I don't know if I've said this before, but I have a serious problem. Not that one. Not that one either... Just let me finish! I try to avoid listening to music on the radio, but on occasion I have run across the song Here Without You by 3 Doors Down. I think this song should totally be a twangy country song. When you hear it, you can totally imagine some guy singing it in a whiny country music falsetto. Sometimes, if I am in the car with Julie, I practice singing it in my best country singer voice.
Stay tuned. I am going to try to take some pictures of my weekend adventures to share with y'all, so there's something to look forward to.
If your interested, I am currently listening to I Stood on the Banks of the Jordan by Reverend James Cleveland. I bet you didn't know that I am into old gospel and Spirituals. It has a gritty/worldly, yet hopefull feel that really appeals to me(I like bluegrass for the same reason). It doesn't deny the difficulties in the world. It stares them strait in the face and says, "Bring it on." I would love to get some vinyl of some old spirituals some day.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Thursday, February 23, 2006
To let it go... and so to find a way
Well, I'm in a really bad mood today. I wouldn't say its for no reason, just for lots of little reasons. I actually have been a little cantankerous and irritable all week, but today it started to come to the surface like a painful blemish. This got me thinking about the different things people do to unwind, decompress, de-stress, etc. Since I have moved to Bakersfield, I have been having trouble developing new habits to get over a hard day. I had more ways than I think I needed in Fresno. My favorite... I would call my good friend Adam and we would go have a pint in a quiet bar somewhere in tower where the world could never find me. But, alas, the Tower District is 2 hours and about 30 bucks in gas away from me right now, and my good friend is most likely carousing with at least two beautiful women right now...
But back to my subject of what people do to unwind. Here are some things that have been working for me lately:
-Play FIFA on my playstation
-Listen to music
On this subject, check out I Love the Rain the Most by Joe Purdy
or for something completely differnt, I have been enjoying Arctic Monkey recently, but I know most won't like this.
-Drink Beer and eat Salty snacks (I never fails... to give you a hangover)
-Watch DVDs of the Simpsons. Watching this show to decompress after a long day has been a tradition for me since college. Unfortunately, the local station stopped playing an hour of Simpsons reruns in the evening. Now I only have my DVDs to console me. Anyone who wants to buy me season 7 I welcome to do so. I might send my wife out to get it right now though!
Things I don't do:
-Drive (if I can avoid it)
-Talk to people who annoy me. This runs the risk of sending me over the edge and unleashing a tirade that even the most annoying person in the world doesn't deserve.
-Discuss sensitive issues with my wife.
Well, I don't really know where I was going with this. I'm sure I'll look back and think about how poorly written this post is, but I won't delete. I couldn't take the backlash that I would get from my readers.
But back to my subject of what people do to unwind. Here are some things that have been working for me lately:
-Play FIFA on my playstation
-Listen to music
On this subject, check out I Love the Rain the Most by Joe Purdy
or for something completely differnt, I have been enjoying Arctic Monkey recently, but I know most won't like this.
-Drink Beer and eat Salty snacks (I never fails... to give you a hangover)
-Watch DVDs of the Simpsons. Watching this show to decompress after a long day has been a tradition for me since college. Unfortunately, the local station stopped playing an hour of Simpsons reruns in the evening. Now I only have my DVDs to console me. Anyone who wants to buy me season 7 I welcome to do so. I might send my wife out to get it right now though!
Things I don't do:
-Drive (if I can avoid it)
-Talk to people who annoy me. This runs the risk of sending me over the edge and unleashing a tirade that even the most annoying person in the world doesn't deserve.
-Discuss sensitive issues with my wife.
Well, I don't really know where I was going with this. I'm sure I'll look back and think about how poorly written this post is, but I won't delete. I couldn't take the backlash that I would get from my readers.
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
Evil Genius or Just Evil? You Decide!
Well, well, well... My last post generated quite a bit of wild speculation about why I want a huge fish tank. Clearly some of you see me as a mad scientist (not too far off). Ok, I'll tell you what it is for, with the caveat that anything I publish here is proprietary intellectual material. For those of you who are idiots, that means you can't steal my ideas.
As many of you know, I have become interested in bass fishing of late. I recently found out that small bass (about 6-8 inches) keep very well in a fish tank. I have even found websites of some scientists and college profs who have kept them. In case you still want to steal my ideas (even after that strongly-worded warning), I'm not linking to these sites. If you want to steal my idea, you will have to do your own work.
So here is my idea: I am interested in making a Skinner box . But instead of using a rat or other land animal, I will be using a largemouth bass. This will allow me to do operant conditioning experiments and gather data to better understand the cognition of bass and other fish. Specifically, I am interested in learning how quickly bass fish learn and modify behaviors.
Now its time for the test portion of my post (don't worry! there's only one question)
The end result of my experiments will be:
a)I will never get laid again (luckily I hid my extremely nerdy qualities until after marriage. Or did I?)
b)I will become the greatest bass fisherman the world has ever known (I may already be that, though.)
c)I will get tired and watch Star Trek (I don't like the show, but all this is making me think I might like it soon)
d)All of the above
Please feel free comment and tell my what a loser I am or join my losery ranks and give me ideas for my experiments.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Igor, would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?
Igor: And you won't be angry?
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: I will NOT be angry.
Igor: Abby someone.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby someone. Abby who?
