And now, for something completely different [ii]

Nigel Farage harangues EU President Herman van Rompuy

Hulk Vs [2009]

Or two for the price of one:

Hulk Vs is a 2009 direct-to-video animated film from Marvel Animation and Lionsgate, featuring the Incredible Hulk in two short film battles, one against Wolverine, the other against Thor.

Keep reading the Wiki entry here, or the IMDb one here.
Oh, and of course, this is the Hulk Vs. hub at Marvel.com.

I seriously liked the Wolverine one better, despite [or because?] of its shorter duration. Amusing.

A Lesson on How to Clean Unwanted Puddles: the Romanian Janitorial Style

If you used to think that indoor unwanted puddles may only be removed with the help of a mop and a bucket, then you're in for a surprise. And, admittedly, so was I.
First time I've seen this - a couple of weeks ago - I thought it an isolated and something of an amusing event. I smiled on the inside [or at least that's how I meant it] and walked on.
But then, to my disbelief, I've seen it again. And again. And today, again.
What's the big mystery here? - Well, being the kind and sharing soul that I am, I'll tell you what: there seems to be a different way of cleaning puddles in, say, shopping malls, than the one referred to in my first sentence on top.
What, you ask? - It's called [... I s'ppose..] something along the lines of 'brooming it around'.
How does it work? - This is the funky part: instead of a mop, one uses a broom. And no bucket whatsoever is needed. Instead of getting the water together in one single recipient, one spreads the water around, in circles the sizes of which keep growing and, at times, modifying.
But, you'll ask, doesn't that take an awful lot of time? - Well, sure. But what should the janitors spend their time doing anyway? Isn't this way better than .. well, than anything else?! It can easily take up half an hour to one or two full hours, depending on the size of the puddles and the technique of them who broom them around. So, how cool is that!?

P.S. This, so that I no longer have complaints saying that I never write of anything useful: Here it is! :D

On the Romanian Postal Services, With a Twist

Over the last couple of months, there have been several occasions when I've been meaning to make a note of the how annoyingly slow and sloppy the Romanian Postal Services are*, and just how much that bothers me, by getting in the way of my pursuing the Postcrossing path.
I only didn't write anything sooner because I was busy with many other items topping my To Do's, and that just didn't seem to be worth it. Plus, there were just so many other things to rant about, really.

.... And then, this very week, as my levels of annoyance were reaching some sort of a record, all of a sudden, my cards start arriving! On time! A couple of them, in 2-4 days! A-mazing, really! Even more so, as no particular explanation is available as of yet. Further investigation to be undertaken.

* Now, what do I mean by slow? I mean cards such as this one, taking almost 40 days to each another European country.
And what do I mean by sloppy? I mean having to re-send almost one quarter to one third of the cards that I had sent initially, because the first batch never made it. That was -and is, for that matter- quite annoying. And it happened in particular in relation to cards I sent to Russia, China or Ukraine.

Duplicity [2009]

When I first started to watch this last night, I knew it all seemed familiar somehow, but couldn't really put my finger on it until some time after the first 15 minutes. Obviously, Duplicity reminded me of Mr. & Mrs. Smith, 4 years later, only without any weaponry and with plenty of dialogues and interrupted time frames for compensation, i.e. keeping the rhythm up. Which was not a bad thing.

The screenplay’s the thing in Duplicity, Tony Gilroy’s bleak but breezy exercise in storytelling sophistication. About corporate espionage and the globe-hopping escapades of high-class sexgod megastars (Clive Owen and Julia Roberts), the film, unlike Gilroy’s previous Michael Clayton, is less concerned with exposing a moralistic portrait of a corrupted culture than with testing how complexly constructed a narrative can be before the center cannot hold and things fall apart. Gilroy cross-cuts between incongruous temporal planes, he leaks essential information gradually, he upends what we think we know with flashbacks, and he persistently realigns the character’s loyalties. The story’s joints creak under that kind of pressure, those gutsy narrative demands, but Gilroy’s serviceable direction manages to keep together the precision-crafted machine—his scriptopuzzle. And the film’s pleasures derive from watching him get away with it, from watching it unfold successfully.

