Note: This review contains no plot spoilers. We went to see the highly anticipated (well, by us, anyway) Cowboys and Aliens this afternoon, despite the lukewarm review in this morning’s newspaper. I don’t necessarily ignore movie reviews, but I have found that I often disagree with professional critics when it comes to science fiction. Perhaps… Continue reading Movie Review: “Cowboys and Aliens”
Month: July 2011
Knifed
Say, I think I forgot to tell you about the cool anniversary gift MLB presented me during our recent trip to Santa Fe. That’s a photo of it floating off to the right. Yep, it’s a knife…a Benchmade Model 470 Osborne Emissary, to be exact, and it’s the best knife I’ve ever owned. It’s got… Continue reading Knifed
Borders Ruins
On July 18th, Borders Group, Inc. announced that it was closing 400 bookstores and liquidating its inventory, having failed to find a rescuer after it declared bankruptcy. The company is another victim of technology, having missed the boat, the train, and even the bus that runs to the online hubs for selling books and music.… Continue reading Borders Ruins
The oil business in Santa Fe is booming, as is the vinegar trade
It’s probably because we’re just rubes from the country, but we were amazed to discover during our recent visit to Santa Fe that there are [at least] two stores in the downtown area that specialize in selling olive oil and balsalmic vinegar in a wide array of flavors. We spent quite a bit of time… Continue reading The oil business in Santa Fe is booming, as is the vinegar trade
Denver’s Big Blue Bear
One of the more entertaining sights in Denver is the installation of a whimsical statue entitled “I See What You Mean.” See if you don’t agree: The fiberglass statue was installed in 2005, stands 40′ tall, and cost more than $400,000, according to this article. One can only hope that it’s not staring into a… Continue reading Denver’s Big Blue Bear
Book Review: “Feed” and “Deadline”
Imagine a scenario where every mammal on earth is infected with an incurable mutant virus that generally remains dormant until the moment of death, at which point the virus springs into action. Its goals are simple – survive and replicate – and it achieves these goals by taking over the dead host’s neural and muscular… Continue reading Book Review: “Feed” and “Deadline”
Road Warrior Gear
I don’t travel much on business, or conduct much business when I travel, but when I do, I have a handful of accessories that I always pack to make the trip more efficient. In addition to the usual electronics (e.g. notebook computer and iPad and associated cables and chargers), here’s what I bring: eBags backpack:… Continue reading Road Warrior Gear
Random Thursday – The Customer Service Complaint Edition
Some random thoughts about some puzzling and odd – OK, let’s be honest: they’re annoying – business practices that have caught my attention: Budget asked me to complete an online questionnaire about a recent car rental. I found it odd that the survey offered only check boxes and radio buttons, and provided no option for… Continue reading Random Thursday – The Customer Service Complaint Edition
Google’s free website program doesn’t help everyone
I posted brief rants about the Texas Get Your Business Online (TGYBO) initiative yesterday on Facebook and Twitter, but that wasn’t particularly satisfying, so I want to continue the rant here. After all, anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Here’s a quick refresher. TGYBO provides free websites and hosting (for a year) to small businesses in… Continue reading Google’s free website program doesn’t help everyone
Movie product placements new? Not hardly.
I streamed the first 50 minutes of Gog* today via Netflix, during my workout. This movie debuted in 1954 to widespread yawns, for many good reasons, but it does provide some unintentionally campy moments. The plot of the movie surrounds some apparent acts of sabotage taking place at a top secret government research facility (I… Continue reading Movie product placements new? Not hardly.