David Raitt http://davidraitt.com Thinker (Semi-professional) posterous.com Sun, 20 May 2012 09:21:28 -0700 Film Review - Dark Shadows http://davidraitt.com/film-review-dark-shadows http://davidraitt.com/film-review-dark-shadows

There really is no other actor like Johnny Depp. In a long, eclectic career, and especially in collaboration with director Tim Burton, he has given us characters that are nearly impossible to imagine being portrayed by anyone else. This seems doubly true for Dark Shadows, though it’s a pity the rest of Burton’s movie doesn’t live up to Depp’s performance.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/dark-shadows-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 11 May 2012 08:17:01 -0700 Film Review - The Avengers http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-avengers http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-avengers

It’s not at all surprising that Marvel’s The Avengers quickly smashed box-office records on its opening weekend – there have been no less than six films before it acting as extended commercials. That’s not meant to diminish the strengths of Iron Man or Captain America, nor lay further punishment on the Hulk movies. We’ve simply been chomping at the bit for years to see these diverse superheroes come together in the same story. And I’m very happy to report that the wait was well worth it.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-avengers-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Sat, 05 May 2012 12:32:46 -0700 Film Review - The Pirates! Band of Misfits http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-pirates-band-of-misfits http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-pirates-band-of-misfits

Though they don’t produce all that many, the British seem to excel at animated films, mostly because they don’t let the fact that the characters on screen are made of clay, paint, or pixels get in the way of treating the audience like more than brainless schoolchildren. The Pirates! Band of Misfits continues this tradition, the only awkward thing about it being the title.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-pirates-band-of-misfits-movie-review-2/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Sat, 28 Apr 2012 21:26:25 -0700 Film Review - The Lucky One http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-lucky-one http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-lucky-one

Romantic fiction has always found loyal and patient audiences, who are willing to endure all manner of clichéd storylines to get their fill of torrid affairs and longing gazes over a sink full of supper dishes. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this, but I strongly suspect that even those lovely people will heave a sigh during The Lucky One, and not the good kind.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-lucky-one-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:15:00 -0700 Add These Five Commands to the Top of Your To-Do List, Avoid the Most Common Deathbed Regrets http://davidraitt.com/add-these-five-commands-to-the-top-of-your-to http://davidraitt.com/add-these-five-commands-to-the-top-of-your-to

Add These Five Commands to the Top of Your To-Do List, Avoid the Most Common Deathbed RegretsPalliative care nurse Bronnie Ware published a list of the five most common regrets of dying patients in her care. Blogger, developer, and entrepreneur Paul Graham took the list to heart, adding the following five commands to the top of his to-do list:

Don't ignore your dreams; don't work too much; say what you think; cultivate friendships; be happy.

We've actually mentioned Ware's list before; Graham's commands are simply inverted versions of these regrets:

  • I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
  • I wish I hadn't worked so hard.
  • I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings.
  • I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
  • I wish that I had let myself be happier.

The idea, of course, is that Graham's commands will remind him to avoid these outcomes. As Graham puts it:

The alarming thing is, the mistakes that produce these regrets are all errors of omission. You forget your dreams, ignore your family, suppress your feelings, neglect your friends, and forget to be happy. Errors of omission are a particularly dangerous type of mistake, because you make them by default.

I would like to avoid making these mistakes. But how do you avoid mistakes you make by default? Ideally you transform your life so it has other defaults. But it may not be possible to do that completely. As long as these mistakes happen by default, you probably have to be reminded not to make them.

Designer and blogger Alice Lee took a slightly different approach, turning Graham's to-do list of commands into desktop wallpapers, like the one you see above (you can download the wallpapers in several formats at Lee's post).

Regrets of the Dying | Bronnie Ware
The Top of My ToDo List | Paul Graham
Wallpaper - "Don't Ignore Your Dreams..." | ByAliceLee

Photo by Alice Lee.

via lifehacker.com

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Sat, 21 Apr 2012 14:30:39 -0700 Film Review - The Three Stooges http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-three-stooges http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-three-stooges

In a lifetime of following popular culture, I have never encountered a neutral opinion on The Three Stooges. People either love the anarchic silliness of Larry, Curly, and Moe, or they find the whole concept completely asinine. (The former group also tend to giggle at the word “asinine”, but I digress.)

The Farrelly Brothers’ new tribute to the classic Stooge shorts of the 1930s will do nothing to change these opinions, but it’s wonderful to have a film that actually revives the argument. The Three Stooges is as good a remake as could be expected.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-three-stooges-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:19:17 -0700 Film Review - Titanic 3D http://davidraitt.com/film-review-titanic-3d http://davidraitt.com/film-review-titanic-3d

True Confession: I had never seen James Cameron’s Titanic before this week. The reasons are many and mundane, but so many elements of it have entered popular culture that it was easy to believe I knew as much as anyone who had seen it – “King of the World”, doomed love affair, sinking ship, yadda yadda yadda.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/titanic-3d-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:09:00 -0700 Film Review - Mirror Mirror http://davidraitt.com/film-review-mirror-mirror http://davidraitt.com/film-review-mirror-mirror

When a mirror cracks, an interesting thing happens. The fragments, each slightly askew, reflect at different angles, distorting the image. This is an accurate analogy to describe Mirror Mirror, a new retelling of the story of Snow White. It holds together as entertaining, but tries to do too many things at once, detracting from the overall experience.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/mirror-mirror-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Tue, 03 Apr 2012 07:00:00 -0700 Where's WALL-E? http://davidraitt.com/wheres-wall-e http://davidraitt.com/wheres-wall-e
Media_httpwwwtoplessr_dfrag
via toplessrobot.com

It's frightening how many characters I can recognize in this drawing!