Igor: Abby Normal.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby Normal?
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?
As many of you know, I have become interested in bass fishing of late. I recently found out that small bass (about 6-8 inches) keep very well in a fish tank. I have even found websites of some scientists and college profs who have kept them. In case you still want to steal my ideas (even after that strongly-worded warning), I'm not linking to these sites. If you want to steal my idea, you will have to do your own work.
So here is my idea: I am interested in making a Skinner box . But instead of using a rat or other land animal, I will be using a largemouth bass. This will allow me to do operant conditioning experiments and gather data to better understand the cognition of bass and other fish. Specifically, I am interested in learning how quickly bass fish learn and modify behaviors.
Now its time for the test portion of my post (don't worry! there's only one question)
The end result of my experiments will be:
a)I will never get laid again (luckily I hid my extremely nerdy qualities until after marriage. Or did I?)
b)I will become the greatest bass fisherman the world has ever known (I may already be that, though.)
c)I will get tired and watch Star Trek (I don't like the show, but all this is making me think I might like it soon)
d)All of the above
Please feel free comment and tell my what a loser I am or join my losery ranks and give me ideas for my experiments.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Igor, would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?
Igor: And you won't be angry?
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: I will NOT be angry.
Igor: Abby someone.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby someone. Abby who?
Igor: Abby Normal.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Abby Normal?
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
Dr. Frederick Frankenstein: Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
Wanted...
Does anyone out there have an old aquarium that is over 50 gallons, in decent condition, and that they would be willing to sell me for a reasonable price? I am in the market for a large fish tank (preferably at least 48" long, but less might be ok), and retail prices on them are outrageous!
This is for a personal science project that I am interested in doing, so your efforts would go to the worthy cause of advancing human civilization.
This is for a personal science project that I am interested in doing, so your efforts would go to the worthy cause of advancing human civilization.
Ideas for Rent
Unfortunately for you, my wife found out about my ideas concerning leadership. So, instead of giving my ideas out to the world for free, she wants me to develop a seminar that people will have to pay for. If you know her, I'm sure you can picture her saying this. This is the girl who used to rent her Barbie stuff to other kids instead of sharing!
Just so you know what I'm thinking about, I will give you an illustration. Imagine your friends invite you to play a new game with them. They take you out to where you are going to play, and they explain all the rules and strategies to you. When they are confident you understand, you all begin to play together. Almost as soon as the game starts, you start to notice that people seem to be doing things you thought were against the rules. Then, they start penalizing you for infractions that you thought were totally legal. Next, your team is getting frustrated with you, even though you are trying to do exactly the strategy they described to you before you started.
How would you feel in this situation? Confused and frustrated. And rightly so! If there were other rules that superceded the ones they described at the beginning, why didn't they just tell you about them before hand? Are they just changing the rules as they go along in order to cheat, or because they don't understand the rules very well themselves? And why is your team so mad? Aren't you just doing what they told you to do? If they had wanted you to do something else, all they had to do was tell you.
Sadly, I've noticed that many of my friends and relatives are felling this exact way in their lives. Be it at work, church, school, other groups, or even at home, many people feel confused and disoriented because the "rules" of the group seem to be always changing. This is a direct result of poor leadership. One of the bedrocks of good leadership is consistency, and that seems to be a trait severely lacking in many leaders today. There are many reasons for this lack of consistency, many possible solutions, and many good reasons to be more consistent.
Imagine yourself as the leader in any group situation you want. For some this might be hard, for others it will be very easy. Until you've led, you can't grasp how hard a task it actually is. What if I told you (remember, your a leader right now) I could make your group:
-achieve its goals faster with less work
-save more money
-improve interactions and relationships with other groups
-improve member morale, satisfaction, and retention
all while reducing the work load on you (the leader)?
Doesn't that sound good?
Just so you know what I'm thinking about, I will give you an illustration. Imagine your friends invite you to play a new game with them. They take you out to where you are going to play, and they explain all the rules and strategies to you. When they are confident you understand, you all begin to play together. Almost as soon as the game starts, you start to notice that people seem to be doing things you thought were against the rules. Then, they start penalizing you for infractions that you thought were totally legal. Next, your team is getting frustrated with you, even though you are trying to do exactly the strategy they described to you before you started.
How would you feel in this situation? Confused and frustrated. And rightly so! If there were other rules that superceded the ones they described at the beginning, why didn't they just tell you about them before hand? Are they just changing the rules as they go along in order to cheat, or because they don't understand the rules very well themselves? And why is your team so mad? Aren't you just doing what they told you to do? If they had wanted you to do something else, all they had to do was tell you.
Sadly, I've noticed that many of my friends and relatives are felling this exact way in their lives. Be it at work, church, school, other groups, or even at home, many people feel confused and disoriented because the "rules" of the group seem to be always changing. This is a direct result of poor leadership. One of the bedrocks of good leadership is consistency, and that seems to be a trait severely lacking in many leaders today. There are many reasons for this lack of consistency, many possible solutions, and many good reasons to be more consistent.
Imagine yourself as the leader in any group situation you want. For some this might be hard, for others it will be very easy. Until you've led, you can't grasp how hard a task it actually is. What if I told you (remember, your a leader right now) I could make your group:
-achieve its goals faster with less work
-save more money
-improve interactions and relationships with other groups
-improve member morale, satisfaction, and retention
all while reducing the work load on you (the leader)?
