I use MediaMonkey to play my music. I love it. It roxxorz. I give it 3 sneezes.
We (the wife and I) are currently listening through the Lord of the Rings trilogy in audiobook format. Due to the length of the chapters, the cds are broken up into 3-minute tracks. This means I have a LOT of LOTR mp3s in my music library. So [begin geekery] I wrote a custom playlist in MediaMonkey which grabs all of my LOTR tracks that have a play count of 0, and sorts them so that the beginning of the playlist will always be the first track we haven't listened to. It's like an automatic bookmark.
Then, I decided to update the tags and filenames of my LOTR tracks. At which point, MediaMonkey lost its database info for all of the LOTR tracks (presumably because it's associated by filename), setting the playcounts for all of the tracks back to 0. Which meant that unless I wanted to let MM play through all of the tracks we had already listened to (something like 6 hours of them) those tracks would always be sitting at the top of my playlist. Grrr!
So I did some lurnin' on the interwebs, and discovered that MM's database is stored in SQLite format. I downloaded SQLiteMan, and used it to hack my database, setting the playcount for the older tracks to 1, and solving my own problem. [/geekery]
Yay! Now I have geekhigh!
Showing posts with label 3 sneezes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 3 sneezes. Show all posts
2010-01-06
2009-11-10
Movie Review: George of the Jungle (1997)
Let me start out by saying: I am a Brendan Frasier fan. I am not a hardcore Brendan Frasier fan, but I have been known to watch Brendan Frasier movies simply because I know he is in them. This list would include The Mummy, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Blast from the Past and Encino Man.
That being said, I think I owe it all to this little gem of a movie, George of the Jungle, and this movie has probably become one of my favorite movies of all time, in that stealthy, Princess Bride sort of way. You know: whenever you ask someone what their favorite movie is, they never say, "The Princess Bride", but whenever you mention it everyone says, "I love that movie!"
The Good:
- Brendan Frasier brings everything to this movie. Not only his goofiness, but his willingness to really sink in to the spirit of the character and, frankly, make a ham of himself
- Leslie Mann (Ursula), Thomas Haden Church (Lyle), John Cleese (Ape), and all the rest of the supporting actors likewise give themselves over to the roles and the genre and contribute to a totally cheesy but utterly worthwhile movie.
- Kids love this movie. Or at least, my kids love this movie, which is what matters to me. I can't tell you how many Saturday mornings this movie has gotten me through, because invariably mentioning George of the Jungle results in me being able to 'nap' on the couch for 90 minute while the kids bounce and jump.
- The movie is totally clean. Thanks to the genre of the movie, the worst word spoken on screen is 'poopie' - uttered by the horrible, stinky, really bad guy, Lyle. There are a couple of fart gags, but I don't have a problem with that.
- The soundtrack is excellent, and if it wasn't 'rare' (read 'expensive) I would own a copy.
- Okay, scratch that. I found a used 'good' copy on Amazon for under $9 with shipping. Buying....NOW.
The Bad:
- I got nothing.
Best Scene:
Okay, the best scene in the entire movie is the seduction scene at the waterfall. Once again, Brendan Frasier wholly commits to his role, and the background music (Marvin Gaye's "Let's get it on") comes in at the perfect moment.
Don't Miss:
- Lyle calling Kwame ("Quah-may") "Quaym".
Quotable Lines:
- "Funny lookin' fella." and also "Somethin' wrong with this fella!" - George
- "George go investigate!" - George
- "Meanwhile, at a very large and expensive waterfall set..." - Narrator
- "Pretty DARN good!" - George
- "Thank you Gunter, Gunner, Hans, Franz, and Phil." - Lyle
Personal Note:
Those of you who know my brother will find this funny: when the movie came out, the lead character was favorably compared with him, especially since he had just bleached his (long) hair for prom, and was prone to running around barefoot, although not (usually) bare-chested or sporting a 'butt-flap'.
Final Grade:
Overall, I'd have to give this movie an A+. The only way this movie fails is if you are looking for a serious or deep movie. Since that is rarely the case with me, I can find no fault with it, and whole-heartedly recommend it for your movie library.
That being said, I think I owe it all to this little gem of a movie, George of the Jungle, and this movie has probably become one of my favorite movies of all time, in that stealthy, Princess Bride sort of way. You know: whenever you ask someone what their favorite movie is, they never say, "The Princess Bride", but whenever you mention it everyone says, "I love that movie!"
