RandomMuch

September 25, 2009

We pushed and pushed, now… Gmail Pushes back

Filed under: iPhone/Cell Phones, Tech — Tags: , — Arturo @ 1:35 am

This one will be short and sweet.  It pretty much speaks for itself.

I have been waiting and waiting for Gmail to be able to push to my iPhone.  I know it may seem silly to most of you.  Especially you Blackberries out there who already get push.  But this is sadly a big deal for us iPhone peeps.  I mean Google releases this AND AT&T is releasing MMS later today, Sept 25th?  Great day for iPhone fans.  Like I said, I know most of you have this already and I agree that it is a little late for the “greatest phone on the planet”.  I will say to those being nice about it, I agree… touché… and I concede your point.  To those more cynical and crude about it, I say this… We may not have had push for our Gmail nor MMS, but can you choose from over 72,000, that’s right seventy two THOUSAND apps for your phone?  Do you have an iPod integrated IN your phone?  Do you have the closest thing you can get to a REAL web browser on a handheld device on your phone?  I didn’t think so.  And that’s a short list of things the iPhone does better than any other cell phone.

If you have more than one Gmail like I do, this only supports one account at this time.  But you can get an app from the App Store called PushGmail and that’ll give you one more.  Supposedly PushGmail will be adding “multiple accounts” capability soon.  Enjoy.

Please note, he isn’t very clear about contacts and calendar.  It will ask you if you wan to t overwrite or leave your current info on your phone.  Just to be safe go in after setting it up and slide the bar.  It’ll ask what you want to do with your current info.  ;)

–

AC

September 16, 2009

The Rebirth of Rock n Roll?

Filed under: Music — Tags: , , — Arturo @ 4:08 pm

If you read my post about Jay-Z’s album, you know that I have a fondness for music and have fallen out of love as of late.  Well I Stumbled Upon a list of the best albums of 2009 so far.  And one the albums that caught my interest, for some reason, was The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists.  Maybe it was the band name because I have this little obsession with everything December.  But I got the album and it sat in my iPhone until today.  I put it on and it made me realize something.  I’m gonna try a new format since I know I have a tendency to ramble.  I will write my review first and then offer my opinions after, that way you can stop reading when you choose after the review.  ;)

The bad: There were a couple of times that I had to check the title of the song I was hearing at the time because it sounded similar to one of the previous songs.  I guess in reality all bands have their niché, cause like for example I can smell a Staind song a mile away.  So it’s not all that bad.  The only other thing I can say, and not really for me, I can see how some people might be turned away because the lyrics can be hard to swallow.  One song in particular is talking about crimes perpetrated on family members.  The only defense I can offer is that it’s poetry.  And if you hold yourself to the parameters of only safe poetry, you’ll never get a real experience.  For example, I HATE Shakespeare.  With a passion.  But I gave it a chance and made the most of that experience.  I tried reading Dante’s Inferno and couldn’t get into it, but I never said I would not even try it.  But if you listen to this album with the openness that should be given to all poetry, you might find something special.

The good:  Where to begin?  Upon listening to the first two or three songs, I felt transported to the days when I truly loved music.  This album flows beautifully.  It’s a throw back to when listening to an album was a continuous experience like watching a movie.  There are no real breaks in between.  The music itself is really good.  Granted I am no musician, but I can feel it.  There were times that I felt like I was listening to The Doors, or Led Zeppelin, or Bob Dylan, or even sometimes good country.  The contrast of having a male lead singer in one song and a female lead singer in another was very refreshing.  There have been few times that I heard an album all the way through, in one sitting, the first time, and not skip a track.  This was certainly one of them.

