Between a Rock and a Hard Case.

Finally a stroke of luck some thing decent on. Got to see most of The Rock on TV. I flipped channels to it just as Hummles men were taking over the island. I was also reminded why I originally gave up on watching TV at all in the first place.

Never nothing good on

and if there is, I usually don’t get to see it

At least tonight I actually got to see most of it <_<. And the Money Pit is on next, not quite as good as Mr Blandings Builds His Dream House but the same basic concept. Man and his Wife buy an old house and have the worlds worst time rebuilding it hehe.

One thing I find fun about The Rock, is they make references to Mason being old. Heck after going through what the guys in the Special Air Service go through he could probably be 90 years old and still whip some bodies ass lol.

A few memorable quotes hehe

Stanley Goodspeed: I love pressure. I eat it for breakfast.

Agent Paxton: Now you tell me I’m on a need-to-know basis. And I’m telling you right now, I need to who the fuck John Mason is, right now sir!
Womack: You want to know? Okay. 1962: J. Edgar Hoover is the head of the FBI, some say the country. It’s no secret that he kept secret files on prominent Americans and Europeans. De Gaulle, British members of Parliament, even the Prime Minister. I mean, this guy had dirt on everybody in the world.
Agent Paxton: Yeah, I know all of the cloak and dagger stories. Where does Mason fit in?
Womack: Mason was the British operative who stole the files, but our Bureau agents caught him at the Canadian border. Of course, the British claimed that they never heard of him. So we held him without trial until he gave up the microfilm. But he never did.
Agent Paxton: Well, I’m surprised Hoover didn’t use his daughter as leverage.
Womack: Hoover was dead in ’72, she wasn’t born yet. Today… it’s a different Bureau.
Agent Paxton: So, you held this guy without trial his whole life. No wonder he’s pissed.
Womack: This man knows our most intimate secrets from the last half century! The alien landing at Roswell, the truth behind the J.F.K. assassination. Mason’s angry, he’s lethal, he’s a trained killer… and he is the only hope that we have got.

Kid On Motorcycle: Hey man, you just fucked up your Ferrari.
Stanley Goodspeed: It’s not mine.
[steals bike]
Stanley Goodspeed: And neither is this

Stanley Goodspeed: Hi, I’m an agent with the federal… FBI… Well, my, I’m Stanley Goodspeed.
John Mason: But of course you are.
Agent Paxton: Well, at least he got his name right.
Stanley Goodspeed: Of course I am.
John Mason: And you have an emergency.
Stanley Goodspeed: Right.
John Mason: And you need my help.
Stanley Goodspeed: Exactly right.
John Mason: Coffee.
Stanley Goodspeed: No, I’m fine, thank you.
John Mason: Offer me coffee.

John Mason: Are you sure you’re ready for this?
Stanley Goodspeed: I’ll do my best.
John Mason: Your “best”! Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and fuck the prom queen.
Stanley Goodspeed: Carla was the prom queen.
John Mason: Really?
Stanley Goodspeed: [cocks his gun] Yeah.

John Mason: I’m sure all this will make a great bed time story to tell your kid.
Stanley Goodspeed: You’re insane, Mason. The kid’ll have nightmares. I’ll spend all my money on shrinks.

John Mason: I’m fed up saving your ass. I’m amazed you made it past puberty.

Rush Hour

Today we got cable hooked back up on the bed room sets. Caught Rush Hour on, so finally some thing good on but it was also about the only dang thing on TV !!! A few months without cable and I ain’t been missing much haha!

War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again, y’all

War, huh, good God
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

Ohhh, war, I despise
Because it means destruction
Of innocent lives

War means tears
To thousands of mothers eyes
When their sons go to fight
And lose their lives

I said, war, huh
Good God, y’all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

War, whoa, Lord
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain’t nothing
But a heartbreaker
War, friend only to the undertaker
Ooooh, war
It’s an enemy to all mankind
The point of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest
Within the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die
Aaaaah, war-huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it, say it, say it
War, huh
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Uh-huh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again y’all
War, huh, good God
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
War, it’s got one friend
That’s the undertaker
Ooooh, war, has shattered
Many a young mans dreams
Made him disabled, bitter and mean
Life is much to short and precious
To spend fighting wars these days
War can’t give life
It can only take it away

Ooooh, war, huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again

War, whoa, Lord
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Listen to me

War, it ain’t nothing but a heartbreaker
War, friend only to the undertaker
Peace, love and understanding
Tell me, is there no place for them today
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord knows there’s got to be a better way

Ooooooh, war, huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
You tell me
Say it, say it, say it, say it

War, huh
Good God y’all
What is it good for
Stand up and shout it
Nothing

— Edwin Starr, War

Jurassic Unix ?

