Opinions About Everything

Concert Review: Guster 11/5/05

2005-11-06T15:54:00.001-05:00

There are certain things in life which words cannot begin to describe. It's a wonderful feeling when you hold something inside of you that is so spectacularly special that there is no possible way that you could convey its emotional resonance to those around you. Last night's Guster concert at Gettysburg College was one of those touchstones in life that has such significant meaning that I falter every time someone asks me to describe it.

The opening act for the show was Matt Pond PA, another band for whom I have a deep respect and admiration. Their sounds is natural and versatile, with instrument selection ranging from the cello to electric guitar. They played a well-chosen set last night but it was met with a lukewarm audience reaction. However, as a fan of the band, I was very pleased with the song selection and the performance in general. As they were wrapping up their set, a flicker of sadness crossed my mind, but was quickly swept aside with anticipation for what was to come.

Despite the fact that I held mammoth-sized expectations for Guster's performance, from the first time that Brian slammed on his drum set and the first chords came from Ryan's guitar I knew I was in for a truly remarkable experience. The band played with an urgent passion through the entire show (most particularly exhibited through the lead singer's actions and the drummer's penchant for playing without drumsticks) and the audience responded in an equally fervent manner. An impressive amount of the patrons knew the music by heart, and the chorus of delighted fans singing along with every word made the experience exponentially more magical. I was captivated from 'Careful' to 'Demons' and the hour and a half flew by and before I could regain my bearings, we were exiting the auditorium and on the way back to F&M.

Although my concert-going experience is relatively limited compared to my fellow music lovers, I cannot imagine a band putting on a performance that would surpass this in my mind. I was a devoted Guster fan before I travelled to Gettysburg College but I can now safely say that my passion for the band has reached an unhealthy level. The band has a new album coming out early from which they drew some material last night, and it uniformly sounded amazing. I'm anticipating the release with bated breath, but not quite as much as the next time I can see them live, because their material was clearly conceived for the stage.

The Shape of Things to Come

2005-11-05T12:24:00.000-05:00

Now that I have happily proven to myself that I can once again successfully maintain a blog, it is time to anticipate the format and contest that will be complied in my renewed journal. I will continue with the opinion pieces, but one stipulation is that I infuse more reviews (music, movies, books, etc.) in the framework this time around. The vast majority of articles will still be editorials and commentary on new products and societal trends, but I enjoy writing reviews, and I hope that you enjoy reading them. Feel free to leave comments on the future nature of the content and overall observations on the site in general.

Tonight I'm fortunate enough to be seeing Guster live at Gettysburg College, so look for my impressions of the show tomorrow!

Christmas Music?

2005-11-04T18:09:00.000-05:00

For some reason, I've been unnaturally excited for Christmas this year to the point where the dreams of mistletoe and Christmas trees began in late October, a new record for me. Perhaps it's because I'm at college this year, and the prospect of Christmas carries connotations of finished finals along with it. However, as nice as that aspect of the holidays sounds during this particularly brutal week, it is not thoughts of relaxation that invade my dreams when the lights go out. Instead, I fantasize of opening presents on Christmas Eve with my family, sitting around a softly intense fire with "The Christmas Song" unfolding from the speakers. This surreal image brings me to one of the most intensely debated questions in modern American society: when is it appropriate to start playing Christmas music?

My answer is simple: whenever the hell I feel like it. I don't really care if my hall-mates here at school cast suspicious glances in my direction when "Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer" is thumping down the hallway from my room. At home, I was restrained by conventional thought, suggesting that I'm not permitted to blast the carols of Christmas until after Thanksgiving is over. However, my philosophy stipulates Turkey Day as a rest stop on the road to December 25th. It is certainly a holiday that carries a significant amount of meaning for some, but considering that it falls approximately a month away from Christmas during the calendar year, it shouldn't be the determining factor for when I'm allowed to start enjoying the holiday season.

In the end, the holidays not only represent different things for different people, but they can start whenever the impulse presents itself. This is truly the most wonderful time of the year,and artificial constraints should not be placed on those of us who chose to start the celebration early. If you feel like throwing your Nat King Cole Christmas album in the CD player, just do it. If nothing else, you can capture a small sliver of the pleasure that you can look forward to over the next month.

Trick Or Treat No More

2005-11-01T17:45:00.000-05:00

For my entire childhood, Halloween was a hallmark of my year for one reason: candy. The other components (costumes, pumpkins, ghosts, and ghouls) took a back seat to my narrowly focused obsession on acquiring M&M's, Crunch Bars, and a plethora of other sweet treats. For days after the big night, I remember my mother putting a selection of my stash in my lunch box every day. Eventually, it ran out and I forgot about the holiday until the following year. However, Halloween has changed for good in college. After four years of high school and not dressing up anymore, Halloween has seen a shockingly revamped resurgence with my arrival at college.

Saturday night was the official night of celebration on college campuses across the country. However, instead of innocently wandering from house to house asking "trick or treat?", the vast majority of college students were not-so-innocently wandering from frat house to frat house asking for "more beer, please?" In retrospect, it seems that the scantily-clad, drunken Halloween traditions at colleges across the country are the natural progression of events in the process of aging. It is a more mature version of Halloween, where there is no chance of being chased away from a house simply because you are too old. Simply put, it's college kids making their own fun on All Hallows Eve.

Halloween presents an interesting opportunity to examine the process of growing up. Most holidays, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter, never change their core composition no matter how old you get. However, for Halloween, we evolve from toddlers being helped every step of the way by our parents to independent preteens who start venturing out on their own, to apathetic teenagers who stay inside or terrorize the younger trick-or-treaters to typical college students (see above) and eventually to parents who start the whole process over. This list, which was meant to be a a timeline of Halloween, sounds a lot like life, doesn't it?

Music Review: Plans

2005-10-30T22:23:00.000-05:00

The Review
For some time now, Death Cab for Cutie has easily been my favorite band. I was one of the few who did not discover them on The O.C. although I admit that I first downloaded their albums only weeks before I saw my first episode of the pop culture phenomenon (and under-appreciated proponent of indie rock). Their fourth studio album, Transatlanticsm, captivated me from the first moment that it played over the headphones from my iPod and has now taken its place as my favorite album of my entire music collection. However, I was unsure of what to expect from their latest effort, Plans, because the band decided to ink a contract with a major record company, leaving their long-time indie label Barsuk in the dust. I was not alone because this move worried many longtime fans of the band because many of those bands who made the jump before them (Nada Surf, Nirvana, etc.) saw a plague of overproduction mar the later records. I admit that I shared these concerns because much of the appeal that Death Cab's music holds for me is tied to its soft, raw beauty. Fortunately, my concern were proved invalid with yet another strikingly strong outing this time around.

The general atmosphere of the album remains true to Death Cab's past, while at the same time moving in a distinctly different and fresh direction. Each of Death Cab's album have had a slightly distinctive feel that separates it from the others. For Transatlanticism, there was a soft, acoustic, and beautifully sorrowful attitude that permeated the album from beginning to end. On the other hand, The Photo Album featured a slightly edgier and much more raw tone that characterized nearly every song on the record. Plans departs from these previous trends and takes on a newer, more diverse feel. The song selection carries with it a much greater range than any previous record with the possible exception of The Photo Album. From the hauntingly soft and beautifully acoustic nature of "I Will Follow You Into The Dark" to the powerful, driving pop song "Soul Meets Body", each track carries with it a notably different tone than that which preceded it.

Closing Comments
I love the entire musical catalogue of Death Cab for Cutie, and this album is no exception. It is a strong, valid addition to an already magnificent collection of songs and confirms the belief that Death Cab won't abandon their individuality when tempted with more money. Compared to Transatlanticsm, this effort is a step down in quality, but that could also be a product of my unabashed adulation for their fourth album. Nevertheless, it is a genuinely fantastic album that sets the stage for even greater things to come.

Scores
1. Marching Bands of Manhattan - A perfect opening track with gorgeous lyrics ("Sorrow drips into your heart through a pinhole /just like a faucet that leaks and there is comfort in the sound /but while you debate half empty or half full /it slowly rises your love is gonna drown") and a strikingly consistent beat. - 10/10
2. Soul Meets Body - The first single off of the album is a very good song with yet another wonderful chorus. However, it may be slightly too poppy to be counted among Death Cab's best. - 8/10
3. Summer Skin - A soft, graceful ballad about a summer gone by. Instantly accessible and peacefully quiet. - 7/10
4. Different Names For The Same Thing - Not among the best on the album, but still good. Won't be playing it on repeat anytime soon. - 6/10
5. I Will Follow You Into The Dark - A acoustic lyrical masterpiece that easily ranks among the best of Death Cab's entire collection. If you download one song off this album, let this be it. - 10/10
6. Your Heart Is An Empty Room - Another typical slow and methodical Death Cab song with no particularly outstanding qualities. - 7/10
7. Someday You Will Be Loved - One of the best of the album, which tells the story of a one-night stand gone bad. Reeks of longing and loneliness. - 9/10
8. Crooked Teeth - Another song that is sure to rank among the best of the album as the dust settles in the future. Vivid lyrical imagery and a more upbeat tone characterize this song. - 9/10
9. What Sarah Said - The third excellent song in a row. I have not heard lyrics this resonant and realistic since "Title and Registration" from Transatlanticism. - 9/10
10. Brothers On A Hotel Bed - The song title is a brilliant metaphor, and the rest of the song is in the same vein of the other soft songs on the album. - 8/10
11. Stable Song - A remake of the old Death Cab song called Stability, this is a typical and appropriate closer for a Death Cab Album - 8/10

Overall: 9.1 out of 10 (Highly Recommended)

Death Cab for Cutie's Official Website: Link

The Music of Life

2005-10-29T18:58:00.000-05:00

For the vast majority of my childhood, I was regrettably ignorant to the power and emotion that music carries. The tunes and melodies of Raffi and the Backstreet Boys were as deep as my appreciation could go in my youth. I was too young and ignorant to truly understand the unearthly voice with which good music can speak to a person. However, I have finally gained that appreciation and now I've found that my iPod's library has evolved into the soundtrack to the movie of my life.

Music possesses the rare quality of being so versatile that it can mold to any emotion or thought that you may be having at any given moment. No matter what your mood is or what situation you are in, you can find a song that will coincide exactly with what you are feeling inside. However, songs themselves also possess this unnatural versatility. There are songs that can bestow the same level of contentment on you whether you are ecstatically happy or morbidly depressed, such as "Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service. It is indescribable the consolation that a person can derive from playing a song through once on their iTunes.

However, the magic of music does not end there. For those of us that are so totally in love with music that it makes up the "soundtracks of our lives", every moment and every anticipation of something that is yet to come can be tied to a song. In a particularly romantic situation, "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis may be playing inside our heads. In other, more lonely moments, we may be vicariously listening to "Haunt You Every Day" by Weezer. The list goes on and on, with every emotion, feeling, and experience reflecting a particular song.

This characteristic of music leads directly into the one aspect of music that almost everyone has noticed at one time or another: the inexorable link between memories and music. Have you ever grown nostalgic for a person or place simply by the act of playing a song which reminds you of that place? It is remarkable how music is tied so tightly to memories, but it is yet another example of the beauty of music as a reflection of your life.

How does this affect you? For right now, I suggest that you stop reading this and turn on your speakers to feel the contentment flow...

Happy Birthday to Me

2005-10-28T11:09:00.000-05:00

That's right. Less than 24 hours after the resurrection of Opinions About Everything, my birthday has occurred. Naturally, I'm delighted because it is always one of the best days in any year, but this year is different. For the first time in 18 years of living, I am spending my birthday away from my home. This year my birthday will be celebrated not with my family, but with my friends. It will no doubt be a radically different experience than I have ever had before, but this difference marks a more generalized process of change that is a hallmark of growing up.

When our lives begin in infancy and early childhood, we're not excited by the actual occurrence of the birthday. Instead, the reason for the pure happiness that is associated with birthdays in our early years is the presents. Whether it be a G.I, Joe or a Star Wars action figure, these are the reasons that we anticipate our early birthdays. However, two weeks later when the toys have joined their predecessors in the closet, the birthday is forgotten. There's no feeling that time has passed because when you're young, every day seems like the day before. There is no conception of aging because six feels like seven and seven feels like eight.

However, this pattern changes drastically when we hit the teenage years. When we are twelve we cannot wait to be thirteen and when we are thirteen we breathlessly anticipate being fourteen. In a teenager's eyes, the process of aging cannot progress fast enough. Most kids can finally drive when they hit sixteen and that's incentive in itself for excitement over birthdays. In spite of this, there's still one bond with the younger concept of birthdays that characterizes the teenage years: a complete lack of recognition of the significance of each year.

This year is different for me. Instead of anticipating gifts and cake (although both are welcome additions), I have the colossal responsibility of being an adult to reflect on. Nothing will change in my day to day life but something has changed inside of me. I have always felt mature for my age, but being eighteen finally seems to vindicate my intuition. Combined with college life, this day makes me realize that childhood is over and I'm an adult now. For someone who has spent the last eighteen years of his life as a child, it's a change that could take some getting used to.

Buffy...Rereleased?

2005-10-27T14:50:00.000-05:00

I'm a latecomer to the phenomenon that is "Buffy The Vampire Slayer". After receiving the First Season DVD's this summer, I was hooked, finishing the first three seasons before I went away to school. However, with the ending of summer vacation, I lost the time necessary to devote oneself to faithful DVD watching. Despite this fact, I enjoyed Buffy so much the first time around that I decided to ask for the rest of the DVD's for my birthday. I was primed to request the Fourth Season when I noticed something on Amazon that gave me immediate cause for concern: Buffy The Vampire Slayer - The Chosen Collection.

Upon further investigation, I discovered that the "Chosen" collection was actually all of the DVD's previously released under the disguise of new packaging and an extra "bonus content" disc. Now, it was economically sensible (the set is $169.99 at Amazon) for me to ask for this set instead of the individual seasons 4-7, but I was one of the lucky few to reap this benefit. For most of the devoted Buffy fans who purchased their DVD sets on the days they were released, this release is not just a slap in the face from 20th Century Fox (who produces the sets), but it is a signal of a deeper trend of materialistic consumerism in today's society.

There is no doubt in my mind that many of those who already own the seven seasons individually on DVD will rush right out to the store and purchase this set for the simple reason that it exists. In order too feel like "true fans", the Buffy lovers need everything that has the shows logo on it, especially something as major as this rerelease. It should be noted that it is not just Buffy fans that have suffered from this type of consumer manipulation. HBO is planning to rerelease Sex And The City in new pink suede packaging later this year and the legions of fans devoted to Carrie and friends are just as numerous, if not more so, as the Buffy fanatics.

Your reaction may be that the company cannot be blamed because it is the consumers choice to purchase the "special edition" DVD sets, but that does not change the fact that this release (like many others of its kind) is nothing short of a greedy ploy from the producers to take advantage of the trend for consumers to flock to anything with pretty packaging and "bonus features". However, there is nothing that can be done to bandage this problem until consumers learn to protest these sets by not buying them.

Reconstructing A Good Thing

2005-10-27T13:20:00.000-05:00

It's been approximately six months since you last heard from me. Despite my best intentions, my desire to maintain Opinions About Everything last time around could not be sustained so I took the summer off, but I'm back at it now with (hopefully) a renewed desire to write. However, I can't make any promises, because my life has changed drastically since last time I published.

I'm a college student now at a small liberal arts college in Pennsylvania with a renewed and somewhat changed perspective on the world (and much improved writing skills). The content of OAE should remain similar to what it was last time around, but the posts will certainly not be daily as they were before. 2-3 times per week (sometimes more, sometimes less) is a reasonable estimate. The first article should be up tonight. Have fun reading and I'll try to do the same for writing!

Movie Lover's Paradise

2005-04-19T20:09:00.000-05:00

 

Over the past year, I have had a tempestuous affair with an internet service. Netflix, one of the most recognizable names on the internet due to the excessive advertising, has undergone periods in which it has been a major player in my entertainment, and at others I was so fed up with both the cost of the service and the fact that these little red envelopes were just sitting around, ignored. However, I have re-started the membership three times, and so far, the month that I have stayed on since March has been the second-longest. With my high school years approaching their conclusion, I have exorbiant amounts of free time after school/golf practice. I have found that this time is best spent watching movies (although I only watch about 2-3 per week, and most are on the weekends). I admit it. I love DVD's. Something about the format of entertainment itself has me intrigued, and for those who share my 'passion', there is nothing better then Netflix. 

Ever been home late on a Saturday night wanting to rent a movie but not wanting to make the drive to pick one up? Have you ever considered introducing yourself to a hot television show which everyone is talking about, but you have never actually seen for yourself? I know that I sound like a pesky infomercial, but the truth is that Netflix will vaporize these problems with the click of your mouse button. All you have to to after you have signed up is to create a 'Quene' of movies that you would like to rent, and the service sends you these movies within 2 days. As you finish them, you send them back (in a no-hassle prepaid envelope) and the replacement arrives a few days later. The process is no more complicated than sending and receiving your mail every day. You can also keep the movies for as long as you see fit. With no return dates, the assumption would be that it would take a while for the movies to return. However, it is amazing to see how fast the movies leave the house on the day after they have been watched when the process is so deliciously simple. The other catch is that no matter how many movies you rent per month, the fee is always the same. You're only wasting money by keeping the DVD's longer than necessary. However, the aspect which benefits Netflix the most also is that which drives potential customers away. The packages come in at anywhere from $9.99 (one movie out at a time) to a princely sum of $47.99 (eight movies out at a time). However, I chose neither of those. I chose the "three movies out at a time" plan for $17.99. I figure that even if I watch only three movies per month, it is still the same as the five to six dollar price range for standard rentals. 

If you can deal with the monetary issues and you have a passion for movies, there is not better option for renting movies than Netflix. I can tell you from personal experience that I was no movie renter before I encountered this fantastic service. However, I have now been able to catch up on old classics that I had never seen (Casablanca) or begin a new process of enjoyment with the Sopranos DVD's (I finally know what all the hype is about). I have a true passion for film (in the forms of both movies and television), and Netflix is easily the best outlet for this adulation that I have ever experience. Again, I know that I sound like a broken record of a cheap commercial, but I truly endorse this service one hundred percent.

Join the neverending fun: Netflix

Peace

2005-04-18T21:16:00.000-05:00



As my first new post into the blog-world, hopefully the start of a new streak of consecutive posts, I would like to make an announcement. I will be attending Franklin & Marshall College next year for my next step in the education world. Located in the Amish-populated Lancaster, Pennsylvania, the school is a bastion of excellence (complete with a beautiful campus) that I am positive will be an outstanding harbor of education for me to dock at for the next four years. However, the issue at hand is not my happiness for the next four years, but the elated feeling which I am experiencing as I write this as a result of the massive weight that has been lifted from my shoulders. Mentally, I can finally call myself a free man, and that is a feeling that I cannot say that I have had since last summer.

For the past nine months, I have taken more mental abuse than I ever thought that I could withstand over the course of a lifetime. From the physical turmoil of running cross-country to the brutal abuse of college applications and eventually, decisions, I have suffered much. However, all of my hard work feels justified because I have completed the endgame that I have been executing for the better part of a year. Now I realize why I worked so hard for so long. Now, for the rest of the school year, I will be able to do my part as captain of the golf team and look foreword to next year, and the entrance into a brand new phase of my life. Certainly, changes will be made, but in the end, things will change for the better. As I learned recently, something good will always come out of a situation that appears to be hopeless.

This is a lesson that all people should be able to learn in time. It is not a lesson that can be taught in the conventional manner, as much as it is something that can be learned over time, through the sweat and tears of life experience. It is these short moments of happiness that keep us sane, because in a world dictated by turmoil and fury a moment of peace with oneself in the last sanctuary for sanity. After the completion of a major phase of life, as I am approaching now, there is a period of calm, in which the human being can come its closest to being content with their surroundings. However, these stages cannot last forever. In the end, we will always find a new challenge to worry about because we are goal-driven creatures. We work for something, and when we achieve it, we begin work on something else. Life seems to be an endless stream od challenges, most of which are self inflicted but strangely welcomed.

Apologies

2005-04-11T22:08:00.000-05:00

I couldn't be sorrier, and more disappointed in myself for my poor writing performance since I returned from vacation. However, I plan to continue with the blog now that a substantial pile of work has been cleared from my desk. Again, I apologize for the delay, and the regular articles should resume soon. Thanks!

Attention Fit For A...Pope?

2005-04-04T17:44:00.000-05:00

 

Media reports over the past few days have been nothing short of astounding. Somehow, newspapers and TV stations have found a way to make the death of one man into an international crisis. Right on the heels of the Terri Schiavo frenzy, the story-hungry newshounds are devoting pages to the pope. Perhaps this death warranted media coverage at this astronomically high level for one or two days, but the events preceding to, and following the actual death are certainly not deserving of this. Perhaps it is because the American public is sick of hearing about the War in Iraq, or possibly it is because the election is over and politics have fallen into the first of their three and a half years (between elections) of being labeled "boring", but the media is grasping for a story and it found one. 

The interesting part of this whole ordeal is that it will not stop. The soonest that the cardinals will begin the election process for a new Pope is a little over a week away. Pope John Paul II's funeral (to be held in St. Peter's) is slated to occur on Friday, leaving us with another two weeks in our "Pope-a-thon". However, out of respect for the Catholic Church, and all 1,000,000,000 of its followers, I will tolerate this coverage, especially since it is somewhat of a break from the excruciatingly personal nature of the Terri Schaivo proceedings. This is an event that will be landmarked in the history of the Church. However, just because I am willing to agree to put up with this lunacy does not mean that I will allow the media to escape unscathed. The American media in general (although sadly I am a part of the media, being a blogger) is excessively invasive and obsessive in almost all circumstances. From the terrible wrongs perpetrated against Ms. Schaivo and her family to the 24-hour-per-day election coverage that we all were forced to endure, the media has reversed fields from what it once was. There was a time in American history when the media was more representative of freedom than America itself. "Freedom of the press" was exercised with skill, pride, and integrity. However, now the media does not just report the news, they control what we know and what de don't and in many ways, they control what we think about and how we feel. I can think of no better example for this than the last 2 weeks' obsessions with the Pope and with Terri Schaivo. 

Hopefully, this will all die down over time. For right now, I am resigned to sitting back and watching the religious proceedings with minimal interest. Perhaps it is because I am not Catholic, but I can't seem to find myself caring about this story. It should have been wrapped up with one day of media coverage, with another after the funeral, and more on the day that the new pope is elected. Right now, the frenzy is in full force,a nd I feel powerless to stop it. However, we are making history right now, and that will be the only thing that the textbooks remember.

Play Ball

2005-04-03T21:11:00.000-05:00

 
 
Tonight, the baseball season opened with a bang in a knockout matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees. The day that millions of American baseball fans have waited for has finally arrived, and after an offseason plagued by controversy concerning steroid use, it appears that the game will go on. Teams have reloaded and fans (especially Mets fans like myself) have been gifted with a hope that we have not had for many months. As the boys of summer take the field and the stadium lights burn brightly in the night, baseball season is here at last. 162 games from now we could be anywhere but right now we are all 0-0. 
 
Baseball is one of the most tedious sports to follow for many reasons. There are 162 games in every season, which should diminish their importance. However, this is not the case. Baseball is the ultimate sport for stat geeks. People obsess over every at bat and spend hours analyzing box scores, following the sport like a religion. The devotees spend 3-4 hours per day watching game after game, for no other reason than loving the sport of baseball. However, the sport of baseball has been scarred, possibly permanently, because of the steroid scandals and subsequent congressional hearings. Putting my own personal feelings aside, it is a shame to see the sport that epitomized American purity and tradition be marred by such poor press. However, no matter how hard the media tries, it cannot falter the unwavering devotion that baseball fans shows to their sport year after year. No lockout could stop them and no strike could stop them, so certainly they cannot be hindered by a few pills and muscle enhancers. 

 This year should prove to be an exciting one in the sport of baseball. With teams improved, the competition will be fierce, but as always, we have to wait several months for the action to play out before jumping to any rash conclusions. However, there is rarely anything in life that can surpass the surreal pleasure of watching a game of baseball on one of the afternoons in the lazy days of summer, knowing that all you have to worry about is the next pitch. Welcome back.

Decision Time

2005-03-30T23:14:00.000-05:00



Right now, I have the privilege of enduring the same process of psychotic competition and brutal torture that awaits most graduating seniors in America's high schools. As I write this, I am in the process of receiving letter after letter from college's concerning my possible admission for next year. Although I have yet to hear from any of my "big three" (Bucknell University, Wake Forest University, Vanderbilt University) as of tonight, I have gain successful admission to my four safety schools. Despite this relatively good news, I have never felt this level of tension before in my life. It feels like these admissions officers are playing games with my future and as a result it infuriates me to realize that for the moment, I have no control over my future. However, this is only what I feel, which is very different from what I know.

In reality, this is a relatively insignificant point in my life. Although it may seem to be the most important event to occur in 17 years of living, in the grand scheme of things, my future is not being decided here. From this point foreword, no matter where I go to school, I control my destiny. The college experience will be what I make of it. I can choose to slack off on my schoolwork or I can choose to diligently attend classes and hand in assignments. In fact, my life from this point foreword is the opposite of how I feel right now. I, along with all graduating seniors, have a clean slate to work with. When students first step foot on their college campuses, there are no stigmas or stereotypes attached to them. Their academic records from high school are completely meaningless, and their level of "popularity" was left behind in their hometown. It's an opportunity that comes along once in a lifetime. We, as seniors, have been gifted with the knowledge and wisdom that comes with years of successes and failures, and triumphs and mistakes. We are allowed to use this hard earned wisdom and use it to craft a new identity, a new mold for our futures. However, there are many who would be willing to let this moment pass them by, and not recognize the opportunity being given to them.

Even with these thoughts, I still manage to be able to stress myself to the point of near insanity. The reason is that no matter how much I think about the situation in an attempt to rationalize it, my feelings and emotions will inherently get the better of me. Tomorrow I expect to start to hear from these "reach" school, and I feel ready for the decision. Whether I end up at Muhlenberg College or Vanderbilt University does not matter in the long run. My future is what I decide to make of it, and that is a lesson that I hope more high school seniors begin to recognize. Good luck, seniors.

