tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-345837502011-11-27T18:25:49.085-08:00Grumblings and Observations: Gerry Conway's personal blogGerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.comBlogger1281100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-87897625063294836452009-11-14T07:36:00.000-08:002009-11-14T07:37:45.376-08:00

I do most of my commenting and posting these days on Twitter and Facebook. Find me there atwww.twitter.com/gerryconwayorwww.facebook.com/gerryconway

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-57023931648038154942009-09-19T00:25:00.001-07:002009-09-19T00:25:41.180-07:00

Cool.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-42131642946242811122009-07-15T09:01:00.000-07:002009-07-15T09:02:21.257-07:00

My daughter is a big fan of these books, and she's gonna go crazy for this:

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-65609432116372106632009-05-21T11:48:00.001-07:002009-05-21T11:48:54.947-07:00

Oh, yeah.Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-5454996434162216022009-05-14T09:25:00.001-07:002009-05-14T09:25:41.279-07:00

I love absurd humor.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-41946099738222822472009-05-09T21:22:00.001-07:002009-05-09T21:22:50.283-07:00

Emmanuel Kant couldn't have put it better.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-78858144664513288622009-04-27T12:22:00.001-07:002009-04-27T12:22:11.937-07:00

KC RC photo Originally uploaded by Gerry Conway

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-91144452672025274882009-04-13T07:33:00.001-07:002009-04-13T07:33:36.038-07:00

of millions of people who apparently love this video.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-65294768382449640682009-03-31T08:45:00.001-07:002009-03-31T08:45:21.390-07:00

'Bout sums it up from my point of view.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-53512873121094766082009-03-21T09:33:00.001-07:002009-03-21T09:33:06.443-07:00

Wow, is this cool or what? Nice work for an amateur film.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-67741576294644337842009-02-13T08:31:00.000-08:002009-02-13T08:32:45.784-08:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-81057181155721414202009-01-31T09:42:00.001-08:002009-01-31T09:42:29.733-08:00

Hilarious!

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-84851329884077861852009-01-28T16:41:00.000-08:002009-01-28T16:50:14.973-08:00

You may have heard, our new President is a collector of Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics. If you do the math (uh, let's see, he's 47, and most kids reach their peak interest in comics around age 12, which leads me to suspect he read Spider-Man thirty-five years ago, which would have been 1973, which means... OMG, he knows I killed Gwen Stacy!) you'll realize the Spider-Man stories he

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-84055176227936670992009-01-23T12:44:00.000-08:002009-01-23T12:45:35.078-08:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-53450757302718791212009-01-23T08:49:00.000-08:002009-01-23T08:54:39.218-08:00

I was reading a discussion thread about the new season of "Lost" over on Boing-Boing, and had to jump in to give my own two cents' worth. Thought I'd pass along here what I said there:***I'd like to bring some professional insight to the discussion, since most of the criticism of "Lost" in this thread seems to grow from the premise that "the writers are just making it up as they go along."To

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-65140424516680649842009-01-19T11:47:00.000-08:002009-01-19T11:53:11.905-08:00

As the final hours tick down toward the conclusion of what might be judged from the long view of history as the worst Presidency since James Buchanan dithered us into the Civil War, let's take a moment to remember the good times. And by good times I mean these.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-73274713792868949402009-01-17T22:51:00.001-08:002009-01-17T23:17:59.382-08:00

Tonight the family and I were talking about the excitement we're feeling in anticipation of Tuesday's Inauguration. I told Rachel, who's just turned thirteen, that she's lucky to be at an age where she can appreciate an event that is surely one of the most important moments in American history. Whatever you may think about our President-elect, whether you were a supporter of his before the

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-6524182731308941302009-01-08T10:30:00.000-08:002009-01-08T10:36:07.908-08:00

Just saw this, and thought I'd pass it along. These machima videos can sometimes be surprisingly good, given the limits of the resources the creators are working with...

