the right one in". Yay, for other countries!

A few thoughts for today and a video

2010-07-12T15:13:00.005-05:00

I love space stuff and am always intrigued when we manage to do crazy things in space, like live there for months, do crazy experiments in Zero-G and let monkey's fly the spacecraft (ok, I may have made that last one up/seen it on the remake of Planet of the Apes). That's why this picture is super cool:

Now tell me this: Why is it man can take a picture of a friggin Asteroid with a camera that was "within 3,162 kilometers of the asteroid while moving at a speed of 15 meters per second" but I can't manage to take a non-fuzzy picture of my cat, Cooper, moving at 0 meters per second from a distance of 12 inches away:

Speaking of cats, I saw this great picture of a couple of kittens (available for adoption at the Putnam County Animal Rescue shelter). Keep in mind, it should only be a picture of the kitten on the left...excellent "Photobomb":

And as promised a video. It's band called "The Mystery Jets" with a song called "Two doors down". It's tremendously 80's!

Oh and it's nothing like this:

The American Dream: A lie that persists today

2010-07-09T15:42:00.003-05:00

I watched a clip today from a documentary. A woman is crying in front of her home. She is talking in between sobs to an interviewer behind the camera. She says:

"We are hard working Americans and they are taking our home away from us".

It illustrates to me the greatest lie from the American Dream. Not that we can all obtain a 4 bedroom house, white picket fence, a lawn, a job that pays well, a pension, health care, be equal with one another. But that Hard work = Success.

We have heard that equation for years. Benjamin Franklin was a huge fan of it stating "Early to Bed, and early to rise, makes a Man healthy, wealthy, and wise." and while this may have been true in the 18th century, it is no longer the case today.

You can work as hard as you possibly can and still find yourself unemployed, Foreclosed on, underwater, outsourced, without a decent pension. It's no wonder the number of prescriptions of anti-depressants is ever increasing.

Of course, that's a complete over-simplification of cause and effect but it sounded good. Much like being a "Hard Working American" sounds good. I'd hate to be one of those people called a "Hardly Working American".

So, what does "Working Hard" really even mean?

For a pilot, does it mean flying extra good? Cracking jokes on the intercom every now and then? Telling you the sights as you pass over them at 30,000 feet?
For a psychiatrist, does it mean providing the "good" therapy? Does one psychiatrist who researches medication, keeps up to date on their journals and theory but works 3 days a week and only 4 hours each day work harder than the psychiatrist who puts in a 10 hour shift in down-town New York, working with violent offenders but just goes through "the motions"?
For a teacher, does it mean making sure all your students excel, or does it mean providing the children with the skills they will need in life? Does it mean correcting behavior or achieving results?

It's pretty gosh, darn complicated.

My best advice is to shake off the chains of the lie. Be good to your neighbour. Think critically. Vote with your brain and as one of my colleagues always says "work smart, not hard". Success comes from within and can't be measured by the amount of "things" you have or the car you drive or the property you own. Measure you success by your own goals and not by a dream, invented to make you buy more "things", that has quickly soured into a nightmare. Then, perhaps, you won't be so upset when your "hard work" = crap street.

Bellacino's - Barboursville

2010-07-07T12:02:00.003-05:00

Last week I walked into a restaurant. I could tell it was an Italian restaurant immediately as all the clues were there; it had a fancy Italian sounding name, there were stain glass lampshades...and the restaurant was playing country music. If I wasn't mistaken I could see the Tower of Pisa out of the window...or maybe it was just Office Depot.

The complete effect was capped by the fantastic service I received at the counter. It was bare (the counter, not the server) and so I perused the menu a while, it was my first time and didn't know what was on offer. The server approached the counter and looked at the computer. I looked at her, she looked at the computer, looked at me, looked at the computer. Apparently, that was the signal that I should order. I (stupidly) was awaiting a greeting or instruction that she was ready (Mamma Mia! Imma so silly!).

I ordered a meatball sub and choose a side (plain chips, or BBQ chips...decisions, decisions! If only they had ONE type of chips I wouldn't have to make such a heartbreaking choice) and was shooed away from the counter. Saying she had a face and attitude like a wet weekend is probably giving her too much credit.

Ambiance and terrible service aside, it was an awesome sandwich. Just incredible. I was only hungry enough to eat half...but then ate the other half anyway. That's how good it was! I am told the Reuben was equally as good (so says Mrs. Allclick) and the Pizza on the table over from ours looked yummy too.

I shall be making a return to Bellacino's if not for a slice of Italy, or a warm, friendly, smiling face, then for a delicious, filling, and meaty sub.

Two Guys and Three Movies - Ep 2 - Sherlock Holmes, Crazy Heart, The Book of Eli

2010-07-03T13:35:00.003-05:00

Welcome to Episode number 2 where Allclick and The Film Geek find the game is afoot while talking about Sherlock Holmes, long for a old country music star to whisk us away when discussing Crazy Heart, and hope in a post-apocalyptic world Denzel will save us as we chat about The Book of Eli.

Head over to Allclick.podbean.com if you want to download this or subscribe to the feed!

Another reason to avoid Putnam County

2010-06-30T19:46:00.002-05:00

It's 2010. It's now almost July. I have come to accept that we aren't all in flying cars yet (link goes to a flying car), we don't have time travel or hover boards, we don't have cloaking devices or hyperspace travel. But what we did invent in 800BC was recycling so you think we'd have everything pretty much worked out in that area by now. Wrong.

In my local area there IS a recycling center. That's the good news. What sucks is that they only accept magazines, office paper, aluminum cans, and brush. This meant that it was a little better to travel further down the road, out of the county and get money for my huge aluminum sack. As we started to recycle our magazines at the house it then became more worthwhile just to dump the whole lot of locally. Now, that's all well and good but what about all the plastic bottles that I (and my local community) get through? Turns out we are SOL.

Up until recently we could drop them off just over the county lines in Nitro (at the recycling place..not just on the side of I-64) but now they have stopped accepting plastic. Wracked with the guilt of plastic bottles laying in landfill for all eternity I went online and spoke to a representative at Waste Management who pick up my rubbish.

"Yes, we do recycling sir. Just leave your container out next to your trash can"
"Great. Can I put plastic in there?"
"We currently do not have any plans for plastic collection at this point in your area"
"Hmm. Ok. Any other suggestions?"
"Have you tried Earth911.com?"

By this point I HAD tried it. Earth911.com steered me towards one office nearby (that is JUST an office and doesn't actually collect materials. It sent me to the recycling place in Nitro) and it tried to convince me that Roane County was just 5 miles away. Which it isn't.

There are recycling places in Cabell and Kanawha county but guess what? They are for those county residents only. So, the "Taint" of WV gets screwed again. I have a temporary solution right now which is driving down (or up) to Target who DO collect recyclables from the public. They have smallish bins inside near the customer service desk and don't seem to mind me walking in with a huge bag and filling up their bin for the day.

Maybe it's finally time for me to start drinking from *shudder* the tap.

A brief history of violence, by me against ants

2010-06-29T10:47:00.003-05:00

As another wet summer rolls around so do summertime traditions such as cooking out, getting sun burned and killing plenty-o-ants. Last year we were plagued by them and so I had many opportunities to try lots of different solutions found on the inter-web. Let me just say this: Many of them are all sitting around right now with their pants on fire.

Some people suggested strong smelling spices. This lead to a rather red looking counter top with ants seemingly rolling around and giggling in it. I tried several different cleaning sprays, some of which would kill the ant instantly, others seemed to do nothing at all except bath them. I used white vinegar everywhere until my house smelled like a cheap seaside chip shop (the best kind IMHO) and this probably worked the best. But still they would come back...and in greater numbers. I also tried just squishing the heck out of them but I really hate to do that (although, after three or four days of it it becomes easier).

Eventually I used a Terro product outside and that seemed to do the trick. Mostly. I wasn't entirely convinced and had to also take care of some ant hills with hot boiling water and a can of raid.

So, this year we get ants in our entryway. I'm not entirely sure why they target us but my guess is that folks like to throw trash up against the side of our house which then invites the little buggers to set up shop and invade the house. Anyway, so I'm down on my knees squishing ants and spraying white vinegar and not having much success. I decide I'm going to have to go buy some ant baits.

I head off to ACE to get the Terro things I did last year (they were outdoor pots of Ant liquid bait) but they had completely sold out. So, I trot off to Walmart (You can see how desperate I was) and they too were out of Terro products so instead I opt for Amdro (a product which is difficult to find even on the mighty google). Walmart had it tucked away in the gardening products section of the store rather than the handy Ant and bug control section they set up near the laundry products (that's how Walmart gets you to buy crap stuff it wants you to buy!). I choose a bait that you can place indoor or outdoor (because of our cat, Cooper) and I chose to put 4 outside around the house. Next thing I know, no more ants! It worked like a charm.

The moral of this story is: Walmart always gets your money.

Social woes: Is it me?

2010-06-22T18:05:00.003-05:00

Being a foreigner in a different country can be weird and confusing sometimes. When you visit another country on vacation it's easy to start assuming things. Like all Brits have a cockney accent, or all New Yorkers say "Forgetaboutit" in every sentence, or that France really smells, but these observations are often based on a brief snapshot. When you are in a different country for a longer period of time you soon learn that some things are different and some thing appear different at first but are really the same. OR you learn that some things are this way in WV but not the whole USA and vice versa.

