Now THIS is funny!

Anyone who started using the Internet in the mid-1990s can relate to this amusing little clip. It's well worth the five minutes.

24: The Lost Pilot (Dateline: 1994)

Added Links

I've added a couple of new links into the Link List.

First is The Blue Lobster, by my friend David. He writes on various topics, always interesting.

Second is Tyler Cowen's Ethnic Dining Guide. Mr. Cowen is a professor at George Mason University, close to my home. He's put together a great collection of mini reviews of restaurants in the D.C. metro area.

Enjoy!

Hollywood doesn't know when to stop

Lately, it seems a Hollywood fad to re-make classic films of the past (as if the addition of lots of flashy CGI could improve on already-great films, even with today's often sub-par scripts and actors). So what if the apes were more "realistic" in the 2001 version of "The Planet of the Apes?" It still sucked in comparison to the original. Hell, even Tom Cruise couldn't rescue the "War of the Worlds" remake. But, they keep trying, and perhaps one day they'll get it right.

However, it won't happen with the upcoming remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still." This is one of my all-time favorite films, and Hollywood is getting ready to rape it.

First, they've cast Keanu Reeves as Klaatu. Are you kidding me? Is there any possible way that guy could begin to approach the poise and gravity Michael Rennie brought to that role?

Second, they've decided on a little plot change.

From the MTV Movies blog:

Fifty years later and Klaatu has a new message for humanity, but one with equally dire consequences should we choose to ignore it, Keanu Reeves, who is playing the alien in Scott Derrickson’s upcoming remake, told MTV News.

“The first one was borne out of the cold war and nuclear détente. Klaatu came and was saying cease and desist with your violence. If you can’t do it yourselves we’re going to do it. That was the film of that day,” Reeves explained. “The version I was just working on, instead of being man against man, it’s more about man against nature. My Klaatu says that if the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives. I’m a friend to the earth.”

While humanity still engages in a staggering number of international conflicts, the environmental message is one that, not only encompasses wars, and fights, and terrorism, but one that goes beyond constrictions to become a millennial message of “what we are doing and who we are as a species,” Reeves insisted. “We’re trying to reach beyond the idea of [just] environmentalism.”

Again, are you kidding me? Klaatu comes all the way to Earth to fight global warming?

From a commenter on the MTV Movies blog, with whom I wholly agree:

It’s amazing that someone is willing to take one of the first pioneering science-fiction movies and turn it, in the cheapest pornographic way, into a propaganda tool of the dumbest ideological fad of this decade. If I were a kid of the original creators, I would demand the execution of those who are humiliating the work of my parent in such a dramatic way.

Hear, hear. Sometimes the classics should be left alone.

Keanu Reeves Brings Different Message With Him In ‘Day The Earth Stood Still’

How sad

I grew up in the Detroit area and have many fond memories of trips to Detroit's "Greektown" neighborhood. For those not familiar, Greektown is a collection of good Greek restaurants (and a casino, now) in downtown Detroit. It was there that I first tasted saganaki, the Kasseri cheese flambe' (always accompanied by a lusty "Opa!" from the waiter as he set it afire).

Sadly, Greektown's 107-year-old flagship restaurant, the New Hellas, will be closing its doors. From the Detroit News:

On Sunday night, the last glass of wine at New Hellas Café in Greektown will be poured and sipped. The final "Opa!" will be shouted. And then the doors will close for the last time.

After 107 years in Detroit, New Hellas, the city's oldest Greek restaurant, will be only a memory.

Owner Gus Anton, 80, of Grosse Pointe said he can't keep up with the busy life of a restaurateur anymore and will shut down the popular business his father opened in 1901.

"I'm very sad, naturally," he said. "But at my age, what can you do? I'm old. I need the rest."

Hopefully, someone will come along to buy the restaurant, but who knows in Michigan's current weak economy?

Anyway, I and many other native Detroiters will still have fond memories of Pastitsio and Spanakopita at the New Hellas.

Here's the entire story: Detroit's Oldest Greek Restaurant to Shut Doors

Could be European

OK, when I was living in Europe I noticed the folks over there are concerned the environment, and the efficient use of space.

Well, via Instapundit, here is an apparent attempt to address both concerns...

Combination Washing Machine and Toilet

It might work in Europe, but are Americans ready for something like this? What if someone gets drunk and confuses the two...

Spring Break

Ah, spring break...the phrase conjures images of sunny beaches, drunkenness, and "Girls Gone Wild."

Not, however, for the 41-year-old married online graduate student. For me, it just means I don't have regular class assignments for a week. I've still got the two research papers and two group case studies to do.

So, I'll be taking advantage of the "down time" to catch up on those other four things. So much for sunny beaches...

Back to School

My second semester of grad school started this week. So far it hasn't been too strenuous. Of course, the first week rarely is. There were a couple of discussion-forum assignments, nothing too difficult, and one chapter from each textbook.

I'm taking Systems Analysis and Design and Information Systems Infrastructure. Of course, there will be research papers. This semester I'm not going to screw myself by waiting until the last minute. Fortunately, they don't have to be quite as long as last semester's.

Each class also has a group project. Ack.

I can't wait to be done with these IT core classes and get into the telecom-specific ones.

Election 2008

I've been really agonizing over whom to support in the upcoming Presidential election. How does one decide between imperfect alternatives?

Well, I've made my decision:

Time does fly

See? As I said a month ago, not posting for a month does happen.

My first semester of grad school is done. Now, a few weeks of blessed respite until the Spring 2008 semester starts in late January.

I did end up with an A in each class (although by less than a point in one of them). Along the way I learned what it takes to do well in grad school. I may even be able to hold a 4.0 through the whole thing and graduate with honors.

My daughter is home from college for a few days. It's nice to have the whole family together for Christmas.

In other, important news:

	I received 100 credits on The Sci Fi Sounds Quiz How much of a Sci-Fi geek are you?
Take the Sci-Fi Movie Quiz canon s5 is

Been a while

So, I haven't blogged in a month. It happens.

I've been struggling with a couple of research papers that I waited far too long to start, but it looks like I won't have any problems getting them in on time. I just need to edit a lot...

Hard to believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving already. It's crazy to think 2007 is winding down and my first semester of grad school will be over in less than a month. (YESSSSS!!!!!!!)

Anyway, with the four-day weekend maybe I'll have time to put up a post or two.

In gadget news, I finally got a new wireless router/access point to replace my old clunky 802.11a/b access point. Amazing how much faster the web pages populate. Plus the new one has WPA with AES encryption. Good stuff.

The Red Wings game is on...maybe I'll treat myself and watch some of it. My son got hold of a can of Coca-Cola and is running in circles around the living room...