thrustoleum’s Neighborhood

In the course of taking the same running training program that I took last year when I got my DVT I think I've come to a new realization about exercise induced asthma*. Before I couldn't find any pattern and the seemingly random nature could be frustrating. Will it happen this time?

During the course Tom, the owner of the Fleet Feet in Aptos and instructor, made every effort to make sure we didn't over-do the training. Sunday was the long conversational run and Wednesday was the speed building run with a few walk/run miles on other days to keep things moving.

Sunday also had various health and fitness guest speakers. One of those speakers was a physical therapist at Dominican. He explained that the cardio-vascular system will get to where it needs to be a lot faster than the muscles that do the work will. Also that it's important not to push beyond what you can do. He didn't explain where that limit was or how to find it, but he at least did say that you shouldn't increase more than 10% from week to week.

So on the final long run this last Sunday I realized that at the slow pace I don't seem to get any exercise-induced asthma, while when the Wednesday runs got intense enough out it came. I missed one of the Wednesday nights but I tried to make it up on a Thursday morning and as soon as I tried to push it the asthma came.

So maybe the onset of asthma is my dividing line; where I push myself beyond what I'm capable of. I know I used to be able to do more before it kicked in when I've been in better shape. It's frustrating, but at the same time it's also really satisfying to learn the signals of my body and learn where the limits are so I can begin the push to extend them.

* I also can have allergy induced asthma, but I can generally tell if that's going to be an issue before I begin exercise.

New TV shows
Glee - Without a doubt the new show I'm most enjoying. Fun characters with good song and dance! It's the only show where I would be disappointed if it were to be cancelled, and I see myself getting it on DVD.
Cougar Town - It's like getting a Scrubs fix, not in content but in presentation. The rapid fire joke style and editing are much like Scrubs which make sense since it's the same creator. I don' tknow if they can keep it up but it's fun so far.
Modern Family - Documentary/reality style comedy. Because of that it can spend a long time building up a joke, but they often pay off. It's fairly uneven, but there's almost always something I find funny enough to keep going.
FlashForward - Clearly meant to replace Lost when it ends, but I don't know if I'm totally sold on it yet. There are a lot of things they can explore with the idea and so far it's been smart, but I'm not convinced it will stay that way.

YouTube
The Receptionist - I just thought I would mention this channel. It's a channel for short films he makes while at work. Everything in the video aside from himself is made form the office supplies. Good stuff!

