It’s being reported that Sony Pictures is planning a “reboot” of the Ghostbusters franchise. This was their only available option for (one assumes) the valuable property, since the original cast is very old. Ghostbusters III: And Now We’re The Ghosts! is a bit too high-concept for today’s moviegoers.

Let’s explore this is a bit more depth:

Good:  the new script is being written by writers from “The Office”- Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg. So, at least it will be funny.

Slightly Good: original cast members “will be involved”, although not in central roles. Fine. A passing-of-the-torch movie is the best we could hope for.

Bad: I love Ghostbusters. Like how Marlon Brando loved bacon. So, if they start frakking with the franchies, or cast Shia LaBoeuf in it, I’m going to go nuts.

I guess we’ll see.

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When it comes to bikes, I’m pretty old school. I like steel frames, toe-clips and fixed gears. So when I heard Trek was introducing a belt-driven bicycle, I was a little skeptical. That is, until I saw it:

Trek District = the new hotness. I mean, it is a bit of an attempt to ape the DIY aesthetic of the fixie nation. But for a stock bike, that’s pretty sweet.

There’s still not a lot of info on the drivetrain on the consumer site. But according to Gizmodo, belt drives have a few benefits. They’re lighter, and without all that grease, much cleaner. They’re also quieter so you can be some kind of freaky bike ninja and sneak up on unsuspecting rollerbladers (so ’90s). Beyond the tech, the District also has some nice design touches. Day-glo rims paired with a leather saddle and grips? How avant.

I’d really like to ride one of these. If anyone from Trek is reading this post and looking for a test-rider who also maintains a fairly well-read blog, drop me a line.

I wish to announce that I have discovered a new disease. Its sufferers are unable to appreciate irony or the hypocrisy of their own actions. I call it Cheneyitis, after its most famous victim.

Witness the horror of this condition as Cheney speaks about the Russian invasion of Georgia:

“After your nation won its freedom in the Rose Revolution, America came to the aid of this courageous young democracy. We are doing so again as you work to overcome an invasion of your sovereign territory and an illegitimate, unilateral attempt to change your country’s borders by force that has been universally condemned by the free world.”

Had Cheney not been in the thrall of Cheneyitis, he surely would have realized that the USA’s own invasion of Iraq was, by any existing standard, illegal. And, in fact, likely legitimized the use of unilateral force by Russia in Georgia.

We can only pray a cure is found soon.

Well, yesterday was an interesting one for the US election campaign, with plenty of thoughtful, prescient discussion on important issues. Ah, screw it. SARAH PALIN SARAH PALIN SARAH PALIN.

So, what’s new with America’s favourite VP candidate? Plenty:

• The McCain camp is rallying around their nominee. They now claim it was Palin’s husband, not Palin herself, who belonged to the secessionist Alaskan Independence Party. They’re also saying everyone who criticizes her experience is sexist. Seems to me, criticizing a man (ie: Obama) for his lack of experience, and then a priori refuting all experience critiques against a woman as sexist is a bit of a gender-based double standard and therefore – Surprise! – sexist.
• McCain is also being criticized for not vetting his VP pick more closely. Apparently, his team only actually spoke to Palin a day before the announcement. Whoops. Remember, kids: the VP candidate you don’t interview is always the one with the craziest  background.
• Palin is also being criticized for laughing along with a radio DJ who called her guvernatorial opponent a “bitch” and a “cancer” on Alaska. The catch? Lyda Green was actually a cancer survivor. Class act there, Palin.
• Also, some pundits have also astutely recognized that the furor over Palin has re-ignited the Culture Wars. Oh goody.

Elsewhere in the election:

• Obama met with Fox News execs several months ago, ostensibly to prove he is not, in fact, the mythical Hydra who will destroy their villages and feast upon their children. FN chief Roger Ailes apparently highlighted his network’s committment to fairness, while saying his network won’t be “in the tank” with the Obama campaign. I’m unsure what that means. Perhaps Ailes doesn’t like swimming with other men?
• The Democrats are accusing their former party-mate Joe Lieberman for lying to the Republican Convention about Obama. Who cares? SARAH PALIN.

So there you go. I’m laying even odds that Palin either pulls herself out of the race or pulls off her own head to escape this maelstrom of insanity swirling around her. Either way, SARAH PALIN.

Setback!

Sort of. After completing the strength test at the end of week five of the 100 push up challenge, I’m just a bit shy of where I’d like to be before my final run on the push up century. So, as the website advises, I’m going to repeat week five. If it works, I’ll be able to do 100 push ups in seven weeks as opposed to the advertised six. But I’ve got to think the important thing here is making the ultimate goal, rather than crapping out because I rushed into it.

I’ve noticed a problem with the program as described online. At the end of many of the weeks, you’re supposed to do a strength test to see where you’re at. The trouble is, the site doesn’t provide any insight into how long you’re supposed to rest before the test, or how long to wait before starting the next week of training. Since you’re already doing three days of training, the tendency is to do the test right after your last day, or immediately before your first day of the next week. So, you’re either fatigued during the test, lowering your reps. Or, you’re tired going in, which makes it harder to perform. Problematic.

Still, the results are encouraging. I’ve trebled the number of pushups I can do in a row, and I can now alsodo that thing where you make your pecs dance to the tune of the Cancan. But I never do. Really.

OK, once.

The Something of Boris! In theatres soon.

Thanks to MN for the tip.

Not many people know Dan LaFontaine‘s name. But they sure knew his voice. The ‘voiceover king’ lent his dulcet tones to literally thousands of commercials and movie trailers. His signature line, ”In a world where…” is now a cliche, but one born of LaFontaine’s immense body of work. Based on contracts signed, he was the single busiest actor in SAG history.

LaFontaine passed away yesterday in Los Angleles. While the world may not notice his absence directly, we are now without an omnipresent, and dare I say, comforting piece of our aural background.

Farewell, Mr. LaFontaine. You will be missed.