Shades of Grae

Batman Arrested?

2008-07-22T23:38:00.000-07:00

This hit the news yesterday but instead of linking to the skanky entertainment magazine type websites, I'll link to an actual news site, the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jul/23/ukcrime.actionandadventure

Okay, let me say this nice and slow. Batman wasn't arrested. Batman is a fictitious character. Christian Bale, an actor, was arrested. He went in to the station voluntarily, gave his account of what happened and left without any charge being made against him by the police.
Now sure, it's ironic when somebody who is supposed to fight crime for a living ends up committing a crime. When somebody who acts like they fight crime in a movie, what is that? Ironic? Not exactly. Mr. Bale was also in The Prestige, where he fought the Wolverine and they both did magic tricks. It's ridiculous to carry an actors previous role into another movie they are in, and it's just as ridiculous to carry the actors role over into his actual life.

But now, what if it did? Let's get dorky:
1. If he was really the Dark Knight, he would have no sister and his mother would have died in a backstreet mugging that happened right before his eyes. Therefore, they wouldn't have been able to allege assault yesterday. Cuz they would either be dead or never existed in the first place.

2. If he was really the Dark Knight, he wouldn't be a good cop, he would be the guy that beats the crap out of somebody. Batman is a vigilante, not some boy scout *cough cough, superman, cough cough*. Holding him up to some sort of light is just stupid. He's not running around in the day hanging up wanted posters, he's the Dark Knight for hells sake!

3. Okay, at this point I've started to lose interest in my own post but didn't want to leave it with only 2 points. So if you have additional points, feel free to comment! Even if you don't, feel free to comment anyway. Like, say you're from Montreal, or the U.K, or anywhere else for that matter, and you look at my blog fairly regularly but don't comment, don't be shy! Introduce yourself and say hello!

Worldwide Weekend of Women

2008-07-14T22:18:00.000-07:00

Yahoo news has a feature called "Most recomended photos". This past weekend worth of photos are almost entirely about women from around the world, and shows how this world is no where near as small as we sometimes think it is. Here's the top 7.
All photos are between July 11th and 14th.

What level are you on?

2008-06-04T08:27:00.001-07:00

Like the penguins said,

2008-04-07T06:59:00.000-07:00

Grand Coulee Dam!!

Hoth Adventure!

2008-03-31T05:47:00.000-07:00

My eight year old son has a zillion little stubby Star Wars toys and he decided to write one of his stories down. He showed it to me and asked if he could make it into a little comic. I showed him the tools we had and helped him a little with a few of the fiddly bits, but for the absolute most part, this is all his! He used photoshop, bryce and comic life. (Click on the image for full size...)

Easter iPods

2008-03-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

Return to Dark Castle

2008-03-14T19:24:00.000-07:00

Many more years ago than I care to admit to, I played Dark Castle at my friends house on his old Mac Plus. Now, finally, we can Return to Dark Castle! Follow the link to either download a demo or purchase the full game.
Don't have a Mac? Well you can still visit their site and see just what you're missing, and have one more reason you need to switch. =)

Pac Man Jacket

2008-03-08T13:13:00.000-08:00

Here's some photos from a jacket I got way back in December. I got it because I thought it was cool, obviously, which makes me a dork, obviously. =) Something I found interesting though, is that when I wear it around town, I get positive comments from people of ALL ages. Old people recognize it and say how "neat" it is. Little kids at my sons school recognize it and say how cool it is. Actually they yelled really loud how cool they thought it was. You can have all your fancy dancy graphics and your blu-ray discs and all the other bleeding edge tech, but it seems you'll never be able to match the love given to the little yellow 8-bit dot and his (and her) 4 little coloured buddies.

note: that's not me in the photos, they are from the Hot Topic, where I got the jacket.

intellectual property

2008-03-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

“Over protecting intellectual property is as harmful as under protecting it. Culture is impossible without a rich public domain. Nothing today, likely nothing since we tamed fire, is genuinely new. Culture, like science and technology, grows by accretion, each new creator building on the works of those who came before. Over protection stifles the very creative forces it’s supposed to nurture.”