Even after 3 and half years, though, I still struggle with some aspects, especially socially, and often times I'm left wondering if it's just me as a person or me as a foreigner. This weeks particular social woe is the fact that I seem to suck at telling stories. Even interesting stories. Twice this week I have attempted to tell a story. One about my heroic efforts in getting rid of ants in the house and the second was about Barnaby. I was in a one on one situation both times so I had their complete attention. It was two separate people. It was my turn in the conversation. Yet, when I began "Well, we started getting ants in our entryway. A few times during the week I was up early squishing them but then I found this great product...." (or something along those lines) I was interrupted. Not once or twice but maybe 5 or 6 times I would get interrupted and drag out an otherwise pretty short but helpful/interesting story.

I still can't work out where I was going wrong. Perhaps it was my subject matter. I think what makes things worse is I have a really difficult time of knowing when someone is about to stop speaking. This means I often talk over someone or if it's someone who doesn't stop talking I can barely get a word in edge ways. It's tough when I am just speaking one on one but it becomes a nightmare when speaking in a small group and everyone else seems to just know when to say this piece. This often leads to a perception that I am quiet or shy where in fact I usually have a lot to say I just wait for the right time or wait until spoken to.

So, I'm looking for some suggestions. Perhaps it just takes practice and I need to work on my story telling. Or perhaps I need better subjects. I've noticed that sometimes people will embellish details which I don't tend to do intentionally (unless I say "Man, that bridge was a million miles high!") so maybe I'll try that...

"So, there I was...a knife clenched between my teeth, leaning over the deadly amazonian fire ants. Sweat dripping off my brow as I prepared for the kill"

"Two Guys and Three Movies" - My very own podcast

2010-06-18T16:26:00.008-05:00

Hey there.

I've really been getting into listening to several podcasts on a weekly basis and constantly find myself with too much time and not enough podcasts so I thought I'd give it a crack myself. So, check out my new movie review podcast featuring The Film Geek! We talk about three movies on our mind and a whole bunch of other stuff that wasn't. This week we tackle Iron Man 2, Avatar and The Lovely Bones.

Iron Man 2, Avatar, The Lovely Bones and why 3D sucks

Bad news comes in threes: Part 2

2010-06-17T08:40:00.003-05:00

Part 2 to the whole bad news thing actually occurred on the same day as part 1 but thankfully wasn't as awful. When we returned from the emergency vet we climbed back into bed and tried to get some sleep. I didn't have much luck even though I was exhausted. I kept thinking I could still hear him breathing or feel him moving on the bed and it would just bring back so many memories. Still, we rested a few hours, had a late lunch and suddenly noticed that the heat was creeping up in the house. By about 7pm it was 76 degrees despite the thermostat being set to a chilly 68. Something was obviously wrong.

This wasn't the first time we lost our A/C. In fact I think it was the third time in three years so we were a LITTLE more prepared this time (i.e. we have a big ass fan) so the fan came out and the windows opened up and we tried our best to stay cool. For the next four nights it was at least 86F at night as we tried to sleep. I had grown up without A/C and put up with sleeping through hot nights but once you have it it's hard not to be spoiled by it.

In the end the A/C guy showed up and fixed it without even coming in the house.

Technical Explanation coming up:

Turns out the compressor (or something) had burned out (or something) and therefore was preventing the fan (or maybe something else) from sucking in air (or blowing it) from outside (or somewhere) and cooling it (or doing something with it).

The timing was kinda spooky. I knew the A/C was working that morning because I was freezing trying to look after Barnaby. He always did like it warm and at least it gave us something else to focus on. A tip for any of you who lose your A/C this year, make sure your ceiling fans are spinning in the right direction for summer. I think it's supposed to look clockwise (or something).

Thank you for all the comments about Barnaby. I really appreciate it.

Bad news comes in threes: Part 1

2010-06-11T21:36:00.003-05:00

I've never really been one to believe that bad things happen in threes. Typically if something bad happens it's likely to lead to several lesser bad things whether it's the car accident and subsequent repair bills and health costs or simply misplacing your keys when you are in a hurry. However, last week was pretty rough and it was due to three key factors.

Number one, as some of you may know is that we had to put Barnaby to sleep. It was one of the toughest days of my life. He was a very sick cat who had several serious health problems such as rapidly declining kidneys, hyperthyroidism, prone to urinary infections, permanent upper respiratory infection, arthritis and anemic but he was also the sweetest cat I'd ever met. He was 16 1/2 years old but still had the face and attitude of a kitten. He loved being around people, especially meeting strangers and service people who would come to the house and he loved sitting on a warm lap, or sleeping on my warm head at night. He rarely meowed and just had a silent, comforting, loving presence.

I remember a couple of months after moving to the states my grandparents died within a week of each other. Another tough time for me and Barnaby also sensed that. He would come and sit on my lap for hours or just sit next to me on the sofa and then follow me around the house when I moved. He was the opposite of the stereotypical aloof and unloving cat that we see on tv and that I'd always experienced with other outdoor cats (we kept Barnaby inside, and his brother Cooper).

He was far from typical in many ways. Apart from not meowing (which made it extra cute when he did) and loving strangers he didn't like catnip or really have an interest in seafood. Instead he preferred vanilla ice cream (Cold Stone's Sweet Cream was his favourite), milkshakes, sour cream, whipped cream..basically anything white and creamy. He even like Wendy's Chili and would prefer ice cold bottled water to anything he had in his water bowl (but of course we gave him all these things in extreme moderation!). He would occasionally be interested in store bought cat food but was more likely to be found playing in a cardboard box or chewing on a piece of material cord (we had one tied up just for him in his toy basket), or attacking a crinkly water bottle label or sticky tape. As he was so sweet it always brought a smile to our faces to see him get fired up when he was in the mood to play with his toys.

His health had rapidly declined in the space of about 8 months really. He had given us a couple of scares as he lost his appetite and a lot of weight. His arthritis and kidneys made him develop a limp and he gradually became less interested in playing with his toys as actively as he used to. He would still make the trip downstairs to greet us when we got home though or upstairs to get a snack several times a day. As his kidney function declined we ended up giving him Sub-cutaneous fluids on a daily basis. He was also taking three different meds and a supplement which involved squirting the liquid down his throat three times a day (which seemed to be a game for him and challenge to avoid bleeding for me).

As we knew he was very sick we had worried about how we would finally know when he was no longer had quality of life. It was so difficult because he would have a bad day followed by a number of good days where he would play, snuggle, be ornery, snack and roll around on the floor in front of the space heater. We hoped that when the day came we would know.

Well, we woke up Sunday May 30th at 9am and he was in the bed having a seizure next to us. He had had a seizure (his first ever) on Wednesday night that last about 30 seconds and he came around and recovered. In fact he had had a really good week, snacking on his dry food, eating his yogurt (to replace his good bacteria from the antibiotics), spending time with us instead of sleeping etc.. That Sunday, however, his seizure lasted for maybe a minute and then he seemed to shake it off for a short while before the next one came. Unfortunately the next one never ended, it just fluctuated in severity.

We gave him a while to try and wait for the seizure to end but nothing was helping. We put him in the carrier and rushed him to the emergency vet in South Charleston where they told us it was him time. They were able to subdue him but that was just a temporary measure and we had to say goodbye.

The house has seemed a lot emptier over the last few weeks. It really feels like a big presence is missing, especially when we lay down for nap or in the evenings when we would snuggle on my lap or by my feet (and the heater!). Barnaby really was a blessing for both of us and we will miss him dearly.

Thankfully(!), two other bad things happened that week to take our minds of our "Boo Boo" so stay tuned for Part 2. I'm sure I will post more about Barnaby in the next few days and I'll get a few more pictures and even video going when I feel more like it.

Rough times

2010-06-10T22:43:00.005-05:00

Have been absent from blogging for a little while due to some really tough times at the moment. I'll post more about it later when I have fully collected my thoughts on everything.

In the meantime, good luck England on Saturday!

The King Blues: Headbutt

2010-05-20T16:59:00.004-05:00

Blast! Radio one has embedded this tune into my head my having a strangely limited playlist or a host of DJ's who don't bother to listen to the previous show. Either way have a listen to this delightfully British umm ballad? Takes a little while to get going but give it a least till the chorus. Plus the video has a monkey in it! Enjoy.

Kudos to the Cinemark in Huntington Mall

2010-05-19T15:08:00.002-05:00

I just found this in my pocket from a few weeks ago.
It's strange because I don't remember getting having an "Adult Weekend" event. Especially not 2 for $15.00.

The Lovely Bones

2010-05-18T17:47:00.004-05:00

I put "The Lovely Bones" into the category of films I like to call "Films that have misleading trailers to encourage mass appeal". It was not what I was expecting. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. My trailer impression was that it would be somewhat of a mystery flick with a creepy probably suspect and a frantic search by dad to find missing daughter. Turns out that wasn't the point of the movie at all (you'll have to watch it to find out what the point is).
Instead I was treated with a movie split between a family coping with grief and a dream-like interpretation of an afterlife.

While it wasn't what I was expecting, it was engaging enough to force me to stay awake just to see how the film played out (we watched it pretty late... and I fall to sleep at the drop of a hat) and yer, Stanley Tucci was excellent.

I give it 3.5 clicks out of 5 for giving me a movie with heart, drama and emotion when I wanted murder-mystery...in space...with a monkey fighting Tucci to the death.

Hmm.

Maybe that was a different trailer.

A breadcrumb

2010-05-12T15:58:00.003-05:00

Hey reader,

Just wanted to say I'm still here just been a tad bit too busy to get on here and moan about stuff. I've been lifting furniture, taking care of a very sick cat and playing the heck out of "Heavy Rain". I have even been back to O'Skees for the meatloaf which was excellent.

Just in case you were thinking of renting Sherlock Holmes, by the way, I wasn't all that impressed. It would have been a lot better without Guy Ritchie at the helm and if it actually had a mystery. You'll be disappointed when (and if ) you make it to the end. There's not even a deerstalker in sight.

