Let's start off with the bad and end with a positive flurry!

1 Bill-star Review
Movie: "Inglorious Basterds"
Review: 1 bill-star (out of 5)... blech.

"Pulp Fiction" was clever enough, but I am beyond bored with the Quentin Tarantino knock-offs that he himself produces. Everything is a cartoon: characters, plot, violence, music, etc.
The funniest part of "Inglorious Basterds" for me was near the end Brad Pitt is captured and sits down handcuffed in front of the main Nazi guy. I said to myself, "There's a long, tired 10 minutes of overworked dialogue coming here". I hit the fast forward and sure enough, I was right. The scene actually works at 8x with no sound.

Mozy told me this was nominated for an Oscar this year. Sure nuff: oscar.go.com/nominations/nominees and that the lead German guy won best supporting actor. Whatever.

5 Bill-star Review
Book: "The Reagan I Knew" by William F Buckley
Review: 5 bill-stars

This is a wonderful, intimate book. Half the book is Buckley's contemporary look-back at his relationship with Reagan, and half the book are personal letters written between Buckley, Reagan and Nancy Reagan. They are a delight. The book was warm. There are so many stories in there and such good stuff, I don't even have a QOTD for you. Shame on me.

Buckley chronicles the leftie media bias against Reagan in his book. These stories date back to Reagan's presidency and even the 70's. It serves as a reminder that, hey, the volume may be turned up a little higher these days, but the song remains the same. A left-tilting media and academia has been an American mainstay for longer than you or I've been around.

Prejudiced Reviews
Hey, I'll admit I my prejudice. I've seen enough bad Tarantino movies. I have enjoyed Buckley's works and agree with some of his conservative stances. So be it.

I sit down and watch "Basterds" and it's a flat, joyless, experience. And with the repetition between Tarantino's films, it's unwelcome deja vu.

I read Buckley's book late into the night smiling and straining to stay awake and read more.
Prejudice or not... that's the bottom line: 1-star film and 5-star book.
peace out... yow, bill

PS - Dang it, this is funny... 4 minute video: Everything is amazing, and nobody is happy

Labels: 1star, 5stars, books, movies, myphoto

Party #1 - The Dude
Pretty funny... Jeff Dowd has a website: www.jeffdowd.com
Jeff Dowd is "The Dude" in real life.
It looks like he's making some dinero on the whole deal. Why not?

Movie: "The Big Lebowski"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

Could be a top 10 Bill-movie.
I can't come up with a funnier movie off the top of my head.


Party #2 - Trekkie
Excellent.
http://video.yahoo.com/network/100063489?v=7086116&l=100063517

The "Tholian Web" episode was on last night... 40+ years and still the BEST!

QOTD

"Bones, Spock. Since you are playing this tape, we will assume that I am dead and the tactical situation is critical and both of you are locked in mortal combat.

It means, Spock, that you have control of the ship and are probably making the most difficult decisions of your career. I can offer only one small piece of advice for whatever it's worth: use every scrap of logic and knowledge you have to save the ship, but temper your judgment with intuitive insight. I believe you have those qualities, but if you can't find them in yourself, seek out McCoy. Ask his advice, and, if you find it sound, take it.

Bones, you've heard what I just told Spock. Help him if you can, but remember he is the captain, his decisions must be followed, without question. You might find that he is capable of human insight and human error. They are most difficult to defend, but you will find that he is deserving of the same loyalty and confidence each of you have given me.

Take care."
- Capt Kirk's, taped message for Spock & McCoy in the event of his death, imdb source

Party #3 - Ripping Al a new one
Great article... props to Steven F Hayward for the writing and to the Morning News for the link:


"In Denial" is pretty long. But worthy.
The interesting part is not just the rebuttal of the science, but also the outright (and justified) attack on the selling of science and its politicization by Al Gore and his ilk.
warm this... yow, bill

Speaking of Star Trek... this is the girl who played Uhura in the new Star Trek movie. Jeez. And Yow!