Curious? Keep reading the Cinepinion review here. Or just take a look at the trailer:

Coraline [2009]

This is the second feat I explore in the recently acclaimed Cool New Way of selecting films, as I first got fascinated with Coraline's soundtrack and then decided to watch it. And sorry I feel not, as this is exactly the sort of tale that I am currently open to ingesting:

The mescaline-trip-tinged Coraline is like Pan’s Labyrinth without the self-serious pretense to prestige. Director Henry Selick’s first return to stop motion animation in 13 years (and his first full non-Monkeybone movie without Tim Burton’s guiding hand) centers on the title character, a little girl bored both by her relocation to a baroque, off-the-map manor and her inattentive parents, who won’t indulge her adventurous spirit. Serendipitously, she discovers a small, wallpapered-over door in her gray, unfurnished living room; though bricked-up by day, by night it leads to an other-dimensional Wonderland, opening onto a rabbit-hole-ish portal, a fleshy touch-tunnel reminiscent of the birth canal. It’s as though she’s crawling back into the womb...

Keep tuning in to the Cinepinion review on top, or taste a different take here.

Angels and Demons [2009]

I'm ill. Really, I am.
This should be enough of an explanation.
Now, for the practical details:

Angels & Demons is a 2009 American film adaptation of Dan Brown's novel by the same name. It is the sequel to The Da Vinci Code, even though the novel Angels & Demons was published first and takes place before the novel The Da Vinci Code. Filming took place in Rome, Italy, and the Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, California. Tom Hanks reprises the lead role of Robert Langdon, while director Ron Howard, producer Brian Grazer, composer Hans Zimmer and screenwriter Akiva Goldsman also return.

Read about it on the IMDb here or, should you prefer it, on Wiki here.

And now, for something completely different: Good news!

1. From the buzz of it, I'm not the only one who thinks that the over-100.000 stray dogs currently roaming the streets of Bucharest are an issue [esp. at night time, when in packs larger than 3-4]; the city's authorities, namely its Mayors, are/ have been [recently] talking this over with an eye on suggesting legislative changes in this respect: in particular insofar as the dogs' presumed owners are concerned, particularly those who allow them to roam the streets freely at night and commiserate in their predator-style packs. Very well, thinks me, this is a laudable initiative, and I can't but hope that it might instil some [even if only remote] social responsibility at a certain level.


2. My building's manager let me know, in a more than speedy shut of the door last night, that my downstairs neighbours will be moving out, Yay! No, seriously, this is awesome news for now, and I can't but hope that it will happen asap, as in any such situation the sooner is for the better. It's only been a week since their last shouting party now, and those certainly won't be missed.

3. All contents of my wallet except for the pecuniary bits have been retrieved and are now back in my possession, starting this evening. I haven't been told how did the fortunate event get to occur but I was thrilled to understand that I will be spared a bunch of [more] time, energy and money spent on getting my driver's license done all over again. And the joy extended upon sight of a bunch of other personal valuables. The new challenge? I will, as of Wednesday, own not one, but two ID cards! Doesn't that open a new world of possibilities right there, hé?

