Get ready to rumble

broderic on February 20, 2008

Because Initech is filled with lame people who barely see a movie a year, I have never in my life participated in the office Oscar® pool. Therefore, I am conducting one here!

Yes, now you have a chance to make your predictions for this year’s Oscar® in the comfort of your pajamas. You don’t need to shlep to work to do it. So start looking over the prediction punditry. Visit your favorite film blog for insight. Start flipping a coin. You may win the 1st Annual BrowserMetrics Oscar Pool!

But here are the rules:

  1. One entry per person

  2. There are officially 24 nominations under consideration during Sunday’s telecast. You have 24 chances. Make a prediction in all 24!

  3. Scoring will be based on who has the most points at the end of the telecast.

  4. Points will be assigned based on making a correct prediction.

  5. Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Supporting Actor, and Supporting Actress are worth 3 points each

  6. Best Director, Best Animated Feature, Adapted Screenplay, Original Screenplay, and Art Direction are worth 2 points each

  7. The rest are worth 1 point each

  8. There is a total of 39 points in play (5×3 + 5×2 + 14)

  9. In event of a tie, the tie breaker will be the person guessing as close to, but not over, the official number of people watching the telecast in the US.

  10. If still tied, I will pick a name from a hat

  11. Post your entry in the official thread

  12. Entry accepted until Sunday, February 24, 2008 5:00 PM EST as determined by the time stamp in your entry.

I’ll try my best to tabulate the score soon after Sunday.

The winner will receive a DVD of any one of the nominated films now or when they get released.

Good luck and have fun!

Information wants to be free

broderic on February 19, 2008

Wikileaks, the wiki that tries to provide a little transparency to things that the higher ups don’t want you to know about, was ordered off the net. This coming from a judge in the freest of countries, the good ol’ US of A. This action against freedom of the press and president fucktard whining for immunity for those assholes at AT&T and Verizon makes me want to take a shiv and stick it in everyone of their throats. Freedom my ass.

Jumper

broderic on February 19, 2008

Jumper tries to establish a science fiction realm that could be plausible. Yet, it fails to even establish a coherent story. It’s a sad showing by The Bourne Identity’s, Doug Liman. It’s as if he took this job for the money. He unexpertly relies on the flash of the jump effects to hide the lazy development of the plot. It’s got big holes in its logic: how did the Paladins defeat jumpers when there was no means to control electricity to contain them back in the day? Doesn’t make sense. And it doesn’t make sense that Liman can be so lackadaisical in this movie’s execution. He always seems to be prepared. Perhaps not this time around. What’s he doing next that got him distracted from this venture?

Diane Lane is in this one too. Another stinker.

2 of 5 stars.

Beta testers wanted

broderic on February 13, 2008

One of the funny things about taking the Web Application development class is that they gave us a virtual server off the loyola domain to use as a test bed. We still develop locally but we have to deploy it on the web.

If you want to see some trivial examples of Java Servlets in action check this out: Assignment 3

I’m asking you, my dear readers, to do my testing for me. Check if things work correctly. If you get a crash, please screen capture it and post in comments problems. You are my beta testers. Its due Thursday. Get this done by then. TIA.

UPDATE: Here’s what’s up with assignment 3.

What’s on Page 123?

broderic on February 12, 2008

Found on Crooked Tmber. And because I haven’t posted in a while. Let me do this meme. You can too.

Instructions:
1. Grab the nearest book (that is at least 123 pages long).
2. Open to p. 123.
3. Go down to the 5th sentence.
4. Type in the following 3 sentences.
5. Tag five people.

What books do I have on hand? The absolute nearest to me is The Saga of the Icelanders by some really old Icelanders, I guess. Page 123 is in the middle of Egil’s Saga.

“Then he spoke a verse:

I could not stand the ugly
land-claimer’s wrath;
no cuckoo will alight knowing
that the squawking eagle prowls.
There, as before, I benefited
from the bear of the hearth-seat.
No one need give up who boasts
such a loyal helper on his travels.”

That’s more than 3 sentences, but it I can’t really tell what 3 sentences are when most of it is in verse. Yikes! Those darn sagas.

Your turn whomever you are.

897 Greatest Albums of All Time on WTMD

broderic on February 8, 2008

As a follow up to their 897 Greatest Songs of All Time countdown from last year, WTMD is counting down the 897 Greatest Albums of All Time. It's a chance to hear some tunes you normally don't hear on the radio.

The other day they played some Jethro Tull which probably hasn't been heard on air in a long while. It was side A to an album. I had to change the channel because it felt like a Jazz Odyssey but heavier progrock-like. I went into the harbor tunnel with it playing and came out with it still on and I think it was still the same verse. I don't know if there was a chorus.

Anyhow, you should listen to it as it counts down. You may hear some fine tunes that'll have you rocking out, especially, as it winds down to number one.