The girl with the most

A couple weekends ago we watched (or read, since they were in Swedish and subtitled in English) two of the "Girl Who" movies. I inadvertently picked up one and three, so we missed the second one. Last fall I'd read the first Stieg Larsson book, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (or in Swedish, "Men Who Hate Women") and found myself for the first time in my life NOT wishing to grab the next flight to Sweden. Wow, that was a lot of violence and cringe-worthiness. The movie, though more visual, seemed less violent to me. Perhaps because it was shorter and less internal. Meaning, I wasn't always aware of the mental and emotional pain and suffering the book showed.

Found the movies very well produced and acted. My only couple gripes are personal. Knowing some Swedish, I find myself annoyed when the subtitle translation isn't exact. And I see no need for Hollywood to re-do this, as they did, with British (James Bond?) or American actors. The dvd's had dubbing available if one didn't want to read the subtitles. I'll give their version a miss.

Advantage World

Last month, at the recommendation of my friend Dan, we watched Scott Pilgrim vs. the World & loved it. B said it was the most creative film he'd seen all year or more. When they did the shout out to Pizza Pizza, I was like "so cool!" B says, "I thought you were making that up." (I still sing the jingle around the house sometimes. And it goes like this: "967-1111, phone Pizza Pizza hey hey hey.") The girl whose expletives were black boxed over was hysterical. Some quotes I really liked:

Envy : You just headbutted my boyfriend so hard he burst.
Gideon : You made me swallow my gum! That's going to be in my digestive tract for seven years!
Matthew : Didn't you get my email explaining the situation?
Young Neil: He punched the highlights out of her hair!
Crash: This song is called "I Am So Sad. I Am So Very Very Sad."
Crash: Ok this next song goes out to the guy who keeps yelling from the balcony. It's called "We Hate You, Please Die."

Smitten much?

If you enter your annual salary into the nifty Romney Income Calculator, it will figure out how long it took Mitt (in 2010) to make that amount. In my 10 hours 26 minutes and 1 seconds, he probably didn't even break a sweat.

I'll be right here when you come back

Having worked the front desk at a public library, I know you can find some interesting things left behind in books. For a while I saved bookmarks that I found and liked. Bookseller Michael Popek has been saving many things he's found and has compiled over 150 of them in his new book Forgotten Bookmarks. Tickets, receipts, love notes, flowers, drawings, grocery lists, postcards, recipes, even money. One of his rarest finds is a 1904 costume ball invitation. File under: wish I'd thought of this book idea, but I didn't so I'm giving this guy credit.

Do we need 'em: Pig speakers

If you have about 50 dollars hanging around & would like to plug your mp3 player or ipod into a pig's behind, you're in luck!

What, no cat model??

Please Mr Postman

When we got home from work last Friday, B says to me: "Stamps are going up to 61 cents!"
I said: "What?! They are not! They're 44 now. The post office is not going to raise them almost 20 cents."
B: "Yes they are! I saw it on the news."
Me: "Were you watching Canadian news?"
B: ....

Out on the wiley windy moors

Move: The Trip. When his girlfriend backs out of accompanying him on an assignment to tour Northern England's restaurants, actor Steve Coogan asks his fellow actor/friend Rob Brydon along. The gorgeous & breathtaking scenery made me want to start planning a vacation to Great Britain. The actors holding dueling impressions made tears start rolling down my cheeks. Their Sean Connery's reminded me of my nephews at Thanksgiving. I'm still not sure who had the better Michael Caine. Appreciated the "Wuthering Heights" nod and their trying to do Swedish accents without slipping into the Muppet chef. Fun ride.

I see that hand

Schools in a Florida county, a healthcare system in the Carolinas, a bank in Japan: they're all using a digital wallet. Instead of paying with cash or credit card, when you buy a lunch or pay a bill, the veins in your palm are scanned by near infrared light and your transation is completed electronically.

The 3D configuration of hand veins has proven more unique than fingerprints and faces. It's easy, quick and offers less chance of error and fraud. So why do I think of a Red Dward episode where they had to chop off someone's hand to use as ID verification in order to open a door? And, put down that carpenter's tool belt, Harrison. They may need you in yet another Fugitive remake.

Address unknown

Yesterday at break while reading Time magazine, I saw a blurb about the US Post Office putting zip codes into place in 1963. When I mentioned it to Carolyn, she asked what they did before that. I tried to kick-start the old brain, because I knew that there was a song which mentioned the previous system. All that came to mind was "Please Mr. Postman" but I knew that wasn't it. So, I was forced to Google and learned that for 20 years pre-63, the PO used zones (usually one or two digit numbers.) And then the light bulb lit. In the Elvis song "Return to Sender" he sings:


Return to sender, address unknown.
No such number, no such zone.

