Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace - Quick Review

Just finished watching The Phantom Menace on the Star Wars Marathon. I think that after seven years, I have forgiven the film. When it came out, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I was expecting. It could not possibly live up to the hype. It wasn't the like the original films.

There are two things that really jump out at me. First of all, the special effects and CGI is just absolutely amazing. Jurassic Park showed Lucas that the technology had arrived to make his first trilogy, but Phantom Menace is light years ahead of JP in terms of effects. The second thing is that the film was really well cast, but, the dialog is choppy. I use to think that it was bad acting, and that accounted for the cheesy dialog. But let's face it, Star Wars has always had cheesy dialog (Power Converters at Toshe Station, anyone?). However, it's the pacing of the dialog that doesn't seem natural. Take the dinner scene in Anakin's hovel. It seems like it was years between each bit of dialog. It doesn't flow.

Seven years later, watching it at home with the kids, it was a blast. Well, Attack of the Clones is about to start, so, gotta go.

Morts, Einsteins and Elvis...Oh My.

In my career world, there are some who I really think are Rock Stars. One of those is Rhocky Lhotka. I have been to several conferences to hear him, and even had my picture taken with him once upon a time. I have a classic picture of Katie reading one of his books. I came across a Guest Opinion that he has written for the Visual Studio magazine entitled Software is Too Darn Hard. The opinion was adapted from an article on Rhocky's blog.

I tend to not express my opinions about programming too much, but my number one pet peeve is summed up by Lhotka:

Software development is too darn hard. As an industry, we spend more time discussing "plumbing" issues like Java vs .NET or .NET Remoting vs Web Services than we do discussing the design of the actual business functionality itself.

And even when we get to the business functionality, we spend most of our time fighting with the OO design tools, the form designer tools that "help" create the UI, the holes in data binding, the data access code (transactions, concurrency, field/column mapping) and the database design tools.

Does the user care, or get any benefit out of any of this? No. They really don't. Oh sure, we convince ourselves that they do, or that they'd "care if they knew". But they really don't.

Couldn't have said it better.

Watch out for the Big Guy on Skates!

Today I received an early birthday present from my parents: Roller Blades! I sorta knew this was coming, and since I also know that Friday is pretty much filled up, I went ahead and opened them. I haven't been on skates since the last time I went to a skating rink (say, around 1979) and never on roller blades. So, with some fear and trepidation, I put them on (along with the wrist guards) and received helpful instructions from the Munchkins. I did OK on the patio. After church, I donned the equipment once again and went out into the cul-de-sac for a few test runs. What a blast! But, try stopping with that break...haven't figured that out yet.

Star Wars Birthday Marathon

I have decided this year, that for my birthday (aka, "The Day Of Chuck"), I would like to spend the day watching a Star Wars Marathon, Episodes I - VI. Here is my tentative schedule for Friday, May 19th.

Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace	133	6:00 AM	8:13 AM
Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones	142	8:30 AM	10:52 AM	0:17
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith	140	12:00 PM	2:20 PM	1:08
Star Wars	125	2:30 PM	4:35 PM	0:10
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back	129	6:00 PM	8:09 PM	1:25
Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi	135	8:30 PM	10:45 PM	0:21

It will be a day long remembered. I just wonder if the kids are truly up for it?

Just Wondering...

So...it looks like we are going to start to do something about the porous border that we share with Mexico. One of the ideas that I heard being thrown about is a 700 mile long fence. So, I was just wondering, do you think that any illegal immigrants will be hired on the cheap to help build the fence?

Perfect gift for those who like their religion warm and fuzzy

Hey parents and grandparents! Want to give your child a toy that will not only be safe, but send a good message? Then check out the Holy Folks! Give your kids Moses, Mary, Noah or Jesus Plush Toys and watch them play and pray with their new best friend.

The Holy Folks Jesus doll comes complete with a shepard's Staff. His magnetic hands can firmly hold onto the magnetic staff, and also come together in prayer position.