- Judge Alex Kozinski, Dissenting in the White v. Samsung Elec. Am., Inc., 989 F.2d 1512 (9th Cir. 1993) ruling.

Tabbed browsing in Firefox on iPod Touch

2008-02-26T21:03:00.000-08:00

So you've seen the iPod touch. And you've probably seen it hacked and all the cool programs you can run on it. Well here's Firefox running on an unhacked iPod Touch.

Okay, okay, it's not really running on the iPod, it's running on my MacBook. I'm just using a web based VNC to see my MacBook's screen. Pretty awesome. Something else that I thought was cool, is that I can use my iPod touch to take a photo with the camera on my MacBook, all without the people around the MacBook knowing they just got their photo taken. Pretty sneaky. =)

Bionic Commando

2008-02-24T04:31:00.000-08:00

Anybody else out there play this game back on the NES?
I was living in southern Alberta in Canada when the NES cost $99 in the U.S. for the action set. That gave you the console, the light gun and the combo cartridge of Super Mario Bros/Duck Hunt. My mom was going down across the line to the nearest large city (not huge by any stretch of the imagination), Great Falls, Montana. I really don't remember if I either couldn't go for some reason, or just didn't want to, but I gave her the money and asked her to bring me back the NES action pack as well as another game. I had no clue what game I wanted, just told her to bring me back some action type game. When they got back later that day (yes, it was day trip close), she showed me what additional game I had gotten. Bionic Commando. At the time I had never heard of it and had no clue what to think. I just put it off to the side and gave my attention to Mario and Duck Hunt for the first while. When I finally decided to try out Bionic Commando I thought it was the coolest game I had ever seen up until then. And now they have updated it. You can play co-op with another bionic, as well as new weapons, not to mention the visual make-over. Announced for the PC, PS3 as well as the XBOX 360.
Check out the trailer:

it's going to be a dark night...

2008-01-19T03:13:00.000-08:00

Some men aren't looking for anything logical. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or nogotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn.

trailers here...

In the early morning hours before...

2008-01-15T06:20:00.001-08:00

Well it's been almost a week since my birthday. Last year I was upset that my wife waited until the last minute and then went to the grocery store and got me some chocolate bars and a can of cashews. This year I wish I had gotten that much. One of the things that saved the day last year was Steve's keynote address announcing the iPhone and giving more information about the AppleTV. Nothing like a good old fashioned reality distortion field to cure what ails you!

This year I got nothing at all from her and have had to wait a freaking week for the SteveNote!

It's 3 hours before the show starts and on one hand I'm excited about it. From an overall point of view it's always nice to see really great tech from the company you love, but... I dunno... maybe the events of the last couple weeks in my own life have got me too depressed to be too excited about anything at all. Pre-excited anyways. If true, video rentals through iTunes or AppleTV would be really really nice. Especially if they're HD. I dunno though. The rumors about an ultra thin MacBook don't get me too terribly excited, at least not without the help of Steve and his distortion field. I mean... I dunno. I think a larger tablet-ish ipod touch type of internet device... That could be cool... Okay, make a 7 to 10 inch iPod touch that can connect to a 3G speed service from a cell phone company that only charges $20 for unlimited service (basically what iPhone service costs, minus voice), and THEN I would get pretty excited. Unless of course it cost way too much. Otherwise, I suppose an affordable ultra portable MacBook that I could use a phone (like a blackberry) as a bluetooth modem, then THAT would be okay too... I dunno though... You never know what the keynote will give. If it gives me nothing... I suppose that's okay, because even though I'm putting my trust in it to pull me out of this gloominess, I do have a Plan B....

I've had an eye on this for a little while now...

only 200 miles more... again... and always...

2007-12-29T06:45:00.000-08:00

They say that I am crazy,
my life wasting on this road,
that time will find my dreams,
scattered dead and cold...

But I heard there is a light,
drawing me to reach an end,
and when I reach there, I'll turn back,
and you and I can begin again...

