Diary of a Network Geek

No, that’s not like pen testing.

I used to think with a yellow legal pad.  Then, I thought on a keyboard.  Now, it sort of depends on what I’m doing where and how I do my thinking.  As long-time readers may remember, I’ve been carrying a small Moleskine notebook with me everywhere I go to record thoughts I don’t want to lose.  That, of course, requires a pen.  Or a pencil, I suppose, but I tend toward permanent thoughts, so I use a pen.  The only problem is, Moleskines don’t have a pen sleeve of any kind.  Problem solved: Pen Sleeve.

(Okay, kind of lame for a Friday post, but, really, I’ve been too busy to post much.  And, sadly, I have little to show for being so busy, either!)

I likes me some Moleskine.

I am a geek.  This is not news to you if you read the title of this blog.  The geek is built in.  Like many geeks, I fixate on things to the point of distraction at times.  One of the non-computer things that I have fixated on over the years are Moleskine notebooks.  In fact, I carry one with me pretty much everywhere I go with an embossed red tape label on it to capture my brilliant ideas.  It’s mostly empty, but that’s besides the point.

When choosing this particular Moleskine, I bought several of each variety, lined, squared, plain, in both sizes.  I looked at the merits of each.  The open-ended freedom of the plain that I could picture an artist using.  The writer’s familiar lined much like I’m sure Hemingway used.  The squared version seeming like the kind of thing Edison would carry to sketch out engineering drawings.  But, in the end, I had to choose just one.  I had to commit to using one style, one method, one mindset.  Well, not so much any more.

Now, thanks to the Moleskine website, there are templates for making your own custom pages in each of the formats and sizes available.  Now, you can add ruled pages to your plain notebook, or squared pages to your lined notebook.  You can even add a personal information page!  Why, the possibilities are virtually endless!  (Well, mathematically speaking, they are finite, but you get what I mean.)
Also?  Now that Moleskine has loose-leaf paper like they bind into their notebooks available, customizing your Moleskine is even easier.

Well, I guess this is what happens when you don’t adequately screen candidates.

Of course, most of what the TSA does is make us feel safer, not anything that really makes us safer.  Still, I think we should draw the line at TSA employees ransacking our luggage for electronics.  And, no, before you ask, I didn’t lose anything this last trip to San Francisco.  In part, because I brought every bit of camera gear on the plane with me in a carry-on bag.  Might have been a good thing, considering the fact that the TSA did go into my checked bag to, uh, check my underwear or something.  After all, my boxer-briefs are quite possibly a threat to national security.  No, really, they must be.

Seriously, this is a huge problem and it has been for ages.  Photographers all know that you should never, ever check your camera gear through Baltimore, among other places.  Frankly, I have too much personal “disposable” income invested in my camera gear to check it through anywhere.  I’ve heard too many stories about things going missing from bags.  In fact, when I got into Houston and collected my bag, I was making small talk with a fellow passenger who was apparently shocked to discover that TSA baggage inspectors had been caught taking things out of people’s luggage.  Though, he had to admit that he had noticed some things had gone missing from his bag while traveling.  He figured, however, that they were just so over-worked that they’d forgotten to put it back in the bag.  Yeah, that’s actually what he told me.  Maybe it’s just me, but, well, I just don’t trust the average government employee.

I used a ThinkTank Airport Ultralight v2.5 to get all my photography gear into an overhead bin.  I ended up not using everything I brought, but I was glad to have it, just because I might have wanted it.  So, it was worth the investment.  I’ll probably get around to a review later.

Anyway, if you’re traveling, watch your bags and what goes into them.
Seriously.

In Brooklyn?

So, I can’t believe I haven’t written about this before, but there’s a store in Brooklyn that sells superhero stuff.  Like a gallon of gravity.  And capes.  And invisibility by the jug.  Yeah, the Brooklyn Superhero Store is like Acme, but for the superhero world.  And it’s real!

Okay, it’s mostly real.  You get something for your money, but it’s not super powers.  What you get is to support a not-for-profit organization that helps kids in New York get into creative writing.  The store is how they fund it.  You can read more at the FAQ.  And, you can read more about the program they support at 826NYC.com

(And, yes, I know I owe you all a bunch of updates and pictures about my trip to WonderCon this past week, but I’ve been sick, so just give me a little time, okay?)

