Upcoming Movies

I guess I'm fascinated by film. Not all the Hollywood formulaic stuff, but what film is and can be. There have always been stories as long as there have been people. And there have always been storytellers. I just feel that film is very close to the ultimate medium for storytelling; short of holographic, smell-o-vision, tactile virtual reality that sci-fi is always foreboding.

Film can evoke emotion, effects can visually create practically anything that can be dreamt, scoring can add weight and color, lighting can change a story dramatically, set and costume design are capable of showing us the context. Others may disagree that film never reaches the quality of literature, and I'm not saying they are wrong, I'm only saying that we each interpret a book as part of our experience of reading it. And we don't always envision the same things. I guess if I had to pick a career other than fashion design (if you can even call it a career anymore/at all), I think film would be it for me.

That all being said, I seem to like films that are destined to fail. Films that dare us to think or being radically different from the mainstream. Lots of dark films too. Like Jacob's Ladder, Brazil, and Pi.

One film I saw not long ago was Dark City. I was totally impressed by the effects and the visual style. I thought it was quite brilliant, even if it did have a few minor downsides (like the third act was a bit of a disappointment). Well, I've just read that Director Alex Proyas is developing a Dark City 2, I hope it gets a green light. I'd love to have seen Dark City on the big screen, it just crys out for it with its lush imagery. I wouldn't be surprised if the Red Vic has it on their playbill at some point. I'd really look forward to seeing this new project in the theatre.

Next, Sin City. I had no idea that Robert Rodriguez had that great a film in him. I guess I just haven't loved any of his other work, and this just took me by surprise when I saw it. I've been known to say that this is one of the most beautifully stylistic films (IMHO) in cinema history. The use of color, the graininess, the angles... All bode very well for an interpretation of Frank Miller's graphic novels. I never did read them, but was a big Miller fan growing up on the likes of Daredevil comics and many others.

Well, Rosario Dawson has made comments regarding a Sin City 2 already. And I am looking forward to a sequel. Not to get my hopes too high, but I hope it can capture the same wonderful qualities the first did. Plus, a damn amazing job with casting. I mean, Mickey Rourke is downright scary, how he carries his role.

Now, let's talk about our vices. Or rather Miami Vice. I really liked Colin Farrell in (I liked his portrayal of over the top Bullseye in Daredevil) Phone Booth. And Jamie Foxx has had some credible roles. But I just don't see this working. For one, they don't really have a Miami look to me. Other than that, after about $150 million in budget, it's said to still be a poor bet for success at the box office. I don't think casting Gong Li makes up for much of anything, but I think she's done some amazing work.

Last, Spidey 3. Yes indeed. Spiderman 3 is slated for a 2007 release. Don't say you didn't know about this one. It was a re-signing for a 2 film contract for the principal actor Tobey Macguire. I still feel that Sam Raimi may not have been the best choice to helm the films, but they've done well in spite of my opinion, so 'nuff said! (anybody get that?). My personal choice would be John Woo, I think the action sequences would be just amazing if he shot the films, oh well... As if Hollywood cares about my opinion. Yeah right. Oh he is working on two relevant projects now, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe and Spy Hunter: Nowhere to Run. Both sound like another Paycheck,... um... for him. But nowhere near as good as what I believe he's capable of delivering.

(photo credits: spidey3 from rottentomatoes.com, Dark City from imdb.com)

Last topic. So far, the tally for unique visitors stands at 531 and 846 page views for this blog since its inception six scant weeks ago. My flickr photo galleries have now had 867 views. Thanks all for visiting. Cheers.

Are any of these movies noteworthy?

Somehow in the back of my head, I can't get over the fact the big screen seems deficient of the once held enthusiasm by us movie goers. Maybe Netflix and other dvd services are to blame. Perhaps, the more deeply rooted problem lies with the bland studio fare we are expected to delight in.

