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Another business trip, another stolen credit card number. I usually sniff around for skimmers at gas stations, so my best guess is that somebody snapped a cell phone pic when it was out of my hands at a restaurant. One test charge that went through at some unlucky hobbyshop's online store, followed by an attempt to do a software purchase at some dodgy website. Thankfully the servicer stopped that one and texted me for confirmation.

Tableside card scanning really ought to be mandated by now for restaurants that don't cashier you at the door.

As a first guess, I'm going with "chaotic evil." And probably drugs.



http://www.9news.com/news/crime/man-acc ... /478759803

I've considered having a prepaid card with a small balance for weekend restraunt use and similar needs as an extra safety measure. I tried just keeping cash on hand but I'm not a fan of change.

I just remain pleasantly surprised when a credit card number lasts more than 12 months.

I understand the trepidation but, after having at least 7 numbers stolen over the past 15 or so years with no out-of-pocket expense to me or any attempts at identity theft, I can't sign on with the "no cards" brigade. Far too much of my work/financial life funnels into that card, which is really nothing more than a dumping point where I pay for a month's worth of use every month.

The last one started with Capital One calling my cell, which got routed through the car stereo. They introduced themselves and asked me how I was doing. Knowing exactly what was about to go down (day job and all), I asked them to re-pose that question in 5 minutes or so. Sure enough, card was toast. At least now Capital One has different numbers on my card and my wife's card, so a single compromise isn't a total shutdown.

Pro-tips from someone who has been through this wringer multiple times. Keep a complete list of any RFID or monthly pre-paid tied to your card. I always miss a couple every time I do this drill. Also, don't let them sucker you with the "regular mail and 2 weeks" garbage. Tell them firmly, but politely, that I expect a FedEx driver to hand me an envelope before 10AM the next day. Never fails.

Oh, and if you can grok anything out of this it's when, not if. [/day job]

https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/26/16368 ... -reactions

Please be true, please be true, please be true.

Comes out Friday next.

Captain Ned wrote:

https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/26/16368964/blade-runner-2049-reactions

Please be true, please be true, please be true.

Comes out Friday next.

Ohh, I sure hope so. Will be a pleasant change of pace to have a good remake for once. Looks like some places will begin showing 7pm on the 5th

Someone sure goofed launching it the day after Marvel's Ragnarok though...

I don't think i've ever seen that either. Is that the movie with the guys that get put in the game show and have to fight the champions.

Kougar wrote:

Someone sure goofed launching it the day after Marvel's Ragnarok though...

Short-hair Thor not working for me ('70s-era comic book reader here). Also, 2049 hits October 6, Ragnarok November 2.

Damn, drive-in in town is closing this weekend. Would have loved to see 2049 on that screen (and yes, they went all-in with the digital upgrades).

Heiwashin wrote:

I don't think i've ever seen that either. Is that the movie with the guys that get put in the game show and have to fight the champions.

Nope. Ragnarok is the latest in the Thor-centered parts of the MCU, as the whole thing builds up to the Infinity War (complete with Infinity Gems, as in Ultron and GotG). You're thinking of the Adam Sandler movie "Pixels".

IF Thanos assembles all 6 gems and creates the Gauntlet, there's no way to end the series without the death of Thor, Iron Man, Hulk, or Cap (IMO, and as long as comic book deaths last anyways). That will be an interesting pool.

I meant blade runner. Or is that the movie where they were capturing people and hunting them like animals. Those are the two movies that come to mind when i hear blade runner. And these were both "old" movies. Definitely not pixels which i haven't seen.

To clarify it was like a small group of people in really shiny outfits iirc and theyd have to fight a dude with a chainsaw or a flamethrower and other weird goings ons.

Heiwashin wrote:

I meant blade runner. Or is that the movie where they were capturing people and hunting them like animals. Those are the two movies that come to mind when i hear blade runner.

Ah, you're on Running Man, with AAhnold, Richard Dawson, Maria Conchita Alonzo, Mick Fleetwood (yep, that one with the Mac hanging off his name).

Blade Runner (1982) was perfectly filmed at the perfect time. Harrison Ford is a "Blade Runner", a/k/a a cop with 007-level authority to shoot illegal on-world androids (replicants) on sight (the replicants are essentially slaves doing the grunt work out in the colonies). The crux of the movie, and the part that Ridley Scott keeps yanking our chain about, is that the replicants appear to be better humans than the humans. I personally believe Deckard (Harrison Ford's character) to be human, but I am in a minority here. Maybe 2049 (set 30 years after the original) will add more light to that discussion.

It's partially an action film but, at its core, it's a philosophical film. A thinking man's film. I have the max DVD set with all 5 versions and they're all amazing.

If you never watch the whole movie, at least watch this (Rutger Hauer is the lead replicant). The original theatrical version had a cheezy voice-over from Harrison Ford speculating about Roy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoAzpa1x7jU

The movie list keeps getting longer, i'm gonna have a packed movie schedule this weekend. I can probably find a lot of these in truck stops, some of them have pretty big selections.