On Globalisation Etcetera

Should this not have happened to me, in front of my own eyes and as heard by my own ears, the likelihood of my believing it would have dramatically tended towards er,.. none. But that was not the case.
The case was [and still is, for that matter] that it is, in fact, possible for a twenty-something Romanian to nonchalantly peruse through a series of positions regarding globalisation, ranging from 'oh, who cares about Nelson Mandela, anyway?!' to 'truth be told, I think colonialism was a very good enterprise indeed', to 'well, what did those colonised peoples have to offer the World anyway?! they were So Uncivilised', and finally to 'well, okay, but I don't really care much about globalisation anyway, and whatever goes on outside the boundaries of my home country isn't really relevant to me at all.' [for the record: this last bit being said somewhere towards the end of our interaction]

And that, Dear Reader/s, is a shocking stance to me, particularly as it's been spoken by a relatively well-travelled youngster, who shops at Bucharest's malls from those global companies producing clothes and the likes with the 'help' of them 'So Uncivilised' nations. Feel free to correct me here. Dear Hypocrisy, blessed seems to be thy name. Right? Wrong! So wrong, Dead wrong, Nelson Mandela wrong, if I may!..
And for the love of [insert_really_important_name_or_reference_here], this was happening in a multinational company. Ahem, right there. And no one had anything to add to that. Except for the silence.

Just trying to cope with the BBC news headlines these days.

1. Dutch cabinet collapses in dispute over Afghanistan.
2. US officials are investigating whether the crash, involving a plane piloted by Joseph Andrew Stack, was a deliberate attack on a tax office.
3. Portugal rushes aid to Madeira after deadly floods.
4. China anger at Dalai Lama-Obama meeting.
5. Russian ex-police boss gets life for supermarket murder.
6. Brothel remark Irish defence minister O'Dea resigns.
7. Far-right Czech Workers' Party to challenge court ban.
8. No Kenya crisis, says President Mwai Kibaki.
9. Women at war: How roles are changing.
10. Thousands rally in support of Niger coup.
11. ICC: Guinea killings 'crime against humanity'.
12. Rwandan capital Kigali hit by deadly grenade attacks.
13. Several dead in Ivory Coast clashes.

A Serious Man [2009]

Here's a film where

[...] the Coens compare humanity’s relationship-to-God to a rooftop antenna: just as the Gopniks can’t get F Troop to come through clearly, so too is humanity receiving a garbled signal they can’t decipher. Why does God supply us with the potential to ask questions when he won’t give us any answers? Why is he penalizing us when we haven’t done anything wrong? (The Coens find a brilliant symbol for this in the Columbia Record Club, which keeps charging you for albums precisely because you haven’t done anything.) The brothers cloak their bleak theology in the cover of comedy, but the pain and injustice of a world in which God only takes and does not give—in which he punishes the seemingly unoffending—is clear and deep.

Or at least that's the Cinepinion review, here.
It's been a film to keep me eyes wide open despite the Friday night tiredness, and that in itself is a mighty important merit.

In the Open: Moldova Trans-Dniester region in Russia missile offer

Moldova's breakaway region of Trans-Dniester has reacted to US plans for a missile defence shield by offering to host new Russian missiles.
The US wants to base elements of its missile defence shield in neighbouring Romania and Bulgaria - much to Russia's concern.
Trans-Dniester leader Igor Smirnov said Russia had not yet asked it to be a host but any request would be approved.
Trans-Dniester is already home to Russian troops and an arms dump.
The Trans-Dniester region declared independence from Moldova in 1991.

Keep reading Nick Thorpe's correspondence on the BBC page, here.

Presenting Sugru in 2 Easy-to-watch Vids

Eager to learn more? Here's the web link.

Too Tired for Words

There are no regular posts now because there's no regularity in my life; I'm tired and sometimes angry and frustrated, seldom mildly sad, and a bunch of other stuff that are not inducing to writing; I stopped watching films for some time now; and the book is going really really REALLY slowly.
I gave myself a couple of inspired pats on the back, but not much more.
There's a lot of solitude and plenty of tiredness and still a lot of work to be done for readjusting to so many things.
I miss many things, moments, habits and you, people.
Perhaps tomorrow will be more coherent. This is all that today can be: a washed-up splash of reality's colours.
This is the repetitive accompanying tune to go by.

Skiing in Bucharest

Software taking on hardware,... once more?

