Going the Cheap Route or Boy, I Wish the A/C Worked

Update: The A/C is in and on and it has already dropped the temperature by 3 degrees in the past 3 hours. Yes!!

****

Update #2: Not sure whats going on but the temperature is now rising in the building again.

****

It actually started in the middle of winter, although there was no way to know it at the time. Because, you see, it was cold out.

But come the middle of April, my co-workers started to wonder why it was so darn hot in the building. Not only was the air conditioning not turning on, but the heat wasn’t turning off.

It was then we discovered that the air conditioning unit on the roof of the building, was in need of repair. So much repair in fact, that we needed to buy a new one. OK, then, let’s get a new one.

Needless to say, we are now on week 15 with no air conditioning, in Fort Washington, just outside of Philadelphia.

It was 92 today.

But the outside temperature really doesn’t matter in a situation like this. Because in the no window environment of the building, the heat just seems to build and build, so even on a rainy day in the 70’s the temperature in the building would not change. It also didn’t matter how many people were in the building. The temperature would continually build throughout the day and then slowly come down starting at 10 PM or so.

I know this because I have a thermostat 2 feet from my desk. Or at least I did until the old A/C was removed completely. I would arrive at work with the temperature hovering at a refreshing 85 degrees day in and day out. Leaving when the temperature was around a smooth 92 – 93 degrees.

Now, the company did take efforts to relieve our heat suffering.

It started with turning half off the cool fluorescent lights off in the building. You know the kind that don’t generate any heat. Maybe if we can’t see anything, we won’t remember how hot it is.

Another day, a cooler full of free water was brought in for any employee that wanted it. It was placed in the break room right next to the existing free, filtered, water cooler.

Another day we were told to take an extra break and head out side so we could all stand around in the 95 degree sun and decompress. I opted to stay in side in the only slightly unbearable heat.

Then portable noise makers, I’m sorry, portable air conditioners were placed around the office to offer some cooling. Yeah, OK.

The kindest gesture was actually giving everyone who was dealing with the heat an extra weeks pay. This was actually a great gesture that made everyhone happy, But, I don’t thinnk that one person wouldn’t have traded that weeks pay for air conditioning over the past 15 weeks.

We are hopeful though. After passing installation deadlines of early May, Memorial Day, the first week of June, the end of June and the 4th of July, we now actually have the new unit on the roof.

Of course, its been on the roof now for 2 weeks and was definitely going to be installed last Friday, and then definitely by today at Noon. And now definitely tomorrow when the final part gets here.

So, I am very hopeful. it’s here, it’s on the roof, it can’t be long now. Although, someone in charge did mumble under their breath today that they didn’t this company was actually going to be able to finish the installation.

We’ll see.

The Devil Wears Prada

I’m a little behind in my reviews, and I thought I’d catch up with what may actually be the best movie of the summer.

The story is pretty simple and most people are familiar with it at this point. Anne Hatheway is a beginning journalist wanna be and Meryl Streep is her satan like boss.

Meryl Streep comes alive and just eats this part up as the devilish boss of a world reknown fashion magazine. As Anne Hatheway stumbles through her best attempts to please her boss, Meryl Streep digs in, and digs, and digs and never lets up.

Even at the end of the movie when we get our ‘everythings peachy’ ending, Meryl Streep still doesn’t let up enough to make it seem feel good.

Most men will probably want to avoid this movie, as was evident by the proportion of women to men at the showing that I was at. But I wouldn’t pigeon hole this as a chick flick just because it’s about a fashion magazine and has an almost all women cast. This is basically an evil boss movie and I think that’s something almost everyone can relate to.

Superman Returns

I waited until I saw this movie for a second time, so I could try and get my thoughts in order for this review and make sure my gut reaction was my real reaction and not just a fanboy reaction.

Well, I loved it. More the second time than the first.

Most of the complaints I hear have to do with the fact that we aren’t really covering any new ground in this movie. Well, there is truth to that. Superman vs Lex in some diabolic scheme. Lois swooning over Superman and having another flying over the city moment.

I was ready to hear “Can You Read My Mind?” again.

But, it has been 20 years since the first movie. So some rehashing has to be expected to bring people back up to speed. Most people that I know who have seen the original don’t even remember it.

My biggest worry about the film actually, was the kid. I had storyline fears going into the movie and the fears were realized, but was handled in a way that actually, I thought, added to the movie, rather than harm it, like I was expecting.

I thought Kate Bosworth and Frank Langella were both fantastic as Lois and Perry. I always had a problem with Jimmy Olsen. He always annoyed me and does the same here.

James Marsden as Lois’ fiance was good casting and played the part well. I’m a Parker Posey fan and thought she was funny as Kitty, and actually wished she had a little more dialogue.

Kevin Spacey as Lex was great and he nailed the ‘Gene Hackman’ Luther, if that’s what you were going for. And I’m assuming that is exactly what they wanted as they also cast Brandon Routh.

Brandon Routh is Christopher Reeve. Not only does he have a passing resemblance, but his voice IS Chirstopher Reeve. To close you eyes and listen to the movie you would think Reeve was on screen.

His performance almost completely mimics Reeve’s Clark Kent. And as Christopher Reeve IS Clark Kent and he IS Superman, you could do alot worse than trying to replace him with his virtual clone.

And Routh pulls it off. He looks like Superman, sounds like Superman and feels like Superman. He just works.

Of course the special effects are amazing and it’s almost a waste of space to talk about effects in this day and age. But it was great to see flying done right. You will believe a man can fly.

Rumors are that if this movie doesn’t make $200 million, there will be no sequel. This movie needs a sequel, so please if it starts to struggle in the 180’s go see it again.

The Trouble with Spider-Man 3

…and why it may not be as successful as the first 2 Spider-Man movies.

I, of course, am very excited about next summer’s Spider-Man movie. I loved the first 2. I felt that they were able to put together everything that can be right about a superhero movie and get it on the screen. From the characters to the special effects to the story lines, they just really worked for me, and I don’t doubt that they will work for me in the upcoming third movie.

The only real difference in every superhero movie and their sequels are the villains. And in this movie the villains are different. Well obviously they are different, but in this movie, they aren’t really human. And I can see the casual fan not getting as excited about that.

Spider-Man is the every man’s hero. More often than not Spider-Man is swinging around New York helping the police, rather than getting involved in fantastical or otherworldly events. How people will respond to a movie where the villains are so far from realistic (yes, I realize he sticks to walls) may not sit as well with an audience unfamiliar with the villains.

While the villains from the first two movies were obviously super. They were really just regular people enhanced by technology. Possibly easier to swallow from an average audience.

Granted, there are enough diehards like me to propel this movie past the $200 million mark, but it’s the non fans that will put this movie in the $3-400 million dollar range that the last one was in. I guess we will have to wait a year to find out if intergalactic goo and a man made of sand will bring in or scare away the audience.