HAMCOW

2010 films

2010-07-21T22:03:00.085-04:00

****1/2
Inception
***1/2
Toy Story 3
The Social Network
127 Hours
True Grit
***
Never Let Me Go
Kick-Ass
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
The Kids Are All Right
Inside Job
Winter's Bone
The King's Speech
Black Swan
Easy A
The Town
Four Lions
Shutter Island
Animal Kingdom
The Ghost Writer
Green Zone
The Fighter
How to Train Your Dragon
L'illusionniste (The Illusionist)
Love and Other Drugs
Flipped
The American
Blue Valentine
Buried
Machete
**1/2
Salt
Greenberg
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Iron Man 2
Cyrus
Get Him to the Greek
Somewhere
Despicable Me
You Don't Know Jack
Conviction
Robin Hood
Date Night
Red
Megamind
Secretariat
The Book of Eli
Tangled
Unstoppable
Rabbit Hole
Knight and Day
Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps
The A-Team
**
Let Me In
Edge of Darkness
The Crazies
Clash of the Titans
Alice in Wonderland
The Other Guys
TRON: Legacy
The Karate Kid
The Expendables
The Tourist
Burlesque
Stone
Due Date
Hereafter
Eclipse (Twilight part 3)
Resident Evil: Afterlife
Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
The Runaways
Piranha
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Centurion
A Nightmare on Elm Street
*1/2
And Soon the Darkness
Valentine's Day
She's Out of My League
Death at a Funeral
Paranormal Activity 2

the Blind Side

2010-03-13T20:27:00.001-05:00

This is a mediocre movie. Sandra Bullock winning the Oscar has to be the worst choice for best actress I've ever seen (topping Julia Roberts)... Ugh.

Michael Jackson

2009-06-26T11:55:00.001-04:00

I just found out about the death of Michael Jackson when I woke up this morning. Sad, sad news. There's no question that this is the celebrity death that has shocked me more than any other. More than Princess Di, John Lennon, JFK Jr., etc. I can't think of any others that come close during my lifetime. Good night king of pop...

quote of the day

2009-05-27T18:17:00.001-04:00

Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.

2009 films

2009-03-21T00:14:00.134-04:00

****1/2
Inglourious Basterds
***1/2
Madeo (Mother)
Moon
Avatar
***
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Adventureland
Mary and Max
Watchmen (directors cut)
Up in the Air
Män som hatar kvinnor (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
The Hurt Locker
Coraline
Star Trek
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans
An Education
State of Play
In the Loop
The Informant!
The Disappearance of Alice Creed
Das weisse Band - Eine deutsche Kindergeschichte (The White Ribbon)
(500) Days of Summer
Public Enemies
Up
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire
District 9
Un Prophete
This Is It
Home
Drag Me to Hell
Zombieland
The Brothers Bloom
Los abrazos rotos (broken embraces)
Whatever Works
Push
I Love You, Man
The Cove
Knowing
Terminator Salvation
Battlestar Galactica: The Plan
**1/2
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Luftslottet som sprängdes)
The Girl Who Played with Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)
Chloe
Bakjwi (Thirst)
Capitalism: A Love Story
Fish Tank
The Messenger
The Great Buck Howard
Bruno
Sherlock Holmes
Enter the Void (Soudain le vide)
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Crazy Heart
A Single Man
The Men Who Stare at Goats
The Soloist
My Sister's Keeper
Duplicity
9
The Young Victoria
Where the Wild Things Are
Mammut (Mammoth)
The International
Funny People
Sin Nombre
Invictus
The Road
The Secret of Kells
Splice
Brothers
Orphan
The Girlfriend Experience
Coco avant Chanel
Julie & Julia
The Uninvited
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Whip It
Away We Go
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
**
Bright Star
The Box
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
Fast & Furious
I Am Love (Io sono l'amore)
Monsters vs. Aliens
Antichrist
The Last Station
The Hangover
After.Life
New York, I Love You
Nine
Surrogates
G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Law Abiding Citizen
Paranormal Activity
17 Again
A Perfect Getaway
Banlieue 13 - Ultimatum
Ninja Assassin
The Blind Side
Dorian Gray
Angels & Demons
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs
Planet 51
Underworld: Rise of the Lycans
The Last House on the Left
Crank: High Voltage
It's Complicated
Race to Witch Mountain
*1/2
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Lovely Bones
Jennifer's Body
2012
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
The Invention of Lying
The Ugly Truth
Friday the 13th
Land of the Lost
He's Just Not That Into You
The Proposal
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Paul Blart: Mall Cop
Powder Blue
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Observe and Report
*
I Love You, Beth Cooper
Year One
The Unborn

personality types

2008-11-16T17:07:00.004-05:00

INTJ

78% introverted
12% intuitive
38% thinker
1% judger

2 links about this personality:
#1
#2

Hmm, is this me ? It sure sounds like me in some ways...

The Forbidden Kingdom

2008-09-06T00:21:00.001-04:00

The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) Jackie Chan, Jet Li

this was mostly silly but kind of enjoyable at times

jet li as the monkey king = hilarious ;)

the last scene in boston was bad

food for thought

2008-08-22T22:29:00.000-04:00

click here

I believe...

2008-06-11T12:43:00.001-04:00

Here are some things that I've thought about and believe in (in no particular order):

environmentalism, conservation of energy & resources

mostly free trade

pro-choice in first trimester (at least)

legalization and regulation of recreational narcotics

homosexuals are legitimate people too and deserve their rights

separation of church and state

freedom of religion and speech

women's rights and protections

democracy is the worst form of government (except for all the other kinds)

the metric system

universal health care and universal education

progressive taxation and estate tax

the only sovereign governments which are legitimate are the ones which allow free and fair elections and freedom of the media

irena sendler

2008-05-25T14:36:00.001-04:00

Recently, I read an economist article about Irena Sendler, a great hero of Poland, who died recently. Sounds like a very courageous and amazing woman. Maybe she should have won the Nobel peace prize (she lost to Al Gore !) Today, there are not nearly as many heroes as there are during dark times. No numbers to back it up, but it just seems that way to me.

here's the article

responsibility to protect !

2008-05-24T11:30:00.001-04:00

I was just talking about this issue recently, and now it appears in the Economist!

http://www.economist.com/world/international/displaystory.cfm?story_id=11376531

Also, there are 2 comments on this article which I found interesting:

#1
Unfortunately, most countries are run as the private property of their inept or corrupt governments. They might be small and unimportant, but in the UN, the vote of, say, Zimbabwe has the same value as the vote of, say, Germany or Japan.
As long as the UN is the total sum in number (as opposed to people, or GDP, etc) of countries, in can't be anything other than the expensive talk-shop that it has always been.
Sovereignity is a 19th century concept which current use is only to prop up the worst despots in this planet to keep stealing and raping their own helpless populations, trapped inside their own borders.
I live in Africa.

#2
This was a long-awaited article.

Discussing the legal merits of intervention is exceptionally important; Myanmar can set a legal precedent on intervention during humanitarian crises. These legal questions are not arcane. When the law is clear, there can be consensus. It is now up to governments and public lawyers to dissect the UN Charter and piece together a convincing legal argument for intervention.

INTERVENTION DISRESPECTS STATE-SOVEREIGNTY?

Well, depends. How do you define state sovereignty? Political independence and territorial integrity? Let us step away from 19th Century notions of state sovereignty. A state does not only comprise of governing institutions. The citenzry is the state; their will, their rights, their needs. State sovereignty [government] will and must be respected to the extent to which its citenzry deems it to be worthy of respect.

The Government is not a state; the government is merely a tool.

There is no suspension of sovereignty when stomachs need to be fed; I think we can all agree that, THAT IS the citizens political will.

TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY, POLITICAL INDEPENDENCE?

No, the United Nations Charter does not rest exclusively on principles of non-intervention and respect for state sovereignty. The values in which international law rests on also include respect for human rights and dignity.

The situation in Myanmar does not amount to genocide or ethnic cleansing, both of which traditionally served as legitimate grounds for humanitarian intervention. But the deliberate disregard for human life, the omission to act by the junta surely should engage some sort of obligation by multi-lateral bodies to act. Though they are not categorically 'positive actions of violations', the result of an imminent mass loss of lives does not really make it significantly different from genocide or ethnic cleansing.

BUT IF WE PERMIT INTERVENTION, COUNTRIES MAY USE THE HUMANITARIAN ARGUMENT TO INTERVENE IN THE DOMESTIC AFFAIRS OF OTHER COUNTRIES?

Yes, it is a legitimate concern. But this should be a policy objection rather than an outright assertion that humanitarian intervention should not be the exception to 'non use of force'. I think we are deluding ourselves when we assert that because this right can be abused, it should not exist in law at all. All rights are capable of being abused. And this is where law comes in; law should define the situations permitting intervention through some objective criteria.

Greenwood suggests:

1. There is an immediate threat of the most serious humanitarian emergency involving large scale loss of life AND

2. Military intervention is necessary, in that it is the only practicable means by which that loss of life can be ended or prevented.

Military intervention can also be regulated; it must be strictly necessary and proportionate. It can be led by a non-partisan regional organisation or a multi-lateral body like the United Nations.

NEED FOR SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION?

The UN Charter prohibits the use of force except in self-defence or where the Security Council determines so, like in a breach of peace or an act of aggression.

I think the situation with the Security Council where unless a permanent member (in this case prob China) could be persuaded to lift its cote, is contrary to the principles on which modern international law is based on. One country's veto should not force the international community to sit on the sidelines. When the Security Council cannot and will not act, the legal requirement continues to be, to save lives.

