Dave's pick for the 12th Congressional District Special Election

Tom Lantos passed away recently. We in the 12th Congressional District in California have to vote in a replacement. April 8 is that special election.

To make up my mind, I tried reading my voter guide (online and printed), but it had diddly-squat info. I looked up smartvoter.org for this election. Barry Hermanson, the Green candidate, killed a few trees and mailed me a fairly good flier about himself. And I shoulda went to the debate a week ago! Nuts! I searched on 12th congressional district on the San Mateo County Times website, and found a few articles. And I found each candidate's website for this election.

Here are links to my ranting on my website about the candidates for the 12th district. Click the links to read the longer rants on my website, or read the tiny bullet list rants below the links.

• Green: Barry Hermanson. My pick!
• Democrat 1: Jackie Speier. The fave.
• Republican 1: Greg Conlon. The nut.
• Republican 2: Mike Moloney. The surprise.
• Democrat 2: Michelle T. McMurry. The cutie.
• A Word About Tom Lantos. The almost apology.

So why did I pick the Green guy? Other than I am also Green.

• Barry Hermanson says it: the Iraq war was wrong then and now. And his other issues (single payer health care, spend money on the people and rebuilding our infrastructure, and other neat stuff) are nice and Green and agree with me. Yay. He got my vote. Take a look at www.BarryHermanson.org.


• Greg Conlon, the radical-right incapable-of-learning-from-Vietnam kick-the-poor-inna-nuts bonehead, hasn't a snowball's chance in hell of winning. Not even his own party leaders support him. (Not because he is a nut, but because they figure that he has no chance to win.) So on the pragmatic side, there is no reason to vote for a democrat. Not that I vote pragmatically anyhow, pragmatism is what neutered the demos and what makes Hillary extra nauseating. Here is his website for this election, www.gregconlonforcongress.com.


• Mike Moloney is a real surprise: a Republican I have some respect for, a repub who is opposed to the war for some of the right reasons. He says loudly that we were lied into it. His website is fun to read on its issues page, although the rest sounds like he is screaming into your ear, and I wish there was more info on more issues. But a repub who wants Bush and Cheney impeached? I think I'm in love. But to vote for him, I would have to be in lust also. Look this guy up on www.mikemoloney4congress.com.


• Jackie Speier is the fave to win, Tom Lantos's pick to follow him. She is fairly good on the issues, although she (of course) cannot admit that the Iraq war was immoral and illegal from the start, she only mouths that wimpy "badly executed" propaganda. C'mon, Jackie, you have taken bullets, you should have the courage to face and say the truth. Here is her website for this election, www.jackieforcongress.com.


• Michelle T. McMurray is way cuter than the other candidates. (Hey, I gotta say something sexist at least once.) She is a superdelegate who supports Obama (Jackie Speier supports Hillary). But she is soft on stopping the Iraq war and on universal health care. Her intellectual mind and her cute face do not sway me. But they do make me sigh a little. Her website, www.mcmurry2008.com, is skimpy on the issues.

Dave's picks for the Feb 2008 election.

OK, so I am late. Had stuff come up, like taking care of my brother's place and cats, and a visit to Linden Labs, and starting an AJAX class. Anyhow. Here goes.

Click here to go to my webpage for this election.

Here is the link to my picks for the presidential candidates. Click the links to read them.

• Demo pick: Barack Obama.


• Repub pick: Ron Paul.


• Green pick: Ralph Nader.

Here is the link to my analysis of the propositions. Or click my picks below.

• Prop 91: NO. Why Is This Prop Even Here?


• Prop 92: YES. Cheap College. In a Good Way.


• Prop 93: YES. Loosen Up That Dumb Term Limits Crap.


• Prop 94-97: NO. Even if Duh Guvernator Sez Bote For My Gamblink Bills!

Here is the link to my vote on San Mateo Measure L: YES. Stop Water From Dripping On Sixth Graders. Click the link to read it.

To make up my mind, I read my voter guide. I also looked up the San Francisco Bay Guardian endorsements.

YouTube embedding in blogger: slight problem

I find that if I leave my blogger page open for a while, I get the message "we're sorry, but this video is no longer available" when I try to play an embedded YouTube video. Refreshing the blogger page fixes this problem. (But I'd rather not have to refresh the page! I will post a fix if I find it.)