Refreshed

2005-03-28T20:28:00.003-05:00



After a longer-than-expected break, I finally feel ready to write again. I'm not sure if it showed in my writing in the final weeks before my vacation, but I grew weary of the process of writing on this blog. I was running short on topic ideas and as a result, forcing out subpar articles. However, I have been refreshed. My vacation provided me with an opportunity to clear my head, which is something that I have not been able to take advantage of in a very long time. However, I now feel ready to begin anew. I will try to keep the content of the blog at a high level, even if it means writing slightly fewer articles (3-4 per week). However, I wish to remain committed to the idea of keeping this blog, and I would like to invite you, the readers, back on a regular basis in order to read it.

It is interesting because as usual, there is larger issue at stake than just my desire to write in this blog. The process that I have suffered seems to be a common one for all people to be afflicted with: the "burn-out". Although a person may be endlessly passionate about something, if too much time and energy is invested in it, you tend to lose focus about what made you passionate about the activity in the first place. I know that this is what happened to me in the 2-3 weeks preceding my absence because although I was writing, it was blogging for its own sake. I took nothing out of the experience, and therefore I feel that I may have produced an inferior product. However, "the burn-out" has one simple cure: time. All it takes to regain passion for something that you really care about is time away from it. It helps you not only to know how much you miss it, but during these absences you tend to think about your passion, coming up with new ideas and more creative ways to approach things. No matter what you passion is, be it golf or writing or maybe basketball or reading, a constant devotion to this activity (whatever it may be) is detrimental to the passion you may have had for it in the first place.

This week-long vacation that I took for my blog has allowed me to feel refreshed, and I pray that it can hold me for another two months, until I plan to take another one. My best advice is that if you feel like you are simply "going through the motions" in the practice of a favorite activity or pastime, take time off. It will inspire you to greater levels of intellectual or physical (depending on the passion) excellence and enjoyment because you will be given an opportunity for the activity to feel new and exciting again.

A Short Absence

2005-03-18T13:06:00.000-05:00

Due to the vacation that I discussed in my post below, there will be no new posts on Opinions About Everything for approximately one and a half weeks (posting will resume on Saturday, March 26th). In the absence of new posts, feel free to browse the archives and also make a visit to Stories of Dreams. A new chapter has finally been posted! Thanks for the patience, and I'll see you on the other side...

Bon Voyage

2005-03-17T11:29:00.000-05:00



Tomorrow, I embark with my family on a trip overseas to Davos, Switzerland. For many years, we have made this same journey, and it has become, in effect, the backbone for my travel experiences. Visiting foreign destinations has become a passion of mine for the sole reason that it was forced upon me by two sets of extremely generous grandparents. However, I could not be more grateful for the opportunities that I have been given to broaden my horizons and become more cultured and globally aware than I ever could have had I never left our borders. I have seen things that have changed how I view the world and that is a precious experience in and of itself.    

Travel is a gift that never gets old or loses its novelty. No matter what happens, the memories created by travel will likely be burned into your memory for the rest of your days on earth. There's something about the conquering of new intellectual frontiers that brings people together, although I find myself at a loss for descriptive phrases and adjectives that can accurately describe what I am talking about. However, that is besides the point. No matter what kind of travel you do, whether it be repeated visits to a constant location (a summer home or a special resort) or possibly a fresh, once-in-a-lifetime experience (a trip to Africa, Asia, or South America), the memories will be etched into your brain as if you were born with them already there.    

Although travel has many qualities that are uniformly the same for all people, each person approaches travel in a slightly different manner. Some cannot wait to go home, thinking of the things that they are missing, although somehow these types of travelers always seem to miss it when its gone. There are others for whom travel (especially the trials and tribulations of airports and airplanes) is an intensely stressful experience, which puts an inhuman amount of pressure on their nerves, willing them with every second that they wait in that check-in line to crack. I am personally a different type of traveler. I tend to attach myself to wherever we are at the time, and invest myself into the local activities and passions. If we are at a lake, I fish, and if we are in the mountains, I ski. I tend to make travel an interactive experience, and therefore attach myself devoutly to the location that we are visiting. This results in two things: sad and painful goodbyes and brilliantly vivid memories, both of which make the experience that much more memorable.    

In the end, travel is like many things in life because it is what you make of it. Travel can be an enjoyable experience, or you can turn it into an exercise in keeping your nerves from cracking. Either way, every second that you vacation in some distant land creates memories. It creates memories of people an places that would otherwise be lost on you. No matter how you approach travel, the end result is always the same, and I can think of nothing else in the world that exhibits those qualities.    Bon voyage...

 Where I am visiting: Davos, Switzerland (Blog Article)

Madden vs. ESPN: Revisited

2005-03-15T17:38:00.000-05:00



I know that this column is four to five months too late, because the debate about the merits of the two best football videogames was raging back then. However, I just recently picked up my copy of Madden 2005 (made by EA Sports), after several months of playing ESPN NFL 2K5 almost exclusively for the past seven months. However, now that I have had the opportunity to properly compare the two games, I can give an educated opinion for the first time. For those who don't know, these two games are highly debated in the gaming world because of the annual domination by Madden and this year's attempt to even the gap.

There are two core differences in the games. The first is Presentation/Graphics. With the ESPN license in hand, the game developers at Sega have made full use of the privilege and subsequently produced the best looking football game ever. The graphics and player models are amazing, and the menus and in-game graphic screens (replays, statistics, halftime shows, player interviews, Sportscenter) are nothing short of astounding. Considering that ESPN costs $20 dollars, it is amazing how much the developers packed into this tiny little game. On the other hand, the presentation that Madden puts forward is improved from last year (Storyline Central, slightly improved graphics), but it can't hold a candle to the beauty of ESPN. However, for most gamers the presentation and graphics take a backseat to the gameplay. If you can count yourself into this number of people, there is little doubt as to which game you should spend your hard-earned money on, and that is Madden. Not only is the football experience both more realistic and much faster paced, the Artificial Intelligence and depth of the franchise mode are both unprecedented. The players for the opposing teams can finally challenge the best Madden gamers, with the number of glitches and problems severely reduced. In Franchise Mode, the gamer who prefers to control everything around them will feel right at home. You have the power to command the positions of General Manager, Owner, Coach, and any player on the team, and the number of factors that influence how you do your job are too many to list here.

In the end, I would choose Madden 2005 hands down over the ESPN version of football. The presentation is fine, but the gameplay is severely lacking in comparison to Madden, and in my mind that is what really counts. Next year, it appears that there will only be one football game because EA Sports decided to buy the exclusive rights to the NFL license. My dream game would combine the presentation and graphics of ESPN and the gameplay and depth of Madden, and that unbeatable combination is looking like it will come to fruition in the next year or two.

Scores
Madden 2005: 9.7 out of 10
ESPN NFL 2K5: 9.1 out of 10

A Fitter Life

2005-03-14T22:09:00.002-05:00

 

It is a well known fact that the United States is one of the heaviest countries in the world. The obesity rate is through the roof, and places like Disney World are seemingly breeding grounds for weight. However, there is a cultural revolution in waiting, that is primed to fight back against weight gain. With diet books (the South Beach Diet) and exposes of fast food (Super Size Me) flooding the marketplace, it would make sense that some people would be well influenced enough to change their lifestyles. However, they all have the fall back explanations that "my metabolism isn't right" or "i can't find the time". I disagree. After a grueling cross country season, my body type, weight, and general fitness changed quickly and radically. There are two basic keys: diet and exercise. 

The simpler of the two is diet. It baffles me that people believe that they can't control what they eat. The task is pedestrian. All that is necessary is some self-discipline. Don't eat too much desert (although its fine in moderated portions), and most of all, never snack during the day. "Grazing", meaning taking a trip to the pantry for a handful of pretzels, is death in dieting. Meals and necessary, but anything further is just filler. For meals, try as hard as possible to include as many food groups as possible, and try to stay away from fast food as much as possible. For an extra 10 minutes (which simply requires getting out of the car and walking in) you can eat a much healthier meal with Subway, than simply drive through Burger King. It is these 10 minute choices that make a huge difference. If you don't feel like cooking, the two best options by far are Subway and Panera, although I prefer Panera. The food is healthy and it really doesn't take that much longer to go into these restaurants. In short, if there are two things that you can do to change your eating style, they must be cutting out fast food completely and reducing the snacking to a bare minimum. 

Exercise is not really that much more of a problem. Not everyone is able to make time to go to an exercise club in order to lift weights and run on the treadmill, and I understand that. However, if a person really and truly cares about reforming their lifestyle, they will make time. Whether it be a treadmill, a machine at home, riding a bike, or simply running outside, exercise can be found everywhere you look. Now, it is generally considered to be more effective if you exercise your entire body (with weight training and cardiovascular workouts), but if you are looking to lose weight, and truly only have time for one, go with cardiovascular. It burns calories while speeding up the metabolism (which will burn more calories through the rest of the day). As if the health benefits were not enough, exercise focuses your mind on one single objective: completion. It is the best form of stress therapy that I know of. 

Considering all of this, what it comes down to is choice. You have the choice to lose weight, using simple diet and exercise. I urge you to intensely consider whether the excuses that you may be making (if you feel that you need to lose weight) are truly valid. In the vast majority of circumstances, they are not. Almost everyone can make the choice to exercise, even if it means going out of your way for one hour every day, and I know for a fact that everyone has the choice to eat in a more healthy manner. The choice is yours, and I suggest you make it because all that is waiting for you is a longer, happier life.

Movin' Out (The Door)

2005-03-12T21:41:00.000-05:00

 

The Review 
Over the years, I have seen many Broadway shows. From Phantom of the Opera to Wicked, and Oklahoma to The Music Man, I have generally found satisfaction in most productions on the grand stage. Recently, my family acquired tickets to Movin' Out, a show based on the music of Billy Joel (of which I am a big fan) that received many, many rave reviews. Naturally, with the combination of great music and strong recommendation, my expectations were reasonably high. However, after seeing the show, I can say without question that it was the most poorly designed piece of trash to ever reach the stage. It was the single worst show that I have ever seen, and that includes some bombs (Thoroughly Modern Millie, Gypsy). 

The source material that the directors and choreographers were given with was ideal. The music of Billy Joel is custom-made for the stage, and it is only helped along by the fact that almost everyone in the audience is bound to recognize it. In fact, this may have been the best conceptual idea for a rock opera since Mamma Mia. However, in the design, something went terribly wrong. The dancing, which has been nominated for countless Tony Awards, is jerky and awkward. However, this is not the fault of the talented individuals performing the pieces. The choreographers absolutely butchered what could have been a rousing good time. There were limbs flailing and dancers flopping around on the floor like worms, all topped with bloody dead men pulling themselves along the floor with their arms like pathetic dogs. On top of it all, the part of the show which should have shone brightly, the brilliant music of Billy Joel was hackneyed and undeveloped, and if you were not a Joel fan in the first place, nothing in the show would change your mind. Songs like 'Scenes From an Italian Restaurant' and 'We Didn't Start The Fire' were chopped to nearly unrecognizable shells of their former selves. However, in the way of audio, the music was all that was given to you. If you go into Movin' Out (which I strongly do not recommend) expecting a show with sharp and witty dialogue, I'm sorry to tell you that there is absolutely no dialogue whatsoever (barring a loud and obnoxious scene featuring a drill sergeant with very excitable vocal cords). The story (which is incomprehensible at times) is told through the music, and through the motions of the dancers on stage. 

After all of this, there must be some positive aspects. There were only two. The first was that the band and vocalist (visible at all times) that performed all of the music were nothing short of superb. In fact, the action on the stage was so boring for most of the second act that I resorted to watching the band play, because the vocalist/pianist was absolutely amazing. That man alone was easily the most enjoyable part of the show. It's a shame that his talent had to be wasted on this garbage. The second positive aspect of the show was that it was short. The scenes transition quickly, and the show is composed of a series of seriously cut-down songs, leaving little running time left. 

Closing Comments 
I went into this show with moderate expectations, but I came out with a serious feeling that I wanted those hours of my life back. I know that this show has received many positive reviews, and that it garnered several Tony nominations and awards, and I can say without hesitation that I am shocked. The only entertaining part of the show was watching the band play, because the show itself was one of the most confusing and sleep-inducing productions that I have ever borne in my life. Please do not see this show, if you want to keep your sanity. 

Score 
Overall: 3.8 out of 10 (Strongly Not Recommended)

Movie Review: The Ring

2005-03-11T21:42:00.000-05:00



The Review
In preparation for the soon to-be-released sequel to this intensely cerebral horror movie, I have decided to review the first installment in an effort to encourage readers to see it if they have missed it, and to remind other readers of the astoundingly effective atmospheric effects that the movie displays at every turn. The sequel is to be released on March 18th, and although I will be unable to see it due to a vacation, it will be high on the priority list for when we return (right after college admissions decisions). However, there can be no sequel without a "first movie", and although The Ring was a surprise hit at the box office, it deserved all of the accolades that it received.

The general outline of the plot is very simple. The initial "villain" of the movie is a simple videotape. Filled with disturbing images, the videotape prompts a mysterious telephone call, during which you simply hear "seven days..." before the line goes dead. Then, seven days later, you die. This may seem like a basic horror movie at first glance, but the mythology and plot intricacies behind the videotape are fascinating. The star of the show is Naomi Watts, playing the role of Rachel Keller, the investigative reporter/single mother who make sit her mission to save her son, her boyfriend, and herself from the deadly effects of the tape. Watts is very good here. It was certainly nothing Oscar-worthy, but she manages to look scared and surprised at all of the right moments, and displays good range in her interactions with her son and boyfriend. The rest of the cast is rather dull (the boy is fine), but the real attraction here is Samara, the homicidal girl behind the videotape (in a manner of speaking). Daviegh Chase will send chills down your spine with every word she says (and there are precious few of them). In fact, I still get scared thinking of her.

Perhaps the most startling part of the movie is the atmosphere. The director uses blues and grays as the dominant colors in his palette, which creates a mood that envelops the viewer from the second that the movie starts, all the way until the end credits roll. Every scene is dripping with creepiness, for the lack of a better word, and it is this suction effect that The ring has on your brain that makes the thrills and scares along the way so memorably frightening. And it should be noted that the faint of heart may want to stay out of the movie theater, because the movie will scare you, and possibly leave you staring at your ceiling late into the night. Not only is the atmosphere excellent, but the plot's deep and cerebral nature which may leave some viewers confused, contributes to the frightening nature of the movie for those who understand it. The very concept of a videotape that kills you 7 days after watching it is a frightening though within itself, but with the director waiting to scare you (both with cheap "Boo!" moments and moments of intense psychological terror) at every opportunity, the ride is fast and furious.

Closing Comments
The may not be an Academy Award-winning film, but in the horror genre, I have rarely seen any better. The utmost is easily the most effective of any movie that I have ever seen, and the scares never get old, no matter how many times you watch the movie. The film has a fascinating backstory that enthralls you more every time you see the movie. There is plenty of fodder for a sequel here, and without a doubt, you can add The Ring Two to my list of Most Anticipated movies this year. Look for a review in 2-3 weeks.

Score
Overall: out 9.1 of 10 (Highly Recommended)

A Tribute: New York City

2005-03-08T20:34:00.000-05:00



There are few locations in the world which are as renowned for both their uniqueness and their general appeal than New York City, New York. The five boroughs that compose the greatest city in the world have reached legendary cultural status around the world, bringing with it the status of being the economic center of the planet. The hub for all things imaginable, this single set of structures that spans approximately 303 square miles and houses more than 8 million people, is a veritable cultural and ethnic breeding ground. Despite the fact that almost every nationality in the world is represented within the city limits, somehow a brand of people known as "the New Yorker" has developed into a persona whose legend is surpassed only by that of the city itself. It's the city of blinding lights, where no one ever sleeps. It's New York City.

It's a city of yellow taxi cabs, and foreign taxi cab drivers. There is a "town" for all sorts of ethnic groups, with the most prominent foreign sects of the city being Chinatown and Little Italy, both hubs of cultural diversity and culinary excellence. As for the rest of the city, there are more areas than can possibly be listed here. From the shopping districts of SoHo and Fifth Avenue, to the sparkling lights of Broadway. From the blinding commercialism of Times Square, to the countless, fameless housing streets, where the simple residents of this great city dwell. On the streets, people rush by without saying a word, or quickly dart into diners and coffee shops for a quick bite to eat at lunch or a hurried "cup of joe" before work. Prima donnas and fashion moguls roam the streets, passing by Wall Street brokers who hold millions of dollars at their fingertips. Going unnoticed are the prototypical NYU students or any one of the many pretzel vendors waiting for tourists to sucker into buying some of their fresh New York cuisine. On the streets, horns are blaring and manhole covers are steaming, while anxious pedestrians jaywalk into the traffic, taking their lives into their hands. The buildings of the city may all look the same at first sight, but with time, all differentiate themselves from the others. There are gated houses, welcoming storefronts, cascading museum steps, and simple doors that house the true mechanics and businesses behind the political and economic force that is New York City. There are fickle sports fans, reading the Times and the Post for the latest scoop on their team, likely either the Mets or the Yankees. Finally there is the surreal quality that the sight of the streets possess, although they are teeming with life.

New York can not simply be described by these things. The feel, the smell, and the sights can only be truly understood by experience through visitation. As soon as you breath the intoxicating air that blankets the city and the feeling of New York courses through your bloodstream, you will be hard pressed to survive for a long time without returning. Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the city is the fact that there is such a rich ethnic and cultural diversity that houses itself within the city limits. To capture the essence of the city is impossible in a blog entry, because there are simply too many layers and facets to the city that I even have no idea about. No matter how much time you spend in the city, and how much you think you know, there will always be something new to experience or to learn. And yet, ironically, the spirit of the city is captured perfectly as soon as you pan out and observe the dazzling skyline of the greatest city in the world.

East vs. West

2005-03-07T19:59:00.000-05:00



Ski season is sadly coming to a close, and as the snow will soon be melting, and the grass will soon be greener, I bid a very fond farewell to one of the only winter activities that does not involve sitting or lying down. Skiing and snowboarding are both great sports in their own right, and the United States is littered with resorts and mountains whose sole purpose is to please potential skiers. However, not all ski areas are created equal, and it seems that a disproportionate number of quality ski areas are situated in the Western United States. However, upon further inspection, a different conclusion can also be drawn. It is not necessarily true that all quality it limited to the west, but it is true that these two areas of the country are starkly different in their composition and style in terms of skiers and snow.

The west is a haven for powder. A bastion of excellence in true mountain skiing conditions, the variety and difficulty of the trails that can be had are nearly unmatched elsewhere. Skiers flock to the west in order to engage in activities such as mountain climbing (and skiing down, of course) and such a variety of skiing (bowls, unmarked, ungroomed, etc.) that there is no way to experience all that it has to offer. The west is a land of majestic mountains and jagged peaks, where skiers can laugh in the face of danger, because the steepness and overall difficulty of Western skiing is far superior to much of the world. On the other hand you have the east, known for its icy trails and meek inclines. However, for many, there is little alternative, so the "autobahn" style of skiing is dominant. In much the same way that skiers enjoy the west, snowboarders feel at home in the east, because the dynamics of the snowboard itself lends itself to being much easier to handle on the notoriously ice-covered hills of New York and Pennsylvania. However, it is not all ice in the east. The farther north that one travels, the quality of skiing increases exponentially. In states such as Vermont and Maine, the quality of snow is only a notch below that in the west, rounding out the best of the United States.

The fact is that the United States have become as infatuated with skiing as many European countries. It is constantly televised on OLN, and the Olympic events surrounding downhill skiing are among the highest rated in the entire Olympic Games. The slopes are packed during the wintertime, and a devoted group of skiers and snowboarders have effectively carved out a small niche for themselves in American society. With the quality of skiing in the west, citizens of the world from all different countries flock to the United States for a change of pace from the Alps. Around the country, teenagers take ski trips with their friends on breaks, weekends, and holidays. In case you have not noticed, skiing and snowboarding are here to stay in the United States, and they are perfectly complimented by the quality terrain that America features, ready to be shown off to the rest of the world.

Food For Fun

2005-03-06T14:08:00.000-05:00

 

There are many times when going out to eat is a bland experience, characterized best by the painfully long waiting periods and the outside chance that the food may not live up to its expectations. However, there is a very popular brand of Japanese food on the market that both entertains you and fills you up at the same time, and the methods of preparation are so consistent and uniform that you usually know what you're getting into, even if you have never stepped foot in a restaurant of this type before. This food is called Hibachi, and the defining characteristic is that the food is prepared before your eyes, in a burst of flame and fun. 

The procedure at most Hibachi restaurants is fairly similar. After ordering, you are brought salad and Miso Soup (worth the price of admission itself) as appetizer. Following this are the fried rice, Lo Mein (Chinese noodles), and vegetables, all of which are speared in butters and loaded with garlic and sauce. In fact, at this point, you could walk away with a meal, and you have not even reached the main course yet. The menu usually consists of items such as steak, chicken, shrimp, lobster, and other various meats that can be cooked on a grill. If more than one choice appeals to you, almost all Hibachi kitchens allow you to choose any combination of selections. However, the food is not the prominent attraction to Hibachi, although it is always excellent. The method of preparation, which features grilling and preparing all of the food on a table in front of you, allows for a startlingly unconventional dining experience. The food is fed to you slowly, making sure that you have just enough time between servings of rice and noodles to recover and prepare for the main meal. As a result, you fill up very quickly, and by the end, there will be no emptiness to speak of in your stomach. Of course, because the food is prepared in front of you, there is knife-flipping and flame-lighting along the way to keep you entertained, which is only another positive characteristic that defines Hibachi. 

With a group of friends or family, there is no better dining option, if you enjoy Asian food, than Hibachi. No matter where you travel in the United States, with enough searching, a Hibachi kitchen can be found and the fun is waiting just inside the doors. It is to Japanese food what Tex-Mex is to Mexican cuisine, but it is a quality dining experience nonetheless. Because the presentation is so entertaining and the quality and quantity of the food is consistently high in all Hibachi restaurants, it makes a great option whether you are on the road or at home, looking for something to do on a weekend night. The excitement that permeates the air is a welcome change from the usual boring dining that all other restaurants offer. If you are looking for a fun night (although don't expect deep conversation) to spend with friends and family, I urge you to look no further than your local Hibachi kitchen. Make the choice, and you won't regret it.

Waiting, Waiting

2005-03-05T21:52:00.000-05:00


It seems that my life lately has been one constant period of waiting. If I'm not preoccupied with my imminent college admissions decisions, then I am uselessly discarding time while waiting for the next box to come in the mail, or by waiting all week for one particular event. Now, the argument could be made that I, like many, "live in the future", while ignoring the journey along the way (which is apparently the real pleasure in life). However, I have yet to meet a person, who lives beyond the movie screen, who actually "lives for the moment" all of the time. But that is besides the point. Waiting for anything in general is a painful and often futile activity, but one that has been ingrained into human nature.

The reason that I am writing this article is that I am currently pulling my hair out in anticipation of the reception of my college admissions decisions. I applied to 15 schools, and have only heard back from one of them at the present time, leaving me in a content state of tension and stress (which is probably resulting in my lack of articles for 2 of the last 4 days). However, no matter how much I wait, I know that I won't receive anything sooner by telepathically urging the admissions officers to send the decisions earlier. However, in a fascinating sect of the human persona, I don't stop thinking about it. Now, this decision may be exaggerated by the fact that it will determine my place in the world for the next four years of my life, but the same occurrence repeats itself for something as trivial as receiving a DVD from Amazon. It seems that no person can be completely happy with what they currently have. And I don't just mean this in a criticism of commercialism. It's not limited by any bounds, because we always think about what we don't have, in all arenas of life. Some people think about not having love, others fame, and still others wealth. However, this may not be a bad thing, in the end.

It is this desire for what we do not or can not have that drives us to obtain it, which is the foundation for all individual life and consequently, for the collective life of the world. It is the act of waiting, borne out of an inherent unhappiness with one's current condition, which is the result of the desire for "more" or "better" things that drives both the global economy and the universal life in general. Where would we be without men who court woman, eventually propagating the human race? Where would we be without the ambitious young people that take initiative, and eventually become the leaders of their nations? We would not exist, which leads me to believe that this condition of "waiting" for the future is an inherent characteristic of intelligent species. Waiting drives people, which in turn drives the world, So next time you hear someone tell you to "live for the moment", casually accept their words of wisdom, and then throw them away. Remember that "living for the future" can not be fought, so it is useless trying, and that in the end, all success stems from it.

CD Review: Interventions and Lullabies

2005-03-03T19:29:00.000-05:00



The Review 
It seems that in the music world, many of the better artists are unknown to the general public. There are several very good bands that get signifigant airplay on the radio (U2, Jimmy Eat World), but there is great pleasure in hunting for great music among the obscure. The Format is one of those bands, and their debut album, Interventions and Lullabies, is one of the best first albums that I have ever heard. The songs are instantly radio-friendly without losing anything unique. But be warned, you will have to learn these songs for yourself, without the help of your local radio station, because you might be lucky to hear one of their songs in about a week straight of listening.

At first listen seems like generic pop-rock, and that may be the one thing that I can detract from it, being slightly formulaic on some songs. However, the unique voice of the lead singer, and the band's penchant for using all different types of instruments makes even these weaker songs unique and listenable. Personally, as I listen to the album, I am able to listen to it straight through, but I tend to get hooked on 2-3 songs at a time, and play them over and over again. Once you get one of the songs in your head, it will not be replaced until you find another Format song to obsess over. Perhaps this syndrome has been produced in me because of the format binge that I have undertaken over the past three weeks. My playlists in iTunes and on my iPod are, simply put, Interventions and Lullabies over and over again. However, try as I might, I can't seem to get sick of the music. And trust me, I have listened to the album enough times so that it should have worn out its welcome by now.

Closing Comments 
There is little that I can say except that this a fantastic album, especially considering the fact that it is the first of (hopefully) many works by the band. I admit that I am eagerly anticipating their next release, because if this is what these young men can do on their first try, it almost frightens me to think what they could do on their next time around. Sometime in the future I expect these guys to hit it big, because they certainly deserve it. There is true musical talent exhibited in these twelve songs, both in songwriting and performance, that makes me excited for the time when that future will come.

