LDS Scriptures and General Conference on Nook & Nook Simple Touch

I recently purchased a Nook Simple Touch (which can be found here) and am adoring it!  But, I will wait to do a full review after I own it for about a month. 

I couldn't really find a straightforward article on how to put the LDS Scriptures, General Conference, or the manuals on the device, so I thought I would share my research. 

First of all, it's important to note that the Nook does its best work with EPUB files.  So, if you want you find something for the Nook, the best way to do it is by getting a copy with in Adobe's EPUB format.  The scriptures/conference/manuals can be found at this link in epub format: http://lds.org/manual/epub?lang=eng

Second, I have found that the best way to transfer the files over with Windows or Mac (untested) is via a program called Calibre (can be downloaded at http://calibre-ebook.com/).  It's a pretty straightforward process, and they have a great tutorial there on how to do it: you just drag your epub files over to the library list in the application and then they are added to your available library.  Then you plug in your Nook to said computer and it will automatically recognize it on its listed device page.  Right click on the epub book, and send it to your device, which should be labeled as 'NOOK'. 

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. 

Cheers.

Review: Anonymous

When I first heard of this film, I really wanted to see it.  I adore Shakespeare and I adore well done period pieces.  But, when the reviews came out as being more or less lackluster, I held off.  So, 3 weeks after its release I finally saw it.
The story is absolutely enthralling.  I deliberately decided to ignore any historical inaccuracies (there were plenty) because that seems to be the common concensus as to why critics were so divided on the film.  It really was well thought out and even brilliant at times with how they incorporated many of the plays with the manipulating of the mob mentality of Elizabethan London. 
The acting was hit and miss.  But, when it was a hit, it was a HIT.  Rhys Ifans--best known for his comedic performance in Notting Hill as the bumbling, half-naked roommate of Hugh Grant's character,--delivers a grand slam of a performance.  As does most of the nobility roles.  The Ben Johnson character seemed very forced to me, although his delivery in one of the many climaxes of the movie was very moving. 
The music was really quite good, although it felt out of place at parts.
The directing felt a little jumbled and less than polished.  Right off I could offer a number of suggestions that I feel would have helped the film remarkably.  But, I also give props to Roland Emerich (best known for Independence Day) for putting together such a great drama in his first try; as I understand it, this was his first foray into a non-action genre.
Over I give it a 4.25/5.  Like I said, brilliant in so many ways, but less than polished in others.

Cheers.

Why I use a five star system...

So, it has baffled many a people (myself included) why many film critics use a 4-star rating system instead of a 5-star one.  Michael Medved, Roger Ebert, etc. all use quad-star system.  As it turns out, the precedent for using a non-4-star ratings was brought on by the advent of the internet.  Sites like IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes/Flixter have broken convention with their rating systems.  And I guess the reason that I use a 5-star system is because I rate every film I see on Rotten Tomatoes/Flixter, and that is the method they provide.  So, in case you were wondering, this is why I use the 5-star rating system.  Cheers.

Xbox 360 HDMI 720p problem (solution)

Well, I've joined the HDTV revolution, finally.  I know, I'm late in the game.  But this is mostly due my wife and I being extremely frugal.  So, I bought a 720p Westinghouse 22 inch, floor model.  It's pretty nice but in hooking up my XBox 360 to it via an HDMI cable it would have approx 1 second of music and picture and then turn blank.  The controller would sometimes work and sometimes wouldn't.  So, after researching for about a half hour I found out that microsoft is ridiculous (I should've suspected this from the beginning).  Turns out that whenever you connect an HDMI cable to it, it automatically goes to 1080p output, which of course was too much for my television to handle thus causing my symptoms. 

There are is one solution to fix this, but a few ways to go about it.  What you need to do is to go into the system settings/console settings/HDTV settings and switch it to whatever resolution is necessary (whether it be 1080i or 720p, etc.).  The first way to change this is to go in blind; there are a few tutorials out there of how to do this, but they didn't work for me, so I will give my own:

1. Turn on console VIA the controller
2. Wait approx 30 seconds
3. push the 'X' middle button on the controller ONCE
4. Wait another 10 seconds to let it fully come up
5. Push RIGHT (2) times
6. Push DOWN (3) times
7. Push A (1) time
8. Wait another 5 seconds
9. Push A (3) times
10. Push UP (1) time for 1080i, UP (2) times for 720p, or UP (3) times for 480p
11. Press A (1) time

This should produce the result you want. 

Of course the EASIEST solution is to find a 1080p television that you can use (there are several where I work), connect your XBOX to it, and then change the settings to whatever you need it to be.  I tested it and it saves your setting even when turn it off and unplug it.  I am now playing as Batman in HD bliss.