Movies
88 Minutes - 16 minutes. The time it takes to be fully convinced it's going to be pretty dump. Luckily the actors are generally entertaining and it's pretty short.
The Jane Austen Book Club - I like the parallels between the characters and the books they read. It all ties together well and seems thought out. Of course I'm just basing this on the movie and other Jane Austen movies (not including Jane Austen's Mafia).
No Country for Old Men - More intense and less violent than I anticipated. Not to say it isn't violent, just not as much as I was led to believe. The use of silence in the film was great. Everything about it was compelling.
Quarantine - Watch this movie with the best sound system you can. The helicopters and other outside sounds were completely immersive. The single camera shoot works well too and wasn't a turn-off like in The Blair Witch Project.
Becoming Jane - What made Jane Austen into Jane Austen? I don't know how accurate this movie is in answering that question but it is pretty entertaining. I'm sure the entertainment value goes down the more you know about her life. Good thing I don't know!
Snow Dogs - Have you wondered what Cuba Gooding Jr is up to? This is it. It's a mildly amusing, cheesy, light film. Something that's completely non-offensive.
WALL-E - Great movie about humanity and is very close to being a modern silent movie. A lot is communicated with an economy of words. Also it's a more realistic look than your typical Pixar movie which I think is a good thing.
The Truth About Charlie - While I was watching this movie I kept thinking that it felt like an old movie. Sometimes I was able to picture the scene with the exact same dialog. It turns out it's a remake of Charade. I think it should have been pulled fully into the modern day because it felt out of place in the modern day setting.
Kickin' it Old Skool - It started off with some funny stuff, but then it went stale.
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story - I was thinking this was going to be the same joke over and over, but instead there were a good variety as it was able to mine the history of pop music. I probably would have been happy enough with a machete fight an the Beatles in India, but I know I have low standards.
The Foursome - A reunion movie and a golf movie mixed into one. I normally like golf movies but this one is one to avoid. It's dull, predictable, and poorly delivered.
Bedtime Stories - This movie doesn't fit too well into categories. Maybe Adam Sandler and fairy tale work. It's a pretty enjoyable movie unless maybe Adam Sandler bugs the shit out of you.
Gray Matters - An odd love triangle movie that pays homage to old Fred and Ginger type movies. It's a good bit of fun!
Summer of Sam - After the first hour is settled down and got pretty good. Until then you're wondering what anything you're watching has to do with anything else. Overall I'd recommend it, but be prepared for it to take awhile.
First Sunday - It seems like it would be an offshoot of the Friday series, and I think that what they want you to think but they have nothing in common except for Ice Cube. There are some good community building messages among the hit and miss comedy.
This Christmas - Family holiday gathering with all the family comedy that goes with it. It's probably most similar in feel to The Family Stone. I think it comes off well, but then again I like these kinds of movies. My favorite is still Home for the Holidays.
The Invisible - Most similar to Ghost, but it's pretty good. I haven't seen the Dutch film this is based off of but I thought this version was well done.
We Own the Night - I wasn't expecting much based on the trailer, and it turns out the trailer for this only covers about the first thirty minutes of the movie. There ends up being a fairly good cop-brother drama in there.
Die Mommie Die! - This is a 60s parody. I think it started as a 60s porn parody because there are a lot of scenes that lead right up to getting it on. But it's also a parody of other films of the era. It's purposefully bad and it doesn't carry that off at first like an unintentionally bad film can. I don't know what changes but the camp starts connecting. I think I have to attribute it to Natasha Lyonne.
Fido - A great boy-and-his-dog movie, but with zombies! It's not scary and has very little gore so it's safe for pretty much everyone to watch.
Pineapple Express - Why do I like stoner movies? I don't know, but this one is pretty good. Maybe it's the pothead logic? This one has characters aware that they have pothead logic and an over the top ending.
Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant - The pacing on this kept it pretty entertaining from start to finish. I also like their take on motion blur and I hope it's used elsewhere.
Head Over Heels - It's like Zoolander except with female models, and they all live. Freddie Prinze Jr is the love interest and that's find but he's not very believable at playing someone in his job... either of them. There's enough funny to keep it entertaining though.
Capitalism: A Love Story - So far my favorite Micahel Moore movie is still Sicko. It is straight to the point and doesn't rely on his usual gimmicks. This one shows in general he's improving, but he still falls back on his gimmicks from time to time. The first hour feels scattered, and while the stories are sad, they have little connection to one another or the point he's trying to make. Later he finds his focus and that's great! Except you're wishing he would have tied those earlier stories in to the now focused narrative to drive the point home.
Trojan War - This movie must ahve been sponsored by Trojan condoms. It's one of those everything goes wrong in a night kind of movies. In this case the guy is trying to get laid and his quest is to find a Trojan condom. Not the best movie of its type but it's amusing.
Miracle at St. Anna - Good WWII movie, but it's about the black soldiers who served. Surprisingly there is a decent amount of humor to keep it from getting too heavy. It'll still get heavy but it won't stay there. It doesn't feel as long as it is.
The Brothers Solomon - This has to fall along the lines of A Night at the Roxbury. Except these two brothers aren't dumb, just insulated from the world and insanely positive about everything. Nothing escapes their positive spin.
Inkheart - Bringing characters to life in a story can be tricky but this manages it well. Kind of like an inverse Never Ending Story. Unfortunately I don't think it did well enough for the sequels to be made into movies.
Easy Virtue - Funny period piece about an American woman causing upheaval in an English family. It didn't have the ending I was expecting, or a lot of events throughout the movie for that matter. Check it out.
Lakeview Terrace - Samuel L Jackson plays the neighbor from hell. The trailer only shows a small portion of what goes on. It's not like there's even a transformation, he's just messed up from the start.
A Christmas Carol (2009) - The level of detail was amazing! The leather, the wood, the buildings, the cloth, the motion! You could even see that the outside of his foot comes down before the inside when he climbs the stairs! On top of it, it was a good telling of the story. It even make use of an absence of sound. How often does that happen in an animated movie?
Factorum - This has the same main character as Barfly. I've never seen Barfly, and I'm not sure I want to. The main character is interesting in that he can be repulsive and sympathetic at the same time. It's listed as a comedy, but the only really funny part I though was when he got crabs.
We Don't Live Here Anymore - Irritating characters who don't like one another destroying their relationships. Surprisingly the kids don't seem too effected by the whole situation despite Laura Dern having some impressive angry yelling and throwing things.

We received a refund check from our insurance company. I had it with me Sunday when we went downtown with the intent to deposit it, but instead it was forgotten. When I got home I realized I no longer had it and it must have fallen from a pocket.

Monday I called the insurance company to cancel the check and issue us a new one.
Tuesday we received an envelope with the check and this note in it:
"Found this on the street. (Pacific Ave)
In Front of Borders.
Figured you could use it."

There was no identifying return information. Thank you anonymous
nice person!

Today, in addition to being warm, is oddly quiet downtown. There is very little traffic, there are few people walking around, and I didn't even hear any street musicians as I walked around running errands. Was Halloween night that taxing on everyone?