Scores 
1. The First Single - Easily one of the best rock songs I have every heard.  Prepare to fall in love. - 10/10
2. Wait, Wait, Wait - A good song, although it is one the more formulaic submissions that they made. - 7.5/10
3.  Give It Up - A great, mellow tune that has a chorus that you will have stuck in your head for weeks. - 10/10
4. Tie The Rope - Very good song, which is very slightly formulaic, but one of their best. - 8/10
5. Tune Out - The lyrics are very good, and once again, the chorus is instantly addictive.  Amazing. - 9/10
6. I'm Ready I Am - I want to love this song, but for some reason, something holds me back. - 6/10
7. On Your Porch - Perhaps the best lyrics on the album in this slower song.  Takes getting used to. - 7/10
8. Sore Thumb - Slightly formulaic, and consequently, not one of my favorites. - 6/10
9. A Mess To Be Made - A more unique song with great vocals.  One of my favorites. - 9.5/10
10. Lets Make This Moment A Crime - The second very good song in a row.  a nice effort. - 8.5/10
11. Career Day - Longest song on the album, but not the best. However, it's very good, with an interesting selection of instruments. - 8/10
12. A Save Situation - A nice ender, with great lyrics and a quick tune.  Short and sweet. - 9/10

Overall: 8.9 out of 10 (Not An Average)

As The Season Turns...

2005-03-01T17:25:00.000-05:00



Suddenly, as March 1st is upon us, I am instantly experiencing one of the most painful yearly emotions. Every year, as winter finally loses its novelty, and the cold seems to be more of a nuisance than a relief, I have a string of days where I devote much of my thought to things to come. For me, it is the reception of my college admissions decisions, the opportunity to play golf again, and the prospect of being free of the shackles of secondary education in approximately three months. But it never lasts. After my short but sweet days of dreaming pass, I fall back into my winter blues, usually because of an unexpected blanket of snow or a particularly cold morning in my car. Although I know that the downfall will come, as of right now I am still joyous and lighthearted with the prospect of spring.

Spring, as a season, possesses several qualities that you will be hard pressed to find in any of the other three times of the year. There is a motif of renewal and hope that permeates the air, seemingly livening the world with its very presence. Flowers bloom, reach their peak, and die all before the summer months hit, and the small buds on the trees first appear, then blossom into the sea of green that is commonly associated with summer. The golf courses fill up with rusty players, and baseball stadiums all over the country are packed to the point of overflowing with fans on the arrival of opening day. Students in school gaze out the window (dreaming of summer vacation), and garden enthusiasts everywhere wait with bated breath for their tulips and daises to display their wondrous colors. The jackets and coats come off, and the shorts go on, when runners and bikers across the country hit the streets in an effort to lose the excess winter weight in preparation for "swimsuit season". Speaking of which, the rivers and lakes unfreeze and begin the long journey back to warmth, while pool heaters perform the process in a fraction of the time for excited pool owners everywhere, ready to go for a swim. Families will eat outside under a canopy, eating the food that the grill cooked to perfection earlier in the evening. Most of all, young children scamper around their backyards, while parents look on, marveling at how much the kids have grown since last year.

Unfortunately, all of this is a combination of faded memory and eager anticipation right now. As I look out the window, and see the most recent "noreaster" continue to blanket us in snow, I can't help but realize that there is still a ski season to finish, and still tests to take and homework to do as winter draws to a close. I want to force myself to "enjoy it for what it is" and "take what is handed to me", but I can't. Dreams of drinking lemonade and iced tea, while sitting lazily in a hammock reading a good book are too real for me to cast aside right now. And, wouldn't you believe it, "Here Comes The Sun" by The Beatles just started playing on my iTunes Party Shuffle (no joke). Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

"Little darling, it's been a long cold lonely winter.  
Little darling, it feels like years since it's been here.  
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun,  
And I say it's all right..."

The Importance of the Combine

2005-02-28T16:33:00.000-05:00



In the past weekend, we have seen one of the most cited references for statistical information in all of football pass over us, being shown of the NFL Network. The NFL combine is the "proving grounds" for the young athletes, essentially where their fates are decided. Prospects can rise in stock by their performance over the weekend with the speed of baked bread. They can also fall from grace, and all it takes is a simple below average time in the 40-yard-dash to seal their fate. The standards for evaluation that these athletes are subjected to are both inaccurate and unfair. These tests measure the speed and strength of the athletes, not the football-oriented skill and awareness that is integral to success in the NFL. However, many critics still use this travesty as a major part of their scouting, which is a huge mistake in my opinion. 

Football is not only a game of physical attributes, but also of physical and mental skill. Intelligence and playmaking ability are equally important, if not more so, than standards such as speed or strength. However, the marriage between these two factors is an uneven one, because of the fragile symbiotic relationship that these two sets of evaluative tools have with each other. A player without skill is worthless in the NFL, but a player with skill can succeed even without physical tools. There is a simple reason that the world's greatest sprinters and bodybuilders do not play football, and that is because without the innate skill at the players' respective positions, they are all but useless. On the other hand, a player who lacks special speed or strength, but possesses an abundance of natural football skill is bound to be a solid backup or maybe even starter, depending on the strength of the team. These skills can only be detected in a player by watching them play in a live-action game. My personal gripe with the combine itself is that is addresses the speed and strength in disproportionately large amounts, while all but abandoning the true intangibles that make players great. 

This oversight would not be such a problem if fans (and even scouts) did not use the combine as such an important part of the decision-making process that could decide the constitution the rookie class for a professional football team, which could in turn make or break the future of that same team. For example, there was quarterback at this year's combine by the name of Matt Jones, from the University of Arkansas. He was a solid player in college, who always made it based almost exclusively on his speed and general athleticism. Then came the combine. Over the weekend, this young man ran an average of a 4.39 second 40-yard-dash. For the uneducated, this time is simply blazing for a quarterback, with the next best time clocking in at an also quick 4.62. His draft stock has suddenly risen from being a mid-late round pick to suddenly being the next big thing, perhaps preparing to be taken in the second round. Now, I realize that a quarterback should be athletic, but this situation is nothing short of absurd. It is my firm belief that he will be a flop in the NFL no matter where he is taken, so I certainly don't want the Dolphins doing so come April. 

On a whole, players perform exactly how they are expected to at the combine. There are usually no big surprises and no big flops. However, the difference between a good day and a bad day could be the difference between having a multi-million dollar contract for the next seven years of your life, or scraping by on the NFL minimum, hoping to catch a break. I can state it no clearer than to say that this is an unfair evaluation of the players, and that in general, fans place way too much stock in these physical tests. There is a reason that most of the major players in the draft skip the combine, and that is because one bad day could cost them millions for the rest of their lives. 

Check out this year's combine results: Link

Live With the Oscars

2005-02-27T20:00:00.000-05:00



1:17 AM - Inspired by James Berdanelli's yearly tradition, although he won't be writing this year, (Link), I have decided to bring you my reactions to the Academy Awards as they happen. Periodically, I will update my blog with a paragraph about the recent happenings on the telecast. This will be an experiment for me and perhaps one of the most unique blog entries that I will ever do. Look below for my official predictions in the six major categories. See you later tonight!    

1:57 PM - The Oscars are inherently a boring experience. I enjoy watching them, but I can't quite place my finger on exactly why. Tonight will be one of the first nights that I will actually pay rapt attention to the program, although I can sufficiently say that I will never particularly care for the red-carpet ceremonies that precede the telecast. It is an over-hyped and glitzy attempt to make these egotistical celebrities feel better about themselves than they already do. But, at the same time, its one Sunday night in 52 that occur during the year. Actually, its amazing how little the Academy Awards actually mean in the context of the movie industry. Rarely do films win on basis of merit, because of the hyper-political nature of the awards. 

5:24 PM - Apparently Robin Williams has been forced to remove a potentially offensive song (that incidentally makes fun of his fellow celebrities) from his presentation of an award tonight. It's too bad, because in my humble opinion, Robin Williams is probably the most talented man in that auditorium tonight. His stand-up comedy is nothing short of genius, and he is an Academy Award-winning actor on top of that (he has been nominated four times, won once). On a side note, I am looking forward to Chris Rock's hosting of the ceremony. He may not be Billy Crystal, but I'm hoping that his presence may spice up the telecast. At 8:00 PM on ABC, you can start tuning in for the Red Carpet, and the presentations will start at 8:30. Make sure you check this site regularly for my thoughts.

7:09 PM - I've now resigned myself to watching the Red Carpet arrivals on E!, even though I promised myself that I wouldn't. It's a pointless endeavor that pleases those who enjoy building up or tearing down their favorite celebrities based on how they dress. In fact, it has become such a large event in the fashion industry that EOnline.com has a section of their website devoted to rating the stars. For me, this is mindless trash. But its a Sunday night, and there's nothing else to do, so excuse me while I go give Hilary Swank a 10...

8:11 PM - The ABC show just started, and they're showing the same people that appeared on the E! Version, but with glossier production values. This is still pointless, but there are only about 20 minutes left until the broadcast actually starts. I think that the most exciting part of the evening will be the opening monologue of Chris Rock. I'd like to take a moment to discuss the omission of The Passion of the Christ as a nomination for Best Picture Keeping in tune with their past history, the Academy demonstrated a forgetful memory and nominated only one movie that is out of theatres right now. The Passion came out last February, right after the Awards, and although it was deserving, the time frame of its release was its downfall.

8:52 PM - Chris Rock's monologue was adequate. He kept the swearing to a minimum, and most of his material was very funny. The political comments were completely unnecessary, but I have to admit that I laughed even though I didn't agree with them at all. He's no Billy Crystal, but he'll do. And the first of the boring thank you's have started with the Aviator recipients for Art Direction. On a more positive note, I'm 1/1 on my major category predictions, and I'm glad that Freeman won. He completely deserves the award, and he kept the thank-you's short and sweet. The night is off to a good start.

9:07 PM - As usual, Rabin Williams almost knocked me off of my seat with his brilliant comedic commentary. The award he presented for, Best Animated Feature, was appropriate, and luckily, it had the correct winner. The Incredibles was a fantastic motion picture that truly deserved the award. I forget who won for makeup, but it's one of the categories that simply doesn't matter. There's way too many of those, and I don't plan on mentioning every one of the tonight. Finally, the first nomination for Best Song was hopelessly boring, but at least we have "Accidentally In Love" and "Believe" to look forward to.

9:25 PM - The segment with the "average moviegoers" was hilarious, but it paled in comparison to Pierce Brosnan and the costume character from The Incridibles. That character cracked me up in the movie, and continued to do so here. Also, Pierce did a fantastic job (albeit with a failed voice) playing off of an entity that didn't exist. And now I'm 2/2 on my predictions, with the win from Cate Blanchette of The Aviator. This telecast is shaping up to be very entertaining, in a remarkably pleasant surprise. Keep it up, and don't let the night get dull, and maybe the ratings will hold steady late into the night.

9:37 PM - The Aviator's continuous stream of awards is really starting to annoy me. It wasn't the cinematic spectacle that Gladiator, Titanic, or Return of the King were in the eyes of many. Hopefully, these accolades will stop soon. I'd like to see Million Dollar Baby win a few more. This segment was getting boring until The Counting Crows took the stage. "Accidentally in Love" is one of my favorites from this year, so I'm going to sit back and enjoy it... 

9:53 PM - Sideways has finally won, and Adam Sandler has been painfully unfunny. The world has been restored to its rightful order. The Sideways acceptance speech actually kept me away from my computer, although I have now been restored to my rightful state of terminal boredom with the next round of nominations. And the Academy has awards Spider-Man 2 with a golden statuette, which is a real shocker in my book. Although considering the competition it had, its not unprecedented. Pacino's dedication to Sydney Lumet is appropriate, although there have been more exciting Honorary Oscar winners. The show is slowly slipping, going downhill ever since Pierce and that funny little animated woman. 

10:19 PM - Beyonce has gotten plenty of recognition tonight. They should give her an Oscar just for having to perform three songs (one in a foreign language). This segment has been very good, with Chris Rock's quip about Jeremy Irons. Of course, they give the most boring speaker the most boring category. No one really cares about the short films. They really should have a separate awards show earlier in the day for these meaningless categories. The pace was good at the beginning, but it seems to have slowed down. It looks like we're in for another long night. And The Aviator wins another award, this time in Cinematography. I can't take this anymore.

10:30 PM - The telecast significantly improved with the introduction of Cruz and Hayak as presenters. They looked stunning, and their status was significantly improved because they awarded a statuette to those who were not involved with The Aviator. Ray picked up its first Oscar, and I expect the second to come with Best Actor. The Incredibles picked up its second Oscar, which is certainly a positive. And the fourth song nomination has swung around, although I am still waiting for "Believe", which is the best song of the night.

10:51 PM - Natalie Portman, another knockout, presents another series of worthless nominations, where no one really cares about the winners unless you are intimately involved with the industry. The speech was made by a slightly strange individual, but that's a good thing in this case, because most of these obscure-category speeches are infamously boring. Rock just keeps on getting away with small knocks on his fellow celebrities that even Billy Crystal never could have. I see backlash tomorrow. The Best Score Award is reasonably big, and it held my attention to the television. And finally, Finding Neverland won an award, and with it, all of the Best Picture nominations have won an award of some sort. And by the way, I have no idea what this Yo-Yo Ma performance is supposed to be, but when Benning said "award-winning international soloist", my mind leapt to Josh Groban. Alas, it was not to be. 
EDIT: It was a nicely done tribute to all of the people involved with cinema who died this year.  I enjoyed it. 

11:11 PM - Finally, Josh Groban and Beyonce took the stage and performed "Believe", which is easily the best song nominated here tonight. I thought that Beyonce would shrink in comparison to the mega-talented Groban, but she held her own very nicely. However, the song didn't win, in both the biggest surprise and the biggest travesty of the night so far. There is no way that the song from "The Motorcycle Diaries" deserved to win. This is astounding, but the Best Actress announcement has come officially at 11:05 PM, which is thankfully early. Hilary Swank is easily the most deserving candidate there, and I am now happy again, being calmed now that The Aviator has lost in a category. Not to mention, she had the best acceptance speech of the night by far. The beginning of the thanks was sincere and heartfelt, and she remained charming throughout. Congratulations, Hilary!

11:21 PM - I have not seen any of the Foreign Language Film nominees, so I can't really give an opinions, but one thing I know for sure is that Gwenyth Paltrow should have been allowed to give her synopsis of the films in their respective languages. We need some comic relief. The guy who accepted from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind provided it, though, because his quip about the teleprompter was priceless. Something tells me that next year, the nominees will receive a notice telling them not to say such things. If anything, it was a refreshing break from the prototypical "Thank you to X and thank you to Y" speeches.

11:35 PM - This is amazing. The Best Actor and Best Directing Oscars are done and look what time it is. If this telecast ends before midnight, it will be a true miracle. There was absolutely no surprise about the win by Jamie Foxx for Ray. I'm 4/4, but this one was an absolute lock. He deserved it, and was considerably helped along by Ray Charles' recent popularity. His speech was just as good as Hilary Swank's, and the dedication to his grandmother was tear-jerking. On a whole, this telecast has been a massive improvement over last year, probably because there is no Lord of the Rings to sweep everything. And I have now made my first incorrect prediction all night, and I couldn't be happier about it. Eastwood deserved to win this, although I hope that this doesn't mean an Aviator win later in the evening. I'm 4/5. 
 
11:40 PM - I shouldn't have spoken so soon. They did a great job with the length this year, and the night has been capped off by a win by Million Dollar Baby, a hugely deserving film. It won in four major categories, which is a colossal achievement. Congratulations to everyone involved in this amazing film. It truly deserved the award, and I love it that this gave a small kick in the face to The Aviator. I got 5/6 tonight in my predictions, which is not bad at all.
 
This show clocked in at 3 hours and 10 minutes, a vast improvement of last year. The show was a rousing success, and in many ways, my faith in the Academy Awards has been rekindled. Now, I'm tired, so goodnight and congratulations to all of the films that won!

Oscar Predictions 2005

2005-02-26T22:11:00.000-05:00

 

Every year, around this time, stuffy and stuck up movie critics from all over the country partake in the most important event of their yearly lives, the Academy Awards. The Oscar Statuette that the winners take home is the most coveted recognition of achievement in all of film. The covers of DVDs will proudly pronounce "Winner of 3 Academy Awards", in a last-ditch attempt to make up your mind to buy the product. Everyone has an opinion about the winner of Best Picture. Some years, like when American Beauty won, it was a love-it or hate-it ordeal. Others, such as last year's Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, the consensus pick won, and everyone went home happily. This year, the races are tight, and filled with obscure films that grossed little at the box office. Here are my predictions for the major categories at the 2005 Academy Awards. 

Best Picture 
Ray 
Million Dollar Baby 
The Aviator 
Finding Neverland 
Sideways 

There is little doubt in my mind that the winner in this category will be Million Dollar Baby. It is riding an immense wave of momentum, and it was exactly the type of film that the academy likes to award. Clint Eastwood will be a very happy man come tomorrow night. The runner up will be The Aviator, which is the favorite in many viewers' minds, but my official prediction is that Million Dollar Baby will lap up the top prize. An interesting note about the box office weakness of this years nominees is that none have topped $100 million in gross sales, which is a first since 1992. This will likely have a devastating impact on the amount of viewers that stay up all night, because no one will have enough personal emotional investment.

  Best Directing 
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby 
Martin Scorsese - The Aviator 
Taylor Hackford - Ray 
Alexander Payne - Sideways 
Mike Leigh - Vera Drake 

Conventional wisdom says that if Million Dollar Baby wins Best Picture, then The Aviator will receive the consolation prize in Best Directing. In this case, I unfortunately agree. Although Eastwood likely deserves the award, the fact that Scorsese is on his third try (he has lost twice before) will push him over the edge. However, if I am wrong about my Best Picture prediction, this could swing towards Eastwood. But I'm sure that the Academy would love to award Scorsese with a token of respect for his previous misfortune. 
 
Best Actor in a Leading Role 
Johnny Depp - Finding Neverland 
Don Cheadle - Hotel Rwanda 
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby 
Jamie Foxx - Ray 
Leonardo DiCaprio - The Aviator 

This is easily the most star-studded of the major acting categories, but it is also the category with no contest. Jamie Foxx will win this, hands down, because in all respects, he is the darling of the Academy this year. Between the critical acclaim of the movie, Foxx's popularity, and Charles' death, it seems to be destiny that Foxx get recognized for his performance. Congratulations in advance, Jamie. 

Best Actor in a Supporting Role 
Jamie Foxx - Collateral 
Alan Alda - The Aviator 
Clive Owen - Closer 
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby 
Thomas Haden Church - Sideways 

Although Clive Owen won the Golden Globe in this category, Morgan Freeman will take home his first-ever Academy Award because of the same momentum that will carry Million Dollar Baby to Best Picture. That being said, he truly deserves it. His showing in Million Dollar Baby was moving, being the perfect compliment to the rest of the cast. He stole ever scene he appeared in, making him a lock in this category in my mind. 

Best Actress in a Leading Role 
Annette Benning - Being Julia 
Catalina Sandino Moreno - Maria Full of Grace 
Kate Winslet - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind 
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby 
Imelda Staunton - Vera Drake 

Once again, Million Dollar Baby will score big, and Hilary Swank will take home the golden statuette. She gave a touching and versitile portrayal of Maggie in the film, and truly deserves this award. This will be the second Oscar for Swank, and she edged out Benning last time she won as well. The momentum of Million Dollar Baby will play a huge role in tomorrow night's results, in case you haven't figured that out already. 

Best Actress in a Supporting Role 
Cate Blanchette - The Aviator 
Laura Linney - Kinsey 
Virginia Madsen - Sideways 
Sophie Okonedo - Hotel Rwanda 
Natalie Portman - Closer 

Although I admittedly did not see the movie, I have heard nothing but good things about the performance of Cate Blanchette, and she seems to be the general consensus to win in this category. Besides Natalie Portman, she is the only recognizable name on the ballot, and apparently, she lifted The Aviator with her performance alone. 

Tomorrow night, make sure to tune in for at least part of the telecast, because the awards are a lot of fun to watch. Even if you haven't seen any of the nominees it will at least provide a good excuse to watch television with the family and laugh at all of the celebrities making fools of themselves. Enjoy!

A World Situation

2005-02-24T19:51:00.000-05:00



Right now, for whatever the reason, the political climate in the world is streched thinly and taut with tension. It seems that many worldviews are coming together and climaxing at a point about the issue of how the world should be run. These views have been prevalent in America, being exhibited in the doctrines of conservatism and liberalism. However, to confine this argument to America is single-minded and dangerous. There are ideologies covering all bases, from Islamic Fundamentalism that seemingly threatens the well being of the world all the way to the argument (based in Socialism) that the world need perfect equality of both wealth and power. It is also not uncommon to hear people, as world citizens, confine the danger that presents itself to the world as being "the terrorists in the Middle East" or to "the global American military machine". These narrow-minded views threaten the advent of reason that seems to be so sparse in today's society. We are a planet ruled by ideology of all types, and this ideology is the basis of the conflict that seems to constantly threaten the world.

When the thought of any task that profoundly effects the way the world will be governed first presents itself, it sounds like a simple task. Every ideology has its own take on what keeps the world from ever reaching this point, and sadly, none of them are correct. What lies at the core of ideology itself is a deep-seated hatred of differences. If a person is an ideologue, there is no possible way that they can rationally approach a situation without trying to manipulate its facts and statistics to suit their own purposes. This is not what any reasonable person would deem a constructive attempt to make the world a better place. Accepting beliefs without challenging them is a crime that ignores the basic principle that nothing is simple. In world politics, everything is complex, even to the point of mass confusion. This is why people return to ideology, because it acts as a safety net for their beliefs. People would rather feel comfortable with errant opinions than be faced with the discomfort of being unsure.

There are several steps that I believe the world must take towards improving our situation. First, let me make it known that I do not believe that it is possible for a world without conflict to exist. It is a morbid thought, but a reality that we are faced with constantly. However, I do believe that we can improve the situation as it stands right now. The answer is not redistributing the wealth and power, because it a basic economic principle that there is simply not enough wealth to go around. It would be nice to think that the world could exist as a utopia of riches and glory, but realistically, it can't happen. The system of wealth and power that defines who we are is inherently unbalanced, because there can be no wealth without the poor and there can be no power without the weak. The idea that a simple redistribution of the world's resources can act as a magical cure-all is foolish and thoughtless, like many other one-minded plans. I believe that the solution to the problems that we face as a global community right now is to attempt to bring freedom to the darkest corners of the world, where freedom of speech is only a dream, to be whispered in the dead of night. It sounds like a cliche, but it is the innate nature of the human being to desire this precious commodity. And this is not a resource that will dry up. The world can exist such a state that all people are free. There is no balance that must be maintained, unlike the potential "pacifiers" of equal wealth and power. Amazingly, there are forces at work in this global struggle that oppose freedom, and they take shape in many forms. From Kim Jong-Il of North Korea, to the recently deposed Saddam Hussein of Iraq, to the Saudi royal family, to the many despotic and tyrannical machines that span the planet, these regimes are having a devastating effect on the quest for freedom in the world. They manipulate their people's freedom of information, spewing anti-peace hatred that is the root cause of Islamic Fundamentalism and other dangerous ideologies. They abuse and torture their people with fear and restriction. This is not a free world society if these maniacs are allowed to run free, and no person who honestly desires peace can allow these tyrants to fester in their glorious palaces and sit on their golden thrones. By diplomacy (which has unfortunately rarely worked with people of this nature) or by force, these maniacal madmen need to be removed, so that the quest for freedom and peace can continue unimpeded.

Movie Review: Million Dollar Baby

2005-02-22T20:59:00.000-05:00



Warning: This review contains spoilers about the last act of the movie in paragraph two.

 The Review
It is rare in my movie watching experience for a movie to profoundly effect you. A truly great movie does just that, making it necessary for the viewer to engage in a recovery period before feeling the sunlight of the real world again. Very few comedies do this, and most action and drama films fail in this department as well. The lack of extreme emotion that populates the cinemas today is not necessarily a bad thing, because it makes the feeling so much sweeter when a movie like Million Dollar Baby comes along, providing a feast for the senses and a drain for the emotions. This movie is a far cry from the prototypical feel-good sports movie. The issues presented here are very engaging and relatable, making for one of the most fufilling movie experiences that I have ever come across.

The core of Million Dollar Baby is the growth of Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank) as a person and the intermingling of her life with her trainer's (Clint Eastwood). The first segment of the movie is consumed with the backstories of the two main characters, with the viewer on the outside looking in on the budding of a boxing superstar. Maggie mows down her opponents at a frighteningly rapid rate, going for the first-round knockout almost every time. No matter who she fights, be it the British female boxing champion or the innumerable scrubs that she demolishes along the way, the fights never last long in Maggie's world. Finally, she faces the American champion, and as the result of a cheap shot (one of the most painful 60 seconds I have ever endured in a movie theater) she breaks her neck, and watches her hard-earned career collapse around her. Standing on its own, this world be an above-average tragedy with little Oscar potential. However, in the last segment of the film, the emotions dance around your heart until you are left gasping for breath. Eastwood's character must make the decision of whether or not to kill Maggie at her own behest. The moral complications feel very genuine for the viewer and until the moment of judgment, it isn't clear what the outcome will be.

Everything about Million Dollar Baby screams "Oscar potential". This is the type of movie that the Academy likes to head the awards on top of. Not only is the acting outstanding (there's a reason that the three main characters, Swank, Eastwood, and Morgan Freeman were recognized with nominations in their respective categories for their performances), but the cinematography and plot design fit the bill perfectly. With the side-plots of a "wannabe" boxer hanging around the gym, Maggie's shameful past, and Frankie's (Eastwood) repentance for his sins against his daughter, the pace of the movie always feels perfect. These smaller stories are woven so finely into the fabric of the film that it feels natural.