Labels: 5stars, fun, globalwarming, movies, qotd

1. Movie Verdict
Movie: "The Verdict"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... outstanding!

Why 5 bill-stars for this tiny, tiny movie?
Paul Newman, Jack Warden, Charlotte Rampling, James Mason... directed by Sidney Lumet.
Magic.

QOTD

"I know how you feel. You don't believe me, but I do know.

I'm going to tell you something that I learned when I was your age. I'd prepared a case and old man White said to me, "How did you do?" And, uh, I said, "Did my best." And he said, "You're not paid to do your best. You're paid to win."

And that's what pays for this office... pays for the pro bono work that we do for the poor... pays for the type of law that you want to practice... pays for my whiskey... pays for your clothes... pays for the leisure time we have to sit back and discuss philosophy as we're doing tonight. We're paid to win the case.

You finished your marriage. You wanted to come back and practice the law. You wanted to come back to the world. Welcome back."
- "The Verdict", (evil) James Mason on paying Charlotte Rampling to back-stab Paul Newman

I can't find (and snarf) a good picture of Charlotte Rampling from "The Verdict". Dang it.
I did find a fun article on some dude's fave scene in "The Verdict": The Paul Newman Scene I Can't Get Out of My Head



2. Global Warming Verdict
Ah, crazy 2 byte characters: Bjørn Lomborg.
øøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøøø

I heart Bjørn Lomborg.
He's a common sense voice on global warming and in today's WSJ points out the obvious: even if you believe in global warming, the answer isn't carbon taxes or caps or whatever... it's innovation!

Lomborg calls for a sort of international research effort. None is needed, of course. As long as big money lies at the end of the rainbow, companies and countries will vie for the prize to the best of their abilities.

Funny one... I saw an op-ed by Joe Biden in today's WSJ titled, "The President's Nuclear Vision", and had a quick flash on President Obama (finally) calling on nuclear power as a part of our energy solution. Dop. No, it was some crap about nuclear weapons. Sigh. Other than the vapid "green jobs" mantra, the Obama administration continues the tradition of not having an energy policy in the US. Dop.



3. Socialism Verdict
Is America in the process of telling socialism's most buxom salesman to pack her bags and hit the fucking bricks? Golly, wouldn't it be great. Almost too much to hope for. But aren't we leaning that way? Just a little?

The President Obama buzz/cult of personality seems to be waning a bit. Not his personal popularity. That will not be impacted by anything. Look at Bill Clinton. But President Obama's agenda is ebbing: health care, can & trade, massive government spending and intervention.

And where are the repubs during this void? I mean, Obamacare has been knocked on its ass... where's the repub retort?!? Competition across state lines. Tax credits for people who can't afford it? Malpractice reform?

Or, where is the Newt Gingrich for 2010's redo of the 1994 elections?
Where is the dang Contract With America for 2010?

I heart America and her defining tradition of freedom and rugged individualism. I believe!
peace... yow, bill

QOTD2

"Your Honor, with all due respect, if you're going to try my case for me, I wish you wouldn't lose it."
- Paul Newman, "The Verdict"

Labels: 5stars, globalwarming, healthcare, movies, politics, qotd

I'm not a big Sheryl Crow fan. Duh.
Like this shot though... genuine and fun, posed and yet not... and she is a hot 40-something, so there!


Book: "Consent to Kill" by Vince Flynn
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

Sweet mother Mary... an easy 5 bill-stars with the boffo ending.
What the hell is my problem... boffo start, middle and end!

Couple days ago, I'm looking at the book with less than a hundred pages to go, and I'm thinking, "How the heck is he going to wrap (Rapp!) all this shit up so quickly?"
Oh, that's how. Good lord!

Jeez, a great great guy read.

QOTD

As he turned to head back into the house he found himself staring down the length of a thick black silencer at the face of the last man he wanted to see. Abel dropped the bag of groceries, and said, "I can explain."