Doesn't that sound good?
Monday, February 13, 2006
A Leaf in the Wind
It has come to my attention that there really is a leadership crisis in America today. I'm not talking about what is going on in the nation's capitol. I'm talking about the kind of leadership that we all experience daily in our homes, civic organizations, religious groups and, yes, our jobs too! I am interested in exploring the idea of consistency in leadership over my next few posts, and I hope that you will bear with me while I stuggle to awkwardly articulate my thoughts on the subject.
Never fear, I will soon get this out of my system and go back to writing about the stupid things I say to get in trouble with Julie and the things that I am breaking at work.
If it gets too intense, I may simply abort this effort. In which case, you will just have to have a conversation with me sometime to get the rest of my thoughts.
Never fear, I will soon get this out of my system and go back to writing about the stupid things I say to get in trouble with Julie and the things that I am breaking at work.
If it gets too intense, I may simply abort this effort. In which case, you will just have to have a conversation with me sometime to get the rest of my thoughts.
Sunday, February 12, 2006
Stuff you need to know to live
Tonight, I feel I should enlighten my readers with some odd news to which they might not otherwise be exposed. 3 links, and then I go to bread... I mean bed. (If you can name the simpsons episode this comes from, I will give you 5 bucks.)
Some people are such stupid idiots. I would have sent her to jail and sued her. I wouldn't have asked for money. I would have asked to damages to be paid in her having to put signs up on her house that say she is a stupid idiot.
I always thought those guys were TOO well dressed. Check it out.
I've heard of some crazy fights at churches, but this takes it to another level.
Some people are such stupid idiots. I would have sent her to jail and sued her. I wouldn't have asked for money. I would have asked to damages to be paid in her having to put signs up on her house that say she is a stupid idiot.
I always thought those guys were TOO well dressed. Check it out.
I've heard of some crazy fights at churches, but this takes it to another level.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Dodger Symbolism from a Giants fan
Found an old, but very cool video of a crane accident. This crane was called Big Blue and was one of the biggest cranes in the world at the time. It was an icon of the industry, and many people knew about and even admired it (you might say they looked up to it. HA HA). Well, they were using it to put the roof on a baseball staduim, Miller Park, in 1999. They were doing one of the largest lifts ever (the section you see lifted is 3/8 of an acre and 100's of tons of steal), and the 4 guys who drive it were in too much of a hurry to take wind readings. The rest you can see for yourself.
Sadly, 3 concrete workers were in the stadium at the time and lost their lives. There is a statue honoring them outside of the ballpark now.
Watching this big blue machine go down hard at a ballpark makes me think of how hard the fall will be on the dodgers this season. They're gonna get hurt so bad they will have to change their colors to black and blue.
Sadly, 3 concrete workers were in the stadium at the time and lost their lives. There is a statue honoring them outside of the ballpark now.
Watching this big blue machine go down hard at a ballpark makes me think of how hard the fall will be on the dodgers this season. They're gonna get hurt so bad they will have to change their colors to black and blue.
Friday, February 10, 2006
"Teamwork"
When I saw this commercial on the Super Bowl, I immediately thought of my wife. I later showed it to her online. She absolutely loves it. I'm not trying to say that she feels this way at work... oh wait, yes I am. Anyway click on the link and hit the play botton for the commercial "Window" if you want to check it out.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
I can't get no respect!
Here are some movies that I feel don't get the credit they deserve:
-The Truman Show
Just a great, great movie. I don't know what else to say but that. Everything about it is top class (screenplay, cinematography, acting, etc). I think some people don't give it the respect it deserves because Jim Carrey is in the lead role, but I think it deserves a second look.
-Gladiator
What happened to this movie. One day, it was the greatest epic made in this generation. The next, no one even remembers it. One day, Russel Crowe was winning the Oscar for it. The next day, people don't even mention it when they list the movies he's in. Sure, he's done some other good ones, but when people mention Master and Commander instead of Gladiator that is a problem for me. I could pull this movie out on any day of the week, and have a great time watching it. Which is a lot to say for me. I am a moody guy, and usually I need to really get in the mood to rewatch a film I own.
-Mr Smith Goes to Washington
People who have never heard of this movie should go out and rent it right now! Even if you don't like it. It is short, and Capra is at his prophetic best. I will just tell you that I understand this film has some shortcomings, but it is one of my favorite pre WWII films. This film is also a must watch for anyone who want to talk politics or anyone who wants to act like an "intellectual snob" (i use this term to refer to people who are snobby about what they know. I know this one applies to many of my readers. Especially Ed, no offense. I'm not implying in this term that all intellectuals are snobby. I actually find the uneducated to be more agressively exclusivist than the intelligencia as a whole).
-Punchdrunk Love
Many of the people with whom I saw this film did not like it at all. I am fine with that, but I disagree. I felt that the film accurately portrayed that life of some very psychologically troubled people with whom I could on some level identify. I warn all readers that this movie is no happy-go -lucky film. It has some very difficult scenes in which the viewers is meant to feel uncomfortable, because that is how the characters are feeling. In the end, though, there is a sense that there is hope for redemption, even if it comes in a very flawed and imperfect form.