Closing Comments
Million Dollar Baby is a truly amazing film, that takes you by the hand and doesn't let go until several hours after the end credits roll. The performances by the leads are fantastic, bordering on legendary, and the plot is emotionally wrenching and suprisingly thought-provoking. We feel every hit that these characters take along the way, and the result will leave you winded as you throw away your empty popcorn bags and soda cups while leaving the theater. Best wishes to everyone involved for their luck on Sunday night at the Oscars. This film is truly worthy, and I hope that the Academy recognizes this.

 Score
9.6 out of 10 (Highly Recommended)

Davos, Switzerland

2005-02-21T17:15:00.000-05:00

 
For almost my entire life, I have had a single home away from home. Every year, without fail, my family has frequented the small town in the Swiss Alps called Davos. Obviously, if something factors so largely into your life, it becomes a source of immense sentimental value. Most likely, because I am going away to college after this year, this will be my last yearly visit. The prospect of pulling out of the garage of our apartment building for the last in this wonderful town is hard for me to imagine, which leads me to question how I'll handle it when the time comes. However, I still have this year. One year left to say goodbye. 
 
Davos is a town in between two sets of mountains. Traditionally, you would say that it resides in a valley. On both sides, there are ski resorts (Jakobshorn and Parsenn) and outside of the town, in both directions, you can reach other mountains without much trouble (Pischa and Rinerhorn). My extensive skiing experience began on the mountains, and I know most of them (especially Jakobshorn) like the back of my hand. The town itself is an extremely diverse collage of hotels, traditional Swiss coffee shops, bread stores, toy stores, and general interest stores. In fact, I have rarely seen a town that is such a perfect combination of a tourist town and a quintessential place to live. Unlike resorts like Whistler, Vail, and Alta, the area carries great interest for those who don't ski. The atmosphere in town is amazing, and can only be understood by those who have visited. An interesting notes is that a major meeting of the leaders of the economic world is held in this small town every year. The same building that houses this conference also hosts groups of doctors, businessmen, and other major positions in American society. 
 
It may seem odd that I picked a small town in Switzerland to write about, and it was probably both boring and alienating to read if you have never visited the town. However, because this blog exists both for your enjoyment, and my vehicle to vent my emotions and thoughts, I chose the latter today. If you have had the fortune of visiting this town, this will be an unexpected treat to read, and if you have not, book your tickets. This place holds more value for me than any other place in the world, and I suppose that this is my tribute to it, because it won't be long until i leave it.

Formula One 2005

2005-02-19T15:26:00.000-05:00

 
 
Although the sport is overshadowed in the world of car racing in the United States by NASCAR, Europe is kicking itself into high gear in preparation for the debut of the 2005 Formula One season. When the cars roll off on March 6th in Melbourne, a 19-race, 7-month season will begin that will capture the hearts and spark the imaginations of millions of fans worldwide. The sport has been dominated by Michael Schumacher of Ferrari for five years running. Schumacher has totaled seven World Championships in his illustrious career, which easily places him as the most successful driver to ever race. However, 2005 is a new year, and other teams are out for blood after being humiliated in 2004 by the greatest single season by any racer and team ever recorded. 
 
Formula One is raced much like all other car races. The basic idea is that you try to be the first driver over the finish line. However, these races take a considerable amount more talent than the repeated oval-driving that NASCAR and Indy use. This is the pinnacle of racing, and only the best car drivers in the world get a shot on this stage, let alone succeed. The average speeds are around 215 km/h for the top drivers, and a race typically lasts around an hour and a half. The courses are laid out so that it is impossible to go all out for the entire lap. Braking and shifting are integral to the success of the racers, and in many cases, their lives depend on their skill. These races are won and lost in the turns, and the most adrenaline-filled passes occur within the curves of the road as well. Typically, each driver must make 2-3 pit stops over the course of a race, and their timing and placement are a major part of the drivers' "game plan" as well. If you plan poorly, and allow the opponents to have one less stop than you, it can cost the team the race. If you are uninitiated into the world of Formula One, all you have to do is watch the qualifying session (which determines the placement of the drivers for the race on the following day) and race on March 5th and 6th on Speed (a cable channel). 
 
The changes that have occurred over this short 4-5 month offseason have left Formula One as a shell of last years version. Ferrari has remained the same, opting not to tinker with the winning formula that has brought them so much success over the past five years. Despite many fans' desires, Rubens Barichello has been retained as the second driver behind Schumacher. He has come under constant fire since joining the team, with many fans wanting Ferrari to begin grooming a driver to take the wheel after their star racer leaves. BAR (British American Racing) has also decided against changing their formula, keeping drivers Takuma Sato (known for his kamikaze-style racing) and Jenson Button (a young gun who started to live up to his massive potential just last year). Renault has kept their young prodigy in Fernando Alonso (many consider him the heir to Schumacher's throne) but have brought in a new second driver with Giancarlo Fisichella, who was previously racing with Sauber. Williams has seen the most change, after a very disappointing 2004 campaign. They were slated to contend for the title, but fell to 4th out of 10 in the Constructor's Championship. This year, they have obtained two fresh drivers in Mark Webber (a rising star who was stuck on bad teams in the past) and Nick Heidfeld (a solid veteran who has never realized his expectations). McLaren is the fifth team of ten this year, and in addition to keeping star driver Kimi Raikonnen, they have signed Juan Pablo Montoya, the popular Columbian who was formerly a member of Williams. 
 
After the first five, the teams are Sauber (who have brought Jacques Villeneuve, a former champion, back into racing), Jordan, Toyota, Minardi (a running joke in the F1 world), and the brand new Red Bull team. Red Bull is starring David Coulthard, formerly for McLaren, and Toyota has landed Michael Schumacher's brother, Ralf (a driver who has talent, but has always been overshadowed by his older brother). The obvious favorites for the 2005 season are Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barichello, driving for Ferrari, and my prediction is that Schumacher will win his sixth title in a row, and then retire. However, teams like BAR and Renault, both of which emerged as contenders last year, have a shot as well. They have much more room to improve, and I expect them to close the gap considerably. If any single driver can challenge Schumacher, it will be Alonso. The year will be entertaining as it unfolds, and I look foreword to a year of truly good racing, instead of the flurry of Ferrari red that we saw cross the finish line time and time again last year. 
 
 Learn more about Formula One and prepare for the 2005 season: F1-Live

New Chapter

2005-02-18T18:40:00.000-05:00

On my other blog, Stories of Dreams, I have just published the second chapter of my mystery thriller At 35,000 feet. This will be the last time that I publish new chapter announcements on Opinions About Everything, so from now on, it would be appreciated if you would habitually check to see if there are new chapter through this site, on the sidebar, or through a bookmark. Thank you, and enjoy!

Casino Royale

2005-02-18T17:07:00.000-05:00

 

After a lengthy wait, the 21st James Bond movie has been announced. Casino Royale, the first of the Bond books written by Ian Fleming, is finally slated to be released as a movie. It was the only Fleming piece that was purely preserved in its written form. Now, however, it is set to be the opening act in the next James Bond era. An actor to play the role has still not been announced, but strong indications are pointing towards Clive Owen, the Golden Globe winner for Closer, as playing the British superspy. Director Martin Campbell, who crafted the last great Bond movie, Goldeneye, will be back behind the camera for one last stand. 

Casino Royale, if it is faithfully adapted, will be a landmark move in the right direction for the Bond series. The story is a simple tale of 007's first major assignment, that features little room for the CGI special effects and poor writing that was the staple of Die Another Day, which was without a doubt the worst Bond film ever made. Bordering on self-mockery at every turn, the formerly prestigious film franchise plummeted into the dark depths of superhero-like and unrealistic action coupled with ultra-cheesy one-liners and a barren wasteland in the place of character development. On the other hand, Casino Royale is a story that depends on dialogue and characterization to survive. It is an emotional tale, and unless the writers decide to completely disregard the novel as source material, this movie will be a step back to the gritty, realistic thrillers that have been absent since the days of From Russia With Love and The Spy Who Loved Me. 

Shallow fans of the Bond series will be disappointed because of the step backwards in time. However, fans of the original Fleming books will be thrilled at this news. With the return of Martin Campbell, and the inclusion of this truly great James Bond story into the film franchise, there is little doubt in my mind that this movie will be a move backwards into the good old days of James Bond. Ideally, I would like to see the producers abandon all special effects for the film, although that will not happen. In fact, I expect the writers of Casino Royale to take serious liberties with the inclusion of 'M' and 'Q' into the movie, because they were minor or nonexistent players in the original text, and Judi Dench and John Cleese are both slated to return. It will not be a carbon copy, but the source material will force the writers to leave Die Another Day in the dust and start anew.

The Gates

2005-02-16T21:10:00.000-05:00

 

Today, with my senior class, I had the unpleasant misfortune of witnessing the biggest waste of money, time, space, and fabric that I have encountered in my 17 years on this planet. My class journeyed into Central Park, in New York City, where we encountered the towering saffron menace (that is trying to be passed off as art) that has captivated out-of-touch newspapers and journalists around the country, and had placed a firm grip on the American psyche. I can tolerate modern art, and I am actually a big fan of most classical art. However, a collection of big orange goalposts draped in cheap shower curtains does not, in any context, hold its own with the Pieta. 

Art is defined, to me, as an imaginative creation that is difficult both to conceive and form. Art also rarely demonstrates and practical qualities, because for the most part, it is created for purely aesthetic reasons. Truly great art, however, stands in a class of its own. It must demonstrate a genius that is barely even conceivable to a normal human being. The David and The Sistine Chapel, both by Michelangelo, demonstrate these qualities. The Mona Lisa, by Leonardo da Vinci, demonstrates these qualities. Starry Night, painted by Vincent van Gogh, demonstrates these qualities. However, The Gates, conceived by a couple of aging hippies who have been preoccupied with this preposterous excuse for art, does not quite meet the standards. 

If any reader of this blog finds a way to consider these orange structures as art, please leave a comment and "enlighten" me, because I'm terribly afraid that I don't see the reasoning. Art must be individual and unique, but in the case of the Gates' design, I am willing to bet my life that hundreds of New York City preschoolers have imagined similar structures over the years. After all, these must be a reason that the idea for the Gates was voted down by the city council around 30 times, give or take a few. I figure that the stuffy elected officials must have gotten sick of the presentation, and just decided to give the creators their 16 days of glory. The final problem that I have with The Gates is that is cost a whopping $25,000,000 dollars to create, from start to finish. Surely there is a better use for this money than a collection of garbage that has been spray painted orange (sorry, it's saffron). Why couldn't the "artists" contribute the money to AIDS research? Or maybe donate it to Tsunami Relief? Or maybe dish it off to a charity, which could use it to feed hundreds of millions of starving little mouths? But no. We had to use $25 million for a worthless, flash-in-the-pan series of orange structures spanning 23 miles that will solve nothing and be gone and forgotten before you realize it.

A Google Approach to Mail

2005-02-14T17:48:00.000-05:00



For me, E-mail was always a source of frustration. There never seemed to be a service that fit my needs, and when there was, I got excessively bogged down with unnecessary spam. For years, I have hopped from mail service to mail service (including Hotmail, Earthlink, Yahoo, AOL, and Patmedia), searching for my "soulmate". However, over Christmas break of 2004 I discovered a post in a forum I was browsing. It was advertising Gmail. Naturally, I initially dismissed it as spam, but eventually, out of curiosity, I clicked on it. After reading the endless posts stacked on top of one another raving about the service, I decided to give it a try. Now, 2 months later, I can say without reservation that I have no regrets about my decision. Gmail (by Google) is without a doubt the best E-mail service that I have ever encountered.

The first of its many outstanding qualities is that it allows each user to occupy one gigabyte (1000 MB) of space on their servers. For the uninitiated, this number is remarkable, because in comparison, the free services offered by Yahoo and Hotmail offering 250 MB each. To clarify, Google allows for four times the server space of the other popular services. But size is not everything. Whereas the online mail services of both Yahoo and Hotmail have slightly subpar services for in-browser mail, and most local services like Earthlink and Patmedia scrape by with the bare minimum, Gmail features an "Outlook Express" style inbox and outbox within the browser itself. The service is truly extraordinary because the way that you send and receive email doesn't change no matter where you go. Now, most people enjoy services like Incredimail and Outlook Express because of the small notifier that appears in the taskbar of your computer whenever you have mail. Gmail has that covered as well. Google generously makes available the "Gmail Notifier" which sits in your taskbar (for Windows) and lights up whenever you have mail.

Many people have complained that as a part of the Gmail Beta service, they are permitted to scan the contents of your email and send you spam based on keywords (like "Sports" or "Books") that appear in the emails. However, in my two months using the service, I have not encountered one single piece of spam in my inbox. The spam filtering system is superb. However, this is one legitimate complaint with the Gmail service. It is based on invitations only, because it is a Beta service that is still in testing. The invites are randomly distributed to members, and they can invite who they please to join the service. If you like what you have read in this article, I am willing to distribute 25 invitations to those who email me requesting them. These invitations are precious so please make the decision to completely switch over to Gmail when you ask for one. To ask for an invite, email me at opinionsae@yahoo.com (my blog e-mail address), and make sure to include your email address in the body of the E-mail. Thank you, and enjoy.

Book Review: The God of Small Things

2005-02-13T15:07:00.000-05:00



The Review
Arundhati Roy is a young Indian writer who produced one of the most strikingly and wildly imaginative books that I have ever read. The God of Small Things is nothing short of astounding in its narrative power and descriptive detail. I was forced to read this book for my AP English class, but for once, a book that we read in school was not boring and sleep-inducing. This novel is a triumph, the likes of which I have never encountered in books before.

The story follows a small family who lives in Ayemenem, India. From the very first pages of the book, we know that something terrible happened to this family. Over the course of the novel, the events preceding "the Terror" and the consequences of that fateful day are all explained in great detail, but we never know the true events until the final pages of the book. This makes for compelling reading, and although the confusion level of the reader may be very high as the first few chapters unfold, you are swept off on an enchanting and terrifying ride that accelerates as you move farther on. This was one of the few books that I have ever read that started off in so confusing a manner and ended with such clarity and understanding.

However, a story does not make a book. It is a key element, but without the descriptive powers and general writing story of Roy, this book would be mediocre at best. First of all, the technique of not revealing the true events until the two coinciding stories merge at the end (much like the movie Memento) is genius. We understand what is happening, but we are unable to understand why. Second, Roy uses a device that I have personally never seen before. She makes the world around the characters alive, focusing on both very general perspectives and subsequently focusing on very small things, often in the same sentence or passage. This device is unnoticable unless you look for it, but while you are reading the novel, it makes the story feel real. In so many novels, the sole focus is what is going on in the lives of the characters. However, the setting and atmosphere is brought foreword by Roy, which makes for very compelling reading.

Closing Comments
Arundhati Roy has decided to not write any more novels for the time being, instead pursuing a path of political activism. This is a good and a bad thing. It is bad because I desperately want to read more, but there is no way that she could possibly follow this with an effort of equal quality. This book is a remarkable achievement, but it takes time to get into. If you decide to read this book, force yourself to read the whole thing, because it is impossible to appreciate the true genius of Roy's writing unless you can see it as a full work.

Score
9.9 out of 10

Religion and Evolution

2005-02-10T21:28:00.000-05:00



There has been much controversy lately surrounding the theory of evolution. A recent study found that 50% of Americans believed that Creationism was a more likely scenario than evolution in the development of man into the world. Now, placing my religious beliefs aside for a moment, I can see no fathomable way that a reasonably-minded person could come to this conclusion.    

The very concept of Creationism stems from the church's tendency to interpret the bible in a literal manner. I respect the beliefs of those that view the world in this fashion, but I am compelled to disagree with them. Even from a very young age, I have interpreted the writings of holy scriptures such as the Bible, the Torah, and the Koran to be an interpretation of events according to the beliefs of the people who wrote these books. The fact is that the Bible was written by people, just like you and I, albeit in a bygone era. The main component in the old testament was these authors merely trying to explain the history of the world through stories that they could understand. However, when the people of today view these stories as actual accounts of what happened, it leads to the belief that evolution never occurred.    

My view of this whole situation would be very different if there existed no evidence to support the theory of evolution. However, the fossils that we have excavated that trace every stage of human development throughout history are incontrovertible evidence in its most powerful form. There is no doubt in my mind that we evolved from apes. To believe otherwise is, with all due respect to those who do so, a refusal to think in a reasonable manner. It is a stubborn belief that is unfortunately propagated by the church, directed at the devout Christians of the United States and the world. The number of Christians in this country hovers around 77% of our population. With 50% of the total American population believing in the theory of Creationism, it is blatantly apparent the effect that the church's literal interpretation of the bible is having on the populace. To have that many people (140-150 million) believing that we were placed on earth by God (completely bypassing every scientific discovery ever made about our past and rendering the dinosaurs and all of our ancestors obsolete) is a frightening thought. Think about it. Half of the people in this country refuse to acknowledge reason when it is so obviously thrust before them. 

It is my hope that this situation will change. The fight between Creationism and evolution didn't end with the Scopes Monkey Trial, as many people believe. There are lawsuits being filed even today that advocate the inclusion of the story of Creationism into the history textbooks of our schools. The textbook publishers are being instructed to give equal time to a false story contained in religious scripture as they would a very plausible scientific theory. This subject (Creationism) is fodder for discussion in religion classes, not for history. History classes should be centered around what actually happened before we came. In my mind, this is equally as ludicrous as the ideas that Christmas references should be banned in public schools, and the word "slave" should removed from all schoolbooks because it might offend African-Americans. If the American people would just learn to sit back and view the world in a rational manner, many of our problems would be solved. We should be focusing on the truth, not a story that people want to believe in.

Thank You, Blogger...

2005-02-09T22:31:00.000-05:00





After about one and a half months, I feel the need to thank Blogger, the service which allows me to express myself on my two blogs. I had never run a successful website before this, and now, I have this blog (with a good following), and my budding blog of fiction. The ability to express ourselves is one of our most sacred and vital as citizens of the United States, but many of the people have no real voice, except to those close to them. This service has allowed me to express my opinions in a way that I had never thought of before. My passion for many things in life, coupled with my desire to write, have facilitated the development of this forum.    



As a blogger, I would first of all like to extend my thanks to both the service and to you, the readers. Seeing comments, votes in polls, and updates in the hidden hit counter are what motivate me to write on days that I would otherwise probably skip. My greatest fear in running this web log is the loss of my readers. That being said, I would like to encourage all of you to start your own blog is you feel inclined to at all. I started Opinions About Everything on a whim, and it has transformed into not only a forum to express myself, but a constant factor of my day that has become, believe it or not, something to look foreword to. The community of bloggers online is fantastic (forums like BloggerTalk are made specifically for catering to the needs of bloggers). You can find advice and tips for the betterment of you blog, as well as a great starting place for introducing your blog into circulation, and perhaps gaining a few readers. Another tool for circulating you blog is to enter it into as many blog databases as possible. Mine are listed on the right toolbar of the site, and I have found that in the first months of my blog's existence, they have been the most useful tool for gaining regular readers. But before all of this, you must first create a blog. My personal recommendation for the service to use to get started is Blogger. The features are better than any other service on the market and you can create as man blogs as you want for no charge at all.    



So once again, thank you, Blogger for allowing me to create these wonderful forums of expression. The numbers of blogs are increasing greatly by the day, and the detail and quality of coverage of subjects from politics to personal lives is astounding. It is for this reason that Bloggers were named the people of the year by ABC News in 2004. That's right, for no charge at all, you can become a "person of the year". My encouragement and recommendation could not be stronger. Start a blog, and just wait to see where it takes you.

Stories of Dreams

2005-02-08T23:33:00.000-05:00

I'm sure that many of you remember me mentioning Stories of Dreams in my last announcement. It's the new blog, published by me, that deals with my fictional writing endeavors. I promised that I would update you here if I updated Stories of Dreams, and here it is. I have started a long story (many chapters) about a murder in an airplane flying from Hong Kong to L.A. The first chapter is up right now, and for the second chapter, I can't set a release date. I will make an announcement here for the next chapter, but please bookmark Stories of Dreams right now, because I wont keep telling you about new chapters here on OAE. Thanks and enjoy!

Stories of Dreams

CD Review: Lost and Gone Forever

2005-02-08T17:47:00.000-05:00

 



The Review 

With very poor "music" playing on the airwaves of mainstream radio right now (featuring the likes of Britney Spears, Hillary Duff, and 50 Cent), I have taken great pleasure in digging up some truly good music. No matter how hard you have to look, I guarantee that its out there. For me, I have discovered the joys of bands like Jimmy Eat World and Something Corporate, but those bands simply appeal to my music tastes. Another band that has recently come to light for me was Guster, a soft rock-style band with a very relaxing feel and the ability to lull you into a stupor. 



Guster started off as a small band based in Boston and founded in 1991 by three students at Tufts University. For their first two albums, Parachute and Goldfly, they were local figures in the music industry, but had achieved no nationwide status. However, with their 1999 effort, Lost and Gone Forever, they were shoved onto the map as a band of some slight popularity. Now its 2005, and they have already released their fourth album, Keep It Together, but I would like to return to the past, and discuss Lost and Gone Forever, an underappreciated masterpiece which is truly worthy of great fame and fortune, but has mysteriously never achieved it. 



Guster produces a sound that is best described as the soundtrack to a summer day. The lyrics and vocals are sweet and melodious, and the background instruments are never overwhelming or even dominant. They are a band that clearly enjoys making music, and also clearly enjoys relaxing, because that is what listening to this album prompts you to do. There is really no change in the "feel" of the music as the album wears on, which indicates to me that they are more concerned than most of their contemporaries with producing an album, not just a collection of singles with a lot of filler. This harmonious and continuous feeling of the music makes them a real joy to listen to, with every song also able to stand on its own. This album is a masterpiece, but it takes an effort to realize that. You must be willing to listen to the songs repeatedly, because although they are instantly appealing, they also display a depth and versatility that can only be appreciated after several listens. 



Closing Comments 

Guster, like many very good musicians, deserves more than they get. They seem to be hiding in the shadows, waiting to bloom. If the world was a perfect place, they would be rich and famous and producing a record-per year. However, it has not happened. It is a crime when a truly great album like Lost and Gone Forever gets passed over for the synthesized vocals of groups like Maroon 5, but that's the way the industry is. Sometime in the future, these guys are going to catch a wave and ride it straight to stardom, and I know that I'll be proud to say that I was a fan of this incredible and truly unique band before the hit singles. 



Scores 

1. What You Wish For - The epitome of an opening track, does a great job of introducing the style of music - 8/10 

2. Barrel of a Gun - Its ridiculous how catchy this song is.  Will stick in your head whether you like it or not - 9/10 

3. Either Way - Very, very relaxing.  May cause instant drowsiness (in the best possible way) - 7/10 

4. Fa Fa - Very unique tune which is almost as catchy as Barrel of a Gun - 7/10 

5. I Spy - A slightly more upbeat track (for Guster).  Excellent beat and lyrics. - 9/10 

6. Center of Attention - A very fun song, which is great to sing in the car.  Keeps getting better - 8/10 

7. All The Way Up to Heaven - A slightly strange song.  Weakest on the album by far - 5/10 

8. Happier - Very good track, but average for the album.  Feels very generic - 7/10 

9. So Long - Easily the best song on the album and one of the best I've ever heard - 10/10 

10. Two Points for Honesty - Love this song too.  Great buildup to the chorus.  Beautiful lyrics. - 9/10 

11. Rainy Day - Sounds almost like a lullaby.  Not the best on the album, but a good closer. - 7/10 



Overall: 9.4 out of 10

Defying Gravity

2005-02-07T20:46:00.000-05:00



The Review

Although I was originally going to post a review of the Super Bowl, a combination of my disgust with both the ads and the game and my delight at seeing the best Broadway musical in years has forced me to put off my review of the game, perhaps forever. The delight which I experienced in the theatres of Broadway was Wicked, the tale of how the Wicked Witch of the West (from The Wizard of Oz) came to be. It has been a long time since I have been this thrilled by a show, and I know now that I missed the feeling greatly.



The production that I witnessed was nothing short of remarkable. Almost perfect in every way, the audience cheered and the auditorium pulsed in a way that I have not felt before. First was the set design. From the moment that you walk into the theatre, the set is open in front of you, with a large map of Oz in the center. The intricacy of the set was amazing, and it helped a great deal to set the atmosphere for every scene. On top of that, the production quality was first-rate wherever you looked and the acting was superb. The two leads, who played Glinda and Elphaba, were nothing short of spectacular. Although the writing and the production enhanced the quality of the show, the performance and chemistry of these two actresses was unsurpassed in my previous experience of Broadway. I simply can't say enough to express how good these young women were in these challenging roles.



As if all of this was not enough, I have still not reached the best part of the whole production. The music was absolutely stunning, sweeping you off on a magic-carpet ride that tapped into every emotion capable of man, and not releasing its death-grip until the actors and actresses took their final bows. Between the powerful "The Wizard And I", the soaring and spellbinding "Defying Gravity", the snappy and sassy "Popular", the heartbreaking "For Good", and the soft and gentle "As Long As You're Mine", the show never stops cranking out inspiring and monumentally fantastic pieces of music. I have never been so shocked in my life as the curtain came down both at intermission (after Defying Gravity, which is the best song in the show, in my opinion) and at the end. As we walked out of the theatre and got the car, I couldn't stop singing the songs. Now, 24 hours later, I'm still at it, humming away.



There is nothing more that I can do but recommend this show. If you have the chance, see it on Broadway, because the leads are truly amazing. I have never been this ecstatic in my life over any production of entertainment, and that is saying something. This show has left an indelible (Phantom-like) imprint on my mind, one that will not be erased for a very long time, if ever.  This show truly defies gravity, soaring past expectations into a place rarely reached by Broadway.



Score: 9.8 out of 10

Super Bowl Preview

2005-02-06T07:51:00.000-05:00





The wait for anxious football fans spanning the globe is finally over. On Sunday, the Super Bowl will be played in Jacksonville, Florida, featuring a contest between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles. The game will be hard-fought, and the teams will no doubt be ready, come 6:30. This is my preview of the game, complete with a position-by-position breakdown of the two teams.