Heiwashin wrote:

The movie list keeps getting longer, i'm gonna have a packed movie schedule this weekend. I can probably find a lot of these in truck stops, some of them have pretty big selections.

It would be the rare RedBox that can't cough up a copy of either.

Running Man is just pure Richard Bachman (Stephen King's alter ego) cheese with Arnie flexing. It's OK, but not especially deep

Blade Runner is a movie that will make you think, and is a movie that needs to be seen many times to fully grasp what Ridley was after. Hell, it came out 35 years ago (1982) and yet many still debate the true meaning. Probably should grab 2001 as well to round off the after-80 time.

It's why I've hoped so hard that 2049 not only doesn't suck, but answers some very old questions.

Heiwashin wrote:

I don't think i've ever seen that either.

I love Blade Runner* like I love few other films. It's just a wonderful confluence of excellent casting, acting, directing and production. I have watched it many times and have never, ever gotten tired of it.

* Caveat: I have only seen the later director's cut, never the original with voiceover and wrong ending.

Wait is there a specific cut that i should trying to get at? I don't want to get "i am legend"ed on the ending.

Oh, whoops. Misread the date my local theater's page. That's good, because there's no way a Marvel movie that close wouldn't harm anything else launching near it. If the new Blade Runner is good then I want it to be successful

Chuckaluphagus wrote:

Heiwashin wrote:

I don't think i've ever seen that either.

I love Blade Runner* like I love few other films. It's just a wonderful confluence of excellent casting, acting, directing and production. I have watched it many times and have never, ever gotten tired of it.

* Caveat: I have only seen the later director's cut, never the original with voiceover and wrong ending.

The endings differ?? Uhoh. I saw the original as a kid, liked it for the sci-fi action. Saw it as a teen and liked it more as I picked up on more of the philosophical context and overtones. Saw the Final Cut version some time ago, but I had no idea that ending was changed from the theatrical release. Very glad director Ridley Scott got to undo the studio's editing/meddling, his ending is so much better.

Heiwashin wrote:

Wait is there a specific cut that i should trying to get at? I don't want to get "i am legend"ed on the ending.

What I'm reading says The Final Cut version (2007) is what Director Ridley Scott originally wanted, and the only version he had full control over. I'd suggest that one.

I didn't even know I Am Legend had an alternate ending, and after reading the wiki page about it I think I like that one better.

I was just a wee lad when Blade Runner was released, and I've also somehow never seen the original, so I guess that's going on my list also.

Yea the real ending was the whole cap to even the title name. He's not a good legend because he's a survivor, he's a bad legend because he's a murderer of people in the new world civilization of zombies with culture. That whole grenade thing really weirded it up.

Maybe it there's a Batman v Superman curse?

Heiwashin wrote:

Yea the real ending was the whole cap to even the title name. He's not a good legend because he's a survivor, he's a bad legend because he's a murderer of people in the new world civilization of zombies with culture. That whole grenade thing really weirded it up.

The alternate ending would work better if the movie stayed truer to the book. Nightwalkers had actual conversations with Will Smith's character in the book and were depicted as being far more intelligent.

I totally want to see 2049 but my wife is very adamant in her disdain for Harrison Ford's movies. Guess it doesn't matter; I could see it alone.

derFunkenstein wrote:

I totally want to see 2049 but my wife is very adamant in her disdain for Harrison Ford's movies. Guess it doesn't matter; I could see it alone.

Um, she's not a fan of Star Wars or Raiders of the Lost Ark either? He's been in... rather a lot of good movies.

Re: Blade Runner. My understanding is that the director's canon is that Deckard is a replicant and the screenwriter's canon is that he isn't. I could be wrong on that, it's been a few years since I read about it.

Yeah, I know. Somehow managed to not figure that out until after we were married. She only knew she didn't like Star Wars, but when I watched The Fugitive (for the millionth time) she didn't want to watch that either. And then no to Indiana Jones. And I'm like, "wtf is wrong with you?" and she didn't know. Eventually she figured out that he was the problem. I don't get it.

But hey we all have our flaws.

Driving towards Houston and the majority of houses and business had their buildings inards sitting on the street. Crazy looking.

Also I've noticed that news on TV has started mimicking some of the styles and techniques of YouTubers.

Heiwashin wrote:

Driving towards Houston and the majority of houses and business had their buildings inards sitting on the street. Crazy looking.

Got any fresh dashcam footage?

Yea actually I'll post some tonight

Surprise, surprise. Hef is Steve Dallas' patron saint.

https://www.facebook.com/berkeleybreath ... =3&theater

A day late but here's 45 seconds of dash cam that represents houstons current state.



Also last night i watched blade runner. It's definitely a strange movie. I'm still sorting out my understanding of it.

Seen on an internal Slack channel at work: "If you put a UNIX shell to your ear, do you hear the C?"

(Apologies if this is an old one, it was new to me.)

I'm back to a 225 overhead press...now if I can get my bodyweight back down to 225/230 or thereabouts And my squat back to 450+. God it's harder to get in shape in my 30s.