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-42752993417778143962009-01-06T11:01:00.001-08:002009-01-06T11:01:56.972-08:00

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-23858730089643494122008-12-27T10:53:00.001-08:002008-12-27T10:53:22.881-08:00

The Craft of War: BLIND from percula on Vimeo.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-18247928027438217812008-11-16T16:54:00.000-08:002008-11-16T16:55:35.113-08:00

more music charts

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-25920021355941744442008-11-13T21:50:00.001-08:002008-11-13T21:51:52.037-08:00

I've lived in Los Angeles for thirty years, but in my heart, New York will always be my home. Here's one reason why...

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-64464028448637393752008-11-03T10:51:00.001-08:002008-11-03T10:51:52.100-08:00

What can I say? Brilliant!

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-79588515875640572162008-10-31T12:54:00.000-07:002008-10-31T12:55:09.940-07:00

They say any landing you walk away from is a good landing...

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-2615880887077014102008-10-30T14:00:00.001-07:002008-10-30T14:02:36.988-07:00

Long ago, in a galaxy far far away, I used to think Elizabeth Dole was one of the few Republicans who'd managed to show a little spine and grace under pressure. I used to think she actually had some class. Making her one more Republican who's proven me wrong...Embedded video from CNN Video

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-39376636326116698352008-10-25T12:37:00.001-07:002008-10-25T12:37:41.589-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-71963216961307562012008-10-25T09:25:00.001-07:002008-10-25T09:28:47.396-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-10686454291489037942008-10-24T16:32:00.000-07:002008-10-24T16:43:37.972-07:00

Well, we've completed the move to our new house -- and escrow has closed on our old house -- which means, in our obsessive-compulsive way, we're almost settled in. We've had new hardwood floors put in upstairs; we've had new built-ins built-in downstairs; we had our painter paint the built-ins and the home theater installer install our home theater; we're having our painter paint our guest room

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-47604848672692490422008-10-22T08:59:00.001-07:002008-10-22T08:59:02.720-07:00

Hee Hee

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-91914168187760596942008-10-16T07:19:00.000-07:002008-10-16T07:34:11.394-07:00

Last night, while Barrack Obama was handily trouncing John McCain in the (thankfully) last debate of this interminable election season, a friend of mine forwarded me a semi-anonymous email touting Obama's supposed connections to terrorists, and his purported "lying" about McCain's record, and so on, and so forth. Apparently there are a lot of these emails floating around, providing folks who

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-81658539952032203172008-10-14T10:45:00.000-07:002008-10-14T10:54:21.936-07:00

I've been thinking much the same thing lately, but rather than hash out my own take on what appear to be the Republicans' Last Days (ironic, ain't it?), I'll just pass this along, from the TPM blog and the commentator formerly known as NCSteve. (I tried to link to the blog entry but for some reason the page wouldn't allow it. Probably my technological incompetence at work.)Is This the Beginning

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-24224218834920992922008-10-11T15:11:00.000-07:002008-10-11T15:12:36.284-07:00

Say Hebbo! from Torvakian on Vimeo.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-15542657954533677632008-10-09T13:08:00.001-07:002008-10-09T13:08:16.571-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-90997942897504951302008-10-05T10:32:00.000-07:002008-10-05T10:56:51.764-07:00

One reason I haven't been posting lately -- other than the occasional YouTube-hosted wisecrack -- has to do with big changes in the Conway household.  We're selling our house and buying another one, and if you don't think we've gone through some nail-biting during the past few weeks of financial crisis, you've been living on another planet, and part of me wishes I were with you.  As someone who's

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-61064967830350420042008-10-05T10:30:00.001-07:002008-10-05T10:31:52.885-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-40577093281442252832008-09-25T15:55:00.001-07:002008-09-25T15:55:51.177-07:00

Wow. She's even more of a ditz than she first appeared. She actually makes Tina Fey's impersonation seem more, well, composed and... rational? The woman is just babbling...

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-9137846670531525782008-09-25T08:09:00.001-07:002008-09-25T08:09:13.226-07:00

Beware the wrath of a talk show host scorned.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-8702724132609961272008-09-19T07:41:00.001-07:002008-09-19T07:42:07.408-07:00

Okay, apparently this was filmed to promote the handling of a Honda, but oddly it reminds me of the way Karen reacts to my driving...

