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Copyright |
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©2005 Jason Cross
All Rights Reserved
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 Wednesday, June 26, 2002 |
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Tonight I went to an I-Cubs game with my sis, her husband, my two nephews, and my mother. It was a slow game (no hits by the time we left) and was pretty hot out, with the sun right in our eyes, so we didn't stay too long. The kids were getting antzy.
It was too bad, because I generally like going to Iowa Cubs games. Sure, they're minor league and aren't always the best, but Sec Taylor is a great stadium and it can be pretty relaxing just to sit in a good seat and watch a little live baseball.
My favorite name for a AAA team is the Las Vegas 51ers! |
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From a reader:
"hay my name is jason cross 2"
Yup. |
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Monday, June 24, 2002 |
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From news.com.au:
Scientists Mix Spiders With Goats
LONDON: As comic book hero Spider-Man fills cinemas with his webby adventures, prepare to meet an equally astonishing creation - Spidergoat.
Scientists have combined the DNA from a goat and spider to create an animal which produces silk that is five times stronger than steel. The fibre, derived from the goats' milk, harnesses the huge strength of silk spun by spiders.
The breakthrough could be worth millions because the silkmilk fibre can be used to make body armour which is far tougher than normal bullet-proof vests – while weighing little more than a cotton shirt.
The hybrid goats were created by the insertion of a single gene from an orb-weaving spider into a fertilised goat egg.
The amazing genetically-engineered goats are outwardly normal, but carry the gene responsible for production of a spider silk protein. Each goat is only 1/70,000th spider, but when fully grown the females produce a milk which can be treated to produce a fibre with spider-silk strength.
The animals are believed to be the first commercially-viable creatures made from the DNA of two species.
Nexia, the Canadian biotech company which produced the goats, hopes the fibre – dubbed Biosteel – could take a large chunk of the billion-dollar market in industrial fibres.
WEEEEIRD! But kind of cool too. Hope the Spidergoat doesn't grow some sort of large abdomen and start attacking school kids. And Keith pointed out to me that one has to wonder why they use a goat and not something larger like a cow, which could in theory produce greater quantities of this milky silk. Hmm.
There's a web site for Biosteel up here at Nexia Biotech.
I want a bulletproof t-shirt! Bring on the Spidergoat! |
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Sunday, June 23, 2002 |
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That's right, you read me, go see Minority Report. Now. What are you waiting for? Quit reading and go.
Ok, so it's obvious if you're still reading this that you aren't going this instant. That's all right, I'll just assume that it's not because you disobey JasonCross.com, but maybe because you live in a world without movies, or because you're blind, or because you're waiting to take a hot date there.
Minority Report is a fine movie. I don't want to say too much and give it away, but suffice it to say that it's great to see a movie where for once the preview doesn't give it all away. The futurist in me loves the technology in the movie; the liberal in me is frightened by the future lack of privacy; the movie lover in me is pleased with the good plot, acting, effects, and tight pacing. |
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Wednesday, June 19, 2002 |
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Things are finally getting back to their normal "insano" levels at work, as opposed to the "mega-insano" levels they've been at for the past few weeks. And yes, those are technical terms! ;)
So the time to take a trip, use up some of those vacation hours, might be coming nigh. Thoughts...
Maybe I'll head out to Colorado Springs to visit Phil and Kacie, though I should let the homefires quit burning a bit first. Mmm...smoked Chipotle...
I'd also like to go out to the Bay area, or possibly down to Florida, though those might be better suited for Fall/Winter trips.
Hmm... Any ideas? Post a comment! |
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Sunday, June 16, 2002 |
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Ahh...chinese food... You gotta love it. So much variety, whether it's sweet and sour chicken, sweet and sour pork, sesame chicken - ok, so that doesn't seem like that much variety, but trust me, there's more. Of course there are those who CLAIM to not like Chinese, but I tend to think they just haven't tried the right thing. It's too broad a food selection to just hate it all.
And the best thing about chinese food? That little bit of a wisdom you get at the end of the meal called...The Fortune Cookie.
I've gotten some pretty odd ones over the years, so I have decided to log my fortune cookie fortunes right here. After all this is my site, so I can do what I want! ;)
We will not know the worth of water
'til the well is dry.