I have concluded that one of the problems with the world today stems from how we educate ourselves and our children.  Far gone are the days that children would learn about Socrates and Aristotle.  Greek mythology and foreign languages have given way to being bombarded with math, science, and more math.  Schools have become so obsessed with passing standardized tests that classical education is no longer even considered.  Kids have no idea who Pandora is anymore, or her silly box.  Kids take Spanish to get credit, when they already speak it at home.  Music appreciation is to be done at home AFTER hours of homework and studying, not as a class.  The reason I mention this is because I used to love how music used to reference all these things.  The musicians were truly educated for the most part and it showed in the poetry of their music.  When poets wanted to express their sexual longing for someone they spoke of dying in their arms, meaning to have an orgasm together.  Now we get lyrics like, “I love your pants around your feet.”  When I heard Jay-Z’s album The Blueprint 3, I was glad to feel old familiar feelings.  When I hear Kings of Leon, I also have memories of good times.  But taking those albums and now hearing this one, I actually have hope again that music can break free from the mold and once again be the enigma it once was.  Dare I give in to hope?

–

AC

September 14, 2009

New Rob Zombie flick left me disappointed and Holloween too…

Filed under: Movies — Tags: , , — Arturo @ 2:09 am

I come from the good old days of real horror movies.  The last time I remember feeling genuinely scared at a movie was The Ring.  Something about that little girl gave me the creeps.  And that scene with her coming out of the TV almost made me cart my TV out of the house like the final scene from Poltergeist.  Before that, I honestly cannot remember another scary movie unless I go as far back as my childhood.  Maybe it’s because I was a young, impressionable kid, but the idea of Jason at summer camp, Freddy in my nightmares, Pazuzu possessing my body like in the Exorcist, and even Michael Myers walking around on Halloween were really scary to me.  Now a days movies just go for cheap thrills.  Nothing is just plain evil any more.  Horror movies, about half way in, turn in to a Scooby-Doo episode.  The killer ends up being some tormented soul that just needed a shoulder to cry on.  Granted, many of the sequels for Halloween and Friday the 13th were just excuses to show boobs, blood, and guts, but they were honest in their approach.  Nine out of ten sequels are just cashing in on the originals’ success.  The movies now show trailers promising a good scare and then deliver simple gimmicks like startling you and the showing off of special effects in death scenes.  Like I tell my lovely wife, sometimes too often, I want a movie to scare me, not startle me.  I hate when they jump out and play that really loud music.  My wife jumping out of her skin scares me more than that.  So when I saw Rob Zombie’s Halloween a couple years ago, I was actually pleased.  I wasn’t scared like when I was a kid, but it wasn’t all gimmicks.  It was a good movie.  And when I heard about the sequel, I was really excited.  I figured, he impressed some people and they said, “Go get ‘em Rob.  Scare the $#!& out of them.”  Did it?  Let’s find out.

The good: One thing I have really liked over the past few years, albeit used a little too often, is the imagery, I believe, started in Marilyn Manson’s videos from AntiChrist Superstar.  This movie used that and I also got that feeling I got watching The Cell(which I love) with Jennifer Lopez.  I also liked how there wasn’t much to explain about what’s gone on since the last one.  This isn’t a “ten years later” sequel.  Things are still fresh within the story line.  And sadly those two almost insignificant details are all that I liked.

The bad:  Where to begin?  I actually made notes on my iPhone during the movie JUST so I wouldn’t forget anything.  The previews made it seem as though we were going to  get some kind of insight as to why Michael was the way he was or some kind of twist to the original story was going to set this one apart from the original.  All it turned out to be was something WE, the audience, already knew but one of the characters didn’t and Dr Loomis reveals in his book.  Which brings me to another thing I really disliked.  Dr Loomis becomes this prima donna  rock star demanding special drinks before making an appearance.  Not to mention having little hissy fits here and there.  It was tacky.  Another thing that bothered me was Michael’s new persona.  One of the things that made him scary to me in the first one is how as he got older, he lost more and more emotion.  He almost literally becomes a killing machine.  Very calm, and cool when he killed.  In this one all of a sudden he’s putting force and emotion in to his kills.  You hear him grunting like if he’s really angry.  But Michael didn’t kill out of anger.  Think of the first movie: The step dad was a jerk to him, as was the sister.  The sister’s boyfriend, wrong place, wrong time.  The nurse was mean to him.  The guards and janitor were obstacles in his escape.  The trucker had clothes that would fit.  Even the couple in his house were intruding in his sanctuary.  Some may have been a stretch, but this movie had at least 5 or 6 deaths that were completely random.

