Ramblings of an Anonymous Coward

strangerhood

first there was red .vs. blue where they used halo engine, now the rooster teeth productions crew is making use of sims2 for strangerhood. this could turn out to be amusing.

Link Dump

until i get a linkblog working -- which of course requires me to take the time to create one -- i am going to try and limit my listing of links to once or twice per month. that, of course, keeps them from being as fresh as i might like, but that will just have to be my motivation to bring up a linkblog now won't it? without further ado, i leave you with a quote and lots of links...

We must select the illusion which appeals to our tempermeant, and embrace it with passion, if we want to be happy.
-- Cyril Connolly

in no particular order:

• bloglines has introduced web services. woo hoo!
• a client of mine told me about skype which is a free application that provides voice-over-ip -- otherwise known as free internet phone service.
• mathematician versus the press -- chose your battles. so how many solutions are there to various rubic's cubes? read on. it is also a great example of how the media works -- hear it, believe it, repeat it. way to go john!
• why is it so?, the ground-breaking tv series with the enigmatic professor julius sumner miller. i wish they had it on dvd.
• finally, a band with a novel idea. green day is selling printed cd-r disks of all the cds so people can have nice looking backups. heh.
• joe krauss bumps into bill gates in the bathroom. there was no handshaking.
• yet more information on the XP SP2 update.
• if the trailer for white noise is any indication, this might be a good creepy movie to go see. what caught my eye was the link to the aa-evp (american association of electronic voice phenomena). is the site a shill for the movie? i'm thinking not.
• get your breakup news here. some of those stories where... well, quite humorous. in a sad way of course. and speaking of rejection, for those that get hit on frequently by unwanted peopke, if they ask for your phone number, you can give our your local rejection line number. given the times, maybe they want your email address instead... well, paper napkin to the rescue. it's all primed for the perfect response.
• oh my... brutally honest personals.
• the bind that ties: american marriage in crisis. thought provoking article / book reviews.
• florida hurricanes -- g-d versus bush [gif]
• fonts: an excellent selection, with previews!
• some interesting charts showing the of relationship of various people/places/objects. for example the descendants of adam in genesis (not the band, *snicker*)
• bloglines toolbar for firefox. the notifier works well enough for me, but if you use their other features, this might help.
• write your own firefox extension, it's not that hard.
• if you're in the bay area... here is a graphical traffic report.
• "Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning" and other bush-isms on dvd
• i'm thinking of purchasing this print from deviant art. or maybe this one.
• wanna find out where the trojans and virii are hiding on your pc -- read this.

Under The Wire - Delusions

i told myself when dear x came back on-line that i'd do one every month. that wouldn't be so tough would it? well, sometimes the easiest of sounding things are more difficult that we could have imagined. this month we could choose between three words -- delusions, desire, and rage.

Dear X,

In my youth, i planned to live like the fire in the sun, but lately i've found that I can't see through the cloud that surrounds me. Rather than continuing on with flowery prose that could never capture my true thoughts, allow me to share a little verse instead.

Delusions By Pain
Painted pictures are not like the way that you think
By having the answers in my eyes in my mind in my soul
I'm losing control the sky keeps falling on me

Exposing the life that you breath
Reflecting the truth to delusions and dreams
Feeling lighter is about like the heavenly seed
Why is this happening to me

never trusted by my inner feeling it's
better to be dead than to be alive

Sincerely,

AC

No Comment

it's before 8am and i wake to a gentle tapping on my back. blurry eyed, i roll over to the sound of my laptop's disk whirring and it's screen glowing brightly through the darkened room. "you better read this", she said, handing the system over to me as i sat up. my responses to a meme anchored the background as a comments window floated above it.

i have since removed the comment and only mention it here to remove all doubt should the commenter return and wonder whether it's been seen. it has.

Not Easy Being Meme

found over at genuine's, i figured what the heck. why not? below is a list of 200 things, those in bold are ones i have done. i have no idea who came up with this list, but here goes...

