Monday, February 27, 2006

About time!

Finally, our pets will start earning their keep! They have been sleeping and eating for free long enough; it's about time they became contributing members of the household.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Not Chalmers

I had some free time this evening, and started trying to track down the answer to a question I had while watching Avenue Q last week at the Wynn: did the producers of this show have to pay Gary Coleman to keep him from suing them?

In the course of trying to track down that answer, I found this fascinating site that, for anyone who wants the purest distillation of a celebrity's Q Rating into dollars (and said celebrity's willingness to talk to you for said dollars), is truly fun to search through.

By the way, I haven't found my answer yet, but given that Gary's speaking fees don't even come in at the $5K level, my guess is the producers of the show probably gave Gary some sandwiches...and told him no, he could not play himself!

A Movie Slowly

About a year ago, I was excited to see a preview for a movie version of Philip K. Dick's A Scanner Darkly, allegedly coming out last summer/fall. I really enjoyed the book, and was interested in seeing how they would use a combination of live-action and animation to differentiate between the split personalities of the lead character. I waited.

And waited.

Here we are, well into 2006, and still no movie. I found this article that explains some of the problems they were (and are still) having; even if you haven't heard of the book, it is an interesting look at the nexus that increasingly exists between film making as an art and as a technical process (as well as the studio process that funds both, and how their constraints affect the overall project). An interesting read.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

How I love the Fertile Valleys!

That's what my Spanish dictionary says "Las Vegas" actually means. Huh.

We just got back from our latest Vegas escapade, and it was a great trip. We got upgraded to a suite at our hotel, which included both a whirlpool jacuzzi and fantastic view right down the Strip. We saw a hilarious show, which made me laugh out loud (as well as question my career path; I should have been a puppeteer!) for the whole shortened production. And of course, we ate way too much.

But best of all, we played a lot of poker. In the five tournaments we managed to play in, I made the final table three times, with one money finish (3rd). My better half made two final tables, with one money finish (also 3rd). But best of all, if you add up all of our buy-ins, and then balance that against our winnings, we lost a grand total of $13 dollars. Between the two of us. Over three days, or about 11 hours of total playing time.

That's a win in my book.

Sunday, February 12, 2006

So close...

Played in an online poker tournament last night, and did really well...but not well enough. Managed to make it to fourth place; good, right? The painful part? Prize money was only awarded to the top three.

I think I would have rather been put out in 256th place and gotten the extra sleep.

Thursday, February 09, 2006

Same reason Seinfeld returned the blazer...

Last night's episode of Lost [WARNING: that link has spoilers, but also some cool side notes, esp. about the waitress!] reminded me of why I not only love this show, but the whole stranded-on-an-island motif ala Lord of the Flies: how much of our behavior is influenced/controlled by laws and society, and how much is influenced by our own moral code? More to the point: if the laws were not enforced, would you still obey them?

The show has done a wonderful job of filling in the backstories, but I am pleased to see that since we now know everyone a little better, we are moving forward. After all, by my count, these people have lived on this island for about two months now, and while I (somewhat) believe that the immediate shock of the plane crash and the instinct for survival may have allowed the island dwellers to work together for a while, the frayed edges are finally starting to poke out, and that is where I think this show is going to go to a whole new level of interesting.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Flying away on a wing and a prayer...

My brother has been awarded the highest honor in the Louisville Fire Department, and at least two local newspapers were on hand to report the story. Both articles include pictures, and even though the Louisville article is more about the fire department as a whole (as opposed to the local Bardstown article that is just about Brian), I won't hold it against them.

I am not sure what I am more proud of: my brother's actions in the line of duty, or his sweet new 'stache!

Louisville Courier-Journal: Firefighters honored for valiant work

The Kentucky Standard: Local man becomes Louisville fire hero

BTW, I'm more proud of his actions...but that 'stache comes in a close second!