Hy-Vee Chinese Express, Indianola 5/10/02 |
Umm...yeah.
You have a natural grace
and great consideration for others.
Yee Ho Garden, Des Moines 5/19/02 |
Well sure, but is it REALLY a fortune per se?
Honesty and integrity are just some
of your best attributes.
5/16/02 |
Note the "just some" bit...
Bad habits are hard to break.
Especially if you like them.
Hy-Vee Chinese Express, Indianola
4/22/02 |
True...true... |
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I confess to my five readers: I saw Scooby Doo this weekend.
What did I think? Hmm...
Not great, not even good at times, but not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. And it's one of those movies that as I think back at it, I actually like better than I did at the time watching it.
There were basically two routes they could have taken in its creation: make the movie for all of the people who grew up watching Scooby Doo or make the movie for the kids right now growing up watching Scooby Doo. They chose the latter.
The best parts of the movie were the beginning, when they were solving the equivalent of a classic caper, guest celebrity and all. Also great was (much to my great great surprise) Matthew Lillard as Shaggy. Oh my god, did I just praise Matthew Lillard. Here come the Four Horseman now... But seriously, and I'm sure you've heard it in every other Scooby review out there, Lillard played the perfect Shaggy.
Not so great: some mediocre acting by the rest of the cast, a plot that just didn't quite jive with that classic Scooby sensibility, and playing too much to the kids. Oh yeah, and this way too long gas and burp sequence in the middle of the film between Shaggy and Scooby that was really unnecessary.
One last bit to leave you with: that awful "Your name means Scooby poop!" line delivered by Velma in the preview that makes you really not want to see the movie - it isn't even in the movie. On the cutting room floor it lies, to find its fitting end forgotten in the sands of time... |
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This has been a weekend of pseudosports for yours truly. On Friday Ian and I went to play a round of mini-golf at the White Water U Miniature Golf Course. Des Moines isn't known for having the most exciting mini-golf courses, but this is probably the best in town that I've seen. Nothing fancy like in the movies, where there are crazy spinning windmills, Egyptian sphinxes, LA earthquake recreations, etc, but for a course with basically lots of little hills and obstacles, not all that bad either.
They also had go-karts, which I've had a hankerin' to drive lately, but it was not to be. Oh well, I drive my car kind of like a go-kart anyway...
Last night I went bowling, which for the purposes of continuity in this entry I am also referring to as a pseudosport, though the avid bowlers out there might disagree. Is bowling in the Olympics? Hmm, I can see it now, the worlds best bowlers, coming together to compete, beer bellies and all...
And today I went for a bit of a bike ride, though because Ian's bke wouldn't stay in gear, it ended prematurely. One of these days, though, we will take the trail all the way to Carlisle! Dad gave me his old bike today, which is quite a bit better than mine, as Dad has a penchant for buying really good things when he sets out to buy something. He rode the bike 110 miles one day on RAGBRAI, so I'm guessing it should be no problem for using on the trail, plus it has a seat that can be high enough to suit my long legs without falling off the base, unlike my current bike.
Whatta guy, it's Father's Day, and he gave me a bike! :) |
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Thursday, June 13, 2002 |
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In case I don't say it enough, I really do feel fortunate for my friends out there. Tonight, after probably two years and only the second time in about 7, I saw Brandon, a really good friend from school. He was playing with his band Elixyr who did a great job, very Blues Traveler-esque. Brandon had some rough times in his life, but I always thought he was pretty cool, though things just *happen* sometimes. Anyway, it was nice seeing him again.
And coffee with Chrissy, another friend from high school (and actually first met her all the way back in Kindergarten), I need to see more of Chrissy.
And everyone else - Ian, Jess, Kristin, Carl, Carrie, Holly, Ryan, Adam, Sara, Megan, Dottie, Jim, Lori, Phil and Kacie (who I need to go visit in Colorado), and oh geez all the rest who will likely be pissed off that they're not mentioned directly although I don't mean any slight by it.