The Good:
- Brendan Frasier brings everything to this movie. Not only his goofiness, but his willingness to really sink in to the spirit of the character and, frankly, make a ham of himself
- Leslie Mann (Ursula), Thomas Haden Church (Lyle), John Cleese (Ape), and all the rest of the supporting actors likewise give themselves over to the roles and the genre and contribute to a totally cheesy but utterly worthwhile movie.
- Kids love this movie. Or at least, my kids love this movie, which is what matters to me. I can't tell you how many Saturday mornings this movie has gotten me through, because invariably mentioning George of the Jungle results in me being able to 'nap' on the couch for 90 minute while the kids bounce and jump.
- The movie is totally clean. Thanks to the genre of the movie, the worst word spoken on screen is 'poopie' - uttered by the horrible, stinky, really bad guy, Lyle. There are a couple of fart gags, but I don't have a problem with that.
- The soundtrack is excellent, and if it wasn't 'rare' (read 'expensive) I would own a copy.
- Okay, scratch that. I found a used 'good' copy on Amazon for under $9 with shipping. Buying....NOW.
The Bad:
- I got nothing.
Best Scene:
Okay, the best scene in the entire movie is the seduction scene at the waterfall. Once again, Brendan Frasier wholly commits to his role, and the background music (Marvin Gaye's "Let's get it on") comes in at the perfect moment.
Don't Miss:
- Lyle calling Kwame ("Quah-may") "Quaym".
Quotable Lines:
- "Funny lookin' fella." and also "Somethin' wrong with this fella!" - George
- "George go investigate!" - George
- "Meanwhile, at a very large and expensive waterfall set..." - Narrator
- "Pretty DARN good!" - George
- "Thank you Gunter, Gunner, Hans, Franz, and Phil." - Lyle
Personal Note:
Those of you who know my brother will find this funny: when the movie came out, the lead character was favorably compared with him, especially since he had just bleached his (long) hair for prom, and was prone to running around barefoot, although not (usually) bare-chested or sporting a 'butt-flap'.
Final Grade:
Overall, I'd have to give this movie an A+. The only way this movie fails is if you are looking for a serious or deep movie. Since that is rarely the case with me, I can find no fault with it, and whole-heartedly recommend it for your movie library.
1 + 1 = AWESOME!
We found a new cereal at Albertson's this weekend, and I have to ask, now that I've tried it, why it took a house brand to think of it. Everyone knows that the best part of Lucky Charms is the marshmallows, but you feel obligated to eat the boring part too. Well they finally replaced the boring crunchies with Cocoa Puffs! Behold, marshmallow cocoa crunchy puffs!
2009-11-08
Battlefield Band
For those of you who have never heard of Battlefield Band, you've been missing out. My best friend found them on Prairie Home Companion many years ago, and we've been fans since. I then got the Sexy Mama hooked on them, and we got her family hooked on them, etc. etc.
Anyhoo, we went to see them in concert last night, and it was totally worth the cost of the tickets, the cost of the babysitter, the drive to Pasadena, the hassle of this, that and everything else.
If you're a fan of Scottish music, or even just Celtic music in general, I highly recommend checking them out, and if you have the chance to see them in concert, don't miss it!
Caveat: Their new album Zuma Zuma, which makes up most of the lyrical songs they performed last night, does not seem to be one of their best, but the instrumental jigs, reels, waltzes, etc. were absolutely stunning.
Anyhoo, we went to see them in concert last night, and it was totally worth the cost of the tickets, the cost of the babysitter, the drive to Pasadena, the hassle of this, that and everything else.
If you're a fan of Scottish music, or even just Celtic music in general, I highly recommend checking them out, and if you have the chance to see them in concert, don't miss it!
Caveat: Their new album Zuma Zuma, which makes up most of the lyrical songs they performed last night, does not seem to be one of their best, but the instrumental jigs, reels, waltzes, etc. were absolutely stunning.
Also, one of their junior members - the makeup of the band changes from year to year as people come and go, except for Alan Reid who is a founding member from 30+ years ago - named Alasdair White has been hailed as a fiddle prodigy and I believe it. He has a solo album out which I have not heard, but I'm sure is worth buying.