Does anybody want to see Bruce Willis come back in his role of John McClane? ... Okay, don't all jump up in excitement at once now. Yup, the working title is "Die Hard 4: Die Hardest" and is slated for a 2007 release. It's been in the works for well over a year, but is still in pre-production. I don't think With a Vengence was any good and that was 11 freakin' years ago.

X-Files 2: The Movie. Yes, Chris Carter is supposedly going to helm another big screen X-Files. Whether there can be success with a show that has been off-air for a few years is a tough bet to place. I did like Fight the Future but I doubt I would hold the same kind of anticipation for a second theatre feature. I'd guess an early 2008 release date.

Now, to more current offerings. James Bond is renewed with the 21st film in 44 years, starring British actor Daniel Craig as the newly minted double-oh. This is possibly the first Bond film in the last decade to hold any interest to me, since maybe Tomorrow Never Dies starring Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Terri Hatcher, and Michelle Yeoh. Or the one before it; GoldenEye, Brosnan's first, with a score by Eric Serra (who composed a brilliant score for La Femme Nikita- IMHO, one of the best scores in film).

Why does Casino Royale pique my interest? Because it should show off some serious free-running/parkour with Sebastian Foucan. This stylistic 'art' has not yet been introduced to most americans unless, like me, you are a fan of Banlieu 13 starring David Belle. This film just had a limited U.S. theatre release last month (as "District 13") even though it came out in 2004 in France. I bought the dvd last year, as Netflix didn't offer the film then. The free running sequences are truly exciting and very new for Hollywood, so I hope CR captures this form well.

I'm not a fan of Craig, from seeing his poor screen job in Tomb Raider as Alex West, so I'm not holding my breath. I understand he's done some more remarkable work since then, like Munich... but still... I kinda think the Bond franchise is on its last legs in a way. Just figure, we now own gadgets as cool as we used to dream Bond uses. My mp3 player is a camera, wait a voice recorder, wait a radio, wait a flash light/emergency beacon, oh yeah and a cell phone. Did I mention my w600i phone is also a bluetooth/infrared remote that can control my PC or stereo? Yeah, it can. It does. New cars have gps nav and bluetooth compatible iPod readiness. I mean, heck, a person can get a 4 MP digital camera smaller than the size of a cigarette box for way less than $200 USD. You get the idea. Perhaps the novelty has worn off. Or, more likely, we've caught up to the times. Bond simply doesn't have that unbelieveable swag like days bygone.

So what is the Bond franchise left with? Going back to the very FIRST story, and hopefully creating a great narrative the audience is engaged in. And lots of pretty eye candy in the form of Caterina Murino, Ivana Milicevic, and Eva Green. Sure the Aston is nice, but it's pretty much the same ride other films have used. Let's face it the Vanquish has been in everything from Italian Job to Jay-Z's videos. Show me a Panoz Esperante, or even an (older) Mclaren F1 and you'd have my atttention for about two or three whiles longer (longer than a while).

En-joy the Week-end

Well, it's going to be the longest weekend of the year (uh, in a manner of speaking); since we've just celebrated the Summer Equinox yesterday. I do realize some, uh... realists may be quick to point out that the equinox fell on a Wednesday, so last Sunday and this Saturday would be the longest weekend days of the year...

If you're gonna be out traveling the Rockies this summer, you could win some really great swag. Just snap a few great pics and submit them to NewWest for their Roadtrip Summer Photo Contest. They're giving away a Canon 30D dslr camera- which has a street value thereabouts of either of two cars I've previously owned (after I owned them, it prolly would've been worth both of them, hee hee), and a couple other cameras: the Canon S3 IS and SD450

SlickDeals has a listing for Perfume.com at 50-60% off and an additional 10% off coupon code.

Campmor.com has 9 styles of Killer Loop sunglasses on sale starting at $15. Great styles too. These are pretty much all for the ladies.

Radiohead is playing the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley Fri & Sat nites. You can also check craigslist.org for tix.