OK, now to try a YouTube link.

I posted the video I made for my barber. I am referring to the YouTube site I made for him rather than my own, just in case someone in San Mateo wants a really really good haircut at a place with character.

another test for a photo

Here is a photo of me on a rock. I managed to get this to work by using my flickr account; I am guessing that I must fork over cash to MarsEdit if I am to post photos directly from my Mac. Seems to work OK; in a pinch, all I will need to do from MacWorld Expo is to post my pix to Flickr and then import them into MarsEdit.



Next, maybe I ought to try posting a YouTube link. Been meaning to do that anyhow.

This is a little test of MarsEdit software, preparing for my blogging from MacWorld.

Test, test, test. OK, I hope this works.

I am having trouble adding a photo to this blog post. I will try just the text first.

Dave Strom's Nov 2007 voter guide

(Edited on Nov 4; changed one vote for the San Mateo School Board)

Skimpy ballot this year. Just local people running for stuff. Local people are also the most challenging to investigate. I do love a challenge. I googled one of the candidates and opened a site. I read, and read, and read, but could not get a lot of info on the candidates. Then I read whose site it was: "San Mateo County Republican Party." Why am I not surprised? I did find newspaper sources (I have links to them) and to smartvoter.org. But you know what? I need to go to the San Mateo debates (city council and the like). If I go to this much trouble to investigate these guys, I should see them in real life once in a while.

Here is the link to my analysis of the candidates for School Board Member; San Mateo Union High School. My picks: Donald S. Havis (I love this guy, in a non-gay way) and Dave Pine.

Here is the link to my analysis of the candidates (pick 2) for School Board Member; San Mateo-Foster City School. My picks: Colleen Sullivan and Mark D. Hudak (incumbent).

Here is the link to my analysis of the candidates (pick 2) for City Council Member; City of San Mateo. My picks: Jack Matthews (incumbent) and John Lee (incumbent).

To make up my mind, I read my voter guide. Then I read smartvoter.org (the San Mateo page) to find more information on local candidates and issues. I found one article about the city council that helped. Go to the San Mateo County Times, search for John Lee, and then find the article about "Incumbents grilled on growth."

And then, I read the San Mateo County Times Nov 4 picks for the San Mateo School Board and the Oct 26 picks for the City Council.

iPhone SDK: YEAH! Now, how about a Mac Shuttle?

The iPhone finally opens to 3rd party native applications in Feb 2008. It's about time. The iPhone could not have survived the same idiocy that nearly killed the Mac.

Years ago, when the Mac first came out, it was running on floppy disks. Where I was working, the most prized Mac had 3 floppy drives: one for the OS, one for your application, and one for your data. Then IBM desktop computers started having this thing in them called a "hard drive". And some third party started selling them that you could hack them into your Mac. What was Apple's (maybe Jobs's) response? Something like, "They can't do that, we designed the Mac to not be able to do that!" Idiocy!

Apple was (and sometimes still is) way too fond of closed systems. Making the iPhone a closed system would have killed its growth and made it a tiny niche player. Just like the Macintosh was for a long long long time, and only recently is the Mac getting back its much deserved market share.

And as long as I am at it, there is a tendency for Steve/Apple to close Mac hardware. Except for the Mac Pro, it is nearly impossible to upgrade the hard drive or DVD burner in a Mac. (OK, the MacBook has an easily-replaced hard drive, and why can't the MacBook Pros work that way? Laptop hard drives can DIE!!!!)

When Steve introduced the new iMacs, he talked about how they are all in one unit: monitor, motherboard/CPU/GPU, hard drive, DVD burner. OK, that is fine, iMacs are great computers, but what about people who want to be able to upgrade without replacing EVERY LITTLE BIT OF HARDWARE IN THE WHOLE DARNED COMPUTER?!?!?! As for the other Mac desktops, the Mac Mini is too closed (upgrade its RAM? HAH!), and the Mac Pro is too expensive ($2500? GASP! says the average wallet).

I would like to see a Mac Shuttle. A blend of the Mac Mini and the Mac Pro. Go to http://us.shuttle.com/ to get the idea. Shuttles are compact computer cases where the motherboard (USB and Firewire ports in front and back of the case), and power supply are built-in. You, a Windows desktop builder, add the rest (CPU, hard drive, monitor, etc.).

