dragonheart
I scratched off another movie off my list I've been meaning to buy for a while, Dragonheart. This is one of the very few movies I know of that is 100% flawless. There are absolutely no mistakes in this film and to be honest I'm surprised it's not better known.
Normally when it comes to fantasy films there's always some glaring error (or two or ten) when watching it. Not so with this one. The story works. The effects are spot-on. The soundtrack perfectly matches the scenes. There are no mismatched edits. Heck, even the color is right throughout.
Even if you specifically looked up goofs for this film you still wouldn't see them in the movie. (And by the way the goofs for this movie is very, very short compared to other films.)
Why do I like this movie so much?
The purpose of a fantasy flick is to get immersed in the fantasy and believe the story being told is real. As far as Dragonheart goes, it nails it. The movie is simply done right. The pace is right on, you can follow it easily and well, you get the idea.
My only fear is that there is a 2nd movie included on the disc, Dragonheart: A New Beginning. I am duly convinced this flick sucks and I haven't even watched it yet. While considered a "worthy sequel", I still don't know if I want to watch it or not.. it may ruin the win that is Dragonheart.
For example, I've seen the original The Matrix movie but haven't seen the sequel or the movie after that - on purpose. I've heard from many that the sequels are absolutely eff'ing terrible; I absolutely do not want to ruin the awesomeness that is the original Matrix. So I haven't watched any of the others and never will.
Maybe the 2nd flick won't be so bad. I dunno. Then again it might. I guess it depends how brave I feel.
the best pens in the known universe
The Lord spake, and said "Let there be Bic Ultra Round Stic Grip pens featuring Easy Glide", and it was good.
The people rejoiced in knowing you could go to Walgreen's on a Saturday afternoon and buy them quickly instead of waiting 30 MINUTES IN LINE AT WAL-MART FOR THE SAME EFF'ING THING.
Ensoniq SQ-1 Plus, Deep Purple style
I broke out the ol' Ensoniq SQ-1 Plus and ripped it up a bit Deep Purple style, a.k.a. Jon Lord. The SQ-1+ in particular has one of the most spot-on Hammond sounds you can get - no question. There's something about the way it does it that just sounds right.
See the video here: Ensoniq SQ-1 Plus Deep Purple Style
washer and dryer acquired
I purchased a used washer/dryer set. On a recommendation I went to Chester's Discount Appliances. This is a local place in Tampa Florida and is as old-school as you can get as far as a shop is concerned. There is no showroom and no people in company uniforms. None o' that. Just a big purple (yes purple) warehouse with rows and rows of used appliances.
I purchased a Whirlpool W/D set for $239. The price included tax, delivery and setup; it was delivered less than an hour after purchase.
After performing a test wash, the only thing wrong with the washer is that the final spin won't come on unless I click the button off then on again. Is this a big deal? Not really. I know how to get around it and am still able to get the laundry done. I'll call Chester's up on Tuesday to see if there's anything they can do about it. They guarantee all products sold for 30 days so hopefully this is something relatively easy to fix. And if not I'll just deal with it.
Having my own W/D set is a big deal for the following reasons:
- I don't have to leave my apartment to do laundry.
- I can do laundry whenever it's convenient for me.
- I don't have to iron (when you hang clothes straight out the dryer, that's a beautiful thing.)
- My clothes will last longer because I'm able to wash them the right way.
- I don't have to rely on friends or family just to have clean clothes.
Rock on. :-)
68 fucking dollars
Yesterday I stopped in a local fuel station near my father's house.
The price was $3.95 a gallon.
Had I fueled up in Tampa (75 miles south,) the price is $3.83.
But being that I was up there and I needed gas I had to fill up where I was.
I ended up spending $68.72 - and that hurt.
I normally visit Pop once a week, but after having a long conversation with him about it I'm going to have to only visit once a month. With the prices as they are - and rising - I simply can't visit weekly anymore.
That's very sad, but what ya gonna do.
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A news story on the telly said that "experts" say the price of fuel will go to six dollars a gallon within a year from now.
To put this in perspective, here's how the cards lay down for me.
I have an '05 GMC Canyon SLE 4x4 extended cab truck. It has the 4-cylinder motor in it. With the bed empty and a really light foot it easily gets 25 to 27mpg on the highway. If I'm heavy with the foot it goes down to 21 to 24mpg.
Full-size trucks on their best day get 20mpg tops and the average is well below that mark (usually around 15 to 17.) Almost all full-size SUVs are well below the 20mpg mark as well.
My tank holds 19 gallons and I never run the tank dry. In the most extreme situation I will fill up when there's about 2 gallons left, so that's a 17-gallon fill-up.
If the price of gas was $6.00 per gallon, it would cost me $102 to fill the tank.
That is NUTS to think about. A hundred bucks just to fill the tank? WITH REGULAR?
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Here's a small indicator of how I know most people are screwed when it comes to driving and gas prices.
The 6-dollar-a-gallon news story got my attention, so when I was driving home on I-75 from Pop's back to Tampa I practiced something I used to do years ago; set the cruise control to 60mph.
The speed limit on I-75 Florida is 70mph.
I didn't pass a single car. Everyone - and I mean everyone - was whizzing past me. Cars, trucks, semis, you name it, it passed me.
All I could think about was the wasted cash these people were spending. Every single driver was whizzing money away by driving fast.
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I started the 60mph "trick" years ago when fuel was at $1.75 a gallon in Connecticut (oh how time flies, eh?) I didn't do it to save money but rather as a means of convenience. The car I was driving at the time had a particularly small fuel tank (about 12 gallons.) If I gunned it to and from work it was a guarantee that I'd have to fill up before the work week was over, then top the tank off again on Sunday just to get my routine back in order.
What I noticed by driving 60mph (the speed limit was 65mph) is that not only did I have to fill up once a week instead of twice, but I was saving a lot of cash.
The second thing I noticed is how many people stupidly blaze along the highway because they wanted to get an extra 5 minutes of sleep and now have to speed because they're late for work.
Here in Florida I do an additional "trick" that ticks off dumb drivers something fierce. The most fuel you expend is when you start from a stop. If you feather-pedal it on takeoff you use much less fuel. The drawback is that you start moving re-e-e-eally slowly.
Dumb drivers instantly get a bug up their ass about this and tailgate me so closely that I cannot see their headlights in my rear view mirror or my side mirrors.
Smart drivers know exactly what I'm doing. They see I'm not some old codger behind the wheel and know I'm taking off slow to save a buck. Soon enough they follow suit, most likely thinking Hey, that's not a bad idea. When each traffic light turns from red to green, do they pass me? Nope. They'll stay behind and enjoy the savings. I don't get the blare of a car horn behind me, nor do I see waving fists of fury from impatience. Instead I see a calm patient driver that understands that GAS IS EXPENSIVE SO SLOW DOWN.