Google introduced a new product dubbed Google Buzz on Tuesday that allows users to quickly share messages, Web links and photos with friends and colleagues directly within Gmail, the company's popular email product.

Read the entire Reuters feat here, or just check out the Buzz, here.
It's now trending on twitter, so if you're curious about the details, have a look.

An Other Update.

Ref: Schmap Paris Tenth Edition: Photo Inclusion

Hi [me],

I am delighted to let you know that your submitted photo has been selected for inclusion in the newly released tenth edition of our Schmap Paris Guide:
Cluny Museum
If you use an iPhone or iPod touch, then this same link will take you directly to your photo in the iPhone version of our guide. On a desktop computer, you can still see exactly how your photo is displayed and credited in the iPhone version of our guide at: Cluny Museum.
Thanks so much for letting us include your photo - please enjoy the guide!

Best regards,
[named] Editor, Schmap Guides

[to be continued..]

Yesterday's interaction with the authorities has been brief and unsatisfying; after the compulsory (?) 1h wait, I was sent back to procure 'the original' [i.e. a new document] certifying that my parents agree that I live in their house. And this, my friends, might not have been much of a big deal if the starting situation had been different. But as we stand, and as I've explained the lady behind the desk several times, it's the exact same office of the authorities that owns 'the original' certificate, which I had given them 4 years ago, for pretty much the same reason: new Id request. And yes, I find this absurd: Do legal acts stop producing legal effects once the original document had been archived? Because I'm not convinced by this point. If the time duration of the named certificate is unspecified, shouldn't this suggest that it produces legal effects until revoked? Or something along those lines?
Yes, I was angry. I still am, for that matter. And yes, this is still absurd to me.
Do tell if it makes more sense to you.

Identity-challenged

This is a time when I should be studying up grammar for my upcoming exam, and instead I'm here making notes of last week. But noted it needs be.
Having my identity challenged has been the supreme feat:
It all started on Sunday afternoon, when my wallet disappeared along the way between the florist's and my aunt and uncle's house. A 10 minutes walk which had been scrupulously scrutinised for the remainder of the afternoon and night. End-result: nothing. Nada. Zilch. Not once had I imagined I would be scooping rubbish bins that weekend, nor that it would amount to nothing once it happened.
Missing: my ID, driver's license, 2 debit cards, money for paying up the house's bills [yes, a significant amount], and a bunch of highly personal highly emotionally-charged memorabilia.

The next day came along with calls from unknown numbers, which I had missed, and kept regretting - thinking that they might have been from either the Police or some unknown benefactor who could've possibly found my stuff. But no; the truth surged on Tuesday, when it became clear that my family had been the one playing pranks on me. [no comment, really, as none's needed at this point.]

It was also on Monday that I found out that, whereas my passport is good enough to identify me for bank purposes for the Romanian Commercial Bank, that does not apply in the case of the Romanian Development Bank.
And then, the walks to the Police headquarters started: every day putting together one more piece of info, hoping that it might be the day I could submit my papers for having my ID redone. By the way, that didn't happen as yet, and I hope to be able to make it happen tomorrow.

In a different vein, this thread had also been pursed at my new workplace, where 'the System' [huh?!] couldn't process my data, therefore not allowing for my access to 'the System', therefore restricting my... well, everything: from owning a badge to help me move around to an account and its associated password, to everything else having to do with a normal employee's daily endeavours.
What's more, the team I've just joined had already had 2 other persons going by the same first name and the same nickname as myself. And being the newcomer meant struggling to find a different nick, which I dreaded and still do, as it drives me utterly insane. It's my name, okay?! This is how I've been called for years now, and I don't want to have to change that just because I'm the newest one in the department really. Does this make any sense to you? Yeah, to me neither.

By Friday afternoon, 'the System' was finally able to accept and start processing my existence and its implications for its working. But that didn't fully sort out my identity issues. More time, more creativity and more patience will be required for that.