"I'm sure you can." Rapp took half a step back and then kicked Abel in the balls, dropping him to the ground.
- "Consent to Kill", Vince Flynn

I've read a couple articles on "Consent to Kill" being Mitch Rapp's first appearance on the big screen (like this one).
Fine.
I'll bet they screw it up though.
I don't know.
I haven't ever watched "24" except as (incessant) commercials during football games, so who knows. I think "24" and Jack Bauer are the closest thing to Mitch Rapp... just watered down.
consent to kill... yow, bill

PS - Oh, and my regards to Lake Geneva. Sigh. Sorry... details are only available on my pay-per-view blog. He he!

Labels: 5stars, books, qotd

QOTD1

"Listen here, you jackass. In all my years as a sailor I have never seen a bigger bonehead move." The man came right up to the edge of the boat. "Just who in the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm a federal agent," replied Rapp as he pointed at the dead bodies laying in the aft sundeck. "I killed those two right there, there's a third one down in the cabin, and unless you want to be number four I'd advise you to get your ass off this dock and out of my face right now!"
- Mitch Rapp rant from "Memorial Day"

Book: "Memorial Day" by Vince Flynn
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... amazing!

Best of the Mitch Rapp series thus far... nukes and terrorists and pols and lawyers and Mitch Rapp and... sigh.
Too great.


QOTD2

"Mr. Jackson, if you shut your mouth for a second I'll explain. Are you recording this call?" Rapp listened to the lawyer's reply. "Good. Here's the deal. Your client is guilty. Come Tuesday morning certain information will be made public, and when that happens I can promise you that you will wish you'd never met Ahmed al-Adel." Rapp listened for a few seconds and then laughed. "No, Mr. Jackson, that wasn't a threat. If I thought you were a real problem, I wouldn't waste my time threatening you... you'd simply disappear."
- Mitch Rapp rant from "Memorial Day"

Next!
he he... yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, books, qotd

Welp. Sue me.
He he.

"Schindler's List",
"Glengarry Glen Ross",
"The Dark Knight",
"2001 Space Odyssey",
"Manhattan",
"The Godfather",

... [dramatic pause] ...

"Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"?!?!?

QOTD

"Come on, Steve. We've got some diem to carpe!"
- Flint, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"

Movie: "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... wonderful!

I know. No way this is a 5-star movie. Oh well.

• My ribs still hurt.
  
• I laughed inappropriately in a movie theater jammed full of kids.
• It was fun, funny, smart, sweet, slapstick, action-packed, creative and positive.
• Bugs Bunny-esque form start to finish... more jokes for adults than for the kids.
• Steve the monkey, and the food, and the hot nerdy girl, Mr. T, Rat-birds, and spray-on shoes, Manny from Guatemala, and...
  

Jeez, Ty and I laughed and laughed.
So, grab your kid and take 'em to Meatballs... for your sake.
steve... yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, movies, qotd

Book Review
Book: Frommers Anywhere
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... the best!

If you're traveling somewhere, then shell out the 12 bucks for a Frommers and you've got a great base for researching things to do, where to stay, and what to eat. They are well-written and give you all sorts of angles: things for kids, outdoor things, touristy things, etc.

Basketball
Candace Parker is probably Naperville's most famous person these days. She's probably (again) the best women's basketball out there. She was on the news a while back for dunking in high school and then college.

This is a nice story about Candace Parker returning to Naperville where they dedicated a basketball court near her home as "Candace Parker Court": Candace Comes Home

I've actually played basketball with Candace Parker at Edward Health Club. She was pretty unimpressive, actually: ploddingly slow and weak. Of course, she was only in high school then, but girls do suck at basketball.

I also played with her brother, NBA dude Anthony Parker. While Candace is uber-famous, Anthony toils in relative obscurity (and for millions of dollars) in the NBA. He's played for Toronto the last couple years and just signed on with LeBron and the Cavs for next season. This is a great fit for him because he's a great outside shooter with a 41% FG% from the 3-point line. Amazing!

