Wild Tangents
Marc talks about life in Nashville, life as a Catholic and life as a geek.

Yes, another one. I can’t believe they’re remaking “The Day The Stood Still“. This is just….wrong….

From the SciFi Wire.

Twentieth Century Fox has staked out a Christmas 2008 release date for its upcoming remake of the classic SF movie The Day the Earth Stood Still, Variety reported.

The movie, which will star Keanu Reeves, was originally slated for May 9, but the film hasn’t begun production yet, with potential strikes looming in Hollywood.

Fox also has three other summer movies in the works, the trade paper reported.

The movie will update Robert Wise’s 1951 original, about the visit of an alien who warns Earth to change its violent ways or face destruction.

Technorati Tags: movies

I just had to pass along a couple of cute little stories of things that have happened to me this week since I got to Phoenix. Before that, I have to say that this seems to be a really cool town. I’m working on a project at a high tech company. They make parts for computers among other things. I won’t say who it is, but they’re a pretty INTELligent company. It turns out that instead of being here two weeks and very busy, I’ll be here four weeks. I have quite a few friends here, who I look forward to meeting up with while I’m out here. Anyway, on to the stories.

The first happened Sunday. I know, I should be home on the weekends. But initially it sounded like I was going to be very busy. So I decided if I could find a good flight I would fly out Sunday afternoon. Well, I couldn’t find one. Everything seemed to be too expensive, so I decided to just go ahead and fly out on Monday morning. The problem is our travel agency’s new website has the worst user interface I have ever seen. I am not exaggerating there either. So instead of changing the flight search from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning, I ended up changing it to Sunday morning. No hilarity ensued. So here I am getting into Phoenix at 1025 Sunday morning.

UGH!

Anyway, I told you all that to let you know what kind of state of mind I was in when I stopped by a grocery store to pick up some bottled water. It’s the desert, so I figured it would probably be a good idea to keep hydrated. I stopped at a grocery store called “Fry’s Food”. In case you are asking the same question I was, I think they are somehow related to the electronics store. As I was paying for my Aquafina, they of course asked me if I had me “Fry’s Food Club Card”. As I ALWAYS do when I am out of town and am asked for such a card, I replied with “I have my Kroger Card”. Like I said, I always say that. It’s just my way of amusing myself. The really funny thing is that Fry’s Food is owned by Kroger. Yes, they took my Kroger card, swiped it and it worked. Now in my half dazed, “I’ve been up since 3:30am central time and it’s now 2:00pm pacific time” mental state, that was just very surreal.

So I’m sure now you’re wondering if that was both my stories or just one. I hate to break it to you, but I’m not finished.

I noticed on this little listing of local events that Def Leppard is playing here in Phoenix tomorrow night. Big deal right? Well, you see this week I have a shadow. She’s a fresh from college green consultant who I ma supposed to be mentoring. I mentioned the concert to her and guess what she said. “Who?” Now I feel old.

I sudenly regret every time I have said to someone “You mean Paul McCartney was in a band before Wings?”

Technorati Tags: marc, music, Phoenix, travel

Someone much more clever than I am came up with this idea. They took the song “Manic Monday” by The Bangles and video from the episode “Monday” of the show The X-Files.

I really enjoyed watching it. Whoever did it did a great job.

Technorati Tags: monday, bangles, scifi, tv, video, xfiles, youtube

As I sit here watching the news coverage of the various ceremonies to commemorate the terrorist attacks on my country, I think back to that day.

I had been living in Seattle but had to move back to Memphis due to being laid off (ironically from the same company I work for now). I had made that trek across the country just a couple of weeks prior. It was a wonderful drive that made me proud to be an American. Seeing so much of this wonderful country filled me with that pride and a certain sense of awe. Even in my despair at loosing my job, I knew that everything would be OK. On 9/11 I was still so newly returned to Memphis that I was staying with my aunt and uncle. They had gone with their kids and grandkids to San Diego to visit my cousin. They would be over a week late getting home.

I had slept late that morning. It would be another week before I would start a new job. In my groggy half-awake state, I was really confused. Wy was the news on all the channels? Not just the news channels and the network’s morning show, but ALL the channels. Just about then the phone rang. it was my mom asking, “Are you seeing this???” It took a moment for it all to sink in. It took a really long time for to accept that this was deliberate attack on the US. I was shocked and stunned. I attribute my reaction to this tragedy as being one of the two big catalysts for my reversion back to the Christian faith.

On this day six years later, my prayers continue to go out to the victims of this attack. My prayers also go to a conversion of the people who would do this sort of thing. THat the Lord will soften their hearts and make them come to hope for the same peace I do.

Here’s another great episode of “That Catholic Show” covering the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Please visit the SQPN site for more info on and episodes of “That Catholic Show“.

For more information on the topic, Catholic Answers has tract on the teachings of the Church Fathers on the subject. They also have a tract that is generally discussed the Catholic teachings on the forgiveness of sins.