01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said 'I love you' and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Touched an iceberg
20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby's diaper
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight
29. Bet on a winning horse
30. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath
39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job for all accounts
51. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
55. Watched wild whales
56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government's official in that country to avoid notice
61. Midnight walk on the beach
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
66. Visited Japan
67. Benchpressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to "Let's Get It On" by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
80. Done something you should regret, but don't regret it
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who's not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better
84. Started a business
85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class
88. Swordfought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie
92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn't have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy
95. Gotten divorced
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
98. Made cookies from scratch
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an "expert"
105. Got flowers for no reason
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don't remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
109. Performed on stage
110. Been to Las Vegas
111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark
113. Had a one-night stand
114. Gone to Thailand
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off
120. Been on a cruise ship
121. Spoken more than one language fluently (so my mom says)
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
123. Bounced a check
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children (ok, helped)
127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
132. Called or written your Congress person
133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
134. ...more than once? - More than thrice?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did (but NOT as a method of birth control)
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived.
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
145. Broken someone's heart
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
157. Ridden a horse
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
167. Eaten kangaroo meat
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
170. Eaten sushi
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime
173. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read,
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them
183. ...and gotten 86'ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
184. Taught yourself an art from scratch
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
191. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
196: Dyed your hair
197: Been a DJ
198: Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
199: Written your own role playing game
200: Been arrested

Biggest Of Century, So Far

the news has been all about the 6.0 quake down in parkfield, ca. while it was some 135mi south, the it was felt as far north as sacramento. things clearly shook in the san jose area, but there was no damage. the main concern now is whether this was a precursor for a larger event.

time will tell.

Will Play For Food

with the NHL on strike lockout whatever it is that you want to call it... they aren't playing... fans now have more time to .... well, we have more time to wish there was some hockey. are they doing this because we didn't renew our season tickets this season?!? i mean really, they didn't have to go through all that trouble. a funny article is making it's rounds... enjoy.

Hundreds of Professional Hockey players in our very own nation are going to be locked out, living at well below the seven-figure salary level. And as if that weren't bad enough, they could be deprived of their life- giving pay for several months, possibly longer, as a result of the coming lockout situation.

But you can help!

For only $20,835 a month, about $694.50 a day (that's less than the cost of a large screen projection TV) you can help an NHL player remain economically viable during his time of need. This contribution by no means solves the problem as it barely covers the annual minimum salary, but it's a start, and every little bit will help!

Although $700 may not seem like a lot of money to you, to a hockey player it could mean the difference between spending the lockout golfing in Florida or on a Mediterranean cruise. For you, seven hundred dollars is nothing more than a month's rent, half a mortgage payment, or a month of medical insurance, but to a hockey player, $700 will partially replace his daily salary.

Your commitment of less than $700 a day will enable a player to buy that home entertainment center, trade in the year-old Lexus for a new Ferrari, or enjoy a weekend in Rio.

HOW WILL I KNOW THAT I'M HELPING?

Each month, you will receive a complete financial report on the player you sponsor. Detailed information about his stocks, bonds, 401(k), real estate, and other investment holdings will be mailed to your home. Plus upon signing up for this program, you will receive an unsigned photo of the player lounging during the lockout on a beach somewhere in the Caribbean (for a signed photo. Please include an additional $150). Put the photo on your refrigerator to remind you of other peoples' suffering.

HOW WILL HE KNOW I'M HELPING?

Your NHL player will be told that he has a SPECIAL FRIEND who just wants to help in a time of need. Although the player won't know your name, he will be able to make collect calls to your home via a special operator in case additional funds are needed for unforeseen expenses.

YES, I WANT TO HELP!

I would like to sponsor a locked out NHL player!

y preference is (check below):
[ ] Forward
[ ] Defenseman
[ ] Goaltender
[ ] Entire team (Please call our 900 number to ask for the cost of a specific team - $10 per minute)
[ ] Jaromir Jagr (Higher cost: $32,000 per day)


Please charge the account listed below $694.50 per day for the duration of the lockout. Please send me a picture of the player I have sponsored, along with an Jaromir Jagr 2001 Income Statement and my very own Bob Goodenow (Executive Director of the NHLPA player's Union) pin to wear proudly on my hat (include $80 for hat).

Your Name: _______________________
Telephone Number: _______________________
Account Number: _______________________
Exp.Date:_______
[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Other
Signature: _______________________

Alternate card (when the primary card exceeds its credit limit):

Account Number: _______________________
Exp.Date:_______
[ ] MasterCard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ] Other
Signature: ____________

i can take no credit for this amusing parody nor (unfortunately) do i have an attribution. it was a forward of a forward of a forward... i'll update and provide proper credit if i ever find out who came up with this. some players might like to know too.

Word Association, Week 86

word association has sucked me in again.