Back soon, y'all

Allclick

O'Skees, St. Albans, WV

2010-04-22T11:11:00.005-05:00

I seem to be over in St. Albans a lot recently and I'm frequently looking for a new place to eat. So, this week I decided to check out O'Skees. The type of food sounded good, the website looked good and lo and behold the WV hot dog blog had been there also and as the review was posted up on the wall in there I thought it was probably a good one.

When you walk in you might think a bunch of vandals had broken in and decided to destroy the walls but look a little longer and you'll notice it's the signatures of probably everyone who ever set through the door. There is even a wall for those who managed to eat the "Big O" which, as you might have guessed, is a massive dish of some kind. I think it's a burger.

The menu had a load of choices including salads, burgers, sandwiches, ribs, specials (beef tenderloin tips the day I went), wraps, soups, subs, fish, hot dogs and home made pies etc.. and I went for a burger which was fantastic. Two big patties, a big bun and plenty of cheese. Two different kinds I think. While you wait you can even read all about local history as it is shellacked onto the table surface or just read the thousands of names on the wall. I chose to do both and learned a lot about the fire that burned down the old capitol building and the fact that "Mitzi" was here 11/19/09.

I'll be back for sure to check out the ribs or pulled pork sandwiches next time and maybe even some "Fuzzy Buttons" (I had to ask to find out what these were). If you wanna find it it's on Route 60 through St. Albans right next door to Enterprise.

Late night talk show: UK vs USA

2010-04-13T21:16:00.003-05:00

Somehow I managed to miss this during the whole "Tonight Show" mess with Conan and Leno but here is a cool article that describes some differences in UK and American TV viewing audiences.

Basically, there is nothing like Leno/Letterman/Conan/(Lopez?) in the UK. Nothing that is five nights a week with guests and interviews and music. The article states that the guests would be scarcer which is actually probably true. There would probably be one or two A to B list British celebrities a week and then the other nights would be filled with Z list wannabes or obscure people you really don't care about....aka Z list celebrities.

There probably is a market for it..maybe at the 6:00pm time slot or 8:00pm...the "After tea" time slot (tea the meal not the drink) because I actually really enjoy Letterman and enjoyed Conan too but they were both on late. I think one aspect that would turn off British viewers would be the depth of the interview. Most of the time with the talk shows here you can almost predict the questions:

"How's your family doing?"
"Now, you just for back from "INSERT LOCATION HERE" how was it?"
"You had a bit of trouble on the Flight/Car ride/Taxi recently didn't you?"

And then when we are about to discover something interesting or take the conversation to another level, its:

"Tell us about your latest movie/TV show/book/hand puppet"

Which is all we have time for because here comes a commercial.

That said, I am looking forward to Conan on TBS.

IPad: Yes I want one. But what would I do with it?

2010-04-02T11:04:00.002-05:00

As some of you may have noticed Apple released a small, flat screen computing device recently for tech geeks everywhere to review. And the reviews are overly glowing on the whole so it looks like the "Itouch (But it's bigger!)" is going to a be a success.

Of course, I would love to have one. Just for the pure fact that I would look like a futuristic hero of some sort carrying the thing around or reading the morning paper on it.

When I think longer on it, however, I wonder when would I actually use the thing. I have an IPhone already so when I'm out and about and need to check my email/play a game/find out what string theory is I can semi-quickly load up the Internet on my phone and I'm sorted. Sure, it's a small screen and I might have to wait for it to load or scroll a lot but that's not really that much of an inconvenience. Plus I don't really want to have to carry around a device that won't fit in my pocket and can't make phone calls.

So, maybe I would use it at home. But if I want to write an email and surf the Internet I'm going straight to my laptop which isn't limited to "apps". All of which, by the way, have to be pre-approved by Apple, where as my computer can download...well, the Internet. Plus, I can watch and play Flash games, and can have multiple things going at once, and plug in USB devices, and use a mouse if I want to.

All that I'm left with for using my IPad would be long car journeys where it would seem like a great entertainment device. As long as you didn't want to watch a dvd you just bought, or a movie you just downloaded to your laptop.

For those without a smart phone I can see it would fill that Apple-y void in your life but otherwise folks, by an IPhone and a netbook and call me in the morning if that IPad craving hasn't gone away.

Wikianswers Return: The devil hates Geometry

2010-03-30T16:55:00.005-05:00

I couldn't resist posting more of these because a) it's easy and b) they make me smile.

If you, by the way, know any answers to these questions be sure to let me know.

What was the average number of rooms in a hotel in the mid-1800s
(Just WHY would you need to know this and who the heck does?)

ID1626682895 asked What goes into space off of the sun
(Isn't that a question astronomers have pondered for centuries? The answer is, of course, Rainbows which makes as much sense as the question.)

What color is a bluish purple
(It's kind of purpley but with blue in it.)

What is the word for sailors overthrowing their captain and taking over the ship
(I can just imagine now, a group of rebel sailors on board a boat, huddled round a laptop asking this. "Ok, lads, go grab the Captain and tell him he has a ...Mut-tiny on his hands!"

How many hours in 121 minutes
(Come ooooonnnnn! It takes less brain power to work that out than it does to type it...doesn't it?)

If a guinea pig coughs is it bad
(Is there anything sadder than a guinea pig coughing?)

ID1204294227 asked How do yo say iam doing fine in italian and said it was the same as How do you say iam fine how are you 2 minutes ago

Current answer: You say, "I am fine, thank you. How are you?"

(Awesome)

Kh731 [0] wrote the first answer to Is it racist for a white person to put a scarf on their head 2 minutes ago

Current answer: not really

(Thank goodness I can stop burning all my scarves)

Friday silliness

2010-03-26T10:39:00.004-05:00

Blogging is a funny old game. Sometimes I'll think up posts during the week and then dismiss them when I actually get the time to get here and post it. Other times I have 3 or 4 ideas when I'm at my computer and want to post them all at once, and on other occasions I'll just switch my blog brain off and forget about it for days at a time wondering why the heck I ever blogged in the first place.

It's Friday today and I find myself wanting to post two stupid things and one more thoughtful piece but I know that posting three at a time will empty the pool of blog posts in my head and they'll be nothing but a tumbleweed blowing about this webpage for a while.

So, I'll try and pace myself and just post a video of a cat today.

Dear Verizon,

2010-03-24T21:35:00.002-05:00

Dear Verizon,

Please, please please stop showing your commercials for 3G coverage (with your annoying slogan of "There's a map for that") in West Virginia. Firstly, it's just plain misleading. Secondly, you see that big ole white space in the eastern part of the state? Yep, that's West Virginia. So please give it a rest.

Thanks,

Clickers.

Decisions, decisions

2010-03-19T14:35:00.002-05:00

It's Friday which means Pizza night at my house but what a dilemma I have on my hands today...Papa John's AND Pizza Hut both offering any pizza, any crust, any topping for $10! Chris James, please tell me what to do!!

(P.s. don't tell me to get a Domino's instead because they closed the one near me just to later release a new recipe and taunt me personally).

A lot happened

2010-03-18T14:32:00.003-05:00

Well, since my last blog post a lot has happened. We took Ms. Allclick's father to the emergency room and found out he needed a triple heart bypass last week. This then turned into a quadruple heart bypass while he was under the knife. He is doing well now and recovering slowly at home.

Going to the hospital reminded me of a few things. The first was that I really should take better care of my heart and, you know, exercise it once in a while. It's funny when people say "Remember, the heart is a muscle" and I'm thinking "well, I don't work out my other muscles so that really doesn't help much". But in the last few days I HAVE been actually working out so here's hoping I can keep it up.

The second thing I'm reminded when I go to a hospital is: I never want to be in a hospital. I never want to wear one of them gowns, have blood taken from me ever hour, take new pills every day, pee in a plastic container (when not on a long car journey), or any of the other hospitally things. Just remembering that should keep my healthy I hope.

Having seen the government run hospitals in England and seeing the For-profit hospitals here I'm really surprised at how crappy they are here. I expected to see shiny new wards with flat screen TV's and modern phones and thermostats that were not invented by Franklin, and robot nurses...and maybe, just maybe soda machines that actually accept wrinkled dollars. I guess all those things would trim the profit margin.

Ahh...that's better

2010-03-06T13:23:00.002-05:00

Sick and knowing someone

2010-03-05T12:13:00.005-05:00

Yer that's me right now. Fighting off a cold. Not the "Ted Bundy" kinda sick but it's stopped me from feeling like doing things like blogging, tidying and well everything outside of just sitting and eating bagfuls of Cadbury Mini-eggs.

Anyway, I thought I'd throw in another blog post about social skills because I'm fascinated by them and I'm one of those guys that won't just do something the same way over and over again just because it's always been done that way and so I like to examine why us humanoids do things the way we do, over and over again.

Today I'm intrigued by the concept of knowing another person. Not in the biblical sense, mind you, before those of you in the back of the room start snickering. I mean how much should you really know someone else? When it comes to partners we are basically expected to know everything. Where they grew up, who there idol is, what is the favourite type of ice-cream etc.. and in this situation knowing these things and remembering them doesn't freak them out. In fact it comforts and sometimes impresses them.

But let's say you meet a new person. They tell you a couple of things about themselves and then 3 months later you meet again. You say something like "Oh, and how is your dog doing now? And have you finished that class you were taking? Did you end up going to see Avatar in the end?" and you have probably weirded them out.

