Colin Farrell was on the late-night Leno rerun the other night. Oh man, I want to eat him up. Tonight on TV: Minnie Driver guest stars on a new episode of Will & Grace (to be followed by a rerun). Whoa, I honestly never made this association until just now: her name is Minnie. Like the mouse. In other entertainment news, today Chicago made a splash as the opening film at the Berlinale, Berlin’s international film festival.
Sonal and I were there in February 2000, when the buzz was all about Leonardo DiCaprio, who was in town to promote The Beach. Here’s a photo of me at Brandenburg Gate. If I ever get to a scanner (see list of other techno wants below), I’ll post more of my travel pics.
The dead and alive. The latest DVD in my Netflix queue was Disc 1 of Six Feet Under: The Complete First Season, which was released on Tuesday. I watched the pilot last night, and again I marvel at the scope of cable television. When it’s good, it’s great. I mean, it’s one thing to say your show is edgy and original, but when it all comes together on screen, it makes for compelling television. Who knew a family drama (or dark comedy, if you will) set in a funeral-home business would work? Thankfully, it does. Great acting and writing overall.
Also, Disc 1 has some good extra features: audio commentary for the pilot by series creator Alan Ball and a short segment on the creation of the opening titles.
Tech stuff I want at the moment but definitely do not need, in order of increasing, but unconstant extravagance (subject to constant revision): a new PDA phone (my Kyocera died a few months ago, and the replacement Samsung A460 just isn’t doing it for me; I’m eyeing the i330, but by the time I do get a new phone, I’m sure something better will have come along), a CD burner for my laptop, TiVo (and cable, in general), and a Bose home entertainment system. Oh, and yeah, I’ll need a fabulous new apartment to put it in. Though, I do find something geeky and ironic about having a top-notch theater in my shoebox-sized hovel. That’s it: I’ll just turn my studio into one of those listening rooms you find at Circuit City. Dolby surround sound at my fingertips, and I wouldn’t even have to get out of bed.
Date and time. Speaking of geeky, I just found ThinkGeek.com: “stuff for smart masses.” I’d get this 24-hour watch, if only it weren’t so clunky. I like using 24-hour time — “oh-one-hundred hours” and so forth. I use it whenever the option presents itself, like when setting my computer clock or e-mail preferences. In fact, I’m switching my Blogger settings right now to display the timestamp in 24-hour format. So there.
Still, I admit it’s not socially practical: “So when’s good for you?” “Umm, I’ll nap ’til 16:00, so let’s meet at 18:30?” I also prefer the (largely non-U.S.) date format that begins with the day instead of month, e.g., 6 February 2003. Then again, maybe I’m just a snob.
The last word. Adam, known to the esteemed readers of these pages as “Weaner Pig,” turns 28 years old today. God help us all.
7 replies on “Bad lad”
Thank GOD someone’s older than me!!! Okay, so only by a couple of months, but STILL. This old lady’ll take what she can get…
Oh, and bump Tivo up on your list…
Oh! And one more thing…I feel you on the European date thing; I use it at work. I’m trying to start a movement toward a different date format though: 2003, 02 06. Why? So that if you save files by putting dates in the names for versioning (as I do), they save chronologically.
/end geekness
Yeah, I was reading up on TiVo, and it’s less expensive than I had previously thought. Interesting.
And the YY/MM/DD format, exactly! I use that for the slightly less noble task of saving AIM chats, e.g., dad030206.htm.
*Scratches Jeff’s eyes out* I am not really much of a traveller and don’t have that much inclination (despite my little jaunt to London/Southern England) at Crimble; but the Brandenburg Gate is something I’ve always wanted to see so I am tres jealous. Actually Berlin has a strange fascination for me. I hear there is like a lovely beach in the city that Berliners frequent and you can stare at that strange tall monolith that towers over the city (I forget it’s name). I hear the street cafe’s are wonderful, the galleries and museums et al. Maybe the morbidly perverse me just wants to stand in the city centre and say, “My great uncle bombed the hell out of this place on a few fearful and terrible nights” and say a prayer for those who suffered great misery in this city. Forgive my morose peccadillos.
I am aching to check out this other Nate that so many have told me about. I hope that “six feet under” is available on my cable soon. I have also been looking around at cell phones Jeff. In the U.K. it seems that everyone is txting messages to each other all day long. I had a go and rather liked it, yeah, that might be a definite purchase in 2003. Don’t know about you Jeff, but when it comes to gadgetry I am terrified of getting stuck with a lemon. I also know the acute pain of having a team of wild horses stereo system and the paper thin wall apartment that only allows you to have the sound on like number 24 or whatever.. torturous it is. I also see the merit of the 24 hour clock Jeff, however, I would miss the romance of saying, “no, it’s five and twenty past four darling” in a Noel Coward accent. As for the day/month/year thing… for me its always been day first, month second and year last. It seems in North America they like to do it the other way… quite annoying I find it. I have taken to doing the month in Roman Numerals to get my own back (the hassles at work I create, you have no idea). I also satisfy my fix for being a little bit bad by writing 24 vii 2002 to unsuspecting colleagues.
Wiedersehn meine Prince.
Nate hath returned! Sound the bells! And while still profound not quite as succinct as some others! 😉
Ahhh, Jeffy, a TiVo AND a new phone! That would be quite fancy! Go For it!
I also LOVE what we call “military” time. It’s the standard here at work, of course. And while I can’t get enough of European spellings I am not yet on board w/the the way the dates are written. Maybe soon. I do utilise that date thing for my saved IM convos as well though! ha ha.
The concept of saving IM convos is a bit foreign to me. Are they used as evidence in the courts?
No, I keep mine if they are particularly funny or if they contain a fond memory or something.
I also used to keep them as proof of affection, but I don’t anymore.