Warning of Life

Posted on August 31 2003 by Mickey
    I just received my “advance copy” of Universal’s new 2-disc special edition of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life. Although I enjoyed the commentary and the deleted scenes, I was shocked at the poor transfer. For those using progressive players or monitors, you will be experiencing annoying interlacing or combing problems, every five frames of video!
    I’m not familiar enough with the technical specs of converting film to DVD to know why this video problem is there. It might be because Universal is using a PAL video master for their NTSC transfer. Regardless, it’s annoying and pretty much unwatchable.
    Compare this still-frame of Mr Creosote…
with this frame.
And now imagine having to sit through that interlacing anomaly every five frames.
    But wait — you don’t have to imagine it. It can be yours in the new Monty Python Meaning of Life special edition!
    After the stupid subtitling problem with Columbia/Tri-Star’s Holy Grail special edition (where the subtitles could not be turned off), you’d think Python Pictures might want to start employing a little quality control. But I guess not. And apparently Universal doesn’t care either.
Posted in Movies, TV | 3 Comments

A Message from Joe (2003/08/29)

Posted on August 29 2003 by Mickey
    My nephew Joe is taking an international studies course in Ecuador. Here’’s his latest message.
From: Joe
Sent: Friday, August 29, 2003 17:11:38
Subject: Hello again

Hello again from Quito!

I have finished what one could call my first week of classes, though it started on wednesday and i didn’t really have any classes. You see, crazy thing about the university is that it is TERRIBLY disorganized. Check this out. I went to my Ecologia Ecuatoriana class. First of all, it was listed as the wrong room, secondly, the teacher had ANOTHER class at the same time. Thats right folks, 1 prof, 2 classes. Does that make sense? So, he had to change the class time for our class, but since this class is a requirement for Kzoo kids he changed it based on our schedules, which the other gringos in the class just loved. So anyway, there’s more. I actually only met 2 profs out of 6 classes, all the rest were still on vacation. My spanish class is on the top floor of a building and when the wind blows, the ceiling tiles rise up and crash onto the roof, which is loud and a bit distracting. Finally, my volleyball class has only one person … me. So, i think that one might just close up, which is kinda sad. Other than that life is going along as it has been. I’m not sure what is going on this weekend, but i suppose I’ll find out soon enough. Next weekend I get to go to Otavalo, which is a very large indeginous market, which I am excited about.

Well, I hope everyone is well, and its always good to hear from you!

Until next time,

Joe
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Maybe Some Dated British Documentaries and a Really Loud Abrasive Robot Show Will Keep ’Em Watching

Posted on August 29 2003 by Mickey
    This is hardly new news nor hardly original, but it’s nice to see it in print. An article in the Salt Lake City Tribune (— ha! you thought I was talking about my site, didn’t you —) discusses what can done with Tech TV, which is currently roaming the streets looking for a new owner.
    (Speaking of Wednesday’s announcement, what exactly do they mean by “citing people familiar with the situation”? They talked to some viewers?)
Posted in News, Tech, TV | 3 Comments

Mmm, Voting

Posted on August 29 2003 by Mickey
    The eyes of an overweight electorate are on California, as Taco Bell continues its Recall Election Taco Poll. In this promotion, the purchase of a beef taco registers as a vote for Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger (Jingle All the Way, Hercules in New York), while the purchase of chicken taco goes to Grady Wilson, a character on TV’s Sanford & Son. This promotion has stirred up a great deal of interest, including in Washington where lawmakers are considering if election by menu might be a viable alternative.
    With poor test results and low confidence plaguing the initial release of first generation “electronic election systems”, voting by food becomes an even more attractive option. A spokesman for Taco Bell confirms the chain is contemplating allowing their franchises to branch out into other elections, on a local, state, or even national scale. “Who wants to just punch buttons on some touch-screen display,” said an inside source. “There’s no tasty sour cream! But now each vote comes with a packet of hot sauce.”
    But critics point out this food-based system is itself far from being problem-free. Consultants for Diebold, makers of the Accu-Vote TS electronic system, were quick to question “the decision making which led to the purchase of their most popular product corresponding to a vote for Schwarzenegger. If this continues unchecked, it would be possible to direct people into voting for one candidate over another, based solely on flavor rather than on merit. As such, it could be construed as vote tampering of the worst kind.”
    Furthermore, Taco Bell must contend with accusations that taco purchases at restaurants in urban areas were misrepresented. Several African American organizations cite thousands of complaints of people being given beef tacos when they ordered chicken tacos. “In the case of 95% of orders,” said a spokesman, “we were not even given a paper receipt for our vote.” Taco Press, in their recent press release, claims the food selections were chosen innocuously and that the issue of voter misrepresentation is being investigated. Representative Katherine Harris, although not from California but with a strong history of election oversight, has already expressed interest in conducting the investigation.
Posted in Food, News | Leave a comment

A Message from Joe (2003/08/27)

Posted on August 27 2003 by Mickey
    My nephew Joe is taking an international studies course in Ecuador. Here’s his latest message.
From: Joe
Sent: Wednesday, August 27, 2003 11:00:38
Subject: Life in the south

I’m glad to hear from all of you folks back in the states (and elsewhere). Life is good here. Today is my first day of classes! I’m taking a bunch of ecology, ornithology, and my 2 electives are volleyball and weaving. Yes, weaving as in making quilts and whatnot. I think it’s pretty awesome, but my mom here thinks that I’m rather goofish for taking it. Speaking of my family here, I had a request to talk about them a bit, so I will.