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-2097511918356536132008-09-17T16:02:00.001-07:002008-09-17T16:02:25.895-07:00

Ah, the bitter bitter truth...

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-53369324185506966852008-09-17T08:41:00.001-07:002008-09-17T08:41:56.805-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-11480698016182544052008-09-16T08:40:00.001-07:002008-09-16T08:41:20.232-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-80752479639210689922008-09-08T13:38:00.001-07:002008-09-08T13:38:51.686-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-82355657004204873442008-09-06T08:14:00.000-07:002008-09-06T10:25:34.241-07:00

This is why I despair:"New polling shows that the presidential race has tightened since Sarah Palin delivered her vice presidential acceptance speech on Wednesday. Both the Gallup and Rasmussen daily tracking polls reported today that John McCain now narrowly trails Barack Obama. Yesterday’s Gallup poll results of surveys conducted before the speech showed Obama with a 49 percent to 42 percent

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-83691239067944306382008-09-03T09:44:00.000-07:002008-09-03T09:45:26.991-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-68445592417580408502008-09-03T09:18:00.001-07:002008-09-03T09:38:07.266-07:00

When I find myself wondering how it's possible that Barack Obama leads John McCain by only four or five percent (depending on which recent poll you look at), I have to wonder, are the people who support McCain living in the same world, breathing the same air, reading the same news, watching the same TV reports, that I am?  Given McCain's ethical collapse in recent months, as he's swung from "

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-21492297859920046742008-08-30T09:12:00.000-07:002008-08-30T09:14:47.849-07:00

Credit to Lolcats.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-90692564524069148942008-08-29T19:03:00.000-07:002008-08-29T19:04:47.068-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-42753114149013276542008-08-26T17:57:00.000-07:002008-08-26T19:16:19.571-07:00

Not to wax nostalgic about "the way things used to be," but this recent opinion piece in the L.A. Times dovetails with some thoughts I've had lately about the difference between my twelve-year old daughter's experience of the world, and the way I experienced it at her age.  Rachel is twelve, and she's never ridden her bike around our neighborhood by herself; she's never gone to the movies with a

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-54160996081284521162008-08-26T17:54:00.001-07:002008-08-26T17:55:47.070-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-33104378329504754012008-08-14T07:54:00.000-07:002008-08-14T07:55:26.072-07:00

... in a cool way.Animation from Pendulum Alter Ego:

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-76756334868735078692008-08-12T17:56:00.000-07:002008-08-12T17:59:59.459-07:00

"Transported to a surreal landscape, a young girl kills the first woman she meets and then teams up with three complete strangers to kill again."--Rick Polito, Marin Independent Journal's TV listing for "The Wizard of Oz"

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-55151172829184686762008-08-11T08:27:00.000-07:002008-08-11T08:28:20.217-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-44550289964268432632008-08-08T08:01:00.000-07:002008-08-08T08:02:24.621-07:00

If the Bushies can't even convince a military jury they're doing the right thing when it comes to the prisoners at Guantanamo, how do they ever expect to convince the rest of the world? Think about this: Salim Hamdan is the first prisoner from Guantanamo to go to trial, which probably means the government thought its case against him was the strongest they have against any of the men held there

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-14401303204822534522008-07-29T12:45:00.000-07:002008-07-29T12:45:54.181-07:00

Case in point: Just when it looks like the GOP's chances of fighting off a filibuster-proof majority for the Democrats this November couldn't get any worse...Ted Stevens Indicted On 7 Criminal Charges

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-85082586845523875412008-07-28T10:57:00.000-07:002008-07-28T10:57:22.754-07:00

Other than the too-obvious back score, this looks like it might be... interesting.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-64285695729645712532008-07-27T21:27:00.000-07:002008-07-27T21:36:14.774-07:00