In my hopes and dreams, a Mac Shuttle would come fully built, like the Mac Pro. (As with the Shuttle case and the Mac Pro, you buy the monitor and speakers separately.) But you, the user, could easily replace the hard drive (they do wear out, and you always want a bigger one). You can replace that old DVD burner with Blu-Ray. You could even add a card or two, if you want to add video inputs or Firewire 1600 (someday). Maybe you can even upgrade the CPU and GPU. Cost: somewhere on the level of the iMac.

I would go for a Mac Shuttle so fast, it would make Jobs's head swim. An economical, very user-upgradeable Macintosh. But this is not even in the rumor mills. Sigh.

But I can dream, can't I? Or at least whine some.

Star Trek, Remastered. YEAH!!!!

You do know that the original Star Trek Episodes are being remastered, right?

Remastered as in redoing the old special effects? As in making the Enterprise orbiting a planet look like a real starship orbiting a real planet (not in a rather good-looking-but-still-plastic model orbiting a fuzzy orange ball in a really tight orbit cuz it was hard to get the proportions right in the 60s)? As in making the Doomsday Machine look really KILLER?!?!?!

I saw The Galileo 7 when I watched it late one night (TV volume very low, of course). I was thinking, "Hey, how come the planet from orbit looks so real? How come the shuttlecraft looks like it is really moving, instead of hanging from fishing lines? And there is no wax-paper-like ellipse around the shuttlecraft? HOW COME THIS LOOKS SO GOOD?"

I have always been a Trekkie. Even liked Voyager. (Loved the Doctor, LOVED when Seven-of-Nine walked down corridors, front AND back.) But the special effects on the original often looked cheesy. Like the Galileo 7 inching along in orbit, or the Constellation starship wobbling its plastic way down the Doomsday Machine's gullet.

The new effects replace the 60s starship models with 2007 computer models, and they look great. Check it out. (TVLand does not seem to show the remastered episodes; check out a more local station.) However, stuff like the Gorn from Arena (still a great episode, even with the cheap silver-sparkle Gorn eyes) still looks the same.

Look up the episode list. And check out The Doomsday Machine! (remastered)

Anyhow, about time I posted again. One more thing: these episodes are available on iTunes. I am likely to buy a few.

Star Trek still RULEZ!!!

Grado SR80 headphones: A review by Dave "Lovesick" Strom

My old Sony headphones at home were falling apart. I wanted new ones. Ones that would cover my ears to block some external noise, and stay on my head better.

First, I though noise-canceling headphones would be neat. After trying them, I found they do the job, but only on low rumbly frequencies, not on whiny kids in coffee shops. So they would be great for an airplane (don't fly as much now), train (rare), or car (don't use headphones there). I will change my mind if I fly or train more in the future.

So I looked for the headphones that would sound the best. And whadda ya know, I found great ratings at Consumer Reports online. Some brand called Grado was rated highly; the Grado SR80 headphones for $95 were second only to the Bose $300 noise-canceling headphones. I looked on Amazon; everyone loves Grado SR80.

I need to try before I buy, but these are hard to find in a local store. I found an audiophile store in Berkeley that sells them. (Music Lovers Audio & Video,1995 El Dorado Ave, Berkeley, CA. Complete with audiophile hardware and a very pettable store kitty.) They are not Frys; if you buy, you keep. I listened. They sounded good. I bought ($95, even on Amazon), trusting the reviews.

Today I REALLY listened, whilst eating Pho and reading my Sunday paper. I am not an audiophile, so I will not talk about different frequencies, warmness of tone, crispness of blah, blah, blah. OK, I noticed that bass sounded bassier, and trebles sounded, uh, treblier? I noticed that with many songs, I heard stuff that I had not heard before. Hey, I had not heard that tambourine! Or that beat! These headphones sound GREAT!

Then I turned on "Mystery Achievement" by The Pretenders. (* I love that song.) The beginning drums sounded clear as a bell. And 13 seconds into the song, I heard... IT.

Chrissie Hynde drew breath. "Huh..."

I had never heard THAT before!!!! Was I imagining it?!?!? Was I getting even MORE Chrissie??!? With trembling, fumbling fingers, I set my iPod to the beginning of the song again. 13 anxiously awaited seconds later...

