You commented in your article. “Verizon only permits firmware on their phones (though that’s scheduled to change next year), so the we’re stuck with the Teleca Obigo Q7.0-1.3. ” Can you tell me what you know of Verizons’s future plans for the DARE? I can re-up in 4-09 and get a DARE, but would like to know if and when something new is coming out(software or hardware). Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a ton!

Steven

You said you understood what Capra was trying to say, but I felt the need to clarify anyway. ;)

I’ve read that the cookies problem on the Dare’s browser is caused by Verizon’s proxy system.

Keep them coming, my well-spoken cousin. Keep them coming.

Second of all, man, you’re really old. :)

Obviously we disagree on the teachings from the Bible on sexual matters. I tend to agree that the teachings are clear, but my clarity is vastly different than yours. I also disagree with your assessment of the implications of Genesis 2.

God is bigger than you’re giving Him credit for. God’s church, if His people are working from pure motives, will continue to grow closer to His vision. Ain’t it grand?

I’m not sure how younger kids would do with WALL•E. It is 20-30 minutes of no dialogue, and attention span and comprehension level could be issues. The six or so year old girl behind me had to ask what was going on several times. She did seem to enjoy it, though.

They’ll love the short before the movie. Guaranteed.

At which point I point out that while I’ve never been one for autographs or fannish stuff, his taking the time to comment is pretty neat.

And, uh, Neil, that last bit about David was a joke and stuff. I’m sure you knew that, but just in case. Totally a joke. But I really did start watching your show.

Standing tall,
Matt

What a great post, btw.

I haven’t read or seen any of the Harry Potter stuff, but I have read On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. It’s in the same vein. You’d dig it.

Because I’m just that lonely.

First of all, what a nice thing to read. Thanks. You the man.

Second of all, it’s not TV’s Neil Patrick Harris. It’s America’s Neil Patrick Harris. Just to avoid confusion.

Word.

Stand tall,
n

Sure, almost all of the points you made were very true — from the stereotypes to the ineffective actors to the slapstick humor that completely slowed down the tension of the movie. But still… as much as I couldn’t tell the autobots apart from the decepticons in the final battle sequence, it was still freakin’ awesome. Oh, did you catch the Mt. Dew robot later on?

With all of its faults — and I’ll grant you there are many — it’s still a good movie… and one I saw three times at the box office and have seen three times since Shannon and I bought it. (She was a bigger fan of it than I was)

Anyway…

Have you thought about reviewing the Harry Potter films? Have you read the books?

Work on that, Matt.

Cheerio.

And I agree… IE sucks big time.

As for the ads, I put them in on Sunday. My psychic powers concluded that over 2/3 of my readers are using IE and half of those are using IE6, and that’s just ridiculous. You shouldn’t see the ad though. It should only appear for people who are using IE (which you shouldn’t be!!!) and aren’t regular readers (as in reading less than 5 pages every 30 days).

I think I fixed the settings this morning. Let me know if you continue to see it. Meanwhile, get Firefox.

Seriously. Come on.

:)

Andy→ You’re forgetting that you have a wedding coming up. Convince your bride that you should buy it as an engagement gift for each other. Think she’ll go for it?

Shannon and I are looking into an iTouch. We like that it has the wireless that can connect to any wifi (especially since we have wifi in our house), google maps is a main feature (which I love because I use it all the time). It has so many functions aside from the music/video/picture aspect of it all. It’s basically an iPhone that doesn’t make phone calls. And the smallest (the 8 gig) is a mere $299.

The problem? You guessed it. The $299. Who can spare an extra $299 when gas prices are going to break $4.00 by Memorial Day?

One of these days though. One of these days.

Anyway.

Congratulations on joining the 21st century, Matt. Maybe one of these days, I’ll see you there.

It feels good to join the rest of the world, though I do feel a little sheepish in that I am part of a “trend.” I pride myself in trying to swim against the stream, yet here I am, driving in my car with those little white headphones embedded into my brain…ahhh, selling out.

I’m half-tempted to go on June 5th for the Looney Tunes show, but it’s a Thursday.

But the show sounds cool. I wish I could make it up there to see it! I mean come on! Neil Gaiman? Dude. I wish I could be there!

:)

An update: Late Friday (the last day of the conference), several progressive amendments were passed. They are basically token gestures, which annoys me a little, and the biggest of them must be ratified by 2/3 of conferences. There’s some hope for that, but I’m not holding my breath.

Also, James Holsinger, outgoing president of the Judicial Council and failed Surgeon General nominee was overwhelmingly censured for a variety of reasons including the Heath ruling, and the new JC has been charged with going over every decision made on his watch.

As I said in the post, the best news out of all of this is that while the GC technically speaks for the United Methodist Church, many individuals within the church don’t know what’s going on. I’ve heard from several people, some of whom are very involved in the church, who didn’t know about the Joey Heath expulsion until they read my blog. The job for me now is to make sure that people do know about it before the next big vote in 2012.

It’s also important to note that when women were first granted full ordination rights in 1956, the vote was close. There was much debate, there was rhetoric that seems obvious and silly today, and the measure passed with a 57% majority and only 92 votes between pass and fail. We’ve danced this dance before.