Dylan is having a 50% off sale on all clothes and shoes (really?) starting today until it's all-gone.

This Sat and Sunday, SampleAngel.com is having a designer sample sale here in SF. Check out the deets here if interested.

I just got a few really janky pics back from Costco Photo Center, so now I get to see how good they are at upholding their refund policy on prints. I'm using their DryCreek monitor calibration software on Photoshop CS2, so the problem can't possibly be my fault. huh.

A quick note, here's a photo gallery I really enjoy at the moment. Nice work David G.

This blog is nearing 500 unique visitors now, since its inception just 5 weeks ago. I've noticed that peeps are visiting from all over, some as far away as Sweden, New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan, and Argentina to name a few. Still, most are local visits according to the little I can glean from my webstats. My photo galleries have expanded since I've upgraded to Pro on Flickr, and I now have 120 photos up (adding nearly every day). Last count has my flickr photoset at 830 visits. Like most of my website user names, it is prodesma.

Thanks for visiting, I've got lots of different things in past posts, ... or if you're ever-the- optimist, check back for something better soon! En-joy the Week-end peeps. Cheers.

My New Tires are s-t-i-c-k-y!

Let's see if I can make a fast post that's less than 500 words... that's gonna be a challenge. LOL. (ain't gonna happen, I just know it).

I just got my new Kumho Ecsta ASX All-Weather 225/50 tires installed today. In all fairness, I cannot even compare them with the 2/32" of tire tread I had left on my old stock Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 205/55 tires. But, I did drive this same Acura RSX when it was brand new with only 10 miles, and I know what a difference this new rubber makes!

First, they don't sqeal or spin when starting from a stop sign or red light. The Michelins simply didn't catch as fast as the (manual) gearing in my car- ever. And this isn't about whether I know how to control a clutch (if you're wondering).

I also know that entering on-ramps- like a full-cloverleaf shape turn- would make my wheels squeak in third gear at around 30 mph, even when the Mich tires were new. My Kumhos have yet to make a peep and I've tried to make them whimper already.

The slightly lower profile and wider footprint do make a few noticeable differences in ride quality also. One, the footprint is much more stable. Handling is simpler. Braking is improved. The turn radius might've increased a foot or two, but is nominal. The suspension feels a little "tighter," meaning it is a little 'bumpier' over soft ridges and rolls. Overall, the ride feels very comfortable still and not overly bumpy.

On to the best improvement... Noise reduction. Even when the Mich's were new, I could hear more road noise than I thought I should've. The Kumho's perform better here, I can hear my engine humming in 5th gear at 75 mph over many various qualities of highway pavement. That was one of my biggest wishes.

The other big priority was to reduce hydroplaning. The Mich's flat out... well, sucked. And I didn't like it. 'Specially in Florida during thunderstorm season, or the few recent rainy winters in hilly SF. Only time will tell, but I'm not in a hurry to get rain to find out.

Geez, I just can't write a short post, but those that know me prolly aren't surprised. Lastly, the good folks at J & K Auto Repair did an excellent job of getting my tires mounted, balanced, and aligned. They were very cooperative of letting me take some pics along the way, and watch them test the alignment on my car. Since it was time to get my brake pads replaced, I had 'em do that and replace my front rotors. They got the parts in about an hour and a half and even stayed late (past 6 pm closing) to finish the install. All told they were as great as could be, and gave me a price about $150 less on the work compared to my fave local Honda/Acura garage that does all my tune-ups and oil changes, Pat's Garage in SF. Don't get me wrong, Pat's Garage is very reasonable, their work is top quality, staff is very friendly & helpful, and they are honest. I still visit them for regular maintenance.