Latiff, N

democracy!

2008-05-09T13:27:00.001-04:00

There seems to be a very strong correlation between democracy / freedom and a higher standard of living.
Maybe, democracy is not perfect. But the results are very good!!

Look at:

USA
western Europe
Canada
Australia
South Korea
Japan

vs.

North Korea
Myanmar
Russia
Cuba
China, etc...

2008 films

2008-05-02T16:04:00.127-04:00

****
The Dark Knight
***1/2
The Wrestler
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
***
Cloverfield
Lat den ratte komma in (Let the Right One In)
Synecdoche, New York
Slumdog Millionaire
In Bruges
Iron Man
Burn After Reading
Frost/Nixon
Gake no ue no Ponyo (Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea)
The Reader
Pineapple Express
Milk
Il y a longtemps que je t'aime (I've Loved You So Long)
Gran Torino
Traitor
Man on Wire
Doubt
Vals Im Bashir (Waltz with Bashir)
Frozen River
The Secret Life of Bees
Wall-E
Entre les murs (The Class)
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
The Other Boleyn Girl
Loft
Changeling
Transsiberian
The Bank Job
Speed Racer
Julia
Kung Fu Panda
The Incredible Hulk
Ghost Town
Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Get Smart
W.
**1/2
Body of Lies
Tôkyô sonata
Leatherheads
The Forbidden Kingdom
Married Life
Lakeview Terrace
Forgetting Sarah Marshall
Tropic Thunder
Happy-Go-Lucky
Pride and Glory
Revolutionary Road
Elegy
Quantum of Solace
Appaloosa
Rachel Getting Married
Horton Hears a Who
Smart People
Last Chance Harvey
The Ruins
Un conte de Noël (A Christmas Tale)
The X Files: I Want to Believe
Sunshine Cleaning
Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
Redbelt
Cheung Gong 7 hou (CJ7)
Jumper
Zack and Miri Make a Porno
Taken
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl -(kids)
Seven Pounds
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
Ballast
Mamma Mia
Cadillac Records
The Duchess
**
Wanted
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
Hancock
Yes Man
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian
The Strangers
The Happening
Miracle at St. Anna
Choke
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Step Brothers
Australia
Untraceable
Fanboys
The Spirit
Tinker Bell
Righteous Kill
The Tale of Despereaux
Rambo 2008
Semi-Pro
21
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
27 Dresses
Transporter 3
*1/2
Eagle Eye
Twilight
You Don't Mess with the Zohan
Marley & Me
Blindness
Bedtime Stories
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Swing Vote
10000 BC
Fool's Gold
Quarantine
Eden Lake
The Eye
Sex Drive
*
Max Payne
*incomplete (couldn't finish)
disaster movie
punisher: war zone

Six Feet Under

2008-04-29T15:54:00.004-04:00

Just watched the last episode of six feet under, and it was fantastic, particularly the ending. Click here to watch the last 10 minutes.

The show overall had its ups and downs, but the acting was good overall. I wouldn't recommend it, if you're homophobic though. But check out that last musical montage with the song "Breathe Me" by Sia. Really works well, I think.

US Oil

2008-03-09T20:20:00.002-04:00

Stock tip? I don't know much about making money on the stock market. In fact, I'm very concerned that stocks may not provide good returns in the next 20 years (which will the biggest money-making years for me). But I'm pretty sure that oil prices should only trend upward in the future. Because of this, I bought the US oil ETF in 2006 (when it was trading at $54; abbreviation is USO). I was dismayed when it quickly dipped down to about $45 shortly thereafter, but since then, I've been quite happy with it. If any of you have good tips for me, please inform me. I don't own any other stocks except for a little bit of Microsoft. I do have plenty of mutual funds though.

hey Lenny

2008-02-27T23:03:00.001-05:00

Remember Sammy Jankis

I agree with this blog article.

2008-02-14T18:55:00.001-05:00

http://healthvsmedicine.blogspot.com/2008/02/better-than-human.html

who here likes John Edwards?

2008-01-23T10:53:00.001-05:00

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/john_edwards_vows_to_end_all_bad

--
Frank Shin http://hamcow.blogspot.com/ http://ianshinmom.blogspot.com/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/enderdeckard/ http://www.agloco.com/r/BBCN6642

sunshine

2008-01-21T18:45:00.000-05:00

I recently saw this film by Danny Boyle. Excellent movie. I've recently noticed that one of the differences between me and many people I know is that I judge films more by how many great scenes it has, and tend to ignore flaws as long as there is enough awesomeness. (for example, the War of the Worlds was fantastic, but many people hated the ending. I agree that the ending was mediocre, but overall thought it was a terrific movie.) Anyway, if you happen to catch this movie, check out the scene where the astronauts have to repair the ship's shield. (clearly it helps to see this in high-def with loud speakers). One of the best scenes for me recently...

famous quote

2008-01-08T12:35:00.001-05:00

These aren't the droids you're looking for.

democracy is good, but...

2007-12-15T16:13:00.001-05:00

Interesting quote I heard recently. Maybe this explains why it's so hard to elect a good leader ??

"[S]uppose that a monopoly right is to be auctioned; whom will we predict to be the highest bidder? Surely we can presume that the person who intends to exploit the monopoly power most fully, the one for whom the expected profit is highest, will be among the highest bidders for the franchise. In the same way, positions of political power will tend to attract those persons who place higher values on the possession of such power. These persons will tend to be the highest bidders in the allocation of political offices. . . . Is there any presumption that political rent seeking will ultimately allocate offices to the 'best' persons? Is there not the overwhelming presumption that offices will be secured by those who value power most highly and who seek to use such power of discretion in the furtherance of their personal projects, be these moral or otherwise? Genuine public-interest motivations may exist and may even be widespread, but are these motivations sufficiently passionate to stimulate people to fight for political office, to compete with those whose passions include the desire to wield power over others?"
-James Buchanan

test

2007-11-03T02:12:00.001-04:00

testing testing

july 2007 023

2007-07-24T10:32:00.001-04:00

july 2007 023
Originally uploaded by enderdeckard

Ian is concentrating on the computer.

JFK

2007-06-25T17:33:00.001-04:00

27269788505
Originally uploaded by enderdeckard

Here I am in front of the sculpture of JFK at the concert hall which is named after him, in downtown Washington DC. This was 2003.

worcester

2007-06-24T18:57:00.001-04:00

28160888505
Originally uploaded by enderdeckard

This is my old Worcester apartment. I don't know why I have that expression on my face. It was an old building and I laboured there for a few years.

AGLOCO

2007-06-07T19:38:00.001-04:00

I'm trying out this web site:

agloco

It supposedly will pay me for surfing the web. I'm a bit skeptical at the moment, but I will wait and see how it works out. If I get a little extra cash while I'm online, I'm not going to complain. Apparently, I will also get a percentage of anyone I refer to the website. If you want to try it out, go ahead, and let me know if it works well.

orson scott card

2007-05-26T19:37:00.000-04:00

I really like this guy's writing. One of my favorite books of all time is Ender's Game. Speaker for the Dead and Xenocide are also terrific. He's also quite opinionated about a lot of topics including some controversial ones and is not afraid to delve into political or religious discussions. Although we don't share the same religion, I do find myself agreeing with him on many issues (and disagreeing on plenty, also). I do agree with this article though, and I think it's a very important issue.

spurs beat suns

2007-05-19T00:57:00.000-04:00

Ouch! I'm a bit disgusted by the result of this playoff series. I have to confess that I didn't watch all of the games, but I feel that those unjust suspensions from the game 5 win for Phoenix pretty much killed the Suns' season. Also, Tim Duncan is fantastic player, and the Spurs controlled Barbosa and Diaw. Bleah. Well, I'll be hoping for Pistons over Jazz in the finals now. If not, then Pistons over Spurs... Cavaliers vs Spurs would be a nightmare for me. Good night.

the prestige

2007-05-13T02:05:00.000-04:00

I was thinking about this film which I saw recently on DVD. Awesome movie, and I've decided that it's a 4 star movie, and in the top 2 or 3 of 2006. It's definitely something which I think is worth watching twice, so if you haven't seen it yet, check it out, and don't read any further because there are spoilers!!

OK, if you're still reading, you've already seen the movie. It's a terrific entertainment with strong acting and dialogue, and the picture looks great. Thematically, I think it is very interesting, raising questions about cloning, obsession, the soul, revenge, etc. The character of Angier ended up being rather monstrous in the end. The analogy of the bird trick where the bird croaked every time the trick was done. The lengths to which the rival magicians went to outdo each other was astonishing for any normal person. Angier was willing to sacrifice everything including his own life to fulfill his magic trick and become the 'prestige'. BTW, some people didn't like the Tesla device, but I had no problem with it. It's a little bit strange for the context of the time for this movie, but I like outlandish stuff like that.

leafs capitals game

2007-05-11T16:31:00.000-04:00

I went to a hockey game on March 16, 2007. It was the Toronto Maple Leafs vs the Washington Capitals. The Leafs were beaten 5-1. Not a very competitive match. It was section 108, row J, seat 9. Quite a good seat, actually. The Leafs ended up missing the playoffs by only 1 game...

subpoena

2007-05-05T12:21:00.000-04:00

Did I spell that right? I've been asked to testify in court soon. This will be the first experience for me in a court room. All I know about trials are what I've learned from the media. I didn't watch any of the OJ trial (except for a few clips which aired on the news occasionally). I just hope that I don't break down under a withering cross-examination... Wish me luck.

may

2007-05-01T23:27:00.000-04:00

New month. Just wanted to say hi to everyone out there. My second child will be born any time in the next couple of weeks. So, that's what I'm focusing on lately. But I will say that I saw some good things in the past week or so:

-Children of Men (thought provoking and visually excellent)
-Dallas vs. Golden State game 4 (great game, and... Baron Davis !!!)
-Borat (I have certain reservations about this, but it was mostly funny)
-Heroes episode 20 "Five Years Gone" (future episodes can be dumb, but this was interesting and lots of fun)
-Ian's vocabulary is expanding rapidly; he repeats everything I say (even the bad things)

war quote

2007-04-23T02:17:00.000-04:00

I just read a funny quote:

“Except for ending slavery, fascism, Nazism & communism, war has never solved anything.”

