What is, and what is.

Quoted for truth

Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:18:23 GMT

"Heavenly Father,

"Help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night is a single mother who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with her children.

"Help us to remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly is a worried 19-year-old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester.

"Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job!) is a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.

"Help us to remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress are savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report she got back last week, this will be the last year that they go shopping together.

"Heavenly Father, remind us each day that, of all the gifts you give us, the greatest gift is love. It is not enough to share that love with those we hold dear. Open our hearts not to just those who are close to us, but to all humanity. Let us be slow to judge and quick to forgive, show patience, empathy and love."

-- Author Unknown

Surprising....

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:24:53 GMT

70% John McCain
65% Mike Huckabee
62% Mitt Romney
62% Fred Thompson
60% Rudy Giuliani
60% Bill Richardson
59% Hillary Clinton
58% Tom Tancredo
58% John Edwards
55% Joe Biden
55% Barack Obama
54% Chris Dodd
39% Ron Paul
37% Mike Gravel
32% Dennis Kucinich

2008 Presidential Candidate Matching Quiz

Experience with CCHS

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 12:59:29 GMT

CCHS is Cross Country Home Services. For a relatively small monthly fee, they guarantee to replace / repair all major appliances in your home, including your air conditioning and heating. Sounds like a scam, don't it?

That's what I thought, but I have a policy through them anyway. Turns out that it's the real deal. Our water heater died right before Christmas. I called CCHS, and they opened up a claim for me, no muss, no fuss. Had the heater replaced two days later (due to the holidays - CCHS doesn't pay for overtime unless it's an emergency).

Total out of pocket: $50.00 co-pay, plus $40.00 for them to haul away the old heater. Considering that the heater would've cost $500.00 to replace, not counting labor charges for installation, I'm extremely pleased.

As a side benefit, we found a nest of carpenter ants under the old heater, and took care of that too.

Attend the tale of Sweeney Todd...

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 20:25:52 GMT

Most folks who know me know that I'm more than passing familiar with the story of Sweeney Todd, from the original folk song through the Broadway musical. So it should come as no surprise that I've seen this latest version of the tale: the movie starring Johnny Depp et al.

This is absolutely not a film for children, nor the faint of heart. It's extremely violent and shows vengeance taken to extremes, along with other depravities. In fact, my major objection to the film is that it emphasizes the gore and violence out of proportion. I'm reminded of the similarly over-done "Total Recall" and "Passion of the Christ". Violence is part of the story, true, but no need to paint the camera lens red with fake blood.

I don't care for Depp as an actor. Something about him, something I can't put words to, makes my hackles rise. This colors every film of his that I've seen, from Edward Scissorhands to Sweeney Todd. There are half a dozen other actors who would've played the role better, in my not-so-humble. Other than the lead, I have no quarrel with the rest of the casting. Alan Rickman is wonderful as the wicked Judge Turpin, and Timothy Spall as Beadle Bamford is suitably sly and obsequious. Helena Bonham Carter does justice to Mrs. Lovett, though in my mind, that role will always belong to Angela Lansbury.

Sidebar: I've read several other reviews of the show, and am somewhat dismayed to see that the reviewers completely missed the fact that Sweeney was an escaped felon. Most refer to him as having been released after fifteen years.

Adapting a musical into a movie is difficult to do well. In Sweeney Todd, it could've been done much better. I would've preferred to see the film run for ten more minutes and get more of the songs in. In particular, cutting part of "A Little Priest" was a real crime. Likewise for the opening number / finale.

So - I'm not sorry I saw it, but I was disappointed in it.

The week from hell....

Sat, 22 Dec 2007 04:16:51 GMT

I left my old job to get away from extended hours...

This past week, I have been in the office at 7:30am, and not out before 10pm. Until today. I managed to leave at about 6pm.

Bleah.

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 12:48:21 GMT

IJ reminds me very much of LJ before they went - for lack of a better phrase - gadget-happy. It's obviously built on the same engine. I bought a permanent account yesterday, and will be migrating over here as soon as I get anything important backed up from my LJ.

Oddness this morning

Tue, 11 Dec 2007 12:52:03 GMT

This morning was one of those "autopilot" mornings where I don't think I really woke up until I got to work. Usually when I autopilot, I wake up before I get the car started. Today I find myself at my desk wondering just how I got here, and did I forget anything important... I have a snippet from a friend's filk running through my head... "Are my couch and my curtains destroyed, and is the carpet defiled?"

And that question will be answered when I get home tonight.