All in all, shame on Acura for not fitting better tires on their RSX (they've used these Pilots on other models too, like TSX and RL I think). Tires are the only contact your car has to the road, and these $69 Kumho tires show a remarkable improvement over the $158 OEM tires. The wider footprint adds a LOT of stability in cornering, shorter braking distance, and better overall traction; while still offering a more quiet ride. Sure, my mileage will likely suffer a little- but prolly not more than 2-3 mpg. I'd trade the performance and safety for the mileage any day. I am glad I didn't spend $139 per tire on the Goodyear F1 GS-D3's I was planning to get. The (literally) millions of miles driven for reviews on Tire Rack's site can't be wrong. Don't you dare buy tires anywhere else, thanks TireRack.
(total word count: 679)

Oil Paints reviewed

I've decided to write about some happier things for a minute. First, some may know I've been commissioned to do some oil paintings and have been working on that for the last few months. I originally intended to do about 5 or 6 paintings, but it's looking more and more like the final tally will be about 8 or 9 paintings total.

After much debate, I decided to stick with oils rather than use acrylics- it really was my choice. Now, I'm glad I did. I've done some underpainting with acrylics, and even with extenders (uh, they are sometimes called retarders...) I can't love 'em. I dunno why Golden is so beloved in the art community, I find they are "looser" and just simpler pigments. Maybe 'cuz they have a broad color range and run mid-line in pricing?

I've tested some Lascaux with absolute success for acrylics. These would likely be my loyal brand if I used the medium more. I also feel comfortable with most Tri-Art colors. The fillers just seem more workable than the Goldens to me. And I have quite a few different colors; so believe me, I realize some pigments may be more prone to traits than others (to be fair).

Now, for oils... I can't seem to find many "bad" pigments from the collection I have. I seem to remember years ago painting in college (I think with Grumbacher's) and trying to mix a color, like orange and getting a brown instead from a red and yellow. I promised myself if I were to buy oils ever again, they should be better quality- especially for the time investment we make to our paintings already.

In short, Williamsburg is absolutely the best paint I've used. Not only for its cadmiums, but its entire range. I've been pretty satisfied with the 30 or so colors of Sennelier I have, but some seem to me a bit less 'saturated' in colors. Obviously "lake" colors should not be discussed because that is their nature. I've also found I really enjoy Schminke Mussini paints a lot. They tend to work a little firmer and hold great brush strokes without the use of something like Gamblin Galkyd Lite or Wax. I might dare say Schminke cadmiums even better Williamsburg in pureness and brightness.

I have some Blockxx paints and can't say I'd pay the money to buy them again. I've not worked with Old Holland or Maimeri Puro paints because they are simply price prohibitive; and I am very satisfied with the results from these other brands. The Windsor & Newton colors I use are simply because they have a braoder color range, and they seem to work alright. I don't tend to like the W & N cad's much, I think they're less rich compared to the perfect Williamsburg/Schminke colors. I think it's the poppy oil in the Williamsburgs that allows such rich colors- and W & N uses linseed oil, I'm not sure- I actually don't study the bases and oils as much as others may. I also have some Gamblin paints and for the price, they are very good paints. I'd still vote for Schminke Mussini and Williamsburg even at a steep price premium. All told, I'd guess I now have about $800 in paints (about 90 tubes total), so these opinions come from my own personal experience.

You can view some of my painting inspiration on my d3velop home page. Mostly, this work is microphotography: photography taken under an electron microscope. I've seen work of minerals (that were backlilt) and the images have always been very memorable to me. Plus, my client tends to like 'modern abstract' and very brilliant, warm colors. Yes, those are pics of dinosaur bones and different brands of beer. I love the rich color patterns and varied compostions. This is inspiration, none of it is my work. Cheers.

Newer news than last time.

Now I've done it. I've ordered my first Woot. They're selling Logitech Bluetooth Headphones for $29.99 today. I checked Pricegrabber and Pricerunner and mostly they're selling for over $100. On eBay they've sold for upwards of $80 total price. I'd love these to work with my w600i cell phone, hope they do! If you don't know about woot, you can read my previous blogs or just go visit them. Get rid of cords! Hooray! ...uh, 'cept wide wale 'cuz they still rock. (anybody get that?)