Another note is that you can't get to the HDTV settings VIA a yellow AV cable being connected.  So, Microsoft MAKES you do this blindly. 

Anyways,
Cheers

AMAZING

Review: Larry Crowne

I honestly don't know a single person that doesn't like Tom Hanks. He's been in some of the best movies of the last 30 years, and so you'd expect his latest to be really good. Well...it wasn't. He co-wrote and directed it, which I thought would have been great like his last directorial adventure, That Thing You Do. The plot holes were the size of the college campus his character attended. It really wasn't very realistic. Was it funny? Yes. Was it cute? Yes. Was it cohesive? Heck No. 2.5/5 stars.

Review: Transformers 3

So, I'm a geek. If you didn't know that, then I have no idea how you found this blog because you obviously haven't met me. Was Dark Side of the Moon pure geek Nirvana? HECK YES. It had a beautiful leading lady (a huge step up from Megan Fox on the likability scale), the right amount of explosions, amazing special effects, and even the 3D was spectacular (I'm not usually a fan of 3D movies). The writing was so much better than the 2nd film. I loved this movie. Maybe it's just the kid in me, but watching this was an amazingly enjoyable experience. If you liked the first film, you will adore this one. 4/5 stars. Definitely a keeper, IMO.

Review: Cars 2

Overall, it was a great movie. When compared to the standard Pixar sets, it was awful. But, it was fun when compared to this summer's offering of lackluster entertainment. 3 out of 5 stars.

Review: X-Men First Class

I wanted to like this movie. I really did. In preparation for it I watched all 3 of the previous films (excluding the Wolverine Movie), which was probably a mistake. There was such a lack of realism in First Class that the first two (X-Men and X2) had in rich abundance. Also, I found Magneto's 'out-of-nowhere' change of heart at the end to be completely unbelievable and disingenuous. So, I give it a 2.5/5 stars. It could have been great, but it just didn't deliver.

Review: Kung Fu Panda 2

Best movie of the year so far! Much darker than the first, but twice as heartfelt and funny. In a ridiculously mediocre summer of movies, this one stands out as a diamond in the rough. 5/5 stars. Highly recommended.

Review: Green Lantern

So, it's pretty well known that I am a Green Lantern fanatic. So, combine that with some early footage and you get some pretty high expectations. It didn't deliver with those high expectations, but it was a fun movie. The acting was great and the special effects were fantastic. I loved the overall theme of the movie: Overcoming Great Fear. There was some awful writing, and the pacing was just disdainful.

Overall, I enjoyed it to the tune of 4/5. But if you look at the overall cinematic quality, it probably deserves about a 2.5 or 3.

Movie of the Week...Changeling

True Story + period piece + Clint Eastwood = what's not to love. Well, the moral content of this film is very disturbing. It's about the Wineville chicken coup murders back in 1928-29, and supposedly J. Michael Strazinski (the screenwriter) can provide citations for 95% of the script. It's beautifully shot, amazingly acted, and one of the more disturbing films I've ever seen. There is a scene where you see a silhouette of a man brutally murdering a child; this was too much for me probably because I'm a parent and have grown extremely sensitive. Overall 4/5 stars.

NPR Bias...

NPR has been all over the news the last few weeks. This is mostly because of the current House of Representatives are suggesting that we defund NPR altogether. Sure, they get less than 3% of their money from the federal government, but the principle is that we as taxpayers shouldn't be forced to support a news station that doesn't represent all viewpoints. In voicing my support for this defunding, I was asked by a dear friend to provide proof that they provide an unbalanced view. So, here we go.
Most don't know this, but I spent the first year and a half of my married life as a data entry specialist. This means that I spent my entire work day doing nothing but mindless typing, which allowed me to listen to anything I wanted. And what did I listen to? Mostly NPR. I was not in a position in the building that I couldn't get AM stations, and I despised the radio stations in Tucson. So, I listened to NPR the majority of the time at work.
I can safely say that Morning Edition and All Things Considered are pretty standard news broadcasts. But, in between are almost all editorial shows. And they aren't balanced editorial shows either. Talk of the Nation (now called the politically correct term 'Talk of the World') is hosted by a blatantly liberal host. He never gave Bush a fair shake, always stating his opinion as fact. Then there is Fresh Air. The host had many anti-religion and even anti-Mormon guests on, without ever ONCE having an apologist to Mormonism on. I can give specific examples and dates if the reader would like them.
So, It's not that I mind that people have opinions. In fact, I love good debate! But, that's not what NPR represents. During the 2008 primary season they had ONE Republican candidate on, whereas they had almost all of the Democratic candidates. You call that balanced? No! It's editorialized journalism. They don't deserve a penny of MY money. If they would even try to be balanced, I would be a little more sympathetic.

Subway versus Jimmy John's...Fight!