1. Diminishing:: returns
2. Fed up:: exhausted
3. 3:00 AM:: 6:00 AM
4. Interfere:: do not
5. Often:: rhymes with coffin
6. Hay:: roll in the
7. Prediction:: guess
8. Homophobia:: jerks
9. Booty call:: must have been a wrong number
10. Enunciate:: speak clearly

Ten To Nine

as the sun set drawing close to yom kippur, the stage was set for another type of atonement. a rematch between rival hockey teams in the leagues championship game. in the last meeting, we lost in overtime ending our season the same as it began -- with a loss. all the games in between, however, were victories that gained us the number one seed into the playoffs.

i'll cut to the chase. we won. it was a special victory for a number of reasons. not only did we defeat our rivals in overtime as they had done to us at the end of the season, not only was this our second consecutive championship, but our team was built on the idea of playing hockey for fun. to enjoy the game with the people we enjoy spending that time with.

see, the team is made up of father/son pairs (with the exception of our goalie). the oldest player is in his mid-50's and the youngest is my son at the ripe old age of fourteen. with this season i get to mark off of my todo list something i had been looking forward to for some time -- play a couple seasons of hockey with my son. if i never lace them up again, i have 6 months of memories and two t-shirts that say "champions" on them that we got to earn together. yeah, i'm happy about the win, but to me and i think i can speak for the other dads on this as well -- it wasn't a matter of winning or losing, it was a matter of us doing it together.

Participant or Committed?

mark cuban's ideas on success and motivation that he posted in his web log (with respect to his show the benefactor) struck a cord with me. his no balls, no babies of course stands out, but his "pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered" reminded me of a saying told to me early on when making a career decision. with respect to the new business venture i was told you have to decide early -- when you come to breakfast you have to decide whether you are going to be a chicken or a pig. most people don't get it. it's your commitment level. see, at breakfast, a chicken is merely a participant, supplying the eggs. now the pig... he's committed, giving his very life to make the best breakfast possible. okay, aside from the idea that the pig is now dead and doesn't reap the benefits, it was an interesting analogy.

speaking of small companys and sucess, joe kraus (co-founder of excite) has a blog and is currently sharing his experience for making a business successful. he is currently yammering on about persistence, and he is so right. i need to remind myself far too often that persistence pays.

i was recently reminded of a great puzzle known as petals around the rose and the fun it is getting interesting people thinking about the problem. like the best puzzles, it is so simply once you get it, and with this puzzle getting there is half the fun. the link above will take you to lloyd borrett's page on the puzzle which provides some great background and commentary as well as the images of dice rolls which are quite important in the solving process.

• the name of the game is petals around the rose, and the name is significant.
• every answer is zero or an even number
• the person showing you the game can tell you the answer for every roll of the dice, but no more.

Quote Of The Day

Life is an unbroken succession of false situations.
-- Thornton Wilder

Looking Deeper

it is indeed a time for self reflection, and to some degree that explains my silence, but much like in reality, i find myself wondering what to say anymore. and looking back i have to wonder if writing and expressing myself (openly) has done more harm than good. as with most things, time will tell. but will it tell me? and will i listen?

Word Association, Week 84 and 85

i'm doubling up on the word assocation this week. it is, afterall, a time for self-reflection.

Distractions

incredibly, this is the third time i've tried to make this post. twice before i deleted the tab before posting. am i trying to be told something? yeah, i'm not doing what i need to be doing... my mind just isn't in it. so if i'm going to be distracted, i may as well share some amusing/interesting links i've been saving up.

• i have never been good at folding. i make a mess really and i'm not sure that this technique will help much. but it's cool and i even managed to do it. well, after watching that video a half-dozen or more times.
• ecto. i haven't tried it, but it looks like it is a useful tool.
• yet another flow chart -- to rip or not to rip that is the question.
• warning geek link ahead -- Devel::Cover is something i definitely have to look at using on some of my code. oh! and i must not forget WWW::BugMeNot.
• this del.icio.us thing is popping up more frequently. i've never gotten the whole putting dots into words or why it's done, but in this case, it's the domain. that.i.under.stand.
• fonts are like parfait... everyone likes cool fonts.
• interesting use of a dvd... colorcalm.
• getting things done is a book i should probably read. sooner than later even. it'll probably start with -- stop posting stupid stuff on your blog.

now playing: halo -- foo fighters

here kitty kitty ... kitty kitty ...

i'm not what you would call a cat person, but mix in a little math and you'll get my attention. you will also get the infinite cat project. in a nutshell, it is a picture of a cat looking at a cat looking at a cat looking at a cat.... you get the .... ummmm picture. of course being geeky, the cats are looking at the other felines on a monitor. which of course explains why the logo is cool too!

will there be other infinity projects? the infinite dog project? lawn gnomes maybe? how about apple doing one where people are listening to people listening to their iPods? yeah, ok, scrap that one.

Origin

bright spot of the day -- i finally got my copy of the cd origin by evanescence. no, not the original, but the limited european release by epic with the bonus tracks. that means amy lee singing heart shaped box.

