Excursion

22 Listworthy Films

1. Batman: Gotham Knight (Animated) (2008)
2. Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
3. Born Into Brothels (Documentary) (2003)
4. The Bourne Identity (2002)
5. Cache (2005)
6. Capturing the Friedmans (Documentary) (2003)
7. The Dark Knight (2008)
8. Eastern Promises (2007)
9. In the Valley of Elah (2006)
10. Junebug (2005)
11. Juno (2007)
12. Lust for Life (1956)
13. Man on the Train (2002)
14. Michael Clayton (2006)
15. No Country for Old Men (2007)
16. Northfork (2003)
17. Perspolis (Animated) (2008)
18. Ratatouille (Animated) (2007)
19. The Savages (2007)
20. Saved! (2004)
21. The Wind that Shakes the Barley (2007)
22. There Will Be Blood (2007)

Food Loves French's - Ay-yay-yay-yai!

Brilliant randomness. To date, only outdone by the "El Pollo Loco" guy.

The Mazda, She Is No More. Long Live The Acura.

The time came.

For the last few months, my 2003 Mazda 6s was quickly showing its true GM roots. As it neared the 60,000 mile mark, there were a host of new creaks and knocks. Front suspension, radiator, minor oil leak, 60k-mile service, tires, and rear brakes were all going to need attention -- and the prospect of dumping about 3 grand into a car with 60,000 miles on it wasn't exactly appetizing. And assuming I did pay to get it fixed, I'd still be out of warranty.

Short story short -- the Mazda, she is no more. Long live the [certified pre-owned] 2007 Acura TL!

What can I say? I'm a sucker for the four door saloon. Apart from the fact that the TL has more interior headroom and a better looking rear-end, my taste in styling hasn't changed much. Notice the similarities?

And if you look at each photograph carefully, you'll notice that both pictures were taken in exactly the same location, which is really a freak occurrence because two weeks ago, I moved back to an apartment complex I had lived in years ago. It's like Groundhog Day!

Well -- almost. There are some important advantages to the TL. For starters, first and second gear are not absolutely useless like in the Mazda. At low speeds, the 6 was jerky, heavy, and just all around horrid in stop-and-go traffic (that it was brilliant on the highway is neither here nor there). The TL's extra 38 horsepower and 41 pounds of torque are a welcome addition over the 6's asthmatic and (amazingly inefficient) 6-cylinder engine. I'm actually amazed that the TL has much more power and still manages to get better miles to the gallon.

Other TL advantages include superior build quality and materials, like the leather and dash plastics. There is significantly less headroom noise on the highway too, which makes driving longer distances a lot more comfortable in the TL.

I didn't think I would, but I like the TL's handsfree phone system. The microphone is perfectly positioned and there is no need to talk louder than usual, and the other caller's voice comes through clearly through the stereo. Unfortunately, Acura insists on not reading your phone's phonebook, so it can be a little tricky.

I still think the Mazda's interior cockpit design is above-average in its class, but the lack of basic features like bluetooth, MP3-CD playback, AUX-in, or iPod integration (even in the 2008 model) were especially infuriating because their integrated dash system is very very (very) costly to replace.

What the 6 lacks in build quality and features, it definitely made up for in handling. The firm sports suspension, super-stiff chassis, and great steering wheel feedback made even a simple drive to the supermarket a thrill ride. The TL has a much smoother ride and is, unfortunately, a bit more numb overall. It doesn't bob and weave like a Caddy, but it doesn't feel as glued to the pavement as the 6 did. And no, I can't afford a TL Type-S, so forget it.

The only TL "feature" that bothers me is the advanced Grade Logic Control System and Shift Hold control. So when you are slowing down to stop at a signal, the transmission will automatically downshift for you -- and downshift hard. Although the engine-braking will help you slow down faster, these downshifts to 3rd and 2nd are quite harsh. This makes it very hard to slow down smoothly or just keep your foot off the gas and coast until the light changes. It is quite intrusive and makes every occasion you slow down at a light a real adventure.

