Attention Hackers - Man Bags are so 2009

Ally Capellino Derek Waxed Canvas Satchel

I am a bit of laggard when it comes to adopting new technologies. I tend to believe that the bleeding edge of technology is a messy place to be - the same with fashion. However, once a technology / fashion proves itself to be something other than a media fad, I am all about following the crowd and taking advantage of it to simplify / beautify my life. Let's be honest, laptops, tablets, and smart phones have completely changed the way we live our lives. These items have changed both conversation and debate. There are no more extended arguments about who starred in a movie, the year a song was released, or who is the governor of Oregon. So, I guess it was only a matter of time before some fashionable hacker took over my Paypal account and went on a London shopping spree.


I was up late last night working on the display screens for the International Festival, which is this coming weekend. Luckily, I was expecting an email from the festival's Executive Director, so I logged into gmail before shutting down my laptop. There,at the top of my inbox, was a receipt from PayPal for a purchase made at Karamell Limited for $252.64 or 157 British Pounds. Needless to say, I was a little shocked.  The first thing I did was confirm my checking account balance, because payday is a few days away. Luckily, my hacker was considerate enough to not spend all of my money. With that purchase, I would have about $10 USD left in my account. I immediately logged into my PayPal account and reported the purchase as fraudulent. Within a few minutes, PayPal froze my account and did not withdraw the purchase amount from my account.


This morning I did a little more research. The "man bag" displayed above was what the hacker purchased. The store from which he purchased it is in London and is currently in liquidation.  The hacker lives in Indonesia.


(Shipping address: 
A Seng
Tjg Dtk street number 20 A
Pekanbaru, RIAU
28000
Indonesia
Perhaps I will add him to my Christmas card list?)


So, if any of my international friends know or are acquainted with A. Seng, please tell him that his bag is not in the mail, and that I will be vacationing on his side of the planet next Friday. However, if he  would still like to purchase this man purse, he can get it for only $180 USD at this website. While these are apparently very nice, desirable satchels, it does pay to shop around. But of course if you are not spending your own money - price is not a consideration.


So, to finish off this posting - thank you Paypal for responding so quickly in resolving this issue.  Without your speedy response, my Netflix account auto-payment would have bounced and that bag would have become a much more expensive "gift" for my new best friend in far away Indonesia.  

View from the Queue #6: I Loves Pi

Thank goodness that the fall television season has finally kicked off.  Like a favorite pair of jeans it was nice to slip back into the comfort of entertainment you know and love. That does not mean the Qwickster movie queue will be neglected - however the Netflix streaming service may soon be cancelled. I am beginning to think that Netflix is having their New Coke moment - what are they thinking? 

This week's queue served up a delicious slice of Pi (1998). I remember when this film was first released at the Sundance Movie festival and created such a stir. At the time, I was busy dancing my life away, and just never got around to seeing a small film by an unknown director containing no known actors. That was before the director went on to release the trippy fantastic Requiem for a Dream (2000), The Wrestler (2008) and Black Swan (2010). What is a bit unsettling about this movie is that it is filmed in the harshest contrasting black and white that I can recall seeing in a modern movie. The film's color scape is reminiscent of a silent film, the whites glow, the blacks are the complete absence of light. It struck me about half way through that the color palette is a visual representation of binary computer code - blacks and whites taking the place of one's and zero's.  It was a very effective approach to the slightly cerebral story of a math genius and his Dr. Frankenstein computer creation. As the film progresses, however, the viewer has to make their own determination as to whether the main character is a driven genius, or a crazed, paranoid, drug-fueled delusional, or perhaps a combination of them all. Needless to say, I enjoyed this film. I loved both the style and the plot line. I mean where else can you find both Hasidic Jews and Wall Street bankers playing the bad guys?

Rating: 4 oddly large ants out of 5

Cure for the Mondays - Comedy Night at the Pub

Last night was the inaugural Cure for the Mondays, open mic night at the pub. Since this was scheduled on a "school" night, the 8:30 start time was perfect for me. When Bartender Blair told me about this event, he was unclear if it was an amateur night, or an open microphone. Either would work since I could enjoy a few laughs or I could sit in silent judgement, and either way I would be entertained.

The show was a little late getting started, but the pub was really crowded for a Monday evening - some of which was spill over from the Tir na Nog run club. When the show got started, I pulled out my iPhone and made a few notes during the show:

The Emcee -  Lots of energy, very loud, bad jokes, and uncomfortable silences - nothing ruins a good comedy night like bad comedy. Apparently penis cancer, homophobia, and Jesus are no longer funny. But $2 PBR pints - are a great deal. And perhaps I judge too harshly.

• Shane Smith: Much more funny - pretty mouths in the south, baldness, 80's hair bands, "sincerity" quotes, and relationship jokes are funny.  
• Eric Meggert: Male biological clocks, online dating, hand jobs, religious pamphlets - all funny topics, but apparently not tonight - the first joke bombed and he never made it back.
• Brandon Wright - Sparing the rod, sermons with song lyrics, spanking children are moderately funny. Very well delivered, but the bits need some more development.
• Name removed by request (see comments below) - Indian culture, marriage, wife's accent - sorta funny, several good bits, some a little uncomfortable to watch, but there were some gems in the set. 
• Chuck Royalston - first dates, dumb girlfriends, STDs (sexually transmitted dependents), gay sex - great topics that fell flat due to terrible delivery. I think to be a good comic, you have to be able to tell a good story - set up and punch line. This guy needs a bit of help and a better filter. Stop after the first boo and hiss - don't keep beating the dead llama - misogyny jokes just don't work so well when women are in the audience.
• Justin Tyler - computer prop humor with hula hooping mime - exceedingly original and funny. 
• Mickey Schroeder - recycled one liners and jokes, gym humor, dating, catholic school, and mascots - A few bright spots, but needs work. There were a few hisses.
• Mellow Mike - African American humor about growing up in Cary, moving to Hollywood and getting robbed by a homeless man armed with only a jar of frothy piss. The winner by far! Well delivered, very comfortable on stage, great set.

Kumail Akbari
And I know, those who cannot do criticize - and it is not as if anyone paid an entrance fee. So, over all it was a fun evening with the "Pub Bitches" (Mark, Lorrie, Jason, Niki, and Steve).  I hope this stays on the pub schedule for a while and evolves into an interactive comedy training workshop.