Those "rules" are pretty simple to follow. Where the line blurs is with friends who you are close to. I think this is probably more true for guys..when talking to both guy friends and female friends. If I suddenly told my friend Geoff I remember his shoe size, ice cream flavour and first pet name I'm certainly heading into weirded out territory. Equally I'm probably getting a restraining order against me if I approached a female friend and recalled what dress she wore to the prom and what the colour of her toothbrush is without the topic of conversation being about either of these things.

So, how much should you really know about a friend (and more importantly admit to remembering)? I think I can stick to these guidelines:

1) It depends on the friend
2) It depends what you know
3) If they ain't talking about it, don't bring it up.
4) Don't ask, don't tell.

More wikianswers

2010-02-23T14:56:00.003-05:00

I just couldn't resist clicking "Recent Activity" and sharing some more questions that we are all dying to know the answer to such as:

Will you get high if you shoot suboxone?
(Ah, the considerate drug taker takes time out to check that he's not wasting his time.)

How much does 16 ounces weigh
(hmm...about 15 ounces but a bit more?)

What is happening to the earth forests
(I demand to know! Someone better own up!)

How much wood would a catnip joke troubles with water in the joke Which time would as you not ask him not to do I hard try to talk here in english sorry
(I hard try to understand in English also, sorry).

What year was Dick a dum dum by des oconnor released
(This one just made me laugh for so many reasons but couldn't the poster have just put this in the google search bar instead??)

Why is a tattoo permanent and suntan not
(I can just imagine this person holding a skull stencil on their arm outside on a hot day)

And finally...

How can you not ejaculate early
(Actual Answer:"When your drilling your girlfriend just pretend shes your mother")

Browsing

2010-02-23T14:49:00.002-05:00

The Internet has such a wealth of information. I remember even just a few years ago it was often difficult to find answers to problems ranging from plumbing issues to car repair. Back in England I remember struggling particularly with a leaky faucet and I had to sign up to a forum and wait for plumbers to return my question. These days most questions I have about such things are already asked and answer, especially when it comes to video games or visa issues (not the mastercard rival...though probably that too). A website that is often awful at answering questions, however, is wikianswers. I never have any luck there and usually get a much better answer at Yahoo answers. I did find this awesome question though today on wikianswers. I can't wait to click on it and find out the answer...

What happens to a person who marries someone knowing that person is already married?

Let's find out!

If you see any other great questions being asked please share and we can all have a good chortle together!

Wolfman

2010-02-17T13:38:00.001-05:00

Just before the second round of snow kicked in this evening we decided to pop out to get some air and catch "Wolfman" a Werewolf tale set in Olde England. Well, not that Olde but pretty old. It's actually a pretty scary film, with genuine scares; Not just the old trick of cranking up the volume to deafening levels whenever a door opens slightly or a bat farts or a butterfly flaps it's wings. It was actually pretty graphically bloody and gory so it was a real shame a dad decided to bring his two young boys in the theater to scar them for life.

Overall a fun scary romp. Best watched with the lights out.

Last Chance Harvey

2010-02-12T11:21:00.004-05:00

We were in the mood for a movie last night and while my last DVD was on it's way to Netflix (which seems to take longer and longer these days) we decided to check out this Romantic umm comedy/drama from last year. It was free after all and I had a humidifier to put together.

It stars Dustin Hoffman as a yank heading off to London to attend his daughter's wedding and Emma Thompson as a lovely Brit with a perfect speaking voice for...getting people to answer surveys at airports, and speaking to her mother a lot on the phone.
Hoffman is down on his luck and while trying to cheer himself up in the airport bar runs into Emma Thompson who is also trying to raise her spirits from the seemingly boring and frustrating life she leads. It's a sweet moment as they talk and flirt like mature adults and the story continues from there, following them both over two days as they help each other see past their problems.

As Ms. Allclick made note of, it's a mature movie aimed at older audiences and a type of movie that doesn't get as much attention today as it should, due presumably to it's lack of CGI and jokes about drug taking, being naked, throwing up, or stealing Mike Tyson's tiger.

It was a movie that serves as a nice break from the last few I've seen (Trick R treat, Whiteout, Daybreakers) and certainly a good choice for valentines day.

Be prepared to perpetually ask "How tall is Dustin Hoffman again?".

Today's events

2010-02-04T16:05:00.002-05:00

Courtesy of WSAZ.com here are today's events in our region:
Hope you like Zumba!

Lottery Scratch Card secrets revealed!

2010-02-04T15:08:00.003-05:00

Yes folks, here it is! The biggest secret in the world of lottery scratch cards...

The Odds...are on the back!!!

Yes, that's right, on the back of the cards it tells you the odds of winning! Hehe!! Now we can all win!!

In case you didn't know there was some sarcasm in the above statements. It is true, however, that the odds are on there. It's also true that every gas station employee in a 5 mile area of my house has never noticed this.

A few days ago I went in to purchase some and as usual I was misunderstood...

Me:..and can I get some scratch cards please? Can you pick out the ones with the best odds for me?

Employee: Oh..no sir. I do not pick out lottery cards for someone else. I have a hard enough trouble choosing them for me. I will not pick out cards for you.

Me: No, no I mean look on the back at the odds and give me the cards with the best odds.

Employee: Oh. It tells you the odds?? (employee goes into a frantic search to look on the back of all the scratch cards).

In the end he turned out to be friendly and wished me good luck but obviously I upset him when he thought I asked him to use his luckyness to select cards for me.

Maybe he thought I'd sue.

A trip to Wal-mart in West Virginia...and more on why Wal-mart sucks

2010-01-29T00:21:00.004-05:00

On a recent trip to Wal-mart I was struck by a couple of incidents and observations that even in the presence of a the gigantic, face-less, everywhere super mart itself could not persuade me I was anywhere but West Virginia.

The first was the fact that you barely know this Wal-mart actually exists. It's built right by the interstate but there is no large sign and you can't see the front. It's as if you have to just KNOW that it is there, you have to be an insider. Sometimes this seems to be the case in West Virginia for me. There is some information that isn't shared it's just stuff that is known by folks who have lived here all their lives. Like drugs in Huntington come from Michigan...or is it Florida? And if you are going to criticize Coal or Hunting you better shout it from the other side of the Ohio river.

The second was on the way out of Wal-mart when the greeter stopped us on the way out.

"Hey, I need to see your receipt for that trash can. Oh, and here have this chicken."

And she had handed us a cooked, Deli, rotisserie chicken. They must have just closed and we happened to be the next folks along. I'm not sure if that is official Wal-mart policy but it sure made me glad to be in West Virginia.

--------------

On another note, did I mention Wal-mart sucks? They don't have the brand of chips I like that EVERY OTHER STORE HAS, they didn't have the movie I wanted at their red box, they have stopped selling frozen sausage rolls that I love, they open enough registers to ensure that every customer must wait 25 minutes in line, their lights hurt my eyes, the carts only have two wheels, they replaced nearly everything with their own brand products (which I don't have coupons for) ,they stopped selling sirloin ground beef (tell me about it!) and they obviously spent about 2 cents on the credit card scanning devices...phew!

I'm off to Kroger.

Movie round-up and a note on movie recommendations

2010-01-24T21:55:00.006-05:00

I've watched a fair few movies recently and so thought i'd do a little round-up on them in case anyone feels like checking them out. It's odd thinking that anyone would go to see one of these films based on my recommendation based on the fact that I rarely accept other people's recommendations (Although I do listen to most of the people who read this blog) .

What amuses me sometimes is when friends or family recommend a movie that looks absolutely awful and one in which I probably laughed at during the previews at the very notion of me going to see the film. Then I wonder "do you not know me at all??? What the frig are you smoking over there?? I don't HAVE to see "Leap Year", nor will I, and I especially won't waste $20 down at the movie theater for it." It is always the same people who recommend an awful movie that insist I see it at the cinema AND insist I will love it.

That being said here are my thoughts on a few recent movies:

Book of Eli: Worth watching if you like end of the world type movies and enjoying watching Denzel Washington kick ass. Straight forward story and you get what you expect.

Up: Another great but not memorable movie from Pixar. Tells a great story about an old man trying to live up to the promise he made his wife years ago. Very touching but sacrifices laughter for sentiment.
Gamer: Just averageness really. Michael C Hall is great in it but severely underused which is a real shame. Especially as the film is a little confusing, shallow and the plot is pushed forward by folks just basically explaining it word for word. If you like Gerard Butler then pick it up. Otherwise rent "Death Race" instead.

Some Movies I will probably see very soon: Desperate Measures, Extract.

Movies I won't be seeing so don't tell me to see them: Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, It's Complicated.

Just a picture

2010-01-22T14:54:00.000-05:00

This made me smile today through a banging Friday headache.

Goodbye Coco

2010-01-21T09:36:00.004-05:00

Farewell Coco. We hardly knew thee.

Couldn't this all have been prevented if Leno simply said "Ok, my 10pm show kinda sucked, I'm heading back to my garage to play with my cars." Instead of saying "Tonight Show? Sure I'll take that back, whose that O'Brially fellow again?".

So, what is next for Conan? Fox at 11pm? According to his agreement with NBC he won't be able to do a show again until September. I wonder if that will exclude any online productions. I'd love to see him team up with Will Ferrell on Funnyordie.com where he can do the comedy he wants rather than the toned down version he resorted to or was forced to do on the Tonight Show.

Tom Hanks is on tonight I think and Will Ferrell tomorrow, should be good.

Email and the economy

2010-01-19T22:43:00.007-05:00

The economy is bad. I know this first hand thanks to a little pre-Christmas day, post-Christmas shop incident in which I was robbed. Yes, robbed not for my wallet, but for my coupon book.

Zing! Take that economy and a big thank you to Leno's joke book, found in a dumpster outside of the NBC studios.

