Month: September 2005

Corpse Bride, first impression

elvis4 Comments

Ok, maybe I’ll do a detailed review of this tomorrow. Or maybe I need to see it again to form a full opinion, sometimes Burton’s like that. I needed to see Nightmare three times before I really got into it. But the quick impression; aesthetically stunning, truly, completely stunning. Technically brilliant. I’ve never seen animation […]

Ok, maybe I’ll do a detailed review of this tomorrow. Or maybe I need to see it again to form a full opinion, sometimes Burton’s like that. I needed to see Nightmare three times before I really got into it.

But the quick impression; aesthetically stunning, truly, completely stunning. Technically brilliant. I’ve never seen animation any better.

Yet, there are some significant weaknesses. The script is ok, but not great. There are some really bad jokes, worthy of a low-grade disney movie, but not worthy of a movie this well done. The music is somewhat uninspired, though of course typically well done.

So my impression overall – wow, mostly, but with a lingering feeling that it should have been better. A movie this intensely beautiful should be a great film, but it just missed being great.

More thoughts as they form, there’s no question it’s a film to think about. And maybe go see again right away.

Meant to be underwater?

elvis3 Comments

I’m not really a fatalist. I don’t really think very many things were meant to happen. Ok, there are a few people – very, very few – who walked into my life and I felt, this had to be, this person needed to be here, and the universe would have brought us together somehow. People […]

I’m not really a fatalist. I don’t really think very many things were meant to happen.

Ok, there are a few people – very, very few – who walked into my life and I felt, this had to be, this person needed to be here, and the universe would have brought us together somehow. People who changed me, changed my life.

But as a rule, I don’t think there are things fated, or meant to be.

And then I look at pictures of the ninth ward vanishing under water again and I think, maybe some primitive thing, something that was here before europeans walked this continent, has chosen to take it’s land back. And maybe we need to just give it back.

Sigh.

I’m afraid to look at any more news. I’m afraid to look at the pictures tomorrow morning when Rita hits ground.

New Digs

elvis7 Comments

It’s like moving into a new house that looks exactly like your old house. So I jumped the gun last night and transferred moronosphere.com to it’s new home. I figured out how easy this was gonna be and just did it. Things should be a little faster, that’s about all you should notice.

It’s like moving into a new house that looks exactly like your old house.

So I jumped the gun last night and transferred moronosphere.com to it’s new home. I figured out how easy this was gonna be and just did it.

Things should be a little faster, that’s about all you should notice.

Now that’s a landing.

elvis3 Comments

If you’re scared to fly, don’t look. These are some great pictures of a JetBlue plane making an emrgency landing at LAX with bent, twisted landing gear. Those are some good pilots. Landed with no one hurt. But I can’t stop picturing the feeling inside that plane as the flames came off of the wheels. […]

If you’re scared to fly, don’t look.

These are some great pictures of a JetBlue plane making an emrgency landing at LAX with bent, twisted landing gear.

Those are some good pilots. Landed with no one hurt. But I can’t stop picturing the feeling inside that plane as the flames came off of the wheels.

These people were evidently watching live teevee of the event from inside the plane.

M’oving M’sphere

elvis2 Comments

‘Cos I’m moving on up. You’re moving on out. Movin’ on up. Nothing can stop me. Moving on up. You’re moving on out. Time to break free. Nothing can stop me, Yeah. Time’s come to find a new home. What’s this mean? Well, not much to you, the reader, nor to my friends for whom […]

‘Cos I’m moving on up. You’re moving on out.
Movin’ on up. Nothing can stop me.
Moving on up. You’re moving on out.
Time to break free. Nothing can stop me,
Yeah.

Time’s come to find a new home.

What’s this mean?

Well, not much to you, the reader, nor to my friends for whom I host blogs. Other than a short downtime and then some (hopefully) much better performance.

Basically, I’ve been hosting this blog by the generosity and good grace of my friend Seth, for nearly two years. I owe him a great debt, he’s asked for nothing, and given me space and bandwidth and support. He’s helped me recover from a couple crashes, given me full root access, trusted me not to break anything, and let me monkey to my heart’s content with his server.

Thanks, Seth, and thanks, Jen, for suggesting I start up a blog when all I wanted was a place to park a domain I had hanging around.

But all good things, and all that. I’m hosting a few blogs now, and we’re using more bandwidth, and I need backups and some management tools to handle things I’ve been doing by hand. I got an offer I couldn’t refuse from my friends at http://www.athenahosting.net/.