I had high hopes when I heard he was making this movie.  But it seems to me that they came to him for the first one and said, “OK, Mr Zombie, we’re giving you the chance to give us your vision.  BUT… we want this to be mainstream.  Not a cult movie.  So do what you do, but a little more marketable.”  Then once they saw that it worked, they said, “OK, Robby baby, we loved the first one.  The core audience is there and WILL come back for more.  We want you to make the sequel and this time just do what you do.  You’ve earned it.  Just do us a favor and make it bloodier, gorier… you know, follow the rules that Randy talks about in Scream 2.”  And as a result, Robby baby gave us what seems more like a sequel to House of 1000 Corpses and The Devil’s Rejects.  Which are two movies I really liked, but that’s not what I paid to see.  In closing, I’ll say this: I have NEVER walked out on a movie, and my wife and I were about to walk out… twice.  But I made it a point to tough it out.  I kind of wish I had left.

–

AC

September 12, 2009

Jay-Z Truly is the Blueprint…

Filed under: Music — Tags: , , , — Arturo @ 1:51 am

It’s sad to say, but I don’t listen to music like I used to.  I remember when I was a kid I spent endless hours listening to music.  When I was really small and couldn’t buy my own stuff, I’d lay on the floor and listen to my parents music on those 12 inch wax records.  That’s how far back I go.  That’s where I got my appreciation for Earth, Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Santana, The Eagles, Led Zepplin, and even Spanish artists like Mazz.  I even remember when my grandma would sit for me, she’d be listening to old Spanish music.  Unfortunately, I don’t know the names but I will.  Then I finally became old enough to get an allowance and buy my own records.  And my first to were The Beastie Boys License to Ill and Purple Rain by Prince.  Then came the barrage of music.  I got a tape recorder and started making my own mix tapes.  I’d carry it around with me listening to music.  The point I’m getting to, ever so slowly is that I miss it and I’m trying to find that passion I used to have that would make sit there and just listen.  Now if music isn’t catchy, I hit skip forward.  And maybe that’s part of the problem, cause in the good ol’ days, if you wanted to skip forward, you actually had to get up and line up that needle right at the beginning of the next track.  Now you just hit a button.  But I digress.  So, I’m sitting here catching up on some tracks by Common, and I come across some fairy newer track called Universal Mind Control.  And although it sampled an old Bambaataa song called Planet Rock, it sounded so futuristic.  And it got me to thinking about the new Jay-Z album I’ve been listening to.

The reason I thought of it is cause the first thing I thought when I heard it is how futuristic it sounded.  Then it made me think of other artists that technically made that first step.  The Black Eyed Peas have had this sound.  The Neptunes get futuristic.  Kanye West went way out there with 808′s and Heartbreak.  But in reality people have dismissed those ventures as typical for those artists.  It’s almost expected of them.  but for Jay to take that step is going to make people sit up and pay attention.  Now current artists and future artists are going to see that you can maintain “street cred” which is so desired, and yet still push Hip Hop forward.  Let’s face it Hip Hop has had only one turning point and it was not for the best.  Hip Hop was on straight line, then NWA came out and really introduced the streets to music.  That opened the door to artists like Biggie.  In turn, with Biggie’s second album he took bragging about money and riches to another level.  That gave birth to The Hot Boyz and the “bling” era.  Since then, it’s been a constant onslaught of “I have more money, I have ten Bentley’s, I have a house that I only use once a year” and all kinds of ridiculous showing off fortunes that in reality are exaggerated at best.  A lot of the artists don’t “own” half what they brag about.  So when someone of Jay’s caliber, stature, and reputation takes it to the next level, it’s a major event.  And I honestly believe this could be the Blueprint for the future of Hip Hop.  And it needs a real revolution.  It needs a revolution and an evolution unlike any other genre in music.

I think his track D.O.A.(Death of Autotune) sums it up best… “I know we facing a recession, but the music y’all making going make it the great depression.”  Maybe I do have the benefit of being a nobody and “IF” I am wrong, no one will care.  And “IF” I am right no one will remember.  But for those reading this, and are Hip Hop fans, listen to the album with an open mind and remember that occasion as your testimony to where you were when Hip Hop rose from the ashes like a Phoenix.  I can’t say enough about this album.  I thought I loved the Black album, but this buries it.  It makes me wish I had the Range Rover I’ve always wanted with a loud system to cruise around in and listen to this album.