But seriously, I did accidentally leave my coupon folder (yes, I have a coupon folder and no I'm not over the age of 65) after a big Christmas spending spree at Kroger, in my trolley..umm buggy. I realized a few hours later and returned to the store only to discover it was gone and till this day never to be seen again. Apparently someone must love coupons more than their soul. It's in the commandments people.

Anyway, speaking of buggys why do they only have two wheels that move?? Back in England all four wheels move allowing one to move side-ways if say a rather large teenager on a motorized Wal-mart scooter wants to zoom past you in the busy snack aisle to get that last bag of cheesy Doritos. I constantly find myself dragging the buggy sideways and pulling my shoulder out of it's socket. I must invent the four wheeled buggy and retire.

While I'm complaining about things I may as well have a gripe about getting back to work. If you read my blog before Christmas I was kinda burnt out. After Thanksgiving I found it hard to really fire on all cylinders. Right now I'm feeling pretty darn good though and very positive about my job and getting everything done that I need to and then some. But what often chips away at my shield of 2010 positivism are them folk that ignore emails.I'm not talking about friends who you send an email asking about the weather, the pets and the kids. I'm talking about those important work emails that actually require a response. They actually sometimes even say that in the email: "I AWAIT YOUR RESPONSE" or "PLEASE RESPOND". Yet there IS no reply and in the end I'm forced to call someone or just bring it up in person when I see them which is not what I wanted to do or had time to do which is why I sent the flipping email in the first place. It really does tick me off.

Second on my email peeves (amongst many others) are those folk who reply to an individual email you have sent BUT copy in everyone and their dog and rather than answer the questions in your email write bold statements saying how great they are and declaring information and achievements as if they have had a spontaneous epiphany rather than just replying to the original email to you.

It usually goes something like this:

"Everyone,

I completed the TPS reports late on Friday. It was another all-nighter for me. It wouldn't have been so bad but I had such an early start that morning with meetings (when I closed the big account, go me!!) and then I worked through the weekend, 56 hours straight while hanging upside down, testicles in a vice, and one eye shut.

Dave"

Email was invented round about 1971. Maybe by 2071 we will have figured out the etiquette.

The Golden Globes

2010-01-18T16:32:00.004-05:00

In case you didn't see it or hear it or read it Avatar won best Drama at the golden globes. I yawned and complained that the Hurt Locker didn't win as it really did deserve it.

I was very glad to see Michael C Hall pick up the award for best actor in a TV series. After being nominated 4 years running it's about time he was recognized. I'm shoulder deep into season 3 right now (so don't tell me about season 4 and how good John Lithgow is please!) and just love the show.

Overall an entertaining evening and dare I say it, had more kick to it than the Oscars did last year.

Avatar: All Flash, no bang

2010-01-10T17:21:00.002-05:00

Well, I braved a cold evening last night with lady Allclick and went to see the 10pm showing of Avatar. There isn't much more to add to the multiple reviews about this movie except to say that I wasn't wowed. According to other reviewers that must be because I came with the wrong expectations. I think that it's because James Cameron forgot to actually write an original story. The movie is visually amazing and the 3D is supercool but I wanted more from a movie with such hype. I wanted at least a sub-plot or twist or surprise or something unconventional . Instead we are given a plot which unfolds exactly as you would expect. Still at least you can enjoy the visuals.

Health care reform - Further thoughts

2009-12-21T14:20:00.002-05:00

After reading an article about the senate voting to end debate on the health care bill I thought I would take a looksy at the comment section. These days there is no place other to go for lively ummm debate...than the comment section on any news website about the health care bill and I wasn't disappointed here. I think I can sum up people's overall attitudes and feelings. I mean, their REAL feelings behind all the "Obamacare" "Socialism", "Big Government", "working for insurance companies", masks.

The first I entitle "Wah!". As in "Wah! I don't like change! It's big and scary and I don't know what will happen to all the things that I have now which may be good or bad but I least I know how the system works! Wah!!". I get that vibe from a lot of comments whether it's conservatives or liberals and they usually say something like "why don't we take more time to discuss this?" or "we could do THIS instead" or my personal favourite is "look at all those other countries who tried to improve health care people are still getting sick there/waiting in long lines/committing acts of terrorism".

The second attitude I call "Bah!". As in "Bah! This means more free health care and hand outs for those moochers. All THOSE people who won't get a job and work hard for a living and earn their right to health care. Bah!". I actually say one comment who suggested that health care isn't a right, so I suppose the government should stop helping the poor, the elderly, the uninsured when they are sick, injured or dying and we should perhaps sweep them all off to Canada? But not on the tax payers money now.

Hopefully as the bill gets passed and in 2014 or whenever the laws kick in people will be more at ease with the change and perhaps a little more willing to help their fellow man.

Hey Mr. Snowman

2009-12-21T00:58:00.002-05:00

Yes, I built a snowman.

I just couldn't resist. It got to be about 4pm yesterday and it was barely snowing but there was plenty of untouched, thick deep snow for me to get my hands on so I thought what the heck. It's been years since I've ever seen that much snow so why not get outside, throw a snowball or two, get some exercise and build me a snowman. Ms. Allclick even created some lips and eyes to give it just that extra piece of personality. It probably took me about an hour to build the whole thing.

Unfortunately, it only took about 5 minutes for some punk kids to knock the head right off. Looks like they tried to put the boot in on the body too but alas his solid ice body must have proven too challenging. Thankfully, there is still a bunch of nice icey snow around and so, for now, he new head is back on his shoulders. Here's hoping any more punks stay away.

Roy Wood and Wizzard - I wish it could be Christmas everyday

2009-12-20T01:25:00.002-05:00

A great song that I just never hear over here so I felt like sharing!

'Tis the Season

2009-12-18T18:38:00.002-05:00

For some strange reason I decided to brave driving to corridor G. How delighted I was to see the bumper to bumper traffic awaiting me on the other side of the road.

"Hopefully you will be gone when I'm going through there." I naively cried out at the traffic. Needless to say ~~I had the last laugh~~ it wasn't.

I soldiered on with slightly damper spirits into Pet Smart to pick up a few provisions for Barnaby and Cooper and a couple of stocking fillers. As I was at the register I noticed I was signing the receipt with a Quickclick pen which I had been looking for for aggggeesss. (Apparently Walgreens has them but the one near me is built but teasingly not open yet.)

I asked the guy at the register where he had obtained such a pen of beauty from. He said "Oh, I got 8 for a dollar at the dollar tree". I swear I heard "The Hallelujah Chorus" blast out at the exact same time. And then he said "here, take this one".I gladly accepted and wished him a very merry Christmas.

'Tis the season for giving and what better than receiving a gift from a complete stranger, completely unexpectedly and it was something I wanted! Perfect.

I like to think I passed this on in two ways. One, I made a small donation to help homeless pets and two, at Fruth later than afternoon I decided to buy a gift from the gift tree that goes towards elderly people who wouldn't otherwise be getting gifts this Christmas. Let's hope "Steve" at Fruth continues the cycle.

Checked out till Christmas

2009-11-29T22:24:00.002-05:00

Is it just because I'm not used to Thanksgiving "holiday" or does it always completely sap any energy left for working? It's Sunday evening now after the holiday and I'm frankly just ready to put my feet up...or rather keep my feet up till Christmas and maybe intersperse that with a few trips to CV for some stocking stuffers. There is at least full three weeks of work to get through so I need to buck it up and get my head down and hopefully I'll find the strength and determination as my alarm springs into life tomorrow morning.

In the meantime "Sunday Evening Allclick" will keep his feet up and let "Monday Morning Allclick" deal with the motivation problem.

Graffiti (With pictures!)

2009-11-27T22:25:00.006-05:00

Graffiti - The plural of "graffito" (honest...look it up!) is perhaps the greatest oldest and greatest medium for sharing ones personal views to the rest of the world/bathroom. Although twitter has replaced it in the digital age there are still such gems as these to be found on..say..the men's restroom wall in the Waffle Hut in Flatwoods, WV.

I can't quite tell if this was written by one person who likes Obama and so wrote his name on a bathroom wall, or someone who hates or Obama and wrote his name and then put the line through it. Or was there a second scribbler who decided to add the line through and then try to scratch out the "A". He must dislike the President AND vowels.

The only other piece of graffito on the wall was this swastika and again I'm left wondering: Is it a man who doesn't like swastikas or simply sign in the same vein as "No smoking"?

More action, less thoughts

2009-11-24T14:27:00.004-05:00

Last night laying in bed I sighed.

Life is a tricky little thing to master. I mean there is a lot to do with running an everyday life, paying bills, going to work, doing laundry, keeping the house tidy etc.. Add to that occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and the whole Busyometer gets cranked up another notch. Not to mention if you have kids or pets or other family members living with you. Oh, and don't forget to make time for your friends and have some sort of social life that exists outside of the telemaphone and computermagig. Of course we should remember to also have our free time activities. Things we do to relax or unwind after a hard day of...well, modern life I suppose.

I sighed last night because I read a saying that "The universe rewards actions, not thought" and pondered on how very true that statement is. While I do complete a lot of actions each week just living through life, I have many more thoughts about things I could be doing. Things that I would enjoy doing but take some extra effort, time and planning to accomplish.

I sighed again just now reading a saying on a blog that basically said that "when I die I will be happy because I know I used all the talents that I was given" and I wondered if I really was using all my talents and really pushing myself to use all of my potential. In the end, I suppose, that is what separates the brilliant and noteworthy from the average and forgotten.