I've got 200 more miles of rain, asphalt and light,
before I sleep,
But there'll be no warm sheets or welcoming arms,
to fall into tonight...

I've got 200 more miles of pain, asphalt and blood,
before I sleep,
But I wouldn't trade all your golden tomorrows,
for one hour of this night...

Knight Industries 3000

2007-12-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

Love it, hate it, or completely indifferent about it, it makes little difference, NBC will be showing a new Knight Rider movie in February. I, being a child of the 80's, and a lover of tech, absolutely went wild over Knight Rider back when it originally aired. When it became available on iTunes, I bought the first episode, watched it, and realized that quite honestly, sometimes you just can't go home again. Knight Rider was a horrible, horrible show, but back when I only had 3 channels, the nearest video rental place was 25 miles away, and I was an impressionable 12 year old, it looked fantastic.
Well now the powers that be at NBC have decided that since the new Bionic Woman is doing so great, they've decided to do it again with Knight Rider. Only, there's a problem. The last model year for Trans Am was 2002 (so says wikipedia).
So what to do, what to do...
When it comes to cars, the question of which is the best has as many answers as there are people asked. I, however large my doubts about the television show, do think they made a nice choice for the new KITT.
The Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR

If you would like to read more about this, including a feature comparison chart of 1982 vs 2007 KITT, or you just can't help but watch a car wreck as you drive past, you can check out an article over on the Popular Mechanics site.
Will the new show suck? Probably.
Will I watch it simply because I like the car? Probably, cuz, I'm a whore that way.

Santa?

2007-12-19T06:23:00.000-08:00

I don't usually actually lol at lolcats but this was an exception, maybe i'm too tired...

from icanhascheezburger.com

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

While you're out and about, rushing around, stressing over the holidays, consider this:

Happy Anniversary!

2007-12-16T08:11:00.000-08:00

Today, December 16, 2007, marks the 234th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party.

The story is known all around the world and is said to have inspired many other activists and reform leaders. When Mahatma Gandhi met with the British viceroy in 1930 after the Indian salt protest campaign, Gandhi took some duty-free salt from his shawl and said, with a smile, that the salt was "to remind us of the famous Boston Tea Party."
Do you know who was involved in the Tea Party? A lot of people think it was the colonial settlers and businessmen against the British Government. Well, yes, and no. Ya know those bastards in the latest two Pirates of the Caribbean movies? The East India Trading Company? What do you suppose they were trading? Spices, sure... but on December 16, 1773, the Dartmouth, the Eleanor, and The Beaver were sitting in the Boston harbor, carrying tea belonging to the East India Trading Company. Then, later that day, they weren't carrying it anymore. The harbor had it.

Now, you might be asking yourself, "What does Emily care about the Boston Tea Party or the American Revolution? Isn't she a Canadian?"
Well let me tell you. I was born and raised in Canada under Canadian law and a British constitution (until 1982). But I do not consider myself British, nor Canadian, except in describing my cultural background. I serve no man. I am FREE. And that, no matter where you are from, or where you live, or where you call home, makes you an American. I believe fervently in the words of the great Benjamin Franklin, as he wrote in Poor Richard's Almanack, "Sell not virtue to purchase wealth, nor liberty to purchase power". Which some have refined and paraphrased into various forms such as "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Security, deserve neither Liberty nor Security." America is not a land. It is not a place that can be surrounded by a fence and patrolled by those that think they are the only ones worth it's freedoms. America is a conditional space surrounding the hearts and minds of all that consider themselves to be free. It is a pirate ship. And under that definition I am proud to call myself an American. Unfortunately, the political truth is far from the philosophical one, and sadly, the United States of America finds itself in a very sorry state of affairs indeed. Perhaps it's time for another revolution, or would you prefer instead to give our government, and corporations that find it's favour, the powers necessary to control us. While the "Pirates OTC" movies were fictional, they were based in fact, and unless we want our freedoms taken from us for good, and hanged for simply being free, we can do only one thing...