When the Patriots have the ball:

This game will be the last hurrah for Charlie Weis, the Patriots offensive coordinator, who will soon be departing for Notre Dame, to fill their vacant head coaching job. The strongest factor on the Patriots has always been the coaching, and the game plan that will be put together to run against the Eagles will be exemplary of that genius. The Patriots have no outstanding talent on offense (at least none that we know of other than Tom Brady) because no player is valued more than another. They are an offensive unit, and players cannot be selfish or arrogant. And as much as I hate to admit it, Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the NFL for a big game. He is unflappable, and although he may not put up outstanding numbers in the Super Bowl, he will undoubtedly get the job done in exactly the way he is asked. Expect the Patriots to execute a fantastic gameplan, not always to perfection, but they will do just enough.



As for the Eagles defensive side of the ball, this has been the unit that has carried them this far. With studs like Brian Dawkins and Jeramiah Trotter headlining the defense, there is little doubt in my mind that they will present as a formidable opponent to the Patriots offense. This is a great defense, and I expect to see them play in that manner. The contest between the Patriots offense and the Eagles defense will be fun to watch for every down that they play. This is football at its finest, and the competition will be even.



When the Eagles have the ball:

The Eagles offense is a good unit, and like the Patriots, it is boosted by the strong coaching of offensive coordinator Brad Childress. Donovan McNabb is a very good quarterback, although I have always felt that he has been a tad bit overrated. He certainly has the physical tools, and he has admittedly made a great deal of progress recently, there has just never been the big-game potential from him that I see in many other NFL quarterbacks. As for Terrell Owens, this man has a bigger appetite for media attention than the rest of his team combined, and it has hurt them. His comments about being "cleared to play by God" earlier this week were simply absurd, and the coaching staff of the Eagles would be well-advised to rein him in. If he plays, he will be a nonfactor, which is a relief.



The Patriots defense is simply superb. With defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel most likely leaving to coach the Browns after the conclusion of the season, this is also his last hurrah. It it a very rare occasion that the Patriots defense does not win a matchup, and I quite frankly don't see the Super Bowl being much different. Like the offense, the Patriots defense is a team, not a group of prima donna superstars. Although there are standouts, such as Teddy Bruschi, the unit as a whole is valued much more than the individual, and in my eyes, the contest won;t even be close. The Patriots defense will walk all over the Eagles offense, which is a sad but satisfying thing to see happen in a Super Bowl.



Closing Comments:

This game will not be a blowout, which is certainly a relief. The Patriots Offense and the Eagles defense are well matched, so Tom Brady will not be asked to do too much until the final quarter (if the Patriots are losing). If the Patriots want to break through on offense, it has to be on the ground, using Kevin Faulk and Corey Dillon. On the other side of the ball, look for the Patriots defense to dominate the Eagles offense, This will be a game of coaching, and although Andy Reid and his staff are vary good, they have trouble matching the Patriots, led by Bill Belicheck.



Positional Breakdown:

Patriots Run Offense vs. Eagles Run Defense: Advantage Eagles

Patriots Pass Offense vs. Eagles Pass Defense: Even

Eagles Run Offense vs. Patriots Run Defense: Advantage Patriots

Eagles Pass Offense vs. Patriots Pass Defense: Advantage Patriots

Special Teams: Even

Coaching: Advantage Patriots



Predictions:

New England Patriots - 24

Philadelphia Eagles - 17



MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots

The Beatles in Reflection

2005-02-03T15:10:00.000-05:00





Over the years, the world has seen more music phenomenon than most people know. From one-hit wonders to legends, the minds of music lovers everywhere are littered with the broken records and platinum albums of old. The argument can be made that artists like the Rolling Stones were the best to ever step into a recording studio, but the people who would make the argument are few and far between. On the basis of pure musical talent related to mainstream appeal, The Beatles are the obvious choice for the greatest band of all time. Although they were well before my time, I immersed myself in their music over the summer and was nothing short of shocked at what I found waiting for me inside.



All those years ago, when the Fab Four stepped onto the stage of the Ed Sullivan Show, and smitten young women literally fainted in the audience, they were popular the equivalent of the Backstreet Boys and other such "boy bands" of the modern era. However, the Beatles were not content with their superficial early hits such as "Love Me Do" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand". Although these are among the most well-known Beatles recordings, they are also some of the worst. The Beatles matured along with their music. They arrived in America as starry-eyed and innocent pretty boys from London, but emerged from their personal and musical journey almost unrecognizable. The fully accepted the counterculture movement in the time period, and became icons for American teenagers everywhere.



The factor that allows the Beatles to separate themselves from the other bands of history is their remarkable versatility and propensity for experimentation. Their album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band was a psychedelic drug trip through the minds of these men, while the album Revolver was a much more rock-oriented experience (and generally considered by many, myself included, to be the Beatles' finest). For the eight years that they actively recorded music, the style never grew repetitive or boring, and by the time that Abbey Road emerged, The Beatles has put themselves through a complete overhaul of their image, multiple times. It is my belief that if you would have had the 1962 Beatles listen to their 1970 masterpiece Abbey Road, they would not have recognized themselves. Comparing hard-rocking and powerful songs like "Come Together" to immature and typical pop types of songs such as "We Can Work It Out" and without being told, there is no way of guessing that its the same band.



Finally, the fact that simply boggles my mind is that no matter where you look in the work of The Beatles, you find nothing but high-quality masterpieces with every recording. On my iPod, I have a "Beatles Best" playlist, and it has close to 30 songs on it, none of which sound the same. In a time span of eight years, for a band to produce so much music of ridiculously high quality is remarkable, and this is why they are head and shoulders above any challenger that might be brought before them. Just imagine what could have been if they would have kept going.

Announcement: New Blog!

2005-02-02T19:39:00.000-05:00

I have decided to create a blog of fiction and stories that I write! For the first few times that I post a story, I will make an alert on this site considering the readers that I have here. Make note that because of the more creative nature of the new blog, the posts will be much less frequent than they are here, and Opinions About Everything will still be my top priority. The first story, called The Walk, is now up and coincides with the political theme tonight. Thank you, and enjoy!

Stories of Dreams

The State of the Union

2005-02-02T18:36:00.000-05:00

 

 

Tonight, President Bush gives his version of the State of the Union. The storied and tradition-filled speech has become a staple of the American year. Traditionally, the President speaks about his plan for America in the coming year, and that is especially relevant tonight, as we begin to see whether the President will follow up on the promises made during the campaign this year against John Kerry. It will be interesting to see what his take on the State of the Union actually is, but this article is here to tell you mine: 

 

As I argued during the campaign, there is no doubt that the economy has shown remarkable growth in the past year. The job numbers have soared (although the net gain for Bush's four-year term is nonexistent) and all indications are pointing towards a prosperous economic year in 2005. On other domestic issues, we can expect to see a lot of efforts towards an effective Social Security reform, a measure desperately needed at this point in time. On the foreign policy end of the process, Iraq is the focus right now. Suprisingly, the election on January 30th was a resounding success, and every day, the signs point more and more towards the removal of our troops from Iraq. Right now, the concerns of North Korea and Iran are dormant, but I foresee some disturbance from Iran in the near future, possibly prompting an invasion by the time Bush's second term is through. 

 

It will be interesting to see what will happen over the course of the next year in terms if the American people. This was an extremely polarizing election, and it is my hope that at least the centrist faction of the country's politics can join ranks once again. Like usual, the far left will never cease in its blind hatred of President Bush until he leaves office, and the far right is so devoted to him that he can do no wrong. But the moderates, where the bulk of America's people place themselves, but learn to open their minds to the waves of new political information that is coming out even as we speak. However, with the media spotlight diverted from politics, people have stopped informing themselves in the same way that they did before the election, causing the polarization of the American populace. Without the constant stream of information about the issues of the current day, the average American will close their mind to the possibility that the could be wrong. My hope is that the people will learn to evaluate politics fairly, without party and ideological bias. However, I know that my hopes are in vain, because people will always stick to their opinions like they are their children. 

 

Keep this in mind while you watch and reflect on the State of the Union. If you try to poke holes in the Presidents arguments while at the same time being willing to accept them if your gut tells you so, you will be better off than most Americans. A fair and well-informed evaluation of policy issues is something that we need a lot more of in this country, because most of the opinions that I see right now are based on nothing other than raw emotion and bias.

Radio Invented Again

2005-02-01T20:25:00.000-05:00





For a long time, ever since middle school, I have been a radio junkie. Whether it was turning on news and sports talk radio at night, or music while I was doing work, radio has always been a means of escape for me. Now, I realize that radio is not nearly as prominent in today's society as it has been in decades past. This is mainly due to the emergence of television and the internet as more hands-on and visually appealing of the media forums, and it is truly a shame. The virtues of listening to the radio are plentiful, but have been shoved to the shadows by new technology. Let's face it, there is no one that I know that enjoys not being able to pick up good reception, and listening to static while passing through tunnels, but there is new technology, satellite radio, that threatens to revive the golden days of radio and make listening to your news, rather than reading and watching it, more popular once again.



The most obvious advantage that is gained through satellite radio is the ability to receive the transmission with almost no interference. If you have a clear view of the southern sky (which is not as big of a requirement as many would have you believe), you're golden. Very rarely does the reception get interfered with by bad storms. And when the radio is playing, it is refreshing to hear these noises being emitted from the radio so crisply. Radio in the past has been consistently associated with static, but that all changes. By switching to satellite radio, you will never have to hear that annoying crackling noise again. And in this case, the absence of static leads to a silence that is truly deafening. The second major feature that sets satellite radio on a different plane than normal radio is the channel selection. Not only can you hear music for literally almost every type of music imaginable (mostly commercial-free), it is also possible to hear talk radio of all types and hear play-by-play accounts of live sports game. The talk radio is diversified, with all different perspectives and opinions being actively represented, and is not subject to local bias (especially in terms of sports). The channels draw on a national audience, which creates a diversity of opinion that is more valuable to the listening experience than imaginable until you actually try it.



Overall, I can do nothing other than recommend satellite radio to my readers. Whichever service (XM or Sirius) you get is ultimately trivial, with the channel listings being remarkably similar. The only real differences are that XM receives ply-by-ply announcements of college sports and Sirius receives several pro sports, most notably the NFL. Neither service charges extra for the addition of these "sports packs", which is notably different than satellite TV. Because I am an NFL fan, I recommend Sirius but again, it doesn't really matter as long as you get hold of one of the services. There is no possible way to be disappointed.

T-Minus 1 Week...

2005-01-30T15:47:00.000-05:00





And so here we are, with one week left in the wait for the biggest sporting event of the past six months. Sure, the Red Sox win was nice but the Super Bowl holds a special significance in the hearts and minds of the American people. It is our championship, with no other sport being so thoroughly American. Whether you watch it for the ads, for the game, or for the good times with your friends, you will probably be one of the 140 million people who will watch the game (approximately 44.2% of Americans watched last year). It has become an American tradition, and the basis for almost as many parties and get-togethers as New Years Eve. It's the Super Bowl.



My breakdown and prediction for the game should come next Saturday or Sunday, and on the day after, I will give my analysis of how the game went and what I thought of the advertisements. Perhaps I'm giving the game too much space on the blog, but it seems to warrant this much attention for no other reason than the percentage of American people who tune in. It's a staggering number, and it is expected to exceed 140 million this year.



The Super Bowl means many things to many different types of people. First you have the fans of the teams playing. The Patriot fans are for the most part, very loyal, although their task is made much easier by their recent success (in fact, the numbers of Patriot fans have grown exponentially since their first Super Bowl win against the Rams). The Eagles fans, on the other hand, have had to face a lot to get to this point. After 3 consecutive years of losing in the NFC Championship Game, it seems that they were fated to win this year. They are a resilient bunch, and deserve all the joy that they are getting right now. Second, you have the other die-hard football fans, like myself, who watched their teams depart from the hunt for the Super Bowl at various points during the season (although my Dolphins died a lot longer ago then most teams). For us, it is a painful game for two reasons. First, we are forced to watch another team gain all the glory and adulation that we had hoped for, and second, the Super Bowl is almost an anticlimactic end to the season. After all that we have invested in the 2004-2005 NFL season (money, passion, and time), it is coming to an end with precious little to show for it.



Third, you have the casual football fan, who may catch 2-3 games each year, a few playoff games, and then pretend to be a major football fan during the Super Bowl. This is the type that may find it within themselves to root for a different team during the Super Bowl, a sin which true football fans cannot commit. Fourth, you have the gamblers. They are not really football fans, but like to stick along for the ride just for the thrill of betting. There is a tremendous amount of money poured into the Super Bowl every year, and a majority of it comes from this section. Fifth, and last, you have the largest group. These are the casual people who really don't care about football, but probably are invited to parties in order to watch. Being the social people that they are, they can't decline. All that they get out of the game are the ads and the privilege of being able to "talk football" with their friends at the water cooler the next day. By the time the Tuesday after the game comes, they have already forgotten everything.



If you go to a party next Sunday, chances are that you'll have a little bit of all of these people in your presence (except maybe the gamblers). If nothing else, the Super Bowl is a way to bring family and friends together in one major event that everybody seems to be able to make time for.

Know When to Hold 'Em...

2005-01-29T17:45:00.000-05:00





A craze has swept the nation, and it has arrived in the form of poker. Formerly a game for high-stakes Vegas junkies, the expansion of its appeal now extend beyond the limited inclusion of the past, and emerged as a game for all people. Through the avenues of ESPN's mega-popular World Series of Poker and the blooming of free internet poker sites like Poker Room, the ultimate game that melds chance and skill into one has allowed young and old people alike all over the country to learn more about this game and it has erased the negative stereotypes that plagued it in the past. The introduction has been swift and gamblers are lining up their chips whenever at all possible.



The poker that we are talking about is not only the traditional and simple variation of 5-card draw. Games like Texas Hold 'em and 7-card stud have emerged as the favorites, probably because of the fact that there is more skill involved here than exists in other variations. The ability to read the other players faces and quickly calculate the odds of winning in you head are invaluable. It is this component of the game, coupled with its wild unpredictability, that makes it so attractive. Players who play by luck are blissfully ignorant to their losing ways, and tend to enjoy themselves. However, those who play with skill are seduced by poker. It is a haunting specter in the back of their minds, for the sole reason that no matter how good you are, you have to lose sometimes.



Poker's boom can be almost completely attributed to ESPN. The World Series of Poker is televised day and night on the network and its offspring, ESPN 2. And now, ESPN is producing an original series based on poker called Tilt, running on Thursday nights. The recent commercialization of poker is the best thing that could have happened to it. Most times, the emergence of commercialism in a product or activity is a bad thing. However, in this case it has served the purpose of expanding the availability. Before this poker "revolution", one had to have a group of friends over or be in the middle of Las Vegas to have a good poker game. Now, players can play a solid game of poker online with faceless opponents. Although this eliminates the "reading other players" aspect of the game, it is a perfect weaning tool to the inexperienced poker player, and it prepares them enough so that they at least look like they know what they're doing when they hit Vegas or Atlantic City.



It is rare in history that gambling has become this widespread. Some might argue that this is a symbol of the degeneration of our society, that we are teaching our children bad lessons by allowing them free access to poker. However, I disagree. Although gambling is certainly a vice, it is better to have kids learning how hard the game is and how easy it is to lose your shirt from a computer, or a group of their friends (with no real money lost) then to have a wide-eyed newbie learn the ropes the hard way in the big time Casinos.

"You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,  

Know when to walk away and know when to run.  

You never count your money when you're sitting at the table,  

There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done."

- Kenny Rodgers - The Gambler

Secretary of State

2005-01-28T16:05:00.000-05:00





The United States of America has a new Secretary of State. Assuming Colin Powell's job from President Bush's first term is former National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice. Many Democrats in the Congress were opposed to this appointment, but nevertheless she was sworn in earlier this week (and again earlier today for ceremonial purposes) and has now assumed the post of the United States liaison to the world. She is now the face of America, a job that requires great skill and prowess in both diplomacy and people skills. She has the tools, and this should help her in her quest to aid the President in his worldly affairs.



Condi's career has seen her travel into as many different venues as is possibly imaginable. Between education (Stanford University chief academic officer and professor of political science), private business (Chevron Corporation board of directors), and government (National Security Advisor), she has gained the valuable experience that must be demonstrated to fill this role. She was brought up in less-than-favorable circumstances and as a result of this, she is the epitome of the American Dream. She rose from obscurity to a level that is among the highest in the government. As for her personal life, she lives in Washington D.C. (obviously) and is currently single. She is an extremely intelligent and articulate woman, and has impressed many people so much (myself included) that they would support her in a bid for the Presidency in 2008 against Hillary Clinton.



The task that Condi is faced with is a daunting one. For those who don't know, the Secretary of State is the head of the State department, a member of the President's cabinet, and the chief diplomat from the United States to the rest of the world. The job requires a lot of traveling and great loyalty to the president. Not to mention, she has enormous shoes to fill with Colin Powell leaving the seat. However, there is little doubt in my mind that she can fill them and expand the interests of the United States abroad.

A Time For Change

2005-01-27T21:30:00.000-05:00

In case you haven't already noticed, I changed the template of the blog from the old black style. The number of Bloggers on this server using the old style is very large, and I wanted my blog to be unique. However, if you the readers, want the old style back leave comments. In fact, this is a time to leave comments about the improvement of the blog in general. Please, I want to know anything that would make you want to come back for more. Thanks!

The Next James Bond

2005-01-27T18:46:00.000-05:00





After a six year hiatus, James Bond finally returned in 1995. After the two-movie stint of Timothy Dalton, the series went into hibernation, renovating and updating its image. It came out in the form of Goldeneye, featuring James Bond number five, Pierce Brosnan. He did an admirable job, with many fans feeling that he rivaled Sean Connery (long considered the best Bond ever). However, after his latest movie (Die Another Day), he got into a small fight with the MGM producers and made the tough decision to abandon his post as 007, England's most loved spy. And now, rabid fans spanning the globe are on a manhunt to find the next actor too fill the void. The search will be tough and the candidates will fight to the tooth. However, the movie is set to be released in 2006. That means that the process needs to get moving, and the pieces are already in motion. Favorites are emerging and dark horses are planning their attack in the first great casting battle of the new century.



The scrutiny will be close on the next man to play the super secret agent. The right man for the job must be good with the ladies, suave, able to order a martini (shaken, not stirred), flashy with a gun, and look good in a tuxedo. That's a tall order for any actor, because although the Bond series itself has become a formulaic and repetitive adventure (I say that in the best possible way), the actors that play Bond seem to be subject to intense judgment, both good and bad, by the fans. There are debates going on in all walks of life as to the merits of one James Bond over another. For many fans, the man who plays the part can make or break the series, which is only half true. For example, Sean Connery elevated the status of every James Bond Production he was ever in. However, right after he finished, George Lazenby took a one movie stint in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and played the part with little or no personality. However, despite Lazenby's limitations as an actor, the production is considered one of the best Bond films ever made from a cinematic standpoint. However, from the perspective of the sometimes psychotic fans, the movie was bad because of the actor's inability to act.



The hype surrounding this contest is big here in the United States, but in Great Britain, people are placing bets like Americans do on the Super Bowl. The phenomenon that is occurring across the pond is remarkable, and the candidates are plentiful. There are some names that were merely mentioned, such as Eric Bana (Troy, The Hulk) and Colin Farrell (Alexander, Phone Booth), in the beginning, but they have slipped to the background now. There are several leading candidates, but the top three as the race stands now are James Purefoy, a relative unknown, Ewan McGregor, of Star Wars fame, and Clive Owen, who recently gained critical acclaim for his role in Closer. James Purefoy has one step up on the other two, and that is his status in the movie world. Some fans prefer it if an actor who not everyone knows on sight plays the role. It may create a sense of realism, but that is not a trait that the Bond series has prided itself on of late. Ewan McGregor was listed as the favorite for along time, but his bid for the role seems to have cooled off, leaving room for Clive Owen. Fresh off of a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe win, his odds have been cut to 5-2, the lowest ever since the start of the competition. He is the odds-on favorite to win the role, and I personally think that he is a fantastic choice.



The choice is predicted to be released very soon, so James Bond fans all over the planet will be waiting with bated breath. This is a major event in James Bond series. The selection will be the sixth actor to play the superspy, and that is an honor for whoever gets the part.



The biggest James Bond fansite on the internet: MI-6

Mac OS X: Windows Killer

2005-01-26T15:23:00.000-05:00





For many years, people have talked about the "Windows monopoly" on the world of computers. Sadly, this is a reality, with a vast majority of the units sold being PC's. For a long time, Apple hid in the shadows and was apparently biding their time, because now the have been revitalized, first by the iPod and then by iTunes (yesterday they announced that they had sold 250 million songs). However, this windfall of prosperity has extended to Apple computers, and now the Mac OS X is being revealed as not only a viable alternative to the ever-present Microsoft-led Windows, it is also a force that by many is considered to be a superior product. I have recently had the opportunity to experiment with the Apple operating system, and my conclusions are very interesting.



The first and foremost advantage that Apple appears to have is the aesthetics. The products and operating system are ridiculously pleasing to the eye, and have every feeling of being "hip" and "cool". Even the Apple stores, which are invading the malls even as I write this, are all white and brilliantly laid out, with every product available to toy around with to your heart's desire. The operating system itself has no clumsy start menu. Instead, a bar on the bottom of the screen is featured that has an icon representing all of the prominent programs. In fact, for the average user, everything that you could possibly need is featured down there, considerably reducing the amount of clutter than can grow to occupy you computer screen in Windows. However, this is not the only aesthetically pleasing feature. There is no single way to define it, but the entire operating system has a glow to it that makes you want to use it, and for this reason it stays forever new in your mind. Think of the attractiveness of the iPod and then apply it to a computer. It's nothing short of brilliant.



However, this is my personal preference, but there is a very practical reason that the Apple OS X dominates Windows XP in terms of quality. The integration and seamless transition between all of the different programs is astounding. Because Apple makes all of the preinstalled programs themselves, it is provided that they all connect with each other with little difficulty at all. For example, you can take pictures stored in the Apple photo program and with a couple of easy mouse clicks, you can have a slideshow of your pictures playing with a song from iTunes in the background. However, this integration could have a drawback. It is a common stereotype that third-party manufacturers of software make the software exclusively for Windows. In fact, I was victim to this misconception until I actually researched it, and the fact is that most of the programs that are available for Windows are readily available for Mac, which is a huge victory in a department where they could be weak.



Overall, I love the Apple Mac OS X operating system. It is seamless and fluid, running without many of the errors and gliches that plague Windows. Windows has forever fallen out of favor from me due to its tendency for crashing and generally making life difficult. My next computer will be an Apple, and I am just one example of the booming sales that they are now enjoying.

Oh, The Weather Outside...

2005-01-25T21:10:00.000-05:00





Living in the northeast has suddenly become a lot more exciting. Over the weekend, we were all over the news and papers because we have just survived the first "noreaster" of the year. Now, most of my fellow northeasterners view this whole ordeal as a negative thing. However, being the eternal optimist that I am, I choose to find a more positive side to the tradition of being snowed in. To me, there is really no better feeling than the one that you experience when you are trapped inside on a cold winters day. Think about sipping hot chocolate, doing what ever you feel like, because during a blizzard, the world is put on pause and you owe nothing to anyone.



The escapist feeling that is borne from the isolationist state is one that is both very rare and very precious. Honestly, how many times during normal life are you allowed to just sit back and relax? I don't mean semi-relax. I mean truly relax with nothing on you mind. The fact is that it is not our nature to allow ourselves to forget about our earthly worries. We must be forced into this state, which is where the blizzards prove to be important. During a big storm, everything closes and people tend to isolate themselves from the world. I don't know whether it is because they feel the need to protect the house from the storm, or the need to be with family, but it happens.



However, these is a flip side to this. The cold weather tends to lead people to a more depressed state than they would be otherwise. In fact, yesterday, the 24th of January, is recorded as the day each year when people are most depressed. Its an incredible phenomenon, that is likely borne of the fact that the holidays are over, it tends to be cloudy, and people realize that they won't be taking another break for a long time. However, for me, a nice snowfall always cheers me up. For some reason, the snow falling is more productive for my personal self-esteem than a sunny day in winter. It's a beautiful sight, if you simply sit back and observe it. And that's something that a vast majority of people fail to do. Children seem to have no problem enjoying a snowy day, but adult must make an effort to bask in the glory of the snowfall, which is something that we should do more often.



Now, the subject that got me started was the noreaster that whipped through the northeast, leaving a blanket of snow wherever it passed. The weekend that just ended provided one of the valuable experiences for me, and I happily spent it playing board games with my grandparents and watching TV with myself. It was an immensely therapeutic experience, and I'm very thankful for it.

CD Review: Rockin' the Suburbs

2005-01-23T22:19:00.000-05:00





The Review

Ben Folds is a relative unknown in the mainstream music world. His band, the Ben Folds Five, was popular with one hit single ("Brick") but after that, they broke up, and the lead singer ventured out on his own. To date, this is his only solo effort, but it is a masterpiece. The blend of his honest and passionate voice and the simplicity of the piano create a sound rarely heard in music, and certainly not in mainstream radio. It is unique, in the vein of Billy Joel and Elton John, but Ben is just as effective in his singing and songwriting as those two masters.



The title of the album is very deceptive. At first glance, you might dismiss it as some new teen angst junk. However, Ben Folds is a mature 40-year-old man, though ironically he picked the weakest song on the album for the title track. The music is passionate and great to sing along to. The words are crisp and clear and the piano that is drumming in the background is absolutely perfect. All of the songs are worth listening to, a rare feat in the music world. In fact, when I am listening to this album, I have no desire to skip a track, which makes for nice listening.



