Drew Dena Talks

My coworker invited me into her office today and presented me with a few t-shirts and a cap that she got from the Microsoft Professional Developer Conference 2005 (a.k.a. PDC). I still need to catch up on some PDC blogs about what went on this year.

Angel took a look at the shirts when I got home and took to the Intel 64 sports sweater. There was another shirt advertising Automated QA and one for the PDC conference itself. I love wearing these shirts around the house. I can get messy and not have to worry about ruining the shirt since it’s just a promotional item.

Today I’ve done a lot of mucking around in Crystal Reports. I dealt with exporting as Word and Excel files and emailing them as attachments. I also got the html version to print without our sites template when the end-user prints it out. As always, there were tons of formatting issues and troubleshooting with the report. I’m just glad that it isn’t like the old days where I would spend days hunting down dll’s, hot fixes, and patches on the Crystal Reports website. It’s been a few years, but I’m doing ok with them.

Tags: PDC, Developers, Conferences, T-Shirts, Free, Crystal Reports, Work, Angel, Shirts, Clothing

It seems that someone invented a geeked out version of freeze tag for bloggers. Our friend, Nathan, “tagged” us. The game seems pretty harmless. Nerdy. But harmless. I’ll explain more below… First, these are the rules: Each player starts with eight random facts or habits about him or herself.People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.At the beginning of your blog, mention the person who tagged you. At the end of your post, choose eight people to tag, listing their names.Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. Okay… Eight random things about us:Since moving to Massachusetts….
1. Because I work at home and Justin’s class schedule is so spread out, we spend anywhere from 21 to 23 hours a day together (in one room). And we still like each other.
2. Because the seminary is so close, Justin only spends about 6 minutes in the car a day. In the winter, he spent more time trying to get into the car (b/c of snow, ice, etc.) than actually driving it. I drive alot more…grocery, pharmacy, gas station, bank, library.
3. Everytime it rains, we run to our door afraid of finding an impending flash flood. See previous post. 4 One of our favorite lunchtime meals is a Mr. P’s “little pizza.” And it only costs $0.79. If you want a funny story…ask Justin about his Mr. P’s diet.
5. Since the season started, we’ve watched baseball almost every night. Maybe not the whole game, but at least the synopsis. You could literally watch something about the Red Sox 24 hours a day. I’m not exaggerating.
6. We watched the first five seasons of 24. We’re waiting for season 6 to finish before we start to watch it. We have a marathon planned with some new friends when we get back from the DR.
7. We’ve both been asked, “(You’re from North Carolina) So where’s your accent?”
8. Additionally, we’ve both been told, “You must be from the South.”

I tag: Kevin, Mary, Jason & Lauren, Will & Christy, Joe & Anne, Brad & Rebecca , Theresa & Andy, and Chris & Melissa.

Did you know you can reboot and reinstall a car? That's what happened to ours today, when I took our trusty A6 Avant down to the Audi dealer to have its MMI (user interface to you and me) updated.

The car emerged two hours and a few CD downloads later, sporting version C6-HU 34.6.0 0647 of the MMI software (hitherto C6-HU 21.2.0 0534, in case you wondered). As if by magic, the car now also speaks Dutch (and a few other new languages, such as Portuguese and Russian) when instructing me how to get from A to B.

The navigation system now offers a 3D view, with the camera angle slightly tilted to give the impression of being somewhat elevated above the ground. Perhaps the software update has added other useful new features, but I didn't encounter them on the short drive home.

The new 3D view is nice, because the viewing angle compacts the field of view, which means one can see more of the surrounding area than when in 2D, even when the zoom is set identically, say at 400m.

It also works well with 'junction zoom', whereby the system zooms in ever closer as one approaches a junction at which a new manoeuvre is required, such as turning left or right.

The only thing I don't like about the 3D view is that most streets don't have their name displayed along them, which __is__ the case at the same zoom level in the 2D view. It also seems impossible to obtain north orientation for the map (even though you can configure it for same), probably to avoid confusion or perhaps impractically sharp viewing angles when travelling east or west. Who knows?

Since Audi had a special offer going, I took the opportunity to avail myself of the latest Western Europe DVD for the sat-nav system, too, so perhaps the woman with the dulcet tones will now be less determined to send me via the perpetually languid Overtoom when I ask for directions to pretty much any destination inside the ring (A10).

Poland and Hungary have been added to the list of countries for which there are maps and guidance data, which could prove handy. Hungary would have been good to have a year ago, but at least we're now covered if we choose to return.

It's strange to witness a car being rebooted and reprogrammed, as I tend to still think of them as predominantly mechanical machines, but they've really been powerful computers on wheels for quite a long time now. Nevertheless, it still amuses me to think that a car can be improved and have features added by installing a new version of the software.