Whatever happened to the guy who ran for president in 2000? The red-meat Republican running around these days who's calling himself McCain sure doesn't sound like the same man who charmed us eight years ago. It's like he's forgotten who he was and what he said he stood for. The kindest spin I can put on that is, he must be getting old...McCain Says Obama Plays Politics on Iraq -

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-10808359459660675762008-07-27T07:21:00.001-07:002008-07-27T07:25:22.094-07:00

... the only folks who'll be left (apart from you and me) probably will be tough little punkettes like Bethany Black, star of the Image Comics series Strange Girl. I've just devoured the first collection, "Girl Afraid," by Rick Remender and Eric Nguyen, and it's a hoot. (I do have a few quibbles with Nguyen's art -- his figures tend to get lost in the background, and his storytelling sometimes

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-11762527815096285292008-07-22T10:03:00.000-07:002008-07-22T10:20:31.884-07:00

We just got back from a weekend in Santa Cruz, where we had a great time visiting with friends, despite spending three nights in a beach-side motel that gave new meaning to the concept of cheap and rundown. (We're all in favor of saving energy, and I have no objection to replacing incandescent light bulbs with low-energy fluorescents, but the only reason I can think of for the exclusive use of

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-45050950997140364282008-07-18T07:05:00.001-07:002008-07-18T07:05:56.169-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-68541382672671810192008-07-17T13:11:00.001-07:002008-07-17T13:11:07.715-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-50603792232724100212008-07-14T08:28:00.001-07:002008-07-14T09:24:24.413-07:00

A friend of mine and I saw "Hellboy II: The Golden Army" on Friday. Before I get into the meat of this post -- which is not, as you might expect, a review of "Hellboy II" -- I'll just say I enjoyed the movie, laughed at the funny parts, thrilled to the action, and sat in awe of the imagery and graphic design. I felt my eleven bucks was well-spent (we went to the Arclight, which is more

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-27878522702186894092008-07-09T21:08:00.000-07:002008-07-10T09:48:20.053-07:00

I was reading an article in Harper's Magazine today about The Magic Olympics, that reminded me of how much I enjoy watching a good magic trick, well-performed, and intriguingly presented. I first encountered real live professional magic more thant thirty years ago, during a visit to The Magic Castle in Hollywood, which to my mind remans the gold standard for practicioners of the craft. That's

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-3506512175840052492008-07-08T07:50:00.000-07:002008-07-08T07:54:34.023-07:00

Oh, yes. Yes, Yes, Yes.If you love me, buy this and send it to me. Now.The Zombie of Montclaire Moors Sculpture - DB383020 - Design Toscano

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-71465034621596843602008-07-07T16:53:00.000-07:002008-07-07T17:40:06.159-07:00

Ars Technica has a terrific article about the effect outsourcing customer support has on the "perceived value" of a company's goods to the average consumer:Study: outsourcing can lead to plummeting customer loyaltyTo sum up, the results aren't good. Who would'a thunk it? Apparently, when customers are shunted aside and treated like an irritating distraction to the important business of making

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-79739548684958352632008-07-07T08:30:00.000-07:002008-07-07T08:31:30.243-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-40445922161056278492008-07-06T10:04:00.000-07:002008-07-06T10:31:08.384-07:00

I used to drive an SUV, back around 1995 -- a Jeep Cherokee. It was fun for a while, and the payments were a lot less than my previous car (a Mercedes), but I never felt all that comfortable riding way up high, so when my lease was up, I went back to driving a sedan. Karen, on the other hand, went from a sedan (BMW) to an SUV (first a Mercedes, later a Lexus) once Rachel started pre-school.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-66731775716645058182008-07-05T10:16:00.000-07:002008-07-05T10:17:40.382-07:00

Oh, yeah!That says it all!Woot!

