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Movie, Review, Zombies

ZOMBIELAND: DOUBLE TAP (2019)

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OKAY — I finally got to see Zombieland: Double Tap!  Do some stretches, grab some Twinkies, and let’s dive in…

When any first film was an original and a hit, there’s a challenge to making Film 2.  The filmmakers can’t half-ass it and make a reheat of the first film — they have to kick-it-up a notch.  They need to bring something new to the story, not change too much from the original, and go deeper with the journey the viewer went on the first time.  In this Bagpiper Zombie-film Reviewer’s Blog opinion Zombieland: Double Tap had a bit of an interesting time navigating these concepts …

Little Rock, Wichita, Tallahassee, and Columbus

We find the main characters from Zombieland (2009) about 10 years in the future — which fits in that it’s been about 10 years between the two films.  Tallahassee, Columbus, and Wichita are living together as Little Rock is reaching her 18th birthday.  Things go bad — as they always do in zombie films — and the sequel story is off and running.

Beyond this information I’m not going to risk any spoilers … so let’s get back to what I think of the film …. which, I presume you want to know or you wouldn’t have read this far.

There’s a well written review by arabnikita at IMDB titled “Sometimes less is more and not every movie needs a sequel” that sums things up well.  Arabnikita gave the film 6 out of 10 stars and writes …

“When Zombieland came out in 2009 it was able to break the routine of zombie films by using an unorthodox style with its quirky dialogues, rules and storytelling. It was wild, fresh and most inportantly fun … but sadly, the story leaves a lot more to be desired.”
(And you know I copied and pasted that writing because ‘importantly’ has a spelling mistake.)

Big Fat Death monster truck

The ZL2 is a continuation of ZL1 — we get to see the same beloved characters, and they go on a road trip.  The quirk of the characters is brought further out by many of them running into their doppelgangers — which bring added comedy, dynamic, and … frankly … sex appeal.  ZL2 doesn’t quite amp things up from ZL1 but to make up for that in a story-fitting and story-progressing way the zombies have evolved into different dangerous types.  That and some memorable Zombieland vehicles …. and some new Rules.

So in 2030 are we going to get “Zombieland: Hat-Trick“?  Who knows — and I’d probably watch that, too.  As for Zombieland: Double Tap, I’m probably more glad than sad that it was made Vs not made, and I got a kick out of watching it.  If you’re a Z-film fan and you enjoyed ZL1, I’d say Watch It — but don’t get your hopes up too high, which is why I rate it Yellow Puss.

If nothing else, watch the film for Emma Stone …. to be supportive of her career, of course.

LINKS

Adventures In Truckdom

Adventures In Truckdom – Free Canopy Edition

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…or…

Adventures in Truck Canopydom

I’ve intended to get a canopy for my truck. These of course add more storage space along with at least a modicum of security. In the Pacific Northwest they also help to preserve the truck bed from rusting. For my uses, getting one additionally provides a quick if basic set-up for camping — and it would help with the SCUBA dive work I’ve been doing this summer.

This is the style of canopy I’ve been dreaming of …

For me, the timing of getting a canopy has been funny… I could-make use of one now, but I also need to conserve money. From my research local Craig’s List advertisements, at the low-end these run $50-200 and often are in the same condition — usually needing work. A few weeks ago I got lucky — got a canopy for my truck for free! I was alerted there was one at a neighborhood garage sale, so I got over there as quick as I could. As it turned out it had a lot of things going for it. The canopy was a similar colour to my truck, it was the right length, and it needed about as much work as the ones I had seen online. Not to mention that the price was definitely right! On the other hand, it was a little wider than the rim of my truck bed. The folks giving it away apparently had the same issue and had already attached some boards to adapt its width. I could go ahead and clamp it on my truck …. after paying $10 to their garage sale for a set of canopy clamps.

And this is more of the style of canopy I received.
(Brunette not included … which is good because that wouldn’t work with me on account of my new and awesome girlfriend.)

