Activities I know are on the books...  Zoo on Friday.  Sushi sometime. Family reunion. Some fresh tortilla  action.  A very busy wife.  Then the guarantee that I won't be catching up on the sleep that I've not been getting.

I've been sans MacPro for over a week, and I miss it dearly.  Sure, I have the 4-year old laptop and iPhone to tide me over - but it's like having a hand trowel when your backhoe is sidelined for the time being.

This is the perfect place for one of those ponderings about how technology rules our lives...  Blah, Blah, Blah...  Unless you live in a cave without a wheel or fire, then you're letting technology in.  I'll just admit it straightaway that I'm in with technology in a big way.  Such a big thought for the end of such a meaningless blog.

Most of the posts in the past week have been ones that are pieces started long ago and completed when need be.  This past week, I've been spending a fair amount of time pondering doing more writing related to my profession or even doing something farther out of my comfort zone.  Both require writing in a different manner.  So much so that I think I'm giving myself a mild case of writers block.

I've started three or four posts that I'll get 200+ words in and just throw up a little in my mind.

Needless to say I hit the little link offering to "Move to Trash".

But since my site is an exercise in nothing of consequence, I think I've not really challenged myself beyond the mechanics.  I need to get better at writing and producing quality content, and I've got the time to do it at the moment.  Of course that could change and my time can go away as quick as a deep thought inside the head of a Palin.

What are some of the things I've pondered lately.  Trying to create a collaborative blog.  Create a site centered around short video pieces (mostly because my new camera can shoot really good video).  Re-doing my professional site with a blog to write about topics related being digital and or media.  There's a few others, but those three have been given the most thought.

We'll see what happens if anything.

Part of it is slowing down on using Twitter.  Why, because I'm growing increasingly weary on most of those that use it, and those that promote themselves as Twitter / Social Media experts.  I think there are legitimate uses for Twitter (both personal and professional) - but too many don't understand the right and wrong way to use it.  Too many are about trying to take credit for the thoughts and information of others.

The other reason I'm disconnecting it is because I don't want the crutch of an automatically generated post for my blog each week.  I want to start posting at least two or three times a week with actual information or things I'm doing.

That is to say I want to post at least two or three times a week here or on any other blog-type outlet.  I've got a few domains burning a hole in my online pocket.  I'm under no illusion that I'll turn one on and be a success, but at the same time it's a thought running through my head.

So anyway...  I already hit the deactivate link.

I was knee deep in another another WordPress environment yesterday, and most of the time I just wanted to be devoting the time to writing in my own.  Now that it's three something in the morning and I can't sleep, I'm going to write something because the only thing on is some crappy old William Baldwin movie or that one where Ethan Hawke squints and eats human flesh.

So that's not an option.

I've basically thought of how I want my space to look and function, but I can't find anything that's close - and I've never done a WP template 100% from scratch...  But I think I'll have to in order to pull off what I want.  It's nothing ultra involved, but it'd CSS heavy with an emphasis of design / layout over flashy elements.

Don't get me wrong, I love the jQuery and what it can do for a site - but I think I'm feeling more simplistic.  Who knows though.  The design simplicity that I have in mind may wind up being more complicated than some template using a dozen jQuery features...  We'll see.  I certainly hope I can pull it off, but I'm not sure.  It'll be a project for sure.

So, that's where I'm at lately. I know, exciting stuff.  I got a lot on my plate, and waking up at 3am for no good reason twice in a week isn't going to help matters.

First was going to watch Green Zone in the theater.  If you didn't get the memo, it's the Matt Damon - Paul Greengrass combination that has been so effective in the last two Bourne films.  It takes place in the very early days of the Iraq war when troops were recently in Baghdad, and searching for the elusive WMD.  A cover up is revealed that pits intelligence assets against each other to discover or protect the deception.

Of course this is fictional.  It'd be nice to think that things could work out this neat in what is mostly a single day.  That's the weakest link of the film, which has been enough to stop it from being a success.  Otherwise, it's a good film in most ways.  I came away with it with it agreeing with the major premise that the war is founded of faulty reasoning with everyone being misled all the way.  I'll probably not feel compelled to watch it again, but I'm glad I did.

The Hurt Locker arrived via Netflix earlier that day in the wonderful Blu-Ray.  Started it up for a late showing at home, ready to be amazed by what has been deemed as the best film of the year.  I'm not sure if it was Iraq overload, or sincere disappointment, but it didn't live up to my expectations in terms of directing, acting, or the overall movie.