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 30 Mar 2012 08:39:27 -0700 Film Review - The Hunger Games http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-hunger-games http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-hunger-games

The timing may or may not be coincidental, but it’s fitting that The Hunger Games arrives during an Olympic year. Suzanne Collins’ novel portrays a similar high-profile sporting event full of tradition and pageantry, though with a lot more violence and higher stakes. And the film version nearly qualifies for a gold medal.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-hunger-games-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:39:58 -0700 Film Review - 21 Jump Street http://davidraitt.com/film-review-21-jump-street http://davidraitt.com/film-review-21-jump-street

21 Jump Street was a late-80s TV cop drama starring Johnny Depp about undercover detectives working in high schools. The updated movie version keeps the basic premise and throws out everything else in favour of crazy teen-focused comedy with action elements. And while it is sporadically funny, it won’t be to everyone’s taste.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/21-jump-street-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:25:00 -0700 You're driving all wrong http://davidraitt.com/youre-driving-all-wrong http://davidraitt.com/youre-driving-all-wrong

New Jersey Department of Transportation

Most driving guidelines — including those now issued by AAA and most state transportation agencies — now say you should lightly grip the wheel at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions.

By M. Alex Johnson, msnbc.com

If you're a conscientious motorist who still does everything the way your driver's-ed instructor told you to, you're doing it all wrong.

Steve Jefferson of NBC station WTHR of Indianapolis and Meredith Land of NBC station KXAS of Dallas contrinuted to this report by M. Alex Johnson of msnbc.com. Follow M. Alex Johnson on Twitter and Facebook.

For decades, the standard instruction was that drivers should hold the steering wheel at the 10 and 2 positions, as envisioned on a clock. This, it turns out, is no longer the case. In fact, driving that way could cost you your arms or hands in particularly gruesome ways if your airbag deploys.

Instead AAA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and many driving instructors now say you should grip the wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock. A few go even further, suggesting 8 and 4 to avoid the airbag mechanism as much as possible, but what formal research has been published on the varieties of hand positions suggests that this may lessen your control of the car.

Safer cars make old-school ways dangerous
In its latest guidelines for effective steering, distributed by state and private driving instructors nationwide, the American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association advises that "recommendations relative to hand position on the steering wheel have become more flexible."

As cars have become safer over the years, "the steering wheel and associated mechanisms (have) changed dramatically," it says, meaning the familiar driving maneuvers "needed to turn the wheel have all changed." Principal among the changes is the incorporation of airbag modules in the steering column, which are designed to deploy upward to protect your head and chest.

Where to put your hands

Driver

The American Driver and Traffic Safety Education Association, the trade group for driving instructors, gives this advice:

- Both hands should be placed outside of the steering wheel on opposite sides.

- Your grip should be firm, yet gentle.

- Use your fingers instead of the palms of your hands and keep your thumbs up along the face of the steering wheel.

- Never turn the wheel while gripping it from the inside of its rim.

That means the higher up the wheel your hands are, the more likely they are to be directly over the plastic cover when it opens — that is, when superhot nitrogen gas flashes and inflates the bag at 150 to 250 mph.

Among the injuries the NHTSA reports from improper placement of the hands when an airbag deploys are amputations of fingers or entire hands, traumatic fractures and a particularly stomach-churning injury called "degloving," which — trust us — you definitely don't want to look up.

AAA says the bags can also slam your hands directly into your head, causing broken noses and concussions.

"If the bag is going to go, it's going to take my hand and put it into my face — either one of my hands," Bob Hendrickson, head of AAA's network of driving schools in central Indiana, told NBC station WTHR of Indianapolis.

Experts also say new research in ergonomics suggests that what's called "parallel position" makes for safer driving in general.

Parallel position "improves stability by lowering the body's center of gravity and reduces unintended and excessive steering wheel movement which is a primary cause of young driver fatalities," the Texas Department of Public Safety says in guidelines for new drivers (.pdf).

In plain English, that means "9 and 3," said Dallas police Sgt. Paul Hinton, who teaches law enforcement officers how to drive safely in emergencies like highway chases or when facing a wrong-way driver.

"That way I can go 180 degrees (one way), 180 degrees back the other way and then back to center," Hinton told NBC station KXAS of Dallas. "That's the way I'm going to be able to change lanes (safely)."