I've also gone and (finally!) bought some new rubber... as in tires for my car (sheesh! what were you thinking?!). I ended up researching more tires on Tire Rack and Discount Tire and decided on the Kumho ECSTA ASX 225/50 WR16, the largest plus size tire that fits my stock 16" rims on my 2002 Acura RSX. If you need to learn more about tire sizing, tirerack is the place. To find optional sizes available for my ride, tirerack's system doesn't work on my 'puter, so I had to check on discounttire's site. These are nearly half the price of the Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires I had planned on getting. The reviews were great for the Kumho's, and TireRack seems like the ONLY place to buy tires from. Should have them on my car by the end of the week.

I found a couple great deals I'd like to share. First, I mentioned discountmags a couple posts ago... But I just found another site called NetMagazines (they are oh-so-creative, these names!), and they have a 5-for-$30 subscription deal. I'll save about $20 MORE by ordering from netmagazines over discountmags. Now, DiscountMags has better subscription prices (much, much better usually) for individual subscriptions- but this deal is flat out better. And a slightly better selection, too.

I guess the last couple weeks have been okay to me, and my bills are getting paid... So, I also upgraded my flickr account to Pro. For one year, it cost $24.95 and gives me 2 GB in uploads per month. I figure this will give me piece of mind that I can back up my pics off-site for next-to-nothing, considering I get the value from having the gallery space alone for 2 bucks a month.

Okay, Lucky Jeans is halving a half off sale (oh, these puns are just killing me!). Pretty much everything is 1/2 price on their site. It's a great deal for some great quality threads.

In case you don't know where to go to print all your digital snaps, Costco is where a lot of pro's go. Heck, 4 x 6's are $0.19, 5 x 7's are $0.39, and 8 x 10's are a ridiculous (as in cheap!) $2.39. Their print quality is very, very good. Just the white borders (if you like 'em like I do) sometimes aren't even on the prints. Costco also does poster sizes, but ONLY online and in conjunction with Snapfish. Figure the price is about 1/3 of what you'd pay elsewhere for a nice quality poster print.

Here's another good-news thing. Well, kind of... I originally had been using Zone Alarm Pro Internet Security Suite with my PC. I had ALL kinds of annoyances and problems with it. It would constantly require permissions to open a file or allow an extension to run. I'm NOT an I.T. person. How am I supposed to know if this is a common file/extension? Isn't that what the program is supposed to sort out? Well, I switched to Trend Micro's PC-cillin and it has been much, much simpler. And I think it is working at least as securely... maybe better. And at a price under $18 can you afford to not have good computer security? Oh, but then, I prolly shouldn't tell people which security suite I use, huh? Isn't that at least a little counter-productive of me? Oh well. Cheers.

Uh-oh... Look out, I'm starting to rant...

Well, I guess part of what blogs are about is opinions. And well, I guess that would be mine in the case of my blog, eh? I've got some great, some good and some... hmmmm... we'll say not-so-good to discuss. Some service issues and some product reviews. I'll get through a few and go over others later.

First, you can find my amazon.com reviews here. My Cnet discussions/comments and reviews here. And a few Netflix movie reviews here. Sure, I have more stuff floating in hyperspace on discussion boards like Apple knowledge base, and overclockers forums (from when I was researching how to build a PC), but mostly that's tech stuff better left to experts. If you (for some odd reason) appreciate my opinions, you can find more of 'em in these places away from blogland.

I'm gonna start with an amazing service story. Callaway Golf. Yup. Financial bankrollers to Annika Sorenstam and other pro golfers like Charles Howell III (uh, certainly I'm not one of 'em). I met someone on a course (Tilden Park) that said, "I had that same (Steelhead II) bag until last year. My buddy said Callaway would warranty it, because it (the black nylon) faded as bad as yours. Call 'em up." Sure enough I did. Hardly even a question other than the address they could send a new bag to, and which brand new bag (Rev Stand) did I want for free? Geez. Free shipping, and post-paid return shipping for the bag return also? Yup.