I loved the opening sequence.  I thought it set things up well and was very visually stunning with the high frame rate minutia that follows an explosion.  I was looking forward to the rest of the film.  So what happened?  The rest of the film happened with very, very little of the stunning elements of the opening sequence.

It slowed. It got ridiculous (a gun jammed because of blood?). Then it seemed like it had to go too far because someone thought it would make a good movie.  It tried to show more than a few faces of what it's like in the war, but I feel like it was a half-ass attempt at most of it.

Upon absorbing it, I think the problem is that the story needed something more on the perspective or to be longer in its time-line to sink in.  It could have been a great series, like some bomb squad meets Generation Kill.  In terms of the less tangible something else - all the war movies before now that I respect have some perspective or narrative that hits harder than than The Hurt Locker did.  So many other films have such stunning character development while showing its perspective on war.

What kind of irks me is this film won best picture.  When a movie like Saving Private Ryan looses to a film like Shakespeare in Love, and The Hurt Locker wins over Avatar - something is not consistent in the academy.  Don't get me wrong, I'm glad Avatar didn't win...  It's just that The Hurt Locker isn't remotely in the same league as Saving Private Ryan.

Surrogates is a near-future, science fiction movie with Oliver Cromwell and Ving Rhames also in the cast.  It's action packed with a moral undertone.  The basis is that in the not too distant time to come, the majority of humans will interface will machines who then represent them in the physical world.

It's actually an interesting basis to me, and more engaging from a plot basis than Avatar.  It's the moral play that I find a little bit predictable with an ending that seems too convenient.  It ends up being just average with no real reason to watch again.

Cop Out is the newest film from one of my favorite directors, Kevin Smith.  This is his first major foray into directing material he didn't write himself.  It shows that he didn't write it, but I think it's a good thing.  He's milked the Jersey Shore related cast a little much.  Not like myself and a lot of others wouldn't continue paying to see those movies, but I like that he's branching out.

Cop Out is actually better than I thought it was going to be based on reviews and such.  The only thing that annoyed me the most about it was the score...  It was too much of a Beverly Hills Cop rip off.  I like a good homage, but this film had potential to stand better on its own if a few things were done differently...  One is Tracey Morgan needed to tone it down a hair.  Two Bruce Willis needed to act like we know he can and not just look like he's phoning it in.  Last was a little better casting in terms of the villain (whom I like as a comedic actor, but he seemed way out of place).

So what's the deal? It was the premiere of an ESPN documentary in their 30 for 30 series titled Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks directed by Dan Klores.

What is 30 for 30?  It's ESPN's 30th anniversary, and to commemorate the milestone have commissioned 30 documentaries by 30 filmmakers on unique topics.  Only a handful of titles have aired so far, but they've been great pieces so far.  I saw one on Jimmy the Greek that was pretty good...  One on how the University of Miami came to actually have a contending football team...  One on Muhammad Ali vs. Larry Holmes...  And a pretty good one on the USFL.  There's one about the Baltimore Colts marching band, but I haven't seen that one yet.  So far, they've been good topics, and great 2-hour (with commercials) documentaries.

So this film is set to premiere on Sunday March 14th on ESPN with many re-broadcasts soon thereafter.

It's about a basketball player named Reggie Miller, and the rivalry that sprouted between him and the Knicks and a very specific Knick fan - Spike Lee (yes, the filmmaker).  It also talked about the rivalry known as "the hicks vs. the Knicks" which I was somewhat unaware of back then.

To be honest, I can't be that subjective about much of this.  Why, because I was a Pacer fan back then...  (I didn't hate the Knicks...  Just John Starks)

Notice the past tense in my admiration for the Pacers and the NBA?  Yeah.  Because I think the NBA has degenerated into a piece of crap sports league with no leadership among the athletes or the administrators.  It doesn't help that the Pacers have turned to crap since the departure of Reggie Miller from the team...

But this piece details a fun time for Indianapolis when the Pacers had a good squad, the NBA had great match ups, and the NBA had a good proportion of college graduates.

So you may or may not be interested in this...  It took me back to a time when I liked a sport, had a home team that I respected, and have fond memories of that time in general.  There's a pretty good amount of comedy in the piece based on what actually happened and some new details.

So I'll gladly watch it again, and may try and purchase it to have.  Watching Miller score 8 points in under 20 seconds to win a playoff game by two is a thing of beauty.