A Gift You Might Have Wanted This Holiday Season

Who wouldn't want their very own decorative Flux Capacitor? Maybe someone wants an actual working one, that's who. How much does 1.21 gigawatt's worth of power equal anyway?

Via Neu

From the "All Your Base Are Belong To Us" Dept

Maybe you, like me, have been getting a lot of "you would be perfect for this job" spam emails lately. These emails try to dupe you into thinking that you are filling out a real job application in order for the spammer to collect reams of personal information about you.

Usually, these fake applications for companies like PowerJobs are well worded and give off the air of having come from someone junior in HR. I received one today whose liberal use of poor grammar really made me smile. Here is just some of the text:

For first you say: Is it spam? Why are you write me? NO. It's not spam. Our company does serious selection among candidates. And only one person will receive this post. We have sent out many letters so as to have many candidates for more detailed selection among candidates. The more candidates the more good employee we can find.

Your question: Where have you taken my e-mail? We have take your e-mail from the TransUnion. This company practises a credit history analysis of the USA citizens. Also we meet with approval this organization for contact to you.

I'm debating as to whether I apply with fake information just to keep the dialog going...

A Bon Ton Led Zep Review

Stairway to Here, a Led Zeppelin returns review in the NYer, by Sasha Frere-Jones is a quality review of the show. The genius of the piece is that she pens a turn of phrase that quite effectively sums up how I feel about the band: "My affection for Led Zeppelin is limitless and somewhat irrational."

I wish I had thought to say it that way. She also has a blog post about the Led Zep show as well.

Comic Book Movie Update, aka Entry #600!

The Golden Age of Geekdom continues into this coming summer as even more comic book adaptations are hitting the big screen. What better way to celebrate entry #600 on WGTCTIP2 than to talk comics?

First off, I confess that I have yet to see "FF: Rise of the Silver Surfer" which came out last summer and that is something about which I am not happy but overall, I'm pretty caught up with comic / movie adaptations. Some were great, others were okay and some were simply awful. I am putting "Spiderman 3" in the awful category simply because of how badly the story messed with both the comic's history and my mind.

Leading into 2008 summer season, there are two movies that I am really looking forward to and both now have cool trailers on the web. Feel free to check out these sneak peaks at The Dark Knight and Iron Man. I think they speak for themselves.

If you are a frequent reader, you may note that I first got excited about The Dark Knight over a year ago and then a month or so late rIron Man also has piqued my interest.

So, is it summertime yet?

"The Hobbit" Jackson Style Lives!

They said it could not be done, that Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema hated each other so much due to post LOTR legal & fiscal squabbling that Jackson would never, never, ever have a chance to direct a "Hobbit" movie.

Well, they were only half wrong, because reports today are surfacing that not one but two "Hobbit" movies are in the works and that Peter, his wife Fran and their rag-tag Middle Earthy crew will be producing them. Potential creenwriters and directors will be examined starting in January, 2008 and the plan is for the films to be shot simultaneously (like the LOTR movies).

I'm sort of speechless right now. I'm not jumping for joy yet because may they get a really shitty director, like how Transformers was produced by Spielberg but directed by Michael Bay. That being said, I am cautiously optimistic and will be frequently checking the The Official Hobbit Movie Blog, which has news and information about the upcoming flicks, to see how this all plays out.

From the "You Can Run But You Can't Hide" Dept

It was only a matter of time: Digital wanted signs have arrived and are already proving to be quite effective. One guy in Alabama was on the run for 10 days - the police had no leads except for his photo. So, the police posted his photo to a digital billboard which acted as a giant digi "Wanted!" poster and low and behold, the fugitive turned himself in a day later. It seems he felt that with so many people driving by his face all day long, someone was bound to recognize him and better he turn himself in than have the police break down his door.

This is just the first step - the next is when we all have RFID chips under our skin. I say convicts will start to get "chipped" in the next 5 - 10 years, ACLU be damned.

The Rock Gods Return

On the outskirts of London yesterday, Led Zeppelin completely and utterly destroyed the rock landscape for the first time since I was a little lad. I was not there. I thought I would be okay with not being one of the supremely lucky 20k people who were on the inside but reading the reviews, viewing the photos, seeing the set list...let's just say that I am super & seriously sad that I did not see it live. Now I'm I am dying for either the DVD or a tour to arrive immediately. Immediately meaning yesterday.

In terms of learning what when down across the pond, you could turn to the UK Times has a good review and our own NYT has a decent review as well. So does New Music Express. I'm waiting some other good music publications to post their reviews. When they do, I'll update the site.

12/11 UPDATE: The Rolling Stone review is quite good.

In terms of pics, the NYT has an okayslideshow of photos from in and around the Ahmet Eretugan tribute show. Rolling Stone has a decent one too. By later today, a few hundred other news outlets will as well and again, if they are worth noting, I'll update this post.

I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll be listening to Zep a lot in the upcoming days... ["When the Levee Breaks" is on right now]

My Holiday Haul

Delightedly this past Saturday, the 4th day of Channukah, 5768, I was given gifts, which, upon further reflection after many minutes of glee, seem to be items one would attribute to a geeky 15 year old. I don't even care - they are so friggen cool.

Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy is flat out ridiculous in its intricacies - please find a store and find this book. If you have to buy it to see inside, do it. You will not be disappointed. Another book I was given, The Sandman: Endless Nights by Neil Gaiman, is a great collection by one of the best authors out there and Super Mario Galaxy has been named "The greatest Nintendo platformer ever made." Oh yeah, I also got an outdoor fleece perfect for running, skiing or dog walking and a really nice dinner out at a seafood place on Long Island (cue "The Downeaster Alexa").

Yup, I'm a geek (among other things) but the people around me seem also to know me best. Thanks all. 'Nuff said.

Helpful Travel Info

Maybe its because I have to go to Atlanta for the day (!) on Thursday but I am finally posting this helpful travel info that I found while on the island of Lanai in Hawaii. I don't think enough people to read this blog (yet) to blow these "secrets" - I'm sure more people read the magazine where I found this info anyway...

If you want to know which airline offers the best itinerary for the lowest price, you can use either ItaSoftware, Which Budget or WeGoLo.

Seat Guru tells you which seats are the best per aircraft.

Last, if you use Priceline in conjunction with Bidding For Travel, you can know how much to bid because you know what bids PL has accepted recently for properties matching your criteria.