One other thing
You're also turning wrong. That ship captain's-style "hand over hand" thing is now out.

Instead, you're supposed to "push-pull" — that is, push the wheel up with one hand and pull it down with the other, without crossing over.

The reason is the same, State Farm's auto insurance division says in its guidelines for beginning drivers:

"Hand-over-hand maneuvers during turning should be avoided to prevent arms from being in front of a deploying airbag in the event of a crash. Serious injuries may result during such occurrences."

 

How do you drive?

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More automotive news from msnbc.com:

Results

Total of 53,487 votes

14.4%
10 and 2
7,694 votes

25%
9 and 3
13,371 votes

47.1%
With one hand on the wheel
25,212 votes

13.5%
With my knees
7,210 votes

via bottomline.msnbc.msn.com

This is amazing. And believe them about the "de-gloving".

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Sat, 17 Mar 2012 08:39:52 -0700 Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! #KissMeImIrish http://davidraitt.com/happy-st-patricks-day-everyone-kissmeimirish http://davidraitt.com/happy-st-patricks-day-everyone-kissmeimirish

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 16 Mar 2012 20:35:06 -0700 Film Review - Friends with Kids http://davidraitt.com/film-review-friends-with-kids http://davidraitt.com/film-review-friends-with-kids

We who are fortunate to be parents love our role for the most part, but I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that we’ve all had moments, however brief, where we wonder why we got into this. Sleep-deprived, financially stressed, and lacking opportunities for intimate contact with our partners, romance is often put on hold while a family adjusts to the arrival of its newest members. Friends with Kids is a nicely effective comedy-drama that looks at this from a different angle.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/friends-with-kids-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 09 Mar 2012 08:03:04 -0800 Film Review - The Lorax http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-lorax http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-lorax

It’s been forty years since children’s author Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel) published The Lorax, a fable about environmental irresponsibility. Since then, the issues the story touched on – resource conservation, habitat destruction, industrial pollution, and corporate “biggering” at the expense of the Earth – have only become more contentious. It’s a wonder that The Lorax hasn’t received a big screen treatment until now, but at least the film honours the book while offering some light-hearted family fun.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-lorax-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 02 Mar 2012 08:45:33 -0800 Film Review - Goon http://davidraitt.com/film-review-goon http://davidraitt.com/film-review-goon

Fighting in hockey has always been a contentious issue, but Goon arrives in theatres at a particularly controversial time, as the news media has turned its eye on the darker side of the sport. Star players have been sidelined by brutal concussions, and a disturbing number of former NHL brawlers have committed suicide in the past year. Hardly the backdrop for a sports comedy.

For the record, I don’t believe fighting is, or should be, an essential part of the game. But that isn’t an obstacle to the enjoyment of Goon, which is a well-paced and highly amusing film with a surprising sweetness.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/goon-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:18:30 -0800 Film Review - This Means War http://davidraitt.com/film-review-this-means-war http://davidraitt.com/film-review-this-means-war

It seems like a good idea, on paper: two secret agents fall for the same girl, then use their resources to spy on her and compete for her affections. In execution, however, This Means War is a mess, saddled with a formulaic script that won’t please fans of action or romantic comedy.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/this-means-war-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 17 Feb 2012 08:18:04 -0800 Film Review - Safe House http://davidraitt.com/film-review-safe-house http://davidraitt.com/film-review-safe-house

Movie stars often bring the baggage of their previous efforts to new projects. We’ve now seen enough of Denzel Washington doing his Denzel Washington thing to be able to guess how any film he’s in will unfold just from the trailer. This isn’t necessarily a problem – if the movie can subvert our expectations, or at least do something new with the actor’s style, it will still be entertaining. Unfortunately, Safe House does neither of these things.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/safe-house-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:41:18 -0800 Film Review - Chronicle http://davidraitt.com/film-review-chronicle http://davidraitt.com/film-review-chronicle

Sometimes, filmmakers use gimmicks where none are needed. Chronicle plays out like a documentary filmed by the characters, similar to movies such as The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield. But, while it does find some interesting ways to play with this concept, the gimmick ends up yanking us out of what might otherwise be an entertaining story.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/chronicle-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:38:04 -0800 Film Review - The Grey http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-grey http://davidraitt.com/film-review-the-grey

I often wonder why we’re drawn to stories where groups of people, one-by-one, get picked off by monsters, accidents, or the cruel forces of nature. I’m sure most dramatic theorists would say it’s about catharsis, the feeling of spiritual release brought about by an intense emotional experience. Personally, I think most people just like to say to themselves, “Wow. Glad that wasn’t me.”

The Grey is one such survival story, but in this case the gradual thinning of the ranks is in the service of a grander purpose. This elevates the movie’s dramatic ending, but it also renders much of the middle pointless and boring.

Read the rest of my review at Oakville.com:

http://www.oakville.com/articles/the-grey-movie-review/

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/922034/DRHeadshotSquare.jpg http://posterous.com/users/1l1kKepedKLL David Raitt 3rdraitt David Raitt