-Memento
What happened to this movie? Everyone was talking about how crazy and amazing it was, and then they all got over it. This is one movie that I don't own that I wish I did. It also was what really gave Christopher Nolan some serious Hollywood clout. As a side note, I had always been curious about the short-term memory loss thing, and I recently found out that it can really work just like it does on this movie.
-50 First Dates
Speaking of short-term memory loss. This is a great movie to watch with girls who don't like serious movies. You all know the type. My wife is generally one. You know, you want to sit down to a video on friday night, but you don't want to have to explain the plot the whole time or have her get mad at the end because it was too scary, violent or whatever. All I'm saying is, its never failed for me. Just trying to help you guys out.
Well, I have a few more, but this will have to do for now. Maybe if I get a response I can add to my list, or we can just argue about it in the comments.
-The Truman Show
Just a great, great movie. I don't know what else to say but that. Everything about it is top class (screenplay, cinematography, acting, etc). I think some people don't give it the respect it deserves because Jim Carrey is in the lead role, but I think it deserves a second look.
-Gladiator
What happened to this movie. One day, it was the greatest epic made in this generation. The next, no one even remembers it. One day, Russel Crowe was winning the Oscar for it. The next day, people don't even mention it when they list the movies he's in. Sure, he's done some other good ones, but when people mention Master and Commander instead of Gladiator that is a problem for me. I could pull this movie out on any day of the week, and have a great time watching it. Which is a lot to say for me. I am a moody guy, and usually I need to really get in the mood to rewatch a film I own.
-Mr Smith Goes to Washington
People who have never heard of this movie should go out and rent it right now! Even if you don't like it. It is short, and Capra is at his prophetic best. I will just tell you that I understand this film has some shortcomings, but it is one of my favorite pre WWII films. This film is also a must watch for anyone who want to talk politics or anyone who wants to act like an "intellectual snob" (i use this term to refer to people who are snobby about what they know. I know this one applies to many of my readers. Especially Ed, no offense. I'm not implying in this term that all intellectuals are snobby. I actually find the uneducated to be more agressively exclusivist than the intelligencia as a whole).
-Punchdrunk Love
Many of the people with whom I saw this film did not like it at all. I am fine with that, but I disagree. I felt that the film accurately portrayed that life of some very psychologically troubled people with whom I could on some level identify. I warn all readers that this movie is no happy-go -lucky film. It has some very difficult scenes in which the viewers is meant to feel uncomfortable, because that is how the characters are feeling. In the end, though, there is a sense that there is hope for redemption, even if it comes in a very flawed and imperfect form.
-Memento
What happened to this movie? Everyone was talking about how crazy and amazing it was, and then they all got over it. This is one movie that I don't own that I wish I did. It also was what really gave Christopher Nolan some serious Hollywood clout. As a side note, I had always been curious about the short-term memory loss thing, and I recently found out that it can really work just like it does on this movie.
-50 First Dates
Speaking of short-term memory loss. This is a great movie to watch with girls who don't like serious movies. You all know the type. My wife is generally one. You know, you want to sit down to a video on friday night, but you don't want to have to explain the plot the whole time or have her get mad at the end because it was too scary, violent or whatever. All I'm saying is, its never failed for me. Just trying to help you guys out.
Well, I have a few more, but this will have to do for now. Maybe if I get a response I can add to my list, or we can just argue about it in the comments.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
A quarter of a century!
If you know this girl, call and wish her Happy Birthday! I won't tell you how old she is, but I will tell you that she was born in 1981.Julie, I love you!
Other famous people who share her birthdate (2/7): Charles Dickens, Sinclair Lewis, Chris Rock, NBA guard Steve Nash.
Thursday, February 02, 2006
OVER-RATED (chant)
I been spending some quality time with a tractor lately, and it has left me with plenty of time to think. I know the Oscar nominations came out this week, but I hardly know what was nominated because the news is only reporting on a certain movie I'm so sick of hearing about that I won't even mention the title. Although, I will say that I can't believe how ironic and euphemistic the title is! Its not like I really care about gay issues either way, I just hate how the media tries to find any scrap of sensational news and then report on only that for as long as they can make the story last. Is anyone actually doing real journalism anymore?
Ayway, in honor of Oscar nominations I have been thinking about movies lately and decided to release a series of my own movie lists. I will get it kicked off (in my typically critical fasion) with 9 movies I think are totally overrated. Why not 10? The number 10 seems so trite, doesn't it? Plus, I only thought of 9.
9 Overrated Movies (in no order of importance)
- Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
In case you missed this one, it is a documentary about how this hard rock band got therapy and worked out all their issues so that they could stay together as a band. The thing is, when I watched it I realized that they are still totally screwed up after all the therapy. Nothing really changes. One guy gets sober, and another falls off the wagon. That pattern pretty much repeats over and over. Lots of critics gave this movie positive reviews, but I don't really see what is great about it. These guys just wanted to film their lives so that they could sell a product they didn't have to work to make to their already loyal fanbase. Lame money-grab. Nothing more.
- Top Gun
I don't really hate this movie, just think it gets more love than it should. Anyone who is a fan of the Sports Guy knows of all his references to the latent homo-eroticism in this one. I'm so glad he had the courage to say what everyone else was thinking, that beach volleyball scene has to be the gayest thing in the history of all cinema. Way more gay than Brokeback, more flaming than Robin Williams in the Birdcage. I'm not gay bashing here, I'm just saying that the people in that scene are claiming to be straight, but aren't acting like it. That may be how guys play volleyball at Immanuel High School, but at my high school guys were into chicks! I do have to say that Tim Robbins is so funny and goofy in this movie, and laughing at the few scenes he is in saves the film in my book.