"Huh..."

Oh, Chrissie. Oh, Chrissie! OH, CHRISSIE!!!! Move over, Tyra Banks! I'm in love with my old crush again!

If you want to hear more of your music that you have ever heard before, if you want more high/mid/low range sound, if you wanna hear every little delight hidden away in your music (like Chrissie's smooth sexy little inhale 13 seconds into Mystery Achievement), get the Grado SR80 headphones. You can't find better headphones for less than $100 (before taxes).

The only debits: After an hour, before you get used to the headphones, you might adjust the fit some. Or maybe it is just that you won't wanna take them off. But I find these headphones are feeling better and better. Also, they will not block out external sound, with their foam earcups, quite as well as the top-of-the-line Bose, with their deep plastic earcups. But the SR80s sound so good, you won't notice the external noise (much). I know I am gonna get spoiled.

* Many years ago, I saw The Pretenders live. When Chrissie Hynde sang, I cried out in a lovesick plea, "Chrissie!!!", every 1 minute and 22 seconds, give or take 10 seconds and my testosterone levels at the time.

Anti-global-warming scientists = Exxon cash

Mallard Fillmore cites Thomas Sowell global hot air articles backed by "respected climate scientists" "open-minded" about global-warming.

A 1995 article in Harper's Magazine, Ross Gelbspan said that Richard S. Lindzen "charges oil and coal interests $2,500 a day for his consulting services."

From www.exxonsecrets.org:
Patrick J. Michaels' admits that 20 percent of his funding comes from fossil fuel sources.

From www.sourcewatch.com:
In a September 24, 1993, sworn affidavit, Dr. Singer admitted to doing climate change research on behalf of oil companies, such as Exxon, Texaco, Arco, Shell and the American Gas Association. Dennis Avery works at the Hudson Institute, which received $9.3 million in 1993 from such companies as General Electric, Monsanto, DuPont, and Exxon Mobil.

Open-minded? More like open-handed for oil money.

P.S. I just sent this to the Smirkury news. Let's see if they print it. Or if they's rather listen to a duck (brain the size of a marble).

David Strom
626 Mariners Island Blvd, #207
San Mateo, CA 94404
650-574-8398

Mallard Fatso thinks Dean is crazy? Try Bill.

Mallard Fillmore thinks Howard Dean is crazy. Literally. Over a years-old cheerleader scream. A lot of football fans can be tossed into straightjackets using that illogic.

You want crazy? Obsessive-compulsive: CNN's playing Dean's scream over 600 times for two days. Denial of reality: The radical-right's screaming that the press is ultra-left liberal, when that same press blacklisted Gray Webb and drove him to suicide over his CIA-Contra-Cocaine story. Paranoia: Bill O'Reilly's ordering Fox security to threaten a caller to his radio show (phoning the caller at home), for saying, "I think Keith Olbermann's show –" (Bill cut the caller off here). Insanity: Prez Dubya feeding the Iraqi meat grinder more American troops again and again to try to clog it. Benjamin Franklin said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

Different that another 3000 American troops dead, perhaps.

P.S. Don't believe me about Ballistic Bill? Read Bill's transcript, and the caller's story.

P.P.S. I sent this to the San Jose Mercury News, after cutting out the Gary Webb line. I figured that since the Mercury News was the leader in the blacklist, my pointing out the sticky gooey nasty BLOOD on their hands would not sit well with the letters editor. So I am sneaking that into this blog. Wonder if the Mercury News might gimme a phone call?

P.P.P.S. Oh yeah, the Merc only want letters of 125 words or less. The incredible shrinking letter. The soundbite police. Like hell, Smirkury News! I got a blog!

Molly Ivins and Texans And Lennie Briscoe

Molly Ivins passed away. Only 62 years old. Her jolly liberal (and Texan) wit will be missed.

Molly pointed out qualities about George Dubya Bush that many Texans share, and many Americans find appealing: religiousity, anti-intellectualism, and machismo.

As for those last two qualities, I think Molly would have been amused at what Law & Order's Lennie Briscoe had to say to a young male perp: "Look, kid, stupid and arrogant is a really bad combination!"

Colbert & O'Reilly: guess who will bomb?