Unlike his sister, Anthony Parker absolutely dominated at Edward. The guy was 6-6 and quicker than anyone out there. I remember one brutal game where guys were just fouling him and playing dirty (moving your foot under the guy during his jump shot). Parker got a little pissed, so he started just shooting from half court to avoid the shenanigans. He made every shot and sent his angry, overweight, white opponents to the sideline.

www.qotd.org
Pretty cool site.

QOTD

"Fate is nothing but the deeds committed in a prior state of existence."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, www.qotd.org

Old School Politics
How about some fun Michelle Obama trivia:

1. How much was Michelle Obama paid at the U of Chicago hospital?
2. Who took over her position when she left for DC?

Well, #1 Michelle made about $300K.
And #2, her incredibly important position (well, one assumes a $300K salary would indicate some level of import) was filled by, um, no one. She took a part-time salary during the campaign, and then her job was eliminated after the election. (Chicago Trib source, some site source)

I'm not saying. I'm just saying.

Simple Logic
Is simple logic starting to win out? Or at least, be heard and considered?

• Global Warming and the Poor - This article describes the ridiculousness of global warming taxes and controls and their impact on the poor across the globe.
• American Babies are Ruining Everything - This article describes the impact of population (babies) on carbon dioxide production in relation to the bogus "green" efforts that are so widely touted today. For example: a baby adds 40x the amount of carbon dioxide compared to the savings from someone living the most extreme "green" lifestyle.
  
• Um, let's not put everyone on Medicare/Medicaid. I hope I don't need a source to convince you of that. 90% of Americans have health insurance, and polls indicate 70% of us like the health care we receive.

The answer to global warming (if such a thing were to even exist) is innovation and technology, not the feds and taxes.

The answer to health care is innovation and competition, not the feds and taxes.

This is simple logic that makes this nerd smile.
smile... yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, books, politics, qotd, sports

1. All by myself
I was listening to my Rachmaninoff (sp?) piano concertos the other day and he started playing "All By Myself", that woosy 70's ballad. Google, google, wikipedia... here Eric Carmen lifted a Rach-y pianos concerto for his song thinking it was in the public domain. Shit, I guess I would-a thunk that too. See? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_by_Myself

2. Nerd, not geek
I like "nerd" and dislike "geek".
This (Illini) lady has it backwards:
Geeks may be chic, but negative nerd stereotype still exists, professor says

Nerds are totally in. Shit, 200 years ago, half of us (me included) would have died from flu or earaches or bullies or something stupid. Hey, now the weak survive... and then thrive! He he.

3. Thirty Seven!
Movie: Clerks
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... great!

I saw "Clerks" on regular TV, but it was a cable channel without censorship, for whatever reason. I can't believe Clerks is 15 years old. Its innocence and honesty jumps off the screen. I like it more now that 15 years ago, no doubt. It's shocking how much has changed in so short a time. I gotta admit, fucking old-timer, 1994 was lookin' pretty good.

QOTD

"Yeah, I went down on a few guys"
- Dante's girlfriend Veronica on her 37 blowjob tally

4. Freedom, not
The media blackout continues. I do wonder what the hell is going on out there to some degree. The stock market goes down nearly every day, so something's going on. Right?
I just googled "President Obama freedom"... first news story that popped up.

QOTD

"[President] Obama appears poised to return to a more traditional American policy of dealing with the world as it is rather than as it might be."
- Some loser journalist from some loser story

He he.
Is there any axis in which the Obama presidency strive to increase our freedoms?
Any?
bueller, bueller... yow, bill

PS - "Fast Times at Ridgemont High"... much better movie than Ferris. I cant' decide on 4 bill-stars or 5, so I'm waiting for the mood to hit.

PPS - Sorry. Couldn't resist. He he.

