Geek: The World(s) of Google

After passing Yahoo and Altavista as the most innovative search engine on the internet, Google has now decided to punk the various online maps. Google Maps allows you to the view the world in either a map format or with actual satellite imagery. Also, the site allows you to pan and zoom throughout the map without any page reloading. Like other sites, Google offers directions between locations but adds a twist by allowing you to search for any hotspot along the way. For example, looking for an Irish Pub while in Charleston? But anyway, I guess this site just comes down to being a glorified glove-compartment-travel-map.

So if you get bored with that, check out Google Moon or Google Earth, both of which are filled with real images courtesy of NASA.
















So that's what Rome looks like..

The Black Cat becomes the White Whale

So I was taking my dog on one his many walks one evening when I noticed a black cat stealthily walking behind some bushes. Normally, I would have kept walking so that I wouldn't get 7 years of bad luck, or bartonella henselae, or whatever it is those vile creatures carry. But something made me stop and stare at this thin, black cat that could possibly answer to the name Rick. Maybe it was the flyer on my mailbox that said they were missing a cat named Rick that was particularly thin and completely black. Yep, there was something about this cat alright.. I just couldn't place it. So I tied my dog to the nearest tree and decided to approach this cat. Keep in mind, I dislike cats alot. In fact, I think someone really messed up when they decided to domesticate these predators, but I'll save that for a future discussion (Cat People, Dog People, and Why One is Just Better Than the Other). Every time I get close to this cat, it darts away to another area in the bushes. I call its name.. it runs away. I dangle some string.. and it runs away. I shoot it with a BB gun.. and it, just kidding.. I don't have a BB gun yet. Anywho, so I call up the chickie from the flyer to let her know I found her cat and she is ecstatic. Unfortunately, she is ecstatic at work in Mount Pleasant and won't be back until late. So I told her I would do my best to get this cat for her. After doing my best for 5 more minutes, I realized how late I was to pick someone up for a movie.

Fast forward a few days..
I get home from work and am taking my dog out for a walk, when I notice a black cat staring at me from a drainage pipe in my driveway. So I take my dog back into the house and come back out to negotiate with Rick. Just like before, Rick isn't budging. I eventually threw a rock into the pipe to scare the cat out, but after getting pelted it just ran away it some nearby woods.

Skip to last night..
I'm driving home around 3AM, when my white whale darted across street forcing me to hit the brakes. I feel like there has been some type of role reversal here, that I've gone from being the predator to the prey. The cat is obviously toying with me and now I can't stop thinking about it. I promised the owner I would catch this cat for her, but now I'm determined for personal reasons. I'll be back with updates.

Movies/Geek: Fantastic 4

If you're going to see the Fantastic 4, please reconsider. The only way to possibly enjoy this movie would be to show up 90 minutes late and then leave a few minutes early. Julian McMahon delivered a great performance as Dr. Doom, but maybe that's my Nip/Tuck bias. It's sad to say, but not even Jessica Alba's flawless body could save this movie for me.

Ok, maybe she helped a little.

Anywho, the writers decided to fill the movie with (shallow) character development to lead up to the (only) fight scene.. which was basically a creative water fight. Save the drama for Bridget Jones 3: The Trimspa Encounter.. when I go to an action movie, I want stuff to blow up. The explosions don't even have to make sense for me. The superhero can throw a roll of dimes at the escaping villain, and as long as he blows up.. I'll be happy. Don't you dare have the hero and heroine get nostalgic about their college romance half-way into the movie, unless the memory is so intense that it causes them both to spontaneously combust. Atleast the marketing team for this flick did their job, because then I wouldn't have anything to complain about.

Movie producers in a parallel universe (parallel, not bizarro) did manage to create a summer blockbuster. Of course I'm referring to Batman Begins.
Granted this was an IMAX experience for me, but I would have been satisfied with this movie even if it wasn't being projected on a screen the size of a basketball court. Christian Bale (you might remember him as the guy chopping up women in American Psycho) single-handedly saved this franchise by bringing the gothic look back to Gotham city. In conclusion, Detective Comics: 1, Marvel: 0.

My Hot Sauce is an honor student at Taco Middle School.

I sat there wondering if my irresponsible behaviour had any limits. Within a week, the Atlantic Ocean had broken my cell phone, I missplaced my debit card, and I lost my checkbook. I was pretty much helpless. As I fell deeper in my shame spiral, I took another bite of my Crunchwrap Supreme.

That's when I read the words which changed my life forever: "My Hot Sauce is an honor student at Taco Middle School." That nonsensical statement suddenly put the world in perspective and I decided to get myself together. After all, did Kit quit when she found out that the only reason the Women's Baseball League wanted her was so that they could get Dottie Hinson (Geena Davis) to play too? No, and she scored the winning run in the championship game. So I went straight to the wireless store to get a new phone, and just told them to put it on my next bill.

Then I made a short list of places I might have left my debit card. Aside from my car and bedroom, I definitely noticed a common theme between the other possible locations.. but I'll save that for another story of self-improvement. After a few quick calls on my new cell phone, I found my debit card.

Now, all that was missing for my hat trick was my check book. I don't know about yall, but I rarely write a check. In fact, I always question if I'm filling out the check properly when writing one. I'm usually ok with the 'date' or 'pay to the order of'.. but writing out the amount, that's a bit of a curve ball.

$1,736.58 (no problem)

one thousand seven hundred thirty-six dollars and fifty-eight cents (doh!)

Why bother? I figure if I'm somewhere that doesn't take cash, Mastercard, or Visa.. then chances are they won't be in business much longer anyway. So I just called up the bank, told them I lost my checkbook and if they want to send me a new one then cool.. if not, that's cool too.