Steve Colbert and Bill O'Reilly are switching host jobs for one show. That's right, for one night, Steve will be on Fox and O'Reilly will be on Comedy Central.

I bet Steve does fine and Bill bombs. Why? Steve is a satirist, Bill is a bully.

When Star Trek's Captain Kirk and his away team returned from an evil alternate universe (having accidently switched places with their evil counterparts, dang those cranky transporters), Kirk asked Mr. Spock how Spock found out the evil counterparts so quickly, while the good Kirk and friends were able to fool the evil universe people.

Mr. Spock's reply: "It was easier for you, as civilized men, to act like barbarians, then it was for them, as barbarians, to act like civilized men."

Dave Strom's Nov 2006 vote endorsements (Say you love it! Say it!)

Vote. And use paper, lest your electronic vote be changed to Republicans only (blech).

Here is the main page for my November 2006 Election Endorsements. For more direct links, see below.

Here are links to my picks for the California Propositions. Or you can just scroll down to read them sequentially.

• NO. Proposition 1A: Spend the gas tax on things that have a use for gas


• NO. Proposition 1B: Roads, roads, roads!


• YES. Proposition 1C: Housing and Emergency Shelter (or when you got a gorilla at home, you need to have a place to move to!)


• YES. Proposition 1D: Improve School Buildings, Like More Labs and Keep Earthquakes From Squishing Kindergarteners


• YES. Proposition 1E: Keep California From Turning Into Katrina New Orleans


• NO!!!! Proposition 83: Jessica's Let's-Forget-About-Mark-Foley Law


• YES. Proposition 84: Protect Water. Again.


• NONONONONONO!!!!! Proposition 85: The Dead Teenager Act?!?!??! AGAIN?!?!?!?!


• YES. Proposition 86: Tax Cancer Sticks Some More


• YES. Proposition 87: Charge Oil-Drilling Fees, Like They Do Everywhere Else


• YES. Proposition 88: Pay 14 Cents A Day, A Measly 50 Dollars A Year, For Teaching Supplies


• YES YES YES YES YES YES!!!! Proposition 89: Public Financing Of Political Campaigns


• NO NO NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Proposition 90: Rich land fatcats make us pay made-up Enron prices for their land

Here are links to my picks for the California Politicos. This time, I have a lot to choose from.

• GUBERNATOR: Undecided


• LIEUTENANT GUBERNATOR: DONNA J. WARREN, Green


• SECRETARY OF STATE: DEBRA BOWEN, Democrat


• CONTROLLER: JOHN CHIANG. Democrat


• TREASURER: MEHUL M. THAKKER, Green


• ATTORNEY GENERAL: GOVERNOR MOONBEAM (Jerry Brown), Democrat


• INSURANCE COMMISIONER: LARRY CAFIERO, Green


• STATE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION, DISTRICT 1: BETTY T. YEE, Democrat


• U.S. SENATOR: TODD CHRETIEN, Green


• U.S. REPRESENTATIVE, 12TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT: If no Green, then Spongebob Squarepants


• STATE SENATOR 8TH DISTRICT: LELAND Y. YEE, Democrat


• MEMBER OF THE STATE ASSEMBLY 19TH ASSEMBLY DISTRICT: GENE MULLIN, Democrat


• POMBO SUCKS!!!

Here are links to my picks for the San Mateo politicos. Or you can just scroll past the California Propositions to read the San Mateo stuff sequentially.

• SAN MATEO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION: OFFICE OF THE GOVERNING BOARD, TRUSTEE AREA 3: RHONDA CECCATO. Incumbent


• SAN MATEO COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION: OFFICE OF THE GOVERNING BOARD, TRUSTEE AREA 4: ANTHONY FEL AMISTAD


• ASSOCIATE JUSTICES OF THE SUPREME COURT: Yes to incumbents


• PRESIDING JUSTICES OF COURT OF APPEAL, DISTRICT 1: Yes to incumbents

To make up my mind, I read my voter guide. I read smartvoter.org (the San Mateo page) to find more information on local candidates and issues. I also used the San Francisco Bay Guardian for more information about the state propositions and the California politicos. As usual for the local non-partisan candidates, I also googled some local newspaper articles and included the links.

The War at Home: Blow-by-blow account of TV that blows

I am watching "The War at Home." I want to see how bad TV can get.