Similarly, it can have new bugs introduced in the same way, so I hope not too many of those have crept in.

Look what I got! A friend of mine cut me a deal and is letting me pay her in installments:

It’s old, but it works.

I ran this morning for 15 minutes, the first time since June 27. I followed that with a morning yoga session, my first since June 2. I was dizzy, but solid. I see the cardiologist next week and will hopefully figure out what’s up with my heart/head/body/etc.

With no outlet via running or yoga (and no internet access at home), my art production has skyrocketed. Maybe I can sell some of it to help make the bills?

I used colored pencils, gel pens, watercolors and acrylics, on canvas paper, music paper and watercolor paper. There’s really faint text embedded in the black background via gesso and stamping. I had a lot of fun with this piece; it started as a doodle at the park (the hearts) and took off from there.

And that, my friends, is the sum of my life at this point in time.

Watch movie or not…watch movie or not….Just didn’t feel like watching movie. So me and sis decided to just hang out and have some decent conversations with friends. Location : Tanjung Aru beach. Went there around 8 pm and they’re having Borneo Orchid Show 2007. Me and sis were like, “if mom knows about this, she’ll surely be loving it.” Just took some pics for the fun of it. Well, hmmm…I dont have the mind of the art in flowers thingy.
Hence, the entrance.

Various kinds of orchids.

More orchids
After walking around the show for a few mins, we headed straight to San Francisco Coffee to have some spaghetti. Carbonara spaghetti to be exact. Then came a friend of ours with the brother. Moved to BB cafe just to see if there’s a live band performing. Not exactly live band la cos there were no drums and guitars. Only a keyboard and 3 singers. But they sang really well and one of the singers resembles a friend back in uni. Heh

At San Francisco, Sabah. Hehe

What happens when you put a teacher and a couple of engineers together? Lots of wit. At BB cafe.
Will be doing it again.

Like one of the characters in Andrew Bujalski’s films, I’m having a hard time putting into words what makes his stuff so unassumingly satisfying. Just watched the follow up to Funny Ha Ha. This one takes place in Brooklyn, stars the delightfully dorky director again in a starring role, focuses on his character’s amateur-rocker friend’s arrival to town. It’s shot in grainy black and white. The script feels improvised at times, although what I’ve read says it’s actually pretty well thought out. And if that’s the case, you can tell by the end, because scenes that seem like they might be throw-aways actually come together in the end and do a good job of making you care about the characters. What makes the film — which you might be tempted to call a nothing-happens flick if it didn’t seem so well made in its own indie way — so above-average is the way the actors manage to fill the moments with that realistic swirl of mixed emotions. And not in the typical torn-between-two-poles way. More like the: I’d like to kiss her but she doesn’t totally seem into it so I’ll brush her arm and then tell her I can stop if she wants and then laugh nervously when she acknowledges it then freak at the silence and pause and start to pull away and worry what would happen if I take a risk and … You know that mix of emotion. That’s a scene in the movie, with none of those exact words spoken. And the funny thing is that the medium does such a good job of conveying all that and putting you in that halting, um-yeah mode that I’m not being able to express myself very well here. But it’s late on a Friday after being stuck in a big magnet for almost two hours after a long day of work, so that might be it too. But the movie’s good. Netflix it.

GreenvilleOnline.com - Chris Sligh says he considered quitting ‘American Idol’
(3/30/2007) After pointed criticism of his performance, Sligh needled Cowell about his association with the release of “A Teletubbies Christmas.” After the exchange, Sligh said he received hate mail from “Idol” viewers who didn’t appreciate the comments.
(tags: americanidol clippings:news)

Amazon.com: The Best of Youth: DVD
Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio) and Matteo (Alessio Boni) Carati are two brothers of Rome, who live the years from 1966 to 2000 and all the events which have signed this period.
(tags: movies netflix)

YouTube: Washington vs. Toronto Buzzer Beater
Perhaps the final instance of that “throw the ball into the air as time expires” crap ever. Please?
(tags: youtube nba deadspin)

Instructables: How to Make a semi-authentic Pico de Gallo to Serve with a semi-authentic Salsa Verde
(tags: howto food yum)

Toon Zone Interviews Bob Schooley & Mark McCorkle on Kim Possible Season 4
Turns out you can’t keep a good girl down. Fresh from writing Sky High for the feature film division in 2006, the pair found out that that Kim would get a fourth season of 22 episodes, the first of which debut on Saturday, February 10, 2007.
(tags: interviews kim-possible)

YouTube: Punky Brewster - Reading, Writing and DeBarge (Pt. 3)
“Marty! Bobby! James! Chico! Randy! If I’m dreaming, please don’t let me wake up!”
(tags: youtube 80s specialguestappearances)

YouTube: Cherrelle “You Look Good To Me”
(tags: youtube rockvideos 80s)

YouTube: Charles Has A Licking Problem
My dog Charles has a licking problem. I wrote a song about the licking, which accompanies this video.
(tags: youtube humor nataliedee)

According to Variety, the wide release date for Tim Burton’s Sweeney Todd has been moved up to December 21 in the U.S. An updated poster for the film has also been released (see image below).