–

AC

September 9, 2009

Mid-Life Awakening…

Filed under: Personal Thoughts — Arturo @ 11:37 am

For as long as I can remember, I’ve heard the term midlife crisis.  I always associated it with men breaking down in their 40′s, going out and buying a sports car, and getting a young girlfriend.  When I became of age to really give it deep thought, I told myself that I was going to do anything possible to avoid being that kind of man.  Then right around 22, I saw a movie that changed my perception, American Beauty.  To many, this movie was the epitome of a midlife crisis.  Guy wakes up one day and realizes his life is almost like death.  He feels alone, incomplete, and when he’s at risk of losing his job, he sees a young girl that stirs something inside him.  He then proceeds to make life changes that make him seem like he’s trying to be young again.  I looked passed all that and realized that there is no “midlife crisis”.  What happens is people wake up one day and realize they are not living the life they saw for themselves and decide to try and head in  that direction.

The problem is this, a lot of people get married young, or have kids young, or both.  And having kids is a life changing thing, obviously.  Even if kids aren’t involved, people start getting jobs to make money, get married, provide for their family, everything that society defines as a “normal” adult.  We get mortgages, car loans, and credit cards, and before we know it we have to stick with the job we have or look for a better paying job to keep up with the Joneses.  When that day does arrive, it’s not a midlife crisis, it’s an awakening.  A realization that we haven’t lived our lives how WE wanted.  Maybe we don’t want to sit in a cubicle and punch keys all day.  Maybe we wanted to fix old cars, but it doesn’t pay as well so we go for the money.  We’ve sold our souls and can’t understand why we wake up feeling like something is wrong.  The midlife crisis guy isn’t going out to buy that sports car because he’s trying to be young necessarily.  It’s the car he always wanted, but didn’t get because it wasn’t the “responsible” thing to do.  Now that he’s woken from his living coma, he says, “Why the hell not?”  Maybe he couldn’t or shouldn’t have before, but why not now.  There are no more car seats that need to be shuffled in and out of the four door.  He can afford it now.  Especially if he trades in “family van”.  But he’s older now and people see him and say, “Looks like someone’s having a midlife crisis.”  This guy is now feeling youthful and ALIVE again.  His confidence is better than it has been in years.  They see a good looking man with a nice car and he carries himself like a million bucks.  And guess what, women are noticing it.  Especially the young ones.  They want the distinguished older man because he’s more mature.  Because he’s established.  Because he has money.  That boosts his confidence even more.  Now granted, I am in no way condoning adultery.  But the ego boost this provides is almost intoxicating.

What I’m saying is that all these things will obviously have an effect on his personality.  And maybe society does frown upon it.  But he’s found himself again and he’s living HIS life, HIS way.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  Now if he’s taking it too far and becoming a jerk to his family, then he needs a reality check.  Like anything that is intoxicating, it can be taken too far.  But if you know someone experiencing a midlife awakening, help him figure out the right way to deal with it.  One of the main reasons people have such a problem with it is because they either can’t figure out what they need to fix to feel the same, or they don’t have the courage to run with it.  We’ve been conditioned to work our asses off and save money for retirement.  Go watch the movie Up again, as silly as it may seem.  Saving and planning for retirement is a bit silly.  By the time you get there, you’re too tired to do all those things you wanted to do.  Do them while you’re young and healthy.  I’m NOT saying blow it all.  Believe me, you need to save a little.  One of the saddest things I see is elderly people working at McDonald’s.  If they do it to pass time, that’s still a little sad that they have nothing better to keep them busy.  But if it’s to pay bills and medications, that makes me very sad.  But don’t hoard it all now.  Enjoy your life while you can.  Save some for tomorrow, but not all of it.  You might not see tomorrow, so enjoy today.