It came from an article about Joel Surnow (creator of the TV show 24) in the New Yorker. I thought it was funny, as Surnow is obviously very anti-liberal. I will disagree with the part about war ending communism though. Wasn't it internal rot with brought down the Soviet Union? And China & North Korea are still alive and well. (North Korea maybe isn't so well). Perhaps some wars are unavoidable...

edit: That quote reminded me of another quote, which was very funny, from the movie Life of Brian:

"All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

Well, it's funnier in context. Just watch the movie :)

Raptors game 1

2007-04-21T15:38:00.000-04:00

I just watched my first full Raptors game ever, since moving to the USA. Expectations were raised this year, after winning a division crown, and with the hated Vince Carter coming to town.

It was not a pretty game for the most part. Jason Kidd pretty much controlled a large part of the game leading to most of Richard Jefferson's points in the paint, and I'm not sure what Sam Mitchell's strategy was. The Raptors transition defense seemed brutal during the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Chris Bosh seems to be a good outside shooter, but I didn't see much of a post-up game or much offensive rebounding today. Then again, he didn't see any playing time in the first half...

Well, I hope next game will bring a more inspiring performance.

quote

2007-04-19T18:28:00.000-04:00

"If I cannot extrapolate my standard of living to the whole world and still find nature flourishing, my standard of living is immoral." -John Carmody

clarifications

2007-04-19T12:37:00.000-04:00

After reading the last post, Kay thought it was a little strange and inappropriate. Ah well, you can't please everybody.

So, in response, I've decided to expound further. You see, I am a happy man, because I have a good family life. I live in a relatively free country, and I have money, a house, privacy, a good job, and all those things that most people want in their lives. Things aren't perfect, but I'm occasionally working on making things better for myself, my family, and for those people around me.

Recently, I had minor toe surgery. It was a little bit painful and sore for a couple of days, but not too bad overall. Hopefully, this won't be a problem for me again in the future. Also, I just bought a new car recently. It is a silver Honda Fit. It's a cute little hatchback with decent head room. It will be my commuter car from now on. At some point, I'll post a picture.

OK, that's it for now. Now it's your turn. Why don't you tell me why your life is (or isn't) happy...

I am a happy man

2007-04-19T11:39:00.000-04:00

Over the past few days, I've heard various people mention that there are some similarities between myself and the Virginia Tech killer. After viewing his 'multimedia manifesto' and certain images and descriptions, I do understand why people would say such things. Even my wife was somewhat afraid and concerned about this.

Here, I would like to respond to these concerns. First of all, I am a very happy, married man with a good son, and expecting a second child soon. I feel quite stable with regard to my mental state and capacity at this time. Therefore, to all of you who were terrified about being gunned down, please allow me to allay your fears. I do not possess any firearm, nor do I have any desire to do so. Please remember, I am a merely decent human being, just like you. Sincerely, your humble friend..... Frank [last name has been obliterated due to reasons of privacy and humility]

Future imperfect (or my most depressing post yet !!)

2007-04-01T00:40:00.000-04:00

1. eating oil

2. peak oil

3. oil and medicine

If you want to be depressed, try reading these articles which are linked above... I've touched on some of these issues in an earlier post, but I just wanted reiterate to everyone out there that our future is not looking good. For anyone living in rich countries, the second half of the 20th century looks like it was a time of fantastic prosperity, and also a time when humanity destroyed its future. This is in retrospect, of course.

These are only predictions, but they are based on some reasonable science and assumptions, based on my reading so far. The question is, what good is this information to us now?

Well, if you're a Christian or religious, and you believe that the world will be ending within the next 50 years or so, then this really doesn't matter. (Except of course for those poor saps who get left behind.)

I'm afraid that most people aren't in that category though. Either you're not religious, or you are religious and you don't really think you know when the world is going to end. Until then, I think it would be wise to consider our future whenever we make any important decisions.

A few things that we should all consider (these are stated by many other people, but it doesn't hurt to list them here on my little blog):

1. halt population growth (actually it would be better for the world population to decline considerably)
2. conserve energy
3. pray for divine intervention or an incredible technological breakthrough

#2 is a huge category, but it means things like:

- buy a hybrid or a used car, or don't use a car at all, or decrease car use, and reduce flying
- stop or reduce eating meat
- conserve energy at home (improve insulation, use less heating & air conditioning)
- spread the word
- it would also help to stop wasting energy on things like wars

It's clear that our politicians will not get it done. Unfortunately, the general public won't get it done either, I'm afraid. Therefore, the rest of us will just have to make the best of it, and try to prepare for a future with a lower standard of living (at best) or a future with a catastrophic collapse of modern civilization (at worst :)

Anyway, one of my goals is to teach my children about these things. I realize that I have already personally wasted far more energy than the average human being. My penance will be to try to improve, and to have my children do the same. If we're lucky, young Ian will be a genius who will solve the world's problems. I encourage you to do the same. Good luck ! (BTW, this is not an April Fools Day joke !)

flickr.com

2007-03-23T23:48:00.000-04:00

flickr.com

This is a pretty good photo site. I've put up some photos there. You can check them out:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/enderdeckard/

2007 films

2007-02-28T15:46:00.065-05:00

***1/2
Zodiac
Michael Clayton
No Country for Old Men
The Lookout
Sunshine
Juno
U2 3D
Atonement
American Gangster
Persepolis
Le Scaphandre et le papillon (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly)
The Kite Runner
***
La Mome (La Vie en Rose)
Across the Universe
The Bourne Ultimatum
Eastern Promises
3:10 to Yuma
28 Weeks Later
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
The Kingdom
Charlie Wilson's War
Ratatouille
Gone Baby Gone
4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Death at a Funeral
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
There Will Be Blood
SiCKO
Se, jie (Lust, Caution)
The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
The Mist
Beowulf
The Savages
The Counterfeiters (Die Fälscher)
We Own the Night
Mr. Brooks
Stardust
El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
Cassandra's Dream
The Visitor
A Mighty Heart
The Brave One
The Great Debaters
Dan in Real Life
**1/2
I Am Legend
I'm Not There
The Darjeeling Limited
Shooter
Funny Games
In the Valley of Elah
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
An American Crime (TV)
Transformers
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End
Live Free or Die Hard
Into the Wild
Hairspray
Knocked Up
Rendition
1408
Encounters at the End of the World
[Rec]
Spider-Man 3
Waitress
Superbad
Shrek the Third
Shoot 'Em Up
The Simpsons Movie
The Jane Austen Book Club
Becoming Jane
Up the Yangtze
Paranoid Park
Sleuth
Things We Lost in the Fire
Enchanted
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
King of California
Vacancy
Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium
Mongol
**
The Nanny Diaries
The Girl Next Door
The Invasion
No Reservations
Rush Hour 3
The Bucket List
War
Music and Lyrics
Disturbia
Next
Bee Movie
Hitman
Eagle vs Shark
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
P2
30 Days of Night
Hannibal Rising
Smokin' Aces
The Game Plan
88 Minutes
Suburban Girl
Young People Fucking
Resident Evil: Extinction
4: Rise of the Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four part 3)
Mr. Woodcock
The Heartbreak Kid
*1/2
August Rush
Premonition
The Hitcher
D-War
P.S. I Love You
The Ten
Saw IV
Balls of Fury
Hostel: Part II
I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry
Good Luck Chuck
*
Captivity

Pan's Labyrinth

2007-02-05T21:35:00.000-05:00

I saw this movie recently, and I think it's the best movie I've seen in at least 1 year. It's in Spanish, about a young girl, her mother and her step-father during the 1940s (war time), and her bizarre fantasy world. That description doesn't do it much justice, so I just recommend you watch the movie.

First post of 2007, jesus camp, etc.

2007-01-07T21:56:00.000-05:00

Well happy belated new year to everyone. I just spent a week off from work taking care of my son Ian because our nanny was on vacation. The young boy just continues to amaze.

I just wanted to point out a couple of movies that I recently saw which I recommend: Jesus Camp and Little Miss Sunshine. Neither one was seen by very many people as far as I know. Little Miss Sunshine is just a cute and funny story about a dysfunctional family. Just a very funny entertaining film that I think will appeal to most people. Lots of cursing though, if that bothers you.

Jesus Camp was just a fascinating documentary about preaching to kids. Clearly the reaction to this movie will be mixed depending on the religion of the viewer. The problem is that kids will pretty much believe what adults tell them. So, I think it's wrong to 'indoctrinate' kids with bad things. I think this is where suicide bombers come from. However, if you are 100% certain that what you are telling them is true, then you can feel justified with this behavior. I'd guess that the people depicted in this movie fall into this category. Unfortunately, whoever trained those martyrs in the Middle East probably fall into this category also.

