Movies

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I missed my intended travel window for hitting the library, but on the upside, for the first time in a long time, I *really* enjoyed a good film—Zombieland!

The jist of it, is “Mad cow disease became mad person”. It’s also the first and only zombie flick I’ve seen that makes note, that the fatties got eaten first xD. Combine a hopeless idiot whose just lucky to be alive with a zombie killing machine searching for Twinkee’s, and you’ve got a recipe of some kind. Add in two sister con artists heading for an amusement park and it gets better :-).

The thing that surprised me is Bill Murray showing up in the middle of it all. Just priceless!

The Ultimate Zombie Fighting Kit

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This is in my humble opinion, the ultimate kit for fighting zombies, in the event that you should ever find yourself stuck in such a horror flick:

2 x Swords in scabbards across the back. A pair of wakizashi or a wakizashi and katana pairing would work perfectly, or something else along those lines. While technically caring for a katana in some form of post-apocalyptic zombie invasion would be a major drag, such a weapons cutting ability would be seriously useful. Either way a single sword is more than likely going to be overwhelmed and shorter blades are less likely to get in the way in doors. Using a chain saw is more likely to get you or a friendly killed than the zombies.

4 to 6 x Knives. 1 or 2 along side each boot for backup; plus another pair along the waist/legs for use as needed. Personally I think a Kukri or two would be handy, save the rest for emergencies or quick throws. You can never have enough knives in a zombie fight. Include some shuriken if possible (needle type are probably more relevant).

2 to 3 x Semi-automatic pistols. Capacity is more important than stopping power, as long as  it handles head hunting sufficiently. Although going akimbo (bring a 4th pistol) might be useful against a zombie swarm, using your strong hand to fire until dry then swapping it to the weak, as you draw the next pistol with your strong hand is likely better. Few people can reload like Lara Croft and head shots tend to be more reliable in such dire straights, unless having a minigun would be the only thing capable of saving your bacon ;). Probably best if they all can share magazines as well as cartridges, for obvious reasons: reloading on the run and through a rare lull in targets is easier that way. Arguably the main limitation is weight. If dual wielding, make sure to use tracers so you leave a round chambered by reload time. The reason? Because if you’ve got to slap in two mags and rack two slides, you’re gonna be zombie chow.

1 x A primary weapon. An assault carbine or SMG is probably the best balance of accuracy/ammo. Shotguns are useful against swarms but limited in ammunition capacity, and the “Dream” weapon for zombie fighting doesn’t exist. Namely a double barrelled, semi-automatic shotgun fed from a bag of shells. Save the scatterguns for when there’s a well rounded group of people to fend off zombies with. Personally I would fancy an H&K MP5 or an old M2 carbine, both being much lighter all around than the CAR15/HK416 family and more than powerful enough, unless again it’s time to reach for a minigun. If not using swords, slinging an uzi or a sawed off shotgun across the back for backup, is a good idea.

+ Explosives and Water. Always useful in a pinch, and sometimes an incendiary would be useful. Exposed hand grenades would be unwise, or anything else that could be “armed” by a zombie yanking at it, or pulling/crushing. This makes something like dynamite more valuable, but has the downside of course being that you might be dead before it gets lit and blown. At least one canteen is useful, in case of being separated from other survivors or temporary stranded.
+ Steel tipped boots. ‘nough said.
You now weigh at least 15-20 lbs heavier without counting the ammunition, explosives, or water. The ability to take on a good 80+ zombies without stopping on the other hand, is worth it. Just be sure to get in shape before dooms day.
When you consider how unlikely it is that you’ll be able to find a hill top surrounded by motion-tracking minuguns and a mega load of ammo/power, let along reach it alive for one reason or another: it is a very good thing that need for such an “Arsenal” is only needed in Hollywood or video games! Besides, if such a thing could ever happen in the first place, you would probably be infected by a virus turning you zombie before you would have time to worry anyway 😛
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Nothing quite like McLintock! to make me laugh until it hurts, even on such a sour day. While arguably it twinges but troubles,  the one to the left and to the right, it’s just such a great western :-D. I do enjoy, a well crafted application of humour. Combine John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, and you have a good recipe on it’s own lol.

Angels & Demons

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Just got through watching Angels & Demons, basically filmed as a sequel to the The Da Vinci Code, which was actually the second book written. On the positive side, that means if you missed (or skipped) watching the code, you won’t have trouble following this film in the least.


It carries that rapid pace, oft’ times so difficult to achieve in writing, while creating a very thrilling mystery you just can’t help but watch. The ending is also one that (ofc) shakes the Vatican to its core, and as anyone whose ever watched some Star Trek is likely to recall, what happens when matter makes contact with antimatter is explosive stuff ^_^.