You Won't Be Mine

my unplayed playlist is down to zero. yup. zip. zero. zilch. none. nada. nil. downright empty. i guess it's time to go dig up some more cds and add them. last song played was a matchbox 20 song. fitting, rob thomas cranks out some awesome lyrics. here is a list of the last few songs...

• You Won't Be Mine -- Matchbox-20 (Mad Season)
• Are you Lonesome Tonight -- Elvis Presley (The Number One Hits)
• Beyond The Invisible -- Enigma (Le Roi Est Mort, Vive Le Roi!)
• The Mountains Win Again -- Blues Traveller (Four)
• Guilty -- Barbara Streisand (One Voice)
• Wish You Were Here -- Pink Floyd (Pulse)
• Hot Mallets -- Lionel Hampton (Jazz Classics, disk 1)
• My Favorite Mistake -- Sheryl Crow (Very Best Of)
• How to Disappear Completely -- Radiohead (Kid A)
• Flowers On The Wall -- Statler Brothers (Pulp Fiction Soundtrack)

Sing it Dub-ya

i'm sure this will be making its rounds... someone has taken the voice of george w. bush and done a mashup with u2's song "sunday, bloody sunday". sing it dub-ya. when he's done being leader of the free world, perhaps he should consider being a rock star?!?

Quotes For The Day

You have to tweak things regularly. The alternative is entropy and decay.
-- Warren Bennis

The most dangerous people in the world are the highly enthusiastic incompetents.
-- Jay Kurtz

See You When You're 40

the iPod (and iTunes) playlist i listen to most frequently is one that i created called unplayed. with over 4500 songs on my iPod i was pleased to see that i have finally tipped below 200 songs on that list. the tipping song is a little known tune by dido called see you when you're 40.

Links To Ponder

• bush's recent faux pas makes me wonder if i should have been a doctor instead.
• the holy grail of mathematics may be on the verge of being found -- the riemann hypothesis and poincaré conjecture. [link.]
• a blast from the past -- virtual rubic's cube.
• blogging with gmail
• stone soup -- via redherring.com

Claire Trevor

so i see a link to a game and follow it. mistake. i spend far too long playing hangaroo, but i finally managed to solve 10 consecutive puzzles. after taking a verbal beating from the noosed up marsupial over a few rounds, whats the reward for finally setting him free. a quick "you're not as dumb as you look" as he does like the pink panther snagglepuss and exits stage left. i should have hung his ass a few more times... he was much more fun that way.

Word Association, Week 83

i always find myself compelled to do these word association memes. go figure.

1. Reporter:: murphy brown
2. Mythology:: greek
3. Wimbledon:: tennis
4. Civilization:: ancient
5. Punctuation:: mark
6. Party Games:: truth, dare, double dare, or repeat
7. Flawless:: diamond
8. Unprecedented:: event
9. Curry:: adam
10. Tropical:: rain forest

A Few Links For Now

sporadic blogging ahead. the weekend will be filled with lots of coding i will undoubtedly end up working harder to avoid than to finish. lets up the avoidance is equally as productive. in the interim...

• untried "cool tools" by kevin kelly. the site that will fabricate parts for you sounds interesting.
• from the big brother department -- enter your address and get a picture of where you live. aerial, topo and others are often available. some can be quite spooky. pun not intended.
• new meaning to banging on hood of someone's car. and a vulva volvo no less.
• speaking of new meanings... josh points out some cops looking for a little wood on I-75 in ohio. i wonder if they'll take my tree-hugger card away for being opposed to this?
• the mc is smiling for a damn good reason at the westfield shopping centre fashion show in sydney. best set of... um... pictures i've seen of this.
• toogle can be amusing.
• there is finally some sushi i would eat. really. no, i'm not kidding.
• ok, when i saw the title of this, i just had to read it -- 5 Reasons Why Christians Should Not Obtain a State Marriage License. almost as funny as i expected too.

Nerds at the RNC

it's been reported in a few places and i agree, this is one of the better protest signs i have ever seen. and i don't live that far from berkeley. :) [haacked] [boingboing] [t-shirt hell]

Oh! Oh! Haribo!

haribo, the famous makers of gummy bears from my childhood, has intruduced some new wrappers for some of their sweets. a catholic college has complained about the new wrapping, claiming it portrays fruit in sexual positions. for the love of god, don't you people have better things to do? isn't there a class you should be attending like how to cover up the misconduct of rouge priests or something?