- The Sixth Sense
"I see dead people!" All I have to say about this one is this: if you didn't figure out that Bruce Willis was dead before the end of the movie when it is revealed, then you should seriously question your mental capacity.
- The Princes Bride
I actually like this one. I just think people give it more credit than it deserves as a children's movie. With all the violence, gore and hinted at sexual abuse, is this film really appropiate for children? I say sure, but our society seems to have decided that children should be sheltered from all form of this bad stuff. At the same time however, society seems to turn its back on some of the worste offenders, and I think this movie is a good example of the societal inconsistency.
- Field of Dreams
BORING! Someone decided they didn't know how to write drama, so they wrote a story with an intentionally intricate and dragging plotline, knowing that it would fool some people into thinking they were seeing something dramatic and emotional. Where some might see dramatic pauses, I see nothing happening and am unimpressed.
- Titanic
This was the first film that came to mind when I started thinking about the concept. As it turns out, just about everyone I asked mentioned this film as one of their choices for most overrated. I'm sick of hearing how romantic it is. If it is so romantic, than how come the pick-up line "hey, I don't have any money... want to go fornicate in the back of a car" never works? Huh?
I don't have a problem with the awards it won for costumes, sets of speciall effects. They built a freaking ship and sunk it. How cool is that? But that doesn't make it a great movie. I remember going to see this in high school with my girlfriend. It was me and 2 buddies (all with our girlfriends), and we all pissed the girls off royally with our behavior in the movie. I have to rate the unintentional comedy scale very high in this movie. In fact, even though the concept hadn't been put into words for me yet, I think this was one of the first times I recognised unintentional comedy.
- Any Steven Segal Movie
I don't think this needs much. The fact that anyone would pay to make a movie with him in it is more credit that he deserves. Thus, the overrated status.
- Unforgiven
Well, someone has to say it. Might as well be me. Clint Eastwood isn't tough! He lives in Carmel. How tough can someone from Carmel be? Talking like you smoke a carton a day doesn't make you tough, either. Plus, this movie was one of the most boring westerns I've ever seen.
- Its a Wonderful Life
I'm not saying this one isn't good. Just overrated. The amount of attention this movie gets is insane. It isn't even the best Christmas movie. It's not the best Jimmy Stewart movie either. I may not even be one of his best 5 performances. And, while it may be one of Capra's more balanced and personal films, it isn't very interesting subject matter when compared with his other work. I will give you a much more interesting Capra/Stewart film in a later post. How did this one even become a Christmas tradition? Why did it beat out other films like Holiday Inn, White Christmas, etc. to become the one that everyone is supposed to watch during the holidays?
Well, there they are. Feel free to let me know just how right or wrong I am.
P.S. "I see dead people."
Ayway, in honor of Oscar nominations I have been thinking about movies lately and decided to release a series of my own movie lists. I will get it kicked off (in my typically critical fasion) with 9 movies I think are totally overrated. Why not 10? The number 10 seems so trite, doesn't it? Plus, I only thought of 9.
9 Overrated Movies (in no order of importance)
- Metallica: Some Kind of Monster
In case you missed this one, it is a documentary about how this hard rock band got therapy and worked out all their issues so that they could stay together as a band. The thing is, when I watched it I realized that they are still totally screwed up after all the therapy. Nothing really changes. One guy gets sober, and another falls off the wagon. That pattern pretty much repeats over and over. Lots of critics gave this movie positive reviews, but I don't really see what is great about it. These guys just wanted to film their lives so that they could sell a product they didn't have to work to make to their already loyal fanbase. Lame money-grab. Nothing more.
- Top Gun
I don't really hate this movie, just think it gets more love than it should. Anyone who is a fan of the Sports Guy knows of all his references to the latent homo-eroticism in this one. I'm so glad he had the courage to say what everyone else was thinking, that beach volleyball scene has to be the gayest thing in the history of all cinema. Way more gay than Brokeback, more flaming than Robin Williams in the Birdcage. I'm not gay bashing here, I'm just saying that the people in that scene are claiming to be straight, but aren't acting like it. That may be how guys play volleyball at Immanuel High School, but at my high school guys were into chicks! I do have to say that Tim Robbins is so funny and goofy in this movie, and laughing at the few scenes he is in saves the film in my book.
- The Sixth Sense
"I see dead people!" All I have to say about this one is this: if you didn't figure out that Bruce Willis was dead before the end of the movie when it is revealed, then you should seriously question your mental capacity.
- The Princes Bride
I actually like this one. I just think people give it more credit than it deserves as a children's movie. With all the violence, gore and hinted at sexual abuse, is this film really appropiate for children? I say sure, but our society seems to have decided that children should be sheltered from all form of this bad stuff. At the same time however, society seems to turn its back on some of the worste offenders, and I think this movie is a good example of the societal inconsistency.
- Field of Dreams
BORING! Someone decided they didn't know how to write drama, so they wrote a story with an intentionally intricate and dragging plotline, knowing that it would fool some people into thinking they were seeing something dramatic and emotional. Where some might see dramatic pauses, I see nothing happening and am unimpressed.