The show starts with the father saying, "What?" And the audience laughs. Dumb audience laughs at what? I am guessing that the experimental CIA mind control gas is in beta-testing there.

The son has his father take him to a comic book convention. Wow, lotsa easy laughs coming right up!

Then the two kids in the hotel room stretch their voices into nerd. That joke is really tired. And they are wearing costumes? It might have worked if the costumes were more elaborate: these look like stuff from the bargain bin at Wal-Mart.

Whadda ya mean, kid, "ya can't go if you don't wear a costume?" MOST PEOPLE DON'T DRESS UP! Sure, some do. I go to comic cons, and most of the costumes look like the nerds put some work into them. Some guys actually fill out the Superman or Batman or Spider-Man costumes well. In fact, some chicks look pretty hot in their Power Girl / Supergirl / Wonder Woman costumes. And comic con costumers love having their picture taken. Woulda been a good gag. But the ignorant writers put NO CAMERAS in this show. The writers could have gotten a good gag with, for example, fans whose costumes do not fit the character; I will never forget the comic con where I saw a 350 pound Captain America running across a street. But these writers do not research. I bet this show is too cheap to show real comic book stuff cuz they would have to pay a few cents for the rights. The Simpsons would not cheap out! But these cheapo writers use "Zoltar." ("Fairly Odd Parents" made up The Crimson Chin, hired Jay Leno for the voice, and they mined gold with it!) I bet these writers got "Zoltar" off a shampoo bottle.

Look, trying to have the two kids act like geeks is not working. The writers have never been to a comic con. As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle said about horse races, their ignorance screams to the heavens. They can't write geek. In fact, they can't write, PERIOD!

Why is the mother saying about her daughter: "I want her to like me"? She should be a mom, not a teen. Not funny, not smart, just lazy writing.

The dad took a toy out of its box. I have never seen a more boring take on the NRFB * gag than this. Take a tip from the Joker: if you have to explain the joke, you don’t do it!

OH GOD, THIS SHOW IS ONLY HALF OVER!

The kids missed Zoltar cuz daddy watched the football game (how original). Hey, the dad actually said "Captain America?" You mean they put in a real comic book reference, but not a real costume? Note: I have never been to a San Diego Comic Con without seeing Star Wars Storm Troopers and Klingons. How hard would that have been? And the set looks like it cost $1.95!

The kid sez, "you are a worse father than Darth Vader!" Sorry, The Simpsons coulda made that funny. Not these losers.

I am actually grateful for the commercial break.

Oh no, the show is about to start. Shoot me now.

You know, if the mom could bend over more in front of the camera, I could at least see her cleavage. I'd be entertained by SOMETHING.

OK, let me guess. The father is seeing Zoltar in the bathroom (at the urinal, ho ho!), and I am right, Zoltar is a jerk. Boy, I am so surprised. Now I bet the son will stand up for daddy when fans attack him. Yep, I am right again. Oh man, the kids says, "Haven't you ever been at a baseball game and yelled touchdown?" NOBODY IS THAT DUMB! NOBODY!!!! I am not a sports guy, I don't even like the concept of competitive sports (why does someone ALWAYS have to lose for ANYONE to win?!?!?!). I am a nerd. And I was never that dumb. But the writers of this show think I am. I notice that line did not get a laugh. I guess the CIA mind control gas ran out by then.

They bleeped out the father using the F word. Twice. The audience giggled. Not a sophisticated crowd here. Look, "Repo Man" knew how to use the F word, and you guys don't! Stop trying until you know what to do with it!

I have no idea why The War At Home was renewed. Maybe Rupert Murdoch likes the mother's cleavage.

* OK, I'll tell you. NRFB means Never Removed From Box. These writers are NRFH: Never Removed From Hollywood. Hack writing at its hackiest. Thank god "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" came on later. It is a rerun, but it is mending my brain nicely.

Hmm, was it a real audience, or only a laugh box? Either way, they needed more CIA mind control gas.

About the writer for the Fantastic Four Movies

I think that they are hiring the same writer (which is what counts the most for movie quality) for Fantastic Four 2 as for the first movie. Zak Penn. (That sounds like a name the studio made up to hide a stable of hack writers!)

Here is Zak Penn's track record on IMDB.com and my opinion of it.

