OpenOffice 3.0 - finally!

Gosh. First the launch date was set to 31th of September. I usually forget these sort of things. But this time I actually held myself up to date. At the given date, the date following the message "Preliminary release date for OpenOffice3 is currently..." had changed. Now it was the 7th of October. Aaah. Anyways, nothing more to do, but to wait. So, the 7th was the day of our flight, so I hadn't time to check it out then. However, the following day I of course see that the date is once again pushed forward. 13th of October. Aaawergh! So, yesterday I missed out on checking, being pretty sure about another postpone, anyways. Today, however, I thought I'd do best in checking the site out. Strangely, I cannot get through. Page errors. It then struck me. This is it. Page overload, of course. The release is a fact. Now, around half an hour later, I finally get in to their international site; to receive this message:

Apologies - our website is struggling to cope with the unprecedented
demand for the new release 3.0 of OpenOffice.org. The technical teams are
trying to come up with a solution.

Thank you for your patience.

However, they provide me with fully functional download links to the Win32 installer. Just great. So, I'm currently downloading it. Can't wait to see if there's any major updates in the appearance.

Movie: "Batman & Robin" (1997)

Once again we connect with Gotham City, the fictional city where the citizens are protected by the man of leather disguise - Batman. Now, it looks like he's found himself comfortable in running the show with a sidekick. The former circus artist, young Dick Grayson, is now - under the simple alias "Robin" - his faithful right wing whenever the heat is on. Chris O'Donnell still plays the role of this character, which we got to know in the last motion picture.

However, this must - truly said - be the worst Batman attempt ever. Now, the main character is suddenly played by George Clooney, and it feels really lame all the way through. I remember watching this movie in the cinema back in 1997. It did certainly impress me back then, but now it just doesn't cut it.

The story is about a deformed science researcher, Dr. Victor Fries, who spent all his time trying to find a cure to the rare disease which his wife carries. She's under cryo-sleep since years back, while he works on finding a cure. However, a terrible accident has Dr. Fries fall into a minus 50 degrees cold liquid. However, it doesn't kill him, but turns him into Mr. Freeze.

"In an other side of Gotham", an evil scientist is working with a toxic substance that will turn human beings into giants with enormous capacity and a rat's brain. In the greenhouse where his research assistant X (Uma Thurman) is eagerly working on finding a [chemical] way of make plants stand up against the evil vegetarians eating them. You see, Dr. X is obsessed by green. However, she's so curious about what her boss is up to behind that always locked door. So, one day she busts in on him. Of course, he will have no stupid witness to his hazardous way of dealing with nature, so he kills him. Of course, Dr. X doesn't die. She gets toxicated - yet alive - by the plants and venom snakes she's tossed into; and is from here on called... Poison Ivy!

The movie is filled with special effects and blows. Oh, regarding the characters, here's also where Master Alfred's niece (Alicia Silverstone) is being introduced. Of course, she gets a kick from speed and is eager to transform into Batgirl. Also, it'd be damned, but they have actually repeated the scene in which Batman pulls the zipper on his rubber suit, with full lens focus on Clooney's tight little ass. This doesn't feel like Batman anymore. Fortunately, the former director/producer's name wasn't to be seen anywhere in the credit roll. I guess Tim Burton had dropped out by the time they figured they would try to bring this forth chapter into motion print. God damn it, please stop it.

However, now I'm through with the "old" Batman films. Next thing is to repeat the first film with Christian Bale - 'Batman Begins' (2005). This will be the main project for this coming week. After that, it will hopefully just be a matter of time (hopefully not too many months) till 'The Dark Knight' is finally on Swedish DVD. I can hardly wait.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118688/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_&_Robin_(film)

Movie: "Batman Forever" (1995)

I must say this wasn't as perfect as the first two movies. I'm not sure if it's the fact that Joel Schumacher has taken over the director's wheel (even if he's still around somehow, name mentioned in the credit roll), or just the wheel of time. The mid-90's, with [to date] special effects impressing most teenagers around. This was not as amusing as the first movies. It's sort of the same layup as before, one Batman, one "batgirl", and one or more crooks to be caught. However, Michael Keaton isn't to be seen anywhere. Val Kilmer is Batman, and it's not quite the same to me. I remember when me and my fiancé watched 'The Salton Sea', and she told me about Val Kilmer being a man of almost mid-age, whose had plastic surgery up to his nose throughout the years. I must say, I started getting the creeps from there.