–

AC

September 2, 2009

Call to arms or fingers…

Filed under: Personal Thoughts — Tags: , — Arturo @ 5:38 pm

OK my lovely readers.  I checked my stats and I’m about 200 clicks short of 5000 views for the website in general.  Which is AWESOME.  I also have 5 CSS subscribers and 5 email subscribers which is similarly AWESOME.  Now I have a slight favor to ask.  If you notice to the right of this post, there are navigational tools, but more importantly, there is a sponsored ad for the Children’s Miracle Network.  I will admit I have a love/hate relationship with people.  I love everyone I meet, but when I see the atrocities we bestow upon one another, it makes me very sad and angry with the world.  But one thing that never changes is my love for kids.  Ive always talked about volunteering, but I’ve never actually done it.  One thing I have done is looked up charities and donated money.  Nothing major, but I donate what I can when I can.  I even spam my friends with emails for them to consider doing the same.  I even signed up to have money taken out of my check to support my local United Way.  At some point I decided that as much as I love helping people, I love helping kids more.  There are some bad apples, but for the most part kids are innocent compared to us adults.  And they deserve all the help they can get.

Even if you just click on the add and read up on it, PLEASE take the time.  If you donate that’s even better.  I see it this way, even if 1/4th of the nearly 5000 views I’ve gotten are repeat readers, that’s still 3750 people that are new to the site.  If each new reader donates just one dollar, that’s $3750 going to a good cause.  I tell you with complete honesty, I get nothing from them directly.  Simply the satisfaction of knowing I helped a little.  Please Please Please use your little fingers and click on the ad over to the right and give it a looksy.

–

AC

September 1, 2009

Football season or faux paux season?

Filed under: Personal Thoughts, Sports — Tags: , , — Arturo @ 8:26 pm

OK, so a good friend of mine, AKA @followmyriam on Twitter, gave a link, written by Diana Adams for Bit Rebels, to her hubby for the upcoming football season.  I read it, and said, “OH HELLLLL NO!”  I thought to myself that if only I had a blog of my own to respond to this travesty… wait a tick.

So here’s my response to the post.

1. Let her know what’s in it for her. Relationships are about compromise. If you want her to watch football on TV with you, then promise to watch American Idol (or whatever show she likes) with her even though you hate it. If you expect her to have a good attitude while watching football, then you must reciprocate. – WRONG!  First off watching football with him was probably your idea, not his.  That in itself is a compromise.  That’s you wanting to share in his interests.  Which is great, but don;t make it seem like you’re doing him a favor and expect something in return.  Do because you want to do.

2. Don’t be a selfish poop. If you buy beer to watch during the game, buy her favorite wine. If you invite some guys over, let her invite some girlfriends over. If you want her to make you yummy homemade snacks, buy her a box of chocolates and some scented candles. Be nice and think ahead. – WRONG! First off, I pay this week, you pay next week.  Second, this isn’t turning in to a tea party.  All you and your friends are gonna do is chatter up a storm and not let him hear the game.  Here’s a compromise, let him invite hi buddies over and you go out with the girls.  And here’s one for the ladies, if he can’t arrange his own snacks, let him starve.  You’re his wife, not his wench.

3. Talk to her about something other than sports during the commercials. Let’s face it; unless it’s the Super Bowl, the commercials aren’t worth watching anyway. Instead, turn the volume down and pay attention to your girlfriend/wife during that time. That gives her your undivided attention during about 15 – 20 minutes of every hour of the game. – Just another way to make everything about YOU.  Part of watching the game is enjoying the commercials.  You might not see the point unless it’s the Superbowl, but he might.  I’m sure he gives you attention plenty of times, but it doesn’t interfere with anything he likes so it doesn’t mean anything to you.  Men are NOT women, we don’t have the need to be involved in everything you do, or need for you to be involved in everything we do.  It is nice to share, but not EVERYTHING.

4. We have a huge dry erase board in our house where we write events that are scheduled. If you want her to watch football with you on Sundays, block out the time on the schedule in advance or else you may find that she has made plans for the two of you on that day.  WRONG!  You know that football is every Sunday.  If you plan something, that’s devious on your part.  You know very well that you EXPECT him to be aware of your things so do the same for him.  You expect us to remember that Saturday mornings you go shopping with mom, then you remember that Sundays are football days.