Closing Comments

If you are ever looking for an album that is both easy to listen to and worth listening to, look no farther than Rockin' the Suburbs. Although this is Ben's only full single album to date, he has also released 3 EP's (5 songs each) and is working on his next album now. I know that I, for one, will be holding my breath to see what he can release next,



Scores

1. Annie Waits - A great opener and toe-tapper, a cute song. - 8.5/10

2. Zak and Sara - Good song, but a slightly annoying chorus. - 6.5/10

3. Still Fighting It - Passionate and deep song about growing up.  Love it. - 9/10

4. Gone - Nice song that takes some getting used to. - 7/10

5. Fred Jones Part 2 - Tied for the best on the album.  Great, great song with unbelievable lyrics. - 10/10

6. The Ascent of Stan - Catchy song with a mellow chorus.  Merely good. - 6.5/10

7. Losing Lisa - Great song with very, very catchy lyrics. - 9.5/10

8. Carrying Cathy - Good song, but nothing special overall. - 7/10

9. Not The Same - Very good song, but once again, not the best. - 7/10

10. Rockin' the Suburbs - Good for nothing other than mindless Blink-182 style junk. - 5/10

11. Fired - A great song, very singable in the car. - 9/10

12. The Luckiest - Absolutely unbelievable love song in the vein of Your Song (Elton John) - 10/10

A Plan for Iraq in 2005

2005-01-20T20:26:00.000-05:00

I have always been a vocal supporter of the United States action in Iraq. The war on terror is a just cause, and I believe to this day that Iraq was a key battleground in our quest for freedom from terrorism. I also believe that faced with the same intelligence that President Bush was faced within regard to weapons in Iraq, I would have made the same decision. The fact is that our troops are in Iraq because the CIA presented intelligence to the President that strongly indicated that Weapons of Mass Destruction were both being produced and being made readily available to use in strikes against Israel. Any argument that the President lied or that the United States is simply there to protect its oil interests is dismissable as absurd. It is the product of a deep seated hatred for George Bush that teems with life in the hallways of the far left mindset. By the same token, any far right fanatic that would have you believe that we have made no mistakes in the war and that we should commit more troops to the region should be dismissed in the same motion.

My reasons for going to war are very different than those of many conservatives. It is my firm belief that the true root of the terrorism that threatens us is the despotic forms of government that populate the Middle East. The people in countries like Iran are faced every day with anti-American propaganda. However, if we can remove the tyrannical governments, and provide these people with another source of news and information, it will be possible to ease the hatred that they feel for our country. By pretending that these terrorist cells may just go away if we ignore them is infantile and immature. We live in a world of realities, and it is a fact that not confronting these terrorists and the regimes that foster them will only delay the next 9/11. In short, if we can create several models (Israel, Afghanistan, Turkey, Iraq) for democracy in the Middle East, perhaps the people of countries like Iran and Saudi Arabia would be inspired as well. The work that we are doing is noble, but it is the way in which we are conducting the effort for peace that troubles me.

Recent reports from the halls of the Department of Defense and the CIA indicate that a further occupation of Iraq could take as long as 4-5 years in order to create a functioning democracy. However, my concern is that over this period of time, the elected Iraqi government will grow to depend on the support of the United States. It is a model for failure that is doing a disservice to the very people that we are trying to help. During this time, the average Iraqi citizen' attitude towards the United States may improve to some degree, but our presence there has been an instigator for the troubles, rather than a cure. The bombings that occur almost daily are an effort to drive us out of the country. My stance is, give them what they want. The fact is that it will ultimately be up to the Iraqi people to create a functioning democracy. We have given them the tools (a fresh start in government and approximately 150,000 trained troops), but if they lack the desire, there is no way that this task is ever accomplished. Perhaps our presence in the country is doing more harm than good. On January 30th, there will be free election in Iraq. From that point foreword, I think that we should pull our troops out at an increasingly rapid pace. After the Iraqi government has around 200,000 troops ready to defend themselves, allow them to take the initiative and defend the country for themselves.

There is a school of hard knocks that all countries converting from tyranny to freedom must enter and pass. If the country cannot pass the test, they are not ready for democracy. However, another 4 or 5 years in Iraq will do little to increase the chance for success. It would be better to find out what the Iraqi people are capable of now rather than wait for another 6,000-7,000 American troops to die. Bring the troops home, and act with NATO as peacekeepers. The future of Iraq is now, and we have to let the people decide.

Movie Review: Napoleon Dynamite

2005-01-19T20:19:00.000-05:00





The Review

Movies about teenage awkwardness will always be made. For some twisted reason, filmmakers seem to enjoy depicting the suffering and pain that the high school years can bring. However, few elect to make a comedy about them, and few of those comedies are as striking as Napoleon Dynamite. This is a movie made without compassion and without redeeming qualities in terms of the main character, Napoleon. As a movie, it is intensely boring at times, but at others, it is subtly hilarious.



Napoleon is the nerd to top all nerds. Passing away the days with drawings of "Ligers" and dance moves, he leads an existence that can be described fairly accurately as pathetic. However, he soon makes two new friends, Pedro and Deb. Pedro is an exchange student who decides to run for class president, and Deb is possibly the only girl to ever show a legitimate interest in poor Napoleon. In fact, no one shows much of an interest in the title character. The way that he is written, it can be hard to pull for him at the beginning, but by the end of the movie, if you are not rooting for him in some capacity, you must have a heart of stone. The character is played perfectly by Jon Heder, and the movie would not have been the same without his unique brand of comedy and delivery of his lines.



The movie itself lacks a plot. It almost seems like there are vague subplots from other movies, like the dance and the election, that are combined to make up a section of Napoleon's life. The movie is designed so that we see what his life is really like, without any really significant events or unrealistic occurrences. This makes for a brand of movie not seen before. During the movie, you are actually likely to be bored. However, after you are finished, you will undoubtedly find yourself thinking about some of the great lines that Napoleon has in the movie. It is a movie that gets better with every viewing.



Closing Comments

Napoleon Dynamite is a movie that you must make an effort to love. It is as unconventional as they come, and you may find yourself being bored. However, it is a worthy viewing experience, and has become something of a cult hit. Recommended for all ages, because there is no profanity, sex, or violence. This was a conscious effort on the part of the writers and it actually adds to the charm of this underdog movie.



Score

Overall: 7.1 out of 10

Last 2 Days

2005-01-18T23:34:00.000-05:00

I'm very sorry about the lack of posts from Monday and Tuesday. I have been very busy and have also been without an internet connection for part of the time. I will do my best for the rest of the week.

Tomorrow: Movie Review: Napoleon Dynamite

Good Traveling: Part 2

2005-01-16T21:44:00.000-05:00





When you first step onto an airplane, you have a good feeling. A feeling of reassurance sweeps over you, because from this point to the point when you walk out of the gate on the other side, nothing that goes wrong can possibly be your fault. It's up to a flight attendant, a couple of pilots, and a big metal box to get you where you want to go. However, this feeling of things being outside of your control does not always end in good. In fact, as soon as they lock those airplane doors, and the plane starts moving, a series of events ensues that leaves you wondering "Would it be more comfortable to crawl to my destination?"



It all starts as soon as you sit down. You've already brought out your book or magazine and you're getting ready to read it, and then the person who is sitting in the seat next to yours shows up. In your head, you debate whether you should get up and move for them or let them try to squeeze by your legs. Usually, it ends up like the former. And as soon as that issue is settled the flight attendant (who probably hasn't slept in 24 hours and is only functioning because of about 6 cups of coffee) comes along with her laundry list of complaints about how you are conducting your business. It doesn't matter whether your seatbelt is too loose, or your carry-on bag is not far enough under the chair, the attendant is on a mission. It seems that they needs to find something wrong with what every person on the airplane is doing to entertain themselves. After you get emotionally demeaned by the flight attendant, they proceed to show you what you should do in case of an emergency. Sometimes you have to feel a little bit sorry for them. They are probably highly embarrassed to be playing with life vests in front of 100+ people, but then you look around and realize that there is not a soul who is listening. Man, that's got to hurt the self esteem.



Finally, the wheels leave the ground, and you are airborne. Of course, you still can't listen to music or work on your laptop, because somehow something with no wireless signal at all is going to pose a threat to the aircraft when its taking off. Keep in mind, this is only when the plane is taking off, not when it is actually at "cruising" altitude. And so the first round of "complimentary refreshments" begins. The flight attendant passes by you and 10 minutes later, after she has finished serving first class, she finally gets to you. Chances are, they won't have what you are looking for, and in case they do, they will probably put too much of that circle-shaped ice in it. But its something to drink, and at this point its nice. The only time when its annoying is when the flight attendant returns five minutes later for another round. This pattern continues for as long as you are at cruising altitude.



Suddenly, you realize that you need to use the bathroom. When you turn around, the lights above the doors usually mark them as occupied. No problem, you can wait. But then, someone passes your seat, and a feeling of anger passes through you. They are now in line. However, at this point you still figure that you can sit in your seat and wait. 15 minutes and 6-7 people later, you finally decide that standing in line would be the right thing to do. Right as you come to the front of the line, there is a high probability that you will hit some turbulence. Most people could stand just fine with the plane shaking around, but apparently, the flight attendant doesn't think so. Back to the seat you go. However, you always eventually make it to the bathroom.



If you are on a night flight, there will be people who sleep. Personally, I can't sleep on airplanes, because the feeling of that disgusting airplane air coating your mouth when you wake up is simply too much for me to handle. In fact, the air on airplanes surpasses the food in level of toxicity. Artificial air is like rat poison. Hopefully, this will not last for long. If you are on a short flight, you may be safe. But on overseas and cross-country flights, you may as well put yourself in a coma for the duration. You may feel better.



However, it all ends eventually. There is no better feeling than when you feel the thump of the wheels hitting the ground. After the seemingly endless period of taxiing, you finally pull up to the gate. As soon as the plane stops and that small ringing noise goes off, people fly out of their seats like getting up before everyone else is going to get them off the plane faster. Don't worry, guys. We all get there eventually. After sitting for another few minutes, the line starts moving, and that means that you should probably get moving too. And as you step off the airplane, and feel the fresh air enter your lungs, you feel liberated. It's almost like getting out of prison. (Note: I don't know what that feels like from first-hand experience) From this point foreword, the only possibly frustrating things are the baggage claim and getting to your hotel. However, compared to what you have just put yourself through, these things are trivial.



The journey is over, but the trip has just begun...

Good Traveling: Part 1

2005-01-15T10:54:00.000-05:00





As I write this, I am sitting in a hotel room. We're leaving for the airport shortly and will return home later tonight. These overnight trips for college are something that I'm used to now. However, something that I will perhaps never fully get used to is the journey. Overall, traveling is one of the most aggravating and potentially infuriating experiences that a person can go through. I have become jaded, through years of extensive travel, to it as a sum of parts, but there are many things that I know will always make me get angry. Here is a typical day of travel for me:



You start off either at home or in a hotel, hopefully having packed the night before. There is one person in every group that demands that everything be ready before it is necessary. Therefore, you do everything, including turn off all electronics and lights and set all of your bags out, long before the time to leave is upon you. This causes a very boring half an hour before you are being picked up by the shuttle or limousine. It usually consists of checking to make sure you have everything and sitting around twirling your thumbs. All of this is, of course, alleviated if you decide to drive to the airport and park. However, this will only happen in early morning travels and times where the car is not so new. Either way, you embark on your journey in a relatively uneventful fashion.



On the way to the airport, you either have kids sleeping or adults worrying that they printed out all of the necessary documents to get checked in and get through security. Usually, there is a false scare of some kind, involving forgetting passports or "e-tickets". The scare is almost always false though, because they are found at the last second before you turn back, which would have caused you to miss your flight.



Although it is usually very easy, there is nothing more consistently frustrating than the journey from the place where you get dropped off to the gate. Just picture walking in the door and uttering improper remarks under your breath about the size of the line. The estimates for the time that it takes to get through the line are free to range from about an hour to "as long as it takes, honey". Either way, it usually takes no more than 10 minutes, although you will probably still be talking about the size of the line when you exit the airport at your destination. Then comes security. I recognize that increased security measures were necessary, but sometimes I wonder. Don't you just hate the feeling as you pass through the ultra-sensitive metal detector, only to find yourself hesitantly explaining to the guard that your belt buckle is made of metal. You then hold everyone up, amidst viscous glares, because you have to go through again. Thank god that's over. And now, on the other side of security, you get one of the few moments of relative rest in the whole ordeal. With half of you wanting to find something to eat, and the other half clamoring to visit the magazine/candy/book store, nothing can be truly relaxing, but its almost the eye of the storm, the calm before the other half hits.



Somehow, everyone is satisfied in the period of rest, and the time of judgment is upon you. As they call the passengers up row by row, you either get on first, to much delight, or you pay for getting the bulkhead seats, and you stand with your carry-on luggage weighing down on your shoulders, as if standing and looking menacing at the person tearing your tickets is going to improve the situation. Eventually, you get on the plane, but your journey to your seat does not end there. It is inevitable that there are people putting their coats and other such things in the overhead compartments, and this is the time when it is customary to wither glare at the people holding up the line or turn around to your companions and say "Can't they do this later?".



And then, after so much aggravation, you finally achieve the holy grail. You reach your seat, which has never looked more comfortable. But then you realize that the journey is only just beginning...



Part 2 coming tomorrow!

The Revamped New York Mets

2005-01-14T10:33:00.000-05:00





For the past few years, the Mets have been in the shadows. Doomed to unfortunate losing season, the Yankees have grasped the spotlight and not let go. Besides the rabid New York media and diehard Mets fans, you would be hard pressed to find a soul who cares about the fate of one of America's once-great baseball teams. However, this year will be remembered as one of brave decisions. The Mets have spent the money necessary this offseason to make them contenders again, and mark my words, it will pay off.



Sure, the Yankees picked up Randy Johnson. However, this guy is already in trouble due to the small incident that he had with a cameraman on the streets of the Big Apple. If you think this quick-tempered all star is going to make it in the city with an attitude like that, you need to have your head examined. He better clean it up quick, or else he will have a very brief stint in New York, a city known for devouring its sports heroes as soon as the first signs of trouble show themselves. On the other hand, you have the Mets. They needed an arm, and they picked up Pedro Martinez, fresh off of a World Series win. He is an instant cure-all for the Mets pitching problems. This guy is an ace, and he has the potential to be a leader on the team, something that the Mets need more than any player or coach. Speaking of which, the Mets also needed a manager. After Bobby Valentine and Art Howe, needed new blood. They got it with Willie Randolph. Although he is largely unproven, he is the farthest thing from a retread that you could possibly get. And finally, the Mets needed a bat. They needed a guy who could make the headlines, an automatic hitting machine for the team. They pulled off another blockbuster, this time for Carlos Beltran, the hottest commodity on the market this offseason.



I know that Mets fans everywhere will join me in saying thank you to the Mets brass. These guys needed to learn how to spend money. The chances that were taken before, with players like Mo Vaughn and Roberto Alomar. These guys were on their way down, and they took the Mets with them. This past year, they had relied on Tom Glavine to carry the load in pitching. With little support from Steve Trachsel and Al Leiter, this old timer couldn't handle it. He was good, but he just wasn't capable of carrying the team. The most promising aspect of this is that the Mets are not done. They need on more very good hitter, and they are pursuing that man in Carlos Delgado. He would be another great hire, and they are rumored to be offering him a 3-year, $30 million dollar contract. This would be yet another big fish to land in a spectacular offseason so far.

Thank God for the Common App!

2005-01-13T23:38:00.000-05:00





At this very moment, all over the country, admissions officers are preparing to either send out their decision to students or preparing to read them. At the same time, high school seniors are frantically checking their mailboxes and pining for the emotional security of being admitted to college. The whole process seems to be predestined to be time-consuming, inefficient, and frustrating for all involved. However, there are many things being instituted to make the lives of both students and admissions officials easier through the whole ordeal.



With most students applying to approximately 8-12 colleges, the process is getting more and more clogged each year. Acceptances are getting harder and harder to come by, with many of the students in the Class of 2005 getting deferred from their choices for early decision. The frightening part is that early decision has long been the route that students take if they know where they want to go to school, because it is binding and generally much easier to gain admission to. However, in recent years, students have been using it exclusively for that purpose, and the advantage that once existed is now all but eradicated. However, this is not the only problem that lies at the core of these proceedings. Being a senior myself, I can tell you in no uncertain fashion that filling out applications is one of the most boring, sleep-inducing processes that any human being can endure. The pressure level is at a maximum, and little room is left for error.



This is where the Common Application comes into play. It is a recent institution, but from the students perspective, it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. The service allows the student to fill out one uniform application, and send it to any school that accepts it (as the vast majority of schools do). That's right, you can fill out one application online, and send it electronically to all of the schools that you choose. As a student who has recently had to endure this ordeal, I can seriously say that the Common Application probably saved my sanity. But the schools could not leave it at that. A majority of the colleges and universities also require a supplement. Because they seemingly have to make students jump through hoops for them, they decided to add short answers and essays to the common app. Although it is still easier than filling out all of the applications, some of the supplements that the schools hand out are simply ridiculous. The can be just as bad as the essays on the regular applications, but still, some of the pressure is alleviated.



The Common Application is a wonderful invention by some people who genuinely care about the well being of the students in high school today. However, it cannot relieve you of the pressure of waiting for the decision to roll in, and that is something that I can speak to from first hand experience, as that is the situation I am faced with as I write this.



A link to the savior of high school seniors everywhere: Common App

Chinese Redefined

2005-01-11T19:16:00.000-05:00





Good restaurants are hard to come by. Often, when you enter a new city or state, you have little knowledge of the local dining. Any restaurant on the street could be good, bad, fast, or slow. Unless you do some excruciating internet research before hand, your experience dining out will be a crapshoot. That is why chains open. People welcome the sense of familiarity that comes with eating at a place where the service is standard and the food is the same. However, there are some chains that are better than others. The best is PF Chang's China Bistro.



Founded in 1993, this has the feel of a genuine restaurant. When I first entered and ate at PF Chang's, it was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. From the atmosphere and food quality, it made the impression that it had to be exclusive. However, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that there are PF Chang's restaurants all over the country (there were 108 open in September, and they're growing rapidly). The lights are low, and the decor is distinctly Chinese,but with a flash of American modernism. It's a very attractive setting, and is consistent with the decorating fashions of today. It's a sexy restaurant, without a doubt.



To eat, you are given plastic chopsticks and the usual blend of forks and knives. However, it is in the presentation where the food shines. You receive your orders in a very unique fashion. All of the parties at your table has a plate, but the food that was ordered is promptly placed towards the middle of the table. You are free to take the food as you see fit, and you are free to share your dinner with others. If you eat here, you will surely find yourself passing your plate to others asking them to try it, and naturally getting a taste of theirs in return. It is a great system, and it alleviates the traditional "Do you want to switch?" if someone at the table is dissatisfied. The atmosphere of community that is borne as the result of this is greatly beneficial to the enjoyment of the meal itself.



However, all of these things are dwarfed by the quality of the food. No matter what you order, unless you are predisposed to not like that kind of food, you will probably like. My personal favorite is Chang's Spicy Chicken (similar to General Chu's), but for the whole table, lettuce wraps are a must. The meat/chicken that the restaurant give you to put in the lettuce is nothing short of amazing, and you won't regret the order. This is quite frankly the best Chinese food I have ever had. In fact, before I started going here, I hated Chinese food. However, this restaurant prompted me to give it another chance, and now I eat all Chinese food, although it is always a disappointment knowing that the version that PF Chang's makes is almost certainly superior. Next time you see the big stone horses out in front of a restaurant (they're outside of every PF Chang's) make sure you go in. You won't have any regrets.

A New Day Begins...

2005-01-10T10:12:00.000-05:00





With four hours of 24 taking place over the last two days, fans of the show have a lot to go on when they predict the quality of the new season. The show has been a mainstay in television for the past three season with its unique format and fantastic main character, Jack Bauer.

24's greatest strength, besides Kiefer Sutherland, is the format in which it is produced. Each season contains 24 episodes, forming a day. And each episode is representative of one hour in the day. It is a massive task for the writers to even produce a show each week, let alone produce them at this level of quality. This makes for a tense, action-packed viewing experience, that leaves you gasping for air as each episode draws to a close. The cliffhangers and plot twists are numerous, and the show is always entertaining.

Warning: This review contains spoilers from this point forward! If you have not seen all three previous seasons of 24, don't read this review. This show is best viewed if you have no idea what will happen. Also, if you have not seen the show, go buy the DVD's now, because there is no possible way to dislike it. It will be one of the best purchases you ever make. Spoilers will end later on in the review.



In the first season, Jack's family was threatened in an intricate plot to assassinate a presidential candidate. The plot twists and turns were fast and furious, and the plotting was fantastic. The first year was refreshing and electrifying, with us rooting for a man we barely knew at the beginning. And although we only had a day with him, Kiefer Sutherland's Jack Bauer was firmly entrenched in our hearts. The fans have demonstrated an incredible amount of loyalty to Jack over the years, mainly because of how effective Sutherland is in this role. If there was ever a role on television that was custom made for an actor, this is it. Forget Anthony LaPaglia and David Caruso. You can even cast aside Jennifer Garner, David Duchovny, and Gillian Anderson. This character must have been made with Kiefer Sutherland in mind, because his acting in this part defines the word perfection. This would be an above average show without him, but he elevates it to a status that can be only be describes as "extraordinary".



In the second season, Jack had to work against terrorist trying to detonate a nuclear bomb on United States soil. However, halfway through the day, the plot was resolved, and Bauer had to stop a war from occurring as a result of the bomb. This season saw some subplots develop, and some villains that may be orchestrating everything that happens were revealed (Max and Nina). Season 2 was like season 1 on speed, with the action level multiplying, but not losing the unique plotting and atmosphere that we love so much. Season 3 has been deemed the weakest of the three. I would disagree with that assessment, because it was just different. Some plotlines (Kate, Max, attack on Palmer) from the previous season were outright ignored, greatly annoying some fans. However, what we have to remember is that not all terrorist conspiracies can tie back to one man. Each day is different, although there have already been whispers of reviving these plotlines in Season 4. Day three dealt with a biological virus that could be released in Los Angeles. After many episodes of peeling back layers of villains, we finally found Stephen Saunders (Paul Blackthorne), who energized the season's final act, which was some of the best to ever be produced by 24.



And so we have come to Season Four. The cast has suffered a major overhaul, with regulars like Tony, Michelle, Kim and Palmer either accepting recurring roles or being removed from the picture altogether. It is probably for the best, because the writers had nowhere left to go with these characters. The show needed to move on. Jack is certainly still the main character, but he has a girlfriend, Audrey Raines (Kim Rave), who is the daughter of his boss, Secretary of Defense Heller (William Devine), The relationships between these fresh, new characters give the show a breath of life that was absent for most of Season Three. It feels like a whole new show again, like Season One. I'm extremely excited for the rest of the season for no other reason the to see how these plots develop. However, some things never change, such as Jack's penchant for having a short fuse and the ever present ticking clock, counting down to the end. For those who appreciate great drama, action, and writing, this premiere has been a long time coming. I, for one, an glad to have it back.

Mozilla Firefox: The Web Renewed

2005-01-09T13:39:00.000-05:00





America's internet culture has slipped into a phase of complacency. Internet Explorer, Microsoft's monopoly on web browsers, has become entrenched in everything they build. It is preinstalled as the featured browser on every PC released. Interestingly enough, it is the worst of all of the browsers in circulation, but America's computer illiterate culture is uneducated in any other possibilities. But now, a new revolution is starting, and Internet Explorer is slowly being toppled one computer at a time.



A third party company called Mozilla is leading the coup with it's charming and seductive Firefox. It is endlessly customizable, with the user being allowed to change it in any way they see fit. However, there are some distinct differences between this browser and Internet Explorer. The first is the addition of the search bar. This ingenious idea features the addition of a small area (on the same line as where you enter a URL) where search engines like Google, Yahoo, Amazon, Dictionary.com, Wikipedia, and eBay allow you to search the web (or their specific pages) from your browser. All you have to do is enter in what you want to search for and press enter. It then takes your browser directly to the results. This is a feature whose ramification cannot be truly felt until it is sampled. Being able to cut out that extra step of actually going to the webpage or search engine is priceless.



However, that is not the only feature that is so prominent in Firefox. Right below the bar that features the URL and search bars is a separate bar devoted to bookmarks. That's right, the bookmarks are ready for you to click on without having to pull down a folder. They are readily accessible, and all of your favorite sites become instantly easier to access. No "real" web browser would be complete without the addition of "tabbed browsing". This is a feature that has been experimented with by Netscape, but here in Firefox it meets perfection. Instead of opening everything in a new window, like in Internet Explorer, Firefox allows you to open separate pages in "tabs" contained within the same browser. This alleviates the clutter that occupy the bottom taskbar. This technology goes so far as to let you open any bookmark or link in a tab, rather than a new browser. And that's not all...



Firefox is infinitely customizable. There are a multitude of skins available to choose from, until you find an aesthetic quality that you like. With a skin change, everything in the browser changes, making it feel like new. Another feature that should be noted is the fantastic protection against popups and spyware. If a popup is blocked by the built in blocker, a small bar appears that allows you to either "always allow popups for this site", "allow popups just this once", or "always block for this site". And as you know, many popup blockers are either too harsh or too lenient. This is fully customizable to your needs, a refreshing change. As for spyware, you will never see additional toolbars being added onto your browser against your will, like in Internet Explorer. The browser only changes when you want it to, and that feeling of control is priceless.



In the end, I believe that Mozilla Firefox will dominate the internet. This service is just too good to have it any other way. It's features are endless, and next to none of them are featured in the entrenched browser, Internet Explorer. It has literally redefined how I view the web, and that is a towering accomplishment within itself.



If you want to enjoy the internet, click here - Mozilla Firefox

Note: if this blog looks funny at all, that is because it is best viewed in Firefox (like it says at the bottom).

NFL Playoffs Preview

2005-01-08T22:38:00.000-05:00





As a Dolphins fan, this year has been one of the most depressing in a long time. However, any true fan of the NFL can get up the courage to get excited about the playoffs themselves, even if their team is not participating. The intrigue level this year is high, and so are the stakes. You have a budding dynasty, looking for it's third Super Bowl win in four years. In the same conference you have an undefeated rookie quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. A Super Bowl win for this emerging star would be unprecedented. Every game is tight. Every game matters. It's the NFL playoffs.



In the NFC, you have two division rivals, ready to duke it out in the first game of the playoff year. Seattle is riding high on some late season success, and the Rams are confident going into the game. In reality, neither team has much reason to be confident. They are two severely flawed football teams, who would have been eaten for lunch (along with the rest of the incredibly weak NFC) in the vastly superior AFC. You also have a second set of Division rivals facing each other, the Vikings and the Packers. The Packers have the yearly NFL ironman, Brett Farve, on their side. With this man playing, the Pack will always be in it. However, the Vikings are, in my opinion, a superior team in general. Although they have struggled, the talent level is higher here than it is with the Packers. Look for a Vikings win. The teams that get to skip this week are the injury-ridden Eagles and the stronger Falcons. The Eagles are suffering from a lack of Terrell Owens, and look for them to exit early this year. There will be no Super Bowl for the fourth year in a row of very good Eagles teams. Amazingly enough, the Falcons look like the strongest team this year in the NFC, going into the playoffs. They are my pick to go to the Super Bowl, which should show you just how bad this conference really is.