Ahh finally a little bit of rest. Been watching Jurassic Park one of my favorite movies you could say. Man it’s been a long time since I have gotten to see it. I still remember when it came out like it was yesterday, my GOD Mother said I shouldn’t see it because of the violence and gore or some thing (I didn’t notice any). I couldn’t have been older then 5 or 6 at the time. I don’t really consider JP violent or any thing but then again movies like Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, and Aliens were all movies I grew up with. Yeah so what if I was a weird kid 😛

I’ve always loved Dinosaurs so I guess it’s no wonder I love the Jurassic Park films, especially part one. It’s a shame really, they took every possible precaution and I’m sure their must have been multiply redundant power supplies… But they only thing they failed to consider was betrayal from the inside.. Fat stooge couldn’t even drive would a darn and brought down the parks systems with a command hidden within a system of over 2 million lines of code (that’s big).

What shocked me, is I wondered when watching it tonight what kind of computers they were using, couldn’t tell from the camera shots of the monitors. But towards the end when the girl Lex is trying to enable the door-locks while Grant and Ellie hold off the Raptor. When she sits at the computer:

“It’s a UNIX system, I know this..”

So I guess it is probable that Jurassic Park was supposed to have been powered by Unix workstations, interestingly for some thing that started life in the 1970’s Unix lives on in a number of incarnations today, including FreeBSD 🙂

I remember thinking too, that the graphical file browser Lex uses in the movie is actually similar to a program I’ve seen before in the real world. The difference is, the real one looks a lot better graphically then the one in Jurassic Park but I doubt it has as many features as the movies FX hehe. But hey, the movie was made in the early 90’s for a largely Computer unaware audience :

Ahh, now to slither up some code for the night.

A good movie tonight, Night at the Museum. Ma likes to watch new movies but interestingly she never likes them rofl.

I enjoyed it though, much like Eight Legged Freaks it is a good movie to just sit back and let go.

S’no greatest movie ever made but still fun. Even more so for me because I love history! And the Museum of Natural History is probably the only reason I could think to visit New York other then to see the Statue of Liberty. The T-Rex on display, ohh baby would I love to get to see that. Paleontology is a field I would love to be closer to, it has always been very interesting to me, ever since I was a kid. But I don’t think my memory is good enough to even consider such a thing lol.

What I like is it is a family movie, think about it. Whats the best way to watch a film? With Family or with Friends or better yet both !!!

For the first time in a good while a good classic was on, Gone with the Wind. Although I’ve defintally snored through it enough times over the years, it’s regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made.

I still find it hard to watch at times, I might not agree with every thing that has happened. I don’t discriminate against any one, be it for race, creed, colour, or religion.. To me the difference between a White man and a Black man is only a matter of appaearence, you can tell them apart in a Line Up. Beyond that they are pretty much the same to me, they are both human beings and should be respected as such.

What else can I say of the South other then it is my home? I was born in the South, I live here and I work here. I’m proud to be an American and I love my home.

In the Civil War as in so many other places, so many wars, so many countries… The people of the south were made to feel results of war. The Union army burned, raped, and enough and many were ground into the dirt to ensure such a thing could never happen again. Thousands of men dead, sick, and dying, not even any thing left to ease the pain of those still alive… Most of the people starving and penniless with there families torn apart. People shouldn’t be ground into dust, what good does it serve. All the more worse then because it was not a war between countries but between brothers.. One I feel that could have been settled without firing a single shot.

Even to Christ on the cross, it’s never been enough for some people. Even without a war to fight, people can still be monstrous.

When the time came… It wasn’t enough to nail him to a wooden cross and be done with it. They tortured Jesus beyond the bounds of torture until death could only be a release from the agony and pain… Is it not enough just to kill?

Man has both the ability for Good and for Evil, I think it is the choice of which do you seek that matters.

When the chance comes, will you do what you think is right or will you play to your own advantage at any cost?

The Time Machine

For a change they actually had some thing good on TV. The War of the Worlds and The Time Machine, not the new ones but the classics.

The Classic time machine is a very good movie, I can’t help but wonder about the ending of it though. The Time Traveler took off back to the future with only 3 books. And it’s a open-ended question, what books would you choose? That’s given at the end of the movie.

