Maybe this feature is something already implemented in ArcGIS 9.2, don’t know, but I’ld love to create a map template where the author can LOCK certain graphic elements such as logos, frames, bars, references, etc.
We often deal with predefined map layouts which must not be changed. Our life would be easier if we could fix positions, colors or sizes of certain layout elements and let other ArcMap users just edit defined layout areas.
Currently if an ArcMap user loads a map template he gains full control over each layout element, which isn’t always the best idea.
It almost took a day to figure out whether Firefox 2.0 is released or not, but now it’s officially announced and Firefox is available for download.
Even people in Redmond noticed that there’s something cooking and sent this cake, un-poisoned.
Released or not released, that’s the question…
If you’re in the mood of celebrating this historic moment, join a Firefox Release Party close to you. There is even one in Vienna, if you happen to be around this area on Saturday.
Btw, unlike earlier versions, Firefox 2 works like a charm on Macs! I’m using it since release candidate #1 and already prefer it over Safari because of its better compatibility to most heavy JavaScript (vulgo AJAX) sites, the possibility to customize it with add-ons and the built-in SVG support.
Only Apple’s Quicktime and Google’s Toolbar cause sometimes trouble.
Sa-kwa, written and directed by Yi-kwan Kang, is a movie about relationships, marriage and yearning for togetherness.
Briefly, it’s a two-hour womans movie.
But, every man should at least watch once a year a womans movie. Firstly to show good intentions, which is certainly always a good idea, and secondly to get some hints on how the irrational species called “woman” thinks. Having seen Sa-kwa I guess I’ve carried out my duty for this year.
While watching this movie I noted that people there, it’s a Korean movie, prefered to sit down next to their sofa on the floor instead of taking place on it. What a strange habit. How come they buy a sofa at all if they never (or rarely) use it…
You start thinking that something might have changed in your life when you suddenly find yourself in the same bar as Mr Grasser, former Austrian minister of finance.
Thanks god, the bar choice resulted from an unexpected early closing hour of another bar in that area.
Even though the interior design is very nice and worth a visit, the suit-density was way too high in there. I bet there is a direct correlation between expenditure on interior design and number of suits (or suit-price categories) within such bars.
Der Kick, written and directed by Andres Veiel, is a movie about the murder of a 16 year old boy by 3 of his friends in a small village close to Berlin.
The movie was planned as documentary but the director didn’t get permission to film the core zone of the case, the 3 murderers and their family. So a documentary not including those people and interviews wouldn’t make any sense and he decided to do a movie in the style of the existing theater-play.
It’s similar to Lars Von Trier’s Dogville or Manderlay. Filmed in a warehouse at night, all characters are played by only two actors, regardless of women or men, young or old, farmer or attorney.
The performance of both actors is just impressive!
The fact that there are only two faces and the same surrounding over the whole movie-length lets you focus on the story. A teenager with a shaved head and a swastika and SS tattoo on it would probably create a kind of antipathy. People would be distracted and hardly listen to what the boy has to say, and they would miss an essential part of the story.
The movie creates a second movie in your head while watching. Best thing that can happen to tell a story, human fantasy is still unbeaten.
Honestly, I expected this one to be sort of long, not to say boring, but it wasn’t at all. It’s definitely one of the most intriguing movies I’ve ever seen: an amazingly strong story presented in an excellent film-work.
It was important to have a discussion with the director right after the screening to sort some things about the village, family and the social environment out.
Otherwise I would’ve left the movie thinking that Eastern Germany must be hell on earth.
Watch the trailer here:
[googlevideo -8284001740930716759]
Thank You for Smoking directed by Jason Reitman, produced by David O. Sacks and based on the novel by Christopher Buckley.
When I grow up, I wanna be lobbyist!
It’s a great black comedy about the tobacco industry, politics, PR and how to manipulate the public opinion. Nick Naylor is doing an excellent job convincing people of keep on smoking, while knowing exactly that smoking is cause of death number one and it’s killing 1.200 people each day. He is the mastermind who protects and fights for the tobacco industry.
Lessons learned: It’s an argument, not a negotiation.
Even though it’s one of the most hilarious movies I’ve seen recently, at the end, it deals a lot with ethics in business. It makes you think about if it’s ok to give up your attitude just for the job?
The movie closes with Nick Nayler giving an advice to 3 nervous acting men:
Look into the mirror and repeat: ‘There is no conclusive scientific evidence linking cell phone usage and brain cancer.’
Watch the trailer here:
[youtube jiPaCBmN6Vs]
Yawarakai seikatsu (It’s only talk) directed by Ryuichi Hiroki.
Oh my god, it’s such a sad movie!
Make sure you don’t have any party plans after, you won’t be in the mood for joking after this one, only for serious talks about life, talks to find out how lucky you are.
It’s a story about a 35 year old woman who suffers from manic depression, caused by several blows of fate in her young life. A miserable, pitiful being who heavily depends on antidepressants. But even then, you can see the rare moments of beauty and happiness in her life – when she discovers Godzilla in the tires park, such a nice heart-warming moment.
A good one. Recommended.
Watch the trailer here:
[youtube UiJr2neapoM]
FON is giving away their routers – La Fonera – for free in Germany and Austria.
Before doing so, I would recommend FON to clearly address the legal situation. User comments of various news articles about this offer are full of doubts and questions of who is held liable if the router IP is the source of a criminal act.
On the English FON site you find a little box about safety and security issues, which basically says that no one can legally use the public FON-router anonymously, it’s restricted exclusively to FON-users. So everyone who logs into the FON-router is at least known by a nickname, and some more information about this nickname should be available at the FON user database (which is not publicly available of course). Therefore, everyone who uses a FON access point can be identified and if something illegal happened it should be possible to track the responsible person down. By analyzing the router log-files, FON and the router-owner can find out who was logged in at a certain date, time, for how long and probably what was done.
If somebody uses the FON router without having a valid FON account it’s the case of burglary I guess, like stealing a car and using it for a bank robbery.
Montag kommen die Fenster (windows on monday) written and directed by Ulrich Köhler.
A movie about our disorientation. The camera work (mostly hand camera I guess, don’t know exactly) lets you be a part of the picture, it lets you live within the movie instead of only watching it. During some scenes I felt like standing right next to the actors. The movie generally feels very natural, with little sound, no music at all (except at the tennis spectacle in the hotel) if I remember correctly.
Lessons learned: life changes. Almost every day. Face it and don’t fear it.
It was somehow the perfect movie for the day I had.
Ilie Năstase, talking about Germany:
You live well, eat well, drink well, fuck well and take tennis to serious.