Cannonball Run

A new trans-America car record has been set.  Critical statistics:

Here's an article about how it was done at Jalopnik.
And no, it wasn't a done in a Mustang, the car was an old Mercedes.  Impressive nonetheless.

Don't try this one at home kids.

In fact, don't try it anywhere.  But it's still awesome.

Backflip over a 72' canyon.

Camera Clearing

No overriding theme here, just some interesting picture that have been floating around on my camera for the last few weeks.

Last melon of summer.  It never ripened, just stopped growing with the cool weather

Lazy Mag's new seasonal.  Pretty good!

Lunch on Columbus Day.

Relevant Song

Trip Around the Sun
"This year gone by ain't been a piece of cake."  Yeah, you could say that.  But I've seen worse, things are looking up.

In Case You Don't Read "Foxtrot"

Here's last Sunday's comic:

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Lesser Brains May Be Destroyed

But mine wasn't.  Three Illusions That Will Destroy Your Brain over at Slate.  Your ten minutes of 'huh' for the day.

Your Moment of FAIL

Courtesy of Dirt Rag.

That's the Way

I like it:

Uh-huh uh-huh.

Review: Gravity

It's good!  The plot is kind of thin, but it's more of a character- and action-driven movie.  On that level, the movie is a 100% success.

Some of the orbital mechanics is cheesy, so turn off your analytic mind on those parts and enjoy the special effects.  Then there's a shuttle in orbit over two years after the last one landed, and some other space hardware figures in that hasn't been launched... Like I said, turn off your analytic mind and stop poking holes in the movie.  It's an cheap easy game, but totally beside the point here.

See it in 3-D, at an IMAX theater if possible.  It's that kind of immersive experience.  Don't screw around and let this slide off the big screen while you think "Darnit, but I'll catch it on Blu-Ray."  You will regret it if you let this one go.

Bottom line: 3.5 out of 4 stars, just for the sheer damn spectacle of the thing.  (But Rush was slightly better, so if it's one or the other, go see Rush.)

Calvin & Hobbes Documentary

Due out October 15th.  Trailer here.

Long Road Back

But I'm well along it.  After a multi-month bout of pneumonia and a month and a half of healing, I was able to crank out my usual 5k evening run.  Well almost, had to walk one stretch of about 50 yards to catch my breath.  It's so much better than a couple of weeks ago!

Coming over the railroad track crossing on the way home with a quarter mile to go, I was about done when this song came on the ipod.  Finished with plenty of gas in the tank.

Review: Rush

Short and sweet review: It's a movie about two Formula 1 race drivers duking it out for the top spot in the 1976 season.  The backdrop is interesting enough – fast cars and racing action, keeping the sponsors happy, wild 70's 20-something fun and games – but the real story is in the contrasting portraits of the two drivers.  One is a cold, blunt, calculating, yet slightly awkward Austrian who knows his stuff and has the consistent results to show for it.  The other is a classic British playboy who exudes natural driving talent, while remaining blissfully unencumbered by any considerations of engineering.  He is a man who has found his place in life, and he is fully determined to make the most of it.

You can't help but to simultaneously like and loathe each racer for his manner.  What's more, they clearly have that same the same sort of like/loathe aspect to their rivalry and quasi-friendship.  It's a nice trick, and it lets a viewer slip into the main characters' heads just a little.  And the cars and action are fun to watch.

Bottom line: 3.5/4 stars.  You can read other folks' opinions over at Rotten Tomatoes, but they largely concur.

As a final note, Gravity is out and by all accounts it's great.  I'll be seeing it very soon.  But it is sucking up all of the cinematic oxygen right now, and as a result Rush may not linger much longer in theaters.  Get yourself down to your best nearby theater and see it on the big screen, before you miss the grand spectacle and are left with nothing more than a Blu-Ray disk and lingering regret.

Ham on Rye

This Velveeta ad is so cheesy that it'll have you reaching for the rye whiskey bottle too.  No, sorry, I can't give you your sixteen seconds back.

Hurricane Season's Not Over Quite Yet

Monday Morning, I stopped on the way to the car to snap a picture of a hurricane lilly:

Nice, huh?

So by Wednesday we have:

Pffft.  No, it's not too late for a good one either.  Remember the Thanksgiving joy Kate brought?

Meanwhile, back in D.C....