- Titanic
This was the first film that came to mind when I started thinking about the concept. As it turns out, just about everyone I asked mentioned this film as one of their choices for most overrated. I'm sick of hearing how romantic it is. If it is so romantic, than how come the pick-up line "hey, I don't have any money... want to go fornicate in the back of a car" never works? Huh?
I don't have a problem with the awards it won for costumes, sets of speciall effects. They built a freaking ship and sunk it. How cool is that? But that doesn't make it a great movie. I remember going to see this in high school with my girlfriend. It was me and 2 buddies (all with our girlfriends), and we all pissed the girls off royally with our behavior in the movie. I have to rate the unintentional comedy scale very high in this movie. In fact, even though the concept hadn't been put into words for me yet, I think this was one of the first times I recognised unintentional comedy.
- Any Steven Segal Movie
I don't think this needs much. The fact that anyone would pay to make a movie with him in it is more credit that he deserves. Thus, the overrated status.
- Unforgiven
Well, someone has to say it. Might as well be me. Clint Eastwood isn't tough! He lives in Carmel. How tough can someone from Carmel be? Talking like you smoke a carton a day doesn't make you tough, either. Plus, this movie was one of the most boring westerns I've ever seen.
- Its a Wonderful Life
I'm not saying this one isn't good. Just overrated. The amount of attention this movie gets is insane. It isn't even the best Christmas movie. It's not the best Jimmy Stewart movie either. I may not even be one of his best 5 performances. And, while it may be one of Capra's more balanced and personal films, it isn't very interesting subject matter when compared with his other work. I will give you a much more interesting Capra/Stewart film in a later post. How did this one even become a Christmas tradition? Why did it beat out other films like Holiday Inn, White Christmas, etc. to become the one that everyone is supposed to watch during the holidays?
Well, there they are. Feel free to let me know just how right or wrong I am.
P.S. "I see dead people."
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Doin' it like Bunnies
Check out this funny movie parody site. The videos are 30 second summaries of famous movies. Oh yeah, they are reenacted by animated bunnies. Ones I find especially funny are The Shining and Jaws.
Hockey
Last night we went to a hockey game. Julie was very excited to see a fight. In every other area of life she absolutely hates fighting. On the occasion where I watch boxing, UFC, etc. she can't even watch. It freaks her out. But for some reason, she has no problem with fighting in hockey, and she can't explain why she feels this way. This is very frustrating to me because I like to understand things.
I find fighting interesting for 2 reasons.
1) Why people fight.
The average person's answer is ANGER, but that shows a total lack of observational skill. If you really look at all the forms of fighting in our society, you will find a meriad of reasons and motivations. Economics, status, self-defense, territorialism.
2)Strategy of fighting.
I've noticed that I seem to take an academic approach to life in a way that many other people don't. I'm always studying things and trying to understand different approaches and strategies. When it comes to this, fighting is one of the most fascinating subjects to me. Maybe you've never thought of this before, but there are as many, if not more, intricate details to the strategy of a fight as there are in any major sport. There is a lot to think about.
I find fighting interesting for 2 reasons.
1) Why people fight.
The average person's answer is ANGER, but that shows a total lack of observational skill. If you really look at all the forms of fighting in our society, you will find a meriad of reasons and motivations. Economics, status, self-defense, territorialism.
2)Strategy of fighting.
I've noticed that I seem to take an academic approach to life in a way that many other people don't. I'm always studying things and trying to understand different approaches and strategies. When it comes to this, fighting is one of the most fascinating subjects to me. Maybe you've never thought of this before, but there are as many, if not more, intricate details to the strategy of a fight as there are in any major sport. There is a lot to think about.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Winning the lottery on the same day the Giants win the World Series
Well, I titled my last post "That had to hurt," and today I smashed my finger. So I'm calling this post "Winning the lottery on the same day the Giants win the World Series." A guy can dream can't he. I thought about adding to it "my wife has finally agreed to do that thing she won't do," but then I thought about how her dad reads this. My next post would be called "my father-in-law shoots me."
Looks like I've pretty much done myself in now anyway. Oh well...
I don't really have much to say right now, but I really wanted to get a wish into a post title and see what happens. I'll try to get an enflamatory opinion on something very soon and write about it.
P.S. Yes. I had to call my wife in and get her editorial approval before I wrote this. I couldn't argue with you if you said she is pretty dictatorial. She is also really cool though. Honestly, I challenge everyone who reads this to find a guy who's wife would let him write this. Her rule is "if it is funny enough, it overrules the inappropriateness (sic)."
Looks like I've pretty much done myself in now anyway. Oh well...
I don't really have much to say right now, but I really wanted to get a wish into a post title and see what happens. I'll try to get an enflamatory opinion on something very soon and write about it.
P.S. Yes. I had to call my wife in and get her editorial approval before I wrote this. I couldn't argue with you if you said she is pretty dictatorial. She is also really cool though. Honestly, I challenge everyone who reads this to find a guy who's wife would let him write this. Her rule is "if it is funny enough, it overrules the inappropriateness (sic)."
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
That had to hurt!
I just read in Rueters online that a guy shot his buddy while trying to cure him of the hiccups. Apparently, he was trying to "help" his buddy stop by scaring him. Hoping to cause fear, he pointed his gun at said hiccupper (any guesses on how that is spelled), and it accidentally went off. The good news: He was cured of the hiccups forever!