Basically, what these features attempt to do is mimic a manual transmission. But the peculiar thing is that most manual drivers -- when stopping at a signal -- will keep it in 4th or 3rd and come to a full stop, then just shift to 1st to get going again. The only time they would really downshift sequentially like the TL is to slow down quickly to hit the apex on a tight curve and have enough low-end power to accelerate out of the turn. But seriously, I'm driving around in the 'burbs of the Bay Area -- I don't need hard engine-braking every time I slow down to get into the parking lot of the local Target! Fortunately, the TL's manual shift mode (tiptronic) doesn't downshift as aggressively, so I tend to just use that.

In terms of upgrades, I always try to keep them understated. I've added an amp and sub from my Mazda, which sound fantastic. Tint has also made a huge difference. With the dark exterior (Carbon Gray Pearl), untinted glass makes this car looked like a plain vanilla Camry you might borrow from your grandmother. But with matching 35s all around, the TL comes alive.

The one thing I have seen that I really like is these illuminated door sills. They are pretty elegant and understated.

I was thinking of getting a rear wing spoiler, but I don't like the way it would add bulk to an already muscular rear end.

On Truth in Advertising

Is it just me or is the name of the public TV program "New Tang Dynasty" incredibly misleading?

Another Moment of Modernity

This afternoon, I was sitting at a signal when a guy with spiked up bleach-blonde hair pulled up in a Ford Focus blasting death metal (I believe Slayer). Normally I wouldn't have paid much attention, but the fact that he was casually wearing a bluetooth earpiece really depressed me.

Did Lucifer Design LG's New Ad Campaign?

This afternoon, I finally put my finger on why LG's new adverts are evil. Each ad celebrates disposable consumer culture without the slightest realization how shallow the message actually is. You somtimes come across advertisers who poke fun at themselves -- but this isn't that kind of ad campaign. This is evil on multiple levels.

LG proudly proclaims that "all" that's standing between you and your wonderful new existence are your "old" appliances. And amazingly, each ad features working appliances being destroyed in rather lame fashion so that the consumer can justify her "need" to buy the latest, faux industrial offering from LG.

And don't think I'm reading too much into the meaning of the TV ads. The print ad campaign is even more atrocious. They feature tag lines like:

• "The average lifespan of a washer and dryer is 13 years. Fortunately, there are ways of shortening it."
• "What would drive you to sabotage your perfectly good dishwasher? Our dishwasher."
• "Whoever said you have to wait for your refrigerator to break to get an LG?"
• "The only thing standing between you and your new LG appliances are your old appliances."

Did it ever occur to LG that this commerical could have been spun into a brilliant public service announcement? Did it occur to them that instead of destroying all of the perfectly fine, working home appliances, that they could have just said "donate your old appliances to someone who can use them"?

And I'm not talking about altruism here -- I'm talking about a clever marketing campaign. Perhaps the easiest way to turn off consumers is to make them feel ashamed of their desire to purchase your product. And what has LG done here? It has taken that self-interested, polluting, materialism and made it the center of its campaign! Instead, why not play to the emerging faux-"green" civic virtue (or, if your target audience has none, why not give them the impression that making this purchase will succeed in creating that virtue)? I mean, how stupid can LG be to actually air this?

And did you happen to catch all of the imagery of nature being littered with bits of destroyed appliances? What genius thought that would be a good idea? Just seeing that "Life's Good" motto at the end of each advert just about sums it up. These ads represent a mentality that's about five years past its time. What a horrible, horrible ad campaign. It should put LG to shame.

Natural Born Litigators

It's a great feeling to work at a firm where you can to post a parody of a name partner. Everyone's such a good sport.

Batman: Gotham Knight (2008)

There's a highly-anticipated animated Batman film being released tomorrow. It is called "Batman: Gotham Knight", features six episodes done by different directors, and has a pretty interesting anime feel to it. Here's a pretty good preview:

The Dark Knight Returns (1986)

I loved collecting comic books -- until my mom put an end to it a dozen years back. Luckily, three things happened since then: (1) great cartoons like X-Men and Batman: The Animated Series sustained my interest; (2) I held on to my comic book collection; and (3) I now earn my own salary.

A few weeks ago, I set foot in a comic-book store for the first time in more than a decade. I was like a kid in a comic-book store. I spent an hour in the highly-rated HiJinx Comics (San Jose, CA) shooting the breeze with a very helpful clerk. I can't describe how much more exhilarating the experience was compared to setting foot in a germ-free Barnes & Noble.