OK, here's a list of some controversial topics (some more than others of course):

1. does god exist?
2. what is the nature of god?
3. abortion / stem cell research
4. evolution / creation
5. homosexuality
6. immigration reform
7. the environment, global warming, and conservationism
8. war / terrorism / freedom

OK, these are some interesting topics that are discussed in politics and which do not have a clear answer. Other topics are not worthy of much discussion because most people in democratic societies feel that there is a clear cut answer. (for example: slavery is wrong, racism is wrong, sexism is wrong, people should have free speech, don't steal, don't cheat, etc.) The trouble is, if you look at a similar list from a few hundred years ago, the topics would be very different. (ie: abortion and homosexuality were wrong, racism and slavery were not wrong, women could not vote!)

So, the interesting thing that I would like to invite discussion about is, can you predict which of these topics will no longer be debatable in the next 50-100 years or so? Based on what I've seen, my guess is that #5 and #7 above will become fairly clear to most people by the end of my lifetime. Notice that I haven't yet provided my own opinions on these matters. I will at some point, but I'm just trying to avoid getting shot down at this point. I have a feeling that the debate on the other topics will still be around for a longer time. And for #1 and #2, I'm guessing that the debate will never end.

Regarding God, I think that some people will never be convinced to change their mind. If you've had a personal experience with God, then how could anyone convince you that God doesn't exist? If you haven't had an experience like that, then you're probably more likely to be an agnostic or an atheist.

Regarding abortion and stem cell research, I think it's fairly simple. If you believe that humans have a 'soul' or a 'spirit' which exists and cannot be explained by science and is not matter (ie: not part of the physical body), then you're probably going to be against abortion and stem cell research. OK, I'll let this one out of the bag: I do believe in the 'soul'. I can't tell you why I believe it, because there is no reason that would be good enough to convince anyone who doesn't believe it. Therein lies the problem, I suppose.

Regarding the environment, I'm thinking that at some point, things like the rising price of oil & energy, global warming trends and continued resource wars will convince most people to try to conserve.

Regarding immigration, I'm biased because I'm currently in the process of legally obtaining a green card. Because I've incurred a great loss of money and time during this process, I have very little sympathy for those who have broken the law.

OK, this was a long post, I'll talk to you later. Enjoy the warm weather! (To all of you in the east coast of North America).

1970-1980 films

2006-12-16T22:46:00.025-05:00

*****
The Godfather 1972
Shichinin no samurai (Seven Samurai) 1954
Casablanca 1942
The Godfather: Part II 1974
Rear Window 1954
Star Wars 1977
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest 1975
****
La Dolce vita 1960
Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (The Good, The Bad & The Ugly) 1966
12 Angry Men 1957
L'Armée des ombres (Army of Shadows) 1969
Barry Lyndon 1975
Det sjunde inseglet (The Seventh Seal) 1957
Patton 1970
***1/2
Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Life of Brian 1979
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Kid (1921)
East of Eden 1955
Le salaire de la peur 1953 (The Wages of Fear)
***
Gone With the Wind (1939)
Das Boot (The Boat) 1981
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (Aguirre: The Wrath of God) 1972
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
The Breakfast Club 1985
Shao Lin san shi liu fang (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin or Shaolin Master Killer) 1978
Tsubaki Sanjuro (Sanjuro) 1962
8 1/2 (1963)
Holiday 1938
Young Frankenstein 1974
The Wicker Man 1973
Repulsion 1965
Five Easy Pieces 1970
Monty Python and the Holy Grail 1975
Meet Me in St. Louis 1944
L'Avventura 1960
L'année dernière à Marienbad (Last Year at Marienbad) 1961
Reds 1981
Dirty Harry 1971
**1/2
Time Bandits 1981
Brian's Song (TV) 1971
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 1971
The Jerk 1979
Emmanuelle 1974
*

tragedy of the commons

2006-12-05T10:14:00.000-05:00

Hmm, I didn't do the html properly. If necessary you can cut and paste this link into your browser:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragedy_of_the_commons

You can click on the wiki link above. It's sad but true, in my opinion. I've gradually become aware of the fact that our earth's natural resources are being consumed at a non-sustainable rate. And the consequences of resource depletion will be dire, and there is no easy solution that we are aware of.

Therefore, we need a genius to come up with a breakthrough, or an act of God, or advanced alien technology to rescue us. I know that this doesn't seem likely. But the alternative seems almost as unlikely: We as a human race have to give up our selfish tendencies. Fat chance!

Unfortunately, when it comes to conserving resources, when 1 person does it, they receive a tiny benefit, and so does everybody else. So, it is to each person's advantage to not bother to conserve, because they will benefit from using up the resources, and also benefit from everyone else who decides to conserve resources !!

Because of this, I feel that it is essential to stop population growth immediately. I wish I knew of way to do that. Certainly, that is a compelling reason to not have more than 2 children. Lack of birth control and education in the third world (where the population explosion is occurring) is a big problem, obviously. Paradoxically, our improvements in medicine and technology which save lives also contribute to the problem.

If you do decide to have more than 2 children, it's something to think about. This reminds me of Ender's Game. (The first chapter is called 'Third'. Read it if you can.) If I do have more than 2 children, then I will definitely encourage them to think about this issue.

another quote

2006-11-08T19:32:00.001-05:00

"the degree to which we detest an aspect of human nature is the degree to which we are ignorant of its role in our evolution."

I'm not sure who said it but I think it's interesting. We sometimes fail to realize that humanity has changed its environment far more quickly than any other creature. So a human trait like selfishness or thirst for power might seem be to be distasteful in our current modern society, but it must have been a lot more useful back when humans had to hunt and kill for food and there was never a guarantee that there would be more any time soon. Another good example is the male tendency to produce offspring from multiple women.

quote

2006-11-03T12:52:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite novels contains this quote:

"the power to cause pain is the only power that matters, the power to kill and destroy, because if you can't kill then you are always subject to those who can, and nothing and no one will ever save you."

Clearly the protaganist in this story was at a low point in his life when he said it, but I always was struck by the truth in that line...

photos of the Infiniti G35

2006-10-18T17:25:00.000-04:00

Desert Platinum
Today was a really nice sunny day.
Someone wanted to see the car, so that's why I put these photos up.
Ian says 'hi'.

Puzzles

2006-10-02T18:49:00.000-04:00

Does anybody else like to do puzzles? I used to love trying to do them when I was younger. I'm not talking about jigsaw puzzles (although I did a few of those too), but instead, I mean problem solving or mathematical puzzles or word puzzles. Lots of possibilities exist of course. Here are a few (no fair looking things up or using a calculator or dictionary or online source; just your head and a pencil and paper if necessary).

1. what (relatively) common English word has the letters U F A in it consecutively?

2. draw a capital letter 'M' on a page; now draw 4 straight lines through the M; what is the maximum number of non-overlapping triangles you can create this way?

3. 4 words in my vocabulary end with -dous . I'll give you 1 of them: tremendous. What are the others??

United 93

2006-09-12T17:03:00.000-04:00

Well, it's been 5 years since September 11. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that this was the biggest event in our lifetime. Yesterday, I saw the DVD called United 93 and I found it to be profoundly moving and fascinating. It's not an entertainment, really, more like a fairly realistic recreation of the events as they occurred, without any significant commentary, explanation or sentiment. As such, I highly recommend this movie to those who can watch it. The last several minutes are gut-wrenching.

1 thing that struck me was the portrayal of the hijackers. There is no debate that what they did was horrible. But were they evil people? I would say not really. I suppose it is a matter of definition, but in my view, an evil person is someone who does something wrong and knows it (and I mean something horribly wrong which I realize is somewhat vague). It seems to me that these men believed that what they were doing was right, and they probably believed it more than almost anyone believes in anything. After all, how many people out there believe in anything enough to die for it?? Therefore, I would call them 'misguided', instead...

tennis

2006-09-06T03:32:00.000-04:00

I think tennis is a terrific sport to play and watch. Andre Agassi was a great player. Here are the greatest players of all time (in approximate order)

Rod Laver
Pete Sampras
Bjorn Borg

John McEnroe
Ivan Lendl
Jimmy Connors
Andre Agassi
Stefan Edberg
Boris Becker
Roger Federer

I have to admit that I don't really know much about tennis players before the 70s, but I put Laver up there since he won 2 grand slams. Federer may well advance up this list quite a bit before the end of his career. The 80s were truly a golden age of tennis with McEnroe, Connors, Lendl, Wilander, Edberg and Becker regularly matching up. Back then serve and volley tennis was actually viable, and yet a guy like Wilander could still win 3 majors in 1 year mostly by being consistent and outmaneuvering and outlasting opponents from the baseline! 1 thing I like about tennis is that it truly rewards endurance. I never liked the fact that Sampras was able to overpower his opponents with his serve so easily that he often didn't try very hard to break when he didn't have to. Clearly, that helped his longevity but not his popularity (at least with me :)

Racism

2006-08-15T16:45:00.000-04:00

What is racism?

Well the wiktionary says it's a belief that a race is superior to another. Actually there are about 10 definitions listed here.

I was just thinking about this after I watched the movie Crash. OK, so if someone sees an African-American on the street and they become fearful, does that mean that they are racist? When Ryan Philippe's character mistakenly thought that his black passenger in the car was about to shoot him, was that also racist? I don't know.

I know that blacks are less likely than whites who are less likely than asians to get osteoporosis. So that implies that they have more calcium in their bones (ie: thicker bones). That's a fact as far as I know. I believe that scientists have said things about differences in intelligence between races. And they were largely discredited and accused of being racists. As far as I can tell, the only difference between these types of theories is the political implications! I haven't personally looked at the data so I don't know if they were truly flawed scientifically or not.... Just something to think about.