Here, in one scene where Batman is suiting up, a noticeable close-up on his rear behind, a tight little ass is what you get as he pulls up the rubber zipper. Gash, felt like the whole thing had somehow turned rubbish. Not sure whether it's just my imagination, but it doesn't feel right anymore.

Also, this time Nicole Kidman plays the psychiatric doctor who secretly fancies the mysterious night-bat. The first evil crook is Harvey Dent (Tommy Lee Jones), formerly side-kick of a crime boss; but now having his face deformed since the boss thought he'd been bad somehow. Acid attack, yeah. Half Harvey's face is mutilated, giving him the wicked nickname "Two-Face".

The second crook is science researcher Edward Nygma, played by Jim Carrey. Nygma has been working on an invention, connecting one's mind to a television box, which would enable "live" television in form of 3D things - literally - jumping out of the screen. However, his invention lacks support from multi-millionaire Bruce Wayne, who thinks playing with the human mind is too risky. I must say, Carrey's character is the most entertaining. Here, he freaks out, since he had once looked up to Bruce Wayne, thinking that the major head of the firm he's been working with is the one who would finally make his dreams come true. Here, when he gets rejected, he loses it and turns to someone else. The Riddler is born.



Also, here is where Batman's traditional sidekick - Robin - comes into play. Young Dick Grayson is running a freaky circus show with his brothers. When he loses them, suddenly being all alone, without anyone to rely on, he's saved by the arms of Bruce Wayne, or should I say Batman.

Too freaky effects, the melodramatic noir feeling of the first two films are not to be seen, plus some Bat stunts (like jumping from roof tops without even using the cape) seems a little bit far out the edge. However, it's Batman, hr..

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112462/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_Forever

Movie: "Batman Returns" (1992)

Wow. Seen [from what I consider to be] the first two Batman movies now. I must say, the sequel holds the same quality as the first one. Still Michael Keaton as Bruce Wayne, with his alter ego, the flying bat. This time, we will get acquaintance with The Penguin, played by Danny De Vito. It's a dull story about a deformed baby, whose parents chose to leave him in the city canal to die. However, he doesn't die, little Cobblepot stays down the city sewer during his whole childhood, getting raised by the penguins living down under. So, around thirty years later, he's back for revenge. Also, in this picture the mysterious Catwoman will enter the picture.



Of course, from the beginning she's nothing more but a scatterbrained secretary assistant. However. The movie is really beautiful. The same dystopian picture painted by Tim Burton as you saw in the first movie. It's brilliant. Now, I see over at IMDb that this is the last Batman flick that Burton directed. From here on, the story takes a shift. No more Michael Keaton. In the next movie we will have Val Kilmer as Batman/Bruce, and in the forth film he will be played by E.R star George Clooney. I have to say I laughted when I read it. Damn it, how come I don't remember. I've seen all these movies - like ten years ago. Strange indeed. However. I can guarantee the masterpiece status of the first two movies. Well see what I have to say about the others.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103776/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_Returns

Movie: "Batman" (1989)