When I was in the store, a young kid came into the store with his mom. Both were equally out of their element. The mom had no idea what any of the comic books were about and was in a hurry for her son to just pick something and leave. The boy, now under pressure to hurry, was equally unsure of where to begin. And naturally, he gravitated toward the handful of comic book heroes he'd seen on TV. It hit me not only that I was the same way when I was his age, but that -- having been away from comic books for so long -- that most of the story lines I enjoy reflect what I had seen on TV too. I'm not sure why, but this made me curiously aware of my age.

I asked the clerk to give me the names of some well-regarded graphic novels/trade paperbacks in the last few decades. Some of the common ones came up, including "The Dark Knight Returns" (TDKR), which I had already ordered. He also recommended Alan Moore's "Watchmen" (which I am currently halfway through and loving). But given my bent towards the much darker, more cerebral, literary style, he highly recommended the "Sandman" series. I'm deliberating whether to buy it.

The only reason I recount my visit to HiJinx is because that scene will always remind me of the first time I read Frank Miller's TDKR, which incidentally I was able to buy using a gift certificate, a great coupon, and with free shipping online for just over 25 bucks. I bought this beautifully illustrated "Absolute Dark Knight" hard-cover edition.

I'm not going to go too much into the storyline, except to say that it was a pleasure to read. It is not only beautifully illustrated, it was also an engaging experience to consume the equivalent of a full-length feature film in a format I'm no longer used to. Every night before bed for about a week, I'd pick up the action right where I left off. And having focused lately on 20th century classics, this graphic novel forced me to use a different part of my brain to experience the story being told. It was a breath of fresh air.

Reading TDKR also made me aware of my age. Obviously this has something to do with the fact that Miller chronicles The Batman's return from a decade-long retirement following the death of Jason Todd. But the entire structure and tone of the work -- and how I approached the story -- is so different than what I imagined.

The publication of TDKR in 1986 was a watershed event. It redefined The Batman for a generation -- for my generation. TDKR represents a marked transformation from the campy, crime-solver to the grim, psychologically-deranged crusader. This Batman is personally tortured, vengeful, and aware of his own mortality. This Batman has a depth I yet to experience on the screen.

When I was younger, I was much more interested in piecing together the story lines like a soap opera. But TDKR is a fantastic stand-alone work; it uses the characters as a vehicle to tell us a tale and tell us much more about the author. Put simply, TDKR has made me much more aware of the mythology of The Batman. And as time goes on, new artists, be it writers, cartoonists, or film directors, have been able to put their own marks on one of the most successful franchises of all time (a big part of me wishes this was done for the Star Wars franchise, you know, so it stops sucking).

Christopher Nolan's latest Batman film is due to be released in a few weeks. I was a bit mad when they decided to do the Joker again because Jack Nicholson absolutely nailed that role in Tim Burton's film awhile back. But since then, and since reading TDKR, I'm much more cognizant of the way each generation creates its own Batman folklore. Now I am even more interested to see the late Heath Ledger's interpretation of the Joker.

Freshly-Cut: New Music!

(June 2008)

It's been a very good few months and I've stumbled across a lot of great music. Enjoy.

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers (2008)
Andrew Bird - Soldier On (2008)
Sun Kill Moon - April (2008)
A.A. Bondy - American Hearts (2008)
Elton John - The Legendary Covers Album (2008)
Everest - Ghost Notes (2008)
Bob Marley - Trenchtown Rock (2008)
Sean Hayes - Flowering Spade (2008)
Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer (2008)

My Morning Jacket on Conan

Just in case you missed My Morning Jacket's fantastic performance of "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Part 2." This off of their album Evil Urges:

A Moment of Modernity

I was in the restroom at work today. While in the stall, I began to hear, to my left, the distinct tapping of someone typing an e-mail on a smartphone. Immediately thereafter, I began to hear, to my right, the sound of someone tapping away on another smartphone. About ten seconds later, from the far left, I heard yet another person typing. There I was, sitting in complete silence, and all I could hear is typing.

When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions

Discovery Channel has done it again. I'm addicted to its new six-part series, When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions. And while the imagery is absolutely haunting, unlike Discovery's previous series "Planet Earth," this series doesn't simply rest on its "Hi-Def" laurels. It isn't content at simply showing us some cool scenes, but combines fantastic interviews with above-average narration to create a compelling story of the personalities involved. It is epic.

Revisiting Chappelle's Show