(Tweet version of this blog post: OMG. Just read sayins bout using ma talents LOL Am so lazzee!!!11)

Notes from a conference

2009-11-20T14:07:00.004-05:00

Just some observations and musing about a conference I was away at this week:

1. I can't stand smarmy business guys who hang out at the hotel bar late at night, talk loudly and laugh louder, are still dressed in their work shirts and then walk around like they own the place. Give it a rest fellas and stop trying to pretend that you hang out at bars all the time and not just when you are away from the wife and kids for 3 days a year at a conference.

2. Speaking to strangers sounds better in practice than in reality. People are weird.

3. Speech Pathologists seem to be very angry people.

4. If a presenter has to read everything on their powerpoint out loud then they should reconsider presenting.

5. Free coffee and muffins should be a must.

6. Seats that are uncomfortable after 30 mins are not any more comfortable after an hour and 15 minutes.

7. Smart/Business casual does not equal "Jeans and a tee".

8. All hotels should have free wifi or at least a reasonable rate i.e. not $9.95 a day.

9. A presentation doesn't have to have humour in it. But it sure helps.

Transformers 2: Movie in disguise

2009-11-16T13:55:00.003-05:00

If you have 2 and half hours and really enjoy large robots beating the crap out of each other then Transformers 2 is for you. It's basically 180 minutes of CGI and Shia Labeouf looking annoyed and shouting a lot.

If, however, you were actually expecting a film (i.e. plot, story, character development, themes, direction, acting) then I would save your money. You won't find any of that here.

Robbed by a New Yorker

2009-11-11T12:19:00.002-05:00

Yesterday morning I awoke, stared bleary-eyed at my phone and checked my emails. Apparently, an apple wakes you up more than a cup of coffee in the morning. Yesterday morning an email telling me that my bank account was below the watch amount I had set up on it woke me up faster than apple flavoured coffee with a shot of red-bull. I rushed downstairs to check my account. Did I really have less than $50 in my account? Had I spent that much already this month?
My account loaded up and it turns out I DID have less than $50 in my account. Less than $20 in fact. Less than $0. I actually had $-700 in my account.
"How queer" I thought to myself mildly bemused. "Must be a banking error."

Ok. I didn't actually think that. I thought "Where the **** is my money?". Turns out I must have sleep walked to NY and spent the whole lot. I apparently sleepwalked straight into Gap Kids. Twice. Spending over $200 there. Then I decided that Staples was next. $200 there too. I must have bought a metro card too and enjoyed various other stores around the NY area.

There were two major clues that tipped me off that perhaps it wasn't me sleep walking.

1) I didn't have any of the cool baby clothes and staples products you would think I would have.
2) I had somehow managed to be in Gap Kids at the same time that I withdrew money from an atm in West Virginia.

So you can imagine I am not a happy bunny today.

What made it worse is that I had SPOKE to the bank two days ago reporting a problem with my card. "Hmm I don't see any problems sir" they told me "must just be a faulty card". A faulty card?? Your telling me! So my own bank couldn't tell that it was being used to run up hundreds of dollars in another state even though I was putting the physical card into ATMs in WV?? What a joke. And how were they able to run me into so much debt without triggering any alarm bells at my bank or declining any transaction? Depending on how it goes at the bank tomorrow will determine whether I stay with them or not.

There is one thing the bank was able to do incredibly effectively. Charge me $34 for 7 different overdrawn transactions. Thank you!

Learning a skill

2009-11-09T13:17:00.002-05:00

Have you ever thought about how you ended up knowing how to do so many things? Do you remember learning to tie your laces for the first time? Riding a bike? Driving a car? Those were pretty tricky at first but I bet you didn't do it alone, right? I know that I didn't. In fact, I find it difficult learning new skills on my own. I do much better when I see someone else showing me what to do. Not just telling me or talking me through but actually showing me. I tend to learn the best that way and pick up the skill a lot faster.

It's probably why I am terrible at writing computer programs or flash animation. The only instruction I have had is through reading tutorials and never actually had someone explain the subtle parts that can effect the learning of all that new information. I have the motivation I just don't have the skills and the right instructor.

As we become increasingly dependent on technology I wonder for how long we will actually have human instructors for any skill. Let's take something like how to wash a car. In under 5 minutes I can find a dozen websites or slideshows or videos instructing me how to wash a car, be more efficient and get better results. There was no social interaction, no father-son/mother-son bonding that took place. Just 5 minutes of searching and 5 minutes of reading and now I know a little more about how to wash a car.

I wonder if all information will eventually end up being relayed this way. Will parents simply be caretakers rather than instructors on life skills? Telling their kids to "look it up" if the kids don't know? Or perhaps worse, told "Just pay someone else to do it for you".

Watching The Matrix I always loved that part when Neo is plugged into the machine and he learns how to fight in a million different styles. I used to think learning that way would be great. I just plug myself into my laptop and bam! I know Chinese. But in doing so I've missed out on that bond between instructor and learner. I missed out on overcoming difficulties, building on successes and gaining self-esteem from accomplishing a difficult goal. I've missed out on a lot of great and painful opportunities and taken the easy route.

My best example of this is probably learning to shave. I grew up with my mother and two brothers. My older brother wasn't likely to help me out any so I basically had to learn how to do it myself. I would watch closely and pay attention if it was featured on tv. I remember Homer showing Bart how to shave, cutting himself several times and applying small bits of tissue paper to his face. But I also just asked my friends about it. Especially those who obviously had had to start earlier than me. I would learn from their mistakes or success and then go home and improve. Growing up now I could have looked it up but is that really better in the long run?

Been a while

2009-10-19T10:55:00.002-05:00

Yer, it's been a while so I bin a blogging. A busy schedule and just nothing I felt worthy of writing about has come to me. Probably because I've been too busy thinking about my busy schedule. Well, that and the balloon boy hoax. I've got lots of vague bloggy ideas so hopefully I can find some time to get those more concrete and posted-ed on my blog.

I think I will say is did anyone catch the Monty Python on IFC last night? It was the live at the Hollywood Bowl from 1982. Very funny stuff. It reminds me of what a sketch should actually be. Two particular golden rules are:

a) It should build to an actual ending (even if the ending is just someone flying in with a banjo and the rest of the actors running for cover).
b) It should actually be funny.

After watching SNL earlier I feel that they often completely skip golden rule a) and usually try to avoid b) as much as they can. I watch the show with Gerard Butler and thanks to a beer sponsor presented the dress rehearsal sketches from previous shows. These were actually funnier than many of the skits in the real show even if it was just because the actors themselves were laughing at the skit. Personally, I don't think there is anything wrong with seeing the actors laugh.

At least one of us is enjoying it.

I caught a Bird today, oh boy

2009-10-12T22:52:00.002-05:00

It was flying 'round in my Pet Smart.
And 'cause the bird was very small,
it had escaped them all
Down at South Charleston Mall.

Not a car guy

2009-10-08T12:58:00.003-05:00

One of the things I really dislike doing is going to the auto repair place, or the "garage" as I would say. It's not like using any other service where you are greeted by a polite young server working for tips and smiling broadly, who is listening to your every word and seems pleased to be at your assistance.

No, it's not like that at all.

It's more like entering a private club where I feel everyone knows something that I don't and they aren't willing to share it. Strangers (i.e.customers) are treated with suspicion, and any problem they have (such as their car isn't working in some manner) is often viewed as incredulous, as if a problem like that could possibly go wrong and only a dullard would know not how to fix it themselves.

All of this is conveyed in a manly "Can I help you today?".

My latest visit was probably one of the most uncomfortable in recent memory. Mostly due to the fact that I pointed out a problem on my car that didn't exist.

Two front lights on my car weren't blinking. "How strange!", I thought to myself, "these aren't working and I thought they did and had been working before. Maybe the last time the garage tinkered around my engine they disconnected them by accident."

So, I walked on in. Explained about the lights not working. 5 minutes later a very friendly and helpful mechanic pops his head out to tell me that he's looked at the car and the problem is...they aren't supposed to blink and never have done.

"Oh," I say " Yes, I knew that. Just testing you!".

Ok, I didn't really say that. Luckily, the car needed an oil change so it wasn't a wasted trip. Just another dent in my confidence at auto repair shops and proof that I'm just not a car guy.

Please sure your embarrassing car repair shop stories. It might make me feel better.

Another day on the road

2009-10-02T20:06:00.002-05:00

Yep, another 300 odd miles on the old odometer today. My most noticeable observation was probably that between Charleston and Sutton there is approximately zero (0) construction projects whereas taking the trip up I-77 north will lead you into approximately a gazillion (???) roadwork projects.

I learned a lot today including the origins of the Toll House cookie recipe and what Inst means. Who says that Friday isn't a productive day?

I just got through reading the Film Geek's blog today and discovered a review of a movie I blogged TEH heck out of only a few days ago from Hoyt over at the startlingly sparse Donutbuzz. Seems like it wasn't worth a day of playing hooky to Hoyt. While I agree that it isn't a great movie and that the trailer gives the wrong impression of the movie it's still worth a look to watch Damon in action. Probably more of a "fridaynightinwiththemissus" movie than a "blowingoffworktoseeadamngoodflick" erm flick.

As to the Coen brothers comment I'm not so sure. This could have been a great Coen brothers movie if they gave it a lot of artistic license and just ignored a lot of the facts. They could have thrown in John Goodman for good measure and just laid back and waited for the cash to roll in. That is, of course, if they were in a Fargo, Big Lebowski, Barton Fink or No Country for Old Men mood...rather than a Lady Killers or heaven-forbid Burn after Reading mood (hear by known as Burn eyes after watching). However, I think others should be allowed to try and make Coen brothers movies. Isn't a little competition healthy?

And the same goes for the Health-care debate too ;-)

Say it isn't so

2009-10-01T19:51:00.002-05:00

Shatner?? In a bargain bin for 6 dollars??

