Kimputer's Weblog

I had didn’t know about this new flavor, nor was I aware of this whole Hoogstandjes series. Apparently it’s been going on for a while, and this could even be the last in the series (with the online poll, to decide which of the temporary flavor may come back and stay, already closed). The reason I never noticed it might be the us of the same packaging of the standard flavors, whereas the more luxurious flavors use transperant packaging to showcase the colors, and whet our appetite and curiosity.
As for the ice cream itself, the flavor is very mild, almost too mild. There no full cinnamon nor cherry flavor, and it’s actually not that creamy either. There’s some caky crumblings mixed for contrast, but it can’t save it as a whole. And even though it’s mild in taste, there is some synthetic cherry feeling coming through. While there’s definitely no danger in feeling saturated after a portion (or two), there might be a danger in eating too much without noticing it. So, while it’s nice to try it out, it didn’t make my shortlist for an encore.6+.

Like any war movie these days, it’s focused on a smaller mission, while expanding the story from there. For this story, based on true facts, quite a few unkown facts are used. Japan invaded the Philipines while US soldiers were stationed there, after which they had a lot to endure. It was only during the end of the war a US Army Rangers division was sent on a POW rescue mission. Build a love story around it, and throw in a building underground movement, and you have yourself one heck of an inspirational movie.
Enterntainment value lies somewhere between the popcorn ready Pearl Harbor, and the utterly boring The Thin Red Line. The screenplay isn’t as sharp as it could be, but it’s still a nice effort.7-.

Rule of thumb is, what J.J. Abrams touches, turns gold. Look at the Alias and Lost franchise. A unique style of character depth and mystery.
For MI:3 however, he just hooked up an IV, and let it drip a 100% adrenaline solution. From the start till the end, it never stops. Even though we never go in depth with the characters (or even the story line) Abrams is able to highten the sense of drama.
Also, acting is a part Abrams always keeps an sharp eye on, and there’s not much you can dispute here (not even Tom Cruise’s performance). For the Scarlett Johansson lovers (rumored to have dropped out after Tom’s freaky proposal (the one with which he succeeded to get Katie Holmes), and maybe a of bit some Scientology craziness. Then again, a scheduling conflict sounds so boring) , I can assure you Michelle Monaghan is an able replacement (both acting and hotness factor).
Action wise, it all seems very old-school, and that really helps to create an authentic atmosphere. If you dig action flicks, this will probably be IT for this year.8+.

It’s been a while, but it’s finally here. Their last smasher album was in 2002 (Gutterflower), and that one took me a while to really like it. Then it went quiet (except for John Rzeznik’s two songs on the Treasure Planet soundtrack). In 2004 they released a Live in Buffalo DVD (while nothing really new, it was good nonetheless) along with the Give a Little Bit cover, and last year saw another new song released.
So, taking those two songs into account, I’m actually only reviewing 9 songs. 11 songs on an album is always a disappointment, and only 9 new ones is even more so. Traditionally, there will be two songs sung by fellow band member Robby Takac, and tradionally I like those far less then the usual Rzeznik songs.
So, only 7 left. What about it ? Well, keeping their records consistent, the tracklist is always balanced with acoustic and electric guitar setup. Overall, it seemed to have toned down though. Combined with what some might call “preachy” lyrics, they’re definitely heading the opposite direction of almost 2 decades ago (punk rock with lyrics like Up Yours, and songs about James Dean being gay). Still, the inspirational question aside, if you like’m in general, you’ll like this album (including the songs I just discarded in this review). In no time you’ll be belting out stuff like “IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII’ll staaaaaaaaaay with youuuu” and “Now I’m banging on the door of an angel, the end of fear is where we begin,
the moment we decided to leeeeet looooove iiin” in the Goo Goo Dolls style they’ve made their own.8½.

Rate 1 (FR#^&% MESS !) to 5 (how very tidy !).

I said I wouldn’t add a new category for this, but hey, here it is (the accompanied logo at the top left is the Toyota logo btw, just in case you didn’t notice it)

Total: 30 out of 8 votes > Average is: 3.75

During a somewhat slow week, family comedy R.V., toplined by Robin Williams, drives its way to the top this week, with a $16.4 million opener. Second place was for the first 9/11 movie to be released, the Paul Greengrass helmed United 93. With a virtually unknown cast, it takes in $11.6 million. This summer will also see another 9/11 movie released, namely the Oliver Stone directed World Trade Center (starring Nicolas Cage).
Third place is for another new release, Stick It, a teen gymnast drama from Disney delivers $11.3 million, thanks to young girls massing together for this inspirational tale.
Rounding out the top 5 are the leftovers Silent Hill with $9.3 million, and Scary Movie 4 with $7.8 million.

