Monthly Archives: May 2008

Congrats to Sweden for Hosting A Successful Conference

Posted on
Reply

Hosting a conference like the International Compact With Iraq is no small feat. So, for a country the size of Sweden (roughly the size of California for my U.S. readers out there) to have done it as well as they have is well worth a hat-tip from this humble Harlemite. I knew full well that Sweden could handle it. Heck, they’re some of the most diligent people I’ve ever met, and they organize with the best in the world. But it’s extra nice seeing them doing it in the capital Stockholm.

To all my Swedish friends out there, well done by your country of 9.1 million strong (and growing).

HEJA SVERIGE!!! :D

A Hearty Welcome to the Land of Mac

Posted on
1

I just wanted to take a moment to welcome a buddy of mine, Luis, from Portugal to the land of Mac. He’s been considering taking the plunge for some time, but finally couldn’t resist a deal on a MacBook. “Meu amigo”, I think you’re going to enjoy the ride. Don’t forget to drop us a comment here after you’ve played with your new toy for a while. ;)

BTW, my colleague in the office just returned from the D.C. area in the U.S. and admitted the Apple stores seemed to be pretty darn busy.

The beat goes on, my friends. The beat goes on.

 
 

 

Indiana Jones’ Latest Swiss Cheese Production

Posted on
Reply

I think the best way to describe what I experienced in the theater regarding Indiana Jones yesterday is what I wrote in an e-mail I just sent to a friend:

I went to see the new Indiana Jones movie yesterday… H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E. There it is. I’ve written it. It is, bar none, the worst Indiana Jones film ever made. How that thing is number one is beyond me. I would definitely wait for the dvd, and even then I would only rent it after it had gone through its “New” phase on the shelves.

It was that bad.

The movie has more plot holes than all the Swiss cheese factories you can think of. From the very beginning of the film, despite Kate Blanchett (who I normally REALLY like!) having an accent that ricochets off of a few continents and looking like Natasha Fatale of the Rocky & Bullwinkle, I found my faced scrunched up into that position no movie goer likes to experience, you know that “WHUH?!?” position. It doesn’t get any better throughout the movie, nor does it go away once the credits start rolling. This movie was a bomb. I mean, it was REALLY bad.

Now, before you go wondering if I’m being just a tad bit TOO harsh, bear in mind that I forced myself into the mindset of the 15 year-old little guy I was when my aunt Ada first took me to see Raiders of the Lost Ark some 27 years ago. I left open all the doors allowing plenty of room for one impossible escape after another. That’s part of the adrenalin kick that I look forward to when I go see an Indiana Jones movie. After all, it’s just a movie, right? Well, while there are definitely enough hair-thin escapes, the plot holes are so mammoth in size as to be distracting.

I won’t ruin it for you by revealing anything, but you can’t say I haven’t warned you. But just for safety’s sake: wait for the dvd.

Laterz.

 

 

 

Crow On The Way for the Harlemite?

Posted on
Reply

Uh oh… The iPhone has been calling me. At first the voice was distant and quite easy to ignore, but now it’s rather like a siren call: “Haaaarlem. HAAAAAAAARleeeemmmmmm. Buuuuuuy meeeee.” And they will soon be available in Sweden soon. Oh my, oh my..! Do I simply abandon my trusty N95 as the sleek 3G iPhone bursts on the scene in the land of Abba, Volvo, Saab, and brawls over laundry time? Oh my, oh my..! What to do, what to do?

If it has more than 32GB of hard disk space, I’m toast…

Great Weather and Indiana Jones to Boot

Posted on
Reply

It’s a whoppin’ 24C in Stockholm at the moment. For those of you who don’t know it, this is pretty much as summer you’re likely to get here. I’m baffled by the great weather, but in a pleasant way. The office crew and I headed down to Djurgårdsbrun and had lunch, and I even managed to follow that up with an unnecessary double-scoop of Daim ice cream on a waffle cone. It was all that and then some.

Thanks to the kind folks at TechWorld, my partner in crime, Buck, and I will be heading to town to check out Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. They’re even throwing in some free movie treats on top of it all. I’m an Indiana Jones fan from way back, so it should be fun.

Well, I sure hope you folks in the Stockholm area have had a chance to go out and enjoy this weather. It’s fantastic and it would be a shame for you not to take part in a day like this. After all, this is Sweden, so the possibility of next week’s temperatures dropping down to around 8C is quite possible. I’m not kidding.

I’d better get ready to end the day. Lucky for me, there weren’t many phones and computers to fix today. :D

Laterz.

Traffic Ahead?

Posted on
1

Well, today is the day of the International Compact with Iraq here in Stockholm. This should be quite an interesting day. Over 100 countries are taking part, which is a good thing. However, I can’t help but think of one thing: the traffic.

How will little, charming, lovely Stockholm handle the motorcades of so many cabinet level folks from around the world, including the one and only Secretary Rice (WARNING. I’m a Condi fan. Love it or like it, I can’t help but admire where she’s come from and what she’s become. She’s black, female, and grew up in the southern US. When it comes to beating the odds, she’s a super lottery jackpot winner in my book)? I don’t know how many of you have seen the motorcades of heads of state, but they can be a tad bit intruding. Typically it’s because traffic is stopped so they can drive quickly through towns and cities to their destinations. And there are surely good security reasons why this is the case, but that won’t stop the frustration. In any case, this out to be an interesting day.

Stay tuned! ;)

A Beautiful Day Headed Our Way

Posted on
Reply

Well folks, looks like we have a beautiful day headed our way in Stockholm. I predict we’ll easily make it into the mid ’20s. The sun will be up in force, which means the steps of Dramaten (Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern) should be packed with folks soaking up the sun.

I’m gonna hurry up and head on out early before the people who make me think not-so-nice things start taking the train. You know who I’m referring to, right? The teenagers with the loud ear buds, the grown-ups with the loud ear buds and bad attitudes, the guy who won’t let that elderly person or the obviously pregnant woman sit down so he pretends not to see them. Those folks. The trip is much better with a good book (currently “10 Books That Screwed Up The World“, by Benjamin Wiker, Ph.D), calm, and less volume. Gotta run.

Laterz.