Furious 7

proved to be just about everything I had hoped it would be, and then some.  Though I could make cases for both the fifth and the sixth films in the franchise--and this most definitely is now a dream Hollywood franchise--being the best of the group, overall I have to go with Furious 7 as the winner.  If you liked any of the previous films in the series, you will not want to miss this one.

Within the class of summer action blockbuster films, what flaws this movie has boil down to not enough screen time for all the great stars involved.  I would have loved more minutes of Jason Statham, The Rock (Dwayne Johnson), Tony Jaa, and Ronda Rousey, to name but the four most notable folks.  When your biggest complaints about a film, though, are that you wish it gave you even more minutes--and it clocks in at 2:20--you're really searching for flaws.

Now, if we want to evaluate Furious 7 as a serious film, then we would have to critique it for being completely absurd in plot, dialog, and acting--but why would we do that?  If you walk into the theater to see this one, you know what you're in for.

I'm not giving away much by noting that the end of the movie is a loving farewell to Paul Walker, who as all fans know died before they had finished the initial shooting.  Though this segment was obviously and directly designed to yank our emotional chains, it succeeded, and I was genuinely touched by the affection the filmmakers seemed to feel for Walker.  Everyone I spoke with felt the same way.

All during this movie, people throughout the audience were saying "Yes!" and making similar happy comments and noises.  At the film's end, the audience clapped.

If you want a big-time summer action film, run, maybe even race, to Furious 7.

Benchmarks, storage, and C-Mail

Yes, it's another episode of Now with PT.  I've already shown you C-Mail, but a few moments in it crack me up enough that a re-watching won't hurt.



Enjoy.

Say hello to my little friend

Get your mind out of the gutter.

Moving on, I fell in love with this line of refrigerators when I saw them for the first time at the Cayman Cookout, and now, thanks to an amazingly generous birthday present, one sits in my office at PT, chilling cans of Coke Zero for me.

Click the image to see a larger version.

Is not the SMEG a lovely bit of retro-inspired design?

I am very happy to have it as my new office mate.

PT announces a brand-new communication technology

You will not want to miss this amazing leap forward, courtesy of our company, Principled Technologies.




I couldn't be prouder.





Do note the date.

I'm ready for the beach

Today was a beautiful spring day, absolutely lovely, but I am still ready for the beach.  Any warm place with an ocean and sand and no big crowds will do me.

Just sayin'.

Color me excited

Make that super-excited!  Yes, I have entirely too much love for the James Bond films, and now we get to watch the first official trailer for Spectre, the twenty-fourth film in the franchise.



I can't wait to see the movie!

Looking for a job? PT is hiring

Principled Technologies, the company that Bill and I started many years ago, is, in my admittedly biased opinion, a great place to work.  We're now seeking a few different types of folk:

• experienced graphic designer
• entry-level technical staffer
• lead IT specialist
• videographer and motion graphics designer
• writers

If you're interested, you can read more on our careers page.  

As I've said many times, I believe PT has the best team in the world.  If you'd like to be part of it, check out the descriptions of the openings.  If your skills are a match for any of them, contact us by following the instructions there.