Trying to get all of the names in there, now I know what it's like to write an Oscar acceptance speech. So if I missed you, just remember that even Hilary Swank forgot to mention her husband when she won Best Actress. ;) |
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Ok, so I *know* I've been bad about updating this week. Blame my reading, as for some reason, when I go through reading spurts (most recently Orson Scott Card's Ender series), I'm REALLY lazy about writing.
As most of my friends know, I've been slowly working at a novel for some time. I think the reason why my writing doesn't come along faster (in the case of fiction - I could whip out an article in 20 minutes sometimes when I wrote for the Des Moines Register) is because I'm such a fast reader. You see, I want to write what I want to read - stories that I like the concept of and want to explore - and because I can't write anywhere NEAR as fast as I can read (something like 1400 wpm reading), it's frustrating because it seems so dang slow!
But as my five readers as my witnesses, I will get my novel done one day! |
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Sunday, June 9, 2002 |
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Ahh, what a beautiful Sunday. I just got back from a 15 mile bike ride, which to me is quite an accomplishment as this time last year a relatively short ride seemed difficult, and now I can do 15 miles and feel like another 10 wouldn't be all that much more difficult.
Now to shower, then up to La Hacienda for dinner with the Dvorak clan. |
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Saturday, June 8, 2002 |
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Here in Indianola, there's this subculture surrounding dirt-track racing, particularly Figure-8 racing - you know, where old rebuilt cars race on a mud track in a figure-8 pattern, the intersection having the possibility of danger. Jim Johnson, friend of mine, owner of LovingRest Pet Funeral Home, husband of Dottie Lu, has recently become the announcer at the (approximately?) bi-weekly Warren County Figure 8 Races, and as he needed an assistant, I was offered the chance to do so. I hadn't been to a race in many years and as I remembered enjoying them as a kid, plus this providing the opportunity to watch from a great view, I took him up on it.
It was quite a bit of fun, though several old people kept eyeing me as if I was very suspicious and was planning to steal the checkered flag or something. Ah well, go figure. I got some photos, which I'll post later. Wait with baited breath, my five readers!
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Wednesday, June 5, 2002 |
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An apology to my five readers - I have not been that great at updating lately - sorry. Busy at work, busy at home.
I got my car back, though. And the A/C works great now. And mysteriously my home A/C started working too. Weird, self-healing cooling systems. Ain't life grand? |
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Saturday, June 1, 2002 |
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A problem with the climate control head has resulted in my 328i being in the shop over the weekend. $550 to get my A/C working again, though considering Iowa's sticky summers, it will be worth it. European Motorcars gave me an Altima as a loaner over the weekend and driving it sure reminds me why I love my BMW. Don't get me wrong, the Altima is a nice car and certainly beats having nothing available (though I mainly ride my bike around Indianola on these nice days), but man oh man, cornering, acceleration, cornering while accelerating, driving like a menace, none of these are as much fun in the Nissan.
Ok, so I'm being a little pretentious, but dammit, there should be a joy to driving! :) |
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Ok, so I saw the Sum of All Fears tonight, which was good, except for the title. I mean, terrorists, Russians, a nuclear bomb - all scary, well except for the Russians. I think a more accurate plot for the title would have Jack Ryan fighting off Dionne Warwick, poorly designed web sites that make lots of money, and perhaps the Mothman. Hmm.
But seriously, Ben Affleck managed to be perfectly acceptable in this move, i.e. he didn't mug for the camera every few minutes like in most films since Good Will Hunting. The plot was nice and tense, popped along well, and should spawn some good further "younger Jack Ryan" sequels. |
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Friday, May 31, 2002 |
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Tonight I went to see Undercover Brother and...it was very funny. I feel a little guilty saying so, as it's the type of movie that most people I know will say "You saw that! Damn you, you simpering idiot!" just based on its commercials. But it was really funny!
Ok, so none of the people I know would really say "simpering idiot" as I don't know any supervillains, but still, you get the point.
The movie pulled no punches, but in no way was as disgusting as any of those teen-sex comedies or Farrely brothers films (which, too, have their moments), plus it had a good heart - brotherhood between all races and all.
And Neil Patrick Harris - Doogie Howser - in a very funny role.
There you have it, I can see the ads now:
"Simpering idiots...in no way as disgusting as...Doogie Howser" - JasonCross.com Movie Review |
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