Click images for desktop size: "Anime Wall" by MangaMan This morning I got an email from an old "friend". Friend is in quotes because a friend probably wouldn't send me an email like this. A "friend" would . . .
The link was to myheitagefiles.com. They've created this rather nifty web app that scans a photo of you and then cross references certain traits to its database of celebrities finally coming up with a percentile based match. Then it will create a short video morphing and combining your and the celebrities portrait I guess to confound you with how little the two of you look alike.
I won't tell my friends name. He clearly has enough shame in his life to deal with. His email had the note, "I bet they match you with Richard Gere!"
Back in the 80's I used to get told I looked a lot like Richard Gere . . . I also got told once I looked like Ronnie Milsap (a country western guy) I guess because we both wore shades on stage.
I used to hate Richard Gere, not personally and not for anything he'd actually done. In fact he's been a pretty outstanding advocate for human rights in Tibet, not the easiest cause to stand up for and oddly not a very popular one. He's calmly and with calm self effacing humor stood proud about his belief in Bhuddism, another not very PR related subject.
I had a friend who worked with closely with him on "Breathless". He said he was a decent guy and much easier to deal with then most celebrity actors.
So I'm at a loss as to why I hate Richard Gere.
Then I remember. "American Gigolo". He became an image and an icon for some creepy stuff. But more to the point I used to love Armani shirts (still do, I guess, just haven't bought any in such a long time that they now seem beyond extravagantly expensive). After "American Gigolo" I couldn't wear an Armani shirt without someone pointing and saying "American Gigolo" or some crack from the movie.
I guess if you're gong to hate someone its best to have an inane and totally trivial reason and logic behind it.
I don't hate the costumer who put Gere into Armani, or even Paul Schrader for okaying that he wear it. I decided to take the cowardly and easy way out and despise the icon for reducing the size of my wardrobe . . .

Click images for desktop size: "First Love" by Romero Britto I was in the studio when one of the women who worked with us told us this story about Gere. Her boyfriend was an emergency doctor at Cedars Sinai and he related to her what she related to me; the mini-scandal about gerbils in rectums.
To my disgrace I felt a grim satisfaction at the shame of my nemesis's embarrassment. That's the price and reward for blind irrational hatred, I think.
Back to my friend's email. I uploaded a rather ugly but handy pic. I watched the web app make a big cool production out of scanning my face and slashing through its database when it came back that the celebrity I most resembled, out of the thousands in their database was . . . Richard Gere . . .
I sent the links to my friend here and to her ever loving credit she couldn't see the resemblance at all.
That is why she is my friend.
That and because she can tolerate a guy who still carries a passionate dislike for a good person who got a job that made me not wear a half dozen shirts . . .

I'm using the latest beta of ecto. Beta 31 . . . and I have to admit that amongst all the constant and sundry changes a few of them actually please me. While I can't break from my "work flow" and stop using MarsEdit for the final touches of my posts ecto is probably the best app going for maintaining Movable Type, WordPress, Drupal etc.
Very cool. I'm happy with it past just wanting it to work and make my life easier. It now is making things much simpler. It has a way to go yet but it is on track and moving ahead quickly.

Yesterday I was pleased to come to the conclusion that I have finally gotten all my blood levels back in check. After this timid conclusion I read an online piece in the New York Times about a recent study that had to end early. It seems that strict and excessive control of blood sugars were causing too many death in the study group . . . I'm on what they call a "strict and excessive control" plan . . .
They ended the study after 4 years because people were dropping dead on them. Way too many.
Spokesmen said that they hadn't analyzed the data yet but were already saying things like, "maybe those people were all sicker than we thought" . . .
They did agree that cholesterol levels and blood pressure are a contributing factor and my blood pressure and cholesterol are all excellent.
I also know that the reason for my "strict etc" plan has more to do with the blood chemistry changes from all the chemo's but its still disquieting hearing about people dying willy nilly because of one of the diseases you're carrying around . . .

Click images for desktop size: "Beware Of Angels" by Illegible Not as disquieting as dying though.

And there's a new movie I'm dying to see this weekend! Turok: Son Of Stone.
Its based on an old comic book I remember from when I was kid. Its done in old school tacky Saturday Morning cartoon style animation but with gore and guys getting limbs cut off!
And its about Indians fighting DINOSAURS! Bow and arrow and a tomahawk against Tyrannosaurus Rex!
Entertainment doesn't get any better than this!
Indians fighting dinosaurs.
Well, at least I'm excited.
I get accused of not liking animation. Most animated movies bore me. I don't like any of the Disney stuff and feel justified since Disney wantonly killed a few dozen PUPPIES to make a turgid thing called "Snow Buddies".
I thought "Hoodwinked" was okay but remember none of those other animated movies had INDIANS. FIghting DINOSAURS!
I bet its great.