There is also the distinction between ethnicity and race. One is biological and the other is cultural. Anyway, we all know that racism still exists in modern society. In some of us adults, it will be difficult to get rid of, but let's try to avoid passing it on to the next generation !!

Cancer

2006-08-15T16:19:00.000-04:00

Well, this is one of the leading killers in the world, particularly the developed countries. I guess that one the unfortunate problems with modern medicine is that the more advanced it gets, the more it costs. And advances which lead to longer life just means that these people will eventually succumb to other diseases later on which may cost just as much, or more in terms of health care dollars. The good thing of course is that we get to live more productive (and happier?) lives during that interim time. Cancer wasn't such a big problem when the average longevity was about 40-50 years. But now that average longevity is over 70 years in most developing countries, it's a huge problem.

I wonder if we'll ever figure out an adequate cure for cancer. We've conquered many diseases, but this one is tough. The current cure for almost all cancers is the same: surgery. Many surgeons are performing life-saving cancer surgeries every day. That's great. Unfortunately many people have cancer which is inoperable. This is usually a death sentence. Many of us have seen the side effects of radiation and chemical cancer therapy. It's not hard to understand that there are serious side effects when you realize that these therapies are basically poisons! In fact, one chemotherapeutic agent can be used as a chemical weapon! Yes, the basic theory behind these treatments is that the poison works better against cancer cells than your normal cells, so that once most of the cancer is gone, your own body cells will be able to recover. Unfortunately, you can't get rid of it all (usually), so it will eventually come back and kill you.

Clearly a better treatment is needed, and I hope that there are thousands or more scientists out there researching to find it. I don't know too much about it, but I'm hopeful that a molecular biological treatment will eventually come to pass. Until then, we're stuck with surgery to cure our killers. Here are the ones that I think are the most prevalant or deadly:

Lung, breast, prostate, colon, pancreas, skin, stomach, liver, esophagus, lymphoma, kidney, bladder...

Luckily, for some cancers, there are ways to prevent them. So, stop smoking, get your mammograms and pap smears, eat your fiber, use sunblock!!

Iraq war

2006-08-14T21:47:00.000-04:00

I guess this whole Iraq war was a mistake eh?
No weapons of mass destruction to be found... It was a victory to get rid of Saddam and his regime, I suppose. Hopefully the elected government will be able to govern. That remains to be seen. I wonder how many of those people who currently criticize the war were critical of it before the decision to go to war though. It's a lot easier in hindsight. My biggest complaints are:

1. The war was not conducted very well, but considering how little I know about military compaigns (notwithstanding plenty of games of Risk, Axis & Allies and Starcraft), I can't really say very much about how it should have been done. I've heard that they should have had a larger ground force, etc. I'll leave that to the military minds.

2. Bad intelligence. We were informed that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. That was wrong. But whose fault was that? I suppose the ultimate responsibility falls on the big guy in the White House, but the axe should probably fall on someone lower down. Pretty big mistake, this one. It's not totally clear to me where the blame should lie though.

3. Bad publicity. That torture scandal was a huge mistake. I'm thinking that much worse things were probably done in Vietnam, but I could be wrong about that. In the current times, the public tolerance for this sort of thing is a lot lower, though. And information is much more readily available.

I remember that at the beginning, I was in favor of the war. Knowing what I know now, I wish it had never happened. Did anybody out there expect these dire consequences before the decision was actually made? If so, congratulate yourself. It's too bad there weren't more of you in the government at the time...

1980 films

2006-08-13T18:02:00.000-04:00

****
The Empire Strikes Back
The Shining
The Elephant Man
***
Raging Bull
Dressed to Kill
Ordinary People
**
Popeye

1981 films

2006-08-13T18:01:00.000-04:00

****
Raiders of the Lost Ark
***
Superman II
Excalibur
Gallipolli
Body Heat
For Your Eyes Only

1982 films

2006-08-13T17:58:00.002-04:00

****
Blade Runner
E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial
***1/2
Sophie's Choice
***
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Gandhi
Tootsie
First Blood
48 HRS.
**
Rocky III
TRON
They Call Me Bruce
The World According to Garp

1983 films

2006-08-13T17:56:00.002-04:00

***1/2
Scarface
***
The Dead Zone
Terms of Endearment
Return of the Jedi
The Outsiders
Risky Business
**1/2
The Big Chill
Trading Places
**
Octopussy
Never Say Never Again
WarGames
The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew
Blue Thunder

1984 films

2006-08-13T17:54:00.000-04:00

****
The Terminator
Amadeus
***
Beverly Hills Cop
Romancing the Stone
The Killing Fields
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
The Karate Kid
2010
Dune
**
The Gods Must Be Crazy
Splash
The Muppets Take Manhattan
Red Dawn
Gremlins

1985 films

2006-08-13T17:52:00.001-04:00

****
Prizzi's Honor
After Hours
***
Back to the Future
Flesh+Blood
The Color Purple
Out of Africa
Witness
The Jewel of the Nile
**1/2
Silverado
**
The Breakfast Club
Rambo: First Blood Part II
A View to a Kill
Rocky IV
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Commando
Weird Science
Teen Wolf

1986 films

2006-08-13T17:49:00.000-04:00

****
Hannah and Her Sisters
Platoon
Aliens
***
Stand By Me
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
The Fly
The Color of Money
Top Gun
A Room with a View
Peggy Sue Got Married
Ferris Buellar's Day Off
**
F/X
Nine 1/2 Weeks
Crocodile Dundee
Back to School
Little Shop of Horrors
The Karate Kid Part II

1987 films

2006-08-13T17:46:00.001-04:00

****
The Untouchables
***1/2
RoboCop
***
Broadcast News
The Princess Bride
Moonstruck
Full Metal Jacket
Wall Street
No Way Out
Fatal Attraction
Stakeout
Lethal Weapon
Good Morning, Vietnam
Predator
**1/2
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
**
The Living Daylights
Spaceballs
Innerspace
Throw Momma From the Train
Three Men and a Baby
Harry and the Hendersons
Adventures in Babysitting
The Running Man
Mannequin

1988 films

2006-08-13T17:43:00.001-04:00

****
Midnight Run
***1/2
Die Hard
***
A Fish Called Wanda
The Accused
Tonari no Totoro (My Neighbor Totoro)
Dangerous Liaisons
Mississippi Burning
Rain Man
Beetlejuice
The Accidental Tourist
Working Girl
Who Framed Roger Rabbit
Bull Durham
Big
**
Young Guns
The Land Before Time
Tequila Sunrise
Willow
Colors
Twins
The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad
Rambo III
Cocktail
Crocodile Dundee II
Coming to America
License to Drive

1989 films

2006-08-13T17:38:00.001-04:00

****
Do the Right Thing
Dekalog
***
Batman
When Harry Met Sally...
Glory
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Field of Dreams
sex, lies and videotape
Dead Poets Society
The Abyss
Born on the Fourth of July
The War of the Roses
The Little Mermaid
Parenthood
**
Sea of Love
Licence to Kill
Steel Magnolias
Lethal Weapon 2
Driving Miss Daisy
Black Rain
Major League
Weekend at Bernie's
Always
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
The Dream Team
See No Evil, Hear No Evil
*
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

1990 films

2006-08-13T17:33:00.001-04:00

****
Goodfellas
***
The Hunt for Red October
Dances With Wolves
Godfather Part III
Total Recall
Jacob's Ladder
Edward Scissorhands
Misery
Die Hard 2: Die Harder
Awakenings
Pretty Woman
Darkman
Presumed Innocent
**1/2
Revenge
**
Ghost
Mermaids
The Exorcist III
Arachnophobia
Internal Affairs
Kindergarten Cop
Dick Tracy
Back to the Future Part III
Green Card
Pacific Heights
Postcards from the Edge
Flatliners
Joe vs the Volcano
The Fourth War
Rocky V
Home Alone
Hard to Kill
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

HDTV & sports

2006-08-13T15:17:00.000-04:00

HDTV is great for watching TV, and particularly good for sports. The images are fantastic.
Interesting thing that we noticed while watching live events like the Oscars is that HDTV really shows people's flaws very clearly. You would think that everyone in Hollywood (the women mostly) have perfect skin, but when you see them on HDTV without ideal lighting and makeup.... wow! Quite an eye-opener that dispels that myth.