Personally, I’d bring more writing materials and skip a book lol. If I was in the position of the Time Traveler in the movie. The first thing I would probably do is try and get things working, make sure food is tended to. And probably try to teach a small group to read/write and about the sciences. And let the few help me teach the many. Actually, I think in Frank Herbert’s Dune (very good book and movie!!!), I think Paul and Jessica Atreides took a similar approve to teaching the Fremen their forms of combat. But that way, in a few decades with a largely reading and writing Eloi. It would be possible to leave enough of my knowledge behind in writing for future generates to hopefully find useful.

For the choice of 3 books, I think I would have to go with the Bible. Just to much good in it not to bring it along. A book on agriculture since people have to eat, without the Morlocks and their machines the Eloi’s cushy live style was destroyed. And for the third, probably a book on science, unless a decent Do It Your Self book on building houses existed in any 1899 Inventors book collection ^_^. Without any power (short of years to build a primitive steam or hydroelectric power station just to get energy, let along an electrical outlet!), bringing a modern day computer would be a waste of weight. Even if it had a dump of all the info on the net, it would just be a hunk of parts in the Eloi’s future.

The Remake in the early 2000’s was a nice movie but I think the old one from the 1960s is better. I’ve never read the original book but I would like to some day. I doubt ether movie follows it to closely but it would be interesting to see what there starting point was.

*sigh* Almost time to go back to work… I still haven’t gotten to read a lot of R5RS (Revised5 Report on the algorithmic language Scheme). My cold is starting to balance out a bit… A little phlegm lighter but still sick. At least things seem to be in a manageable condiction and the medication is helping. I definitally don’t feel like going to work today but it’s not that way in life. Your sick, you still go to work simple as that. Unless your to sick to crawl in. Maybe that is one of the problems in our socieity. If your sick, you shouldn’t try and give it to other people!!! We had a short-gig baby sitting one night. One of the kids had a cough and guess what. Like two days later both of us came down with it lol.

Techno Nightmares

Screamers…. now that is a nightmare of a movie.

In the not so far future (2078) a new source of energy was found, berynium on some rock probably in the middle of no where. It looked to be the best thing since coal or sliced bread judging by the intro. But after awhile of mining for it, the process started throwing up huge amounts of radiation. To stop it the workers and scientists banded together to put pressure on the company. Who in turn launched an all out war with the Alliance.

After being Nuked half of the planet… can’t blame them for needing every last trick in their book to hold on. They invented a monster, the ‘Screamer’ an Autonomous Mobile Sword. That tracks targets by their plus and use the cutting buzz saw like blade that makes up most of their body to cut the enemy to death. In the opening a N.E.B. (the company) grunt trying to deliver a message got a leg and an arm chopped off before the screamers finally lopped off his head. Built by an automated factory under the Alliance bunker, they proved valuable at protecting the base and stopping the enemy. The only way they could tell friend from foe required you to wear a ‘tab’ on your wrist to block their sensors. When the poor sap with the message came in it was their first N.E.B. contact in like 6 months.

After the journey to respond ensures (hey I’m not spoiling the entire picture:-P) two Alliance soldiers, a green kid and a seasoned local. Meet up with a new and improved version. A little kid claiming to be a survivor in the waste land, begging to come with them. The trick? It’s really a droid, so real you’d think it was human – once it get’s inside the enemies bunker. It releases it’s payload, a deadly ‘Screamer’. A N.E.B. squad they link up with tells how effective it was. The droids murdered most of the N.E.B. forces inside their command bunker during dinner time. Also another model…

A wounded soldier begging for help, go to help him and vola ! You’re ripped apart by the screamer. The things we’re self manufacturing as far as the viewer is able to gather. And some how self improving, more advanced models developed by machines, as it was stated that none we’re sent to the planet from command since the prototype years ago. When the scientists effectively built the factory, pushed the on button and ran like heck. In the N.E.B. base they found another model, simple lizard/reptilian like screamers. Slow walking but flast leaping buggers with a Dinosaur like look & feel, right out of a museum.

When the merry band returns to the Alliance bunker… they find out the same thing that happened to the N.E.B’s destroyed the soldiers there. The voice of the bunkers 2nd in command beckons them in over the radio. A repetitive conversation and multiple personality show its a trap. Faced with an Army of droid children clutching teddy bears and having a screamer inside marching out of the base. Trust me it’s not as corny as it sounds lol. Using their high powered by todays standards weapons til the ammo ran out. Then dropping down to the built in flame throwers… They couldn’t hold off the onslaught. So using a recovered micro-nuke they blow the place to crap.