Up in the sky

Although the weather is near blizzarding, Wolfram Alpha says there are airplanes flying above me as I type. They are:

United Airlines from New York to Chicago.
Jet Blue from Buffalo to Ft. Myers, FL.
Jet Blue from New York to Vegas.
Atlantic Southeast from Connecticut to Detroit.
Delta from Newark to Salt Lake City.

To check who's above you, just ask Wolfram Alpha : "What flights are overhead?" In a Big Brother way, it knows.

Separated at birth?

Kim Jong Il and Andrew Garcia ??

Career via color

Dewey Color System Career Path gives an easy test where you chose the color that you like the best and/or least. After a series of those, it will calculate what your careers most suit your preferences. As they say, "The Dewey Color System® is now the world's most accurate career testing instrument."

Here's how mine turned out:

Best Occupational Category
You're a CREATOR: Nonconforming, Impulsive, Expressive, Romantic, Intuitive, Sensitive, and Emotional

These original types place a high value on aesthetic qualities and have a great need for self-expression. They enjoy working independently, being creative, using their imagination, and constantly learning something new. Fields of interest are art, drama, music, and writing or places where they can express, assemble, or implement creative ideas.

Suggested careers: Advertising Executive, Architect, Web Designer, Creative Director, Public Relations, Fine or Commercial Artist, Interior Decorator, Lawyer, Librarian, Musician, Reporter, Art Teacher, Broadcaster, Technical Writer, English Teacher, Architect, Photographer, Medical Illustrator, Corporate Trainer, Author, Editor, Landscape Architect, Exhibit Builder, and Package Designer.

Consider workplaces where you can create and improve beauty and aesthetic qualities. Unstructured, flexible organizations that allow self-expression work best with your free-spirited nature. Suggested Creator workplaces: advertising, public relations, and interior decorating firms; artistic studios, theaters and concert halls; institutions that teach crafts, universities, music, and dance schools. Other workplaces to consider are art institutes, museums, libraries, and galleries.

Do we EVER need 'em!

When your workplace is being renovated and they can't have any heat on in the entire building and winter is on the way, I'd say TPTB/TIIC ought to spring for Slankets for the staff. With high heating bills and needing to keep the thermostat low, I wouldn't mind having one at my house either!

Do we need 'em? : Bumpits

Are hairstyles going back to 1962? If they are and you need some height, there's something called Bumpits to help you out.

Separated at birth?

John Lennon and Jet's lead singer Nic Cester?

24 : 4 a.m. - 5 a.m.

24. 7.21. Tony and his woman frame Jibran by putting terrorist type information on his computer. If he doesn’t film a statement, they will kill his brother Hamid. The police respond to this domestic disturbance but Jibran tells them there is no trouble. Some friends were drinking and got to arguing. Aw, c’mon, wink wink, at least. Jack orders every Muslim in the area investigated. It’s not racial profiling. Hodges said he was going to blame them. Chloe learns that Jack is infected with the prion variant. Olivia and Martin scheme to take care of Hodges who will leave for his new life in thirty minutes. Some account of Jibran’s clues the gang in on his expired visa. Rene and Jack visit Mr Gohar’s temple, where Jibran worships. Gohar doesn’t know where Jibran is, but he’s certain he’s not a terrorist.

Janis picks up on the earlier domestic disturbance call at Jibran’s. Jack and Renee take Gohar with. Martin calls his hit man. Olivia is to transfer funds and then he’ll proceed. She decides she can’t go through with it and leaves a message that she’s walking away. Chloe finds money in Jibran’s accounts were deposited thirty minutes ago but back dated. He’s innocent. Hodges doesn’t intend to be Mr Tippett forever, he ironically says just before he and his car blow up. Mrs President is informed that it must be an inside job. Jack and Renee find an armed hostile holding Hamid. They storm the place. Hamid attacks his attacker. Not the wisest move, since they need him to say who’s responsible. Jack calls for a medic. Best line: The rabbi’s: “It’s never too late to turn towards God.”

24 : 3 a.m. - 4 a.m.

24. 7.20. Jack informs Renee that Tony was the second man and is to be approached with extreme caution. Jack feels to blame for trusting him. Tony shoots his way outside the perimeter. Have the perimeters ever done any good on this show? Galvez wants money for the canister. Tony’s already wired it but the canister isn’t in the bag and Galvez pulls a gun on Tony who warns him “you don’t wanna do this.” I guess not. Jonas pulls through. They figure out his suicide attempt was coerced by the woman impersonating his lawyer who must be part of the larger group he mentioned. If they convince Jonas that the people who wanted him dead succeeded, that will protect his family. Mrs President can make him disappear to a hundred acre ranch in Colorado.