On the other hand, you have the AFC, which is cutthroat competitive and filled with championship-worthy teams. In the first game of the AFC's playoffs, the Jets and the Chargers will go head to head. The Jets are a vastly inferior team on paper, but they possess some hidden intangibles that may come through for them. This game is unpredictable, because it all rides on the shoulders of Chargers' quarterback Drew Brees. The second of the Wild Card matchups is different. It could be close, but there is defiantly a clear favorite. The Colts will demolish the Broncos, perhaps the only team in the playoffs on this side of the bracket that does not deserve to be here. Look for Peyton Manning to light it up on Sunday. The two teams to get a bye week are some of the strongest in recent memory. The Patriots are a well-coached team that truly plays as one cohesive unit. They are the best team in the NFL, in the truest sense of the word. And the Steelers are the Cinderella team this year. They have ridden the back of Big Ben, who has been fantastic all year. They are the team with the best record, and I believe that the magic that has carried them all year will indeed carry them past the Pats. Look for the Steelers to be the AFC representative at the Super Bowl.



No matter what happens these predictions will most likely be wrong. The NFL playoffs are completely unpredictable, and it is rare that they are forecast accurately. However, they are always entertaining and a true pleasure to watch. Happy Playoffs 2005 to the many NFL fans out there. It's the most wonderful time of the year.



Super Bowl XXXIX: Atlanta Falcons vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Champion: Pittsburgh Steelers

MVP: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers

Whistler: A World of It's Own

2005-01-06T22:12:00.000-05:00





People are drawn to Whistler like a cult following. It is an infamous name, almost like Vail in the legends of skiing. The ski area of Whistler lives up to the name, providing fantastic skiing and snowboarding for beginners and experts alike. However, the same cannot be said of much of the surrounding area. The travel system is woefully inefficient and there is a limited area where you can stay if you want to have a truly great time.



First, the skiing. It doesn't get much better than Whistler. There are "autobahn" type runs in abundance here, perfect for the beginner and intermediate skiers. There heavily used trails very rarely have poor snow and very frequently are compatible with a trail running directly adjacent to it. They are always crowded, which is defiantly not a good thing. In fact, I can make one statement with absolute certainty. The time from Christmas to New Year's is bound to be crowded. The lift lines will be unbearable in certain parts, and on the most heavily used trails, the skiing borders on being dangerous because collisions are a threat. I have only been to Whistler once, and I know that I would have enjoyed it more had it not been this populated. Besides these heavily used blue and green runs, there is a stunning variety of other trails to choose from. From traditional blacks and double blacks, to backcountry skiing, to bowl skiing, to the (fantastic) glacier skiing, there are runs of every difficulty available. This is easily the resort's greatest strength. The skiing in these special areas was without a doubt the best that I have ever experienced, especially the "Blackcomb Bowl" and "Peak-to-Creek". These were both exceptional runs, of advanced difficulty, that are starkly different from one another.



While the skiing at Whistler is top-rate, the rest of the experience is merely good. This would have been elevated quite a bit, had we stayed at a place where you could ski out the door in the morning and ski back in when you were finished in the afternoon. There are two or three hotels like this, and several others in close proximity, but they are sold out far ahead of time and the rates can be as much as $800 per night. We stayed in a condominium about two miles away from the Blackcomb base, so we were forced to take the bus. The bus system is easily the worst part of Whistler. It is terribly inefficient and the buses seem to operate on a different schedule every hour. In one instance, we found ourselves waiting for a bus for almost 30 minutes (they are supposed to come every 6-10 minutes), and when the long-awaited bus finally pulled up, the driver told us it was full and we were forced to walk the two miles with skis as an alternative for waiting again. It was a very unpleasant experience that marred the whole trip. The town of Whistler is very nice, with shops for just about everything. The eating is excellent and the atmosphere feels genuine, unlike that at Vail. You can find food of all different types, ranging from Hibachi to fine Italian dining. However, the town has a feel to it that is distinctly hard to place. You almost feel alienated from the happenings, which I am positive would be alleviated if you decided to stay close to town. The Carleton Lodge is right in the center of town, and in such close proximity to the slopes that it is almost disgusting.



In the end, there is much to do at Whistler. For skiers and snowboarders, you can enjoy some of the best in the world. Although it can be crowded, the runs are well worth it. For those who don't ski or snowboard, and are just along for the trip, it is crucial that you stay close to the town, or you might literally be bored to death. Trust me, if you can book a room at a "ski-in, ski-out" hotel that is close to the village, you will have the time of your life. This will alleviate the problem with buses, and that is a huge step in the right direction.

Most Anticipated Movies of 2005

2005-01-06T09:19:00.000-05:00



After a poor year at the movies in 2004, things are ambiguous for 2005. There are many movies that will meet certain box office success, but this is certainly no guarantee of quality. Hollywood has a way of shunning the most intelligent films to art house status, while promoting lots of movies with loud noises and big bangs to "blockbusters". This is not to say that 2004 didn't have any quality movies, because certainly The Passion of the Christ, I, Robot, Open Water, Spider-Man 2, Million Dollar Baby, and Collateral were successes both at the box office and as films themselves. However, with mindless drivel like The Day After Tomorrow, Fahrenheit 9/11, Van Helsing, and Scooby Doo 2 grossing millions it makes one wonder where the movie industry is going to. However, here are the films that I anticipate to both fare well at the box office and entertain and excite us at the same time, for many reasons:



- Star Wars Episode III: The Revenge of the Sith - Although Episodes I and II have been victim to harsh criticism, I enjoyed them immensely. I have always thought that they were a welcome addition to the saga, but this movie is pivotal in how these movies will be viewed. This is what we have been waiting for, the bridge between the trilogies. Personally, I am confident that George Lucas will pull through. The stakes are too high for him to fail. Released May 19th



- Mr. and Mrs. Smith - This film has a great premise. A husband and wife are assassins, but neither knows of the others true identity. They both get the assignment that they are to kill their spouse. This has the potential to be hugely entertaining, but it must be made correctly. This is a bust or boom film, and my prediction is that it will boom. Released June 10th



- King Kong - Peter Jackson, who brought us the stunning Lord of the Rings trilogy, has now done a re-make of the infamous King Kong. Look out. This movie already has me excited, for no other reason than the fact that this man is behind the camera once again. This will be a huge success. Also, here's to hoping that his next project will be The Hobbit. Released December 14th



- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - One of the best books of the series is put to film. Although it will be tricky to deal with the extended length, if it follows the pattern that the Harry Potter movies are showing, it will be better than Prisoner of Azkaban, and that is saying a lot. These movies are finally growing up and developing a concern for plot and pacing rather than just providing eye candy for Harry Potter fans. Released November 18th



- War of the Worlds - This is another remake, only this one stars Tom Cruise in an epic battle between man and alien. Truth be told, I don't know much about how this movie is progressing. It is inherently a great story, and I am hoping that Tom Cruise can deliver unexpectedly like Will Smith did in I, Robot. My official prediction is one of great success. However, of all the movies on the list, this has the greatest flop potential. Released on June 29th.



- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. This is pure genius. This has the potential to be a rousing, hilarious romp through a magical world of candy. Johnny Depp was born to play this role, and it is my personal guarantee that this movie will blow away the original. I honestly can't wait. Released July 15th



I am hoping for suprises, and there always are both from the independent studios and the major companies. However, these are my most anticipated movies of 2005 that have been advertised to some extent up to now. I can truly say that my hopes are good for this year, especially in reflection of a mediocre 2004.

Apology for a Missed Day

2005-01-06T01:06:00.000-05:00

Seeing as I am in high school, I have a lot of work right now, especially with mid-terms next week. For the next week I will try to be as diligent as I can be about posting, but I can't promise that I can write every day. I will, however, try my best to do so. Thank you.

The Alias Season Premiere

2005-01-05T23:40:00.000-05:00



Alias is one of the most unique television shows to be on the market today. It's a sexy, fast-paced spy thriller starring the stunning Jennifer Garner as Agent Sydnie Bristow, a love-wracked CIA operative with a propensity for quick moves and being betrayed by those closest to her (or having them die). If you think about the mythology episodes on The X-Files, and take a season's worth of their revelations, you have every episode of Alias.



Alias is a show with many great things going for it. It is incredibly entertaining, and the atmosphere is lightning-quick and suspenseful. The writers waste very little time, and you will not seen any meaningless scenes in the show. The acting is also very good, particularly from Jennifer Garner, but it is the writing behind the characters that makes you care about them so much. The fate of the characters is always prominent in your mind because the writers are not afraid to knock off popular characters (like Will, Francie, and Lauren). The plot twists are fast and almost every episode ends in a cliffhanger.



The freshman year of Alias was one of confusion and betrayal, with Sydnie working with her father and Vaughn (her handler at this time), against SD-6. The second season was truly a family affair, with Sydnie's mother, long thought dead, returning to the USA and surrendering herself to the CIA. Many fans believe that this is where the show lost its course, because in the second season episode, "Phase One", SD-6 is destroyed and Sydnie begins a normal life at the CIA. Alias had trouble finding itself in the third season, following a superb Season 2 cliffhanger. However, the Sydney and Vaughn relationship triangle with Lauren was dragged out too long and there was little or no personal life, as there had been in previous seasons. Tonight, however, Season Four began with a bang.



I loved the first episode of Season 4, "Authorized Personnel Only Parts 1 + 2". The teaser was convincing and the way the writers dealt with the cliffhanger from last season was masterful. It feels like a rebirth for the show, with the introduction of APO, headed by Arvin Sloane. Everything about this episode cried out that the show has finally found its voice again, the voice that made it so successful for the first three seasons. Welcome back.

DVD Review: Without a Trace

2005-01-03T19:42:00.000-05:00



The Review

Without a Trace was introduced on CBS as a follow-up to their ratings force, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, on Thursday nights. However, in its first season the show gained a cult following and the popularity has grown. It has emerged as a ratings force to be recokned with. Gone are the days when Without a Trace relied on hand-me-down CSI viewers to fuel its ratings. There is now a large group of fans who tune into this show by itself.



Of course, every show has to have a beginning, and this review will cover the first season of Without a Trace on DVD. As far as the show itself goes, Without a Trace is a gem. I couldn't be happier for the series and its staff because a show that is this intelligent and well acted deserves fans. Although Without a Trace is billed as an ensemble show, there is one character who is clearly focused on more than the rest. Special Agent Jack Malone, played by Anthony LaPaglia, is one of the most riveting characters ever to hit the TV screen. With his fiery loyalty to the cases and victims, combined with a history of personal problems including a separation from his wife, I find myself watching the show because of him. Although the writers gain some credit for creating the character, LaPaglia has taken it to a new level. He carries the show, and I am convinced that as good as Without a Trace is, it would not have made it past the first season is LaPaglia had not agreed to star. He is tailor made for this role, and he never lets up in his compelling portrayal of Malone. In fact, LaPaglia's acting is so good in this first season that he won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor in the show's first season, an unheard of accomplishment.



The other characters consist of Agent Sam Spade (Poppy Montgomery), a veteran who is fiercely loyal to Malone, Agent Vivian Johnson (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), the oldest member of the team who is often the case cracker, Agent Danny Taylor (Enrique Murciano), an agent who is protective of his job at the FBI and who is not afraid to take risks, and Agent Martin Fitzgerald (Eric Close). Fitzgerald is perhaps the most engrossing character with the exception of Malone. He is a green rookie who is desperate to prove himself in this first season. However, despite the individual traits of the characters, this is most defiantly an ensemble show, with all of the agents playing an equal role behind their leader, Malone.



The idea behind Without a Trace is very simple. People go missing and the Missing Persons Unit tries to locate them. This may sound like a concept that is only good for about 10 episodes before it gets old. However, this is where the genius of the writing comes into play. The cases are not all kidnappings. In fact, they can be anything from murders with no body found to simple runaways. It is this intelligence that keeps the show alive. Just like LaPaglia, this is an integral part of the show that probably kept it from being cancelled before it gained popularity. The victims are always intriguing and the cases are always interesting. That as good thing, too, because the show is now in the middle of the third season, and is showing no signs of slowing down.



The DVD's are mediocre, certainly not doing a series of this quality justice. The video and sound are fine, but that packaging is shameful. It looks cheap, almost as if the creators put no effort into it at all. Also, the DVD's themselves are not decorated. They are two sided. While this saves space, the creators of the DVD's would be well advised to look at the CSI DVD's for design ideas. The special features are adequate.



Closing Comments

At it's core, Without a Trace is a procedural drama. However, what separates it from the other crime shows is the fascinating interaction between the characters. This is a cop show with a heart, which draws viewers from a very different pool than CSI and CSI: Miami. It is for this reason that it has gained in the ratings. There is one concern though. The Season 2 DVD's have not been scheduled to be released as of yet. This is because the creators of the set are waiting for the DVD's to sell better. Right now, they do not feel that the market is in a good position concerning this show. I would urge any fan of Without a Trace to buy the DVD's if they have not already done so, for this reason alone.



Scores (Show and DVD's):

Show:  

Plot    - 8

Acting  - 10

Writing - 10

Tech    - 9  

OVERALL: 9 (Not an average)



DVD's:  

Video            - 8

Audio            - 8

Packaging - 6

Special Features - 7

OVERALL: 7 (Not an average)

The New Years Resolution

2005-01-02T11:21:00.000-05:00





It has always seemed to me that there has been extensive debate about the merit of the new year's resolution. There are the faithful devotees that make them year after year, some for trivial purposes and some for more serious ones. And then there is the other side, that ridicules the resolutions and all who partake in them. They are deemed useless and cast aside as "being broken a week later".



The best solution is probably to make a realistic resolution. The ideas of losing 100 pounds or not getting angry at a sibling are foolish. These things cannot happen, and this is where the idea that resolutions are fruitless comes from. However, if you keep your ambitions in check, the resolution can be a very rewarding experience. It helps if you can pick a broad topic. For example, if you promise to yourself that you will try to eat healthier, that promise will probably stay in the back of your mind, and you may resist buying that candy bar or munching on that cookie. A general topic like this is most likely something that you have been thinking about doing for a long time, and this serves only to solidify this belief.



As for myself, I'm not sure about how I feel in respect to the resolution. I've never actually sat down and made one, but I respect those who do. The idea of resolving to improve oneself is an admirable activity. In fact, we probably need more of that. I know that in my everyday life, I make resolutions by the truckload. Whether it is resolving to exercise, or making decisions about my emotions and how to control them, the idea of directing oneself in a certain direction has always held a certain attractiveness to me. But like I said before, I have never made a new year's resolution, perhaps because resolutions are a part of my daily existence. However, this year I will change that trend. I have decided to make a new year's resolution, and that is to write at least one column per day for this blog if I am able to do so. Possible exceptions include vacations where I have no internet and days when I am sick or incapacitated. Writing in this forum makes me enjoy putting my thoughts on paper, and I don't want that to change. Considering how many trivial things I am forced to write about for school, it is nice to be able to write about things that I enjoy. See you tomorrow!

Looking Ahead to 2005

2005-01-01T17:00:00.000-05:00





As the ball dropped last night, we put our past behind us and moved into the new year. This year will, without a doubt, prove to be a very exciting one. Our president will be sworn in to a second term and the economy is predicted to continue its climb. The sixth Harry Potter book will be released and the last installment of the Star Wars saga will hit the theatres. However, even though we have these defined things to look forward to, the best part of ushering in a new year is the unpredictability.



No one knows what will happen over the course of 2005, and the great adventure in life is to see where the road takes us. If you think about the events of the past year, no one could have predicted that this would happen. No one knew what would happen in the election and no one knew who could win the sports championships. It is for this reason, the tradition of not knowing the future, that we are kept sane. Each year, each day is a new adventure, and you never know what could happen. And although it is inevitable that we hit bumps in the road, everything happens for a reason. I know that it sounds like a cliche, but if you think about anything bad that has ever happened to you, something good has come out of it either in the long or short term. For example, I was deferred from Davidson College when I applied early decision earlier in December. However, it now appears that I may be attending Vanderbilt University. I do not know what school is truly the better match for me, but things could turn out for the better just as well as for the worse. It is for this reason that I wish all of the readers a very happy new year.



"You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."

- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

Looking Back on 2004

2004-12-31T19:29:00.000-05:00





"It was a very good year..." - Frank Sinatra



It was the year of a presidential election, in which the incumbent emerged victorious. Seemingly unbeatable a year or two ago, the race was tightened. It went right down to the wire, but in the end America spoke and its voice supported our President, George W. Bush.



It was the year of a recovering economy. After the events of September 11, 2001 and the two subsequent wars, the economy has made a remarkable comeback, with over a million jobs created in the past year alone. The time of optimism is upon us.



It was the year of the American soldier, with almost all of the headlines coming from Iraq being American casualties. The soldiers have fought valiantly, despite much unrest at home. I'm sure that the whole country would join me in saying, "Thank you".



It was the year of world awareness on terror. With the impending threats amassing in North Korea and Iran, the world turned its eyes to the realities of terrorism. More people than ever before made themselves knowledgeable about the workings of the world. The 9/11 Commission and Richard Clarke took the spotlight for a short time.



It was the year of the Reagans. Former President Ronald Reagan died and his son, Ronnie, spoke at the Democratic Convention. Nancy watched from the sidelines, mourning the loss of her husband, and Michael took to the radio, making sure liberals like his brother knew their place.



It was the year of the tsunami. The disaster in the South Pacific is heartbreaking and killed over 124,000 at last count. The final count has been projected to be over 400,000 with millions more left homeless. The relief effort from the average person has been remarkable.



It was the year of new fads for adults, such as the Livestrong bracelets and the "Support our Troops" bumper magnets. Approximately two thirds of our population possesses these trinkets. Trust me, they'll be gone in 2005.



It was the year of dynasties and broken droughts, both stemming from the Massachusetts town of Boston. The Patriots won their second Super Bowl in three years and the Red Sox won their first World Series in 82 years. The curse of the Bambino has been officially vanquished.



It was the year of a pot-smoking former NFL rushing champion. Selling out on his teammates, he cursed the Miami Dolphins to their first losing season since 1988. He even made a fool out of himself on 60 Minutes, while staying in the newspapers way too much.



It was the year of the bloggers. For the first time ever in 2004, the average man could have a voice in the events of the world. From coverage of the elections to personal journals, it seems that there is a blog for everything.



It was the year of the "wardrobe malfunction" at the Super Bowl, prompting an FCC crackdown on the airwaves. As a result, crybaby Howard Stern has moved to Sirius Radio and Saving Private Ryan was kept off network TV.



It was the year of CSI, with a third installment, CSI: New York, hitting the airwaves, only to disappoint viewers and draw lower rating than its predecessors, CSI and CSI: Miami. It's future is uncertain.



It was the year of TV Shows on DVD, with the new market booming and the release of new favorites and old classics alike onto store shelves. The new DVD's have developed a cult following, allowing viewers who missed old shows to do some catching up.



It was the year of The Lord of the Rings. With The Return of the King dominating the Oscars and the DVD's selling hot at Christmas, Peter Jackson's epic was complete and the newest generation has a fantasy trilogy to be proud of.



It was the year of The Da Vinci Code. As one of the most widely read books in history, it catapulted Dan Brown to stardom on the back of adventurer Robert Langdon. I know for a fact that the world is breathlessly awaiting his next release.



It was the year of musical comebacks. With U2 releasing a new album and Destiny's Child getting back together, we heard from artists who had not graced the airwaves for years. There were to many to list here.



It was the year of the iPod. Recognized as the savior of Apple, the 6 ounce MP3 player has revolutionized music. iPod Mini and the Special U2 edition have been introduced. The world will never look on CD's in the same way again.



It was the year of the cicada. These fearsome insects invaded the United States, with billions of them hatching and living their insignificant two-week lives. See you again in 17 years. Thank god it's over, because I don't think anyone got a wink of sleep during their occupation.



It was the year of the hurricane, with Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne pounding the Southeast in a relentless attack of rain and wind. The damage was devastating. Don't you think these Floridians would be used to it by now?



And now, as the sun sets on 2004, we turn our heads to the new year. No one could have predicted the events of the past year. This begs us ask the question, "Who knows what the future will hold?"

The Future of Digital Video

2004-12-30T20:00:00.000-05:00





The pictures that you can see above are of the Blu-ray disk (on the top) and the new HD-DVD. In the next year, these products are expected to emerge onto the digital video scene and possibly push out the DVD. They are the next generation of DVD's.



Both of these new disks use a blue laser to read them. It has a finer definition (and a shorter wavelength) than the red lasers that are used to read DVD's. For this reason, it is possible to compact more memory into a smaller space with a higher density. The memory of our disks could multiply almost infinitely. Right now, there is a battle going on in the market to see which of the disks will win out. The Blu-ray has the support of Sony Pictures 20th Century Fox, and MGM. However, the HD-DVD has Paramount Pictures, Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., and New Line Cinema. Obviously, the support of these manufacturers is crucial to this battle. The consumers will not tolerate being forced to buy two different formats. As of right now, there is no clear winner. The battle is expected to continue through 2005. Personally, I believe that the HD-DVD will have the upper hand because the core idea is not to replace DVD's, but to produce the DVD's with a higher resolution. However, you would need a new player for both of these formats.



As an owner of many DVD's, especially TV DVD's, I am personally upset by this development. I know that I am not alone, because there will be very few consumers willing to replace all of their DVD's will these new formats. The process would be extremely expensive. This leads me to question whether or not this format can be successful. With the potential lack of consumer interest, and the fact that DVD's are so firmly entrenched, the probable result is that consumers will shell out for a new HD-DVD or Blu-ray player. However, the companies cannot expect the consumers to replace the DVD collections themselves. This means that this "revolution" may not be as broad as the transition from VHS to DVD's. People have laptops, and they can play DVD's. As far as portable video is concerned, DVD's can't be touched.



The ultimate solution in the end will probably be a player that can play CD's, DVD's and HD-DVD's. It has actually been produced by NEC. This product will also be incorporated into laptop computers. With this solution, consumers would be protected against the possible prospect of having to replace their collection. For this reason, HD-DVD's will win out. They are a more familiar product, and disk drives can be produced that are compatible with all formats except for Blu-ray.

Book Review: The Last Juror

2004-12-29T21:26:00.000-05:00





The Review

John Grisham is best known for writing suspenseful legal thrillers. He is one of the best in terms of cheap paperbacks to be picked up in an airport. His work is certainly on par with that of writers like Stephen King, Dan Brown, and Tom Clancy. His books always sell very well and are wildly involving and entertaining. However, The Last Juror is one of the exceptions to the rule. It is as much of an examination of 70's Southern culture as it is a legal thriller. Certainly, the main plot follows the trial and eventual parole of a murderer, Danny Padgitt. However, it is also a story of maturity paralleled with the destruction of Clanton, Mississippi.



The story follows Willie Traynor and baptism into the Southern culture. He is a journalism student fresh from his education and buys a small town newspaper, The Ford County Times. After a renovation of the newspaper's style and format, the murder trial of Danny Padgitt consumes the town and Willie in particular. After the trial finishes, the years pass and Willie assimilates himself into the local culture. He buys and redecorates a house, and makes many colorful friends along the way. However, Padgitt is later paroled and the third part of the book is devoted to the consequences of this action. Like I previously mentioned, it is much more than a legal thriller. In the manner in which the book turned out, the legal aspect almost takes a backseat. There is another character that plays a major role in the novel, and that is Miss Callie. She is a black woman that befriends Willie, and her story is integral both for her friendship and her role as the first black ever in Ford County to serve on the jury of a white man. The plot is a masterpiece. It is an artful combination of a murder mystery and a loss of innocence story set against the backdrop of the deep south.



The characters are fantastic, and you can develop an image in your minds eye for each of them. Between Harry Rex and Miss Callie, the reader is presented with a very real image of what the deep south must have been like at that time. Willie's "baptism by fire" is masterfully handled, and this feels much like a coming-of-age story in the vein of The Catcher in the Rye. This creates a dimension not normally seen in Grisham books. This is not necessarily a good thing, especially if you enter the book expecting a book like The Firm, like I did. The book would probably be more enjoyable if it were a pure legal thriller, but from a literary standpoint this is easily Grisham's most mature book to date. Hopefully, his new book, The Broker (to be released on January 11th), will return to the former type. However, for this novel, this was a welcome diversion.



Score

Overall: 7.9 out of 10

Disaster Relief: South Pacific

2004-12-29T19:57:00.000-05:00

As the death toll has passes 100,000 in one of the biggest natural disasters in history, I would like to use this forum, one of the few places where I have a voice, to encourage donation in relief of these people's suffering. It is unimaginable the sorrow and pain that these people are feeling, and I'm sure that every donation will help. Amazon has set up a link where you can use your account to make a donation. Thank you in advance.

Here is a link to Amazon's disaster relief fund: Link
To learn about the disaster, click here: Link

The Sport of Golf

2004-12-29T17:05:00.000-05:00





Note to Readers:

 I have decided that over the next two or three months, I will run a series of features about the game of golf. The features will have no set time schedule and no set number, although my best estimate is between four and eight. Again, it could be more and it could be less, depending on how the articles are structured and the feedback that I hope to acquire from you, my readers. The first article starts here.



 Golf Feature: The Sport of Golf

Although you know that I am an avid skier, there is another sport that occupies my time. Skiing is a winter sport, to be enjoyed in the cold mountains. However, there is one sport that seems to have appeal wherever you travel in the world. That sport is golf. Now that Christmas is over, we should start turning our attention towards the spring. I have been golfing for about 4 years and I shoot in the mid-80's for the most part. I play for my high school team, and am a co-captain in my senior year. Over the past four years, I have had a rocky relationship with the game. It is certainly one of the most trying endeavors that you can attempt. The frustration is seemingly endless and the bad shots far outweigh the good ones. However, the shots and memories that are plastered into your mind when you think about golf are the positive ones. When you hear golfers say that "The good shots keep you coming back for more", it would be in your best interest to listen to them. Without those rare great shots, the golf courses would be empty. The game takes an immense amount of work to succeed.



