Let’s talk about an ever increasing problem in our society – DVD IMPORTS! The production and distribution studios like DVDs. The format gives them one more chance to make money on old movies and another format to distribute new movies. They also like that they now have some place to store all those documentaries that are made during production of a movie. A DVD disc today costs around $20, so that’s more than twice what it costs to see a movie in the cinema. So you’d think that they would like everyone to buy DVD’s everywhere?… yea, you’d think!
To prevent a movie from being available on DVD before it’s available in the cinema (which sometimes is the case here in sweden, I bought “Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back” 3 months before the swedish premiere!), they have decided to region code DVD’s. When I started buying DVD’s there weren’t that many places to buy from. DVDExpress was one of the first Internet ordering places, but the shipment cost was pretty high. Then I found a DVD supplier here in sweden selling imported region ones (i.e american) at a pretty cheap price so I stuck to that place for two years. Then the distribution studios in sweden decided to get “tough on imports” and started suing places that sold imported DVD’s. So I had to switch. That’s when I found Play247, an internet business selling region ones over the internet, free of shipping and delivery within a week. Not ideal, but great. Until last week when all of a sudden, the swedish customs wanted $20 extra, PER DISC! Just $5 of that went to the actual customs, the rest was just tax, shipment and all other kinds of stuff you can only charge people in sweden for since we never say no.
So what now? I’m gonna try with this Canadian place called DVD Box office, that place sounds good although they can sometimes take up to 2 weeks to deliver them. But if I can just get rid of this customs-charge I’d be pretty happy.
They could all solve this problem with region coding easily – have premieres at the same time worldwide, like Star Wars Episode II! It doesn’t make sense for a movie to get here 6 months after the states, it’s just rediculous! Anyway’s, I’ve started playing around with PHP so I might convert this entire thing into a database or something…
Do you know what Eurovisian Song Contest is? If you don’t, here’s the short point: Each country in Europe has a song contest, including a live performance, and the winner is sent as a representative for that country to the Euro-wide finals.
It’s an annual TV event and tradition, and I grew up watching it. In recent years I’ve kinda missed it, but this year when I was flipping through the channels and didn’t find anything else, I put it on the TV and went about other business. Until Greece’s contributions came on, and I got one of my infamous laugh-attacks when I just can’t stop laughing, it was so hilarious. And it never got better, other contributions was almost as bad, like the three guys dressed up as flight attendants! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed as much to such a serious event! It’s watched by atleast a billion people, and is Euro-wide, but I couldn’t stop laughing! Unfortunately, politics comes into play at this event, but I mean, who didn’t expect Cyprus to give max points to Greece and Greece to give max points to Cyprus!
The real pathetic part was the bimbo calling from the Israel capital of Jerusalem… like, hello?!
And once more I’ve proven I’m more reliable than the experts! Sweden was a favorite, ranked very high at the bookmakers and some even expected them to win. They ended up fighting to even stay in the contest for next year! (as you may know, there are more than 22 countries in Europe, so you have to meassure up to be able to compete in the next one!)
Cars. They are a very stupid invention! The only good thing about cars, as I see it, is that they give alot of people alot of work! Come on, think about it; think about the raw materials required to build one. Think of the actual construction and all waste it produces. Then the fuel, oil-rigs aren’t environment friendly either, and then the gases produced by the motors and all that that does to the greenhouse effect. Then think about all people & other living things killed or injured by cars every year. Don’t forget all the space and wonderful nature we’d have if it wasn’t for all the roads (the construction of roads isn’t environment friendly either!). And then when it has outlived its usefulness, it’s dumped to just corrode away. So why are we using cars so much? Same with smoking – people know it’s bad for them, they know their lungs are taking damage, they know their stinking up the place, themselves and their clothes. Still they do it.
People really are stupid
I’m one of those people who doesn’t care much for religion. I’m an agnostic. And the other day I found out why I don’t like religion: I got into a discussion with a guy from Israel about Natalie Portman’s religion. My first response was very nasty, almost rude. I realised that before sending it, so I deleted it and waited a few days to write a new reply to him, this one based on facts. But it worries me that I, a person who doesn’t care that much about it, got upset and almost lost my manners when talking about it.