Labels: 5stars, fun, movies, music, politics

Hey,

Excellence = talent + passion + dedication.
There's a true beauty in seeing talented people caring intensely about what they do and then working their asses off to make it happen.
Go!

I'm getting old, I guess. Duh.
I'm losing my fucking tolerance for stuff that sucks... popular culture, journalism, politics, professional sports, etc. (no kidding... he he)
In exchange, my love of excellence has grown... classical music, reading, the stock market, architecture, software & the internet, beautiful caring people, etc.

1. The Dublin Phil
I saw the Dublin Philharmonic Saturday night at Wheaton College. Man, they were outstanding. Excellent.

• The group was really young, especially when compared to the CSO. But you could feel the concentration and their tightness as a group. The conductor had to really conduct to guide them.
  
• Their pianist, Conor Linehan, performed Beethoven's piano concerto #3. Incredible. I have no comprehension of how someone can become so accomplished at something like that... I'm speaking of both messrs. Beethoven and Linehan.
• AM's little red dress at the show was incredible/excellent/beautiful as well. Yow!

2. The Stock Market
I spend much of my time these days learning the stock market.
I've invested for years, but usually pretty passively.

Now, I'm learning how to trade and more actively enter and exit the market and various asset classes. It's fascinating, and there are an incredible number of blogs and websites on the subject. So many talented, smart people are applying themselves to the max to be a successful investor. In short, they strive to achieve excellence. I do too.

Out there somewhere, somebody is confidently trading the market right now during today's slide. I hope to join them some day; I'm still learning and taking baby steps. I hope to be able to apply the tag "excellence" to my market knowledge and trading... again, some day.

3. Ropewalking

Movie: "Man on Wire"
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth seeing


The subject of "Man on Wire" is some Frenchie dude who, 30+ years ago, walked a jury-rigged tightrope between the two World trade Center towers. This review is easy:

• The actual act of the guy ropewalking between the twin towers is utterly inconceivable to me and is breath-taking.
• The movie is just OK. The really interesting stuff is just the old footage of this guy ropewalking.
  

It's funny. What this guy did is just incredible, but him and his buddies talking about it 30 years later, it sounds like every other "the touchdown I scored in high school" story. Yawn.

On the subject of excellence...
Movie: "The Sixth Sense"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... outstanding!


I saw the last 30 minutes of "Sixth Sense" this weekend on crappy TV. "Sixth Sense" is excellent... and chilling to the bone at the end there. It's hard to summon better movie-making.

I was one of the lucky ones... I didn't know diddly about "Sixth Sense" when I went to see it at the theater. The movie is 10 years old now, and the number of young people who haven't seen it necessarily grows every day. If you haven't seen "Sixth Sense", don't google it or whatever... just watch it.

Wrap
Of course, the contrast to this beauty and excellence is embodied in our current government shenanigans. But why go negative at the end. Not me. I'm smiling!
little red dress... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, 5stars, fun, movies

Movie: Coraline
Review: 3 bill-stars (out of 5)... worth seeing
Website: www.imdb.com/title/tt0327597

Well first and foremost...


The trailer is kind of cute and the animation is cool, but jeez, this is a really scary movie: spiders, ghosts, witches, nightmares, kidnapping, sewing buttons over people's eyes, rats, stuffed dolls coming to life, holes in the wall leading to... oh, you get the idea. Fortunately, I had the beautiful, young AM to hold my hand through the ordeal, but leave your tots at home for this one.

I enjoyed the movie, but it's for adults. Also, it's no "Nightmare Before Christmas" (5 bill-stars).

QOTD

"Kidnap the Sandy Claws, beat him with a stick,
lock him up for ninety years, see what makes him tick.

Kidnap the Sandy Claws, chop him into bits,
Mister Oogie Boogie is sure to get his kicks.

