Cast Off

Planning some summer getaways? Not sure when to purchase those tickets? Well, here's something that might help. Farecast uses a secret algorithm (or really smart people, whichever) that looks at trends in airplane tickets. Based upon the results of that research, the site will advise you when to purchase a ticket and where to purchase it from. I myself am headed to quite a few places in the upcoming few months so this could be useful information.

I'm not sure if this site is totally accurate but it sure makes me feel good to have super secret technology on my side. I'd feel much better committing to my impulsive travel plans once I'm assured by a computer that I'm getting a great deal. Wouldn't you? Always trust computers; never humans.

Now if only there was Datecast so you can figure out when to approach a chick you'd like to get to know. "Wait, Go, No, In Your Dreams, Run." I guess the first thing to do would be to stop referring to women as "chicks" right?

The Fountainhead (1949)

I didn't realize the Fountainhead movie was adapted to the screen by Ayn Rand herself. She only did it on the condition that "not one word be changed." Typical, right?

The movie isn't half bad actually. Gary Cooper and Patricia Neal are about what you'd expect as the main characters, and due to the style of the movie, all the dialogue (essentially ripped straight from the book) sounds somewhat natural. I don't think this movie could be made today because they'd dress it up for no reason; it's too idea/dialogue heavy; and current acting methods would make the movie overly campy.

Apparently, nobody liked it when it was released (in 1949, six years after the book was published), but to be honest, as a huge fan of the book, I wasn't disappointed in the movie. Sure, Cooper's dramatic monologue had the most uneven delivery I've ever heard but I can look past that.

I'm curious what a non-Randian would think of the movie. Would any of the philosophies get passed on? Or would it just put people to sleep?

This also makes me even more curious about the upcoming movie version of Atlas Shrugged -- starring Angelina Jolie (and maybe Brad Pitt) of all people. Not who I envisioned as Dagny Taggart but that's the least of my worries about how Rand's seminal work will translate to the screen.
-Ripe Tomatoes-

The Drive-Thru Circle of Hell

Christmas is upon us in the form of Filet-O-Fish Fridays. Did you know that Filet-O-Fish Fridays coincided with Lent? I had no idea. I used to drive around thinking that only certain McDonald's locations had this deal. Stupid me. Pattern recognition isn't one of my strong suits. Anyway, here's the backstory on how the Filet-O-Fish got its start as a regular menu item at McDonald's. Important stuff.

The beauty of Filet-O-Fish Fridays is not just the $1 price but also the chance of having an excellently prepared Filet-O-Fish. Because McDonald's knows that all the cheapies out there will be flocking to their stores on Fridays during Lent, they keep cranking out the fish sandwiches; resulting in a perfectly warm and fresh filet each time you order. It's heaven.

Tragically, when I went to my local Fremont McDonald's, they had no idea what I was talking about. "Filet-O-Fish Fridays? Never heard of it." So it's confirmed, Fremont is going to hell. The McDonald's god has forsaken Fremont. And I was forced to pay full price for a Filet-O-Fish on Filet-O-Fish Friday. Ridiculous.

Role Bounce

A few months ago, I was touting the potential of two new MTV reality shows that were about to air. "Dancelife" turned out to be a bust. You would think that a show about dancing would be somewhat exciting -- especially to a semi ex-dancer. But without drama, story, or any particularly captivating characters, the show was a waste of time, even on DVR.

The other show, "I'm From Rolling Stone," I just watched the finale for today. Guess what? It sucked too. Maybe it had something to do with the half hour format but both shows just weren't able to translate the hard work of writing and dancing to the small screen. Oooh, another tryout. More money trouble, exciting. Making some more calls to schedule phone interviews? Struggling through writer's block? Not so must see TV.

The other thing that killed me about the Rolling Stone show was how nonchalantly the six contestants took their once in a lifetime opportunity. The founder and executive editor of Rolling Stone were available as resources for ten weeks and they didn't appreciate it? It wasn't even an elimination show. Everyone got two and a half months to prove their mettle.

One guy was talented but kept on showing up to work late. He also neglected to turn in any assignments for the last month. Another girl was more interested in crashing the red carpet, than working it. Most of the other contestants either weren't into it, didn't work hard, or were simply not that capable. The girl who won it, Krishtine, certainly deserved it (here's her final article), but she bitched about the gig the entire time.

Who are these people? I would die to have a chance to become a contributing editor to Rolling Stone. Do you know how prestigious that is? These people were being paid to sit around and compose one thirty word blog entry a day. I've been busting my ass trying to crank out 3,000 words each day this week. Gimme a break.

As one of the advisors said, "Don't get in the way of your own success."

All Aboard!

This is one of the cooler services I've seen in awhile. Grandcentral.com allows you to have "one number...for life." Grandcentral gives you a designated number that other people will call to ring all your numbers -- home, mobile, business, etc. That's the most basic part, call forwarding.

But here's where it gets fun. Grandcentral will store your voicemails indefinitely in an online voicemail box. Looks like email, works like email. You can forward the voicemail, save the voicemail, etc. You can also set up different voice mail greetings for friends, acquantainces, or businesses. Want to sound silly to your friends but professional to your co-workers? Grandcentral can do it. It also lets you upload MP3s to replace the *ring*ring* sound.

You can spam block numbers to your phone. You can also listen in to a voicemail as it's being recorded. You can switch from one phone to the other, seamlessly. So if you're walking in the door, you can switch from your cell to your home phone with no "Lemme switch phones, I'll call you right back."

Here's the kicker: you can record any phone conversation you're having by simply hitting a button. Yeah. Think about that. No more "he said, she said," it's all about "you said." Sure it's scary but it's also downright cool.

This service is also free. Yeah, free (up to two lines). If you want to say, set up a phone number that all your friends can call to ring your entire social network, you can. Call 212-123-4567 and hit up all your friends at once? Hello best drunk dialing ever.

Try it out. Get some Grandcentral numbers now and tell me how you like it.

Zodiac (2007)

David Fincher continues to churn out his unique style of movie. This one isn't quite as good as his other efforts (Se7en, Fight Club, The Game) but the reality of the situation is gripping. The movie seems like its over two-thirds of the way through but then there's another hour or so of Jake Gyllenhaal running around being scared by would-be serial killers. It's strange that "The Zodiac" actually ends up messing up most of his kills, as many of the victims are left alive. After the movie, I had to head over to the Crime Library to check out the real story.

Thank goodness the movie was good as we spent $40 on tickets and parking -- we forgot to stamp our parking ticket and we got out of the movie at 2:30am, well past the closing time. Damn me.
-Ripe Tomatoes-