So how many reacted to me saying it’s been six months? That’s right, I got to counting, it’s only been five months! Stupid me 🙂
Anyways, so I’ve really gotten used to driving now. I think it’s kinda fun, even sitting in queues in to Stockholm. But there are three huge drawbacks to driving compared to commuting. 1) Money! It’s so expensive driving here, most of all because of the gas! 2) I’ve eliminated the little exercise I used to get, which was walking to the trainstation! c) I hate to sound repetitive, but there’s not that many women to sit and admire. Sure, there’s a couple of them but that’s when you’re reminded that “HEY, you’re DRIVING!”.
(I’m purposly avoiding mentioning anything that happened in the F1 race in Austria)
So summer is here. With a bang! You know what that means, right? Sleepless nights for Kris (don’t know why I have a problem sleeping when it’s warm, I just do), but more importantly, the women are dressing less. I work in the central part of Stockholm this week so I decided to take a stroll around the blocks the other day (I was actually on a mission, more on that in another update) and lets just say I’m glad I wasn’t driving! Some say people who are overly checking out women are insecure about their sexuality… well, I’m not and it’s good to get a confirmation about that a little now and then, considering it’s been… shit, almost six months…
SW Ep. II premieres tomorrow (at midnight actually, 00:01), but I’ve already seen it but just have to go anyway. If not to compensate for the fact I saw the pirate version off the internet, then for the huge bangs duing the asteroid hunt sequence! I’ll be going to the 18.20 showing on thursday at FS Sergel, so if you’re there, please say “hi” 🙂
So I just saw “Spiderman”… I can summon that movie up in one word – ripoff! This movie steals stuff from Grease to Star Wars. But it’s stylish. And when Spiderman saved his damsel in distress I got one more “signs you’re getting old!” – “when those little girls you saw in movies a while back starts playing the babe in today’s movies”.
Let me ellaborate:
The two most talked-about movies right now is “Spiderman” and “Star Wars Episode II”. The first ones has a babe who needs to be saved by her hero. That babe is played by Kirsten Dunst. “Star Wars Episode II” also has a babe who needs to be saved by her hero. That girl is played by Natalie Portman.
FLASHBACK back to 1994, Kirsten Dunst won an MTV award for her part in “Interview with a Vampire” and Natalie was just awesome in “Léon”. So having seen these girls grow up through their movies and now all of a sudden their playing the babes? DUDE, I was seriously checking out Kirsten Dunst’s contribution to the “Best Wet T-shirt”-contest when this thought hit me. Not a pleasent one…
Is it OK or irresponsible not to answer your phone? I asked myself that question yesterday. Yesterday I had bought a new CD player, a toy for my car, a new 80 Gig harddrive and a new 19″ monitor and I was totally busy playing around with everything when my phone rings. And I just say to my self “nah, let it ring”. Is it OK to do that, or is it considered rude not to answer your phone? I don’t have any number display or anything so I have no idea who’s calling, so it’s not personal. It’s just that sometimes I feel like not answering.
Wanna hear something amazing? You’re gonna ! My friend is getting married this summer (that’s not the amazing part!). And on the invitation they specifically said “suit”. If you don’t know me well enough – I NEVER wear a suit. It just isn’t me. I can count the number of times I’ve had a suit (and had an influence in what I wear!) on one hand. But hell, it is his wedding so why not. And just to make sure my almost 6 year old suit doesn’t fit I tried it on the other day. And guess what? Yep, it still fits! How unbelievable is that! I’m the least healthy, sporting, active guy in the world, that combined with my food habits and I shouldn’t fit into something I bought 6 years ago! Then I got to thinking “how cheap is it to use a 6 year old suit”, and I’m torn. It’s in perfect condition so there’s really no need to buy a new one…
Btw, got a great new porno-title for you – “Titney Spheres”. ROTFL! (and believe me, I’m not making that up!)
So I was invited to my friends place for a little BBQ and a small gettogether with some other friends of his. One of which was a single girl that he had tried to play match-maker for, and apparently one of her first questions about me had been “does he have a 6 pack?”, a question that made us both laugh considering the only 6 pack I’ve ever had has been limited to the fridge! I don’t know how serious she was about that but it kinda made me wonder about how much, or little, emphasis girls place in how guys look. I may be able to work up a 6 pack in say a year or so (if I give up the little life outside work I have and spend every free minute in the gym, maybe even require steroids), but it wouldn’t be me! I enjoy the good things (and eating is pretty high up on that list) in life too much to try and get one, not to mention try to keep it!
When it comes to this I also have a pretty good rule – don’t expect anything of anyone that you can’t deliver yourself.