I find this highly illogical, Captain.

Things you see in a WV rest stop bathroom

2009-09-30T22:56:00.002-05:00

1. High vaulted ceilings.
2. Excellent facilities.
3. An extreme extraction system for those long lingering smells
4. Beautiful lighting.
5. Some dude with his shirt off.

Sometimes you just have to take that shirt off in the public bathroom. I remember a very sleepy morning at work one day in which I spilt an entire cup of hot coffee all over my tie and nice, clean, crisp white shirt. After running to the employee rest room I had 10 minutes of terror as I stood half naked drying my shirt under the blower.

One thing you learn; if you have to take your shirt off in a public restroom before noon, you're going to have a bad day.

The Informant!

2009-09-29T11:01:00.003-05:00

Just time for a quick review about this movie. Basically Matt Damon plays a corporate manager who turns informant for the FBI regarding real life price fixing in the corn industry. Doesn't sound like a comedy does it...and to be honest it's not supposed to be a comedy. Not in the way that the previews try to make it look like one. Still, there are plenty of laughs as Damon narrates or just interjects as a voice over during the movie. I was fortunate at the cinema in that only myself and Ms. Allclick were present so I could laugh out loud heartily. Similar to Brian Blessed. The third quarter of the movie fell a little flat for me and I found it was starting to drag as the laughs dried up. I hung in there for the fourth and was left satisfied with the ending if not totally pleased. I suppose when you tackle a story based on real-life you can't always end with a car chase or big explosion or romantic love scene.

Definitely worth a rental just to listen to the awesome sound track and enjoy Damon's performance.

Finally, some good music comes to WV

2009-09-28T11:22:00.002-05:00

Man, did I get Hot Blooded on Friday night. I was so excited I was getting Double Vision. It Felt like the First Time I had ever been to a gig at the clay center so I was Urgent to get there on time and seat was as Cold as Ice. I only went because I wanted to know what love umm is.

In case you haven't guessed it I went to see Foreigner in Charleston on Friday and had a great time. I was looking forward to it as I like live music and I recognized a few of the songs but they played a really good show. I knew almost all of the songs and the ones I didn't I still enjoyed. The crowd were great and the band really seemed to enjoy the feedback which is a bonus for the band playing in a rather cozy venue like the Clay Center where the fans could just walk down the aisle and reach up onto the stage.

Two things struck me the most on that evening. One was that even today the music didn't seem out of place. It didn't feel like an old retro band or out of date music like maybe a disco or early nineties band would sound.

The second was "What happened to guitar solos?". A musical tool designed to show off the guitar playing prowess of the lead guitarist and fill a few minutes of a song is sadly missing in todays music. I can thankfully see why the saxophone solo disappeared from existence but is it really time to dispense with the 4 minute ax wailing??

I don't think so.

Hey! Get back to work.

2009-09-22T18:34:00.003-05:00

Here is this weeks competition:

What is the most obvious and likely blog post to be written this week by an angry blogger?

My suggestion is:

"Hey Obama, Shouldn't you be running the country instead of hanging out on late night talk shows???"

Answers on a postcard to:

Lock Keeper's cottages....

If only I could...

2009-09-22T18:19:00.003-05:00

If only I could go back in time what I would tell to high school aged me.

High school was overall a positive experience for me. I was bullied a little when I first started at the new school but even now I don't think there was anything in particular about me that singled me out for bullying I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. While not really having a large group of close friends, I was in a large circle of people who liked to hang out and, I, like an antelope enjoyed the comfort and protection of the collective. The best times of school were hanging out with my close friends and learning to become more of an individual.

Still, I wish I could have given myself a few pointers. While inside my head I felt socially awkward I spent a lot of time just studying behaviour and trying to learn from my more popular peers. I would see what they would do, wear and talk about and then kinda adapt to my way of doing things, rather than imitate. To me, imitating was just a mindless thing to do that stunk of "suck-up-man-ship".

A good example of this is that one year at high school it was "cool" to wear a certain brand of shoes. I can't even remember what they were but soon all the "cool" kids were wearing them. I was aware that it was the cool thing to do but instead I bought shoes that cost a lot less, were a lot more comfortable but didn't look like I had no idea about fashion. It was the middle ground in my eyes and although no-one else wore the exact same shoes as me, I didn't really care and I secretly laughed at the "fringe cool kids" who were desperately trying to climb the social ranks.

I feel like I spent a lot of my time at school learning. Learning my books and from my peers. If only I could go back in time now I'd save myself from a lot of fretting.

Quit bugging me

2009-09-21T22:11:00.002-05:00

I've never really been much of a fan of insects. I don't mind the slow moving, kinda neat ones but anything that stings, flies in my face or generally likes to land on my skin is something that must be swatted away. I think this summer war has been raged against me on behalf of the insect kingdom. Probably due to years of provocation from me and also due to the fact I uttered the phrase (outside, none the less) that I "rarely ever get bitten". After this year I am retiring that phrase.

This year a mere trip the trash can out side will result in something eating at my skin. Sometimes it's a vulnerable bare piece of arm. At other times it's a hidden spot on my foot. As I prepare to don my HAZ-MAT suit and run outside to my car I offer a truce, a peace and a white flag to all the insects and bitey-things of the world.

Bug(ger) off please.

The Paul and Spike Show: Featuring Me!

2009-09-19T13:06:00.002-05:00

I had the absolute pleasure of being the guest on the "award giving" The Paul and Spike Show. I laughed, I cried, I almost spilled beer from my nose and I still don't really know what we talked about for over an hour. Check out their podcast at their website: http://paulandspike.libsyn.com/ or if you have Itunes (and are not currently updating the latest version for the tenth time this month) just type in Paul and Spike in the podcast section. I will also embed it under here. Well worth an hour or so of your time each week.

You may even learn something.

The Paul And Spike And AllClick Show

ck Show: Friday September 18th, 2009.

Click here to download the show mp3.

And click here to subscribe to the Paul And Spike Show, using iTunes or any feedreader.

The SYFY plot bag: Generic plot 15

2009-09-13T15:33:00.005-05:00

Generic plot 15:

The "Jaws" Plot

Small town is under threat from monster, killer animal, supernatural event or extreme weather, scientist or researcher or doctor or specialist or expert recommends evacuating said town, but mayor refuses due to holiday weekend, pumpkin festival, important visit from out of towners.

Roll cameras!

A Game; A Book and an App

2009-09-11T14:18:00.002-05:00

It's Friday, so time for a light post just about my "stuff" this week (copyright Paul and Spike Show). This last weekend and week have all but been consumed by Resident Evil 5. It is just awesome. The missus and I have been searching for a decent two player game and this really is it.

Most two player games are designed, basically, for the one lonely geek playing alone who can use the second player as backup. In Resident Evil 5 you can command the second player, Shiva to attack or hold back or give you her items. But when you play with a live person there is actually enough for TWO people to do in each level. Amazing. Asides from that it has an interesting storyline, some of the best in-game fight sequences I've ever seen outside of a John Woo movie and incredible replay value. In fact, after completing the game once we started up a new game. Straight away. I think I;d only ever done that before with Resident Evil 1, and that was because you played as a different character and had slightly different things to do.

There are some downsides. It has the same limitations as Resident 4 had (on the Wii) in that you can't move and shoot. This often results in getting stabbed by a zombie with a bottle in the face while you stand there reloading your shotgun. Also, you inventory is extremely limited and while this adds an extra challenge, it can sometimes just be stupid and annoying. Why can I carry 5 hand grenades in one space, but a flash grenade takes up a whole other space? Bah. Anyway, I can't promote this game enough.

------------------------------------
The book I have been *trying* to read for a couple of months now (shame on me) is James Patterson's "Violets are Blue". I had heard of it and read a later book of Patterson's but saw this at a yard sale and thought "why not for a $1?". Despite having lovely small chapters allowing for ample break time, it's a bit like moving through treacle reading the book. I don't really have an affinity for the hero and I feel like I know everything about the villains. So, I'm left just waiting for the inevitable to happen, a meeting of the two. There is little mystery, a ankle's depth of research, and characters that I can't bring myself to like. Perhaps it's just a slow third of the book and the rest will pick up.

------------------------------------

The app that I have been "rocking" the most recently is a classic. Pandora. I just can't get enough of it. I have an embarrassing collection of playlists on there but I'm getting to a point where I can choose a playlist depending on my mood and situation and Pandora delivers the goods. I have pop playlists, rock playlists, disco playlists, and even classical (I thoroughly recommend Haydn by the way). It's almost enough to make me fall in love with music all over again.

Society Secrets: Revealed!!

2009-09-09T15:33:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's me, the masked magician here to reveal the top Magic secrets!!

Just kidding. Although I love magic, I can't do any and know no secrets, I just liked ripping off the show title for my blog post title today.

I have a question for "y'all" today. Do you like rules?

I do. Rules means there are expectations. There are consistencies. Everyone is treated equally and right and wrong, good and bad are outlined.

When you start a new school/job you are often told the rules. For every job I've worked at I've had a "company handbook" telling me all the no-no's, my school planner had all the regulations for the school. I knew what was considered a "bad thing" to do. But what about in the rest of our lives? We live by certain rules in society that just aren't talked about and for some of us they are harder to either notice or understand why they exist. Without either of these things you tend to make a lot of society mistakes.

I take the approach of erring on the side of caution in most situations where I don't know what to do. Coming to America was really a big learning curve for me as the rules of society are different. It's not just the language and local traditions, it's a whole different way of thinking and acting and expecting. Instead of "Sky Mall" magazine on the flight I would have done better with "America for Dummies".