The Holy Folks Mary doll comes complete with baby Jesus doll. Her magnetic hands firmly hold onto the baby Jesus, and also come together in prayer position.

The Holy Folks Noah doll comes complete with 2 Elephants. His magnetic hands can firmly hold onto the magnetic Elephants, and also come together in prayer position.

The Holy Folks Moses doll comes complete with 10 Commandment tablets. His magnetic hands can firmly hold onto the magnetic tablets, and also come together in prayer position.

(seriously, I don’t think these toys are appropriate, and perhaps a bit tawdry)

Two Funny Videos

Have you seen “Darth Vader Calls The Emperor?” Just for the record, does have language and is not kid friendly, but, very funny.

Also, Pepsi and Mentos puts to rest, once and for all, why you should not mix Pepsi and Mentos. This time, it is performed on a live human subject.

Enjoy

Two Reviews: Poseidon and Ice Age 2

Sometimes, it helps to point the expect-o-meter to the low setting before going out to see a movie. That’s exactly where mine was set when I took in a showing of Poseidon this past Saturday at the Dutch Square AMC Theaters. Just the day before, I had read the 1.5 star review of the movie in the State Newspaper, and I almost did not want to go and see it. I am so glad I did.

Once again, I had no complaints about Dutch Square’s Theaters. Missy runs a good ship over there. It was great fun talking with Winn at the front door. The projection and sound levels were spot on. Nothing distracted from the film itself.

Here is where the review fails, and generally speaking, this is a problem with most reviews: it fails to put the film into a proper context. What are we going to see? A remake of an Irwin-Allen disaster flick! Not necessarily Citizen Kane, but darn entertaining. And that’s how I walked away from the current version of Poseidon: entertained.

I can not say the same with Ice Age 2: The Meltdown. I took this in at the Columbiana Grande Cinemas. My biggest complaint about the showing of this film was the condition of the screen. In a movie where white is the predominant color, a dirty screen shows up like a red spot.

But, worse than the dirty screen, was the story. I was surprised by the first movie: it had chemistry between the characters However, this outing was just bland. The warming climate threatens to flood the valley where the animals have settled. At the other end of the valley, there is a promise of a boat where everyone will be safe (I could not tell if this was going to work into an alternate telling of Noah’s ark…it didn’t). So begins the road movie. Along the way, Manny meets a female mammoth raised by possums. The two possums did provide some chuckles, but they worked really hard for each one. Along the trek, the group is pursued by two prehistoric animals who never seem to pose a real threat and we are treated to outtakes of the Squirrel trying to get his acorn (which has very little to do with the film). I was bored the entire time. The animation was brilliant, but the story was all wet.

Reunion Recap

Not often can you slip back into friendship that has not been actively cultivated for over twenty years, but that definitely happened at my Friday night get together. I have seen Jay on and off over the years, and recently reconnected with Rick and Todd in the blogsphere, but the last time that I saw George was at his parent’s house, ten years ago. The funny thing about getting together was, once we started relaxing, our personalities had not changed all that much. Maybe a bit more mello, but, I contribute that to the affects of fatherhood. I missed Alan, and wished it would have worked out for him to be able to make it.

Watching our senior American English Literature project helped project us back as well. When I was a senior, I thought I looked much older, but man, I was definitely a kid. The movie helped to frame memories of being seventeen with a whole lot of life ahead. It also made me miss another friend that we have not been able to reconnect with since the ten year Airport HS reunion, Steve.

The next day, Todd, Jay and I discovered that Columbia, SC does not do brunch. So, we settled on the next best thing: IHOP. One person should not be allowed to eat an omelet and three pancakes. Attempting to walk some of it off, we toured the USC campus and then headed out to West Columbia to see if the old Comic Book shop was still pulling our subscriptions.