Oh, and if you want to buy us more BB music, we only own 5 of their albums: Across the Borders, Happy Daze, Home Ground, Leaving Friday Harbor and Live Celtic Music.
2008-02-16
When is an MP3 not an mp3?
Okay, I haven't been blogging much lately, and I don't usually blog on the weekends, but I saw something earlier this week, and research dictates that it is deserving of a post-haste.
On the way home from...something - don't remember what - I saw someone riding what looked like a standard street bike, except it had three wheels in the front. I have been wondering for a while why no one has bothered making three-wheelers with the two wheels on front, so this caught my attention and curiosity. With a little bit of Googling, I found the following:
Piaggio launched the first Vespa model — and with it the scooter phenomenon — in the spring of 1946. The scooter revolutionised personal transport, giving Europeans a sense of utter freedom. Sixty years on, Piaggio has come up with another revolutionary product: the PIAGGIO MP3, a totally innovative three-wheeler with two front wheels. The PIAGGIO MP3 provides safety, road grip and stability levels that no two-wheeler can match. Power, performance and ease of use make for a very entertaining ride.
...
The front assembly, with two independent tilting wheels, is far more stable than any scooter. The PIAGGIO MP3 grips the road even when tailing other vehicles, providing top performance in total safety.The full extent of this three-wheeler’s stability can be tested on wet asphalt or tough riding conditions that would sorely challenge a traditional two-wheeler.
In town and city traffic the PIAGGIO MP3 has no equal in terms of safety. It takes on cobblestone streets, patchy asphalt and tram tracks with the greatest of ease, remaining safe and stable all the while. With its compact super-scooter size and exceptional manoeuvrability, the PIAGGIO MP3 is at home in town traffic. It’s a cinch to park: an electro-hydraulic suspension locking system means there is no need to put the vehicle on its stand.
...The Piaggio MP3 is type-approved as a standard two wheeled motorcycle.
...The three-disk braking system and exceptional front-end road-holding reduce braking space by 20 per cent compared to the best scooters.
...
The PIAGGIO MP3 is available in two engine displacements, 125 and 250 cc, both up-to-date 4-stroke, 4-valve, liquid-cooled units in line with Euro3 emissions standards.
The 125cc engine offers an excellent power output of 15 bhp/11kW, the legal limit when riding with a car licence. The 250cc, equipped with electronic injection, delivers a 22.5 bhp/16.9 kW power output, making the PIAGGIO MP3 capable of comfortably taking on long-distance rides.
So, for those of you with plenty of money who are wondering what to get me for Birthday or Christmas, you can add this to the list. It's probably not as much fun to drive as the Carver, but it's certainly not as expensive either.
On the way home from...something - don't remember what - I saw someone riding what looked like a standard street bike, except it had three wheels in the front. I have been wondering for a while why no one has bothered making three-wheelers with the two wheels on front, so this caught my attention and curiosity. With a little bit of Googling, I found the following:
Piaggio 3 Wheel MP3 Scooter
Piaggio launched the first Vespa model — and with it the scooter phenomenon — in the spring of 1946. The scooter revolutionised personal transport, giving Europeans a sense of utter freedom. Sixty years on, Piaggio has come up with another revolutionary product: the PIAGGIO MP3, a totally innovative three-wheeler with two front wheels. The PIAGGIO MP3 provides safety, road grip and stability levels that no two-wheeler can match. Power, performance and ease of use make for a very entertaining ride.
...
The front assembly, with two independent tilting wheels, is far more stable than any scooter. The PIAGGIO MP3 grips the road even when tailing other vehicles, providing top performance in total safety.The full extent of this three-wheeler’s stability can be tested on wet asphalt or tough riding conditions that would sorely challenge a traditional two-wheeler.
In town and city traffic the PIAGGIO MP3 has no equal in terms of safety. It takes on cobblestone streets, patchy asphalt and tram tracks with the greatest of ease, remaining safe and stable all the while. With its compact super-scooter size and exceptional manoeuvrability, the PIAGGIO MP3 is at home in town traffic. It’s a cinch to park: an electro-hydraulic suspension locking system means there is no need to put the vehicle on its stand.
...The Piaggio MP3 is type-approved as a standard two wheeled motorcycle.
...The three-disk braking system and exceptional front-end road-holding reduce braking space by 20 per cent compared to the best scooters.