Yesterday was sent getting ready for the first big rain of the season. Boards that were still scattered about from the fence building were put away. Loose items secured for the wind. I took down the chimney from the wood-burning stove we no longer have. It's always leaked so it's good to have it down. Last year in a hurry we taped a plastic bag over it but that is long gone. The screws for the supports came out without unscrewing them so I think we got to it just in time.

For future weather I dug a hole to put in a pole for the satellite dish so it stops going out of alignment every six months. Then I found out that there aren't any 2-inch diameter, 8-feet long fence poles around on a Sunday so that will have to wait.

Unfortunately I didn't get to putting a layer of plastic under the house and after this rain it'll probably too wet under there to do that easily. Next year for sure!

This summer Henry was over and wanted to play the Atari 2600. I went to go turn it on and found there was no way for the video signal to get where it needed to go. I removed the VCR from the stack of equipment awhile ago since we don't have any more tapes and that was the only RF input I had. Then I realized that with the ending of analog broadcast pretty soon nothing will be able to handle the RF signal. I looked for standalone RF converters and found that, while they do exist, it's cheaper just to get a VCR, but I don't want a VCR just to run the Atari. I found a kit from The Longhorn Engineer. The kit is easy to assemble (even though I had been out of practice soldering). The instructions on the site are complete but I was having trouble making it work with my model so I put it aside for awhile. When I went back to it the instructions were updated and they worked perfectly! Now I have composite and s-video a
nd pseudo-stereo outputs!

Later in the summer Vinna wanted to play Asteroids and it wouldn't turn on. I thought it might be the kill-switch that triggers when the back panel is open but that tested fine. The power coming out of the power supply was non-existent though. I looked up replacement power supplies and found the service manual. From that I learned about the fuses. One of the six fuses was bad so I replaced it and it powered up. Since I was working on it I replaced the lock on the back panel so I wouldn't have to tape it in place anymore. I'll try harder not to lose this set of keys.

Now I just have to replace the RAM chips in the Battlezone machine.

The kitchen light transformer I got in exchange had the same problems as the first one, plenty of power on the AC side, but nothing on the DC side. So the next day I took the new transformer back to Riverside Lighting to ask them to test it since I didn't think I would pick up two bad ones in a row. I was actually thinking now that the first one was functional as well.

I walked in and the guy recognized me and told me that 10 minutes after I left he tested it and it tested fine. I asked him why it didn't test fine for me and he told me that when he asked the lamp guy about it he was told that it needed a minimum of a 25W load to operate. Also the lamp guy posited that the problem was the socket since he had replaced a number of sockets on lamps like mine. I was told I would have to bring the lamp in since four different sockets have been used on that lamp.

Yesterday I brought the lamp in and I was shown to the back room of the electrical room (almost a back room in its own right) when a tall man name Larry looked at it. He said it could be the socket the the look on his face didn't indicate confidence in that. He said he would work on it that day.

Today I went to the post office and decided to stop by and see how progress was. I walked right back to the back room of the back room and Larry was packing something in a box. I said I had come to check on the progress on my lamp. "Is this your lamp" he asked while tilting the box so I could see inside? I affirmed that it was and I asked him what the problem was. He explained that the installer had over-tightened the screw that holds the coaxial power cable in place which ended up causing a short. I'm guessing that me having to replace the original transformer caused enough movement in the wire to highlight the problem. Larry re-tightened the screw properly and applied some glue stuff to the damaged section so it wouldn't short anymore, and here I am with a repaired lamp on my desk at work.

In July the transformer in the drop-light above the kitchen sink died after 4 years. I was told tat was about the life span for those for the 60 watt transformer for 12-volt lighting and Riverside sold me a 75 watt replacement. They said this one should last longer since I was just using a 60 watt bulb in it and wasn't pushing the full 75 watts.

Six weeks later the replacement was dead. After it was installed and working I dumped the receipt. I went to Riverside expecting to have to buy a new one and they just traded me for a new one without any hassle. Hopefully this one isn't another dud.

I watched the beginning of the 1956 version of War & Peace but gave up on it because it was far too silly.

Saw part 1 of Black in America 2 on CNN. Now I wish I had seen the first one.