So I’m picking up and moving this weekend. If you have any problems getting to moronosphere.com this week, it should be short-lived, but let me know about it (click my name down there near where it says ‘comments’ and ‘permalink’, or any-damned-thing at moronosphere.com will get to me).

I’ll post an update when I get moved over, and for those of you whose blogs I host, I’ll let you know before I take things down, so carry on blogging until otherwise advised.

Right man for the job

elvis2 Comments

I gotta say, I watched the whole season, and each and every time INXS sent the person home who should have gone home. Not once did they falter in any way. I was saying that to myself when I watched the finale – they’ve been right every time. (I’m gonna put the rest of this […]

I gotta say, I watched the whole season, and each and every time INXS sent the person home who should have gone home. Not once did they falter in any way.

I was saying that to myself when I watched the finale – they’ve been right every time.

(I’m gonna put the rest of this after the cut in case anyone hasn’t watched the show yet…)

Read more “Right man for the job”

…fucking suspense is killing me.

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Honestly. Why do I care? It’s one half hour until the west coast showing of the rock star inxs finale, and I’m climbin’ the fucking walls. Ok, I know I could go look up the result on the net. But I don’t wanna spoil it, right? I just want it to fucking start already! I […]

Honestly. Why do I care?

It’s one half hour until the west coast showing of the rock star inxs finale, and I’m climbin’ the fucking walls.

Ok, I know I could go look up the result on the net. But I don’t wanna spoil it, right? I just want it to fucking start already!

I don’t think a reality teevee show has ever gotten me this wound (again, aside from when Lex got down to the final three, but you know, he’s a personal friend). But it feels like that sitting here wishing for JD to win when I know the choice is already made.

I’m thinking, tequila or ice cream? tequila or ice cream? I mean, I gotta do something.

more referral nonsense – dirty margaritas?

elvis6 Comments

Ok, so I’ve talked about the whole referrals in the logs thing. I get all sorts of useful info about who’s reading (Hello out there! Yeah, you! I see you!), where I’m getting hits from (how’d I get on Sam Burns random blogroll, and how can I get her in bed?), and all sorts of […]

Ok, so I’ve talked about the whole referrals in the logs thing. I get all sorts of useful info about who’s reading (Hello out there! Yeah, you! I see you!), where I’m getting hits from (how’d I get on Sam Burns random blogroll, and how can I get her in bed?), and all sorts of random searches on skulls and tattoos and pirates and martinis and taco flavored kisses.

But I just got a hit from someone looking for a recipe for ‘dirty margaritas’.

Now, I don’t think that’s even a real drink, I think that was a confused user. But all I can think is, ick.

I’m trying to find a way to make that sound like a good drink, or to make it something dirty about a nasty little seniorita. But it’s not working. All I get is, tequila, lime, cointreau, and olive brine. Hell, that might even be good, but it sounds vile.

On the other hand, I’m now thinking, in this order:

  1. Mmmm, tequila
  2. Mmmm, nasty little seniorita

But that’s not really a surprise, is it?

Tattoos that make you wonder

elvis6 Comments

Sometimes you see a tattoo and you wonder – what’s he/she saying with that? I was playin’ goofy-golf and there was a hispanic family ahead of us. Nice, friendly people. Woman in her twenties, a couple little boys, and a guy. But the guy was kind of interesting. Older, a bit, but it was hard […]

Sometimes you see a tattoo and you wonder – what’s he/she saying with that?

I was playin’ goofy-golf and there was a hispanic family ahead of us. Nice, friendly people. Woman in her twenties, a couple little boys, and a guy. But the guy was kind of interesting. Older, a bit, but it was hard to tell how old since his head was shaved. I’d guess he was my age, fourties, but he could have been ten years either direction of me.

Later they were joined by several more kids and a couple late-teens-early-twenties girls.

I’m looking at them and thinking, ok, family, birthday party. Guy’s either dad or grampa.

But you know, I look at this tattoo he has on the back of his neck and I keep thinking, that means something different.

Daddy Tattoo Small

I dunno. Maybe it’s just me. But a tattoo that says daddy, on a man. It just sorta makes me wonder.

Of course, I can think of a person or two I’d like to see that same tattoo on. And no, Ken, you’re not one of them. No matter how much I love you.

Talk like a Pirate Day

elvis10 Comments

Arrr, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day, t’day, the nineteenth’ a’ september. Avast there ye bilge rats! Be spreadin’ the word, sez I. (I’m sorry) (No, actually, I’m not.)

Arrr, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day, t’day, the nineteenth’ a’ september.

Avast there ye bilge rats! Be spreadin’ the word, sez I.

(I’m sorry)

(No, actually, I’m not.)