Take A Picture, Go To Jail

i don't know this fellow and can't say there wasn't more going on than said in his description; however, just the idea that someone can be arrested while simply being near a protest demonstration and taking pictures is downright scarey! i'm sure the officers were doing their jobs the best they could. this sort of action comes from the top. chief of police? no, higher. mayor? no, higher. governor? higher. you get the point.

i don't want to vote for kerry, i really don't. he doesn't instill confidence in me as a leader that will get this country back on track. but damn it, the prospect of having bush in office for four more years scares the crap out of me. between trying to impose his moral values upon the rest of us and a penchant for taking away constitutional rights... i just don't think i can do it and sleep well at night.

Movies I've Seen Lately

it's time to throw out another batch of movie reviews. i think i've got a pretty good mix this time and i'd bet there is at least one or two you haven't seen. i could be wrong.

• johnson family vacation
  this flick was a weak attempt at matching the humor of national lampoon's vacation with chevy chase and cast. the movie wasn't bad, but it just didn't live up to my expectations. i must confess that i found it terribly funny when the father and son went through each other's cds throwing out those artists who were unacceptable (aka shot). marvin gaye. shot. twice.

• welcome to mooseport
  i had wanted to see this one for a while, but always came across something i'd rather see more. i bit the bullet and was amused. it is about what i was expecting from mr. everyone loves raymond -- a movie you don't have to think about, just sit, watch, and veg-out.
  
  
• taking lives
  even without the angelina jolie nude scene, this was a good movie. her character plays an fbi agent sent up to montreal to help the french canadian police catch a serial killer. the movie intertwines the expected and unexpected to keep you on your toes. definitely worth the rental.
  
  
• godsend
  in a word -- disappointing. i expected so much more from de nero. the movie had a good premise making use of current concerns on human cloning, but the movie gave in to a predictable plot and oh-so expected ending.
  
  
• the manchurian candidate (1962)
  excellent. of course, i knew that before watching. i don't remember watching the entire movie before -- perhaps i was occupied with my solitaire game? oh never mind. anything i say here will give it all away... go see this movie. the original. not the remake.
  
  
• the laws of attraction
  your typical romantic-comedy "chick flick" with a plot that was clearly created to meet the ends. two seemingly incompatible people meet and navigate the awkward waters of being attracted to one another yet constantly at odds (due to them being opposing divorce attorneys). a magic castle in ireland throws a wrench into things and the plot does the typical -- take away hope, but in the end provides the "they live happily ever after".
  
  
• The Girl Next Door
  i'm not sure i'd put this into the "chick flick" category, but i'm sure it would still garner it's share of "aw, how sweet" from the xx-chromosome crowd. i see the movie being in the risky business mold, but instead of hookers you get porn stars. this flick will never be a classic, but is worth the rental if you were one of the not-so-cool kids in high school.
  
  
• eurotrip
  "scotty didn't know, scotty didn't know, ...". here we have a classic movie about a group of recent high school graduates having comical misadventures as they travel through europe. it's set up by having the main character get dumped by his sweetheart right after graduation. his quest now is to catch up with his german pen pal who he has always thought was a guy, but turns out was a gorgeous girl who loved him dearly. they hang with everyone from english hooligans to madame vandersexxx in amsterdam. "hey! this isn't where i parked my car."
  
  
• 9 dead gay guys
  there is really only one reason i was even slightly interested in seeing this film: the title. when you see it, the title makes you wonder what the film is going to be all about—besides the obvious, that is. you begin to conjure up images of a dark comedy, one that should be preposterous. it ends up being about a silly quest to see who killed the queen and a search for treasure -- the bread is in the bed. if you want a weird movie with no redeeming quality, this is your movie.
  
  
• 2 brothers and a bride
  after josh (david arquette) and his brother jake's (tim blake nelson) mother passes away, they are forced to try and find a bride for josh. jake decides the best course of action is the stereo typical "russian mail order bride" and the two head to st. petersburg for a variety of meet-ups and dates. jake's methodical approach provides a good contrast to his slow but lovely brother. this movie was renamed "a foreign affair" if you decide to try and find this title on dvd or pay-per-view. the movie left me feeling it was incomplete, but all in all it was a cute movie and worth watching.
  
  
• dopamine
  i watched this movie just last night and it is still sinking in. that's a good thing! i can safely categorize this as a movie you will end up either really liking or one you'll find completely worthless. the basic idea is that a san francisco programmer/animator (rand) is preoccupied by his creation (koy koy) which can best be described as an aritifically intelligent bird they group has programmed to be a "friend". rand finds himself attracted to sarah, a learning centre teacher, where their software is being tested in the classroom with kids. they each have their issues with relationships and the movie is quite subtle in having them work through them. definitely something you'd expect to see at sundance. it could have used a lot more polish, but not having it did provide it some additional appeal.