1991 films

2006-08-13T15:10:00.001-04:00

****
The Silence of the Lambs
JFK
Da hong deng long gao gao gua (Raise the Red Lantern)
***
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Boyz N the Hood
Dead Again
Beauty and the Beast
Cape Fear
Bugsy
The Double Life of Veronique (La double vie de Véronique)
Thelma and Louise
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Fried Green Tomatoes
City Slickers
Backdraft
Grand Canyon
Jungle Fever
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The Fisher King
The Doctor
**
The Prince of Tides
The Last Boy Scout
The Rocketeer
The Addams Family
Regarding Henry
Point Break
Hook
Double Impact
Father of the Bride
Sleeping With the Enemy
Doc Hollywood
What About Bob?
Necessary Roughness

1992 films

2006-08-13T14:51:00.001-04:00

****
Malcolm X
***1/2
Unforgiven
The Last of the Mohicans
***
A Few Good Men
Aladdin
Bram Stoker's Dracula
Indochine (Indochina)
Scent of a Woman
Howards End
Basic Instinct
The Crying Game
A River Runs Through It
My Cousin Vinny
Batman Returns
El Mariachi
Patriot Games
**
Lethal Weapon 3
The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
Sister Act
Death Becomes Her
Single White Female
Under Siege
Wayne's World
Honeymoon in Vegas
Sneakers
The Mighty Ducks
Final Analysis
Unlawful Entry
White Men Can't Jump
A League of Their Own
The Distinguished Gentleman
Far and Away
Universal Soldier
The Bodyguard

1993 films

2006-08-13T11:45:00.001-04:00

*****
Schindler's List
****
The Age of Innocence
Short Cuts
***1/2
Jurassic Park
The Remains of the Day
The Fugitive
True Romance
***
The Joy Luck Club
Much Ado About Nothing
Menace II Society
The Firm
The Piano
Carlito's Way
Un Coeur en Hiver
Groundhog Day
Manhattan Murder Mystery
In the Line of Fire
Alive
Searching for Bobby Fischer
The Nightmare Before Christmas
**1/2
A Bronx Tale
What's Love Got to Do With It
Damage
Rudy
Chaplin
**
Dazed and Confused
Fearless
Falling Down
Rising Sun
Sleepless in Seattle
Last Action Hero
Mad Dog and Glory
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story
Six Degrees of Separation
Point of No Return
Addams Family Values
Lorenzo's Oil
Tombstone
The Vanishing
Kalifornia
For Love or Money
Malice
The Pelican Brief
So I Married an Axe Murderer
Indian Summer
The Program
Flesh and Bone
A Perfect World
Untamed Heart
Indecent Proposal
Gettysburg
Hot Shots, Part Deux
Demolition Man
Mrs. Doubtfire
Dave
The Temp
Nowhere to Run
Hard Target
Cliffhanger
The Crush
Rookie of the Year
*
Bad Lieutenant

1994 films

2006-08-13T11:26:00.003-04:00

****
Pulp Fiction
Red
***1/2
The Shawshank Redemption
Heavenly Creatures
***
Bullets Over Broadway
Hoop Dreams
The Professional (Leon)
The Lion King
Little Women
Natural Born Killers
In the Name of the Father
Red Rock West
Four Weddings and a Funeral
Fresh
The Last Seduction
Quiz Show
The Hudsucker Proxy
Forrest Gump
Barcelona
Philadelphia
Clear and Present Danger
Terminal Velocity
Belle Epoque
Crumb
Shadowlands
True Lies
Reality Bites
The Mask
**1/2
Ed Wood
**
The Paper
Speed
Romeo is Bleeding
Bitter Moon
Wyatt Earp
The Crow
Interview with the Vampire
Disclosure
Maverick
Dumb and Dumber
Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
No Escape
Sirens
Pret-a-Porter (Ready to Wear)
Star Trek: Generations
Threesome
It Could Happen to You
Color of Night
Blink
The Naked Gun 33 1/3
Greedy
The Cowboy Way
Being Human
Naked
Stargate
Blue Chips
Exit to Eden
*
On Deadly Ground (ridiculously bad)

1995 films

2006-08-13T11:10:00.004-04:00

****
Seven
Heat
The Usual Suspects
***1/2
Toy Story
Twelve Monkeys
Exotica
Sense and Sensibility
***
Apollo 13
Leaving Las Vegas
Shallow Grave
Casino
Get Shorty
Mighty Aphrodite
Braveheart
Clueless
Babe
Clockers
Smoke
Rob Roy
Crimson Tide
Desperado
Safe
Nixon
La Haine (Hate)
Kids
Legends of the Fall
Dolores Claiborne
**1/2
La cité des enfants perdus (The City of Lost Children)
**
Mallrats
To Die For
Don Juan de Marco
Batman Forever
Die Hard with a Vengeance
Sabrina
The American President
Home for the Holidays
Outbreak
Mr. Holland's Opus
Murder in the First
Death and the Maiden
Higher Learning
Miami Rhapsody
Species
The Net
Congo
Strange Days
Goldeneye
Bad Boys
Waterworld
Forget Paris
Copycat
Carrington
While You Were Sleeping
Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
Tank Girl

1996 films

2006-08-13T10:51:00.000-04:00

****
Fargo
Hamlet
***
Chungking Express
Jerry Maguire
Lone Star
Mission: Impossible
Dead Man Walking
Bound
The English Patient
Shine
Everyone Says I Love You
Trainspotting
Sling Blade
Emma
Star Trek: First Contact
Supercop
Breaking the Waves
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Romeo and Juliet
Swingers
Scream
Kingpin
A Time to Kill
Flirting With Disaster
Courage Under Fire
Michael Collins
Ghosts of Mississippi
The People vs. Larry Flynt
Bottle Rocket
The Rock
Big Night
Primal Fear
James and the Giant Peach
**
The Frighteners
Beautiful Girls
Freeway
The Spitfire Grill
Welcome to the Doll House
The Ghost and the Darkness
Mars Attacks!
Mother
The Cable Guy
Sleepers
She's the One
The Arrival
To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday
Executive Decision
Ransom
Eraser
Tin Cup
The Crucible
The Birdcage
One Fine Day
The Trigger Effect
Things to do in Denver When You're Dead
2 Days in the Valley
The Truth About Cats and Dogs
Extreme Measures
Independence Day
Twister
Maximum Risk
That Thing You Do!
The Young Poisoner's Handbook
Fear
Broken Arrow
Boys
Daylight
From Dusk Till Dawn
Happy Gilmore
The Long Kiss Goodnight
*
Jack
Mr. Wrong

1997 films

2006-08-13T10:21:00.002-04:00

****1/2
Boogie Nights
****
The Sweet Hereafter
Contact
L.A. Confidential
***1/2
Titanic
Donnie Brasco
***
Face/Off
The Game
Bacheha-Ye aseman (Children of Heaven)
In the Company of Men
Gattaca
Eve's Bayou
The Boxer
As Good as It Gets
Chasing Amy
Hard Eight
Lost Highway
The Ice Storm
Good Will Hunting
Jackie Brown
Ulee's Gold
Starship Troopers
Amistad
Wag the Dog
My Best Friend's Wedding
The Devil's Advocate
The Wings of the Dove
Air Force One
U-Turn
Kundun
Grosse Point Blank
The Fifth Element
Deconstructing Harry
Breakdown
Men in Black
The Lost World
Anastasia
Jackie Chan's First Strike
When We Were Kings
The Rainmaker
Anaconda
**1/2
Cube
**
Austin Powers
Operation Condor
Tomorrow Never Dies
Scream 2
Liar Liar
The Edge
She's So Lovely
The Jackal
The Peacemaker
Kiss the Girls
Mimic
Volcano
Conspiracy Theory
In and Out
Nothing to Lose
Selena
Mad City
Con Air
Alien Resurrection
The Full Monty
Spawn
The Saint
The Devil's Own
Romy & Michele's High School Reunion
Batman and Robin

1998 films

2006-08-13T09:55:00.002-04:00

****
Saving Private Ryan
***1/2
The Truman Show
The Thin Red Line
***
Dark City
The Spanish Prisoner
Out of Sight
Shakespeare in Love
There's Something About Mary
American History X
Live Flesh
A Simple Plan
Rounders
The Big Lebowski
Elizabeth
Happiness
Ronin
Zero Effect
Babe: Pig in the City
He Got Game
The Last Days of Disco
Wild Things
Life is Beautiful
Hilary and Jackie
Sphere
Antz
The Gingerbread Man
Great Expectations
Mulan
The Negotiator
Enemy of the State
Palmetto
Very Bad Things
A Perfect Murder
Sliding Doors
Celebrity
Bulworth
**1/2
Deep Impact
Lolita
Rush Hour
The X-Files
Can't Hardly Wait
The Prince of Egypt
City of Angels
Primary Colors
**
The Replacement Killers
Psycho
A Civil Action
A Bug's Life
The Mask of Zorro
Pleasantville
Lost in Space
Star Trek: Insurrection
Armageddon
Hope Floats
Halloween: H2O
*1/2
Godzilla
The Big Hit
The Waterboy
*
Species 2

1999 films

2006-08-12T22:21:00.005-04:00

****
Fight Club
Being John Malkovich
***1/2
The Matrix
The Insider
The Talented Mr. Ripley
***
American Beauty
The Sixth Sense
Eyes Wide Shut
Magnolia
Princess Mononoke
Go
Three Kings
Toy Story 2
Rang-e khoda (The Color of Paradise)
Run Lola Run
An Ideal Husband
Rushmore
All About My Mother
The Winslow Boy
The Blair Witch Project
The Limey
Snow Falling on Cedars
Girl, Interrupted
Dick
Topsy-Turvy
The Hurricane
The Straight Story
The Iron Giant
Sweet and Lowdown
Galaxy Quest
Summer of Sam
Man on the Moon
Mansfield Park
Titus
10 Things I Hate About You
Bringing out the Dead
Election
The End of the Affair
Arlington Road
Boys Don't Cry
**1/2
Payback (director's cut)
**
Office Space
The Cider House Rules
Dogma
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
The Green Mile
Any Given Sunday
The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc
Notting Hill
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Cradle Will Rock
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Cruel Intentions
The World is Not Enough
Pushing Tin
Deep Blue Sea
Entrapment
eXistenZ
Mystery Men
Tarzan
She's All That
Sleepy Hollow
Guinevere
End of Days
Runaway Bride
The Mummy
Last Night
8MM
Anywhere But Here
Analyze This
American Pie
Drive Me Crazy
Outside Providence
For Love of the Game
Varsity Blues
The Corruptor
Bowfinger
Double Jeopardy
Idle Hands
The Haunting
*
The General's Daughter
The Bone Collector