Kidnap the Sandy Claws, see what we will see,
lock him in a cage and then throw away the key!"
- lyrics from "Nightmare Before Christmas"

boo... yow, bill

Labels: 3stars, 5stars, movies, qotd

Book: "The Reader" by Bernhard Schlink
Review: 4 bill-stars (out of 5)

I liked the book, plot and characters. I like the sparseness.
I tired of the author's endless angst, but the ending was strong.
Now, off to the movie.

You have an idea, a notion, a philosophy... seems it gets challenged or outright refuted in the span of 15 minutes for me these days. The author argued one point with which I disagreed. He argued that, in a relationship, events that follow can ruin the wonderful memories that were once there. I felt that a personal choice... didn't have to be that way. Then, I had a nice dinner followed by "The Amazing CSO Vomit Incident", and sure enough, it was tough to look past the vomit. A weak analogy, but stranger than fiction, baby... stranger than fiction.

Streaming...

Movie: "Schindler's List"
Review: 5 bill-stars

Beautiful and powerful and Schpielberg exploitative... easily a 5 star experience. Top 10 movie? I don't actually have top 10 list written out, so if not, it's close.

Maybe I'll watch Schindler tonight.
peace... yow, bill

Labels: 4stars, 5stars, books, movies

QOTD

"The power of Christ compels you!"
- Max Von Sydow, "The Exorcist"

Well, I'm going to church today. And Gram isn't even here to drag me. He he.
No, I'm just going to see St Eth's choir sing at a church. It burns... it burns!

I bought a new gas can yesterday (nice segue). The thing looked like some Rube Goldberg contraption, so I asked the Ace Hardware guy where the plain, old gas cans are. "We can't sell those any more... EPA rules."

Needless to see the "contraption" was and is just fucking ridiculous. So, here I am. I'll tie this back into religion in a minute... post-rant.

Well, I googled. I can't find a specific rule, but I did find this:


I like this.

QOTD2

“By allowing citizens to trade in old gas cans and in return receive free environmentally friendly cans, we are cleaning up the air throughout Illinois, especially in larger metropolitan areas."
- Renee Cipriano, Illinois EPA schmoe

Isn't that sweet... gas cans... menace to society. Idiots.
Oh, its not even fun ranting on this stuff. You know. I know. Everyone knows we don't need a rule to make gas cans all fucked up, and we don't need to fucking give them away. Jeez.

Here's the tie back to religion. I'm not religious, but there's something going on out there. The world seems built in a nearly perfect balance. Example: You dole out a thimbleful of authority out to some dolt like EPA Renee or Senator XYZ and boom... I don't care how well-intentioned, it get abused in the end. There is no Daddy out there, and if there ever is, he'll screw you in the end.

The point: The balance in our world... why? and where does it come from?
You got me, but I'm suspicious that it didn't just crawl out of the mud, ya know.

This is interesting (more interesting than my shallow theology)... EPA Renee bears a striking resemblance to Linda Blair in "The Exorcist". See?


Quickie...

Movie: "The Exorcist"
Review: 5 bill-stars (out of 5)... on my top ten movie list and absolute no-brainer as the scariest movie ever made. Though still not as scary as EPA Renee.
church me up... yow, bill

QOTD3

"In another University of Chicago survey, this one of married couples, 75 percent of the Americans who pray with their spouses reported that their marriages are 'very happy' (compared to 57 percent of those who don't). Those who pray together are also more likely to say they respect each other and discuss their relationship together."
- from Five Things Super-Happy Couples Do Every Day

PS - That QOTD above is an easy call... you gotta believe. If you don't, life's a rough ride, eh.
PPS - Not believe in God, necessarily... just believe in something like yourself, or humanity or President-Elect Obama (he he he... sorry, couldn't resist) or whatever.

Labels: 5stars, movies, politics, qotd, religion

Hey, cut me some slack on the racist joke, ok... it's from a movie. He he.

