Nightmare Before Christmas 3-D

Movie for the weekend...the 3-Dification of the Nightmare before Christmas. An all time favorite of mine that hasn't lost anything in the transition. Great 3-D, great movie! By the way the more I hang in Florida the less I like. Disney is so fake. Ughhhh

Carrying the Fire

Well ever since my trip to the Kennedy Space Center 3 weeks ago I decided to reread one of my all time favorite books, Carrying the Fire, by Michael Collins. Growing up my desire was to be an astronaut. Having read every book on the space program I could find this one was the best! Having read it about 10 times I can still find some interesting nugget. Often overlooked because he was left behind when Neil and Buzz went to the moon I find his story to be the best and the most honest. Great read!

Banksy

Graffiti artist, Banksy, has done some great work. His satrical work is an interesting mix. I especially like when he added artwork at musuems in New York. This is a recent work when he was in LA (check it out at www.banksy.co.uk)

Football Weekend

Traveling again...Orlando again. Football again

14 (OU) vs CU / OU won 24 - 3
13 1/2 AF vs San Diego St / AF loss 19 - 12 (no comment! grrrrr)
4 1/2 Denver vs (Cleveland) / Denver won 17 - 7


Oh well...vegas wasn't built on winners. Sometime I will have to figure the final standings. I'm in the middle of watching Chapter 5 of Heroes. Will give my thoughts tomorrow.

Heroes - Chapter 4

Hiro is becoming "the man". Nods to Rainman aside the ending was a jaw dropper. Also like the tattoo! "Save the Cheerleader" - yeah right!

Current Entertainment

Book Reading - The Confusion Volume 2 of the Baroque Cycle by Neal Stephenson

Netflix Cue - Star Trek Voyager Season 7

Magazines - New Yorker

TV - Heroes, Studio 60, Lost, The Office

Blogs - www.edwardtufte.com / www.processrecess.com / www.comicscontinuum.com / www.survivinggrady.com / www.ebay.com

Baseball's All Time Team

Sports Illustrated recently printed what they thought was Baseball's All Time Team. For the most part I'd agree but I do have some quesitions

John McGraw (Manager)
Joe McCarthy (Coach)
Casey Stengel (Coach)

Warren Spahn (Pitcher)
Dennis Echersley (Pitcher)
Cy Young (Pitcher)
Roger Clemens (Pitcher)
Lefty Grove (Pitcher)
Mariano Rivera (Pitcher)
Christy Mathewson (Pitcher)
Walter Johnson (Pitcher)
Sandy Koufax (Pitcher)

What about Seaver, Feller, or Gibson? (Throw out Rivera...Mathewson)

Yogi Berra (Catcher)
Johnny Bench (Catcher)
Lou Gehrig (1B)
Stan Musial (1B)...Musial was an outfielder go with Jimmie Foxx
Jackie Robinson (2B)
Rogers Hornsby (2B)...Joe Morgan by far the best 2B
Honus Wagner (SS)
Alex Rodriquez (SS)...Cal Ripken, A-Fraud has to do something more in the playoffs
Mike Schmidt (3B)
Joe DiMaggio (Outfield)
Ted Williams (Outfield)
Babe Ruth (Outfield)
Willie Mays (Outfield)
Ty Cobb (Outfield)
Mickey Mantle (Outfield)
Hank Aaron (Outfield)

Magnificant Desolation

I forgot to talk about the movie I saw when I visited the Kennedy Space Center. Titled "Magnificant Desolation" it was a fantastic vision of what walking on the moon was like. Narrated by Tom Hanks and viewed in 3D it was a fantastic film (of course juxtaposed against today's vision...but I digress). I give it 5 optic blast!

Friday the 13....or Comic Book Day

Yup...it has been two weeks since I have written a comic book report. Last week was a dead week, no comics of interest for me. This week we had some decent stuff. First off is Powers. Yup another Bendis written book. I have enjoyed this one since the beginning. The characters are great especially the play between Pilgram and Deena (and of course who could have forgotten the monkey issue!). Anyway this is a continuation of a previous story. Not much play on Deena's powers and Pilgram's new found powers. Good issue and one of the best comics letters pages in the business

Issue 4 of 6 continues the story within a story of the new adventures of the Escapist. The plot thickens as our heros are served and the hero is read is rights. The escapist makes a daring rescue of Luna Moth only to discover she is a trader (the story within the story). Can't wait to see how everyone escapes

Traveling Sucks!