As soon as I could I took to cleaning the canopy. It appeared to have been sitting on the ground for some time. Using dish soap, a gentle brush, and the garden hose I cleaned off dirt, grass, UFOs, and any number of bugs — alive or dead. In pretty short order I began to have a decent canopy and I was better able to assess the repairs.

Long/Short…

It needs some work which I’ve already started. One of the windows doesn’t open, one of the windows doesn’t close. My plan is to make both of these so they’re permanently closed. I’ve removed the adapter boards to give them a better cut, so everything fits and seals between the canopy and rim of my truck bed — I’m also painting them. After getting the canopy I purchased a whole whopping $25 worth of supplies to help make everything else work well together. My new-to-me canopy ought to be in fine shape with a little more time and ingenuity.

… now I just need to learn to drive on mirrors.

Oh well … Always Learning!

PS — Get My Book & Support My Truck!

That’s right — I’m a published author! My first book has been available since October 2018 on Amazon. Through July 2019 the e-book version is available on Smashwords for a SCREAM of a price!!! (In fact, it should be less than what you see in the widget below…) Selling my book is part of how I make my income, and part of my income goes to making my truck happy. Keep an eye out — my next book will be published soon — a book of military and patriotic bagpipe tunes and their histories. I’m excited about how this upcoming book is turning out!

 

Adventures In Truckdom

Adventures In Truckdom – Junkyard Edition

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Junkyard
Not the actual junkyard I went to, but you get the picture

Went to the one automotive junkyard on the island today. Wanted to see if I could get the dome-light socket for my truck. I have one, but there’s a modification I want to do and I need a second one to do it. Given how common my truck is and how many parts went into various models, it was likely I was going to find at least one.

rare Chevy Baja
Also not the truck I pulled bits & bobs from — this is actually a rare Chevy Baja

The 2nd truck I poked my nose into was the winner. I got the light socket and then I started noticing other bits-&-bobs I wanted. The latch-mechanism to the glove box because the door on mine closes but doesn’t latch. And then it was the glove box light that my basic-model truck didn’t come with — and in truth the glove box is so shallow, like a lot of people, it really doesn’t need one. And then I saw that there was a support bracket for the stereo, which whoever monkeyed with my truck before apparently saw as unnecessary and removed it — gone — bye bye!  I also saw this under-hood light thing and some Sony dash speakers, but I need to conserve money right now and not nickle-and-dime myself on splurges.

So I got all these bits and bobs and their accompanying screws and my few tools and headed for the door — to find out that they were closing. I asked what I owed them and planned to pay quickly, but they said (essentially) ‘For that, don’t bother — come back when you need a real thing.’ COOL — THANKS!

forgetful pirateGot in my truck, put my parts down, got my keys in the ignition, and then went to put my (prescription) sunglasses on ….. no sunglasses. Not on the collar of my shirt, not on the seat, the dashboard — NO WHERE. OOPS — I set them down in the cab of the truck I pulled the parts from! I hopped out of my truck to see that the last employee was leaving — the front desk lady who was covered in the requite junkyard-front-desk-lady-tattoos. I quickly explained the situation, she even more quickly handed me the key to get back in the yard. I ran in hoping that I was not wrong and actually HAD left my (prescription) sunglasses in the cab of the junked truck and didn’t just make a jerk of myself (because I had already been having one of those forgetful days).

Miami Vice
The 1980s were too cool for you … and me … and everyone

SUCCESS! Run back out, lock the gate, hand the keys back, hop in my truck, sunglasses on like Detectives Crockett and Tubbs from Miami Vice, and Away I GO!

IT WAS A GOOD DAY AT THE JUNKYARD!!!

… now I just wonder if I should have grabbed those speakers and that engine light thing?

Make Your Own Darn Good Cookies Amazon
Click the image for Amazon

Now that we’ve covered all that — buy my book so I can buy truck parts… or food.  Yeah … food would be nice.

And if you ask why I put that in here, it’s to boost the visability of my sites on the web.  But seriously, if you don’t know about my book — now you do!

