Hm.

I just got laid off. There's part of me that realizes that I have no net whatsoever now, and that several impending expenses are looming on the horizon, but honestly, I'm not as scared as I think I should be. This is a bad time to lose one's employment, certainly, but I'm also feeling fairly confident in my ability to get something else. Which would be nice. Perhaps I won't have the flexibility I have now, but hey, I might have less expensive medical benefits.

Anyway, those who read this and pray, please start doing so.

Hotel Rwanda

I chose not to see Hotel Rwanda when it came out. My dad had passed away very recently, and I knew I wouldn't be able to handle it. I was right. If I had seen it then, it would have messed up my entire month. But I waited until I was stronger, and I saw it just now. Wow. I'm glad I waited, but I'm glad I saw it.

This is a movie about the genocide of the Tutsis by the Hutus in Rwanda, and this one guy trying to keep Tutsi refugees alive in the four-star hotel he manages. Sort of an African Schindler's List, if you will. After the first 15-20 minutes (exposition and such), the entire movie is an "Oh, crap, what's going to happen now?" moment. I've seen a lot of films where I wasn't sure how things were going to turn out, and I genuinely feared for the characters, but this one put all the rest of them to shame. It's sort of the difference between "How the heck are they gonna get out of this now?" and "Holy crap. There's nothing they can do. They're all hosed." It was a very intense movie, filled with fantastic acting. I can't say I'd recommend it for everyone, as some might be put off by the fact that real people can behave this way to other real people, and others wouldn't be able to stomach the horror that this guy and his family are going through. But if you feel up to the challenge, I demand that you see this film.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day everyone! Mine was better than last year's, but still a little meh. I had lots of grilled meat over at Heidi's family's place, which was cool, and did my laundry there, which was way cool. Other than that, it was sort of OK. I've been trying to catch up on my sleep, and also trying to show my apartment so I can sublet it recently, and both of those goals did moderately well today. Other than that, a little tired and blah right now. But Happy Father's Day!

Nacho Libre

We went and saw Nacho Libre last night. It was really funny, and if you liked Napoleon Dynamite, you will probably like this, but I can see that it's not for everyone (neither movie is). I happened to like Napoleon Dynamite a lot, and I like Jack Black, so I got a double whammy of fun. Jared Hess (the director and a co-writer of both films) has a very distinctive style, that is immediately evident. He's not much for smooth pacing, but he uses his stuttering pacing and odd camera angles for effect. Also, I've noticed that a lot of his characters are very dull and low energy (think Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite), which is used effecively as well.

But anyway, this show looked to be an opportunity for Jack Black and Hector Jiminez to mug onscreen. There was no subtlety of emotion here, it was a broadly played farce from beginning to end. It seemed that nearly every scene was an attempt by the actor to make a face that would make the audience laugh, and about half the time, that's where the laughter came from. That combined with the odd pacing made for a strange moviegoing experience, but once I let my mind go in that direction (and it took a noticible shift), I had a lot of fun.

The story isn't complex. Ignacio (Jack Black) is a monk who dreams of becoming a wrestler, but he needs another guy to help him compete. He is accosted by a vagrant on the street (Hector Jiminez), and eventually tries to get him to join in the wrestling. He proceeds to fight, trying to woo the hot nun who just showed up at the monastery, and using his winnings (they pay him even when he loses, which he does frequently) to help the monastery out. The plot has more progression than that, but really, if you're going, you're going for the humor more than the story.

So I recommend this, but if you don't have a goofy sense of humor like me or Heidi, you'll probably want be in a goofy mood and/or have a drink ahead of time (note that it's not a movie you have to be drunk to enjoy, but a drink will facilitate the shift in thinking).

Thank You God!

Click on the picture so you can read the caption. The lesson in this is that if you're thinking about technology in 50 years, and it's not unbelievable, you're thinking too conservatively.

Update: Please see the comments. This is actually a Fark.com piece. Oops.

Brew #1 Bottled

Recently finished bottling brew #1. Not sure how it's going to turn out, but then again, I'm brand new at this. It should be ready for drinking at my D&D game on the 25th, which should be a fun change of pace, y'know, assuming it doesn't taste like feet or anything.

Some techical details:
# of gallons bottled: A little over 4
# of bottles: 44
Final Gravity: 1.009
Estimated Alcohol Content: 5.1 %

Matt's in Italy at a conference, so he gave me some pointers (and some bottles), but he wasn't there walk me though the process. There were a few things that I know I screwed up, and a few things that might have gone wrong. I might have some explosive bottles, I might have some nasty bugs growing in some of the bottles. But it just might turn out perfectly. Owell, worst thing that happens is that I throw the beer out and learn.

Anybody want to sublet?

So does anybody want to sublet my place from mid-July to the end of September? Rent is $765 (although we can negotiate with that), it's a large one bedroom on the third floor of Winnemac and Lincoln, close to the Brown Line. It's an old place, and there are some minor issues associated with that, but it's got a great view off the back porch, it's bright and sunny, and the garbage is picked up from a can right outside your door by the landlords. It gets hot in the summer, but it'll come with two window A/C units (one old, one really new), a coffee table, three area rugs, a microwave, and a desk chair, free if you want them.

Basically, Heidi and I figured we could save a lot of money if I moved into the new place and she either stayed at her place until we got married or moved back in with her parents for the next couple months.

Mucca Pazza

We went to Midsommarfest this afternoon, one of the early summer neighborhood festivals in and around Chicago (it also happens to be in Andersonville, the neighborhood where my church is located). It was such a kick in the pants. It was so busy, with so much to look at and to do, and the weather was freakin' perfect. The highlight of the afternoon was this band that describes themselves as a circus punk marching band, called Mucca Pazza. I don't think I've ever seen a band perform live with quite so much energy and style and dynamic range. It's rare that you see people actually having fun performing, but these people captured the essense and energy of comic improv within their choreographed musical pieces, and mighty fine playing. I'm not sure I'd want to buy one of their CD's, as the music was unsual, but not striking. But the live performance was such that I could easily become a groupie of theirs. Still pictures really can't capture the energy and power of the performance, but it was a mighty one. If you get a chance to see these folks, I highly recommend it.

An Actor I Dig (#2 in an Ongoing Series)

Peter Cullen is a man I don't think I've ever seen, but I've heard frequently. He has a powerful voice that is deep and rich and fatherly, and has been wasted on Eeyore in the New Winnie the Pooh cartoon series. He's made himself a good living with his voice for decades, but I, and pretty much any guy in his mid-late twenties to their early thirties (OK, I'm in my mid thirties, but I'm a geek), will remember him as one person and one person only: Optimus Prime. The subtle tones with which he portrays emotional depth (OK, he's doing cartoons, but still, just listen to him), are an inspiration. I want to sit at the feet of Optimus Prime and listen to how he does it.

Incidentally, finding an announcement for this on rottentomatoes was what started this whole search off.

Oh, good. Another shot in the foot for Net Neutrality

So the House defeated an amendment for Net Neutrality last night. The corporations are winning, which I guess is nothing new in America. The squeaky wheels with the money end up getting the most grease. The next battle is in the Senate where, fortunately, there is more support for the little guy.

The full story is here.