love monkey

New show. Love Monkey. Tom Cavanaugh, last seen as "Ed". I liked that show, too, even if it was a bit over the top at times. I think I'll like this new show as well; one good episode does not a series make, but still. So now there is actually a handful of shows worth watching (in my distorted opinion); West Wing, House, Lost, and 24 being the others. I guess I'm not much for comedy. Give me wry humor and sarcasm instead.

The thrilling conclusion

So yeah, the girl who caused me so much grief last year? Engaged. Now I just have to figure out how to market my skills as a set-up man for husband hunting women.

Review: Crash

Crash (2005)
This movie will break your heart and then put part of it back together. But it leaves it to the viewer to finish the job.
It is designed to force you to question your assumptions about other people, even as it consistently reinforces stereotypes.
You don't watch Crash. You empathize with it, you recoil from it, you can hardly take your eyes off of the emotional carnage taking place, willing the characters toward some sort of redemption, some sense of closure, and it is only at the end that you realize that there is no end, just a snapshot of moments and the sense that yes, tomorrow you will change, tomorrow you will do better, be better.
If that is possible.
And that is the question. Can we be better? Can we find the golden moment in the midst of our prejudices, our anger, our sense of being wronged, our questioning of the true motives of people?
Maybe we can. Maybe it's enough that we try. Even though it is easy to get the sense that nobody else is trying.
Rating: Royal Flush

Loser

Here we are five days into the new year.
At work tomorrow we start our "Biggest Loser" competition. I haven't finished my x-mas cookies and candy yet! Can I have one Fannie Mae mint a day for the duration? Yeah, sure, if I spend an extra ten minutes on the treadmill. But I do like my treadmill, even though it has started to squeak a little bit. Trying to tell me something, too often inanimate object?
Hopefully I am motivated later to post some Florida trip notes.
Actually, most days I just hope I am motivated enough to do pretty much anything.

Plaza de Mulas

Plaza de Mulas (2003) Syrah. Mendoza - Argentina.
X-mas present from Jon.
Very nice. Starts a little tight, smooths out nicely. Good flavor, and finishes well. Strong, kicks like a mule, leaves you stumbling slightly and reaching for another bottle that isn't there. Label resembles something out of an old Western movie, horses, thatch roof, guy playing a guitar. This is not a peasant's wine, though. Recommended.

Reviews - the world of apocalypse and grace

Saving Grace (2000) - Woman's husband dies. Truth of husband's deceit comes crashing down upon woman. The affair. The debts. The cold reality. What to do? Perhaps...seeing as how she is a wonderful gardener and all...perhaps she could make a little money selling drugs? Not that she comes to the conclusion right away, mind you, it just sort of happens. And hilarity ensues. And the ending is odd, but I won't give everything away.
Rating: three of a kind.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004) - This is pure pulp entertainment. It is pretty to look at, the story is well executed with enough little twists to keep it interesting, the acting is solid and the effects are spot-on. Worthwhile.
Rating: flush.

Apocalypse Now Redux (1979) - The longer director's cut. This is a brilliant movie to begin with, and while the extended version does not add too much essential, it doesn't detract from the story, either. This movie just drags you into a place that you are thankful not to be in, a vision of hell that is occasionally terrifying in its' beauty.
Rating: royal flush.

If your life was a movie...

The Movie Of Your Life Is A Cult Classic

Quirky, offbeat, and even a little campy - your life appeals to a select few. But if someone's obsessed with you, look out! Your fans are downright freaky. Your best movie matches: Office Space, Showgirls, The Big Lebowski

If Your Life Was a Movie, What Genre Would It Be?

cook before eating

I've noticed the label before, but it never really bothered me. Maybe I'm just in one those "moods". The frozen pizza box, and the dire warning: "Cook Before Eating". The frozen eggrolls and Lean Cuisines remind you to "Cook Thoroughly". On the other hand, the vegetables have no advice against eating frozen broccoli, in fact I am reminded not to overcook the corn lest all the nutrients be destroyed. The fish doesn't have any reminders about not eating it while it is still frozen, either, which I think is a dire oversight, a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Some warning labels are appropriate, and I know it's cliche to comment on the loss of common sense in this world, but still...cook before eating?