Adventures In Truckdom

Adventures In Truckdom – Stereo Edition!

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1977 Toyota GT Liftback Celica
IF ONLY mine looked this good!

Toyota Celica with modified headlights
Also NOT MINE … but mine looks kind of more like this

Sometime around 2003-2005 I took my beloved two-tone brown – three if you count the rust – 1977 Toyota Celica off the road. It needed too many repairs – enough that the cost of parts to get it happy again was more than the value of the car. I also wasn’t driving much, and I was broke which made fuel and insurance too much of an expense – comparatively I preferred to pay rent and eat food. It was at this time that I stopped listening to broadcast music – because the only time I listened to a stereo was when I was driving.

For the past two years that I’ve owned my truck it hasn’t had a working stereo in it. Frankly, I haven’t missed not having music. In fact, I’ve even preferred not having tunes – having not driven much in as many years I didn’t need the distraction, and I wanted to get comfortable with a vehicle that is noticeably bigger than my Celica.

When I got my truck I took inventory of the work it needed along with modifications I wanted to make. That list – that meticulously detailed Excel list – easily grew past 100 line items. With no shortage of advice and hands-on help from a number of friends and professionals, my truck has come a long way. There’s still plenty of work to do, and lately I’ve reached a point where it’s about time to install the stereo.

What stereo?
Well friends, this Rock-Star!

A genuine circa 1990s
Audiovox Rampage AV-340!

Check out the features…

  • Detachable front panel
  • Digital AM/FM/MPX radio (Don’t ask me what MPX stands for, I have no idea — but I’m sure it’s something HIGH TECH.)
  • Auto-reverse cassette player
  • 2-channel stereo

But don’t take my word for it, read the manual for yourself – it’s a PAGE TURNER!  It even has a headphone jack so I can plug in my portable CD player.

Yes, you read that right – it is a 2-channel AM/FM stereo!  It’s not 4-channel, it’s not surround-sound, but let’s face it – it’s in the cab of a truck, I don’t need it. This has to be among the last cassette deck stereos that was made and sold – and what’s amazing to me is that it was made with a removable face-plate like the CD players of the time. This removable face-plate feature was done to be a theft deterrent with CD players. Again, let’s face it – it’s a cassette player, that in itself ought to be an anti-theft device!

As far as folks in the 1990s are concerned, this is my old smartphone

I already have one of my previous smartphones setup to serve as an MP3 player in my truck. If you think about it, when this stereo was designed and sold, No One had smartphones – that was Star Trek tech!

So, you might be asking yourself about now, “Don, why do you have this stereo, and why are you putting it in your truck?”  The answer to that …. because it works and it was FREE.

So now that I have wheels again and a stereo … what radio stations do I listen to?!?

 

Who cares — buy my book!  Better yet, buy 20 copies and give them to your friends.  When they tell you how much they enjoyed it then go buy yourself a copy.  It’s on Amazon — paperback, e-book, get both — give it another glowing review.  I am not above Shameless Self Promotion.  Or humor.

While you’re waiting for your Amazon order of my book, read some zombie film reviews.

Adventures In Truckdom, Book

AIT – The Next Big Push

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AIT? = Adventures In Truckdom

I’ve been a busy bloke lately …
… I’ve restarted my day-job search
… I’ve been working on my truck to get ready for my commute
… I’ve been promoting my book, AND
… I’ve been getting a few book presentations scheduled

Yeah, you read that bit about how I’m working on getting a day-job and getting my truck ready for my commute?  Here’s the thing … I need to kill the rust on the cab floor of my truck and paint it.  I’ve had some modern Naval Jelly stuff and paint along with other supplies, I just haven’t had time.  My preference has been to do this outside during the summer, yet the past few summers have been too busy.  This is +/- a 1-week project …. and now I’m trying to do it done before a job starts AND in winter?!?

