Watchmen

broderic on March 16, 2009

Watchmen is a movie. And it’s a comic book, or in a more haughty phrase, a graphic novel. It’s one hell of film though.

It’s an adaptation of one of the most revered comic books. It sticks to it very much. There’s a lot of talking. Not much action which is funny for a comic book movie. Yet, it was trying to capture what the comic book was all about.

Who was a hero? Rorschach, looking for the killer, but is too indebted to his honor system and world of good-bad, black-white, is done pretty well. The Comedian is plenty fascistic. The Night Owl finds himself grows from sad sack to kick ass. Dr. Manhattan and his blue organ blow shit up. Silk Spectre is pretty bad ass herself. Ozymandias is effeminate and cruel.

It’s a good movie I’ll admit, but I am a geek at heart.

The music was incongruous. It got in the way because it wasn’t period.

4 of 5 stars.

June 26, 1988, 5:11 PM

broderic on March 16, 2009

I’m in the hospital right now waiting for the operation. My operation is tomorrow, Monday, early in the morning. I get bored waiting for it to happen. Let me explain how much I have been waiting. First I had to wait to go to the hospital. By the way, I’m at the University of Maryland. Then when I got here, I had to wait at the admissions desk. Then I had some tests don on me. I hate needles. When they puncture your skin, it is sort of weird. It doesn’t hurt, but when the needle is in the vein any sort of movement causes the weirdest setsation. After tests, I had to wait some more for my room to be ready (8-wets room 74). Right now I’m waiting for 9:0 when I (hopefully) fall asleep.

The operation, I hope, will be a success. I hope they don’t have to shave my whole head. I would like to keep some hair on my head so Andrea can run her fingers through my hair. I love when she does that. It get me up. They’re going to put some fiberglass type stuff to fill the depression. The surgeons are going to anchor the stuff to my skull with iron wires drilled o it. At 6:30 in the morning!! I have not woken up that early since early last school year.

I’ve seen this Star Trek about 20x’s. It’s pretty hilarious. Abraham Lincoln fighting. How Bogus. I can’t believe he can kick-but.

I am going to have to learn how to write better.

Cold Day Cycling

broderic on March 14, 2009

I have never gone cycling in anything less than 60 degrees except today. My weather widget is telling me that its 44 degrees fahrenheit out there, and I rode in that. At least there was no wind, but there was no sun either.

I was sitting eating breakfast with my mom when I got a text. During the text conversation, a cycle ride was brought up, “No bike ride today?” I texted back my excuses, but it’s really humbling. I want to ride, but always find excuses. Not today.

What does it take to ride in this weather? I don’t know so I gear up. My campy tights are warm. Unlike my knickers these go all the way down, and unlike my knickers these fit really well. I wear my compression t-shirt underneath which I wish was windproof, then a long sleeve winter jersey along with arm warmers. Finally a jacket. Also a warm skull cap and booties over my shoes. Am I warm? Somewhat, but its enough to keep the chill away. It’s actually perfect.

So the ride was good. I took a route that I hadn’t before. Up Lakeside into New Town. It’s a hill and to get back onto Deer Park there’s a short steep hill. It’s tough but I did it.

Here’s the damage: 14.15 miles, 59 minutes, averaging 14.5 MPH with a max of 38 MPH down Pleasant. Nice.

Link of the Day [3.14.09]

broderic on March 14, 2009

One month ago, it was Valentine’s Day. In Japan, it’s the girls who give chocolates to the guys. So, for payback, there’s today, White Day, when the guy gives candy to the girls who gave them chocolates. Oh, how interesting the Japanese are. Now, it would be nice to receive chocolates from a girl. You wouldn’t have to worry about if a girl likes you. She’ll just give you chocolate as a way to show her interest. At least, that’s what happens in manga. Then you’re in like slim.

http://www.candy.or.jp/whiteday/index.html

Quote of the Day [3.13.09]

broderic on March 13, 2009

Under my thumb
The girl who once had me down
Under my thumb
The girl who once pushed me aroundIts down to me
The difference in the clothes she wears
Down to me, the change has come,
Shes under my thumbAint it the truth babe? The Rolling Stones, "Under My Thumb"

Link of the Day [3.13.09]

broderic on March 13, 2009

The ACM gave out its Turing award to a pioneer in computer programming, Barbara Liskov. This stands out for me because I am deeply indebted to her eponymous Liskov Substitution Principle. In plain English, if you have an object which inherits attributes from another object, then that derived object can and should stand in place of any other types of objects of the parent object. Hunh? It’s the basis for Object-Oriented Programming and it governs the software development today. It makes programming slightly easier and it makes for cool extensions of the software.

http://arstechnica.com/science/news/2009/03/acm-gives-turing-award-to-oop-distributed-computing-pioneer.ars