The bad news: He was also cured of living.
This got me thinking of some of the messed up things friends do to each other for various reasons without intending malicious harm.
One time when I was in high school, a friend and I were hanging out before soccer practice. We were really bored (which is how many of these stories seem to begin), and he decided to scare me when I was coming back from getting a soda. As I came around the corner, he swung at me to fake a punch, but I walked right into it. Needless to say, I went to practice with a fat lip and a bruised ego.
In college, we had a friend named Chris. Two things you have to know to understand the story: 1)He was one of these guys who would do anything for approval
2) He was always changing jobs and always needed money.
One night, a friend was showing us some police strength pepper spray (it is more concentrated than the commercially available stuff). We though we might make our buddy Chris some money by seeing how much people would pay to see him get sprayed. I think the total got over 150 dollars, and Christ was in. So we sprayed him right in the face, and he spent the next few hours howling in our shower with cold water pounding him in the face. I wish we had pictures; his face was so red and swollen. It was a rough night for him, but he made some quick cash. When I look back on it though, maybe it wasn't the nicest thing to do to a friend.
The bad news: He was also cured of living.
This got me thinking of some of the messed up things friends do to each other for various reasons without intending malicious harm.
One time when I was in high school, a friend and I were hanging out before soccer practice. We were really bored (which is how many of these stories seem to begin), and he decided to scare me when I was coming back from getting a soda. As I came around the corner, he swung at me to fake a punch, but I walked right into it. Needless to say, I went to practice with a fat lip and a bruised ego.
In college, we had a friend named Chris. Two things you have to know to understand the story: 1)He was one of these guys who would do anything for approval
2) He was always changing jobs and always needed money.
One night, a friend was showing us some police strength pepper spray (it is more concentrated than the commercially available stuff). We though we might make our buddy Chris some money by seeing how much people would pay to see him get sprayed. I think the total got over 150 dollars, and Christ was in. So we sprayed him right in the face, and he spent the next few hours howling in our shower with cold water pounding him in the face. I wish we had pictures; his face was so red and swollen. It was a rough night for him, but he made some quick cash. When I look back on it though, maybe it wasn't the nicest thing to do to a friend.
Monday, January 23, 2006
81 points?
I woke up this morning with something on my mind. I seem to remember watching Kobe hang 81 on Toronto last night on Fox Sports Net. Was that a dream or did it really happen?
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Gone Fishin'
For all of you who hang on my every word, I plan to spend as much time fishing this weekend as humanly possible, so I'm posting this and taking the weekend off (as if this were my job). I know it will be hard, but you can get through it. Take some deep breaths and think about all the good times we will have in the future. If you feel like you might hyperventilate, grab a paper bag and breathe into it. Does that even work? I always see it on tv, but have never actually seen a medical professional advise this approach. Maybe Mythbusters should test that out.
Just so you don't have to go all weekend without me telling you what to think, here are some of my takes on the world as we know it:
Sports: After seeing what the Lions did, I am afraid that Julie might leave me for someone named Blana or Danaga, but not someone named Danal! Personally, I think Steve Mariucci is a great coach.
Music: I am listening to That Was a Crazy Game of Poker by O.A.R.
I also downloaded the Gillian Welch cover of Black Star by Radiohead. I can't say that I love it, or even like it much. When it comes to Radiohead covers, I find stuff by Christopher O'Rilley really interesting. He plays piano arrangements of radiohead. I think its really good.
Movies: Julie and I watched Fantastic 4 last night. My eyes haven't stopped hurting since. Seriously! My eyes have been itchy and red for 24 hours since we saw the movie. I've never had an alergic reaction to a film before, but this one deserved it. Only redeeming value: (do I even have to say it? you all know what's coming) ...
Jessica Alba! My brother is obsessed with her (not litterally, for you FBI guys who are reading this), and I can see that he has a valid point. If you want to see a good movie this weekend, just go rent Happy Gilmore. There's nothing wrong with an old standby. Plus, the sound effects for the punches in that movie are the best in any movie I've ever seen. Just hearing them makes me laugh.
News: Get some news from an online news source, and lay off the CNN, MSNBC, etc. I won't even mention that other network. I hope none of you are that stupid. Julie is trying to distract me right now because she knows how I get when I start to think about THAT channel. Just go to BBC or Reuters online this weekend and find out what is happening in the world that corporate America (who own all the major news outlets) doesn't want you to know about. Or better yet, pick up a major newspaper and read every page of it. Think to yourself, why is this story about all these people dying in a 3rd world country buried on page AA25, while the front page has a parade or some other trivial thing on it?
Man, I totally sound like a crazy conspiracy theorist. I swear, I haven't done any drugs tonight (a will drink some Theraflu before I go to bed); all this paranoia is totally natural in me.
TV: Don't watch anything that has "drama" on it. Shows don't even have a premise any more. All they do is put 5 of the craziest people they can find in a room and hope they fight. Even shows on HGTVor Animal Planet are all about drama now. Who watches this stuff? And Why? I seriously want to know. And then they are going to cancel the greatest show on earth AD.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Oops, I did it again
Thought I might post some pictures of my job (have to keep up with my friend Adam).