The Hangover - Pretty funny and well done trace-your-steps movie. All of the characters play well together. Nice setup for a sequel too.
Delirious - It's kind of quirky and entertaining but Michael Pitt comes off as too wooden for me. Good thing he's mostly paired with Steve Buscemi!
State and Main - This is a funny big-name ensemble. It feels like it was or could be a stage play. The dialog is clever and everything is fast paced.
I Am Legend - I think this tells the story better than The Omega Man and from what I've read it's closer to the original novel (which I now want to read). The practicalities are seen. The loneliness is felt. The feelings of the others are made known too. Good stuff and I look forward to the prequel.
Keeping Mum - An English comedy that isn't about celebrating the quirks of a small town. Sometimes it seems like that's all you get from the English indie comedies. Anyway, it's enjoyable and you should watch it.
Wedding Daze - This isn't very memorable; I had to go look up what it's about. It has some funny parts but most of it I just didn't care about the characters.
Elegy - An affair between an older man and a younger woman? I thought this would be awkward or cliche. Instead it has some compelling relationship stories and I really felt for the characters.
Righteous Kill - It's always fun to watch De Niro and Pacino. The story isn't that great but you almost don't notice!
Seven Pounds - Sometimes the story seems a little disjointed but it all pulls together and it ends up being a good story of the personal. It ended better than I expected.
Passengers - Kind of another version of The Sixth Sense, but not nearly as good. I just wanted them to get on with it so the movie could end. I don't think I would think of The Sixth Sense this way if I had seen Passengers first.
Public Enemies - This is good but it felt like there was more cut out to get it to a good theater running length. I guess we'll find out if there's director's cut. The film looks weird at times. It was obviously filmed with digital cameras that at times made things feel too smooth when filming in dark. It was both distracting at times and made things stand out at others. I'm sure that's just a glimpse of what's to come.
Swing Vote - It's both a commentary on the political system and the stereotypical non-voter. Kevin Costner plays close to the type he played in Tin Cup. I say check it out!
The Dukes of Hazard - This might be hard to believe but I think the plot of the average episode was better than the movie. Highlights: They showed off Jessica Simpson's legs nicely in the beginning, and Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg.
The Midnight Meat Train - I can say I've never been that crazy about Clive Barker movies. This is the first one I actually got into. The story was interesting. The gore was over the top so if that turns you off avoid this movie. Or just cover your eyes since you can see it coming.
Funny People - The trailer doesn't spoil the movie for you and the story told ends up being good. I wasn't expecting comedy, but a movie about comedians with some funny parts. With that in mind there was a lot more humor than I was expecting. Also I think it's the first thing I've liked Eric Bana in.
Religulous - Bill Maher's documentary to show how much religious is a big mistake. The best part for me is when he was talking to the Jesus at the Holy Land Experience. He talks to a variety of people but it's mostly a rehash of ideas I've heard about why religion is bad.
Slumdog Millionaire - When I was watching this I was reminded of four movies it borrowed from but right now I can't remember what they are. Anyway, good movie and I like how it was told with the flashbacks. I don't think this would be my pick for best movie last year but I don't think I saw any movies last year that were better.
Julie & Julia - I liked this but I, like many others, wished the movie focused more on Julia than Julie. Good job to the movie makers for making Julie more likable. I went and read some of the Julie & Julia blog entries and she comes across as much more self-centered there.
The Wrestler - This movie was better than I expected and I thought the ending was great (but I seem to like abrupt endings)! I had heard it was like a retelling of Passion of the Christ and I can see what they meant. The stories line up pretty closely.
Death at a Funeral - Funny! But if you haven't seen this you can wait for the inexplicable remake next year. Remaking a recent English-language film directed by an American director doens't happen that often but it's happening here. Actually you should just see this one since you never know how the remake will turn out.
Sicko - Seeing this movie while the current health care debate is raging really drives home all the more that we need this change. I think this probably plays better now than when it originally played in theaters. The usual Michael Moore gimmicks are not as present here and when they are they are short lived; the material stand up on its own.
Michael Clayton - Well played by everyone and an ending I could really enjoy. This movie made me miss John Grisham movies though. What happened to them?
Gabriel - A rebellious teenage bible student watched the Matrix too many times and this is what came out. Why did the end have to go on so long?
Sex Drive - This movie takes awhile to hit its stride. It's shortly before they get to the Amish. Seth Green cements that as one of the Amish, but what doesn't Seth Green make better? It never gets great but it's fairly fun.
Beowulf - I was wondering if I would haev any uncanny valley problems with this movie and I'm happy to report that I didn't. This movie once again demonstrates that animated doesn't make it a kids movie. The story is told well and I'm glad I saw it. I think it was perhaps the right way to film it.
Houseboat - Crazy living situation. Italian beauty. Drama behind the scenes according to imdb. It all makes for an entertaining movie. Good for a lazy afternoon or evening when it happens to be on.
District 9 - Really well done. I liked most everything being from the point of view of security, news, or documentary cameras. A main character that doesn't think clearly and pays the price. I look forward to the sequel.
Video 3000 - A 5 minute foreign short about a universal remote. Kind of like Click but very short.
Porno - An odd Polish short film.
No Bikini - A great short story about a girl's summer switch to another gender.
Uncle Nino - A well done story of the outsider coming in to show the family what's important in life.
9 - My favorite movie of the year so far. I liked everything about it! No sequel for this one please. I don't know how it compares to the short by the same name, but I'm guessing since I've seen this one the other probably won't stand up. It might be the reverse for those who have seen the short.