computer upgrades

Scott and I have upgraded our computers this week. Earlier this week, he ordered some sort of Mac desktop -- not one from the latest models, but one from the prior group. And today, I found a good deal on a basic $450 Compaq notebook at Best Buy. We've spent the day setting-up our respective computers. Unfortunately, I don't think iTunes will let me re-download everything. I may salvage the harddrive from the old notebook if I think anything is really worth the effort.

French & Saunders do America's Next Top Model

Here's a parody I would not have fully appreciated had Scott not forced me to watch an America's Next Top Model marathon.***:

(Hat Tip: PerezHilton.com)

(***Wow, that is a terrible sentence.)

motherboard fried

A few months ago, I noticed the HP Pavillion Notebook I was using would only charge if the power jack cord was oriented in a certain position. At first, I assumed it was a bad A/C adapter, so I went to Frys and bought a new one (~$25). However, that didn't solve the problem. Since the notebook was a few months past its one-year manufacturer's warranty, I took it to a local computer shop which changed the power jack (~$175).

Last week, the notebook would not turn on at all. I assumed it was another bad power jack issue and took it back to the same computer shop and spent another $175 to diagnosis the problem. The shop discovered that the motherboard would not turn on at all and blamed the A/C power adapter. Although I'm pretty sure I matched the correct A/C power adapter, it was not an HP brand and I may have not understood a specification.

Now I need to get a new notebook, so I probably will not be blogging for a while. The notebook I had was not very expensive ($500?), and it sucks that I've spent nearly half the cost on diagnosis and repair of the old one.

gay rights = "Oregon's 9/11"?!?

Today is the day that we all think back on the awful Tuesday six years ago. While it's hard not to ponder the politics since then, it would seem sacrilegious to use this memorial day for political gain.

Unless you oppose gay rights. The Portland Mercury blog reports that the religious conservative group that is attempting to repeal the state's gay rights laws sent a mass e-mail solicitation today describing gay rights as "Oregon's 9/11":

Defaming To Destroy: Oregon’s Own 9-11
September 11, 2007

Oregon faces a less obvious September Day of Infamy, an attack from within our borders by those who seek to change Oregonians view of marriage and morality, no matter what we say or how we VOTE, and whether we like it or not. . .

. . .
Arise! Sign the Petitions!

Unless Oregonians, arise and SIGN THESE TWO PETITIONS BEFORE SEPTEMBER 24TH, AS ONE MAN, we will collapse from within morally, and our children will be victimized by our apathy, indifference, and inaction. We will not have loved our neighbor as we should.

Stardust: C

[PLOT SPOILER BELOW!!!]

Scott, ma and I saw a movie on Labor Day. Scott chose the movie, so I didn't really know what we were seeing. The last time I went to a movie knowing only the title it turned out to be cartoon, so wondered what I had gotten myself into. Scott said it was a fairytale, so I assumed it was the fantasy movie with Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, but I knew I was wrong when we saw the preview for The Golden Compass before the movie.

I realized it was Stardust (IMDB.com). The premise of the movie is what happens when a villager's one night stand in a fairytale land ends up knocking-up a princess that is imprisoned by witch. The princess sends the baby to the villager who raises the child into a young man. The movie follows the young man's quest to find his mother and a fallen star in human form.

I liked how the movie didn't take itself too seriously and worked-in some cute comedy. Ricky Gervais was great, but his scenes were too short. It was also well-paced and I never felt bored. Michelle Pfeiffer was also great in the over-the-top role as an old, beauty-obsessed witch.

The one glaring scene was Robert De Niro's performance as a closeted gay drag queen pirate. I don't see how he was cast in such a badly stereotypical role. I don't mean to sound like an oversensitive gay image critic, but his limp-wristed gay man shtick was embarrassing and almost offensive.

lazy Labor Day weekend

Scott and I accomplished absolutely nothing during our holiday weekend (other than building our imaginary cities in SimCity 4). I honestly have no idea what we did on Saturday (blackout?).

On Sunday, we drove up to Trillium Lake near Mt. Hood. We thought about finding Lost Lake, but it seemed too lost to us (hahahaha!). Instead, we went back to something familiar, Trillium Lake.

Path around Trillium Lake, originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Trillium Lake at Mt. Hood, originally uploaded by sweber4507.

What Scott's photos don't show are the numerous beer drinking, yelling, sleeveless and shirtless folks that crowded the lake. By the end of the two-mile loop, I was ready to leave. I even got the car in a not-too-subtle-hint to Scott that it was time to leave and no, I would not wait two hours for sunset.

After a brief stop at Timberline Lodge, we decided to drive back via the Columbia River Gorge. As we saw the sun setting, I raced through the touristy parts of the old, scenic highway trying to get to Vista House. I thought we were too late, but when we arrived there were groups of sightseers and photographers waiting for the show to begin.