...
The PIAGGIO MP3 is available in two engine displacements, 125 and 250 cc, both up-to-date 4-stroke, 4-valve, liquid-cooled units in line with Euro3 emissions standards.
The 125cc engine offers an excellent power output of 15 bhp/11kW, the legal limit when riding with a car licence. The 250cc, equipped with electronic injection, delivers a 22.5 bhp/16.9 kW power output, making the PIAGGIO MP3 capable of comfortably taking on long-distance rides.
So, for those of you with plenty of money who are wondering what to get me for Birthday or Christmas, you can add this to the list. It's probably not as much fun to drive as the Carver, but it's certainly not as expensive either.
2007-11-26
Movie Recommendation: Enchanted - 3 sneezes
Well, we had a rare opportunity to go to a real movie at a real theatre this weekend, and at Jess' recommendation we went to see the new release Enchanted, and at this point I think I can wholeheartedly recommend the movie.
Story: 2 Sneezes - a little predictable, but not to bad regardless
Technical Details: 2 Sneezes - good music, good visual effects
Acting: 3 Sneezes - excellent role-playing by the fairytale characters
Humor: 3 Sneezes - several good laugh out loud moments
Family Friendly: 2 Sneezes - Good morals, good parenting
It begins in a perfect spoof of any Disney fairy tale movie, right down to the 2d, hand-drawn animation, and the princess-to-be in her woodland house with her woodland animal friends singing about love. But 15 minutes into the movie, the princess is thrown down an enchanted well and ends up in live-action New York City. The plot unfolds as the prince attempts to rescue her, and the people she meets in NYC try to help who they think is a very nice nutjob.
High points of the movie include:
- Acting: Amy Adams (Giselle) and James Marsden (Prince Edward, also played Cyclops in X-Men) do an excellent job of wholeheartedly throwing themselves into the roles of a fairlytale princess and prince in real life. And Patrick Dempsey does a good job of playing the skeptical New Yorker who is trying to be nice while still being a good dad.
- Morals: In true classic Disney form, no one sleeps with anyone else in the movie, and it does a decent job in handling divorce and even the idea of "happily ever after". The dad character is actually portrayed as a good father and a worthy hero. SPOILER:Even though the guy from NY is dating someone while he falls in love with the princess, they are not engaged, so there aren't even any vows broken END SPOILER
- The film does a good job of making evil evil and good good.
I'm suppose I should caveat that the ending might be a little scary for little kids, since the evil queen turns into a dragon, but children over the age of five would probably be okay, since there is nothing particularly grotesque about it (she is a very pretty evil magic dragon).
Story: 2 Sneezes - a little predictable, but not to bad regardless
Technical Details: 2 Sneezes - good music, good visual effects
Acting: 3 Sneezes - excellent role-playing by the fairytale characters
Humor: 3 Sneezes - several good laugh out loud moments
Family Friendly: 2 Sneezes - Good morals, good parenting
It begins in a perfect spoof of any Disney fairy tale movie, right down to the 2d, hand-drawn animation, and the princess-to-be in her woodland house with her woodland animal friends singing about love. But 15 minutes into the movie, the princess is thrown down an enchanted well and ends up in live-action New York City. The plot unfolds as the prince attempts to rescue her, and the people she meets in NYC try to help who they think is a very nice nutjob.
High points of the movie include:
- Acting: Amy Adams (Giselle) and James Marsden (Prince Edward, also played Cyclops in X-Men) do an excellent job of wholeheartedly throwing themselves into the roles of a fairlytale princess and prince in real life. And Patrick Dempsey does a good job of playing the skeptical New Yorker who is trying to be nice while still being a good dad.
- Morals: In true classic Disney form, no one sleeps with anyone else in the movie, and it does a decent job in handling divorce and even the idea of "happily ever after". The dad character is actually portrayed as a good father and a worthy hero. SPOILER:Even though the guy from NY is dating someone while he falls in love with the princess, they are not engaged, so there aren't even any vows broken END SPOILER
- The film does a good job of making evil evil and good good.
I'm suppose I should caveat that the ending might be a little scary for little kids, since the evil queen turns into a dragon, but children over the age of five would probably be okay, since there is nothing particularly grotesque about it (she is a very pretty evil magic dragon).
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