X-Men: The Last Stand (2006): Only fair. Enjoyable due to the performances and the special effects, but the story did not feel as good as X-Men 1 and 2.

Fantastic Four (2005): Sucks and blows, he dissed Doctor Doom for no good reason whatsoever (making him an American yuppie was not an improvement), and what's with the 20-foot-high Jiffy-Pop lid?

Elektra (2005): Sucks, sucks, and a cute little girl to rescue does not add heart if the story sucks. Read the damn comic book, and take out the dumb CGI ninjas (bleh)! Electra is the world's most feared assassin who would make Hitler, Stalin, and bin Ladin wet their pants if they knew she was on their trail; she's not a CGI slicer. Saw it on Cousin Ben's TiVo, so I did not pay any $$$, and I still feel ripped off.

X2 (2003): X-Men 2. Pretty decent story. But he had help with this script. Maybe he only added a little suck.

Inspector Gadget (1999): Crummy. Dumbed down for little kids, with about 20 seconds of almost PG-13, half-assed, cutesy adult jokes, but no adult brains. Watched most of it on the Disney Channel. I said that considering the source cartoon, they had nowhere to go but up. Looks like they are afraid of heights.

Last Action Hero (1993): I liked it better than the critics. But without Arnold, it would have been lots worse.

Suspect Zero, Incident at Loch Ness, Behind Enemy Lines, PCU: did not see them. I am not rushing to Blockbuster.

My verdict is that FF 2, if this guy heads the script, will BLACK HOLE SUCK.

The Anti-American Duck

As a fifty-year-old comic book reader, I am telling Mallard Fillmore (July 8 comics) that gay comic book characters (like the new Batwoman) are nothing new. Just ask Northstar, Pied Piper, the couple Shrinking Violet and Lightning Lass, the Rawhide Kid, or Rainmaker (lipstick lesbian, yow!). I'll believe you are an "actual conservative journalist" when you do some research.

And you are not a conservative either. Your dress code is Cartoon-first, America-a-distant-second: No pants! Think of the children! Batwoman wears a tight outfit, but she has the decency to cover up!

Mallard, stop sitting on the couch with your feet pointed towards me. Yuk!

And DC Comics, hire a good writer. Batwoman locking lips with Catwoman could be hot, but it won't sustain a story.

(Sent this to the Mercury News also. And I put it here so it won't go to waste.)

Liberals are hogs too.

The July 5 Mallard Fillmore comic says that "(liberals) are calling for federal legislation requiring that liberal books be more popular" because Ann Coulter is "hogging" the New York Times best-seller list.

Unlike that duck, I googled for a few minutes and found liberal books that hogged said list:

Mark R. Levin's "Men in Black: How the Supreme Court Is Destroying America"
Glenn Greenwald's "How Would a Patriot Act?"
Al Franken's "Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right"
Michael Moore's "Stupid White Men"
Jim Hightower's "Thieves in High Places"
Joe Conason's "Big Lies"
Molly Ivins and Lou Dubose's "Bushwhacked"

Seems that a duck, having a brain the size of a marble, won't do research.

P.S. I just sent this to the San Jose Mercury News. Maybe they won't print it, but I will.

Blade the TV Series, summer colds, and bye bye iMovie

I watched the pilot of the Blade TV series. OK, but not enough to make me want to burn it to a DVD. The problem? Wesley Snipes left really big boots to fill. So I can't really fault the TV actor much for his perfomance. Maybe he needs to work a little harder to fill those big boots. However, I can fault him for using the name "Sticky Fingaz." Am I supposed to be impressed by that? Do your friends call you "Sticky?" On a hot day, do they call you "Gooey?" Or "Runny?" How about "Gummy" when the air gets dry?

Speaking of dry, I hate summer colds. They turn into dry throats that take forever to go away. Kaff, kaff. Dry throats feel worse on hot nights. Ugh.

P.S. On my iBook G4 (800Mhz, 1 gig RAM, 60 gig HD, DVD burner installed), iMovie 06 won't play my latest video project, but Final Cut Express does. Pretty ironic, huh? iMovie 06 has a playback problem (really bad stuttering) when you have a large number of audio clips. Or maybe a lot of extracted audio. Anyhow, it made editing nearly impossible. Good thing I wanted to make the switch to Final Cut Express anyhow.