Monthly Archive for November, 2006

Day Break makes good TV

Published
by
Mark
on Tuesday 28th November 2006
in TV
. 2 Comments

I don’t know if I’m just a sucker for the conspiracy thriller genre, but Day Break is yet another show following in the footsteps of X-Files, 24, Alias and Lost. The mid-season filler takes the place of Lost during the winter hiatus, and ABC is promising 11 action- and suspense-packed episodes. Not only that, but ABC is promising answers to all of the questions at the end of the eleventh episode.

The premise of the story can be summed up as a murder mystery playing out in Groundhog Day-like style. Detective Brett Hopper, played by Taye Diggs, is being framed for the murder of Assistant District Attorney Alberto Garza. In the pilot, we are introduced to all of the key characters, from his girlfriend to her ex-husband (played by Adam Baldwin of Serenity fame), who also happens to be Hopper’s ex-partner, from his current partner Andrea to a mystery shadow man. At the beginning of each day, Hopper starts all over. He retains his memory and his physical state, but everything starts over. Hopper is the only one who has any recollection of the day’s events. You can get more details from the FAQ.

One of the things that caught my attention in the first two episodes that I find unique among the genre is the way Hopper’s character learns from his previous experience. He finds different ways to deal with the problems he faces each time he lives through a day. With each change in his behavior, there are different consequences, often times triggering a very different sequence of events for the day.

So far, I really like the show. Like I said before, I hope Day Break doesn’t suffer from the pitfalls that killed Alias and X-Files. I also hope that ABC gives this show the chance it deserves to satisfy my curiosity. Just eleven episodes; I want the promise of answers fulfilled.

Great start

Published
by
Mark
on Monday 27th November 2006
in Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

I started today by going to one of the schools to help a psychologist with a technical issue. That was great, because the school is closer to home than the office. I could leave a little later and still get there on time. And on the way into the office, I could stop by Caribou Coffee and get a drink. When I left the school I did just that. However, upon getting into my car with my white chocolate mocha, I couldn’t get the car to start.

I tried starting the engine several times, but nothing happened. My lights would blink and the dashboard would flash, but the engine just wouldn’t turn. After a few phone calls to the dealership and a towing company, then almost 45 minutes waiting for the tow truck to arrive, the truck driver determined that it was my battery that was the problem. I had figured as much while waiting for him. So, instead of towing my car into the dealership, he jump started my car with a portable car charger. Great, I was on my way!

When I got to the office, I decided to test my car’s battery. So, I shut off the engine, then I tried to start it. Again, it didn’t turn. Crap! Well, I was already running late, so I decided I would deal with the issue later. I made a call to Rol, but he didn’t pick up his phone. After waiting a while for a call, I decided to try to book an appointment with the dealership, since I needed to get my Flex B service done anyway. I sent in a request online, and I even signed up for the online owners’ site.

When I went to lunch, the other Mark drove me over to the in-laws to pickup some jumper cables. After work, I went out to my car to drop off my stuff before going to get Chris’s dad. When I opened my car door, the dome light turned on, and my dashboard lit up like nothing was wrong. I thought, "Great, maybe it’ll start now!" It didn’t. I got the same flickering dashboard, but then my key wouldn’t turn after a few attempts. I thought perhaps my key was the problem, since it was an electronic key that talked to the ignition.

So, before trying to jump start the car, Chris’s dad drove me home so I could pick up my other set of keys. Perhaps the battery in my usual key had died, or it got damaged when I tossed it to Chris yesterday. I tried the other key, and it didn’t work. So, Chris’s dad and I tried to jump start my car, but it wouldn’t work. Finally, one of the maintenance guys saw that I was having car trouble and brought out a portable charger. He connected it to my battery, and violà! The car started up.

Even though my service appointment was first thing in the morning, Chris’s dad and I weren’t sure I would have any luck starting the car the next day. So, we brought it to the dealership so I could explain some of the problems and not have to deal with it until tomorrow. Now I’m looking at a $400+ service bill, between a possible battery replacement and my Flex B service. There goes my extra holiday money :-(

I’m going to have to be very selective with my Christmas presents this year, and I might not be able to get those additional Wii accessories until after the new year. I guess you win some (I got a Wii) and you lose some (my car is dieing).