Finally, these words from Bishop Melvin Talbert (retired) directly after the vote on April 30th. (audio link)

“My name is Melvin Talbert. I am one of your bishops. In this General Conference we have been reminded that in 1939 this church took an action that separated my sisters and brothers into a separate jurisdiction. That action was wrong. That action was a sin against God. Thank God we have moved through and discontinued that segregated structure.

“But my sisters and brothers, here we are again. In the name of Jesus Christ, we have taken an action that is wrong. At least for the Central Jurisdiction we remained within a structure and we worked out the relationships. But for these sisters and brothers we have chosen to leave them out rather than invite them in to work out our relationships in the name of Christ.

“I can do no other than to say what’s on my heart. General Conference, General Conference, This. Is. Wrong. I invite you to reconsider.”

I feel the exact same way, Matt. I try to always write what I feel, what I think. I want people to know me as I am. I want people to know what things I like, why I like them, what things I hate, and why I hate them.

If that means I don’t get a job somewhere in the future, then chances are I wouldn’t have been at that job long anyway. They’re not just saving themselves the time of hiring me, but they’re saving me the time of resigning.

Besides, I really enjoy your blogs.

P.S.
I’m just as confused as you about the “pieces”.

And yes, the sequels blow big-time.

It did mellow, though, and I’m glad because it did allow Juno to get a taste of reality, and allow her to mature as the film progressed.

I agree with you about the opening sequence. It would indeed have been much more affective had Bleeker (moreso than Juno) been the artist, showing the audience his affection towards Juno.

All in all, it was a much better film than I had anticipated. I actually want to buy it.

Good review, Matt.

I second the motion of loving Matt.

In keeping with your request, I’ll stay any further comments. :)

Except to say this. I love you, Matt. You are more of a Christian than most of those ignorant, old white men could ever hope to be. Keep fighting for the rights we know you deserve. But more importantly, keep doing the work that God has set before you. In that, you can never go wrong.

Deal?

That’s pretty much all you need to know about Mr. Krabs.

Personally I was all about that turtle and the wolf.

Also, Never see the sequels. Ever. Die before you do.

Dan, it’s a real problem. It came up just this week over at The Rabbit Room, when Jason Gray was ‘forced’ to change a lyric to get a song on Christian radio.

It just comes across so watered down, so PC, so correct….and it makes me think of Christ and in reading about His life, He wasn’t PC, or watered down, or even “family friendly” so why do we as Christians cling to stations like that as our ONLY source of music and talk down to people about other stations that aren’t AS “family friendly?”

-my 2 cents

I’ll forgo the sequels, thanks. I’m not quite that masochistic.

It truly is a dismantling movie when it comes to logic, but when you’re ten and get really excited about talking and flying dogs, not to mention giant statue boobies, it’s the best movie ever!

Blaming Bush makes as much sense as blaming spoons for michael moore being fat.

Nice article, well put. Found through facebook.

I’m totally down for the buying Google thing, though. I can contribute one dollar.

I’m sure that’ll be enough.

Needless to say, just keep plugging away man. I really enjoy your no-nonsense take on life and film. The internet needs more guys like you and I to give the public a real-life look at entertainment and the world.

Keep it up man!

By “the Man”, I mean Google. By “yourself”, I mean you.

Yeah, the oil companies and President Bush are evil. :)

http://www.springboardblog.blogspot.com

Which was a shame as I usually enjoy these sorts of things.

thing is, the movie was filmed in ohio… so much for due diligence.

FAIL.

Martin Clunes made a very good Mr Chips, much more personable and sympathetic.

Ray: I don’t think it’s bad, but I do think the overwhelming reverence comes from it being 1) old and 2) about a subject that people think of fondly.

Thanks for the tip on the Masterpiece Theatre version. I’ll have to check it out.

I can’t believe you’d never seen this one.

That’s what everyone at the office said about this one. I guarantee that there won’t be another Christmas without it!

I’m up to 184 on the list, so I think I’ll be busy for a while!

And it was really really scary, okay?

Nothing technically great about the movie, but a perfect comedy.

I do take issue with your Chevy Chase criticism. He practically invented that style of comedy, that smug, condescending delivery in movies is probably perfected by him. He also played different in Caddyshack, to Three Amigos, to Fletch and the Vacation movies.

Not great range mind you, but decent enough that I will have his children if he asks.

Martin Short is always funny, because he is Canadian.

I think the whole nation felt as you did and hence skipped the next Howard/Crowe movie, “Cinderella Man”.

Don’t forget the episode Bye Bye Nerdy (with the nerd sweat that enrages bullies).

While Otto races Marge with the bus, Milhouse is heard to remark:
“It’s like Speed 2, only with a bus instead of a boat!”

Bad dubbing ruins movies, especially dialogue heavy ones.

Have you ever seen the French dubbed version of a Mamet film?

Yikes

I really did like the movie. I have a particular hate of bad dubbing, though, so some major points came off.

But I do understand your position, I watched it in Italian, so the dialogue was actually perfect.

The dubbing takes away a lot of the inflection, timing and strength of the story. That causes the film to suffer, because the dialogue is so key to the movie.

That is all I have ..

oh..FIRST!

keep on doing your thang, chicken wing!