Mindless minutiae

Why is everyone who drives slower than me an idiot, and everyone who drives faster a maniac?

23 November 2006

     FYI, stuff I would have put on this page is now on my blog, http://r32argent.blogspot.com

20 January 2005

     But… I have a nagging suspicion about the body shop my VW dealership uses.  After picking up my R32 (for the final time) I noticed that not just the driver’s seat, but the passenger’s seat was all out of position.  Driver’s seat—perfectly understandable. But the passenger’s seat? Whoever was sitting there must have been a giant—it was pushed completely back and in the full reclining position. Without knowing the distance between the dealership and body shop, I can only say the odometer reading didn’t seem too bad comparing it when I dropped the R32 off and when I picked it up. Maybe 20 miles or so.  Fine.  I hope.  I hope my clutch hasn’t been damaged.  But hey, maybe I’m just paranoid.

7 November 2004

     Ever seen those Trix cereal commercials? As a child I always thought it was cruel how the children in the commercial would gloat and say “Silly rabbit—Trix are for kids!” Just let him have some, for heaven’s sake! But these days I just think ‘oh well, rabbits are vegetarians, cereal is probably not the healthiest rabbit food’. Does this mean I’m getting old?

26 September 2004

     For my next mod I’ve been debating between the HPA SHS and OEM HIDs. After thinking it over, I think I’m going to go with the HIDs, first. They’re pretty much the same price, and I think the HIDs would be more useful to me. The suspension can probably wait until the stock suspension goes. I’ve also read that some people have had squeaking issues with the HPA SHS—so I can wait until it’s resolved or a consensus is reached.  As for the HIDs, I plan to install a rheostat at the same so that I can level the beam manually. I’ll probably get headlight protectors, too, just to protect my investment. Of course, I need money first, especially with Christmas coming up and having just bought a new set of tires.

     Right now my mod list includes the OEM HIDs, HPA SHS, and maybe a 21mm H&R rear sway. If I’m feeling really rich I’d get some BBS wheels. Oh well. A couple weeks ago I had a fortune cookie that said (to paraphrase) “soon you’ll have no financial worries, enjoy”—so I’m cautiously optimistic ;o)

12 September 2004

     Another DVD blurb. I’ve read that the original Star Wars trilogy (Episodes IV-VI) DVD release will be of the “Special Edition” theatrical release, with some ‘alterations’. For example, at the end of Episode VI the ghost of Anakin Skywalker has been changed to that of the actor who plays Anakin in Episodes II and III. I agree that George Lucas has the right to ‘modify’ his work, but I really wish he wouldn’t. I’m all for “cleaning up” older pictures, improving quality of special effects, sound, picture quality, deleted scenes, stuff like that. But as for actually altering original content, I only approve (like Lucas needs my approval, LOL) if it is also offered in the original version. So I hope this is just a cheap marketing ploy to get people to fork over cash for additional versions. To me, altering the original content is only appropriate if the original version is also offered. Without the original version, it’s analogous to an author re-writing history books to suit his personal whim.

     So fine, it’s Lucas’ movie, he can do whatever he wants with it, right? Right. But I think it’s a betrayal of a significant proportion of Star Wars fans (well, at least a betrayal of me) who love the original theatrical release, but are less than enthusiastic about the newer stuff. I much preferred the original release over the “Special Edition” release. Some movies can fit in extra scenes seamlessly (for example, the Lord of the Rings extended version DVDs) but I don’t think Lucas had the footage to do it successfully. For example, in the Special Edition Episode IV, there’s an added scene in Mos Eisley spaceport where Han Solo talks to a CG Jabba the Hut. The dialogue sounds highly repetitive of dialogue earlier in the movie with Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina. And to be completely frank, I intensely dislike Episodes I and II, and will most likely feel the same for Episode III.

     To cut my ranting short, I’ll close by saying that although you’re supposed to ‘never say never’, I say with confidence I will never buy Episodes I and II, and I will only consider buying the Special Edition Episodes IV-VI after I buy the original theatrical release of Episodes IV-VI. So, I really hope this is just a cheap marketing ploy.

22 August 2004

     I succumbed and bought the special edition Friends finale on DVD. I say ‘succumbed’ because although I guess I’ve probably seen every episode from seasons 1 and 2, anything after that has been very spotty. I only started watching regularly the last 4-5 episodes of the show. Regarding the DVD, I think it would have been better if they included the last two episodes instead of just the last—I thought the penultimate episode was funnier. The one positive thing I can say about the final episode is that it gave me what I wanted in regards to finishing some story-lines. Not surprising, but satisfying, in a way.

    I’ve also found myself planning on buying specific DVDs when they’re released—but once having bought them have no urge to watch them. Part of the problem is that sometimes I buy to ‘complete the set’, but since I’ve already seen them, on television or in the cinema, I don’t feel like watching them again. I can’t tell you how relieved I was when X-Files Season 9 came out. Relieved because I knew I could stop spending money on the insanely over-priced boxed sets. I haven’t even started watching Season 8! And I never saw these episodes on television either. After Duchovny jumped ship for most of the episodes in the last two seasons I never felt like watching.

    Speaking of boxed-sets, even though Star Trek: The Next Generation was one of my all-time favourites, I haven’t bought the DVDs because I don’t want to spend all that money on seven seasons. Maybe if they were cheaper.

    This reminds me, I detest the way television studios cut out scenes of re-runs/syndicated shows in order to squeeze in more commercials. Oh yeah, and those little station logos/advertisements for shows that they ‘float up’ on the bottom of the screen while the show is on. I don’t know what they are called, but extremely annoying. I saw one that advertised for the following show, but it actually had sound—completely drowning out the dialogue of the show I was watching. Ugh.

25 July 2004

     Wow. Now that I’ve gone and set this page up, I have nothing to say.

     Oh yeah, I saw a TV commercial for a Disney movie “Stuck in the Suburbs” or something like that. As far as I can gather, two teen girls mistakenly get hold of a pop singer’s mobile with all his appointments, contacts, etc. When the singer’s friend tries to get the phone back, the girls refuse, demanding that the friend introduce them to the pop singer. The friend says ‘no’, and the girls retaliate by making prank phone calls to the appointments/phone numbers stored in the mobile—pretending to be the singer’s official representative/agent.

     When I saw this trailer I immediately thought ‘theft’, ‘extortion’, and ‘the end justifies the means’.  The teen girls get the phone by mistake, fine, but then they refuse to return it to the owner—theft. The girls refuse to return the phone unless they’re introduced to the pop singer—extortion. By the end of the movie the girls meet the singer and somehow change his life for the better (hey, it’s a Disney movie!)—the end justifies the means.

     Somehow I don’t think these are the lessons kids should be learning.

       Hmm, it just occurred to me that if it isn’t obvious, I should add that everything here is just a personal opinion and that these thoughts and opinions may or may not be misinformed, based on incomplete information, or whatever. I also reserve the right to change my mind. I have neither the desire nor the intention to offend anyone.

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