Happy Trails, Lawman

Requiescat in pace, Tony.

This Vehicle Stops at All Railroad Crossings

I saw a propane delivery truck recently. On the back of the pill-shaped propane container, below the diamond-shaped hazard signs, was the advisement “This Vehicle Stops at All Railroad Crossings”. As we stopped at the railroad tracks, I thought about the impetus for the practice. Obviously the damage from when a train hits a propane tank is unacceptable so extra care must be taken to avoid it.

Wait a second.

When a train hits a propane tank? If the probability of a train collision is high enough for the propane folks to have a procedure to address it, what about the rest of us? A train hitting my car would cause an unacceptable amount of damage to me.

Why don’t we all stop and listen at railroad crossings?

The Disloyal Opposition

I read in American Nerd: The Story of My People by Benjamin Nugent that Paul Feig, who created Freaks and Geeks, said, “…I honestly see the battle between Democrat and Republican, liberal and conservative, as the exact same dynamic — there’s a group of people in this world that don’t like conflict and care about what other people are going through, and then there’s this other group of people in the world who hate that.”

His statement is not descriptive of the difference between the two parties, but rather is symptomatic of the similarity between them. Each party praises themselves for their righteous concern for the welfare of humanity and condemns the others for their wicked willingness to subjugate others for their own benefit. (And H.L. Mencken said, “The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.”) Certainly over the last twenty years both parties have shown no hesitation toward limiting freedoms, one more in the bedroom and the other more in the boardroom. Neither can claim to have effected a net increase in the rights of citizens.

Such a factional mindset is not only inaccurate but incapacitating. Political discourse devolves into sectarian squabbling a la Little Endian versus Big Endian. Instead both parties should embrace the concept of the loyal opposition. Alas, I suspect that the current behavior is a consequence first-past-the-post voting system and thus I fear it shall not change.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs opened deservedly well at the box office. I have heard that the movie bears little resemblance to the book but even as a standalone story it is a good family film.

The writer-directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller (who are friends of the strip), delivered an excellent story about underdogs following their dreams with a palatable portion of warning against gluttony. The animation is top-notch and the voice talent is excellent. I really enjoyed the cultural references like Star Trek, Star Wars, and Fantastic Voyage. (Keep an eye out for the Welcome to Mooseport shout-out.)

If you liked Meet the Robinsons then you will probably like Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

Water Warfare

Water Warfare from Hudson Soft is a “first-person-soaker” WiiWare title. Neither my kids nor I are much in the way of FPS gamers but we really enjoy this game. The controls are easy enough for even me, who was raised on a two-axis joystick with two buttons as controls, to master. It may seem like a gimmick, but getting wet instead of getting killed changes the whole feel of the game. That detail makes the game more accessible for those not quite up to the soul-crushing rigors of the FPS genre.

Rally de l’Absurde

Whilst kibitzing with friends this morning, I happened upon a delightfully ludicrous idea: rally racing in a Prius. Like other rallies, the winner would be the car with the fastest time from start to finish. However, an additional requirement would be that each car is given a finite amount of fuel with which to complete the course. I find the juxtaposition of auto racing and hypermiling delightfully absurd.

Missed It by That Much

An IBM commercial claims “by 2010 thirty percent of the data stored on the world’s computers will be medical images”. That number seems a little high to me. Assuming it is true, that means that sixty-nine percent will be pr0n.

Lady Ruggers

Last Wednesday I enjoyed watching the first half of the ladies’ collegiate rugby championship. (No spoilers, please.) While the ladies appeared skilled and tough like the gents, I did notice three differences:

1. There was less variation in size amongst the ladies. The height and weight differences between the forwards and backs were much smaller.

B. Perhaps as a result of the previous, the game was much less chippy. In the gentlemen’s game, one expects to see the forwards giving each other the business.

III. In the gentlemen’s game I have never seen a Number 8 cry for being sent to the sin bin.

Kids Say the Darndest Things

Whilst tucking in the kids some time back my eldest, who can be quite chatty, kept on and on. I was quite tired and feeling unwell and wanted to be done soon. Finally I instituted a limit of ten more words. My eldest paused for a moment and then asked “Can boys have sex with other boys?”

So much for being done soon.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is the sequel to Transformers. Where Transformers ratcheted up the summer action to ten, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen goes to eleven.

Michael Bay brings his métier to this sequel, raising the bar in all ways. Perhaps because less time needed to be spent on backstory, Revenge of the Fallen packs quite a bit of plot. Bay really puts the characters in jeopardy. Shia La Beouf and Megan Fox reprise their roles admirably. Kevin Dunn and Julie White bring hilarity to the mix. (I love the brownies.) The special effects, including destruction of one of the Seven Wonders, are incredible. Steve Jablonsky’s score evokes that of the first film.

If you liked Transformers, you will probably like Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen even more. I heartily recommend it as a summer action movie.