Update: I finally got the paperwork for my car in the mail today. The total damage was $1200! Not only that, but apparently my Flex B service included changing my wiper blades. I now have OEM blades again, and my Bosch ICON blades are gone! I have to call tomorrow to find out why the tech replaced perfectly good wiper blades that are, in my opinion, far superior to the OEM blades now on my car. This is annoying, considering the OEM blades cost just as much as the ICON blades, and I had to go through all of that trouble to get the ICON blades in the first place. AAAARGH!

Busy busy busy

Published
by
Mark
on Tuesday 21st November 2006
in General
. 1 Comment

I am just finally getting home, and it’s almost 9 pm! When I left work, Mel called me and we had dinner at Sushi Station. After that, I took a quick stroll through EB Games to see if they had a nunchuck for the Wii; they didn’t. Then Mel and I went for a second dinner at Olive Garden for Emily’s birthday. I am a little wired right now because I had two caramel hazelnut macchiatos for my second dinner. Then it was off to see Dee, John Paul and Maddie. That kid is getting cuter and cuter every time we see her. Now that I’m home, I’m going to continue my journey of Linux as my main OS for my desktop. I’ll write about that later, because I have some likes and gripes about the whole experience.

A Wii bit of news

Published
by
Mark
on Sunday 19th November 2006
in Video Games
. 3 Comments

So, I have good news and bad news. First off, the good news: Bert and Toni were able to secure a second Wii after camping out last night, and they were gracious enough to sell it to me. And now the bad news: I don’t have any time for about a week to even unbox it and hook it up to play :-(

How sad is that? I have my first ever console acquired on launch day, and I can’t even use it for a week. Anyways, a big thanks to Bert and Toni for getting it for me, and another big thanks to Scott and Rich for transporting it from the Johnson residence to mine while I was out for my Mom’s birthday.

Oh, before I forget, and since Chris will recount this story an untold number of times, I was pretty damned excited about the offer from Bert this morning. I was sitting at my desk when I checked my voicemail. Then I burst out of my office and jumping up and down asking Chris if we could get a Wii. Then, when I called Bert back to tell him that I would greatly appreciate the Wii, I was all calm like the night. When I got off the phone, I was all smiles again.

nu zlnd ed sux?

Published
by
Mark
on Saturday 11th November 2006
in News
. 4 Comments

This one is for the educators out there to all cringe when they read it. New Zealand’s Qualification Authority (NZQA) will allow students to use IM/SMS/text-speak shorthand on national exams and receive full credit, given that the meaning of shortened words and phrases is still clear. The NZQA will not accept text-speak on all exams, saying that the English exam will penalize such shorthand.

I hope for the sake of America’s education that something like this does not set a precedent that we follow. The American educational system has gone through some insensible changes in the past ten years, but the change in New Zealand might even be too much for our Department of Education to enact.

Cynical outlook

Published
by
Mark
on Saturday 11th November 2006
in News
. 0 Comments

I am sick and tired of seeing headline after headline about how the Democratic majority will be good for education, good for technology, and good for everything else. It’s only been four days since the announcements have been made, but I’ve seen numerous headlines in Google Reader about how good the Dems will be. While I might relate to the views of the Democratic party more so than the Republican party, I don’t see the Democratic majority acting all that different from the Republican majority.

Richard Dawkins clips

Published
by
Mark
on Thursday 9th November 2006
in Entertainment and News
. 0 Comments

I have had this item in my Google Reader list for the past week and I haven’t had a chance to read it until just now. This blog post has several clips of Richard Dawkins, who is an evolutionary theorist (not necessarily that his theories are evolutionary, but that his theories are on evolution). The video clips are a mix of Google Video and YouTube videos. So, if you can’t see some of them, your network admin may be blocking one or both of the sites. Hell, Blogspot maybe blocked where you are, at which point you should just find the internet somewhere else.

The second video clip is particularly interesting, given the recent news about Ted Haggard, the former president of the National Association of Evangelicals. The end of the clip shows Richard Dawkins and his crew being shooed off of the NAE property by an irate Ted Haggard.