Joe’s Blog!

Just because you have a house and a girl now doesn’t mean you can’t blog anymore. Come on bro where you been the last month(s)?!?

Ok, so as you probably already know there have been a lot of movies that have come out in recent years based on comic books. Here’s a list of the ones I can think of (post if you have more):

X-Men
Spiderman
The Hulk
Daredevil
Batman
Fantastic Four
Catwoman
Hellboy
Sin City
Punisher

I also hear there will be a Ghost Rider movie coming out soon as well as the ever present Superman franchise. While making Batman and Superman movies is nothing new, what is with this trend? Is it easy to make a movie where the story line and scenes are already drawn out for you? Is it an attempt just to make action movies with tons of special effects? What gives? When is the Green Lantern coming out?

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Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

This past wekend I went home for my little brothers Junior High graduation. I was enjoyable spending time with the fam. I also got some time to watch my dad work on my car. We found that it needs a CV joint boot, which we couldn’t find at the numerous auto parts shops in Carbondale, IL. At any rate, I hope the dealerships limited warranty will cover it. To the right is Daniel while we stole some internet a Chillians Cafe, a new joint in the ‘boro. Below is a delightfull burrito from Labamb’s. Their burrito’s are simple, authentic and absolutely delicious.

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Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

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Originally uploaded by zeusfaber.

Work has been fairly consuming lately. Work both as in where I am employed and at home. I recent purchased a vehicle and no doubt it is indeed work. More hoops to jump through than the Ringling Brothers Cirus and more bending over backwards than Cirque du Soleil. At any rate, I think I have everything done, insurance and plates are covered. Moreover, I have been working on a few projects. And have found that I seem to write code between midnight and 2am better than anyother time during the day. Works for me…

While I am at it here are a few things that have been on my mind lately:

1) NSA wiretaps, which are much more than mere wiretaps regardless what CNN tells you. They are monitoring all internet traffic too, with stations at sigificant points on the internet. One of these monitoring stations is rumored to be in an A&TT NOC (Network Operations Center) in Bridgeton, Mo. The system they use to monitor traffic is very impressive and is commercially available. It’s made by a company named Narus. It can reconstruct email, VOIP (voice over IP) and just about anything in real time as it traverses the net. So it’s likely if you live in Western parts of STL you have been “listened” to and had your emails read by the NSA.

2) The Da Vinci Code, is just a movie regardless what anyone tells you. I’m not sure if people realize this or not but the Da Vinci Code was a book before it was a movie (why the debate wasn’t started long, long ago when this book hit the New York bestsellers list is unknown to me). If you go to your local bookstore you can find the Da Vinci Code in the fiction section. When I think fiction I am thinking not real, not fact, a story thats not true. I understand that the premise of a movie can be regiliously testing or blastfamous, many are. But that doesn’t make what they say in the movie true or the intent of the movie to sway an individuals religious beliefs. To that extent people should have been equally upset about the movie Encino Man. In this movie two high school students (one of which happens to be the great Pauly Shore) are digging a hole for a pool in their backyard. Eventually they find a frozen caveman. A caveman! That insinuates that evolution is true! If that doesn’t have a religious impact I’m not sure what does. So regardless if you think the Bible belongs in the fiction or non-fiction stacks, everyone should be able to agree that the Da Vinci Code is fiction. Here is one piece of non-fiction from the movie: Audrey Tautou is refreshingly attractive.

True story:

Today I went to Rag-o-Rama in the Loop to sell some old clothes that I don’t wear anymore. I figure its better than sitting in my closet gathering dust. I wait in line for a bit to have them check my clothes out. I notice those River Front Times “Best of …” awards on the wall, one for best vitage clothing short another for best place to buy used clothes from various years. It’s my turn and I walk up and they begin to inspect. None of my clothes pass! The lady at the counter tells me “We look to purchase new, more recent styles and your items are too old.” I take my clothes and leave before I make a scene. Don’t get me wrong but I really like Rag-o-Rama and will continue to shop there. But it is a V-I-N-T-A-G-E clothing store, the clothes are suppose to be old. Not a big deal, but if I take these clothes to Good Will and they don’t accept them someone is going to hear about it.

Thats all. I’m done. Some days I feel like Andy Rooney.