My father is Cesar Arteaga, and he studied to become a vet for about 2 years, but dropped out and instead went to work at a doctor’s office, I think. He’s a funny little man that loves to laugh a lot. His wife is Myriam, and she is wonderfully kind. She likes to take me around and show me places, and always makes sure that I drink enough fresh juices. They have 3 kids. One lives in chicago and is married to a gringo. The two that live at home are Phillipe (24), who works for the university I attend. I don’t think he even knows what he does there. My sister is 17 and is still in colegio (high school). She is like every other 17 year old girl (no offense to the females). Elisa is my best source of information about the town and local customs. The last member of our family is Bruno, our doggy. Bruno likes to sleep on my bed and howl at odd hours in the night. Thats about it for news on the family. They are all really cool people, and I think i got very lucky in the family lottery.

I can’t access this account from the school computers, so if you have something REALLY important email it to keedy50 (the ‘at’ symbol, which I can’t figure out how to do on this spanish keyboard) hotmail.com. I think i’m still going to use this account normally, but just from my local internet cafe. Anyway, I hope everyone is loving life. I wish I could show you all the views I get to see every day.

Talk to you in a few,

Joe
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Maybe a New Category Might Help Me Make Sense of It

Posted on August 27 2003 by Mickey
    I’m still speechless over this. CNN has a story about the Nigerian woman who may be buried up to her neck and stoned because she gave birth out of wedlock. The story is unbelievable enough but then the article goes on to combine the terms “law”, “judge”, “court” and…and this: “[Defense lawyer] Yawuri also contended that under some interpretations of Shariah law, babies can remain in gestation in their mother’s womb for up to five years, making it possible under Islam that her ex-husband could have fathered the child.”
    I can’t even (completely) blame Islam on this brain-deadness. There was another CNN story about how Arabs in Iraq are convinced the sunglasses the US mlitary wear give them…sweet Jesus…X-ray vision. “‘With those glasses, he can definitely see through women’s clothes,’ said the engineering student, Samer Hamid. ‘It makes me angry. We are afraid to take our families out on the street.’”
    So what is it? Is the sun too hot on your mideast head? Are you crazy from the heat? Is it sunstroke? Are you parched? Is it possible that something as simple as shade, or some air-conditioning, or maybe just a chilled beverage might — if you will — let cooler heads prevail?
    Then again, we don’t want to terrify you with the miracle that is an ice cube.
Posted in News, WTF | 3 Comments

Thou Shalt Give it a Rest

Posted on August 26 2003 by Mickey
    As long as I’m quoting scripture, and Matthew in particular. To those demonstrators in Montgomery Alabama who refuse to remove a Ten Commandments idol from their government building, I’d like to repeat what Jesus said: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Matthew: 22:22.)
Posted in News, Personal | Leave a comment

Passionately

Posted on August 26 2003 by Mickey
    After weeks of hearing about how Mel Gibson’s new movie Passion, which depicts Christ’s arrest and trial, might be anti-Semitic, I finally read this passage on CNN’s Entertainment page today: following a screening in Houston, the Anti-Defamation League “complained that the film portrays Jewish authorities and a Jewish mob as the ones responsible for the decision to execute Jesus.”
    I am hardly a biblical scholar and I have not seen the movie, but the scene described reminds me rather much of this passage from Matthew, Chapter 27, Verses 24-25: “When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. ‘I am innocent of this man’s blood,’ he said. ‘It is your responsibility!’
    “All the people answered, ‘Let his blood be on us and on our children!’”
    Does this mean the ADL is complaining because Gibson simply stayed true to his source material? Seriously?
Posted in Books, Links, Movies, News | Leave a comment

Mars, the Bringer of Wet Shoes

Posted on August 24 2003 by Mickey
    The local news reminded me that Mars was visible tonight, in the southeast, so I had to go out and see for myself. All I had were binoculars, but I assume the pale star in the sky was the Red Planet. At the risk of looking like a prowler to my neighbors, I took some pictures too.
    “During the opposition a great light was seen on the illuminated part of the disk, first at the Lick Observatory, then by Perrotin of Nice, and then by other observers. I am inclined to think that this blaze may have been the casting of the huge gun, in the vast pit sunk into their planet, from which their shots were fired at us.”
Posted in Books, Personal, Photos, Space | 2 Comments

A Message from Joe (2003/08/23)

Posted on August 23 2003 by Mickey
    My nephew Joe is taking an international studies course in Ecuador. Here’s his latest message.
From: Joe
Sent: Wednesday, August 23, 2003 18:04:02
Subject: Now this is more like it.

¡Hola amigos!

I’m glad to hear that everyone is doing well with international travels and everyday life. I promise to start emailing on a more personal basis when I can use the schools computers, but for now I have to walk to the mall to get to the internet. I wish you guys could see this mall … talk about swanky. Anyway, Ecuador continues to be a lot of fun. The homesickness is subsiding and I’m getting used to the language day by day. My family says some funny shiznit if you can understand them.

I finished my last “intensive spanish class” today. Monday is orientation and Wednesday I start my real classes. Ecology completely in spanish … hrmmm. I’m looking forward to it though. It’s nice just to get out of the house. I didn’t realize it, but talking in spanish all the time is really tiring, I have to always be thinking. When I’m at home, english just rolls off the tongue, hopefully my spanish can get to that point.

Oh ya, before I forget, I have my address and phone number. (I don’t expect anyone to use these, but they’re nice to have.

Telefono 2-467-354 The 2 is the city code … sorry, but I don’t know the country code

Direccion-
Joe Asteriou
Programas International/Kalamazoo College
PO Boc 17-12-841
Universidad San Francisco de Quito
Quito Ecuador

Ya, so it’s a bit of a mouthful, but hey, I’m in south america for pete’s sake!

I think i might be going to a soccer game tomorrow. I hear the teams are big rivals, so if I’m lucky I’ll see a riot!

Hoping everyone happy, no matter where they are!

joe
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