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-4478577126372683432008-07-03T10:50:00.000-07:002008-07-14T09:20:40.676-07:00

Well, this week, anyway.I found this on Boing Boing, one of my favorite websites. If this doesn't make you smile and feel happy for about four minutes or so, check your pulse.For more information about Matt, check this website.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-14988490296423624002008-07-03T10:36:00.000-07:002008-07-03T10:40:21.396-07:00

... you ought to. If you've ever seen a Merrie Melody or Looney Toon from the late 1930s through the 1940s, you've probably heard some of his music as adapted by Carl Stalling.Enjoy:

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-85933697097863893992008-06-30T16:55:00.001-07:002008-06-30T16:57:31.711-07:00

What can I say? I saw it this weekend with Karen and Rachel and some friends, and I loved it. The storytelling was smart and smooth, the character designs and animation were, as always, first class. Wall*E and Eva were as well developed as two non-speaking characters can be, and while I never quite choked up, the way I have at some other Pixar films ("Toy Story 2," all right?), I did feel a

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-10173032957703871282008-06-29T07:49:00.000-07:002008-06-29T07:55:46.579-07:00

Well, if you are, or if, possibly, you're worried you might soon be living in a CCTV police state where the guv'mint can watch your every move (and those who aren't just a wee bit afraid we've been marching bravely backward to 1984 haven't been paying attention) then this fine piece of do-it-yourself eyewear may be just the thing you've been looking for: Anti-Paparazzi Sunglasses - video

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-861632976482692922008-06-27T19:14:00.000-07:002008-06-27T19:15:00.805-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-72752522879294113302008-06-26T15:37:00.001-07:002008-06-26T15:59:47.796-07:00

Anyone who knows me (or who's managed to sneak a look at my Amazon account) knows I'm a voracious reader. Non-fiction: history, current events, science; fiction: mid- to late-19th Century literature, early 20th Century literature, pulp fiction, science-fiction, mysteries, westerns, legal suspense, modern thrillers, Salman Rushdie, Thomas Pynchon, Roger Zelazny, David Brin, Larry Niven, Ross

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-41087094704389596362008-06-25T14:00:00.001-07:002008-06-25T14:03:07.281-07:00

Okay, so I'm being cute. By "warring websites," I'm not referring to websites at war with each other -- I'm referring to websites that provide information and support for players of World of Warcraft. But in a way, of course, some of these sites are at war with one another -- competing for the eyes and interest of the WoW player in his or her never-ending search for truth, justice, and a few

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-33189927609381311232008-06-24T21:34:00.000-07:002008-06-24T21:36:41.228-07:00

Just when you think he can't embarrass us any further.Bush To Filipino President: "I Am Reminded Of The Great Talent Of The -- Of Our Philippine-Americans When I Eat Dinner At The White House" - Politics on The Huffington Post

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-22051382425558973092008-06-23T10:04:00.001-07:002008-06-23T10:17:03.574-07:00

Back from New York, back to blogging.This is hardly news, but I'll mention it anyway: the original Max Fleischer Studio Popeye cartoons are being released on DVD in a series of lovely box sets. Volume One came out a while ago, and features cartoons from 1933-38; Volume Two is now available, with cartoons from 1938-40. If you're offended by pre-PC racial, sexist and ethnic stereotypes (PC in

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-33708052441773614972008-06-13T07:04:00.001-07:002008-06-13T07:06:51.192-07:00

... with a secret (till we get to the airport) trip to NY to see "Legally Blonde The Musical" with a friend of hers.The things we do for our children.I've been listening to Rachel play and replay the DVR'ed video of the"Legally Blonde" Broadway musical for the better part of six monthsnow. It sets my teeth on edge and blurs my vision with a red haze.My hands involuntarily clench into fists and

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-54141707766104663972008-06-12T07:54:00.001-07:002008-06-12T08:06:10.420-07:00

First off, let me apologize for getting this out a couple of days late.  We've been busy around Casa Conway looking for a Nuevo Casa Conway, and it's been, shall we say, distracting.Be that as it may... I was talking with my older daughter, Cara, on the way to the airport Monday, and the topic turned to politics.  We're both Obama supporters; I told her how happy I was for her, that she could

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-46613489976495646082008-06-09T18:07:00.001-07:002008-06-09T18:07:07.413-07:00

Okay, so it isn't Wednesday, but this kinda comes under the Monday movie rubric, right? Right?