To be seen:
The Iron Giant
The Last Days
Limbo
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
The War Zone
A Midsummer Night's Dream
October Sky
Payback
The Red Violin
Stigmata
Stir of Echoes
South Park
Xiu Xiu
Cookie's Fortune
The Dreamlife of Angels
Angela's Ashes
Felicia's Journey
42 up

2000 films

2006-08-10T17:45:00.005-04:00

****
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Almost Famous
***1/2
Requiem for a Dream
State and Main
Traffic
***
Gladiator
X-Men
Unbreakable
Dancer in the Dark
High Fidelity
Batoru rowaiaru (Battle Royale)
Thirteen Days
Malena
Nurse Betty
You Can Count on Me
What Lies Beneath
Pitch Black
Panic
The Virgin Suicides
Gongdong gyeongbi guyeok (Joint Security Area)
Cast Away
Wonder Boys
O Brother, Where are Thou?
**1/2
The House of Mirth
American Psycho
The Ninth Gate
U-571
Meet the Parents
Small Time Crooks
Erin Brockovich
Hollow Man
Where the Heart Is
Deterrence
Keeping the Faith
Chocolat
The Beach
Rules of Engagement
**
Frequency
Vertical Limit
Boiler Room
Finding Forrester
Men of Honor
Return to Me
All the Pretty Horses
Me, Myself and Irene
Charlie's Angels
Shanghai Noon
The Perfect Storm
Shaft
Bounce
Mission: Impossible II
The Sixth Day
Road Trip
The Whole Nine Yards
Bring It On
Scream 3
Final Destination
Titan A.E.
Remember the Titans
Romeo Must Die
The Cell
The Patriot
The Replacements
The Emperor's New Groove
Mission to Mars
Chicken Run
Dinosaur
Gone In 60 Seconds
*1/2
Coyote Ugly
Pay it Forward
Reindeer Games

Religion?

2006-08-10T16:27:00.000-04:00

What would the world be like without religion? Well, who knows exactly? It would be very different. For instance, we probably would have less terrorists out there. I'm not saying that terrorists are all 'Islamic fascists' but many (or most?) terrorists are religious fanatics.

What good does religion do for the people of this world? Well there are 2 things to think about. First of all, there's the afterlife. If you don't believe in that, then let's just move on. If you do, then that's more than enough to justify everything else, isn't it? Since nothing else in this world will help you with that particular subject.

Secondly, there are possible benefits for people during their earthly life. For example there are some kind of vague benefits like having a 'philosophical center' or a 'moral compass'. More directly, many charities have religious affiliations and many churches actively help the needy. Certainly, non-religious people do those things too, but I would guess that it's more common among the religious. Of course there are also personal benefits, like prayer and having a personal relationship with other-earthly powers. It's hard to really describe those to people other than yourself, so I can't really do much with that.

I think that many of the so called moral values and societal advances that our modern western society has benefited from have had some assistance from religion. For example, look at Martin Luther King. I haven't done the research, but I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Abraham Lincoln was a religious man. Our civilized society had to gradually advance to this level and is hopefully still going to get better. Maybe it still would have gotten to where it is now without religion, but perhaps it would have taken longer?

I was looking at this article about atheism: click here

And I have to disagree. First all, the attitude of the writer is rather like "I'm right and you're wrong". Is he sarcastically mimicking an evangelistic attitude or something? Maybe. He is almost writing with a religious fervor, isn't he? I'm not sure that making arguments about God on a logical level make much sense. Not understanding something or thinking it doesn't make sense is not a reasonable argument in this case, I think. My opinion is to simply let science be your guide for what happens in this universe. But for everything else, you have to turn elsewhere. Perhaps to philosophy, metaphysics, or religion ! I can understand the view of an agnostic, but atheism is rather difficult for me to understand.

health care

2006-08-08T08:41:00.000-04:00

Well, I'm working in the field of health care, and it's pretty clear that this is going to be one of the major problems in the 21st century for the modern world. Not that people are getting sick and dying because that's always the case, and that's always getting better for the most part with advances in medicine. No, I'm talking about trying to pay for all the health care. Since our demographics are changing (with aging baby boomers, and longer lives in general, and lower birth rates), our health care budget is just going to keep expanding to ridiculous levels... So what's the solution?

Well, here's a partial list that I've come up with (I realize that this is probably nothing original):

1. more emphasis (ie: money) on preventive care (vaccines, sanitation, health education, safe sex, taking care of the environment and the atmosphere, etc.)

2. contined privatization of the health care system (because the government is always less efficient than private companies, in my opinion)

3. tort reform (I realize that this is a controversial issue, but the fact that lawyers can bring huge rewards for doctor 'errors' in malpractice suits leads to a significant increase in health care costs. I'm sure that if doctors weren't so worried about lawsuits all the time, they would cut down on their use of radiological and other tests, and malpractice insurance costs would go down, among other things.)

4. patient education (large numbers of patients grossly misuse health care resources, like using the emergency room for non-emergency conditions instead of going to their general family doctor)

5. well I doubt that there is any way to stop health care costs from significantly rising in the future, but hopefully the powers that be (and each of us) can do a little something to help out

2001 films

2006-08-07T23:08:00.003-04:00

****
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Memento
***
Mulholland Drive
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
El Espinazo del diablo (The Devil's Backbone)
The Others
Vanilla Sky
Moulin Rouge!
Donnie Darko
Amelie
The Royal Tenenbaums
In the Bedroom
Black Hawk Down
Bridget Jones's Diary
Training Day
Ali
Musa (the Warrior) [I saw the US 133 minute version]
The Pledge
Gosford Park
Brotherhood of the Wolf
Monster's Ball
Enemy at the Gates
Iron Monkey
Ocean's Eleven
A Beautiful Mind
Spy Game
The Deep End
Amores Perros
The Tailor of Panama
From Hell
Ghost World
Shackleton's Antarctic Adventure
Legally Blonde
The Man Who Wasn't There
Spy Kids
The Shipping News
Zoolander
Siu lam juk kau (Shaolin Soccer)
Bandits
Sexy Beast
Iris
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
Joy Ride
The Score
Heist
**1/2
Sex and Lucia
Shrek
Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone
Kiss of the Dragon
The Glass House
crazy/beautiful
Jurassic Park III
**
The Last Castle
K-Pax
Original Sin
Life as a House
Behind Enemy Lines
Hannibal
Hearts in Atlantis
Shallow Hal
Monsters, Inc.
Not Another Teen Movie
Blow
Along Came a Spider
Planet of the Apes
Heartbreakers
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Serendipity
Swordfish
Rat Race
The Majestic
Don't Say a Word
The Mummy Returns
Rush Hour 2
Angel Eyes
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back
American Pie 2
The Mexican
Domestic Disturbance
The Fast and the Furious
Pearl Harbor
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider
*
The One

2002 films

2006-08-05T01:24:00.006-04:00

****
Minority Report
Adaptation
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
***1/2
25th Hour
Talk to Her
Spirited Away
***
Panic Room
The Count of Monte Cristo
The Pianist
Mou gaan dou (Infernal Affairs)
Spider-Man
Insomnia
Gangs of New York
Bowling for Columbine
Frailty
Chicago
Femme Fatale
Punch-Drunk Love
Y Tu Mama Tambien
The Hours
The Bourne Identity
About a Boy
Solaris
Signs
The Rules of Attraction
Far From Heaven
The Ring
Confessions of a Dangerous Mind
About Schmidt
Equilibrium
Road to Perdition
Catch Me If You Can
Reign of Fire
Changing Lanes
Moonlight Mile
**1/2
Star Wars: Episode 2 - Attack of the Clones
Red Dragon
Unfaithful
The Good Girl
White Oleander
S1m0ne
The Importance of Being Earnest
Igby Goes Down
Antwone Fisher
The Sum of All Fears
K-19: The Widowmaker
Frida
Heaven
Charlotte Gray
The Rookie
Waking Life
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Die Another Day
We Were Soldiers
**
Gerry
Storytelling
Secretary
Austin Powers in Goldmember
XXX
Blood Work
Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys
Men in Black II
The Transporter
Windtalkers
Resident Evil
Blue Crush
Ice Age
One Hour Photo
Eight Legged Freaks
The Four Feathers
8 Mile
The Sweetest Thing
High Crimes
Star Trek: Nemesis
Undercover Brother
Sweet Home Alabama
40 Days and 40 Nights
Collateral Damage
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
*1/2
Serving Sara
The New Guy
Scooby Doo
Darkness
The Mothman Prophecies
Swimfan
Life or Something Like It
Enough
Abandon
National Lampoon's Van Wilder
*
The Tuxedo
FeardotCom
Mr. Deeds

beat the heat

2006-08-05T01:14:00.000-04:00

Wow, this (2006) is definitely the hottest summer I have ever experienced. So many consecutive days for 90+ temperatures (30+ celsius) are just draining. I remember when I was growing up in Calgary and Vancouver, that I didn't even know what humidity was until I was a teenager, because there was only a dry heat in those cities and usually the temperature didn't reach 30 celsius more than a couple of days per summer (if that).

Well here I am, sweating, trying to save a little money on my air conditioning bills because of the constantly rising energy prices. I think I really understand what people mean when they say the 'dog days of August'. I'll bet there are plenty of believers in global warming these days, considering Al Gore's latest movie, and this summer heat in the USA.