Oh, sweet Jesus, I’m old.

So, some time back, there was this article about how kids could hear these ultrasonic tones that older adults couldn’t.  Shopkeepers in the UK were using that to their advantage to drive away teen-age loiterers with ultrasonics.  Well, those sneaky kids have turned the tables and are using ultrasonic ring tones in school.  They can hear them, but the teachers can’t.  Sneaky.

Oh, and if you think you aren’t old?  Go to Ultrasonic Ringtones and see how many you can hear.  Thanks to my tinnitus from working in server rooms, my ears are all but shot in the high frequency ranges.  Also, I’m old, old, old.

TheBountyHunter

Originally uploaded by Network Geek

I saw The Bounty Hunter Friday last week.

I know, I’ve been bad about letting things go between updates here, even though I’ve mostly reduced things to just doing movie reviews. I’ve been busy.
In any case, I did get out to see The Bounty Hunter staring Jennifer Anniston and Gerard Butler. They star as a formerly married people. He was a cop and she was a cub reporter. Now, she’s a very successful reporter and he’s a bounty hunter. The funny thing is, while she was working on a story, she got a little tangled up with the courts for a minor altercation that got a little blown out of proportion. Well, now, she’s working on another story and, as she’s about to go into court, she gets a call from a source, so she misses her court date. Naturally, what that means is that her bail gets revoked and a bench warrant for her arrest. Can you guess who gets the job?

Right.
And you can pretty well guess where the comedy goes from there. Of course, it is funny. I mean, really, it is. But, it’s a romantic comedy, even though these two start off divorced. At first, the movie is about him chasing her and trying to bring her back to jail. But, her story quickly becomes a problem as the people she’s investigating try to kill her. And, mayhem ensues.

I don’t have time for my regular, in depth review this morning, but let me say that this movie was far funnier than I thought it would be. I mean, look at the actors playing the two leading characters. No, really, just go look at them. They’re simply beautiful to look at, both of them. I’m pretty sure that’s all we were meant to do, anyway, was look at them. But, it turns out, their on-screen dialog is pretty funny, too. Okay, perhaps not the most brilliant or subtle comedy, but, still, funny enough that for most of the film I was laughing out loud. The last third of the movie, though, they really step up the romance content and it kind of over-shadows the comedy. It’s still there, but, frankly, I think at this point we’re supposed to be more interested in them as pretty people than actual people.

Now, I’ll grant you, I had pretty low expectations for this film, but they were certainly all exceeded. It was a funny, comedy romp that was grown-up without being particularly blue.
Oh, and also, there was some action, so that Gerard Butler could show off his 300 physique. And, yes, for those of you who care, he does still pretty much have it. Damn him. Also, Jennifer Anniston was pretty damn hot, too.
The plot is nothing new, really, and the surprises were few, but the movie was fun enough, and the stars attractive enough, that it really didn’t matter much. And, let me hasten to point out, in spite of some weaknesses in the plot and action, and romance, I was still quite entertained. Though, yes, I do have to agree with other reviewers that the two stars lacked on-screen chemistry. At no point did I suspect they were banging each other off camera, and that’s okay. It doesn’t take anything away from the film, really. I doubt I’d have much chemistry with my ex-wife, even if I had to drag her back to jail, so a certain friction instead of chemistry in this movie actually kind of works.

So, in short, it’s not a bad film and if you’re in the mood for something light, fun, and not overly challenging mentally, in short, if you’re looking to be entertained, then this movie is a great choice for you. If you can’t stand one of these co-stars, you might want to wait until it hits DVD, but otherwise, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this film. I wouldn’t see it again in the theater, but I’d rent it again, just for fun.

And, now, with that, I have to sign off and head to the airport. Vacation has officially begun and I’m off to WonderCon in scenic San Francisco. I’ll try to do a couple of updates while I’m gone.
(Oh, and don’t get any ideas about coming to rob me. My vicious guard dog is still here and people will be checking on my house throughout the weekend.)