Year: 2008

Chinese Democracy

Did you remember to go to DrPepper.com yesterday and sign up for your free soda? I did around mid-day and expected a crashed, overloaded web site, but was disappointed by things going smoothly. I will be enjoying my Dr. Pepper in just 6 to 8 weeks.

I’m not sure what prompted it, but earlier this year the Dr. Pepper company promised everyone in America a free soda if Guns ‘N’ Roses actually released the long rumored Chinese Democracy album before the end of 2008. Axl Rose and friends came through, releasing the album yesterday. Dr Pepper, true to their word, gave away a free soda certificate yesterday to any one who lived in the US and filled out a form on their web site between 12:01 Saturday night and 11:59 on Sunday night.

I’ve seen various lengths of time that the album has been in the works, from over a decade to a more accurate guesses of 14 or 17 years. My favorite quote is this one:

The new album dropped Sunday after fans held on through 17 years of myriad false starts and production delays after Guns ?N Roses began recording in 1994.

Fast forward to the future? 1994 + 17 = 2011, I thought we were still in 2008?

I found that in an article from the New York Daily News that reports a Chinese newspaper calls the album as a “venomous attack”on the nation. Enjoy. I think the Chinese are just pissed that they weren’t eligible for a free Dr. Pepper.

P.S. The Dr Pepper web site is down today, I can’t enter my cap codes to see if I’ve won anymore wallpaper, aftereffects of yesterday? Or did it go down later in the day yesterday and is still hosed?

Started up, went down, still down.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 41

3 Minutes

Episode 46 of 82 is the story of how Michael goes out after the “Others” to get his son Walt back. There is no traditional off island flashback, just a jump between present time and flashbacks running backwards from 13 days prior when Michael left the survivor’s camp to meet up with the present. Michael has always been my least favorite character, I can understand his motivation, every time he gets close to the son he barely knows some one or something gets in the way, but he has always seemed so whiny about it.

Carriage Ride

Not for us, but that dog sure as heck seems to be enjoying himself. On our walk in Hitchcock Woods this afternoon, even though the parking areas were pretty full, we only saw a couple walkers, a couple on horseback and this carriage.

I’m now up to date on Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, having watched Episodes 7, 8 & 9 this afternoon. Just like last year during Season 1 it has taken a while to get back into it, to get the suspension of reality up to the level required to forgive the unbelievable turns the show takes at times, making a couple of the last bunch real enjoyable. They are starting to let us in on just how tricky the whole time travel thing is, seems like every time our intrepid heroes think they have done something to thwart the coming of judgment day,another thing happens in parallel that keeps the it on track.

Cameron, our hottie good Terminator, in a few places during episode #8 is shown walking away and she has this way of walking by placing one foot right in front of the other along a straight line. Very robotic looking gait, exactly like the walk used by models walking along the fashion runways. A comment from the producers on the humanity of supermodels?

Started up, went down, back up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 40

Sky City

I just saw a trailer for the new movie Australia and is it just me, but did they totally rip off that theme from TDPM?

Do you think the newest versions of the Chrysler minivans (which don’t seem to be too mini anymore) with it’s more angular look is meant as retro in the same mode as the new Beetle or the new Camaro?

Dear Fox, I downloaded the the illegally copied & shared bitorrents of last three episodes of the Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles because I couldn’t watch them directly from your site. I used to be able to watch shows directly, but something has changed since last year. The video herks, then jerks and then the audio becomes unsynced. At first I thought it might be my high speed connection had slowed, but I can still watch stuff on ABC.com. Ironically when it usually happens is at your minimal commercial breaks, even the ones where there is no actual ad there.

Started upn, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 38

Typealyzer

Run your blog throught the Typealyzer and it will analyze your writing and spit out your psychological type. I know this is probably a lot like a horoscope, so vague as to apply to everyone, but I do see quite a bit of me in here:

ESFP – The Performers

The entertaining and friendly type. They are especially attuned to pleasure and beauty and like to fill their surroundings with soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells. They live in the present moment and don?t like to plan ahead – they are always in risk of exhausting themselves.

The enjoy work that makes them able to help other people in a concrete and visible way. They tend to avoid conflicts and rarely initiate confrontation – qualities that can make it hard for them in management positions.

(except for the whole soft fabrics, bright colors and sweet smells thing)

84,000 Annoyingly Blinking Cursors

Taunting me.

I have nothing really in mind for a post and staring at mostly empty title box and the vast expanse of empty text is not really helping me conjure up something. The only thing I have to write about is the oh so exiting news that sometime yesterday the odometer on the Emperor easing over the eighty-four thousand mile mark. And that won’t take up much space, as you can see.

Last week on the way home from work we stopped at Regions Bank and made the last payment on the Miata. The check has cleared, but we are still waiting for the title in the mail. Now if only my wife would let me have that “extra” $300 a month to spend as I wanted… 😀

Started down, went up, still up.
Miata Top Transitions since 10/24/08: 38

?

This episode returned to the good writing that entangled both the off island flashback of Mr. Eko and his on island story. Through his dreams (or religious visions) he insists that he and Locke search the jungle for the ? which leads them back to the wreckage of the small plane in which Mr. Eko found the remains of his priest brother. Locke has a dream which shows Mr. Eko where to go, enabling him to see the ?, which turns out to be another hatch. Inside the hatch they watch another orientation film which cause Locke to lose his faith in the button pushing, but surprisingly has the exact opposite effect on Eko.