Combine one of the most bad ass actor (Samuel L. Jackson) with a die-hard comedy actor (Eugene Levy) and you could have a smashing box office hit. And that’s with the emphasis on _could_. Because it’s not. On all levels, it doesn’t reach above mediocrity.
The script is pretty thin, characters stiff, standard and predictable. There’s the occasional funny scene, but even those are from the lower quality fart department.
All in all, it’s doable if you didn’t have anything else to do, but definitely not a scheduling priority.6-.

Typical indie movie with a road trip as the main thread of the story. The story is, while not spectacular, not boring either. It’s filled with reasonable dialogue and acting is up to par. If you like last year’s Sideways, you’ll probably like this one too, though it’s a bit milder in many ways.7+.

I only picked up their dual disc live album a few months ago, and out of the 24 tracks, I was able extract 4 exceptional rock songs. So that would definitely put them on my map. With a new album out, I was definitely excited. After all, that’s what studio albums are for, better production value.
Ouch. It seems their roots lie more in the synth-pop direction. Listening back to the studio versions of the songs I picked out is an akward experience. It’s so bad, I don’t even like those versions. The new album gives me the same sour taste. While more genres are blended in, including some harder rock and techno-pop ballads, none of those songs reach above the mediocre status. No beautifully balanced guitar play, combined with rough soulful vocals.
The history of my musical taste has always been that good live performances validate the talent of the artist(s), but in this case, it’s a reverse world. Ah well, a first for everything.4.

Another day at work at the Beurs World Trade Centre (finishing a two day job). Wow, what a relaxed building this is. Everything is taken care of. Kitchen for the whole floor. Nice offices with designers and other people ready to decorate these modularly designed office spaces just the way you want. And for the technical people (that would be me), the floor design is excellent for cabling.
And look at the view ! Wow, if I ever get rich, keep one office on the top floor free for me !

One tip for Rotterdam downtown regulars. If you’re in dire need to take a leak, and you have nowhere to go, nor the money to spend, just go into the main lobby of the WTC, the facilities here are free (no security to check you out) and clean !

More pics of the skyline here

Well, here’s a clearer picture of the k-uiz. As you can see now, it was a picture taken from the top of a thermal bottle, which had an unfortunate drop from the table. Combined with the still hot water inside, that makes the mirrory glass shining, while the steam on the camera lens produces the halo effect.
So, the closest to the correct answer is Tienz ! First prize: *MEGA*hug !

Another easy win for a horror movie, as Silent Hill rides to the top with $20.2 million. As profitable as usual for these movies, this one will break even by next week.
Less scary is Scary Movie 4, and it has to do with runner-up spot this week, with $17 million. Another new entry at 3, thriller The Sentinel, starring Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Douglas, opens with $14.7 million.
Ice Age: The Meltdown is really feeling the heat of the newcomers, but it’s still strong at number 4 with $12.8 million. The Wild drops one spot, rounding out the top 5 with $8.1 million, keeping a lot of retention (83%) from last week, though what starts low, stays low.

You know what they say about movies that collect dust for some two years. Add to that a director with a drowning career (after the Waterworld fiasco), and you have a recipe for disaster.
Still, any seasoned director, disregarding failures or successes, should know you can’t bring an old story to the screen without reinventing or adding something new. And even then, people who happen to not knowing the story, will see every single plot twist in the trailer.
More failures come in the directing style, leaving too many so-called romantic moments drive the movie, instead of a solid story or dialogue. This movie is an empty shell, and hence, tragedy is not the theme, it’s the movie itself.5.

One of those movies where the excitement doesn’t exceed that one created by the trailer, which is always a shame. Most obviously, the writing is far below par. Combine the most generic thriller elements with a nerdy title, and it’s bound to fail. The nerds won’t see any bit of action (Harrison Ford utters he hacked into someone’s account in the trailer, while he definitely did no such thing), and other people won’t even go to see it, afraid they’ll be put off with all those technical terms (only one line is technical, and I’m not even sure it was accurate). To top it off (and kinda violating my non-spoiler policy, but since I’m not recommending this movie, what the heck), it’s not even about a firewall, since any observant viewer knows the firewall was breached from the beginning.
With writing this bad and contrived, I wonder why anyone would sign on for this project.5-.

Sometimes, a trailer can send out a wrong signal. This one for instance, makes it out to be a light comedy. But in fact, while it is light in the beginning, it goes much deeper and darker, driven by an unfolding story. And luckily, the story is pretty solid. And so is the acting. The script however, has everyone saying these darn sharp smart lines, and it’s a bit too coincidental to have every single person that eloquent.
When you’re inside the movie, the pace seems to be constantly at the right speed, but somehow from the outside, it’s a bit too slow. But as I said, the story is the main attraction here, that makes up for a lot.7½.