Saying goodbye to Todd, who had to go and DJ a wedding, Jay and I headed out to see Poseidon. We had nearly an hour to kill before the 3:00pm showing, but I heard a familiar voice as we were purchasing tickets. During college, I had worked at the Bush River Mall Cinemas, and some of the employees that I knew there now worked at the Dutch Square cinemas (Dutch Square’s manager, Missy, was hired at Bush River the same day I was, so we go way back), The familiar voice belonged to Winn. At age 68, he is doing what I hope to be doing in retirement – working back at a theater. As we talked, I remembered that he was also friends with Dave, the best man at my wedding who, you guessed it, I have lost touch with. I found out that Dave was working out of Greenwood South Carolina, and with a quick trip to White Pages.com, I have secured an address. I am sending out a brief snail mail to him today to confirm his identity.

So, for a reunion weekend, it really turned out great.

Road Trip!

I have come to discover the benefit of driving from Chesapeake Va to Lexingto SC after work: a full extra day to spend with Mom and Dad. I went into work yesterday, planning to leave around 3:00, but the excitement over tonight's reunion had me rather restless at work. Not only that, but, my blood pressure got worked up over a client who manages the data in our application with her own set of Excel Spreadsheets. Excel has been the bane of my existence (datawise, anyways).

But, around 11:45, I went to my director and asked if it would be ok if I convert to a half day and leave at lunch. No problem. The only problem that did come from it was, Cindy thought I was home for lunch and we were still looking at a 3:00 departure. Around 1:15, I told her "oh, by the way, I am done." She gave me that look that only wives and moms know how to give. The look that will melt a Husband or Son like a forgotten crayon on a car's back dashboard in the middle of summer. I ran a few of the errands (including getting Shock for the pool and taking the kid's to Coldstone to redeem "recital" coupons), and we were off by 2:30.

Save a brief potty stops and a dinner dash, we made it to Lexington right at 9:00. By 10:00, I was out like a light. Mom is taking the day off and we are going to catch Ice Age 2 around lunch time. I like driving back into Cola Town and I don't know if it is because of nostalgia, or just familiarity. Probably more of the former.

Looking Forward to Friday

I am so looking forward to this weekend! I will be traveling from the Home Office here in Chesapeake, Virginia down to South Carolina. Its mother’s day weekend, and it will be the first time in many years that I will actually get to be with my Mom on that day.

Also in the cards is a chance to get together with several of my Pals from high school: Rick, Todd and Jay. The festivities that are in the works include a viewing of the “Director’s Cut” of a film that we made as Seniors in High School, but the real treat will be just getting together.

Bilbo Baggins Triumphant

Last night, we finished the adventures of Bilbo Baggins as told in The Hobbit. Interest in reading (and, in my case, rereading) this book came on Christmas Day of this past year when I received a video game based on The Hobbit. The kids were already familiar with Bilbo from the Rankin-Bass adaptation, and so off we went with Bilbo and thirteen Dwarves in a Quest to defeat a Dragon and reclaim a treasure.

I was most surprised that chapter two, Roast Mutton, had the most affect on Katie. For a while, I was learning about the undocumented adventures of Tom, Bert and Bill. They seemed to turn up everywhere, and many pieces of paper were consumed in detailing their exploits.

The most satisfying parts of the book were the chapters that either expanded what was in the movie, or had been removed all together. For the kids, these were completely new and you could see the look of enjoyment on their faces.

Unfortunately, as with most “long” books that we read, what begins with a good start, ends up as an unfinished journey. Then a friend of our family related that, as the quickest of the eaters in their house, he would simply pull a book out and start reading aloud after he had supped. What an idea, and that was how we made short work of the last five or six chapters.

United 93 Review

I wanted to write about this last night, but the latest “Red Green Show” came from Netflix. It’s all about priorities. Thursday is starting to turn into a movie night for me, and last night I watched United 93.

