I found myself reading a web page called A Tutorial Introduction to GNU Emacs just a bit ago. I just had it in my head that I need to start using a real editor and not vi (or kate). So I thought to myself "Maybe I'll take a look at emacs again; it's been like 10 years since I last looked at it..."

I'm not sure what is happening to me, but I fear this change.

I wish I could propose legislation. I would offer a bill which states that if anyone within the United States wishes to adapt a comic book character into a movie, they must first consult with Christopher Nolan and David Goyer, or they won't be allowed to make their movie.

Backing up, I was casting about for something to do today and decided to go out, get a hamburger and read a book. And then for lack of anything better to do after I'd exhausted those fine mid-day activities, I walked into the theater to catch the next showing of Batman. It's kind of nice to be able to walk into a theater and not really have to care about making plans or anything. You just look up at the marquee, look at your watch, and pick a showing. I got lucky and only had to wait like 20 minutes. There's a silver lining everywhere, even in bored loneliness. But I digress...

Batman Begins absofuckinglutely rocks. It kicks all manner of ass.

The best part was that it focused more on the psychological origins than anything else; the battle between the bad guys and Batman is actually a sort of side story. I can't be the only one that always wonders things like "Where'd he come up with the cape, anyway?" when they see a comic book movie. This movie really did a great job of explaining those sorts of origins. Belief needed little suspension.

Another really cool part is that there aren't any super powers in the movie at all. Refreshing. And that extends to the last few lines in the movie. More twisted minds are to come, I hope. I'd say more but I'd spoil the surprise.

But the best part was that there were no nipples to be found anywhere, unlike some other incredibly lame Batman movie I will not name. Well, no nipples unless you count Katie Holmes, I guess.

Who was the only not-so-great part of the movie, incidentally. There's something about her lop-sided facial expression (yes, she just has the one) that really annoys me. Did she have, like, a left cheek accident as a child which left it paralyzed or something? Because a smirk does not acting make. She uses that one single half-grin like Julia Roberts uses a weepy eye, and it gets old after the first 20 minutes.

'Course, what do I know? They're both rich and famous, so they must be doing something right, one-trick ponies or not. Maybe Xenu will help even poor Katie out. Julia, I think, is too far gone. People have come to expect the tearing up from her.

Wy gave me an idea for a domain name during an IM session yesterday:

wee@hostname:~$ whois gunsandmeat.com

Whois Server Version 1.3

No match for "GUNSANDMEAT.COM"

I'm all about guns and meat...

I'm staying up way too late. And for keyboards. I think I may have a problem... But check out the mboard that pimps! That's just so completely... boss. I'm humbled and in awe.

I might have to mod one of my Model Ms. Like use tri-color LEDs and then set them each up to go through it's color cycle sequentially when CPU load goes up. Or as a VU meter with my MP3 software or something. No harmful-to-vision UV LEDs, though.

Dan's got a new article about clicky keyboards going. It's pretty good reading from Dan, as always.

He came across a site called Clicky Keyboards. It looks like part museum, part antique keyboard store. The buyer's guide is especially helpful. I really liked their identification chart. I've got something like a dozen Model M keyboards, so it's nice to know the Lexmarks from the older Scottish-built IBMs.

One of the best finds from Dan's article was this little adapter. It's apparently reliable enough to allow the PS2 connect on the old IBMs to hook up to a modern day USB port without issues. I'm going to have to pick up a few of them (I'll definitely need one if I ever get a Mac). The PS2 port is going to die for good at some point soon, regardless of platform.

All this means the spare 1984-era Model M languishing in a box near my feet can finally make it on over to my machine at work (via the USB-only KVM that sits between the input peripherals and the desktop PC and laptop docking station). My cubemates are going to love me. Maybe I ought to take over the quieter 71G4644 version instead. If anyone gives me crap about having a loud keyboard, I'll bring the really clicky one that I would have otherwise brought in and give them a choice between the two. See? I decided on that particular quieter one because I was thinking of their needs!

At any rate, wrist and finger numbness from a long day at work are over. woot!

UPDATE: The site had a link to the patent for the buckling spring mechanism used in the Model M keyboards. That would be United States Patent #4,118,611: BUCKLING SPRING TORSIONAL SNAP ACTUATOR to you and me. Here is how it all works.

I also found a link on how to clean them. They thoughtfully included a set of "Model M pr0n" links, saving me from the trouble of doing so.

You could say that I'm a snap actuator fan..

Google was serving something called Hanger Steak in the cafe the other day. I'm used to seeing fish I've never heard of before, but I thought I knew all the cuts of beef. I was guessing the hanger steak was near the skirt. Turns out that I was pretty close. Meat porn!

Penn Jillette and his wife named their new baby daughter Moxie CrimeFighter. Penn is just too cool...

I happened to see today that Verizon has this new service/product called Fios. Fifty bucks a month for 15mbps downstream? I think I could handle that...

If you haven't seen The Brick Testament yet, go over and have a look. It's time well spent.