The Duc Pond

DNC vs. RNC Stages: Fight!

Duc — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:54:22 +0000

I realize this hardly matters in the grand scheme of things, but I’m impressed with how cool the DNC stage is. I’ve read there’s 8000 square feet of projection space. As seen in the picture below, there are these “ribbons” of projection screen that reach out toward the audience. A 103” plasma TV is one of 200 HD displays Panasonic is providing. Basically, most of the surfaces you see on stage are video screens, and it’s a cool effect.

The RNC stage design’s emphasis on red on the other hand looks like something out of the movie version of V for Vendetta: some kind of fascist gathering. Maybe I’m being too harsh, but still, at best it’s still boring.

Again, I’m not trying to suggest that a flashier set is going to win Barack Obama the election. It does fit into the idea that the Obama camp has a much better grasp on technology than the McCain team. This is partly thanks to guys like Chris Hughes, Facebook cofounder, who joined the Obama team.

Real Life Tumbler (Batmobile)

Duc — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:03:13 +0000

This guy is pure awesome. He made his own Batmobile. HIS OWN BATMOBILE! He’s working on a Batpod next.

Doannie and Holly in Vietnam

Duc — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 17:15:30 +0000

My cousin and his wife are in Vietnam for a month doing work at a free medical clinic. They have an amazing, well-written blog detailing their travels. I’ll be checking it regularly.
http://doannieandhollyinvietnam.blogspot.com/

The Dark Knight

Duc — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:07:19 +0000

It’s been a few days since I first saw the movie (Friday at 12:01 AM of course) and I’m still stunned by its awesomeness. It stands on its own as one of the best crime dramas I’ve ever seen, but throw in the Batman universe’s characters and I was nergasming for 2.5 hours straight. Imagine Heat or The Departed with Batman in it, except the villain is a thousand times creepier and chaotic, and the action scenes are much cooler.

Heath Ledger is fucking amazing. If Javier Bardem can win the Supporting Actor Oscar in Old Country For Old Men (and I loved his performance, so I believe he earned it), there’s no way in hell Heath Ledger can be denied at least a nomination. He was incredible. One second he can be acting crazy, and the next cut he’ll be delivering a monologue that sends shivers down your spine.

I heard a few complaints about Aaron Eckhart’s performance but I don’t know what the hell they were talking about. I thought he was great. Maggie Gyllenhaal is a welcome replacement for Katie Holmes.

It is the best comic book movie I have ever seen, in part because it redefines what a comic book movie has to be. I mean, yeah, there are a few gadgets and stuff that a “real” crime drama would be unable to support, but other than that, this doesn’t fit the common comic book movie archetype at all.

It also nails Batman perfectly on so many levels. All the major issues that define him in the comic books are explored (his up-and-down relationship with the police, the fact that he’s a detective and not just someone who uses violence constantly, the question of whether his existence creates the criminals that he battles, whether he can ever stop being the Batman, etc.).

Unfortunately you still get a bunch of reviews that continue to praise Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman as the pinnacle of films based on the caped crusader. I never understood this, even before Nolan’s Batman films came out. Burton’s Batman films, though not as bad as that asshole Joel Schumacher’s, are too campy, and anyone who doesn’t think so has forgotten about the Joker dancing around to Prince music.

The Joker is not a fun-loving guy who happens to commit petty crimes. He’s a sadistic psychopath who kills and destroys without reason or mercy. Christopher Nolan and Heath Ledger apparently understood that.

Nintendorks for Obama

Duc — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 03:30:33 +0000

www.nintendorksforobama.com

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Duc — Sat, 24 May 2008 05:47:10 +0000

In a nutshell, I liked it, but it’s not quite the same as the others. At first I felt like they were trying too hard to capture the essence of the first 3 movies, but eventually I got into it and was able to enjoy it.

Harrison Ford is completely fine in the movie. Yes, he’s old, but he still kicks ass and I had no problem with his performance. His voice and delivery are different, and I guess that’s a little distracting at first, but soon enough he became an old Indy to me.

Shia LaBoeuf did his job fine. The return of Marion Ravenwood worked well too. The important thing is that neither of them got in Harrison Ford’s way.

The backstory is a little crazy, and it doesn’t resonate as well with Western audiences as a Biblical story does, but you know what, it works. Like I said above, I eventually got into the plot.

My biggest beef with the movie is that the action sequences are way too far over the top. I know this is the nature of action films, but Indiana Jones action scenes always had some air of believability in them. In Crystal Skull, though, there’s too much that the characters survive that’s impossible, and one scene involving monkeys that was particularly cringe-worthy.

It might be my least favorite Indiana Jones movie. I’m still glad I saw it, though. You kind of have to. It’s Indiana Jones.

This cat is going to die

Duc — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 01:11:28 +0000

We took in a cat with feline leukemia. Amber got a notice from Hugs for Puppies and dying cats need homes too. I’m not sure how long it’ll be around. Could be 6 months. Could be 2 years. For now, though, it’s ours!

Apple Store opens in Cherry Hill

Duc — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:57:57 +0000

Uh oh. What Apple product did Duc waste his money on now? Actually it’s a T-shirt from the grand opening of the Apple store at the Cherry Hill Mall. Unfortunately it’s an XL so it’ll be pretty useless to me unless I can it to shrink in the dryer.

I got there about 10 minutes after they opened and the line to get in was huge. Just as it was with the iPhone launch, a gauntlet of Apple store employees lined the entrance to clap and cheer as people entered.� They sure know how to make you feel good about being in the Apple cult. One older woman had a shirt from the opening of the Apple store in Marlton (Sagemore). Anyway, here are the crowds:

Converting a Honda Civic from XM to Sirius

Duc — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:34:15 +0000

Below you’ll find a photo album showing what I did to convert my 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid from the factory XM satellite radio to Sirius satellite radio. Start at the first picture and keep moving to the next photo to read each part. The captions explain the parts used and what was done.

Honda Civic XM to Sirius conversion

Commodities

Duc — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:45:49 +0000

I know I’m late to the party, but today I decided it was time to join the commodities bandwagon and put 2.2% of my IRA assets into DBC, an ETF that has holdings in crude oil, corn, gold, aluminum and other futures. Back in 2005 I purchases shares of a mutual fund that held many energy companies, and that has done very well. But with the dollar continuing to be weak and global demand for commodities high, I wanted more direct investment in the actual stuff that developing nations are so hungry for.