Well, during this more than muddy winter, I somehow lost a little plastic base that connects to the legs on the wire frame (I think it sank into mud and stayed there). The plastic part is not replaceable according to Callaway. All it's supposed to do is press the wire frame so the legs extend open. So, once again, they sent me a new (Terra Firma Xi) bag. I told them I would pay for an upgrade; they wouldn't take my money. Amazing. I'll buy Callaway products whenever possible from now on... I even got their shoes now.

On the other side is Golfsmith. How bad could they screw up an order? Well, I started a custom club build order in late October last year, trying to order the shafts online. I bought and paid for them, but then they said they weren't in stock and were discontinued. After many discussions and changes in my order, they were supposed to be built in January... Then February, March... You get the idea. I finally called Austin, TX corporate and talked to two VP's who got this done in a hurry. The good news is my $600 order ended up costing me about $100 after the problems. I got my completed clubs in May... And the second time I hit my 3-iron the club head flew off about 65 yards out into the driving range! After sending my clubs in to Austin for priority re-building by their Director of Clubmaking Operations, I now am playing these Cleveland CG2 Irons, Cleveland CG10 Black Pearl wedges, Cleveland Launcher woods and a Titleist 983K Driver. I am very pleased with the results. I can talk more about my club build another time.

I had gotten so fed up with Verizon Wireless that I switched to Cingular, after 3 years w/ VZW. I had so many dropped calls and dubious charges and false billing fees it was borderline illegal. Just like cable tv companies and internet (think SBC-now-AT&T), they know you don'thave many choices and get stuck easily. Verizon never resolved my issues of over two years' billing.

Cingular appealed to me because they have the nicest equipment (IMHO) and rollover. For a guy like me who can use only 150-250 anytime minutes some months and 900 the next, rollover is my friend. Well, all didn't go smoothly with Cingular at first, they sold me insurance for an unisurable phone (Motorola MPx220) and then removed the insurance without my knowledge. My phone died and had to get it warrantied. Then I wanted an insurable phone. Eventually a level III (yes, a THIRD level manager) said it was their fault and would replace it with whichever phone I wanted (Sony Ericsson w600i). It took about 4 months total for THAT to happen. And many, many hours of calls. Well, they even let me keep the MPx220, no charge. Oh yeah, I didn't mention I started by ordering Cingular service through Amazon.com with a free Moto Razr and bluetooth headset w/ activation. Well, they sent an unregistered phone, no sim card, no account set-up, and no phone number. Basically, all went back as a return to Amazon and it took 12 weeks to get a refund. I would NOT suggest using Amazon for cell phone service orders. Cingular call quality is far better, and the service plan gives me MUCH better value with minutes rolling over (I have over 960 rollover minutes since plan started in December).

The bottom line? Businesses now seem too big to care if you're satisfied with your service. When they screw up, they will claim they didn't screw up. You will need to be persistent... As in MORE persistent than THEM. In the end, things will likely get sorted out in your favor. But be prepared for some serious phone call time with most companies.

Some New Happenings.

I've had a kinda weird week, so sorry if I haven't posted all week. It's not interesting weird, so I'll refrain from explaining it in any detail.

First, A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books is closing. Yup. The bookstore that always sounds like a run-on sentence to me, is shutting down. No more book signings. Well, they had a great run and I saw people including: Michael Palin, Jacques Pepin, Nigella Lawson, and Dave Eggers there. As of yesterday, they are selling at 20% off on all their inventory.

The first Stern Grove concert of the season is tomorrow. Should be great weather and worth checking out. I've already blogged this, so this is just a reminder.