Admittedly, I'm a little dense when it comes to noticing natural beauty -- especially since the view from Vista House is so familiar. However, when the non-English conversations from the young (Russian?) wedding group turned to oooohs, aaaaws and stunned silence, I knew the sunset was peaking. The river reflected the sky's red. It was amazing.

Columbia River at Sunset, originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Again on Labor Day, we didn't accomplish much. We drove to Frys and then saw Stardust with ma in The Couv. We planned to once again chase the sunset after the movie. We first stopped at the St. Johns Bridge:

St. Johns Bridge at sunset, originally uploaded by sweber4507.

We then found SW Hall Terrace(?) in the West Hills and waited for the sunset:

Downtown Portland at Sunset, originally uploaded by sweber4507.

OPB & anti-gay politics controversy

Sometime last week, I began hearing OPB's ads for the Ira Glass's upcoming appearance in Portland . . . er, Clackamas. I was surprised to hear he would be speaking at the suburban mega-church New Hope. I attended New Hope in junior high during the late 1980s and know it to be very active in anti-gay politics, so it seemed like a very unlikely venue. Yes, logistically, New Hope is an attractive suburban venue with a large sanctuary, comfy pews, good sound, plenty of parking and easy freeway access. However, conservative, suburban, Clackamas? It doesn't seem like the stereotypical progressive-leaning, urban, public radio audience venue.

After reading a Metblogs.org entry about Sienna Architecture's business with New Hope last weekend, I sent a whiny late-night complaint to OPB.org:

I was very surprised and disappointed to hear that OPB is presenting the Ira Glass event at New Hope Community Church on October 7, 2007. New Hope is a politically-active organization that actively opposes gay rights legislation and regularly hosts politically conservative events. While I support OPB radio and am a fan of Ira Glass, I would not feel comfortable entering New Hope's facility especially at this politically sensitive time.

I suspect many OPB listeners and Ira Glass fans would have similar reservations about the New Hope venue. Can OPB assure event attendees that they will not be soliticited political petitions at the venue. If not, will the venue allow opposing political views at the event? Can OPB assure that event fees will not benefit New Hope's political activities?

Thank you for consideration.

I hate writing whiny e-mails and had second thoughts about whether I was making a big deal about nothing. I received a response Monday afternoon (underline added):

Thank you for emailing us about the Ira Glass event. I'm sorry that our choice of venue for the event is causing you distress.

The New Hope Community Church was the only space available of the size we needed for the date that Ira would be able to come to Portland.

I certainly understand that you disagree with their political outlook. Given the large and diverse audience we serve it is inevitable that there will be conflicts of opinion. I believe one of the values of public broadcasting is that it helps create a space where conflicting beliefs can respectfully co-exist.

The hall rental is not an endorsement of the church or it's political viewpoint. The church is not a co-sponsor and will have no part in the program. If they have material in the lobby (such as they do for youth groups and other activities) it is not part of the OPB event.

I hope that you consider attending.

Please let me know if I've addressed your concerns. Thanks for your support.

So in other other words, no. New Hope may very well have anti-gay signature petitions as reported by the Merc and no, OPB cannot guarantee that the ticket sales will not benefit New Hope's political activities. A disappointing response, but I resigned myself to thinking, 'well, I tried'. However, I apparently was not the only annoyed Ira Glass fan. Portland Mercury reports that Roey Thorpe sent complaints to OPB last week and Lelo in NoPo has also been leading an effort to have OPB change the venue.

Yesterday, Ira Glass's agent, Steven Barclay, apparently announced that Glass had requested that OPB request a change in venue (although last night OregonLive reported that OPB would not change the venue). Today, the Merc confirms that Ira Glass will not appear at New Hope.

What is most disturbing is that OPB handled their screw-up so poorly. First, why in the world would they do any business such a controversial, political organization? Secondly, instead of admitting they screwed-up, OPB tried to defend their unpopular and offensive decision. Now that OPB is changing the venue, it seems that an apology would be in order and some guarantee that OPB will do a better job choosing who it associates with.

Annie Lennox: "Dark Road"

Video for "Dark Road" from Annie Lennox's upcoming Songs of Mass Destruction (Wiki) album.

Death At A Funeral: A

Death At A Funeral poster, originally uploaded by nojam75.

Scott, ma, and I saw Death At A Funeral Sunday. It is a funny, cute, and entertaining movie. Probably the best movie I've seen this year.

The Invasion: B

TheInvasionPoster, originally uploaded by nojam75.

Okay, I have to admit that I've never sat through an entire viewing of the 1956 Invasion of the Body Snatchers or the 1978 version, so I probably give The Invasion more credit for originality than it deserves. But what can say? I love Nicole Kidman and enjoyed this movie.

The story and the characters all seemed believeable to me.

The movie's major drawback was its ending. [SPOILER! Highlight to view:] The unbelievable, everything-works-out-in-the-end was very disappointing. There should have been more sacrifices and more mystery.

However, I still enjoyed the movie and consider it one of the best of the year so far.