QOTD

"Oh, I've got one. A Mexican, a Jew, and a colored guy go into a bar.
The bartender looks up and says, 'Get the fuck out of here.'"
- Clint Eastwood, racist joke from "Gran Torino"

Movie: "Gran Torino"
Review: 4 bill-stars (out of 5)... excellent!
Website: www.imdb.com/title/tt1205489/

This is another great effort by Clint Eastwood. For 30 minutes, I thought this movie was going to be a bust.

• It seemed the audience was laughing at Clint's racist character at times when he wasn't really intending them to because he was so over the top.
  
• I feared a politically correct collapse of the whole deal.

Nope on both counts. This was a funny movie with a nice, sappy plot to it... just like I like it.


Gran Torino was different and good; that's the money, right? There was a lively discussion after the movie over blue (bleu?) cheese burgers on whether this was a 4 or 5 star movie. I liked Gran Torino a lot but thought that Clint's "Million Dollar Baby" was better (5 bill-stars).

Gran Torino has a lot of similarities to Million Dollar Baby. Unlike my whining about "Benjamin Button" ripping off "Forrest Gump", however, Gran Torino is good enough and different enough for it not to really matter.

The other post-show discussion was Clint's young wife. Clint is flippin' 78 years old now (and in amazing shape, seemingly), and his wife is 43. They have a 12 year-old kid together. No, I can't say that I "get it", but I have a feeling that Clint doesn't give a rat's ass. [Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clint_Eastwood]

So, that's the 3-fer weekend... it was fun on a blustery January weekend in Chicagoland. Here are the reviews from the weekend and related shrapnel:

• "Benjamin Button"... 3 bill-stars
• "Forrest Gump"... 4 bill-stars
  
• "The Day the Earth Stood Still"... 1 bill-star
• "War of the Worlds" (Tom Cruise remake)... 3 bill-stars
  
• "Gran Torino"... 4 bill-stars
• "Million Dollar Baby"... 5 bill-stars
  

I just picked up "Revolutionary Road", and I'm speed-reading it (cough) trying to finish the book before the movie disappears. Now, get the fuck out of here... he he!
3-fer... yow, bill

Labels: 4stars, 5stars, movies

QOTD

"Shut the fuck up!"
- David Mamet, his NPR epiphany

5 bill-star, off the chart article by David Mamet:


I'm not worthy of a summary. Read it. But here's my favorite sentence in the QOTD below.

QOTD2

"And, I wondered, how could I have spent decades thinking that I thought everything was always wrong at the same time that I thought I thought that people were basically good at heart?"
- David Mamet, on the conflict between his core belief that people are good and an everything sucks" liberal philosophy

I must admit I've rarely listened to NPR. I can't understand the affectation in the voices of anyone on NPR. It's bizarre. I guess if you listen to it long enough... I'll pass, thanks. I'd love to pass on paying for the dump, but that's a different can of worms.

Now, go watch Mamet's finest work, "Glengarry Glen Ross".
Rating: 5 bill-stars.
Glengarry has a memorable quotes list that rivals "The Grail".
It might be an all-time top 10... I'd have to do the list to be sure.
coffee is for closers only... yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, movies, politics, qotd

Two books... both about Chicago around the turn of the 19th century.
Two very different results and reviews. Go!

Book: "Sin in the Second City"
Review: 1 bill-star
Web site: www.sininthesecondcity.com

First off, I didn't know this was nonfiction. Dop.
Second, this book is a great example of taking an exciting, titillating story and turning it into a bore. Yawn.
I read the book over my NYNY/DC vacation with Ty. I was a captive audience, so I finished it.

I only bought the thing because it looked like it had a tie in to the excellent "Devil in the White City". Speaking of...

Book: "Devil in the White City"
Review: 5 bill-stars
Web site: www.randomhouse.com/crown/devilinthewhitecity/home.html

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I don't usually go gaga for historical fiction, but this was great.