I'd been using Google Calendar for a short while and just recently changed to Mozilla's Sunbird. It's a standalone calendar app, that doesn't sync w/ e-mail or anything else. But I like it's functionality. I've already put in all my recurring bill payments and charges and it works great. It feels a lot like Apple's iCal, which is nice; but I only wish Sunbird would allow me to choose colors for different events. I know, if I set up a personal cal and a work cal, it would do this automatically- but that's not what I'm asking for.

If you're interested in moon phases and a small desktop calendar, check this link.

Aside from the upcoming Silent Film Festival, which is a personal fave of mine, on that same Sunday (July 16th) and through Monday, July 17th; The Red Vic Moviehouse will screen The Conformist (Le Conformiste) a film directed by Bertolucci adapted from Alberto Moravia's novel. Not only do I believe this is Bertolucci's best work, I think it to be one of the most beautifully shot films in history. The pure cinematic experience of this film is amazing: lighting, cinematography, directing, and especially the shadows and angles. I saw this on the big screen last year at the Castro, it deserves to be seen on a big screen. Go sit on a couch/bench at the Red Vic, drink black cherry soda from tap, and have a huge fresh baked cookie, and watch this!

This Weekend's Events

A few noteworthy (IMHO) events this upcoming weekend:


- Again, I'll point out Savion Glover, tap extraordinaire, is here for one day, Saturday, June 10th. Presented in conjunction with SFJazz, tickets are still available for his 9:30 show, with seats in all price categories. (photo from sfjazz website)

- Did you know that green is the new black? Yup, you read that right. Walk the Talk is a eco-conscious fashion show also happening Saturday night. The fashion show will feature some fashion visionaries using environmentally-friendly materials. The closing celebration will go until midnight.

- The W Hotel in San Francisco is likely to be overrun by our four-legged friends this Sunday. The W and Bark Magazine are holding an event (on their terrace) called Who Let the Dogs Out, a benefit event for Pets Unlimited. It's donation-only, so come help a great cause. There will be a book- signing and party; and have your dog's picture taken by their pet photographer!

Current tallies: to date, in the just over three weeks since I started blogging; there have been 324 total unique visitors tallying 506 page views for this blog. In the nearly six weeks since I registered my flickr account, it has now been viewed 767 times. Thanks all for coming by. Cheers.

Some New Links I Like.

Here are some new links I like.
I've followed the Washington Post Style Invitational for quite some time. I love the witty ideas people submit for wordplay. This one makes me laugh, the Report from Week 648: 'silly questions to ask live consumer products phone representatives.'

I wonder if I can get this girl's phone number. I'll leave it at that, you'll just have to read the article. You won't believe this. And they still haven't ID'ed her.

Here's another flickr gallery I like, it's called "color fields" and it's a group photo pool, so anyone can submit a pic into it. Color must be the main focus of the shot, and it must cover the entire frame. Some great photos, very inspiring.

While I'm on the subject, flickr now offers a $24.95 1-year Pro account. I'll be signed up by the end of the week. Finally I'll have more photosets, so I can organize coherently in my slideshows.

I've gotten several URL referrals from this site, Technorati.com. It's a blog search site and more, and since visiting to check it out... I think it's pretty good at doing what it does. Check it out if you are searching blogs for content, images, links, or keywords. Their engine works very well.

If you just can't seem to keep up with technology (hey you're doing okay if you're reading blogs, right?), here's some new news. A company called E Ink makes high resolution lcd (electronic) film. It's like paper, but it's like a monitor. Wait. wait... Like this watch, it's pretty kewl.

Here's Nike and Apple collaborating. Is this a good thing? Do we need iPod-ified sneakers? Since when do nano's feature wireless? Must be a plug-on adapter. I think the accelerometer measuring pace and distance are pretty nifty. Of course I run. A lot. I run out of breath just getting to the elevator pretty frequently. I guess my next pair of kicks might have subwoofers.

Oh yeah, I uploaded a bunch more pics to my flickr galleries. Mostly dogs, a: Chocolate Lab, Setter, Yorkie, Italian Greyhound, BlackRussian Terrier, French Bulldog, and my Shiba Inu Kira. Also a couple floral/plant pics and architecture. Hope you enjoy! I'm already up to over 700 views on Flickr in only 45 days. Cheers.