Tony and mystery woman discuss their next move. He thinks they should finish off the enemy while he’s down. But it isn’t their decision to make. The Evil Group holds a phone conference. Everyone received a data pack. The evidence trail will finger an innocent. Olivia isn’t happy with Jonas’s witness protection plan. Jack questions him but all he can reveal is he worked with like minds. People who can protect the country and show that the government can’t. He doesn’t know names. The project was based on anonymity and held together by one woman. Seems to involve private military firms, did they say?

Jack wants access to CTU servers and needs someone who knows the protocols. He phones Chloe to reconstitute the servers. She tells Morris to take their son and leave the city. Olivia can’t live with her mother’s decision. After venting to Aaron about killing Jonas, she calls a man named Martin who once mentioned there was no problem that couldn’t be handled or eliminated. Janis objects that Jack is violating the Bill of Rights among other things. Wow, she becomes more annoying every episode. Jack wants her to go whine somewhere else. In his rant, he calls the president Palmer. Chloe’s concerned about his confusion. Two brothers find the lights in their apartment go out and they receive a visit from Tony. Most poignant line: Aaron’s “I have seen the guilty walk free many times.”

24 : 2 a.m. - 3 a.m.

24. 7.19. Jonas requests his attorney, Miss Eames. As she’s getting ready to leave, she’s maced and injected with something that can’t be good. Her identity is stolen by a look alike. The suspect, Galvez, is in a storage yard in the projects. Tony tells him to stay put and wait for his call. Tony shoots himself to look like Galvez did it. Previously unbeknownst to us, Tony talked Galvez into working and stealing the canister for him. During debriefing, Jack hears Larry’s dead. He decides to help Renee. Tony tells Galvez to draw the FBI into the building and blow them up with the C4 he gave him. The fake Eames meets with Jonas. She guarantees his family’s safety if he does the right thing (have a natural dignified death) and slips him a pill that will induce cardiac arrest.

Kim didn’t have the heart to tell Jack he has a granddaughter named Teri. Jack notices both 9 millimeter and spent 45 casings at Larry’s death site. That many weapons doesn’t add up, so someone must have helped Galvez. While being delivered to the FBI, Jonas gulps the pill and is taken to the hospital instead. Jack’s notified of a discrepancy in his debriefing. Tony’s source, Cardiff, who supposedly died during Tony’s investigation, was arrested just now while going to Canada.

I think I fell asleep here and missed something. When the building blows up, Jack notices someone’s transponder wasn’t in it, so he wants the perimeter kept. Jack finds Renee. They concur that the sweep patterns were known. Jack pulls a gun on Tony. He’d told him earlier if he was lying, he’d kill him. Now he demands an explanation. Tony says he cut a deal with Cardiff. It was a meaningless lie. To Jack, there is no such thing. What is Tony’s involvement? Tony thinks Jack’s toxin is affecting his judgment and he’s paranoid. Jack suffers an untimely seizure so Tony can take his gun. Galvez kills a medic and commandeers his vehicle.

Citizens of hope and glory

Some of Karl’s quotes from Ricky Gervais’ Guide to the English.

• Being old isn’t great, is it?
• I suppose I was happiest in 1984.
• I could frown before I could walk.
• Me eyes moved about more than I did.
• Me Mum tried to send me to nursery. I said, no, I’m not having this.
• I was a late comer to pasta… There isn’t really anything like that in England.
• There was a fellow called Shorts Man.
• I’m being bombarded by everyone else’s hassle.
• It’s like grabbing a slug… Have you ever tried to grab a tongue?

24 : 1 a.m. - 2 a.m.

24. 7.18. Mrs President pulls out Tony and Company. Starkwood has surface to surface missiles in an underground depot next to the bioweapon storage. Who doesn’t? Tony has C4 on him. Again, who doesn’t? Jack demands Mrs President tell him the truth. Jonas wants a face to face meeting and she plans to make him realize the futility of his actions. Oh so naïve. Mrs President tells Jack she expects him to do what he thinks is right. He takes it as a cue for him and Renee to go covert. Jonas claims he didn’t know what Juma was up to and Starkwood should be allowed to protect the country. He wants to have level 6 access to classified material. Mrs President refuses to debate since he’s threatening to kill thousands.

The gang at Starkwood discover a government breech which is their cue to start the launch sequence. Tony fights with some guy which results in the bioweapon facility being destroyed. The presidential meeting is interrupted with the news. Mrs P wants Jonas and flunky Greg taken into custody. He warns her that it doesn’t end with him. Jack asks to have Tony cleared. Renee brings in Kim since she might have compatible stem cells. Jack’s furious but Renee explains Kim was at the Senate hearing in the morning and has been trying to see him all day. Kim regrets pushing him away but Jack believes the treatment’s small risk to her is too great. Aw. The Starkwood dude who was so keen on the launch has a canister of the bioweapon. He overpowers an FBI agent and flees. At a roadblock on Highway 42, Larry is hit. Tony, apologizing as he does so, finishes him off.