The only thing I can complain about, is that the film gives away the ending well in advance… if you are keen enough to be paying close attention in the first place. A bit of knowledge about psychology, as it impacts the kind of stuff we do over in SAS, also helps a sharp mind to combine inductive and deductive thinking, to narrow the possibilities down quite considerably. That being said, if you didn’t pay close attention, you might be shocked silly at the finale!




Hey, I’m a geek, my attention span has moments of hyper-focus on minute details all day long. Gotta love programming :-P.

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Got to enjoy one of my favourite films, Planes, Trains, & Automobiles.  In it’s own way, it’s an extremely well done film. Critically, what can anyone say, but it’s an awfully small world with a lot of ground to cross. Sense of humour required :-P.

Combine the tightest prick this side of Chicago with the worlds most annoying shower curtain salesman, and the inevitable twists of fate, and you’ve got the holiday trip home from hell. Much of the things that go wrong for Neal Page and Del Griffith, you could only choose to laugh at or cry about, if they ever happened to you, which they finally break down laughing on the “Highway”, once things finally go up in flames. It’s just something you’ve gotta sit through and watch to enjoy, while being thankful you’re not these two poor schleppen.

For how little it’s been on air over the past decade, I’ve been very happy to see it on often this past year. The movie also illustrate one of the few things, I actually like about English:

Car Rental Agent: [cheerfully] Welcome to Marathon, may I help you?

Neal: Yes. 

Car Rental Agent: How may I help you? 

Neal: You can start by wiping that fucking dumb-ass smile off your rosey, fucking, cheeks! Then you can give me a fucking automobile: a fucking Datsun, a fucking Toyota, a fucking Mustang, a fucking Buick! Four fucking wheels and a seat! 

Car Rental Agent: I really don’t care for the way you’re speaking to me. 

Neal: And I really don’t care for the way your company left me in the middle of fucking nowhere with fucking keys to a fucking car that isn’t fucking there. And I really didn’t care to fucking walk down a fucking highway and across a fucking runway to get back here to have you smile in my fucking face. I want a fucking car RIGHT FUCKING NOW!

Car Rental Agent: May I see your rental agreement? 

Neal: I threw it away. 

Car Rental Agent: Oh boy. 

Neal: Oh boy, what? 

Car Rental Agent: You’re fucked!

You can stream together arbitrary amounts of profanity, until you finally calm down lol.

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After catching the opening segment three or four times, I’ve finally gotten to watch a classic western. It has about as much to do with historical fact, as my big toe has with rocket propulsion, but never the less it’s a good portrayal.

In a cavern, in a canyon,
Excavating for a mine
Dwelt a miner forty niner,
And his daughter Clementine.

Oh my darling, Oh my darling,
Oh my darling, Clementine,
You are lost and gone forever,
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

Light she was and like a fairy,
And her shoes were number nine,
Herring boxes, without topses,
Sandals were for Clementine.

Drove she ducklings to the water
Ev’ry morning just at nine,
Stubbed her toe against a splinter,
Fell into the foaming brine.

Ruby lips above the water,
Blowing bubbles, soft and fine,
But, alas, I was no swimmer,
So I lost my Clementine.

In a corner of the churchyard,
Where the myrtle boughs entwine,
Grow the roses and the posies,
Fertilized by Clementine.

Then the miner, forty-niner,
Soon began to peak and pine,
Thought he oughter join his daughter,
Now he’s with his Clementine.

In my dreams she still doth haunt me,
Robed in garments soaked in brine;
How in life I used to hug her,
Now she’s dead, and I draw the line.

Like wise followed up with Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Crimson Tide.

Absolutely moving song

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Tonight while waiting for Funny Girl to start on TCM, I overheard a very moving song during the previous movies exit. After all my years, I can’t help but contrast it against the paths that I have crossed, relationships made both in my real life and in the virtual world. It’s rather like listening to a tender memory.





Mmm. Mmm.

Memories, light the corners of my mind

Misty watercolor memories of the way we were.

Scattered pictures of the smiles we left behind

smiles we give to one another

for the way we were.

Can it be that it was all so simple then

or has time rewritten every line?

If we had the chance to do it all again

tell me would we? Could we?

Memories, may be beautiful and yet

what’s too painful to remember

we simply choose to forget

So it’s the laughter we will remember

whenever we remember

the way we were.

In salute of old friends and comrades alike… cica 1996 – 2010.

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Things have finally settled a bit, this is perhaps the closest to a proper day off yet: played Raven Shield for a few hours on the [SAS] Proving Grounds, took a break for chores and followed that up with some Quake Live, then went back to the [SAS] Proving Grounds for a couple hours. Then a few rounds of Clan Arena in QL before dinner.

