Marius Bancila’s Blog

Chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken chicken. On in other words, this is one of the most funniest presentations I’ve ever seen.

Finally I managed to scan some printed pictures from Seattle. During the party at the Experience Music Project, some of us had some fun on stage. Here is the proof of performing “We Will Rock You” on stage. From left to right, ovidiucucu, gstercken, Marc G, me, VictorN and Brad.

And this time VictorN, Marc G and myself.

We had a lot of fun!

As it became a tradition, Google made a few April Fool’s Day jokes. Here is a list of the best ones:

• Virgle, http://www.google.com/virgle/index.html
• AdSense for conversations, http://adsense.blogspot.com/2008/04/introducing-adsense-for-conversations.html
• GMail Custom Time (this one rocks!), http://mail.google.com/mail/help/customtime/index.html
• Google Calendar Wake up Kit, http://www.google.com/googlecalendar/new_wakeup.html
• Google Books Search Smell, http://booksearch.blogspot.com/2008/04/google-book-search-now-smells-better.html
• Google Weblogs, http://buzz.blogger.com/2008/04/announcing-google-weblogs-beta.html
• Google Talkabout, http://googletalk.blogspot.com/2008/03/google-talk-goes-green.html

Microsoft did a very good joke also. Channel9 featured an interview with Brian Beckman on “Project Quark”, about a quantum computer developed at Microsoft.

http://channel9.msdn.com/Showpost.aspx?postid=394477

There is a very interesing fiction story by Cory Doctorow published on radoronline.com called SCROOGLED. It’s about Google going evil and allowing the US Department of Homeland Security to use Google information for catching “bad guys”. A US version of “political police”, a 21st century version of Stasi and other oppressive security organizations. Or if you like, a just another version of Orwell’s Big Brother. But I would not be surprized to hear that in a couple of years the fictions will turn into reality. It worth reading!

PS: Big Brother is wathing you…

Tonight (or should I say tomorrow), one minute past midnight the latest and last book of the Harry Potter saga, called “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” will be released. But I’m sure you already knew that. Will Harry defeat the evil Lord Voldemort? Will he survive the endeavour? Obviously, the author is not saying anything. Todays, she’s baking a cake. While the fans across the world are baking too to grab the book and read it. I believe Harry will not die. She simply cannot kill the boy. There are too many million kids around the world idolizing the book, and the (not-so-little-any-more) wizard. She simply cannot take him from them. But Hermione will die. That’s my prediction. Let’s wait and see if I’m right.

My girlfriend already bought the book for me, I only hope to find the time to read it as soon as possible. Yeah, that’s right. I’m a fan too.

ATTENTION:  MOVIE SPOILER!

Last night I’ve seen Pirates of the Caribbeans: At World’s End, the last of movie of series and I haven’t been that disappointed in a movie for years. First and foremost it sends the wrong message, especially to children: being pirate is great. In this series the good guys are actually bad, and the bad guys are good. Depicted as romantic heros, the pirats are a symbol of freedom, couraje and honour. They make our kids that see the movies or play with the toys to think like that. They failed to show anything of the true nature of pirates. And then Disney fights media piracy. If you download the movie from the net and don’t buy the original DVD they label you as a media pirate, fight you, and if possible make you pay for it. What a hypocrisy!

As for the movie itself, after the 1 billion sales of the second, they could have hired a better screenwriter. Or an army of them. The screen play was so bad, it almost made me scream. Let me point some things:

• no explanation on how the monster Kraken died or was killed;
• no explanation on how the gang led by Elizabeth, Barbosa and Will enters the other realm and Davy Jones’ chest to find Jack Sparrow;
• in the most intense moment of the action, the cool and calculated Lord Becket cracks and fails to give any command to his man; but on the other hand he climbs down the stairs on his ship while everything explodes around him; yeah, sure;
• a huge armada of warships runs away from the 9 pirate ships after the English admiral ship is destroyed;
• Elizabeth and Will accept to live a life of awaiting; and their child waits for his romantic pirate father to come one day every ten years to meet him and his mother; and his so happy about it; proabably a first essential moment in his becoming of a pirate.

In other words, the script really sucked. Pitty for the performing of the actors, which was great, once again.

Today we celebrate 30 years since Star Wars, A New Hope was released. It is estimated that 1 billion people have seen the movie. Here are my favorite lines from the saga:
Obi-wan “Use the Force, Luke”.

Leia: “I love you”. Han: “I know!”

Vader: “I am your father.”
Luke: “No. No. That’s not true! That’s impossible!”

Luke: “Jabba! This is your last chance. Free us or die.”

C-3PO: “I beg your pardon….what do you mean I’m naked? My parts are showing? Oh, my goodness. How embarrassing!”

Obi-Wan Kenobi: “Why do I get the feeling you’re going to be the death of me?!”

C-3PO: “Erase my memory?! Oh no!”

Padme: “I’m not afraid to die. I’ve been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.”

Chewbacca: “Groarggrrrrrrraaarrrrrrr! Gggrrrorrrrrrg! Gggrrrr!”

Leia: “You’re imagining things.”
Han: “Am I? Then why are you following me? Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?”
Leia: “I’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee.”
Han: “I can arrange that. You could use a good kiss!”

To all the fans in the world, may the Force be with you!

I just came across this great site, http://www.mintrubbing.org/, the “official site” of Romanian Mint Rubbing Association. Mint rubbing is:

mint rubbing (from Romanian “a freca menta”) – time and life management technique developed in Romania and practiced by millions of people worldwide.

This site is dedicated to provide you all the resources need to put to use the wonderful effects of rubbing mint.

The testimonials are also rocking:

Dear Sir, Greetings from Romania! I’ve just found out about your efforts to get this ancient and wonderfull ancient Romanian art of “mint rubbing” known all over the world. I consider it one of the most intriguing and most pleasant arts in the world. It is a pitty that it is not (yet!) an Olimpic contest! I wish you more and more visitors and, with the help of others, to raize this art to the perfection. (claudiu)

I would like to join your respectable organization and receive montly publications about the most efficient methods of mint rubbing, because this is the only thing I can do, and I want to excel in this field. My dream is to rub mint like no man rubbed it before. (victor)

RMRA is one of the best things that happened to Romania. (alex)

The site also features a list of Romanian ancient wisdom. One that I like very much is this:

Don’t miss the site!