From Variety.com:

Johnny Depp will be singing in time for Christmas — everywhere. DreamWorks and Paramount have decided to go wide with director Tim Burton’s bigscreen adaptation of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical “Sweeney Todd” on Dec. 21, versus a platform release.

Original plan was to give the film a limited bow on the 21st and then go wide on Jan. 11, the thought being that “Sweeney Todd” is less commercial and less accessible than most musicals because of its darker storyline. Along those lines, a platform opening would provide a chance to build buzz.

However, when DreamWorks execs began seeing clips from “Sweeney,” they realized it had far broader appeal, particularly with Depp starring as the revenge-seeking barber of Fleet Street who uses his blade in gruesome ways to seek justice for the deaths of his wife and child.

The hope is that “Sweeney” will be the sort of signature role for Depp that Captain Jack Sparrow in Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise was.

DreamWorks and Warner Bros. are partners on “Sweeney,” with DreamWorks/Paramount handling domestic. Warners will release the musical overseas. The studios believe “Sweeney” will work as a holiday pic.

Also opening wide on Dec. 21 are Disney’s sequel “National Treasure: Book of Secrets”; Warner Bros.’ dramedy “P.S., I Love You,” starring Gerard Butler and Hilary Swank; and Sony laffer “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,” penned by Judd Apatow and Jake Kasdan, who directed. Limited releases include “The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.”

“Sweeney” producer Dick Zanuck and Burton already had been pushing for a wide bow, expressing concerns that a platform release could give the impression it was an arthouse title.

At the same time, DreamWorks and Paramount aren’t likely to go out with “Sweeney,” which is expected to receive an R rating, on more than 1,500 screens. At least that’s the thinking at this point.

I usually try to avoid films produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. They’re usually all flash & fury with no substance. But Deja Vu had a decent cast, an ok director (Tony Scott) and an interesting premise, so what the heck I went to the theater the other day and took a shot.

meh.

The movie opens with a ferry filled with Navy Crewmen and their families, enjoying the day of Mardis Gras, blown up by a terrorist. Over 500 people are killed and ATF agent Doug Carlin (Denzel Washington) is brought in to investigate.

He’s able to decipher the cause pretty quickly even though he’s also sidetracked by a body of Claire Kuchever, a beautiful woman that’s been burned to death and washed up on the shore.

Impressed with Carlin’s skills the FBI (headed by an agent played by Val Kilmer) invites him to join up and use their “super secret” technology. It’s a satellite that allows the viewer to look backwards in time to events that occurred 4 1/2 days ago.

This is a pretty neat scene with special effects that almost keep you from thinking what you’re watching doesn’t make a lick of sense. It especially goes loopy when Agent Carlin talks one of the technicians to send him back in time to stop the death of Claire ( who he’s fallen in love with, while watching her, thanks to the super satellite) and oh yeah, those 500 bomb victims too.

Time travel stories can be very tricky to pull off. Especially when the script tries to come up with ways for you to buy it, but it really never works. If he travels back in time to stop her death why would he (in the future) ever want to travel back to prevent a death that never happens. Yeah, they try to make it plausible with the old diverging time line theory, but it comes across like grasping at straws.

I could almost forgive the time travel aspect, but what really got me while watching this was the whole deja-vu aspect. I’m not sure what the people, especially towards the end, were feeling was actually deja-vu. How could they remember, or feel something that never really happened?

Though the biggest hindrance of the film is a kind of deja-vu with the actors and their characters. Denzel’s Agent Carlin is not unlike Detective Keith Frazier from
Inside Man or Det. John Hobbes in Fallen (both which are much better movies, IMO). He’s not the only one though who seems as if he’s just walking though. Val Kilmer and Bruce Greenwood are pretty bland (though to tell the truth, they don’t get much to do) and Adam Goldberg plays his usual excitable, neurotic character.

It may sound as if I hated Deja Vu, which isn’t the case (strong words like hate should only be used when discussing films starring Julia Roberts). The film looks good and the effects of the satellite is pretty cool and I really enjoyed the unusual chase scene that was separated by 4 1/2 days (I know that sounds confusing, but that’s about the best way to describe it) but the story felt bland and the time travel aspect just didn’t work for me.

So if I remember correctly, Deja Vu, gets a time traveling:

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