Both books are published by Random House.
I guess a .500 batting average ain't bad.
done... yow, bill

Labels: 1star, 5stars, books

Movie: "Batman: The Dark Knight"
Review: 5 bill-stars Web site: thedarkknight.warnerbros.com

Well, wow. It's just as advertised... see it at the IMAX.
It's the fastest 2 1/2 hours this side of the Mississippi.

I hesitated on the elusive 5 bill-star rating because the movie isn't perfect. I didn't like some of the comic book themes of the story, and Maggie Gyllenhall (?) is the weak link in her wilting portrayal of an unattractive flavor of Katie Holmes.

But the movie is so over the top good in so many other areas:

• Great action scenes
  
• Stunningly beautiful... Chicago looks great!
  
• Outstanding acting: Heath Ledger, Christian Bale and almost all the supporting cast
• Great story, characters, and script

Hey, it was really different, and it was really good... that's the money.
I'll bet you a dollar that I go to see it again.
five stars... yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, movies

Yo yo yo,

Bio-tech startup Pacific Biosciences of California got $100M in financing... so says The Journal:


So what?
Well, the company claims that by 2010, it will have a process that sequences your DNA in 15 minutes. They don't mention the cost. You go to the doctor, get your DNA sequenced, and then analyzed for the kitchen sink. For what diseases are you pre-disposed? What medications are best for your biology? Eventually.

And please please please, know that this is the tip of the iceberg. If we're sequencing DNA in 2010, then what will we be doing in 2020? Think about it.

Must of this is foretold by my main man Ray Kurzweil. His book "The Singularity is Near" is 5 bill-star reading. Oh, here you go...

Book: "The Singularity is Near"
Review: 5 bill-stars
His web site: www.singularity.com ... click on "Resources" for some great nerd news.

This is the best and most fun tech books about the future that I have read. Period.

QOTD (paragraph breaks and emphasis are mine)

"None of the global warming discussions mention the word “nanotechnology.” Yet nanotechnology will eliminate the need for fossil fuels within 20 years. If we captured 1% of 1% of the sunlight (1 part in 10,000) we could meet 100% of our energy needs without ANY fossil fuels.

We can’t do that today because the solar panels are too heavy, expensive, and inefficient. But there are new nanoengineered designs that are much more effective. Within five to six years, this technology will make a significant contribution. Within 20 years, it can provide all of our energy needs. The discussions talk about current trends continuing for the next century as if nothing is going to change.

I think global warming is real but it has been modest thus far - 1 degree f. in 100 years. It would be concern if that continued or accelerated for a long period of time, but that’s not going to happen. And it’s not just environmental concern that will drive this, the $2 trillion we spend on energy is providing plenty of economic incentive. I don’t see any disasters occurring in the next 10 years from this. However, I AM concerned about other environment issues.

There are other reasons to want to move quickly away from fossil fuels including environmental pollution at every step and the geopolitical instability it causes."
- Ray Kurzweil, June 2006

Dang, that's money.
nano this... yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, books, globalwarming, technology

Wonderful QOTD:

"We have laughs together.
I care about you.
Your concerns are my concerns.
We have great sex."
- Tracy, "Manhattan"

The QOTD is Woody Allen's definition of love in "Manhattan", as proclaimed by the heroine (and Woody's 16 year-old girlfriend) Tracy.

Of course, this is sort of guy's definition of love, and I'll admit... "Manhattan" is pretty much a guy movie. Young girl (Mariel), older guy (Woody) is your first clue. I think Woody's simple philosophy in the movie is something more appealing to men in general as well.

Review: "Manhattan" by Woody Allen... 5 bill-stars and on my top ten list.
The movie itself is beyond beautiful: black and white, NYNY, Gershwin intro, dialog, characters, and a wonderful, lifting ending.

Oh yeah... an ending like this:

"Not everyone gets corrupted...
you have to have a little faith in people."
- Tracy

yow, bill

Labels: 5stars, movies, qotd