The film was shot exclusively with a hand held camera, with a good amount of grain on the print, making it seem like a documentary. The musical score was remarkably unnoticeable, except in key moments. And all of the actors felt real, with the emotional impact of the movie coming from the final, fatal moments.

What else can be said about the plot or the story? You go into this movie already knowing the ending. It is not a film to be “enjoyed,” but experienced.

I had this conversation about Titanic a few weeks ago. I believe the reason that movie impacted so many people was because they experienced a tragedy that history had summarized as “Ship hits Iceberg and Sinks.” History lost the scale of the event and Cameron made it real. For three hours, you were a participant.

United 93 accomplished the same thing. You are in the FAA control rooms, you are in the Flight Control Centers, you are on United 93. History is turning the events of that morning into “Terrorist Fly Planes into WTC and Pentagon. Fourth Plane crashes into Pennsylvania Fields.” We are forgetting something that should not be forgotten.

The movie is reverent to that morning and to the victims onboard. It does not pass judgment on the terrorist, nor does it make any political statements: it is good historical fiction and I recommend it for the intended viewing audience indicated by the rating. I had believed that it was too soon for this type of movie (I am sure more are to come), but I was wrong. This film will help you remember how you felt on Tuesday, September 11, 2001.

I know I did.

Hump Day Happenings

Sometimes, our small group is like going a few rounds with Mike Tyson. That’s what I really appreciate about our SG leader: lessons can be tough. We have been going through Psalm 119, and got to verse 113: I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love. What keeps coming back to me, week after week, is, do I love God’s law and how do I know that I do. It is easy for me to tell you, “Yes, I love God’s Law.” It is, quite simply, reflexive for a Christian to respond that way. Wouldn’t it be odd for the response to be, “No”? Where I am going with this is, do my actions reflect my speech? Sadly, not as much as I would like to think they do. So, what are you going to do about that?

Orchestra rehearsal was a mixed bag. By 7:30, I am mentally drained from the day and I typically do not enjoy going to these rehearsals. Last night we had a full trumpet section (and a new trumpet player from the School of Music). We have been praying for the trumpet section in particular, and it is neat to see that prayer answered. Once the Choir came in at 8:30 for the run through, I really got pumped. The music we play is exciting, and having the Choir add the words just completes the experience.

Corolla Retreat

Wow! I have made it to mid-week and feel like I have come up for a bit of air. The last two weeks have been something of blur, all starting on Easter Weekend. The big highlight was our small group study’s retreat at a beach house in Corolla, NC. I’ve lived in Hampton Roads for 10 years now, but I have never been to the outer banks. The house was really nice, and nothing like my memories of staying at beach houses on Edisto Island, SC.

My memories of beach houses include houses on stilts and linens heavy with the smell of the salt water. As a young child, I remember my Granddaddy Bryan fishing from the shore. It was there that he first introduced me to coffee, granddaddy style (that is, lots of sugar, lots of milk). Grandmother Bryan taught me how to tell the difference between a male and female crab and how to put one to sleep. I remember stories of pirates, pretending water towers were rocket ships, and sitting on the porch during a downpour.

The weekend retreat to Corolla was a great time to get to know two other families in our group. There was lots of good eating, sitting in a hot tub and jumping into an ice cold pool. I got an opportunity to give a morning devotional to the men and the ladies ended up briefly shopping. Not only was it a retreat from daily lives, Cindy and I went without the girls. It was an odd feeling being without them, but, it also was a needed respite.

Tragedy at the White House

My bud LJ sent this video to me. Put down the glass of milk

Easter Morning

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
1 Peter 1:3

The verse written above was scripted by Peter, one of two apostles with whom I can identify (just for the record, Thomas is the second). He was a simple fisherman. He was without means, a name, wealth or political clout. He was one of Jesus’ closest disciples. He walked on water to Jesus. He identified Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of God.”

