Entertainment 1 comment

Eastern Promises Movie – Spoiler

By on July 19th, 2009

Last night I watched Eastern Promises.  I am not sure if I saw part of it before and fell asleep (happens a lot when DH has a Netflix) or that the fight scene in the bathhouse has become so famous that it seemed familiar.

Eastern Promises

Eastern Promises by Patrick ??? ???

Eastern Promises (2007) – Trivia

To prepare for his role, Viggo Mortensen traveled alone to Moscow, St. Petersburg and the Ural Mountain region of Siberia, where he spent five days driving around without a translator. He read books on the gangs of the vory v zakone (thieves in law), Russian prison culture and the importance of prison tattoos as criminal résumés, and perfected his character’s Siberian accent and learned lines in Russian, Ukrainian and English. During filming, he used worry beads made in prison from melted-down plastic cigarette lighters and decorated his trailer with copies of Russian icons.

It’s a great film.  And though I think it is unrealistic that a midwife would not immediately give the diary of a murdered girl to the police, it works because Naomi Watts is so believably naive. Also, having a foreign father myself, I can see why she would think it perfectly acceptable to arrive unannounced, reveal that she had a Russian father and seek assistance with translation.  I would personally seek help at a church, rather than a restaurant.  But that would not be much of a story.

[Naomi Watts and Vincent Cassell]

Viggo Mortensen and Armin Mueller-Stahl are convincing Russian criminals.  It makes sense for these European faces, Mortensen being half Dutch, and Mueller-Stahl born in Prussia.  Being fascinated by that kind of trivia, I immediately had to see where each person was born, raised, and the ethnicity of their parents.  But that does not speak of their acting ability, which is amazing.  Mueller-Stahl is chilling, and Mortensen disturbing.

[Viggo Mortensen]

Vincent Cassel also does a fine job of looking like a foolish young thug.  Not long into the the file I wanted to smack him around myself.

Technology 3 comments

Asus Eee 1000HE Netbook and Contenders

By on July 18th, 2009

So, I ordered an Asus Eee 1000HE.  It was actually one of my original choices, later dinged because there did not appear to be a memory upgrade available.  But I found one later in the search and compare journey.  Other contenders included the HP 2140 Mini and the MSI Wind. 

[Asus Eeee]

I finally chose the Asus, because all other things being equal, the HP cost over 100 dollars more, with near identical specs and came installed with Windows Vista, that I would have to downgrade.  The MSI Wind shipped with 2G of ram, and Windows XP installed, but does not have 802.11n.  The other two models do.  And yes, that matters in my world.

So, my Asus Eee will arrive black, with 1G of ram.  (Blue was sold out in some venues and a hefty premium in others.) And a chip will arrive separately.  In my opinion, it’s significantly less hassle to pop out 1G and pop in 2G, than to change the operating system.  But that’s just me.  And I must have XP for some of the work I do.

[asus ram]

Also, the HP 2140 has been discontinued, making it near impossible to find at this moment, since previous model discontinued and stock that is left is only available at one retailer.  And the new model has yet to be released. 

My very first thought was to purchase the Dell Mini 10.  But it doesn’t have a ram upgrade available, costs top dollar, and my own experiences with Dell have been mixed.  One person called me to rave about Dell.  And another called to warn me about them.  I thank you both.

I should mention that I stopped by Best Buy, who online carries these devices.  The store had many, many varieties of netbooks.  Though not a single one of them was any of the models mentioned above.  I touched the keyboards and looked at the screens.  They haven’t changed much.  I spent years carrying laptops through airports, years fixing them, returning them, loving them and cursing them:  I pretty much know what I want.

I know also:

  • I have called the ThinkPad the StinkPad for years. You can brand them Lenovo.  But I still think they stink.
  • Toshiba has beautiful screens.  And they’re built like tanks.  I don’t want to carry a tank in my purse.
  • HP, Dell and Sony are fancy, expensive brand names.  But Hewlett and Packard were just a couple of guys from the South Bay.  I’m not paying $150 more just because they made it.

I asked DH to weigh in on several points.  His most honest commentary was that he cannot imagine purchasing anything so small with no room for expansion.  But the netbooks appear to suite my needs. 

Exactly.

My needs and wants are this:  small, highly portable, wi-fi connectivity, flash drives, XP.  DH, being a man who plays video games and doesn’t mind when his laptop and the zillion papers he piles around it weigh twenty pounds does not think that way.  I think that since I am already managing a 34 pound child, the weight of all other objects should be small or at the minimum negotiable.

One more thing to note for fellow geeks.  I run all sorts of client side dbms and cms software.  And I still never need the kind of space, power or processing speed that DH does to run his games.

Asus propaganda page linked below.

ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

Eee PC 1000HE

Humor 3 comments

The Wire and My Wire

By on July 16th, 2009

This quote is my new favorite.  I think it’s hilarious.  I think I misquoted it recently (in exactness, not  intent).  But anyway, funny.