I have purchased food from both places within the last week and I will tell you my experience with both.

Service: They are almost always kinder at Jimmy John's. And the funny thing is that most of the employees seem to be enjoying themselves, which makes a person ordering food happier as well.

Speed of food deliverance: I'm talking about how quick from ordering your food to when you get it. Subway really should high some efficiency consultants. It is awful there! There were only two people in front of me, and it still took almost ten minutes from when I walked in to when I got my food. Contrast with Jimmy's: I walked in, put in my order, sat down to write a text, and then my food was ready! Not to mention how quick Jimmy John's is at to-your-door delivery, which is something that subway will never do.

Quality of food: no comparison. Jimmy John's wins out every time! It just tastes and feels more fresh.

Price: The price is a little better at Subway, but not by much.

Overall: No comparison. I would MUCH rather spend an extra dollar for a better sandwich, better service, and faster service.

Movie of the Week: The Truman Show

This movie is perfect. It's amazing to watch the film because of Jim Carey and his range as an actor. You can't even tell that he's a comedian in this role.
Peter Weir (one of the unsung directors of Hollywood with hits like Master and Commander, Dead Poet's Society, etc.) did an amazing job putting this story together and creating the world in which Truman lives. It's fascinating to watch the special features: the actors think that the story is just commentary on reality TV as opposed to what Mr. Weir understood about the movie. It's a story about free choice and whether or not Truman is really free in this 'perfect' world that was created for him. There's a reason that the 'Creator' of the world is called Christof (Christ-off or Anti-Christ).
Overall, a very thought provoking film that is superbly acted, amazingly scripted, and beautifully scored. 5 out of 5. Well played, Peter Weir!

I Am Number Four...is almost a 4 out of 5

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
It is most certainly considered a 'teen' movie, but don't let that turn you off! Unlike certain other recent teen fantasy films, there is no brooding and absolutely no sparkling. It very much reminded me of the first season of Buffy, the Vampire Slayer: not necessarily a polished product, but has very strong potential and very good characters.
The story was also wonderful. It really wasn't predictable in the way that most fantasy films are these days. This franchise has a ton of potential.
Overall, I recommend it if you have any inclination towards the teen movie genre.

Movie of the Week: Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade

What a valentines treat! My wife was willing to watch this, one of my favorite films of all time, with me as our Valentine's activity.
It's hard to say that that this is Spielberg's finest, because he has directed such a fine array of films over the years. But, because of the content of the story, this remains my favorite of his. It's spiritual, heartfelt, family oriented, action-packed, and hilarious!
There are three scenes/sequences that really define the heart of the this movie and show why I love it so much.
First, there's the beginning scene where young Indy (wonderfully played by the tragically deceased River Phoenix) finds a group of tomb raiders and self-righteously takes it upon himself to make sure the Cross they are stealing gets to a museum. The most fascinating part of this 'ride' that Spielberg takes us on is the character actor they get to play the head tomb raider: he is wearing the exact fedora and bomber jacket that Indy himself wears later in life. The fellow even tries to act and nuance like Mr. Harrison Ford! This shows such a great contrast to his father who is nothing like the adventure-driven archaeologist we have come to know and love. It's as if we are being told that Indy got the brilliant bookworm knowledge from his father, but his swashbuckling attitude/thirst from somewhere else.
Second is the scene where Indy and his father are about to go to Berlin to get the diary. At this point Indy takes our Lord's name in vain, and his father slaps him followed soon thereafter with the phrase: "That's for blasphemy." The ensuing conversation about why they need to find the Grail shows that it IS much more black and white than any other adventure they have been on before. This really hits home for me, because at this point Indy starts taking things much more seriously. This is no longer a random adventure like a James Bond movie: It's for keeps. This scene and along with the book burning in the next scene touched emotions in me so (both good and ill).
The final scene that defines the picture was when Indiana was about to fall to his death, trying to reach the Grail. At this point his father is trying to pull him up, and without success. Finally his father calls him, for the first time, "Indiana." This gets his attention and seals their rocky relationship with a bond of love that even the life-long obsession of Henry Sr. (The Holy Grail) cannot get in the way.

Overall I really do have to give this a perfect 5/5 stars. It still remains at the top of my list with The Two Towers and Miracle.

Movie of the Week: Million Dollar Baby

I have to give it a 4/4 stars. All the acting, in particular Hillary Swank, is beyond superb. There's a reason that this swept the Oscars in 2004.
The story is touching, although the ending is a little sad for my taste. I have a difficult time swallowing the choice that is made, but I guess some people just feel that this is their only choice. Obviously I have a different perspective, with my views on the purpose of life being very different.
This is the epitome of why Clint Eastwood is my favorite director. It's sooooo beautifully shot. I just can't enough of anything that this man creates!