Sunday, January 16, 2005

Just popping my head up once again to prove that The League still has a pulse.

This week has been a rough one. I'm not quite done and from Monday to today, will have logged somewhere over 110 hours at the office this week. I am feeling sort of tired.

I more or less completely missed a visit by Mrs. League's folks, and am only now beginning to remember what the light of day looks like.

One of the oddest parts of what I'm up to is that, if all goes well, there won't be much to show for my work. A few pieces of hardware will be added in, but the idea is to make as seamless an environment at possible for the faculty and students using the classrooms we've been outfitting. They SHOULDN'T see the miles of wire laid, the thousands of connections, nor the place in the wall where I stood banging my head for two hours when my DVRs STILL didn't show up.

I'm not feeling terribly confident that I'll still be employed this time next month, but, hey, at least we sort of finished. Now I'm off to do the work which I SHOULD have normally been doing over the past two weeks, and try and get it done before Tuesday when classes begin.

Thursday, January 13, 2005

Apocalypse Watch!

Hey, it's yet another sign of the apocalypse!


Now if the beast would just crawl forth from the sea...

Tuesday, January 11, 2005

btw, I did rip off the tsunami relief link from Maxwell. Consider buying a few less MP3s and see if you can't help some folks out.

Take a look at the shiny box on the left side-bar.
Hi.

Just popping in.

Lately I've been watching a lot of Suns basketball. I've given up on the idea that they will suddenly start showing Spurs games on Phoenix TV.

Lucky for me, it turns out the Phoenix Suns are having a banner year. They've got a great team put together and the best record in the Western Conference. I'm becoming a big fan of Amare and the gang. Tonight the Suns beat the highly ranked Miami Heat by 15 points.

In Austin I was able to catch Spurs games on a channel called Fox Sports Southwest. Here in Phoenix I watch the Suns on Fox Sports Network. Not a bad channel, I might add. But here's the deal...

One of the announcers has decided he needs a catch phrase. And his catch phrase of choice? "Holla!" Right. Like, "Holler!" only he's saying "Hallah!" And awkwardly, too.

I am familiar with the phrase "Holla" (thanks to Laura D.), but it's not a phrase a I use. I am still stuck "Jinkies!" and "Groovy."

Anyhoo, this commentator will be cruising along in his usual sports announcer baritone, you know: And the Spurs beat the Heat by 15. And then he decides to interject his new phrase. Sort of, just tacking it on at the end. And all I can say is "Holla!"

I don't know. it sort of leaves me feeling sort of hollow and embarassed for the guy.

or: Quentin scores again, and the audience says "Holla!"

It's making me very uncomfortable for some reason.

Monday, January 10, 2005

And jusy FYI:

It sounds like Kevin Spacey is playing Lex Luthor in the upcoming Superman film. I'd love to know what the script is like, and if this is Hackman Lex (not really one from the comics), seemingly benevolent (but secretly evil) tycoon Lex, crazy green armor Lex, gray prison suit scientific mastermind Lex, or funky pink and green power-suit Lex.

Man, so many options. And even more confusing... will Lex have hair? Both Hackman and John Shea had hair as Lex... but Spacey seems like the kind of cat who wouldn't have any trouble shaving his head for a good role.

Personally, I'd love to see the green power armor, but that's just me.

And they've cast Lois. No idea who this Kate Bosworth person is, but she's Lois, I guess.

I'll be honest, I was hoping for older casting for Superman and Lois, but I assume the story will carry it all off fine.

When I hear their casting for Mxyzptlk, I'll start getting really excited.

Sunday, January 09, 2005

So, it's most likely to be a slow week here at The League. Back at the employer, I am working on a critically fucked project that is spinning more and more wildly out of control. This means I am expecting to be pre-occupied and a bit busy.

I am happily passing off the keys to my co-contributor until it becomes less likely I am going to be fired.

Here's the moral of the lesson: When you are asked to manage a project in a way which you know is absolutely incorrect and wrong, put up more of a fight. More than a year later, you're going to be looking abject failure in the face and watching any career or professional reputation you ever had melt away before your eyes.

Thursday, January 06, 2005

Natalie Portman in V for Vendetta

It's been a while since I read V, but it really is one of comic scribe Alan Moore's most interesting comics.

Past Alan Moore adaptations have mostly missed the boat as to why the comics worked. From Hell managed to go from being a colossal character driven conspiracy and period-piece to a workmanlike serial killer "whodunit". And try as I might, I can't get past the awfulness of League of Extraordinary Gentlemen as a movie. My dislike of the movie goes well beyond the distaste of the adaptation. I just think it's a bad movie.

While I think the timing would have been better two years ago for a V for Vendetta movie, it's really never too late. And while I am a bit confused why they aren't going for an all brit cast for the movie, I think the Wachowski brothers will probably be willing to put the necessary time and effort into the script and process in order to create a decent adaptation. The problem will be when the studio realizes they're making a movie supporting anarchy.

And how to cast a character who never, ever shows his/her face? I dunno.

Anyway, if all goes well, we'll all be blowing up Parliament in 2006.