This is a real classic. I remember watching is as a kid, I was amazed by every scene. I must say the scenes from this movie is really nailed deep into my mind. I know it's something sspecial, 'cuz with lots of movies I've seen over the years, it's like I'm having real difficulties recalling scenes/plot when I rerun them after only a couple of years. This is different. Take [for instance] when Jack is being treated by the quack plastic surgeon. Only here is a little Burton mystery. Where did the quack find the mangled Jack? While he was taking his daily evening walk down dumpster lane? This is the parts I loved, already as a kid. A while ago, I was talking to a friend over the phone about the new Batman movie. I told him I was preparing myself for running a Batman marathon. "Oh, but are you really going to beet through those old films with Michael Keaton?", he asked me, almost sounding surprised. I simply told him the task was not at all unbearable to me. Anyways. So, now I've started this little marathon on my own. Too bad my beloved fiancé doesn't approve the Gotham style. You can't have it all, right? Anyways, she tells me that I'm her little Batman. Sounds bearable! :) Anyways, this isn't really the first Batman movie. Back in the 60's, there was this "The Movie" with Adam West and Burt Ward casting as Batman and Robin. Anyways, these two films are not to be compared. Say what you want about neat nostalgic films, but "The Movie" was way too much inplanted comic-style bubbles with "WHOOOM!" "BOOOM!" sounds, almost making it ridicilus. Anyways, this is not just a sweet script, dealing with topics [not the least of current interest] such as greed and vanity over looks. Everything wrapped in a neat shell with beatiful photography. I mean outstanding(!) photography. The bat-mobile, the bat-aeroglider, the dystopian industrial scenery. It's brilliant, all the way through.

The plot on this one? Well, Gotham City is in a state of chaos. The mobster affiliations has dug a black hole of corruption in the city. Multi-millionaire Bruce Wayne is of course the savior of the city. Since he was just a little kid, watching his parents get mercilessly executed after a robbery, he swore that he will get his revenge. Now, his dark alter ego is the scary crime-fighting bat of the night. Carl Grissom is the crime boss of the city. Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson) is only one of his puppets, even though Napier has always thought about himself as something more. When Napier becomes a casualty of a bust, his(!) dark alter ego will take form - The Joker.



Batman of course has to have a lady. Here this is Kim Bassinger, playing Vicky Vale, a journalist on the hunt for more. Of course, with Bruce Wayne alias Batman, things will develop a bit personal. It's going to be real interesting to watch the sequel.

PS. Click the poster image for the mind-blowing trailer!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096895/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(1989_film)

A pleasent yesterday and a cold day today!

Yep, that's about it. Yesterday, we stood ready at the airport at a quarter past six in the morning. At 7 AM, the flight that was about to take us to UME->ARN took off. I must say, it was probably the longest flight I've ever been on. It took like 1h15m, instead of the usual approx. 50m. We even missed the scheduled airport bus. Anyways. Back to the flight experience. You know sometimes when you're just at the same level as the clouds, it's all blurry, to suddenly get that "clear tree view" when the plane has gone below. Well, it was the same this time. Except, before we entered "cloud level", I thought that the sea of clouds was really beautiful. I can't recall ever having seen such an amazing view of clouds. It was like a huge white ocean. Wild. Really wild. So, slowly we went down. Into the clouds, covering all plane windows with blur, we were not able to see anything(!). Then, suddenly, BUMP, BUMP. The sound of the aircraft hitting the runway under us. We had landed. Oh my gosh. The fog was bizarre. Cabin crew sent out the message that we (for some [not explained; yet explicable] reason) had landed on the international flights runway of Arlanda Airport. They would sent buses to come pick us up, dropping us of at the domestic terminal. Is it necessary for me to mention that we missed the airport bus that we had scheduled? Anyways, no big deal. We had a great time in Uppsala, as our destination for today wasn't the capital. Oh no. Gosh, I have not been in Uppsala since the Reggae Festival a bit more than a year ago. The city is really beautiful, when you look at it through the right dimensions. Later on, we had lunch on Burger King, a pleasent meal. Yummy. The afternoon flight back home was better. We even arrived five minutes ahead of schedule. In the evening, we celebrated a successful day with order pizza. One traditional kebab pizza, and one with fresh tomatoes, Bearnaise, and fillet of beef. We cut them to halves and enjoyed.. Yum!



Today, Wednesday, I woke up looking at the thermometer, slightly shocked. At a quarter past eight and it showed minus degrees. This is the first time I actually see the minus sign in a half-year or so. This was truly going to be one of these really cold days. Brrr. I had breakfast with a cup of strong coffee, and left for the daily routines. I must add, half an hour later the temperature had raised to like +1°.



Laters!

The exquisite ice cream drink

Preparations.


Blending it.


Ready to drink.


This is a must-try, that much I can guarantee you.