For instance, over here it seems that a handshake is always expected meeting a male friend or even a stranger for the first time. Something I learned today was I can drop a check off (or cheque off... or Chekov), at the drive-thru bank without a deposit slip and the teller KNOWS that I want cash.

I say it a lot but I'm learning something new almost every week.

We need more holey socks

2009-09-04T14:59:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I realize that I don't quite think the way some "regular" folks do. I tend to notice small details that really aren't important, I think people look like celebrities when in fact they bare no resemblance, I can't tell a decent story or long joke, I have poor self-biographical memory..the list goes on.

This week I've been thinking about holey socks. I gather the usual rule of thumb is "sock with holes? Throw it out...and cut your nails while you are at it...and buy some new socks". But why is there a need to throw out the old holey socks? They are still comfortable, they still cover the foot (mostly) and now they even allow some air to get in and out. This all equates to the fact that with or without a hole they are still fulfilling their function and thus must remain in the sock drawer.

However, what about the issue of sock selection. Your socks are all balled up in the drawer so how do you know which sock is holey and which is still decent? This decision doesn't have to be made on a day where you aren't taking off your shoes..but let's say you are invited over to a friend's or families' house? Then you start to sweat..."am I wearing the holey socks today??" What a faux pas that would be to have a hole in one's socks in public.

To me, it seems like one of those things that social is a big no-no but logically it doesn't really make sense to throw out a sock with a tiny hole or tear in it.

Now what about if it was a shoe? A few years back I actually wore shoes to work that I had worn so much that I had rubbed a hole in the bottom of the shoe. Or the ground had rubbed a hole. Either way, on a bad weather day I would end up with a wet sock. The top of the shoe looked great, though. I guess I had just traversed rough terrain. So, I put up with it for a couple of weeks or so. I even came up with a solution. Cardboard inserts! This worked for awhile but I had to keep changing the cardboard and it was more effort than sorting through my holey socks so I declared to Miss Allclick "I've had enough. I've gotta throw this shoes out. Time to fork out money for a new pair" (This is where I obviously don't think the same way as some folk). She said to me "Just take them to a cobblers."

Of course! The cobblers! So, I did. I had a new heel added (it was worn too) and the hole mended.

I think I managed to get another few months out of those shoes. When I finally wore them to the shoe shop to buy new shoes the shop assistant could hardly conceal her excitement as she offered to dispose of my old ones.

No sleep

2009-09-02T10:28:00.003-05:00

I had a pretty rough night last night. It was one of those nights where it feels like you can't shut your brain off and then a few hours later it's suddenly 5am and it feels like you haven't even been to sleep yet.

It's really fun when that happens.

It's especially fun when it's one of the days of the week I have to be around my colleagues and management. Luckily, I have a Newman's Organic Morning Brew coffee waiting for me. Hopefully that will give me enough brain juice to get through the day. I foresee a nap in my future.

A few years ago I had a job that required a terrrrible travel. I had to get up at least 3 hours before work just to get there on time. This picture brings it all back...

Babies face police weapons searches

2009-08-28T10:54:00.002-05:00

Sometimes it's just a slow news day in the UK.

Babies face police weapons searches

"Three babies were searched for weapons and drugs by police, new figures reveal.

A Freedom of Information request found that a one-year-old and two babies "0 years of age" were stopped and searched by Norfolk Constabulary this year.

Police said that since 2007, 32 children aged nine and younger were searched by officers in the county."

Road Weary

2009-08-26T11:00:00.003-05:00

I've been on the road a lot this week. Probably going to be up to about 400 miles total by Friday but to be honest, driving in WV is usually a pleasure. Especially during the day when the motorways aren't very busy and I can just take in the scenery. I even prefer the lush green leaves of spring and summer to the -shock- browns of autumn. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the fall leaves, but to me it signals the coming cold weather.

I often get asked about what it is like learning to drive on the other side of the road. I usually say "the real problem is driving on the other side of the car". It's my stock answer but it's true. It's still hard for me to judge the right side of the car but hopefully I'm slowly getting better. Just don't watch me park. Mostly, I do just fine. Occasionally I'll accidentally blow through a stop sign at an empty, remote junction because I have missed it. Rarely, I'll pull onto the other side of the road and usually only when it's an unmarked road and I'm singing to my radio.

Navigating the roads here can be a gamble though. Some junctions looked like Picasso drew them up and you kinda have to guess where you will end up off the exit and how to get back on. There are also WAY too many stop lights. We need more roundabouts because a) they work great for a lot of traffic at busy sections, b) they are super cheap and don't stop working when the power goes out and c) they can look pretty.

So, write to your local representative and demand more roundabouts (circles) and say goodbye to getting caught by all 5 red lights on the way into Huntington.

Coraline: Stop motion still has the goods

2009-08-24T21:22:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, I admit, I let my netflix queue do it's own thing. I neglect it for a while and like a untended garden, it becomes unruly resulting in runs of 3 animated movies in a row or 6 epics. Thankfully though this week a little gem surprised us in the stop-motion animated movie Coraline.

I didn't remember much from the previews of this movie. Just the weird button eyes which really weren't much of a big deal. They mark the "other" family. The perfect parents that live in the secret, bricked up door in Coralines new house. Feeling neglected by her own family, she begins spending more time in the perfect world but soon discovers it's secrets.

Visually this film is amazing. I thought it was computer animated in a puppet style which makes it all the more impressive. Especially when you see all the dogs. Visuals aside, it's just an enjoyable, fun movie. Entertaining, funny and interesting. A highly recommend this for a Saturday evening family rental. A real treat.

District 9: The Good Review

2009-08-22T22:18:00.004-05:00

Due to some rather less than positive blog posts from my good friend "The Film Geek" I thought I better step up and defend District Nine. Not that it needs much defending. If you have read any of the hype, it's mostly all true. I'm even going as far as saying this is one of the most important Sci-fi movies of the decade.

The plot is fairly simple. Aliens have landed on Earth and we have treated them like crap. They live in a slum area called district nine but are being "upgraded" to another area outside of the city because, frankly, them Earth folk don't like them kind around these parts. The obnoxious man leading the operation is the main focus of the film.

I've seen the movie referred to as a "mockumentary" but this is misleading and inaccurate. Sure, there are parts filmed like a documentary but it's a device used to fill us in on some of the back story without having to painstakingly reveal it all. It also sets up expectations and some intrigue for how the story will play out. Basically, you are hooked in the first few minutes without really knowing why.

There are several things I really enjoyed about this movie. The story was engaging and I like the style in which it was told. Not just the regular camera style of Independence Day, nor the shaky, hand-held camera style of Cloverfield but a kind of "best of both worlds". Also, just when you thought it was all story and talkie, the actions begins and the adrenaline starts flowing. All this, and the movie didn't have to rely on half-naked sexy women to sell it for even one moment.

Another bonus was that the protagonist was interesting because he developed and grew during the movie. He made uncharacteristic decisions for the "hero" and it was hard to predict what he would do, even if you may have predicted the outcomes.

I said that this movie was "important" at the beginning of my review and I call it that for three different reasons. This film demonstrates that great sci-fi movies can be made 1) on a budget, 2) outside of New York,LA or London and c) without the need for a big name super star or director.

District 9 gets a big double thumbs up for me, and a raised weird tentacle hand.

Gran Torino

2009-08-18T19:54:00.003-05:00

I blame this on being born at the wrong time in history but I never really started to appreciate Clint Eastwood until these last few years. I found it a little sad to discover that this is his last movie as an actor but I'll have to say that he ends on a high note. Gran Torino is not a car movie but instead a look at modern America vs traditional America, tackling race and acceptance at it's heart. Knowing this going in I was expecting a cliche, preachy, sad but true story. I was pleasantly surprised when instead I was treated to a grumpy old man kicking ass. I'm certainly respecting my elders more right now. The story develops well and there are a surprising amount of laughs in this somewhat serious film. Fans of Clint won't be disappointed but neither will new followers of the man with no name.

A word from the British Pharmaceutical Industry

2009-08-12T12:17:00.003-05:00

Well, more than a word really. This article caught my eye and is well worth a read for those who like to increase their world view. Surprisingly, he is thankful for the NHS and unsurprisingly states that the prices are dropping. He also explains how the industry sets it's prices.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8114709.stm

The HGTV Drinking Game

2009-08-09T11:38:00.003-05:00

Despite having over 100 channels there is still barely anything decent to watch on my TV. Thankfully Food Network and HGTV are there to fill the void in my TV watching schedule. I now know things that any man should never know i.e. what a sconce is, and a back splash, and crown molding are and what top you should have on your kitchen counters (it's granite by the way).

The show I happen to see the most is House Hunters and during which this drinking game was invented as I began noticing that you end up seeing the same types of people over and over again. The premise is simple, every time you see something from the below list you must take a drink. The more rarer the item on the list, the more you drink. It works best with House Hunters but feel free to play with any HGTV show. Enjoy!

1. Two guys looking for a house together. (1 finger of beer - 2 fingers if they are an older couple).
2. A mixed race couple look for a house together. (1 finger of beer - 2 fingers if one partner does not speak English very well or is ten years older).
3. Any house on the show has granite counter tops AND stainless steel appliances (1 finger for each house.)
4. One person in the couple works from home. (2 fingers of beer - 4 fingers if BOTH work from home).
5. Two women look for a house together. (2 fingers of beer - 4 fingers if they are older)
6. One person in the couple is a bitch (2 fingers of beer).
7. An older man with a young wife look for a expensive house together (500K +) (3 fingers - 4 fingers if he is homely looking).
8. They chose the house that is "at the top of our price range/out of our price range" (3 fingers).
9. The house is worth over 1 million dollars AND is "just" a holiday home. (4 fingers).