Here’s The Deal …

The work ahead is more or less like this — bearing in mind that I have to make some accommodations to do the work at this time of year …

  • Remove the bumpers from my truck to get it to narrowly fit in the garage at my new place — DONE
  • Remove the bench seat and flooring — Partly DONE
  • Carefully pull my truck into the garage where there is little space (Note that previously I thought I was going to have to remove the doors, too — but I’ve figured out how to accomplish the work without pulling these off.)

  • Not a post like this.

    Heat the cab in an otherwise cold garage so the rust-killer stuff I have will work right and then allow it to sit for about 24 hours

  • Paint the floor and heat the cab in the previously mentioned cold garage so the paint will dry right and allow that to sit for about 3 days
  • Reinstall everything in the cab, put the bumpers back on, and return to driving on the sidewalks (<– yes, that last one is a joke — if you can’t deal with it then stop reading now)
  • There are other tasks I aim to complete while the truck is off the road and the paint is curing, however that is aside the focus of this post …

Progress so far …

For the past few weeks I’ve been working on getting this project going — but things keep coming up.  You make plans and then there’s what happens — plans (often) don’t always work out as projected, the important part is that you do your best.  I have the bumpers off, the seat-belts and the bench-seat unbolted.  Yesterday I thought I was going to get the truck in, however a problem presented with the garage door — so a decision was made to put the work off until next week after the door is fixed.

There is a bright-spot in all of this …

I have plenty to do in the meantime — including working on my job search.  As for my truck, one of the smaller tasks is that I’ve wanted to kill the rust on the rear bumper and paint it.  I had planned to do this concurrently while working on the floor — now I get to try out my Naval Jelly product first and get familiar with it before working on the more-critical floor.  This also gives me time to work on other things that have needed attention.

OH… and one more thing… There is an online bagpipe school called Dojo University — I’ve known about them for years and heard nothing but good things and their prices are quite affordable.  If I could I would like to give their school a go, however I haven’t had an adequate net connection since finding out about them.  In the mean time I’ve read articles that they put out and uses some of their free services.  Lately I’ve been taking part in the “Dojo U 100 Day Bagpipe Challenge“.  The primary part of the challenge is for pipers, in their individual practice, to assemble their pipes and practice one tune — any tune — a day for 100 consecutive days …. and if you miss a day, you have to start over.  I see the object of this as not so much to work on one’s playing ability as it is to develop discipline.  Today will be Day 012 — it’s going well — and if I can … between now and when I can get started on my truck next week … I aim to do two practices a day.

Adventures In Truckdom

Truck Doors … Done?

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Adventures In Truckdom
Doors … Done?  Anything … Done?

I set out to do a number of little tasks on my truck today — all of which I thought I was going to be able to knock out and then be done working on my truck for the coming week.  Best laid plans …

After starting in on my truck I found I needed to spend some time addressing the storage of one of my cars along with some spare body parts I have for my truck.  All of this needed immediate attention and it sucked up a bunch of time!  Frustrating, but stuff like that happens.

My plans today were to finish the work on both of my truck doors — seal the gutter rubber, transfer a seal from the bottom of my old passenger door to the new one, pull the windshield washer bottle and change the pump, restocked cab, and install a seat cover.

What did I get done?  … Restocked the cab a bit, half finished the doors, and pulled the windshield washer bottle.  I also had to re-work the passenger door because I screwed up a bit when I built it.  Nothings broken, I just put some stuff on backwards — which I kind of need to take it apart again tomorrow and check the other bits.

Oh, I also got some sandbags into my bed today for winter traction.

What else did I accomplish?  I’m tired and sore.  Going on 3 years ago I was in a car accident and got whiplash; I think I’m mostly healed now and back to normal, but sometimes I wonder that I’m still recovering some of my strength and stamina.  Some of it too could be that I’ve also gotten older in the mean time.  Poo.  But, I’m not one to give up, not one to stop pushing or trying — NOPE!

Here’s the thing… I have plans to leave for the weekend — plans that are important to me — and I need my truck a bit more ready than it has been.  I think I can get everything else done tomorrow.

I’m not sure if I forgot something above.  I’m not sure if this is written at all well.  I’m sore and tired … I mentioned that, right?