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-68053273750992399422008-06-09T09:23:00.001-07:002008-06-09T09:26:18.396-07:00

From Nasa, an image of the Earth and the moon as seen from Mars.No, seriously:

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-14768127936890045022008-06-05T15:35:00.001-07:002008-06-05T22:51:27.997-07:00

Well, strange as it seems, this is a big day -- my daughter's graduating from elementary school.  They're having a ceremony, there will be speeches, she's getting dressed up, and I know for a fact my wife is going to cry.When did this become such a big deal?I mean, it's a big deal to me, of course -- my baby's getting older!   But in a larger sociological sense, graduating from elementary school?

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-8300948503779259172008-06-04T10:36:00.001-07:002008-06-04T10:46:42.312-07:00

Much of the fun in playing World of Warcraft comes from interaction with other players -- especially interaction with other players in a guild (assuming you join one).  But finding the right guild (and recognizing that it's the right guild for you) is tricky.  At least, it's been tricky for me.The first guild I joined, "Dark Guard" on the Lothar server, is no more, but through it, I met the

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-55806098349939071222008-06-03T12:11:00.000-07:002008-06-03T12:18:16.571-07:00

Posting last week about the first book I ever owned reminded me of the first book I read that fully captured my imagination as a story -- so much so that I spent thirty years trying to find it, and finally laid my hands on a copy two years ago.The book was a young adult science-fiction novel by Paul Capon, "The End of the Tunnel." It's about four young kids who go on a caving trip together

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-3906148385664400122008-06-02T13:46:00.001-07:002008-06-03T20:16:49.746-07:00

A friend of mine from the comic book business dropped me an email this morning, asking for my input -- he and his family had noticed that one of this summer's big blockbuster comic book movies used several elements from stories he'd written a number of years ago.  One of his family members suggested he hire a lawyer to see if he could get some recompense, and my friend wanted to know if I had any

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-30217752397600721192008-05-29T15:40:00.001-07:002008-05-29T15:40:40.792-07:00

Feeling a little nostalgic today.  I won't bore you with a long, rambling, I-remember-when, but I was thinking about the first book I recall owning -- a Hardy Boys juvenile novel, published in 1959: "The Mystery of Cabin Island."  (This was, I believe, the original 1929 version; it's important to identify when a Hardy Boy book was published, since the book was revised to eliminate ethnic

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-67437542557554003402008-05-28T10:50:00.000-07:002008-05-28T10:54:34.069-07:00

Watched an entertaining documentary last night called Darkon, which follows the exploits of a LARP group on the East Coast.  LARP, for those of you not in the know, is an acronym for live action roleplaying -- i.e.: folks who dress up as knights and elves to fight pretend battles in parks and school yards.  The documentary is fairly sympathetic to the people in this group, though it doesn't try

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-32829934267154329912008-05-27T09:37:00.001-07:002008-05-27T09:37:09.302-07:00

Heads up:  This is the official, Conway's Corner obligatory Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull review.  Feel free to skip it if you've had enough Indiana Jones talk over the Memorial Day weekend.  If you're interested in my take on the film (and why would you be?  If you're a reader of this blog, you've probably already seen it), then read on. Naturally, like many guys my age who

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-73129931835224066212008-05-27T07:29:00.001-07:002008-05-27T07:29:21.255-07:00

The memorial service for Karen's dad was yesterday, so I wasn't in the mood to update the blog.  I'll do so later today.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-13686886231312401832008-05-23T07:56:00.001-07:002008-05-23T07:56:28.826-07:00

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-41376541073042297462008-05-22T21:54:00.001-07:002008-05-22T21:59:29.587-07:00

This will come as no surprise, I'm sure, but in case you've been wondering, I'm something of a geek.  I love gadgets, the shinier and higher-tech the better.  If it weren't for Sell-It-On-eBay, I'd have a closet full of out-of-date tech goodness -- including several iterations of ebook readers, going way back to the original Nuvomedia Rocketbook.  (Now there was a monster -- big as a hardback