Technorati Tags: Catholic, christian, Confession, SQPN, religion, youtube

I must have missed this in my last visit to the greeting card section at Wal-Mart. Maybe that’s because it’s on the way to the aisle where they keep the gourmet chocolate. Who knows. Anyway, it seem that Hallmark has a new line of card that parody the celebrity of certain famous people, including Paris Hilton. Well, I guess Paris wasn’t too happy about a greeting card with her image on it. I think her image has been in a lot more places, but whatever.

According to the lawsuit filed Thursday, the card is titled “Paris’s First Day as a Waitress” and shows a photo of Hilton’s face on a cartoon of a waitress serving a plate of food to a patron. In a dialogue bubble she says, “Don’t touch that, it’s hot.” The customer cartoon asks, “What’s hot?” She answers, “That’s hot.”

The suit says Hilton owns the trademark “That’s hot,” which was registered on Feb. 13, 2007.

First of all, how can she register “That’s hot” as a trademark? I mean c’mon! Plus we get this little snippet which describes the complaints in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit claims commercial appropriation of identity, invasion of privacy, misappropriation of publicity, false representation that Hilton endorses the product, and infringement of a federally registered trademark. The damages would be based on profits from the $2.49 cards, said Hilton attorney Brent Blakely.

Invasion of privacy? In the way she has lived her life and allowed people into her most intimate moments, does she really have any “privacy” left? Besides, I don’t really understand how this is an invasion privacy. Of course I’m not a lawyer….

Yahoo also has a copy of the card you can view it here.

Now my question is doesn’t this really count as parody? I’d love to hear some input on what you think.

Technorati Tags: hilton, law, lawsuit, news, Pais, Hallmark

It’s been a long time since our Vegas trip. I’ve been a little busy and a little lazy. But I am fianlly getting around to posting some of the pictures. Here’s a sample:

Our first stop after getting to Vegas was the Hilton to go to the Star Trek Experience. They had Klingons and a Borg walking around. Here’s one of the Klingons.

Not long after getting there, Suzette was suddenly attacked by a Gorn!

I was able to fight him off, but I worked up an appetite so we had lunch. MMMM……Iguana burgers!

Exchanging war stories with with a crusty old Klingon warrior.

This was Suzette’s main reason for going to Vegas. She really wanted to ride the Gondolas at the Venetian. She got her wish. Here we are. This is inside BTW. They had a huge indoor shopping area that was made to look like an open air mall.

I managed to meet up with Vegas favorite and the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley. Here I am showing him some new dance moves. He was standing around at this place that must have been a big hang out for celebs. It was Madam something or other.

Here’s Suzette getting a little too close to her favorite actor at that celeb bar.

Here we are with a nice scene of the strip behind us. I think this one was taken from one of the walkways that go over the street.

We took a lot more pictures. Some of them I’ve posted up on Flickr. Take a look at the whole set!

Technorati Tags: Elvis, pictures, Klingon, vacation, Vegas

In all honesty, I’ve never met Dennis in person. I found his blog less than a month before moving from Memphis to Nashville. But after reading his blog, following his seminary experience and corresponding with him a few times via email, I feel like I do know him well enough to know that he will make an awesome priest. I can’t believe it’s already time for his ordination to the transitional Diaconate.

He announces on his blog that it’s time….

DATE: 3 November 2007
TIME: 4:30 PM
SITE: St. Louis Catholic Church, Memphis

I won’t be mailing out a large mailing list of invitations or announcements for my upcoming Diaconal Ordination. I’m saving my money for printing and postage for announcements of my Priestly Ordination (7 June 2008). Also, it takes place during the regular vigil mass for the parish, and I expect that the church will be pretty full.

Nevertheless, if you read this, you’re invited! And there will be a nice reception at the parish afterwards.

Please keep Dennis in your prayers.

Technorati Tags: Catholic, Memphis, ordination

I want to thank everyone for your hopes and prayers on our trip down south to Columbia. We spoke with a number of people down there and were very please with the staff and the campus. Unfortunately they would not budge on allowing Suzette to submit her application for the spring semester one day late. She is planning on applying for the fall semester of ‘08 at both Columbia and Vol State.

We have been happy with the folks at Vol State. They have been kind and courteous though out the past year and half she’s been attending classes there. The big problem is that the nursing program at Vol State is administered through TSU. The folks at TSU have been nothing but difficult and rude through the process of Suzette trying to apply for the nursing program. Between the stories we have and the stories told by her friends at Vol State who are trying to get into the nursing program, I also wonder if finding out about Columbia State wasn’t a double blessing.

My only fear is that Columbia State is pretty far away. Even the Franklin campus is pretty far. We might have to move again. I really love Gallatin, but if it’s best for Suzette, we will do it.

I am getting a flood of comments on the post I made last year on the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Go check it out!

Technorati Tags: BVM, Catholic, Mary