yet another redesign
After examining my previous design I came to one inescapable conclusion:
It was a mess.
This is to say it was very disorganized. Things just weren't in their proper place. So I made it a point to design the site - again - and make it as stupidly easy as possible to get around the place.
This is what you see now. It's not done just yet (it will take a few days to iron out all the kinks and whatnot, mostly with CSS crapola) but it's online and working with all it's "roundy" corners and everything.
Wee-ha. :-)
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One more thing:
For the nerdy-types out there interested in how I did my HTML for this, yes, I used HTML and yes I used tables with CSS. I absolutely positively CANNOT get a CSS table-less layout to "play nice" between Firefox and MSIE 7. No way, no how. Not for what I want to do anyway. It takes three times the effort for the same result, so.. why bother? So I don't. I use tables. Whatever.
quick rip on the alesis fusion 6hd
I made this lil' video using the Alesis Fusion to show that yes, I'm still playing.. still doing it.. not to worry. :-)
Video: Alesis Fusion 6HD Quick Rip
jumble
Upon recent inspection of my blog I'm not all too happy with how the information is presented. Things seem to be sorta/kinda slapped together in a jumble.
What I'm going to do (soon) is re-org this thing in a way where stuff is much easier to get to. Easy is good.
Short post, but yeah it's time for another redesign. :-)
lol kills my inner child
I hate LOL. I hate everything about it. It's a stupid "word" used by stupid people. If you use LOL, you're an idiot.
Believe it or not LOL didn't always bother me, but I can tell you when it did. When people started using it as a word, that's when I knew it had gone too far. People started typing it out as if it were being pronounced like lawl. This is literally a made-up word made from another made-up word. How ass-backwards can you get?
Fact about LOL users: Every single person I've ever met in real life that has used LOL in internet chat prior cannot communicate properly. They stumble over their own words and can't form coherent sentences. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not.
You know how I said you were an idiot if you use LOL? I really do mean that. It's a sign of stupidity. You are literally saying "I'm stupid" whenever you type LOL.
How far we've gone down the LOL shit train, part 1
LOL has gotten so bad that some think by "stretching" the made-up word of a made-up word it makes it state "I'm laughing more".
Confused?
I'll explain.
If a moron wants to say he's really laughing (more than usual) he won't type LOL but rather LOOOOOOOLLLLL or LOLOL.
At that point you have a made-up word (LOLOL or any lengthened variation thereof) of a made-up word (the pronounced LOL) of a made-up word (LOL). Three time's a charm!
Can you see now how absolutely stupid this is?
In order to actually understand LOLOL, you have to know the word came from two previous variations and that these are words that literally do not exist in the English language.
How far we've gone down the LOL shit train, part 2
Intelligent users hate LOL so much that they actually make fun of the idiots who use it by speaking in what's called "a dramatic reading".
It is genius.
Example
Stupid LOL user: did u see tha nu movee lst nyt?
Dramatic Reader: Why yes, sir, I most certainly did! Jolly good show it was! Say, dear chum, would you terribly mind not speaking in such poor unintelligible English?
Stupid LOL user: lol
Dramatic Reader: Sir, if your intelligence would allow, please refrain from that ghastly language. It makes you appear to be an imbecile of biblical proportions!
Stupid LOL user: [user has logged out]
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The LOL user literally has no idea what you're saying, gets confused and usually logs out and/or blocks you.
Good riddance.
How far we've gone down the LOL shit train, part 3
LOL has gotten so bad that it has literally lost all its original meaning. Using it makes you look very stupid.
Proof of this is in Urban Dictionary's definition:
...it is overused to the point where nobody laughs out loud when they say it. In fact, they probably don't even give a crap about what you just wrote. More accurately, the acronym "lol" should be redefined as "Lack of laughter."
If I ever type LOL to you, I'm calling you an idiot - on purpose
As a testament to how bad LOL is, I've literally dropped that "word" on people even though they know I don't use it - and they actually believe I'm laughing.
Yeah, maybe I am - at them.
The Black Hole
A movie I've been meaning to get for a while is the The Black Hole. When I went to f.y.e. in the mall today to purchase it I was totally expecting to order this movie because it is ALWAYS out of stock.
However fortune smiled and they had it - but I almost didn't buy it. Why? Because Disney decided to change the cover.
The original movie poster looks different than the VHS release.
I remembered the VHS cover art and assumed the DVD release would look the same.
Nope. The DVD looks totally different.
So if you were looking to buy this movie, yes, this is the 1979 release with changed cover art.
The Big Question: Why did I want to own this movie?
Answer: Because I remember the Maximilian robot scaring the absolute CRAP out of me. I first saw this movie at age 6 or 7 (don't remember exactly), and that robot SERIOUSLY freaked me out. I remember closing my eyes several times watching this movie - on a tv! I never saw it in the theater.
Side note before continuing: GET THIS - one of the Maximilian robots is actually on display in Orlando at MGM studios. If there were one reason to get another girlfriend, having someone to go see Max with would be it. Well, there are other reasons too but darn it, seeing the Maximilian is high on the list. (heh)
The other memorable robot in the film is V.I.N.CENT. And yes that is the way it's spelled. It stands for Vital Information Necessary, CENTralized.
Okay, on to the flick.
I mentioned a moment ago that I saw this flick at age 6 or 7. I literally haven't seen it since before today. Back when I first saw it I had absolutely NO IDEA what the movie was about. All I knew is that it had robots and laser guns that looked cool.
When I watched the movie today, here are the things I noticed:
1. You can see wires EVERYWHERE.
I swear, when Disney was filming this they didn't even TRY to hide the wires. You can see them almost as plain as day for anything in the film that's supposed to be floating in air. Very, very distracting.
2. The score is actually an overture.
The score of this movie is top notch symphonic stuff. No question.
3. The lighting is near-perfect.
Where The Black Hole kicks the ever-lovin' crap out of Star Wars is the fact all the shots were colored and lit just right. The film has a total elegance to it that really, really works.
4. Very few people would enjoy this film.
This is out of those "out there" films where you either love it or hate it. Most people would find it excruciatingly boring; I don't. I like it for what it is.
And what is it?
It's a work of art, much like the The Dark Crystal is. Weak storyline; killer imagery.
You gotta remember that this movie was made in 1979 that tried (and failed) to cash in on the sci-fi magic Star Wars did. Even though the visuals are spectacular, the storyline just sucks. There are several holes in the plot that just leave questions unanswered.
If you appreciate "old school" cinematography and the way special effects used to be done, you will really dig this film. But if you were looking for a good story, this is not it.
Being that I'm very much into the tech behind cinematography, it is absolutely mind boggling that Disney was able to pull this off when released in '79. Remember, this is pre-TRON era. It's one of the last (if not the last) film done by in-house crews with no outsourcing. It took a big team to put this flick together and it shows.
I dig it and am glad I own it now.