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-91605184094416442072008-05-21T09:41:00.001-07:002008-05-21T09:45:28.533-07:00

A friend of mine, whose wife is about to start a job at Blizzard (oh envy, oh jealous heart), admitted to me recently that he's tried to play World of Warcraft, but has had a hard time getting into it.  "All I know is you've got to kill a bunch of spiders," he told me ruefully.  "Am I missing something?"Well, yes. actually.But it's not his fault -- the truth is, unless you have a particular

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-63953614100815290942008-05-20T12:55:00.001-07:002008-05-20T13:02:52.430-07:00

As the primary season dwindles to a close, I find myself thinking about a perennial issue in American politics --  the way some politicians play to that portion of the electorate who appear to believe well-educated, well-spoken, and generally smart candidates are somehow a bad thing.We all know the drill: Candidate Not-My-Guy is an "elitist" -- political speak for "college educated know-it-all."

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-54187308468002756432008-05-20T08:11:00.000-07:002008-05-20T08:12:35.802-07:00

This has been floating around the internets the last few days, and it's worth a look:Amazing.

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-65330784743451724602008-05-19T10:53:00.001-07:002008-05-19T11:05:38.638-07:00

Back in the late 70s, early 80s, Roy Thomas and I wrote several movies together, and for a time, while the script that became "Conan the Destroyer" was in development and production, we were even "warm" -- pursued by producers and agents who wanted to rub our knobby little heads for luck and magic.  It was fun, particularly since neither of us had any idea what we were doing, at least in the "

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-42906023976980895592008-05-19T08:57:00.000-07:002008-05-19T08:58:59.454-07:00

It starts off looking like somebody's trying to do the stupidest thing ever, and then... omg... 

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-69267467477870872722008-05-16T22:46:00.001-07:002008-05-16T23:02:54.586-07:00

Just squeaking this update in under the wire.   Whew!Couple of recommendations, under the heading of webcomics I like.  First off, we have Extra Life by Scott Johnson:Next, there's You'll Have That by Wes Molebash:And finally, last and hardly least, the ever-popular Penny Arcade by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik:All are lots of fun, and Extra Life sponsors a couple of great podcasts, also hosted

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-38845545408150465362008-05-15T08:30:00.001-07:002008-05-15T08:34:08.824-07:00

Just a quick note today, to recommend a book you'll have trouble getting unless you're willing to skirt the legal limits of copyright law.  (And this provides a great example of what's wrong with current copyright law, but that's a subject for another time.)  The book in question is a noir crime thriller/mystery called "The Face on the Cutting Room Floor," by Cameron McCabe.  The title refers to

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-82884693068890149662008-05-14T09:52:00.000-07:002008-05-14T09:58:18.209-07:00

Something I really enjoy about World of Warcraft is the effort the designers make to create a compelling backstory for events and quests in the game.  Quests, in WoW, are tasks you're given by non-player characters (NPCs), and usually involve exploring locations,  delivering messages, gathering items or escorting other NPCs on dangerous missions.  In themselves they're pretty simple and

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-40483357178168167142008-05-13T09:21:00.001-07:002008-05-13T09:34:26.150-07:00

Two magazines I read on a regular basis are Skeptic and Skeptical Inquirer.  Both are smart, thoughtful and intelligent, though I find Skeptic to be the better written and more entertaining.  (Any magazine that has the Amazing Randi on its editorial board is practically guaranteed to be entertaining.)  They take a reasoned and skeptical (duh) approach toward popular controversies, asking critical

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34583750.post-89252530834057707512008-05-12T18:15:00.001-07:002008-05-12T18:16:43.804-07:00

Even though (or perhaps because) I wrote television for almost twenty years, I'm not much of a fan of American TV.  Once you've worked in the sausage factory, it's hard to get too excited when you're offered a nice helping of Kielbasa.  Karen and I do enjoy "Lost" and "Heroes," "Two and a Half Men" and "Rules of Engagement," but for the most part I can't escape the been-there, done-that feeling

Gerryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06380961867035049231noreply@blogger.com0