Lots of randomness today:


  • Something irks me about "The Western Whitehouse," George Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. The man's the leader of the free world and commander of the most powerful army the world has ever known, but he's still AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. We the people pay his salary, and he has a nice place to live near that's in proximity to the rest of the government...the ACTUAL whitehouse.

    (Pic taken at the aforementioned WWW:)


    It just struck me last night how haughty this man is that he could, by fiat, designate HIS OWN HOUSE as the adjunct seat of the American executive Branch. Is it too much to ask a guy to do his job in the traditional way?


  • Consider: Phantom of the Opera (the movie version). Visually lush, the movie delights the eyes, especially the stunning transition from B&W to color as the chandelier resurrects itself and arises to the heavens. Unfortunately, Phantom falls flat, as none of these people can actually SING! How do you have an "Opera" themed musical with people who can't SING?!

    Furthermore, there are several serious gaffes and goofs in the movie: In the first scene in Phantom's lair, you can see the shadow of the camera pass across Phantom's face during a panned close-up shot. The actress playing Christine has visible fillings in her teeth, not something you'd see in the 1870's.

    There are moments of unintended humor: The whole dream/reality sequence when phantom takes Christine down to his lair the first time looks like a bad 1980's rock video: A boat obviously on a track, arms holding candelabras that are just gold-painted people's arms, lit candles arising from underwater (!). I was giggling uncontrollably by the end of the sequence.

    Minnie Driver is an unexpected delight, stealing several scenes as she hams-up her role as aging diva. Wish she could lip synch better, though.


  • Read an interesting article on MSN about what the "unofficial" office dress code. Here at LXK software I can sum it up in two words: Blue Jeans. Wear anything but blue jeans you cease to be a worker and become a ladder-climber bucking for management. Funny, though, I see some first-line managers wearing jeans too. Seems like jeans are a "brake" on your career: If you're happy where you are, and don't want to go to the next level (management, middle-management, etc.), put on some jeans.

    These days, I'm wearing jeans quite a bit. There was the time when I wore slacks everyday, but the current quagmire of my project has me in jeans. Nothing says acquiescence quite like denim

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