The picture at the top is the tractor I have been driving lately. If you look closely, you can see that the driveline to the brush shredder is totally busted (the picture on the left shows more detail). Oops... Did I do that? In my defense, it was really old, and we're pretty sure that when we get the results of the autopsy back it will have died of natural causes. (Old School reference for those of you who are totally unhip) If you go to this website, click on the link to the official site, then play the Frank the Tank streaking game. It is hilarious! All I have to say is, "once it hits your lips..." Speaking of beer, I'm drinking a high life right now.
On the rare occasions when I'm not breaking something, I am having a really great time working on the farm. The weather has been really nice this week. Lots of sun considering what time of year it is.
Sunday, January 15, 2006
1st anniversary
Disclaimer: Nothing written in this post is intended to give the impression that "my marriage is so great," or "I am so insightful, smart and a marriage guru," or that "I know everthing." These are just some of my thoughts as I relfect on a year of marriage and how lucky I am to have Julie.
Last year, at this time, I was getting ready to get married. I often hear that the first few years, especially the first year, of marriage are very difficult for many couples. That hasn't been the case for me. This last year has been the best year of my life by far! I can't speak for Julie (well, some pastors say that I can, but I won't), but I think we both have had just about the best year of our lives. I have some theories, or reasons, why I think this might be so for us.
I had promised Julie that I would get her oil changed, but hadn't done it because she had only gone 3k miles on her last oil change. One day, she got really mad that I hadn't done it yet, and it started this arguement... er... spirited discussion: (this is not verbatim, but is true in the actual information cited by and the intended meanings of the parties unvolved)
...
Dramatic pause....
...
7500 miles! I was right! You were wrong! In your face! HA HA HA!
Thats what I thought, not what I said.
After a few hours of composing myself (I needed every minute of it), I humbly showed her the article and we came to an agreement as a couple on the 7500 mile oil change philosaphy. We also came to the agreement, though its not always recognised, that I am always right!
Last year, at this time, I was getting ready to get married. I often hear that the first few years, especially the first year, of marriage are very difficult for many couples. That hasn't been the case for me. This last year has been the best year of my life by far! I can't speak for Julie (well, some pastors say that I can, but I won't), but I think we both have had just about the best year of our lives. I have some theories, or reasons, why I think this might be so for us.
One of the gifts I got Julie for our anniversary was a sponsorship of KVPR. We both really like public radio, and Julie especially likes Car Talk. She even gets a Car Talk mug out of the deal. This is also an inside joke because Car Talk settled one of the first disagreements we had after we were married.
Reason 1: Julie and I knew each other for a long time before we got married. As a result, we didn't have very many of those "I can't believe you do that!" moments that many newlwed couples seem to have. For the most part, I knew the few things about Julie that get under my skin long before we ever took the plunge, and she knew the things about me. I think its safe to say, that I get the better end of the stick on that one. I am infinately more disgusting, obnoxious, and annoying that she is. So we both had reasonably accurate expectations for what living together would be like.
Plus, we knew each other through more that one major life transition. So we had a better understanding of the things about each other that were temporary, and the things that would stay the same over time.
Reason 2: We spent a lot of time talking about our core values and the things that are most important to us when we were dating. This was very important to me because I don't only love on an emotional level. For me, love is also an intellectual task. I need to feel intellecually connected to someone to feel a deep love for that person. I also need to know my lover's mind to be able to think about how I should act to best love that person.
This was helpful, because we didn't wake up the day after our wedding and realize that our occupational goals, religious beliefs/moral values, and/or family expectation were in conflict or incompatible. It seems odd to me, but, from both personal experience and the research I've read, many couples apperently have exactly this problem. They become infatuated with one another, get married fairly quickly, and leave their compatibility up to chance.
Reason 3: We went through a lot of our struggles while we were dating. I'm not saying we planned it this way, or even that it was good. It sucked, and I wish much of it hadn't had to happen. At some point, we had to decide if things would always be difficult between us, or if we had worked it out and come through some things. Obviously, we decided the latter, and I strongly believe we were right. I guess the silver lining is that the last year has been great.
I had promised Julie that I would get her oil changed, but hadn't done it because she had only gone 3k miles on her last oil change. One day, she got really mad that I hadn't done it yet, and it started this arguement... er... spirited discussion: (this is not verbatim, but is true in the actual information cited by and the intended meanings of the parties unvolved)
Anyway, we compromised on me doing what she says to do when she says to do it, and I took her car to get the oil changed. A few weeks passed and I happened to see an article writen by the guys on Car Talk while flipping through the newspaper. To understand this story, you need to know that Julie takes what these guys say as gospel. The story happened to be about how often to get the oil changed, and they recommended....
Julie: "My car is nice and new , and I want it to get the best possible care. The oil needs to be changed every three thousand miles. Why haven't you done this yet?" (notice how it implies that my car is a POS. It is a POS, but thats not the point)
Me: "Well, even your users manual says that the oil needs to be changed no more often than 4k miles, and many experts feel you can go 6 to 10k. I subscribe to the 7500 mile mark that I have often seen."
...
Dramatic pause....
...
7500 miles! I was right! You were wrong! In your face! HA HA HA!
Thats what I thought, not what I said.
After a few hours of composing myself (I needed every minute of it), I humbly showed her the article and we came to an agreement as a couple on the 7500 mile oil change philosaphy. We also came to the agreement, though its not always recognised, that I am always right!
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