Recent Movie Viewings

It's been a little bit since I've posted anything about movies. As usual, I will list the movies I've seen and give my star rating (out of 5), then I'll give a slightly more detailed review on a couple of films.

Recent viewings: Jet Li's Fearless (4 1/2 stars), Zulu Dawn (3 1/2 stars), Smokin' Aces (3 1/2 stars), The Nativity Story (3 1/2 stars), The Grudge 2 (2 stars)

Detailed Reviews:

Death of a President - This movie is a mockumentary (not my normal favorite genre), but I was relatively interested as this one got going. The premise of the film is a documentary detailing the assassination of President Bush and some of the subsequent events. It is less about Bush bashing (although some does occur), and more about the incompetence of the FBI. It is not an entertaining film, but is interesting nonetheless. Definately one of the better mockumentaries I've seen. 3 out of 5 stars.

Fracture - I saw this movie this past weekend with a friend, and really enjoyed it. Throughout the entire film, I constantly felt just a little behind. There were a few things you could see coming, but for the most part, you keep trying to figure it out along with Ryan Gosling's character. Anthony Hopkins is at his best in a return to Hannibal Lecture-like intelligence as the bad guy. The story and the acting are superb. Plus, being able to look at Rosamund Pike never hurts (also seen in Die Another Day and Doom). I give Fracture 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. Highly recommend, although the big screen is not required to enjoy it.
Also, that was my first ever picture post! Aren't you excited.

That's all the news thats fit to print.

We are the Champions

Some of you know that I've been playing in a basketball league. I was placed on a team of "free agents" (ie. people who didn't have a team). We were so-so. Most haven't played in a while and we were a bit rusty. During the season, we won 2 games on our merit and 2 by forfeit. In the playoffs, we won the first round game (I was sick and did not play). This past Monday was the final night. In our semi-final game, our opponent didn't show up, so we got a free ride to the finals. The other team had to win 2 games to get to us, so they were a bit tired. In the finals, we built a decent sized lead and then held on down the stretch to be victorious. Now I'll be the proud owner of a jersey that claims league champion.

I can't claim that I really did a lot during the season. My role was primarily: defense, rebounding, and the occasional 3-point shot (in that order). I believe on the season, I was 2-10 fg (2-8 3 pt fg), a bunch of boards and a couple of block shots. In order to be more effective from deep range, I really need more practice and to get into a rhythm. Still, I paid and played, so I get the shirt.

Cue the music of Queen...

Uh, yeah...so you burn easier at a Mile High

I discovered yesterday, that one will sunburn easier at high altitude. Sadly, this was discovered via personal experience. I played basketball with a buddy for a couple of hours yesterday. All outside and in the sun. I did apply some sunscreen before I left my place, but the combination of sweat, time, and wiping sweat off (along with some of the sunscreen I imagine) left me a bit on the red side. Most notably my forehead and nose (sites of the most frequent wiping). It doesn't appear to be bad enough to peel (certainly not blister), but it's still a touch uncomfortable.

Moral of the story: Apply generously, and consider reapplying.

Also of interest, was that I sweated a lot less than I would have expected. Lack of humidity will do that for you. I'm not complaining about that though.

Enjoy your day and wear sunscreen.

Crazy Drunks

I believe that I am now starting to make up for my previous lack of "party" experience. Throughout high school and all the while at Butler, I never attended a "party" and pretty much avoided all events where drinking was the primary function. I do not feel like I missed out on anything. However, here at graduate school, I have been exposed to the bar scene. It confirms that I wasn't missing out. Since I don't drink, I am generally the designated driver (it's fine with me, since my friends want to drink and I don't), but it gives me an interesting perspective on things.

Anyway, this past weekend brought about some much unneeded drama. The primary cause of the drama was alcohol. It's amazing some of the things people will say or do while intoxicated. I guess the real question is, does the alcohol make them act differently, or does it reflect their true colors? I'm not sure, but I am glad that I don't drink (and have furthered my desire to never start).

Another weekend with graduate students....man can they drink.

A Potpourri....a hodge-podge, if you will

I know it's been a week since my last post, but I've been busy. So this post is going to be my thoughts on a bunch of random things over this past week.

NCAA Tournament: I had Ohio State winning it all, and didn't even have Florida making the Final Four. This continues my history of failing to cash in my own tournament pool (it's only happened once...the very first year I ran it...freshman in high school). I was really glad to see Greg Oden have a great game...and equally happy to see Mr. Overrated (Joakim Noah) have a terrible game. It didn't, however, stop him from being arrogant and basking in undeserved glory. {Note: The kid is a good athlete and a hussle player, but he is not a guy who will carry a team...and he has an abundance of ego for his ability}. Oh well, congrats on back-back championships Gators.

Movies: Recently viewed, Stranger than Fiction (different, but really good), Eragon (kiddy, but decent...along the lines of Chronicles of Narnia), Children of Men (interesting, but dreadfully slow), and Unknown (Blockbuster exclusive, that was surprisingly good...it keeps you guessing what's going on). Those are my viewings of the past week. Again, feel free to contact me for more specifics.

School: Still plugging along. Nothing worse than a B+ on tests thus far. I had another test this past Friday that I felt decently about. I'm working on coming to a decision on what lab to choose. Once that's decided, I'll definitely post that on here.

Easter weekend: Well, it was cold and snowy here this past weekend. I spent most of the weekend just bumming around. I'm working on a cold that prevents much activity. Church was good....lunch was just a frozen pizza. Not quite homecooking, but it was alright (It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno).

Well, that's been my week. All is still well. I hope all my faithful readers are also doing well. Until next time....

Reno Report

I returned to Denver from Reno last Wednesday (and I apologize for not updating immediately). I had a really good time. Bowling, gambling, and hanging with the dad. My first impressions of Reno were that it is small...really small. As a city, it was relatively unimpressive. My first impressions on casinos. Initially impressive, but after a bit, they all look the same. Casinos are an assault on your senses (lots of flashing lights, bells and whistles, and the constant smell of stale cigarettes). I can now check Reno off my places to see/experience before I die.

Other site seeing endevours: Lake Tahoe. This was actually very impressive. Normally I'm kind of a "oh, that looks pretty" kind of guy, but for whatever reason, Tahoe was cool. It's crazy deep (1600 feet at it's deepest point....that's more than 5 football fields end to end) and a really huge lake. It was cool to see....and in the summer probably even better (although the water never gets above 65 degrees).

As for bowling, I bowled 29 games (plus practice balls) in 5 days (technically 4, since we didn't bowl on Sunday...day of rest and all). I threw the ball well most of the time, but struggled to score. I had a terrible set in Singles at the USBCs, but did well in doubles (as did dad). It was a really, really tough condition at all 3 tournaments we bowled at. Little mistakes were compounded.

It was a good trip. I'm looking forward to doing it again next year...in New Mexico.