But how can we beat this energy crisis as our fossil fuels gradually dwindle away and get more expensive? I'm still waiting for cold fusion. Does anyone out there know what a tokamak is? I remember dreaming about scientific discoveries like discovering the cure for cancer or cold fusion when I was growing up. Sadly, I gave up those ambitious dreams a long time ago. It's up to the next generation now. Good luck, Ian :)

2003 films

2006-08-02T19:17:00.002-04:00

****
Kill Bill Vol. 1
City of God
Oldboy
***1/2
Salinui chueok (Memories of Murder)
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Lost in Translation
In America
***
Mystic River
Irreversible
28 Days Later
American Splendor
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
X2: X-Men United
The Barbarian Invasions
Hulk
Nowhere in Africa
All the Real Girls
Finding Nemo
21 Grams
The Matrix Reloaded
Cold Mountain
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Old School
Monster
Matchstick Men
Love Actually
Bad Santa
Swimming Pool
The Triplets of Belleville
Osama
The Matrix Revolutions
The Last Samurai
School of Rock
Whale Rider
Dirty Pretty Things
Once Upon a Time in Mexico
Thirteen
The Italian Job
Pieces of April
Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World
Elf
Girl with a Pearl Earring
The Cooler
The Shape of Things
Shattered Glass
Cabin Fever
Owning Mahowny
Confidence
Out of Time
Veronica Guerin
Raising Victor Vargas
House of Sand and Fog
Freaky Friday
The Company
Dark Blue
Seabiscuit
Bend It Like Beckham
The Rundown
Phone Booth
Identity
**1/2
Ong-bak (The Thai Warrior)
**
Ghosts of the Abyss
Intolerable Cruelty
Better Luck Tomorrow
Down With Love
Holes
My Life Without Me
Something's Gotta Give
Hollywood Homicide
Anything Else
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle
Open Range
Paycheck
Underworld
Laurel Canyon
Timeline
Basic
Runaway Jury
The Recruit
The Core
The Missing
Peter Pan
Shanghai Knights
Cradle 2 the Grave
The Order
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life
Final Destination 2
View from the Top
Mona Lisa Smile
Secondhand Lions
Wrong Turn
Daredevil
Big Fish
*1/2
Gothika
2 Fast 2 Furious
The Haunted Mansion
Uptown Girls
American Wedding
Bruce Almighty
S.W.A.T.

2004 films

2006-08-01T17:06:00.015-04:00

****1/2
Hero
****
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
2046
***1/2
The Incredibles
***
Million Dollar Baby
The Bourne Supremacy
Closer
Maria Full of Grace
Kill Bill: Vol. 2
House of Flying Daggers
Dogville
Sideways
Hotel Rwanda
Collateral
Bom yeoreum gaeul gyeoul geurigo bom (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring)
My Summer of Love
Un long dimanche de fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement)
Wicker Park
Spider-Man 2
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Ray
The Village
Horem padem (Up and Down)
Shaun of the Dead
The Aviator
The Passion of the Christ
Man on Fire
The Manchurian Candidate
Garden State
Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War
Finding Neverland
Layer Cake
Troy
Banlieue 13 (District B13)
Team America: World Police
**1/2
Fahrenheit 9/11
Saam gaang yi (Three Extremes)
Ocean's Twelve
Spartan
Millions
The Polar Express (IMAX 3-d)
Saw
Bad Education
Shrek 2
Miracle
Code 46
Bin-jip (3-Iron)
Open Water
Hellboy
Super Size Me
Saved!
Mean Girls
Hidalgo
Ima, ai ni yukimasu (Be With You)
Friday Night Lights
King Arthur
I, Robot
Hauru no ugoku shiro (Howl's Moving Castle)
Dawn of the Dead
Ella Enchanted (kids)
Born into Brothels
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
The Machinist
Diarios de motocicleta (The Motorcycle Diaries)
The Terminal
**
Yeojaneun namjaui miraeda (Woman is the Future of Man)
The Chronicles of Riddick
Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle
The Girl Next Door
The Notebook
Napoleon Dynamite
Spanglish
Beyond the Sea
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Secret Window
National Treasure
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton
Touching the Void
The Punisher
The Alamo
Eurotrip
The Forgotten
Alexander
In Good Company
Wimbledon
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
Ladder 49
Taking Lives
13 Going on 30
Eulogy
Blade: Trinity
50 First Dates
Resident Evil: Apocalypse
The Phantom of the Opera
The Grudge
Starsky and Hutch
The Butterfly Effect
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
Shark Tale
Cellular
The Day After Tomorrow
*1/2
Walking Tall
AVP: Alien vs. Predator
Van Helsing
Meet the Fockers
*
Godsend
The Stepford Wives

me

2006-08-01T16:55:00.000-04:00

Well here are my interests, and probably the main subjects of this blog, unless things change:

media (movies, music, TV)
computers & electronics (I love gadgets!)
chess
politics & religion (not that I am anything close to being an expert on these, but they are interesting to talk about)
sports

I've started out by creating some movie lists which will be updated periodically. I think that movies are the most interesting and exciting art form these days. They serve both as mass entertainment and sometimes can send powerful messages that can influence people for better or worse.

Here's a photo of my current favorite topic:

2005 films

2006-08-01T00:07:00.017-04:00

****
King Kong
A History of Violence
***1/2
Der Untergang (Downfall)
War of the Worlds
Sin City
***
Munich
Batman Begins
Proof
Chinjeolhan geumjassi (Sympathy for Lady Vengeance)
The Constant Gardener
Match Point
Kingdom of Heaven (director's cut)
Syriana
Serenity
Crash
Cache (Hidden)
Wedding Crashers
Good Night, and Good Luck.
Hustle & Flow
Kung Fu Hustle
Lord of War
Pride & Prejudice
Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
Capote
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The 40-Year Old Virgin
Nine Lives
Hwal (The Bow)
Casa de Areia (The House of Sand)
The Squid and the Whale
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
The Matador
Red Eye
In Her Shoes
The Upside of Anger
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Water
Walk the Line
The New World
Junebug
Brokeback Mountain
Sky High
The Notorious Bettie Page
Hard Candy
North Country
Unleashed (Danny the Dog)
Thank You For Smoking
Me and You and Everyone We Know
Manderlay
Brick
**1/2
Sarah Silverman: Jesus is Magic
Flightplan
Broken Flowers
l'Enfant (the Child)
The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada
Melinda and Melinda
Everything is Illuminated
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Four Brothers
The Jacket
March of the Penguins
Domino
Hostage
Constantine
Shopgirl
The Weather Man
**
Qian li zou dan qi (Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles)
Sahara
Jarhead
Sweet Land
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
The Interpreter
Transporter 2
Grizzly Man
Pretty Persuasion
Fun with Dick and Jane
Saw II
Dark Water
The Descent
Moartea domnului Lazarescu (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu)
Dave Chappelle's Block Party
The Island
The Family Stone
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
Memoirs of a Geisha
Madagascar
Hitch
The Devil's Rejects
Rent
The Exorcism of Emily Rose
*1/2
Herbie Full Loaded
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Aeon Flux
Hostel
Rumor Has It
The Aristocrats
Into the Blue
Fantastic Four
*
House of Wax
The Ring Two

2006 films

2006-07-31T13:02:00.016-04:00

****1/2
The Prestige
El Laberinto del Fauno (Pan's Labyrinth)
****
The Departed
V for Vendetta
***1/2
Science des reves, La (The Science of Sleep)
Children of Men
United 93
Zwartboek (Black Book)
***
The Fountain
Little Miss Sunshine
Volver
Babel
Casino Royale
The Last King of Scotland
Flags of our Fathers
Scoop
The Good Shepherd
Little Children
Man cheng jin dai huang jin jia (Curse of the Golden Flower)
Inside Man
The Illusionist
Letters from Iwo Jima
A Prairie Home Companion
Miami Vice
Cars
The Queen
Shi gan (Time)
Once
Apocalypto
The Namesake
Manufactured Landscapes
**1/2
Huo Yuan Jia (Jet Li's Fearless)
Superman Returns
Candy
A Scanner Darkly
Deja Vu
The Good German
We Are Marshall
Jesus Camp
Bobby
Notes on a Scandal
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
World Trade Center
Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan
SherryBaby
Rescue Dawn
Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny
Stranger than Fiction
Infamous
Art School Confidential
Lucky Number Slevin
The Last Kiss
Venus
Slither
Invincible
When the Levees Broke
Rocky Balboa
Crank
Idlewild
The Pursuit of Happyness
Half Nelson
**
Tristan + Isolde
X-Men: The Last Stand (X Men 3)
Akeelah and the Bee (recommended as a family film ***)
Marie Antoinette
Blood Diamond
Nuovomondo (Golden Door)
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift
The Sentinel
The Devil Wears Prada
The Nativity Story
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
American Dreamz
The History Boys
For Your Consideration
Idiocracy
16 Blocks
Mission: Impossible III
An Inconvenient Truth
Glory Road
This Film Is Not Yet Rated
The Lake House
The Black Dahlia
The Break-Up
Saw III
Underworld: Evolution
Snakes on a Plane
Hollywoodland
All the King's Men
The Da Vinci Code
Lady in the Water
Clerks 2
Poseidon
Gridiron Gang
The Omen 666
*1/2
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
The Holiday
Night at the Museum
Flyboys
Bandidas
Final Destination 3
The Hills Have Eyes
You, Me and Dupree
The Wicker Man
Silent Hill
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
*
The Grudge 2
Turistas
Scary Movie 4
Ultraviolet
Pulse

frank's first blog post??

2006-07-31T10:56:00.001-04:00

check out ianshinmom.blogspot.com
to see my young boy, born June 19, 2005 (this is my wife Kay's blog)

regarding the name of the blog:
the name may be familiar to you if you remember the Toronto Blue Jays of the early 90s
this is sort of a 'stream of consciousness' blog