District 9
September 27, 2009
Just saw District 9 with Brian and Shay. It was great to see a sci-fi movie in the theaters (and I don’t mean the kind of sci-fi that Transformers is). Although there wasn’t much science in the movie. Still, fun to see aliens, and the parallels between how the humans treat the aliens and South Africa’s racial history were interesting to see. There were a few plot holes, I think, but it was still fun to watch. I got creeped out by the mutation and mutilation scenes. Ugh. I was hoping they’d show the guy being turned back again at the end, but oh well. The main character (I don’t even remember his name, it was a foreign one) reminded me of the British TV show The Office’s version of Michael Scott before he was told there was a way to save himself. All in all, good stuff. I’d see it again sometime.
Bought My Holiday Flight Tickets
September 25, 2009
I figured that it would be cheaper to fly from the SEA airport in Seattle to SFO in San Francisco than to SMF in Sacramento, since there would probably be more flights on that route. I just checked and found to my surprise that SFO tickets are significantly more expensive. Maybe there’s more demand? Interesting.
Around And Around
September 1, 2009
I just know Herbal Essences is scamming me. The shampoo bottle empties faster than the conditioner bottle, but both are the same size. So I get more of the same shampoo, but then the conditioner runs out, so then I get more of the same conditioner. Around and around. Curse you, evil cleansing company! Must you torment me so?
Bang
August 30, 2009
There was a gunshot about a block from my building after midnight about a week ago. A few minutes afterward, several police cruisers arrived with lights flashing. It seemed to happen in front of some kind of bar or restaurant that I could see from my bedroom window.
Fleeting Expertise
August 24, 2009
I discovered a web site that’s great for learning how to shop for products I’ve never bought before in a short period of time. When I shop, I want to buy something I know will satisfy my needs for the foreseeable future. I don’t want to have to buy another one because it broke or a newer one came out that I want instead. I want to do the comparison shopping and deal seeking just once.
- Egyptian cotton and white goose down. Feathers and synthetic are bad.
- Fill power is the space occupied by one ounce of down. It provides warmth, insulation, loft, and overall quality. More is better. High quality: 700+. Excellent quality: 600-700. Good quality: 525-600.
- Thread count determines softness and durability. Higher is better. A high thread count keeps fill in and impurities out. Examples: 325, 400, 600, and 700.
- Baffle box construction (“baffled”) has vertical cloth walls sewn in to spread out the fill. Not all have it, so check.
- The warranty can indicate its quality. It can range from one year to lifetime.
- Must get a duvet. It should be 100% cotton and have a high thread count.
- The size should be specific. For example, “Queen”, not “Full/Queen”.
- Measure your bed to ensure it will fit properly. It should drape down the sides of the bed.
- Gusset edges surround the outer edge and maximize loft.
The web site is consumersearch.com.
Switch
August 9, 2009
You may have noticed that my blog’s look has changed. I decided to move it to Blogger for several reasons: I wanted to have multiple blogs so I don’t bore my family with my computation musings; Blogger’s servers are faster than the one I was using; and Blogger has gotten a little more polish than when I last used it, and seems sufficient for my publishing needs. I just don’t have to work as hard with Blogger. WordPress is great for one or more authors working on a single blog, but can’t do multiple blogs. Also, it’s a pain to upgrade, and it seems to be full of security holes. Who needs that kind of hassle?