5. Be very patient with her when she asks questions about the game. Even as a woman who loves football, I get annoyed when I hear other women ask, “How many points for a touchdown?” If I get frustrated with that, I can only imagine how men feel. However, this is all about long term strategy, right? If you patiently answer her questions, she will become more interested in the game. – OK, I kind of agree here.  If she really is making an effort to learn, then be patient.  You didn’t know it all the first game you watched.  But ladies, also be aware that a good part of the game is hearing the commentary.  We learn things we didn’t know through the announcers.

6. Say something to relate to what she is interested in, for example, if you are watching the New Orleans Saints (Reggie Bush), say, “Hey, that’s the guy who used to date Kim Kardashian.” – WRONG!  The last thing he wants to do is talk celebrity gossip during a game.  If that’s what you’re looking for, get your laptop during the game and Google some of the players or the team and see if any of the hits are from TMZ.

7. To get her warmed up (no pun intended) to the idea of enjoying sports, start off by giving her someone to drool over (you aren’t the only one with a wandering eye). David Beckham is a perfect example. Let her watch him on the big screen for a while and she’ll be more receptive to watching football. OH HELLLL NO!  You know very well that us using another woman as motivation to do something with you is a HUGE no-no.  And coming from an overweight, ugly guy, I can tell you that the last thing my ego needs, especially during one of my few testosterone treatments, is you drooling over some guy on TV.  Like you would want us to look forward to going with shopping for clothes because we gawked at a Victoria’s Secret catalog.

8. Buy her a team jersey or hat. Women love gifts and this will make the whole experience all the more positive for her. It’s a simple thing you can do to bring a lot of fun to the game. – OK, I like this one.  It shows unity and support.  I think guys will appreciate this one.

9. Make sure she is comfortable. This is one that is a big deal to me. For some reason, sitting in a chair to watch sports is not nearly as cozy as pulling out the sofa bed, throwing on a ton of fluffy pillows and adding a big bowl of popcorn. Feel the difference? These little things really matter. – Another pretty good idea.  But do you have to call them “fluffy” pillows?  And please do not get all bothered if he does turn down the volume during a commercial, but wants to take advantage of the prone positioning.  Hey, you’re thinking I want him to buy me my wine and jersey, he’s thinking… “mmmmm bed”.  Sorry, but facts are facts.

10. Last but not least, if all else fails, I have something for you to keep in your back pocket that will always guarantee you that she will watch sports with a smile on her face. In our house, we call this the “coupon system.” I guarantee you that there is something that she really wants from you. It could be a night out with her girlfriends, a one-hour long foot rub, an uninterrupted bubble bath, a trip to her parent’s house – whatever it may be, give her a coupon for that in exchange for her watching the game with you. Take a piece of paper and make her an actual coupon, with no expiration date, that she can redeem whenever she wants. Don’t tell my husband that I love football, because I use this to my advantage to get really cool coupons all the time. – WRONG!  Like I said, if you’re gonna watch, then watch.  This kind of deception would not be tolerated by most women, if it was the other way around, so why do you want us to do it.  If he brings you home flowers, but you find out it’s ONLY because he wants to make up for something stupid he just did, the first thing out your mouth will be, “Why only when you did something?  Why can’t you do this for no reason?  Why can’t you just do cause you love me?

Should your man be more open to compromise and sharing?  ABSOLUTELY!  But the fact of the matter is, if he is that kind of guy he’s doing it already.  And if he isn’t that kind of guy, he probably wont change.  And sorry darling, but YOU picked him.  I am all for sharing and compromise, but as this list sheds some light on, women are manipulators.  You want more quality time?  Ask.  You want to share our pleasures?  Ask.  Like I said, yes your man should want to these things on his own.  But expecting it is unrealistic.  demanding it will not guarantee sincerity.  And being devious in your methods will come back to bite you in the butt.  How ever nice that butt may be.  ;)

–

AC

P.P.

Ms Adams comes off a little manipulative in this post, but I think it’s mostly tongue in cheek.  I get the feeling that she is a caring and kind person.  I hope that’s the case.  Very well written, even if I don’t agree.

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