Peter had lived and worked beside his friend Jesus for three years, witnessing miracle upon miracle. But he still did not understand that Jesus was God’s sacrificial lamb. He did not grasp that Christ had not come to live on earth, but rather, to die. He did not understand that when Christ said he would rebuild the temple in three days that he was literally speaking of his resurrected body. And so, when Jesus was arrested, tried and executed, he was understandably scared and confused. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. When questioned, Peter denied he even knew his friend.

But something transformed Peter and gave him a “lively hope.” So much so, that he too was crucified for preaching Christ. That something was the Easter Story. Peter was the first disciple to enter the tomb and discover that, as the women had reported, it was empty. He encountered the resurrected Christ and discovered that He was alive.

And that is the message of Easter. At the age of fourteen, I accepted Christ as my Savior, which is to say that I acknowledge that I am born of Adam and have inherited his disobedience. I acknowledge that this inheritance has separated me from the one who created me. No matter how good I am, no matter how hard I try to do good things, no matter what kind of citizen I am, there is absolutely nothing that I can do to change what I have inherited. I realized what the nature of holiness means, and that God turns his eyes away from me. I learned that as much as I wanted God to be a loving Grandfather, he was still a Holy God. And my inheritance would eternally separate me from Him. I had always known about Jesus, but I did not realize that Jesus was the Kinsman Redeemer who would pay for the thing that I had inherited. That I could trust this redemption, because the Tomb was empty on Easter Morning, and Peter encountered the resurrected Lord.

Bad Business

Saturday. Stuck nicely between Friday and Sunday. But not just any Friday, or any Sunday, but this is the day between my Lord’s death and his triumphant resurrection. This must have been a dark day for the 11 remaining disciples. John had just witnessed the whole execution. Jesus had spoken directly to him while he hung dying: “Behold thy Mother!” Mary and Martha had seen their brother Lazarus raised up from the dead by Jesus. Why did he not save himself? He did not even try. He didn’t struggle. He just…gave up. Joseph and Nicodemus had to work quickly the day before, the day of the execution. After seeking permission from Pilate to take Jesus’ body, they had prepared him for the grave. Did his blood still stain their hands? It was bad business all together.

School House Rocks

Do you remember School House Rocks? Of course you do! How many of us knew how a Bill became a Law before we even got to High School? But what about those topics that never made it past the bullpen sessions?

1. Subjunctive Clauses


2. Lobbyist: The Oil that Greases the Wheels


3. Noises our Bodies Make


4. It’s, its, who’s whose, your, you’re…


5. Free Trade Coffee

Review: V for Vendetta

V for Vendetta is not the film that everyone is going to enjoy, but I did. The problem, in general, with science fiction, fantasy and superhero films is that the target audience is very narrow. And as such, the industry generally does not know how to make good films in this genre. Yes, Hollywood does make good sci-fi, fantasy and superhero films, but it is always a hit and miss affair.

That is why I was my expectation level was set so low for V.

The source material for the movie is based on Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s works from the eighties, and adapted by the Wachowski brothers. The film is set in a fascist Britain, sometime in the near future. In this world, we are introduced to Evey, played by Natalie Portman and the titular character, V (Hugo Weaving). V masks himself behind the visage of Guy Fawkes, and has set his mind on the single purpose of overthrowing the new government. Anarchy and terrorist attacks are his weapons.

Given the current state of affairs, I found this an interesting theme. There will be instant comparisons, of course, between the fictional government and our own, but I am not that thin skinned. Oppressive rulers have been a common theme in Science Fiction, and that a government was chosen instead of an emperor makes no difference. The instrument that ultimately overthrows the government is the people oppressed by that government.

I like the film. Hugo Weaving never shows his face, and anyone could have played this role, but he has one of those incredible voices. This is possibly my favorite role that I have seen Natalie Portman in. Bear in mind that, beyond Star Wars and The Professional, this is the only other role that I have seen her in. V for Vendetta is not for everyone, but, I think if you are a fan of Science Fiction, you will enjoy this film.