Finally back home after a long 11 days...not quite sure where the time went and where my daily blogging went but I guess we do our best. Short post tonight as I am tired. Day off tomorrow...but one bit of wonder

I was at the Art Institute of Chicago about 2 weeks ago...seems like months ago...and came across a painting by Berthe Morisot...didn't think much of it at the time but something about the painting struck a cord in me and I realized I had seen another work of hers here in Denver. This painting created in 1879 captivated me and it is one of my favorites. Fancy that I should see another one and become transfixed as well. Well doing some research I discover that Berthe and I have the same birthday! Hmmmmm

Space...The Final Frontier

Still in Florida...decided to take a day off and do some touring. Stopped and visited the Kennedy Space Center. Haven't been there in almost 17 years. Hard to believe...last time I visited I was a month out from entering USAFA...I had dreams of being an astronaut...unfortunately that iteration of my life did not come to pass. If alternative realities do exist and that if one believes quantum physics and schrondinger's cat then somewhere there is a reality or dimension that exists that I did become an astronaut! But I digress...it was very hard visiting this time around. NASA has really fallen apart. It used to be a dream maker, an organization that let loose, that made a plan and worked a plan. I really don't blame the people of NASA...I believe they are still there and dream of a successful space program. I believe NASA is still suffering from their success in the 60s...they did so much so quickly that the government expects success. Unfortunately short sighted politicians and adminstrators have clipped NASA wings so that they have been handcuffed with a shuttle that was to deliver the world but is basically a failed attempt to making spaceflight normal. Not to offend the 116 successful flights in which NASA really did alot but ultimately just produced an agency alwasys looking for a goal in which to use the shuttle. Amazing to think that in 9 years we launched a man then put a man on the moon and to think in almost 40 years later we are still trying to make spaceflight common. Ughhhh frustrating and sad...ultimately just the epitome of this country...no longer willing to make sacrifaces or challenge to make a real difference in the world...just simply content to stay the course and not to get burn...where are today's Kennedy's? In years to come will we just be remembered for some Cold War proganda stunt?

Is it Friday Yet?

Hey Hey It's Friday! Still hanging in Florida. Orlando I've decided is a dump. Not a big fan perhaps I'm stuck in the boring part of town but oh well...I think I'll head to the coast on Sunday! Football this weekend

2 1/2 (AF) vs Navy Go Air Force, Sink Navy
5 Colorado vs Baylor I can't believe 0 - 5 Colorado is favored!

4 Denver vs Baltimore Low scoring game I believe but Vegas gives O/U at 33...











While wondering the grocery store today...guess what I found...Yup Howard Johnson's Toasties! Wow I used to love going to HoJo's and having Toasties, Fried Clams, Hot Dogs (not all at once, mind you).

Other thought of the day...listening to Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio he made a good point...you should always try to improve yourself always try to learn something new to stay ahead otherwise if you plateau and feel comfortable others will be moving ahead and you will be moving backward. Plateauing is dying...stay ahead!

I've Disappeared!

Where'd I go? Well business travel as taken me places and I've had to deal with the wonders of internet access in hotels. As mentioned last post I was in Chicago...then I left for South Bend, Indiana. As a college football fan but not a Notre Dame fan I still drove around the campus just to see TD Jesus. Fascinating but the stadium isn't as big as I imagined. After Indiana I jumped off to Orlando. Ahhh the joys of Disney. Two comments about Orlando...too many tolls and wow lots of nuclear plants. Guess we know how Central Florida lights it lights!

Where'd Friday Go?

Well I missed a day...Friday got a bit busy as it was date night! Saw the Black Dahlia. Have to admit that I was not all that impressed. Scarlett was looking as good as ever. Recreating LA in the late 40s was also pretty good. The movie just seemed to try too hard. Characters were a bit stereo-typed and one dimensional. I'd probably say the book is probably better although I haven't read it.

Other things missed on Friday. Football spreads...

13 1/2 (AF) vs NMexico - Final score AF 24 - 7 although N Mexico did have a chance score a final TD (I was there...beautiful place to watch a football game...truly great atmosphere for normal college football)

16 (MU) vs CU - Final score 28 - 13 at least CU beat the spread that is about all they are going to do this year.

No Broncos football this week.

Where is Carmen Sandiego? Well I'm in the Windy City today. Taking a class taught by Edward Tufte (http://www.edwardtufte.com) Chicago is a nice city...this is the second time I've been here. The first that I actually had time to look around and check out the sites. Impressions:

Lake Michigan is a big lake!
Architecturally Great City!
Art Institute of Chicago!
Did't realize Soldier Field was right next to the Lake...boy it must get cold!

Check out Anish Kapoor's Cloud Gate at Chicago's Millennium Park...Specatular and goofy all at the same time...what a lovely surprise.










Spent a whooping 45 minutes at the Art Institute of Chicago...can't say I was happy about it but I did see the sights! Unbelievable pedigree of art...Wow! There are so many well known pieces of art it is almost unfair for other art musuem's Unfortunately the one piece I wanted to see...Nighthawks by Hopper was on loan to the Whitney Musuem...other pieces of note Frank Lloyd Wright's stainglass windows, Katsushika Hokusai's The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Van Gogh's Self Portrait, Grant Wood's American Gothic, Caillebotte's Paris Street, Rainy Day, Magritte's Time Transfixed, and of course Seurat's Ferris Buehler's Cameron's favorite pic. Finnally my final piece from the institute...the Monet room was unbelievable...I have seen the Water Lilies at the Modern in NYC but this was quite impressive. Being able to compare 5 haystacks was awesome seeing London in many views great. Overall a great museum!