Only to discover one of the N.E.B’s with them injured, when the green Alliance kid goes to help. He’s ripped apart by the advanced screamer… horrible, not even the ‘tabs’ worked any more. The Screamers now could kill any one and every one. After being put down the last two people left, The Alliance commander and a N.E.B. woman set out for the one way off the planet. The ‘oh crap the place is about to explode’ escape system for the bases commander.

To prove that she is human the commander nearly cuts the womans arm off. To do like wise he almost does the same to his own hand before she stops him. The two apparently falling in love head out, only to be greeted by the commanders friend and the next in the Chain of Command. Another screamer !! The screamer was said to have cut off the mans face and took it, hence the appearance. After disposing of him they find another horror, the escape shuttle only has room for one.

Pulling every trick in the book the commander tries to make sure the N.E.B. woman is the one to go, yet theres some reason why she “just can’t go”. When a duplicate shows up, we know why ! Another screamer… the most advanced yet. The two fight to the last fembot standing, the victor gets a blast of rocket engine as the other dies. Leaving the poor guy to use the shuttle and hope he gets back to Earth… and meets HUMANS !!! It’s made clear that his and the fate of earth may be undesirable…

You’d have to see the movie to really appreciate it but it is really horrifying. Man kind is deadly enough without machines surpassing us. The screamers evolved to the point that they killed their own side. Then to the point that they killed each other. It’s pretty dang sad when your own governments weapons try to kill you !

I hope that People are never removed from war, unless war is removed it self. One can argue that there is no such thing as ‘honor’ in a war. If one see’s the goal as to live to see the end in victory. That’s one thing but there is some point. Where a line is crossed, it’s not a matter of honor or fairness but of right or wrong.

Killing the enemy is one thing but murder is another. In screamers you can’t tell if the person next to you is on your side or even human. The chap you’ve played cards with for the past year might try and rip your arms off the next. It’s a sick idea… when machines have evolved past their creator, all but destroyed their creators, and start killing themselves too.

The Terminator is a scary idea but this is worse, just watch the movie and you’ll find out why lol. I think it’s a good thing when you can have some one sit out of the line of fire. Control a robot and have it drop a bomb on the enemy, thats good. But when your toaster oven is modified to kill the enemy while you go on a smoke & coke break. You’re going to be pretty dang sorry if it tries to kill you after getting an upgrade !

Hmm, got to see some thing refreshing, a western where they actually used sound tactics. Leapfrogging, stealth movement, the ‘Tin can on a fense post quick draw’ drill, and some proper room clearing techniques in their basic form. Not bad for a simple Western, probably made in the 1960s.

Also got to catch most of Hackers, movies as fake as a 80’s action flick but just as entertaining. It’s after 0600Z, thats like 2am local time… and I just get back to the PC.

You know, I really should stop tying with 10 fingers! I can type about as fast as I can think the words…. It’s quite fast when its my thoughts and not just reiterating some thing else. On typing tests I usually score about 70 some words per minute. In general work, I can type English very fast if I’m not one eye on the ‘original’ text. With how much time I spend on the computer I guess you kind of learn to type quickly when talking… eh chatting, posting what ever.

If I don’t do it quickly, by the time I finish a five minute post… Like an hour has gone by because of being interrupted / sent AFK e.t.c. So I learned to type FAST when I have some thing to say.

Jingle All the Way

Got to enjoy a few good movies tonight. The end of ‘The Man’, ‘Jingle All the Way’ – I love a few parts of that movie. Especially the one where he gets in a brawl with the Rain Deer & they go drinking lol.

Ep IV is on, the New Hope is one of my favorite Star Wars movies. And after that is Mr & Mrs Smith. Now thats a sweet flick. And the gun battle at the ends not half bad hehehe.

the poseidon adventure

Well, tonight we taped the movie Poseidon. A remake of the Poseidon adventure.

I remember when I was a kid, maybe 5-6 years old. I had officially sworn off the original movie for keeps. I had gotten a tad ill in the stomach watching it. The whole sinking / drowning thing kind of got to me. And really I’ve never cared much for disaster flicks.

I’m happy to say, like 12-15 years later I’m perfectly fine and the remake was actually pretty good 🙂

At least it wasn’t as boring as the Titanic remake was…