"Golf is very much like a love affair. If you don't take it seriously, it's no fun. If you do, it breaks your heart. Don't break your heart, but flirt with the possibility." - Louise Suggs



Golf is a sport with a very simple premise. In short, you try to knock a ball into a hole with as few tries as possible. Most courses have a par of 72, which means that the reasonable number of strokes that it should take to make your way around the course is 72. However, this is often very unreasonable, because for a majority of golfers, it is a great accomplishment to shoot below 100. Only true professionals and very skilled amateurs set their sights on shooting par or lower. You are allowed to carry 14 clubs in your bag at one time. An example of the contents of a typical golf bag is a Driver, 3-wood, 5-wood, 3-9 iron, a pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a putter, and a utility club. Again, this is an example and very few players have the same configuration of clubs in their bags. For example, a person might replace the previously mentioned 3 iron with a lob wedge. All golf courses have 18 holes, all of which are ranked as either par 3's, par 4's, or par 5's. The par number corresponds with the number of shots that it should take for a skilled golfer to complete the hole.



What I have given you are the basics of the game of golf. It is a great game, even though I get very frustrated with it very easily. In some ways, it is addicting, always keeping you coming back for more, even if it may be bad for your mental health.

Movie Review: The Manchurian Candidate

2004-12-29T14:18:00.000-05:00





The Review

Imagine the creation of technology that can allow us to enter the brains of other human beings and manipulate them as we see fit. Memories can be erased or created and behavior can be programmed and manipulated. With today's revolution of technology, this thought is not inconceivable. This is the subject matter at the heart of The Manchurian Candidate, a deeply disturbing psychological thriller. The movie leaves an unremovable stain on the mind of the viewer, and it could garner a recommendation from me for this reason alone.



However, the movie has many other credentials that allow it to achieve a very good rating. The acting from Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, and especially Liev Schreiber is top-notch and the story is compelling. At its heart, The Manchurian Candidate is a story of the recovery of lost memories and the effect of technological manipulation on human beings. Ben Marco (Washington) served in the Persian Gulf war. He has begun to have dreams about the events that happened there. However, these dreams are completely different from the memories that he actually remembers. And so a series of revelations are set in motion that affect a Vice Presidential candidate (Schreiber) who served under Marco. Meryl Streep gives an Oscar-worthy performance as Eleanor Shaw, the candidate's mother. Any further revelation about the plot will spoil the movie for those who have not seen it.



However, without citing specifics, I can say that the movie is a notable series of revelations, all culminating in the ultimate of "internal battles". The ending is a perfect compliment to the rest of the movie. Actually, the movie holds up much better under a second viewing, because the first time through it can be confusing. Make no mistake, this is an intelligent thriller, and those expecting a Van Helsing-like action brawl will be sorely disappointed. You have to think about this movie, and it is better to know that going in. In fact, the movie may try too hard to be intelligent, resulting in confusion even for viewers that are paying attention. This feels like it could have been extended, as if some crucial plot development scenes were left out. On second viewing, you realize that everything that you need to understand it is there, it is just mentioned in brief.



Closing Comments

The Manchurian Candidate is a very good film. The concept is intriguing and the acting is nothing short of superb. Viewers who pay attention are in for an intelligent treat of a motion picture. However, although movies are usually too long, this movie feels rushed, and 20-25 extra minutes of background and plot development would do it the justice that it deserves.



Score

Overall: 8.5 out of 10

Alta: The Skier's Mecca

2004-12-28T21:00:00.000-05:00



Skiing has long been a passion of mine. Every year, my family has ventured across the world to ski. Whether it be Switzerland, Canada or the western United States, I have experienced it all. From the icy slopes of manufactured snow in Pennsylvania to the majestic Swiss Alps, I can remember countless runs of varying quality with fantastic memories of all. I have participated in the Ski Club at school, which is more of a social excursion than a hard-core skiing trip, but I always have a great time with friends. I remember coming in from a hard day of skiing with my cousins in the Alps, and eating raclette to finish the day. In short, one of the many pillars of my childhood was skiing, and I am an avid skier even to this day. The best skiing experience that I have ever had was at Alta Ski Resort.



Located just outside Salt Lake City, Utah, Alta is in the heart of the Rockies. The scenery around the area is magnificent. And once in a while, if you have the right vantage point at the right time of day, the view of the valley covered in smog is stupefying and disturbing at the same time. However, you can escape from the dirty air of the city and spend some time in heaven. The air is crisp and cool and the water is pure. It is the quintessential mountain escape. The accommodations are a choice of 5 lodges and an assortment of condominiums and houses available for rent. Unfortunately, I can only comment on the Alta Lodge, because it is the lone lodge that I have stayed at in my two visits. It features a home-like feel and a wooden structures, giving it the characteristics of a log cabin. There is a TV room and a (very) active bar. Both are great places too watch sports, especially football. There is no internet, except for a 56k modem in the TV room. The rooms have the same feel as the rest of the lodge. The beds are comfortable and the accommodations are adequate. There is a restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food is, for the most part, good. It has a home-cooked feeling that once again complies with the rest of the lodge. However, the best part is the location.



Like all of the lodges at Alta, you can ski right out the side door and onto the slopes. Considering how many other ski resorts force you to carry your skis to your destination, this is a very welcome change. As for the skiing itself, it is the best experience that I have ever had. The snow is perfect, the lines are short, and all of the runs are both easy to find and very accessible. There is a range of beginniner to expert runs, but the mountain was clearly built for experienced skiers, because the difficult runs are where it shines. There are enough ungroomed bowls and mogul adventures to last any skier for a lifetime. It is a truly heavenly experience, but only for skiers. There are no snowboarders allowed on the mountain. That's right, they're banned. Again, this is a refreshing change from the crackling noise of a snowboarder diving towards you. They're not kidding when they advertise: "Alta is for Skiers". All in all, Alta is the holy grail for a true skiing fanatic. However, if you don't ski, don't bother making reservations because there is little to do that is not catered to skiers. Also, the Alta Lodge has a very distinctive feel. This is irrelevant, though, because there are four other lodges to choose from.

CD Review: HTDAAB by U2

2004-12-28T19:36:00.000-05:00





Commentary

U2 is considered by many to be the biggest band in the world. Dominating the music scene throughout the 80's and 90's, their longevity is legendary. They have kept going because of their willingness to experiment with different sounds and types of music. Then, in the year 2000, they exploded into the new century with "All That You Can't Leave Behind". The Grammys rolled in and "Beautiful Day" saw extensive play on the radio. It also produced "Walk On", my personal favorite of all of U2's songs. Now, four years later, they have released their next album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb".



Although the title indicates a highly politicized rant, the album actually turned out quite differently. The only song that is really obvious in its political orientation is "Love and Peace or Else". Because of this discrepancy, the album feels poorly titled, although it is catchy. The fact that the words "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb" are topping the charts across the world is enough of a statement to last me a lifetime. As for the music itself, we are seeing U2 at it's most mature ever. The adult nature of the tracks, with their very sophisticated messages, is refreshing because we see way too much of the teen-angst trend in today's music. It gets old after a while, so it is nice to see someone writing music who "gets it". The thing that U2 does, that is defiantly reflected in this album, is that they create complete albums, will little or no filler. Again, this is a welcome change from the albums that many pop artists create that have one single and 10 filler tracks. HTDAAB is a fantastic album. Every track is worth listening too, and I don't skip tracks when listening to it. It may be in the top 3 U2 albums of all time, right up there with "Achtung Baby" and "Joshua Tree".

 

Scores

1. Vertigo - Hard-rocker that is immediately catchy.  Great "sing in the car" tune.  Overplayed - 7/10

2. Miracle Drug - Tied for the best song on the album.  Among U2's best - 10/10

3. Sometimes You Can't Make it on Your Own - Soulful ballad written about Bono's father. - 8/10

4. Love and Peace or Else - The one dud on the album.  Boring and lifeless. - 4/10

5. City of Blinding Lights - Inspired song about New York City.  Fantastic. - 9/10

6. All Because of You - Shallow, loud tune with a cliche chorus. - 6/10

7. Man and a Woman - Has a very ethnic feel.  Great track. - 8/10

8. Crumbs From Your Table - Feels generic, but is a great piece of music just the same. - 7/10

9. One Step Closer - Another slow ballad about Bono's father. - 9/10

10. Original of the Species - Tied for the best on the album.  Needs repeated listenings to appreciate it. - 10/10

11. Yahweh - A poor closing song.  Never could get into it. - 5/10

12. Fast Cars (Bonus) - Only on the version with the book and special packaging. - 6/10



Overall - 9.2 out of 10 (Not an average)

He Lives in a Pineapple...

2004-12-27T19:31:00.000-05:00





There is a craze in process, one that is sweeping the nation. A craze that generates millions in revenue each year and is one of the most successful business ventures ever. This craze is also goofy, wacky, zany, and in many ways downright psychotic. Just look at the picture above. Step away from any previously held misconceptions and really look at it. It's unbelievable that a figure so stupid could demonstrate this type of financial power. Now, listen to a description of the show from a completely unbiased standpoint.



- A talking sponge lives in a pineapple at the bottom of the ocean.

- The sponge has a friend, a starfish, that is as dumb as a doornail and literally lives under a rock.

- The sponge has a pet snail that makes cat sounds when it communicates ("Meow!")

- The sponge has a love interest: a squirrel.  The squirrel lives in an arboretum and sings songs about Texas.

- The sponge works at the "Krusty Krab" for a penny-pinching crab who has a whale (literally) as a daughter.

- The crab has a nemesis, a talking plankton that owns a rival business called the "Chum Bucket", which has never had a customer.

- The sponge and starfish have a friend that is an octopus, that lives in a Easter Island-like statue and plays the clarinet.

- The sponge and starfish enjoy "jellyfishing", the sport of catching jellyfish in a net.  They often get stung.

- The characters frequently burst into song.



Crazy, right? And trust me, these are just the basics. I myself know more about Spongebob Squarepants than I ever wanted too. I have a 7-year-old cousin and a younger sibling that are enamored with the show. As soon as the sponge and his little friends grace the screen, their eyes glaze over and they seem to enter some type of subliminal trance. Unfortunately for me, I don't find the sponge and his adventures entertaining at all. Perhaps it is because I can't quite grasp the concept of a sponge living in a pineapple occupying 30 minutes of my life. However, it occupies much more than that for millions of children each day. They have the DVD's, they are seeing the movie, they are buying the merchandise, and they are being hypnotized by these adventures. Who knew that a sponge could rule the children's entertainment world? The mind that thought this up is both very sick and very rich.

The Starbucks Persona

2004-12-27T14:56:00.000-05:00





Generally, I'm not a big fan of coffee. I won't ever take it black, and to me it is only suitable for the cold days of winter. Even then, only a "White Chocolate Mocha" or a "Cafee Mocha" is suitable. Basically, they consist of a lot of milk with enough coffee flavor to give you a kick. They do their job of warming and waking you up. Keep in mind though, both of these drinks come from Starbucks.



Starbucks was founded in 1971, with the opening of a small cafe in Seattle. It stayed that way until around 1982 when Howard Schultz joined the company. A marketing floodgate was opened and soon the store invaded the whole city, becoming a chain with 17 restaurants across Seattle. In 1992, the company went public and the expansion has shown no signs of slowing. At the beginning of October in this year, there were 8,569 stores worldwide, in more than 30 countries. Earlier in the year, the count had been 7,225. That's an increase of over 1,200 stores in less than a year. If you walk through an airport, you are sure to see countless people milling around finding their way to their gates with a Starbucks cup in their hand for reassurance. The lines in Starbucks stores, especially in New York City, are astronomically long. Starbucks merchandise and mass-produced coffee flies off the shelves. In case the picture is not clear enough already, Starbucks is an official worldwide phenomenon.



It's curious how these things happen. Only in America could this entrepreneurial miracle occur. A small coffee shop in Seattle has turned into a pop culture icon that is fueling a whole generation with its drinks. In fact, that is the main appeal to Starbucks. Besides its calming and subtle decor and its personalized ordering process, it offers a quality product that is uniform wherever you go. It produces a feeling of familiarity that nurtures us. It is nice to be able to go anywhere and have a little taste of home. So far, these things have all been positive. However, there is an aspect to Starbucks that can be positive or negative. I will try to let you decide for yourselves. If you walk into a Starbucks cafe, there will be a very specific group of people enjoying their coffee and "Frappuccinos". Teenage gossip queens are the predominant group in the shop, scurrying around like lemmings. Starbucks has become a gathering place for people who look like they have just walked out of an episode of The OC. Now, it is certainly not limited to these visitors, I can tell you for a fact that teenagers in general have a stigma about Starbucks and those who visit it. Keep in mind that I am trying not to make generalizations, but Starbucks is almost a status symbol. There are those who frequent it, every day on their way to school. There are others, like myself, who enjoy the product but will not go out of their way to obtain it. There are those who consider themselves connoisseurs of coffee and look condescendingly onto those who frequent Starbucks. They believe that it is an inferior product. Then there are others that either hate coffee or avoid Starbucks like the plague as a principle. The point is, there is very defiantly a classification of people based on how they interact with Starbucks.



Rather than taking this all completely literally, it should be viewed as a symbol. A symbol of the coffee dynasty that has risen from the rainy streets of Seattle. The marketing team at Starbucks has done a remarkable job, because it has emerged into a national force to be reckoned with.



The official website: Starbucks

Little Saint Nick Delivers

2004-12-25T21:10:00.000-05:00



Miami Dolphins fans of the world, rejoice! Nick Saban has announced that he will the the 6th coach in Dolphins history, and in turn, has given the Miami fans the best Christmas present possible.



I would like to start this article with a confession. I am a Miami Dolphins fan, so I am ecstatic while I am sitting here writing this. After the trials and tribulations of a season of humiliation, it appears that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. When much-maligned former coach Dave Wannstedt resigned mid-year, I was happy. The team needed a change. On Monday night, when the Dolphins upset the defending champion Patriots, I was delighted. With this, however, I am happier than I have been in a long, long time. Saint Nick has delivered on Christmas Day.



Nick Saban has been a football coach for 30+ years. From 1991-1994, Saban was the defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. In the season before he arrived, the defense allowed a league-high 462 points. When he left in 1994, the defense allowed a mere 204 point, the league low. In fact, it was the 6th best performance for a defense in NFL history. He then proceeded to a head coaching job at Michigan State, where he led the talent-depleted Spartans to a bowl game in his first three years there. In 2000, he was considered hot property, and he decided to take the daunting LSU job. LSU plays in the SEC, one of the toughest conferences in college football. He performed magnificently on the big stage and led LSU to a SEC Championship in his second year with the team. However, he was not finished there. Last year, in the 2003-2004 season, LSU was co-National Champions and his quest for success in college football was complete. Sources close to Saban have reported that the reason that he didn't make the jump after the Championship was that he already had his eye on the Miami Dolphins. And today, he got his wish and Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga got his man.



Although much of Dolphins land is celebrating, some valid concerns have been raised about the hiring. Saban was given total control of anything football-related with the Dolphins. It is his duty now to format the front office and coaching staff as he sees fit. Although coaches in the NFL with complete power are a dying breed, arguably the best coach in NFL history, Bill Parcells, has always made it a stipulation of his to have total control when he runs a football team. Saban was the best candidate on the market, and sometimes concessions have to be made. The Dolphins are in desperate need of a housecleaning, and you can be sure that Saban will be thorough. The second concern that has been brought to light is that Saban has only had success coaching at the college level. People sometimes forget about his years as the Browns Defensive Coordinator, where he enjoyed great success. Not to mention, Saban plays a very NFL-style of football. He coaches a philosophy that requires a balanced offense, a superb offensive and defensive line, and an aggressive defense. These are all characteristics of a strong professional football team. Saban runs a tight ship, with little tolerance for mistakes, but his players all respect him. In fact, one of his best traits is his ability to connect with his players. All of this is a complete turnaround from the days of Dave Wannstedt, when laziness and mistakes were tolerated, and the Dolphins brass was contest with the status quo. In the end, this a huge step in the right direction for the Dolphins. Congratulations to Wayne Huizenga for recognizing the need for a real football coach, and successfully getting his man.



A Miami Dolphins messageboard where the celebration is going on: FinHeaven

"A Festivus, for the Rest of Us!"

2004-12-24T13:04:00.000-05:00





With those words, on December 18th, 1997, a phenomenon was born. Frank Costanza, a disgruntled celebrator of Christmas, unwittingly started an American tradition that is now on par with The Soup Nazi and Muffin Tops as the greatest Seinfeld moments. 



First, the facts. Festivus is celebrated on December 23rd, and is practiced as an alternative to Christmas. There are three main components that give the holiday its character. First, as a replacement for the revered Christmas tree, the Festivus Pole has been instituted. Designed as a symbol of the crusade against the commercialism that surrounds Christmas, it was once left bare. However, now it is permissible to put small traditional decorations on it, as long as they don't detract from the meaning. The second rite of Festivus is the Airing of Grievances. Here, in a reversal of the practices of Thanksgiving, we tell everybody what it is that they have done to disappoint us during the year. After all, what's the sense of lying about how we feel. It goes against the very heart of the principles that make up Christmas. The last, but certainly not the least of the Festivus traditions is the Feats of Strength. The head of the family chooses a fellow family member to wrestle with, and Festivus is not declared to be complete until the head of the family has been pinned. The only way that the wrestling partner can get out of the match is if they have something better to do instead. Oh, and lovers of Christmas need not apply for entrance into the rites of Festivus. You will be denied.



Although the holiday is a joke, used by the writers of televisions greatest sitcom, it broadcasts one of the main complaints about Christmas that many non-Christians and Christians have. The commercialism is pervasive in the air and invasive into every corner of the Christmas season. According to its detractors, Christmas has drifted into a materialistic fervor that can only be cured by endless piles of presents for greedy young children. However, although this may be what Christmas is all about for young children, adults generally find a different focal point in Christmas. The advent of sitting around the fire on Christmas Eve with family is something that most adults cherish over anything else that the Christmas season brings. Over time, presents lose their meaning and the materialism fades away, only to be replaced by an inseparable bond between the theme of family and the holiday season.



And yet, through this disgusting optimism, the disgruntled sect of American Christmas tradition lives on through the timeless medium of television in the form of Frank Costanza and Cosmo Kramer.

Movie Review: The Incredibles

2004-12-23T23:31:00.000-05:00





The Review

Disney and Pixar have had an incredible run together, producing such cinematic gems as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, and now The Incredibles. The Incredibles is a charming animated feature about a group of retired superheroes including Mr. Incredible (Craig T. Nelson), Elastigirl (Holly Hunter), and Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson). Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl have assumed the identities of Mr. and Mrs. Parr, and have three children, Dash (Spencer Fox), Violet (Sarah Vowell), and Jack Jack. The family all possess superpowers of some kind, although they have been banned from using them. However, one day Mr. Incredible receives a secret message from a mysterious woman inviting him to revitalize his super powers with a series of tasks assigned to him. However, it soon becomes apparent that the real object of these tasks is to get him killed. The villain of the movie then emerges: Syndrome (Jason Lee). Jealous of Superheroes, he invented the "powers" that he has through technology.  This gives a rough outline of the movie without ruining anything.    



Perhaps the most entertaining part of the movie was the animation. It was nearly flawless in every regard, with the trip taking us through cities, oceans, and tropical islands before it was over. Pixar keeps one-upping itself. The animation cannot be compared to The Polar Express, because the styles are completely different. However, for pure eye-candy and versatility, The Incredibles wins hands down. The voice acting is also top notch, with all of the actors bringing a very effective emotional portrayal of their character to the screen. There was not much more to be asked of them. However, the thing that may separate this from other family movies in the end is that it is truly a family movie. The younger audience will be drawn in by the jokes and action, but there is a level of sophistication that is rarely found in childrens movies. There are several jokes that will go straight over the heads of the youngest viewers, but at the same time will keep adult viewers interested. Congratulations are in order for Disney and Pixar, because this is not easy to accomplish.



Closing Comments

The Incredibles is truly a fantastic family film, in the purest sense of the word. This warrants a recommendation from all who see it, and the combination of animation, voice acting, and plotting make this the must-see family film of the year.



Score

Overall: 8.8 out of 10

The iPod Music Revolution

2004-12-23T15:33:00.000-05:00

It wasn't that long ago that CD players were the main portal for modern music. People would actually lug around both CD players and CD cases full of hundreds of CD's. People would even go so far as to buy CD's for the sole purpose of listening to one song over and over again. I know that I did. Then, Apple did two things. It revolutionized music and in the process, it saved itself from sure bankruptcy.

The first generation iPod was released on November 10, 2001. We are now into the fourth generation and the special Mini iPods and the U2 Special Edition iPod. The basic format for the iPod is this: users can copy an almost-infinite number of songs onto the unit, and they are automatically categorized by genre, artist, song, album, and composer. Users can also create as many different "playlists" as the please, to play songs in an order of their preference. You can use any type of headphones and the battery is internal, with no changing necessary. Although it sounds like a MP3 with a larger capacity, it has grown into much more than that.

If you go to a typical American high school, you would be hard-pressed to find many students without iPods. Not only has it become a "fashion trend" of sorts, it has taken over the music industry. In conjunction with iTunes, Apple's software to accompany the iPod, the need for record stores has all but vanished. With a few notable exceptions (Beatles, Rolling Stones) almost any CD in production is available on iTunes, most for the cost of $9.99. Compared to the hefty $17-$18 price tags of traditional CD's, the obvious choice is to use digital music. Not only are the albums cheaper, you can also download single tracks for $.99. This eliminates the cost of buying a whole CD for one song. In short, Apple has it made. They were the first company to jump on the Peer-to-Peer sharing of Napster and Kazaa, and turn it legal. Now, iTunes it vastly more used than any of the bootleg music sites. This is a great triumph for both Apple and the music industry in general, who had been victimized as a result of illegal file sharing.

At first, this was just a solution for the portable music listeners. Now, however, companies such as Bose have released iPod speakers for your home. The sound it fantastic, and all you have to do is plug your iPod into the speakers, and it will play any song at your whim. In many ways, the home stereo systems were the last resort for CD's. Now, even that barrier has been obliterated and the iPod music revolution is complete.

All of this begs the question as to whether or not this is good for the music industry. The answer is: only if they decide to accept this remarkable phenomenon and roll with it. As long as the music industry complies with the requests of the users, CD's will be the only thing that will be left in the past. Maybe the industry itself can avoid going with it.

Apple's official iPod and iTunes Website: Apple: iPod + iTunes
Unofficial iPod Site (Accessories, Forums, etc.): iPodLounge

DVD Review: X-Files Seasons 1-5 + Movie

2004-12-23T11:14:00.000-05:00





The Review:

Although my interest in the X-Files was only sparked about 3 months ago, upon my purchase of the first season DVD's, I am now a certified X-Phile (A devoted follower of the adventures of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully). I have only finished seasons 1-5 on DVD and watched the movie. At this point, I can't comment on the last 4 seasons of the series, but in another 2 months or so, I will have finished and I will post a conclusion to this review.    



For the uneducated, Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) are two FBI agents assigned to the "X-Files", or investigations into the paranormal. They are sometimes assisted by Assistant Director Walter Skinner (Mitch Pileggi), and are almost always opposed by the Cigarette Smoking Man (William B. Davis). Over the years, their investigations have included those into ghosts, shapeshifters, modern-day Frankensteins, and most importantly, aliens. There are two types of episodes that the X-files usually features and those are the MOTW (Monster of the Week) episodes, and the mythology episodes. The MOTW's are exactly what they sound like. This is where a large majority of the paranormal investigations take place, and most of the creepiest moments occur here. On the other hand, the mythology episodes tackle the ongoing story arcs featured in the lives of out two favorite FBI agents. Some of these investigations included the search for Mulder's sister, the alien black oil, the rebel vs. colonist aliens, and almost always large government conspiracies featuring the CSM. But that's enough about the background.    



The core of this show is the relationship between Mulder and Scully. To see their relationship develop over the course of these 5 years was a delight. From strangers to friends to best friends to something more??? The writers and the actors have developed the relationship perfectly. I don't think that to this point, any X-Phile could ask for it any other way. This is a perfect segway into the acting abilities of David and Gillian. Although awkward at first, the two were tailor made for their roles and have developed beyond anything that series creator Chris Carter could have hoped. They make the X-files and it would have been impossible to keep the show on the air without them. As for the show itself, the combination of conspiracy, creepiness, comedy, and a search for the truth creates a perfect blend that can perhaps never be duplicated. The lighting and technical aspects were always perfect and it truly felt like a big-screen cinematic production for every episode.    



The DVD's themselves are fantastic as well. The technical aspects are fine but the packaging is worthy of the name "Collector's Edition". The special features are lacking in the first season but after that, it gets better and better, with original TV spots and commentaries prominent. Thank you FOX, for these excellent DVD's.    



Closing Comments:

 Although I am only starting my journey into X-files land, the first 5 seasons have truly been an experience. I have not disagreed with anything the writers have done and have faithfully watched 1-3 episodes per day for the past three months. Because of the X-files, they have been some of the most entertained months of my life.



Scores (Show and DVD's):



  Show:  

Plot    - 10  

Acting  - 10

Writing - 10

Tech    - 10  

OVERALL: 10 (Not an average)



DVD's:  

Video            - 8  

Audio            - 9

Packaging - 10

Special Features - 8  

OVERALL: 9 (Not an average)



Note: If you decide to watch the X-Files, this is a website that allows you to rate the episodes and see the average for other user's ratings. So far, it has been a great indicator as to the quality of any episode.

X-Files Ratings and Reviews

Welcome Post

2004-12-23T01:27:00.000-05:00

It's 2 days until Christmas and its 1:27 AM, so I don't really feel like making a long introduction. I'm 17 years old and I live in New Jersey, USA. Right now, that's all you really need to know about me. I'm applying to colleges right now, and am struggling with a lot of things. I'll make my first long post tomorrow.

Tomorrow: Review of X-Files Seasons 1-5 + Movie