“The Wire” All Prologue (2003) – Memorable quotes

Sergei ‘Serge’ Malatov: Family cannot be helped.
Proposition Joe Stewart: Who you tellin’? I got motherfuckin’ nephews and in-laws fucking all my shit up all the time and it ain’t like I can pop a cap in their ass and not hear about it Thanksgivin’ time. For real, I’m livin’ life with some burdensome niggers.

My pc is screwing up.  I hate purchasing certain things, most especially cars and computers.  This contributes to the fact that I typically have the most antiquated system in the household.  Though at present, DD’s is not only older, but doesn’t work.

The one I have now previously belonged to SS, but did not perform certain gaming functions.  So DH got him a new one – last year I think – and I inherited this one.  I have actually never purchased a computer.  Dozens of pdas, phones and other gadgets, and even approved the hardware to be appropriate for some corporate computers at one time, but not once my own pc.  At least not that I can remember.

HP Compaq mini 110-2

HP Compaq mini 110-2 by louisvolant

I so hate the drama that is shopping for this netbook or laptop thing I need:

  • How much ram is appropriate?
  • How much disk space do I need?

Blah, blah, blah.

Of course I ask DH and he says the ones I like are too small with not enough memory.  This is okay.  But of course, DH plays games and is a man.  I mention that he’s a man, because he does not mind lugging a six pound object around with him.  I mind.  I am already minding a 34 pound child.  34 plus 6 is 40.  40 pounds is a lot.

Also, one does not require 4GB of disk space to write html, run a content management system (WordPress), Firefox, or Open Office.

Though… I won’t be able to upgrade it later.  I want the pdas to perform like computers/the computers to be the size of pdas.  That’s what I want.  I want to be small, really small.  I want it to fit in my purse, get wi-fi at the library, and still publish to my blog.

Ugh.

I feel the opposite about cars.  I want it to transport me reliably, and to be able to fit a tree in the back.

Family 1 comment

Hear No Evil

By on July 12th, 2009

The more I interact with my own family, the less I understand.  Seriously, people are baffling.  Several reasons for this:

  • SS moved out a week and a half ago.  In theory, he has moved out several times, none of which involved a stay at another household for more than 72 hours.  He and DH had a blowout on a Thursday. Cluelessly, I imagined he’d be back by Monday.  Not so.  Obviously, I don’t know wtf is going on, with either of them.  On the upside, DH expects no input from me, which is fantastic since I have none to offer.
  • DD decided yesterday she would learn to write the letters in her name.  Today she decided to learn to read.  All afternoon yesterday, practicing letters with a crayon on handwriting worksheets.  All morning this morning with phonics.  She can count and do simple math in English, French, Spanish, and Chinese.  She doesn’t know which shoe goes on which foot.  It is one of the great mysteries of the universe.

  • Why store birth certificates with wrapping paper?
  • Thursday: Laundry, paint the kids bathroom, pay DHs tag fee and drivers license fee, grocery store, drop and pick up dry cleaning, haircut for DD and me, return books/library excursion, normal parenting things like bath, sort more of grandmas paperwork.  DH accuses me of sitting around enjoying myself while he slaves away.  wtf?
  • My cousins are still calling me Lilo, which means little one.  I’m almost forty and six inches taller than they are.  I appreciate the affection.  However, I don’t want to be like the big fat guy called Tiny.  kwim?
Family 1 comment

Step-parenting Reflection

By on July 6th, 2009

Today, I read Laura’s post, excerpt below, which has me thinking of some mantras I’ve learned as a step-parent.  Those of you who’ve heard me rant may not know I have calming mantras.  But I do.

Rebellious Thoughts of a Woman: Advice from a Friend Who’s Been There

You need to have mantras. These are some of the mantras she shared with me for dealing with exman/slime on custodial issues. We are only one week into younger daughter going back and forth and already he is being himself, causing problems, lying and bullying everyone around.

A few great words of advise and mantras that I’ve learned:

  1. Disengage
  2. Not my kid; not my problem.
  3. They’ll always be your spouses child.  But eventually, they grow up and move out.
  4. Let your spouse catch them when they’re up to no good.  If you can’t do that (like someone is in danger), provide photographic evidence, or a witness.
  5. Say nothing.
  6. Give them enough rope and they’ll hang themselves.
  7. When someone uses, “I’ll just go to mom’s house,” as a threat, offer him a ride.
  8. Taking care of your own child is called parenting.  Taking care of someone else’s child is a favor.  In other words, don’t do it if you are going to feel put out about it.  It’s not your job.

And those are the mantras that got me through ten years of blended family.  I’m sure ten more years are ahead.  But since my stepson turns eighteen soon and moved out last week, those years will be different.  Also, things have been very different with him since his biomoms second divorce, third marriage and two more children arrived.