Champagne events on a Kool-Aid budget.

First, 'tis the season of many happenings here in SF. Well, okay... maybe no champagne at these events but free is pretty cheap, last time I checked with my accountant.

Then there is the un-eventful North Beach Jazz Festival, which looks to be cancelled this year 'cuz the City will not allow alcoholic beverage sales in Washington Square Park (where drinking is prohibited). Organizers say that 75% of their revenue comes from alcohol sales each year. Gee, and I wonder why I'm always broke... just kidding.

Stern Grove Festival: starts season 6/18 with Aimee Mann and Seu Jorge which should be good. The SF Symphony, Opera, and Ballet performances for free are always notable. Beautiful venue since renovation was completed, better acoustics than we'd expect, and it's always free (well, I always donate about $3).

Plan for NEXT TUESDAY. The first Tuesday of each month is free at many local SF places:
SFMOMA, De Young Museum, Legion of Honor, Asian Art Museum, and the Conservatory of Flowers.

SFMOMA: showing Shomei Tomatsu is an influential post-WWII photographer from Japan.
De Young: ending soon! ends MONDAY June 5 Textiles & Costumes from permanent collection. Ending 6/18 Arts + Crafts : William Morris to Frank Lloyd Wright.
The Legion of Honor: Picasso as Book Illustrator, coming 6/17 Monet in Normandy exhibition should be a good one.
Asian Art Museum: The Elegant Gathering is noteworthy for some beautiful calligraphy.
Conservatory of Flowers: with 130 years of history, this is one unique building in SF. The butterfly exhibit can be interesting, but I've recently heard they don't have many butterflies : (

SFJazz Summerfest: Free concert series presented by SFJazz, starts 6/8 and performances are at Stanford Shopping Center, Union Square, and Levi's Plaza. Every Thursday; Stanford and Union Square are evenings, Levi's Plaza is lunchtime concerts. Kim Nalley at Stanford (June 22, 6 pm) and Lavay Smith and Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers are sure to bring a swing dancing crowd to Union Square August 10th.
A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books: Another mention of ACWLP and their event tomorrow, Calvin Trillin reads from his book A Heckuva Job. Promises to be an interesting time.
SF Zoo: I know... I haven't been to a zoo since I was about 9. It always seemed sad. But now, they are sad. The SF Zoo has been struggling financially and finished some major renovations. Now zoos are toted as being 'sanctuaries' for wildlife (gee, 'wildlife exhibit' sure seems an oxymoron, eh?) and a great place for educating people on conservation. Anyways, free the first Wednesday each month.

Now, the not-free stuff.
Raiders of the Lost Ark: 25th Anniversary Print of the film showing at the Castro June 2-8.
Savion Glover is performing for one day only, Sat. June 10th. Some critics proclaim he is the best tap-dancer in ever. Others say he is the most innovative. Anyways, this star of Bring on the Noise Bring on da' Funk in something to only see live.
Silent Film Festival: One of my fave SF events happens at the Castro Theatre. Take a step back in time and watch a silent film just as you would've experienced it when it opened 80 years ago. Coming July 14-16.

Okay.
Here's an amazing site for its design and interface... all of it: architecture, graphics, web design, photography. wow. Tell me how those "+" signs are interactive? on the A + M link. MUST have Flash to view this site.

Wi-Fi is coming. Coming to a neighborhood near you. Whether NYC or SF... or not.

Footballers (uh, that actually means soccer players) will like all these clips of C. Ronaldo. This guy is amazing. As in ridiculous.

For those not quite so skilled with their feet, you can still try to learn double-clutching in your ride. Be c-a-r-e-f-u-l when learning. I am not responsible for your actions. Anyways, if you've got road rage, at least learn to drive like the pros. Cheers.