I don’t play much Clan Arena in Quake Live, because it is rarely my `style` in the public servers; maybe more formal matches might be better. CA games basically amount to a round based last team standing form of competition, where everyone starts out with a Mega Health, and virtually all standarded weapons, plus plenty of ammunition; the catch of course being, there are NO power ups, no health kits, no extra ammo. You best have rocket launcher skills as well ^_^. Managed to get in a few good team games, before ending up in a mixture of 2vs2 / 1vs2 games, giving great chance to practice weapons selection and application. I also learned of a spot on one of my training maps, where you can rocket jump over (or camp on top of) a wall. One cool feature of Clan Arena mode, is you can rocket jump freely without taking any damage; it lends itself to a very fast, furious, and high octane form of combat. Although, it often becomes a crazy melee.

For lighting things up a bit, Charles Dickens Great Expectations, and Wanted. The former redefines the expression (from the more modern vernacular), of “Gee, what a small world! While the latter, is a gritty but enjoyable action flick, with some very nice fight scenes—that kid is to fighting ability, what a Terminator is to durability.

A day behind schedule, but I’ve also taken the time to burn a SMGL disk, that I’ll likely setup on my desktop, and experiment with porting code to x86_64, as well as playing Quake Live under Linux. Sourcemage is a GNU/Linux distro, that I actually found when Googling for some git operation lead me to their wiki; it also looks like a distro on par with my tastes. I was smiling the other night, when I read a section header in the install docs, about knowing thy `compiler`, until I realized it said `computer`, and my glasses really needed a cleaning lol.

Wew it’s been a jumpin’ hopin’ day!

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I was up all night fiddling with Code::Blocks and Stargella, plus work this morning, and ideas for an interesting project. However it’s a project that would call for C++, and I hate C++, lol. I like C, but hate C++… funny. On the upside, I’ve finally gotten Stargella builds sorted out, and I’m tempted some what to hunt down and eliminate ‘itches’ here and there, but I’m not sure whether or not patches would be welcomed for some things that seem to be, to be good ideas. They’ve accrued a fair number of open patches and bug reports, so I don’t think it’s a highly active project. The code base is only about sixty some thousand lines, not to big for all it does.

Sigh, nothing but work on the horizon o/. At least there’s something on TV tonight that I haven’t seen before, the original Night of the Living Dead. Geeze, what is it with all the zombie flicks lately? Compared to what I’ve seen of the remake (beginning / last half), it certainly has a more spirited beginning, bah I need some pop corn lol. I’ve no idea ottomh what they filmed it in, but it does give an interesting feel to the movie, different then most contemporary films of the era.

Marley & Me

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Tonight I was watching a movie called Marley & Me. The films an excellent glimpse into what life can be like, for anyone who hasn’t bee living with their head so far up their arse to notice 8=) It’s about a couple of newly weds, who trade the winter for a warmer location in Ft. Lauderdale, south Florida. In order to stave off his wife’s plans for a family for a few years, journalist John Grogan springs an early birthday present on his wife Jenny: they adapt a yellow Labrador Retriever, the clearance puppy. While successful in his intentions, Johns plan backfires when young Marley proves to be one of the worlds most hyper destructive dogs, yet too much of a lovable lug to just get rid of anytime soon. The movie charts a course that I would call “A slice of paradise” with all of it’s pitfalls to go along with it. Marley & Me follows the lives of the Grogan family, and dear but incorrigible Marley, If you love dogs, you’ll love Marley, if the exact opposite is true, well you’ll be relieved not to be in such deep doggy waters >_>. I love animals, always have and likely always will; having dogs, I can also be sympathetic to the whole ruckus caused by Marley. Hmm, for some reason I can’t help but remember a dog named Milo, that I used to help look after years ago as part of this business; he too failed obedience school (horribly lol).

For me, I would say it is fair to say that I feel a bit of a personal connection with this film. Fort Lauderdale is the city that I grew up in as a child, so Broward county is a name I’d know anywhere, and the news paper in South Florida, is also one that my parents used to deliver for… it’s a small world, isn’t it? Even closer to home then that, their first sons name, Patrick was also the name of one of my elder brothers: most people that know me fairly well, also know that I have an older brother but there’s more to my families history then that. In short, my brothers Reese and Patrick were twins, but only Reese survived. My father also had a son, long before I was born, but Jeffery never quite made it into this world :'(. Whatever the afterlife holds, one thing that I have always hoped, is that someday I’ll see us all together in heaven.

As everything must someday, life on earth eventually comes to an end, and Marley is no exception to that rule. Years role on, and take their toll: Marley grows old, as we all will some day. The ending is very sad, but I would have to say that he had a very good life, and it was one full of much chewing too ;). I think that perhaps, this line from the film sums up best what it’s like to have someone like that in your life:

John Grogan:

A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn’t care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart and he’ll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?

If anyone can watch Marley & Me, and take the ending without drawing a tear along the way: I truly feel sorry for any animals in that persons care.

We all have people in our lives, animals as well, that are such an integral part of our life, of every thing that makes it worth living. You can’t hope for more then that.