Yo ho, all together, hoist the colours high!

Heave ho, thieves and beggars, never shall we die!

Or to again paraphrase Benjamin Franklin, We can all hang out together, or we will surely hang separately.

the dress

2007-12-12T04:27:00.000-08:00

Rabbit ears?

2007-12-08T07:11:00.000-08:00

If you live in the United States and get your television for free over the air using rabbit ear or other type of antenna, you need to read this:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/dtvcoupon/consumer.html
Starting January 1, 2008 (that's in a few weeks, boys and girls!) the U.S. government will give you up to 2 coupons good for $40 off the purchase price of a digital to analog signal converter. Plainly, the government is making the tv networks broadcast in a different frequency range, so they're changing their signals over to digital and you're going to need a converter box for your old tv to pick these up. If you use satellite or cable this won't (at least shouldn't) affect you.
If you don't feel like reading all that on the government website, the AP has a video that explains it all:
http://video.ap.org/v/Default.aspx?g=9c7231f6-ec8d-46fc-92c6-80d634f17c7b&partner=en-ap
Yeah, yeah, it's a long unwieldily one, quit complaining and just click on it and get educated. =)

Post Op Emily

2007-11-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

That's right, as of 11:20am Pacific time Emily the Grae is officially post op. The last few weeks have been very emotional. I've been to three different doctors, one of them twice. One of them a complete idiot and the last one that actually performed the surgery was an absolute cutie pie angel. Unfortunately, the surgery for which I'm post op of was dental surgery and not srs.
*sigh* oh well, maybe next time. As for today, I'm eating pudding and pasta and all manner of soft foods on the other side of my mouth. He apologized that I wouldn't be able to have Thanksgiving dinner, and I told him not to worry about it because I'm Canadian and we celebrate Thanksgiving in October. You know, as God intended. =) Today, however, is my 15th wedding anniversary and the whole surgery thing has put a slight damper on the day. She told me if I take her to a buffet at another time it would make up for it, and I can't say no to that!

writers strike

2007-11-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

I'd write a boat load about this and never be able to say it as well as this video from the Daily Show writers.

Guy Fawkes

2007-11-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

Halloween 07

2007-11-01T05:10:00.001-07:00

Fedora:

iPod:

Linux installed on iPod:

I included a battery powered speaker and my actual iPod hidden inside and played music as we went Trick or Treating. =)

People would look at me and wonder how I was doing it, where was the music coming from?
One kid even asked me why the time progress bar wasn't moving. Uh, cuz it's made of paper dude!
It absolutely amazed me how many people I impressed with a stupid little cardboard box that I only spent an hour or so on. Even the cop that was patrolling the area stopped his car to check me out. ;)
For more Halloween 07 photos check out my flickr stream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilygrae/

and here's a little video my son took of my other son playing with my iPod costume:

Perfectionism

2007-10-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

As Major Thot said to Marion in Raiders of the Lost Ark, "Now, what shall we talk about?"
Looking at the local tv news there seems to be plenty to talk about. There was another shooting in downtown Spokane. And there's another republican, Richard Curtis, known for making anti-gay laws who admitted to having sex with a man while he was dressed in womens lingerie and then claimed he gave the other man money only for gas and not for the sex and the other man was blackmailing him (yeah I always make sure my extortionist has gas money). And there's the apparent outbreak of MRSA, the latest virus that the news is determined to freak us all out about. Or maybe you'd like to hear about the latest rounds of fairly large earthquakes to hit the north western United States.
Ya know what, while I could talk at length about any of those stories, all of them are a little too, I dunno... heavy? I mean, I need a news item that I can get behind. One that I can give my total and complete support!
How about "High School Cheerleader Trampled"? DING DING! We have a winner!!
On October 27, the Auburn (south of Seattle) Trojans homecoming princess decided during halftime that the banner they were holding just wasn't as perfect as it could be. So she ran out to fix it. Alas, so did the Trojans. She ended up okay, it seems she had practice being crashed into. Earlier that week, she also totaled her car.
Watch: