SYTYCD

A familiar acronym? SYTYCD is back! Yes, So You Think You Can Dance - my favorite reality competition! I get so excited for this show. Hold up - I have an urge to jump and down for a quick sec.

... I'm back. Ala TRL: Whoohoo! [hands raised in high praise]

I couldn't even begin to predict who's gonna win but the females definitely stood out. Here are my thoughts on last night's performances:

1. I was a bit disappointed in Lauren Gottlieb's performance. I think her partner, Neil, is to blame. They don't compliment each other well enough and I think he's just cheesy, for reezy. But, hey, it's the first show

2. Jamie Goodwin, a dancer whom a fellow blogger [wink-wink] is already excited about, is GGGGGRRRRREAT! HipHop ain't her thang? Well, whooda thunk it! Once she gets into her element, she's gonna be baddddd-assss. And Hok? Impressed me more now than ever. What a nice, short couple!

3. Cedric is this year's version of Ivan. He really hit the choreography. Unfortunately, he's paired up with Faina. I hope she follows the same fate as her bro last year - being kicked out of the first round!

4. Jessi and Pasha (from Russia) looked superb! I was scared Jessi wouldn't be able to keep up but she showed some poise in a classy routine.

5. Sara, one of my new early favs, is a dancer who might turn out to be the most versatile. Labeled as a b-girl (is it always her birthday?), she performed last night's Wade Robson routine with much skill. I think her partner, Jesus, was off but the judges didn't seem to notice

6. Danny and Anya. Wow... I don't care much for this guy's personality but Danny showed how good he is. That jive was really suh-in

7. Lacey, the little sis of last year's champ, was lucky enough to be paired with someone as strong and solid as Kameron. Even better, the two were blessed to have the choreography of Mia Michaels. This performance, along with Wade's routine, contained the best choreography!

8. I guess I shouldn't forget Tice's routine for Shauna and... Jimmy? What guy goes by this name as an adult? I was making fun of this choice of name since I didn't remember the guy during the audition process. But... wow! I think the judges were a bit hard on Shauna. The two of them really put on a Broadway show!

9. I felt bad for Dominic & Sabra's disco routine. They performed "aiight" but there was no chance for either of them to really showcase their talents. Sure, Dominic ws able to throw in a breakdance move but it was simply a fun performance that failed to match the level of the rest of the competitors.

10. Ricky and Ashlee. Oh. For the love of... what the heck happened? Is there no other male who's tall enough to match Ashlee's height? That's a bit unfair considering Ricky's one of my favorite dudes. His excellentness was overshadowed by how he dwarfed in comparison to Ashlee. Even worse? Together, they can be called Ricky Ashlee. How tragic is that?

So considering various factors, here's how I rank the dancers:

Women
1. Lacey
2. Jamie
3. Sara
4. Anya
5. Lauren
6. Jessi
7. Shauna
8. Sabra
9. Ashlee
10. Faina

Men
1. Jimmy
2. Danny
3. Cedric
4. Hok
5. Pasha
6. Kameron
7. Jesus
8. Ricky
9. Dominic
10. Neil

That's just my opinion after the first show. I probably won't be able to blog much about these dancers the rest of the season. But while I'm on vacation, I thought I'd share a little suh-in... And, finally, here's a cool candid pic of three of the best SYTYCD performers, found on Jamie Goodwin's MySpace:

Fries or onion rings?

I'm behind on my new commitment to give up a food or drink item every two weeks. So what are my newest sacrafice? French Fries AND Onion Rings. I can no longer eat these items until after our wedding next August 2008. Wow. That's a long time. I can do it...

I can do it...

(Can I do it?)

I can.

Giving Up Coca Cola

Now that Lent's over, I've decided to give up eating certain foods or drinking certain drinks until after I'm married in August 2008. I know I'm a little late with the whole sacrificing for Catholicism ordeal, but I think it's best that I make little changes in my life in order to lead a healthier, less-heavy life.

Every couple of weeks, I will post a new item to give up. I will likely be very specific with the foods and drinks, since there will be lots to give up in a span of sixteen months. So here's number one:

Starting today, April 10, 2007, I will no longer consume Coca Cola. Yes, that is the actual brand/drink that I'm giving up. I haven't given up Pepsi or even Cherry Cola. Coca Cola is my soda of choice here at work and, therefore, I can no longer drink it. Pepsi will be an occasional drink at the in-laws and Cherry Coke is the drink of choice (for now) at theaters.

Stay tuned for my next post... I'm thinking some kinda of thinly sliced potato deep fried in a vat of oil...

Tax Time!

The two ads below are from last year, March 2006. They were in the same local Filipino paper but on two different pages. Can you figure out why I'm amused by them???

Spring Quarter - It's the First Day

I was so excited about school today. I dunno why. Last quarter was a bit blah-ish, having not applied myself as much as I should have. Yet, I pulled off very good grades. If I could do that with minimal effort, I think I can do better with a new attitude!

The drive to school was an easy one. I left work around 4:40pm, leaving downtown Seattle behind on my journey to class. Hwy 99 was clear, no traffic over the 1st Avenue bridge, Burien having hardly any cars on it, and Int'l Blvd had little stops. Sheesh, I reached the Des Moines CWU campus in no time! Such an easy drive! I was there twenty five minutes early. "I think I have time to go to the computer lab," I thought.

As I turned into the parking lot, ready for my first night of lecture, I thought, "Hmmmm... I'm so early, there's no cars here!" There were no cars.

... waaaaaait a minute...

There were NO cars.

I parked into the first of many vacant spots, ripped out the Spring schedule from bad, and read (in bold), "Classes start March 27, 2007." March 27th? TOMORROW????

I crumpled the paper into my bag and drove off as quickly as I could. [sigh] Another great beginning to a quarter!

Bad luck...

I've been having such bad luck lately. The most notable incidents:

-My car CD player is stuck on the same CD, at the same volume
-My passenger side sun visor won't stay up - it's permanently dangling
-I dropped our 27" TV, face down at the end of February, ruining the color
-I got a $35 parking ticket for being only five minutes over

...and several other little things. At least a few good things have happened during this same period:

-Bought a copy of the first comic issue of Buffy (Season 8). A friend of mine tells me it sold out the first day and is considered a collectible (the first printing).
-Finished my first quarter at CWU with a 3.85 GPA
-I got courtside tickets to see the Seattle Supersonics this past Saturday. You can actually see us on TV if you look carefully on the recording. I was able to film a great short clip on the digital camera.

I'll take the good with the bad. Hopefully, I'll have GOOD luck with today's protest filled traffic.
Happy Monday all!

Tim Hardlygay...

Oh, Tim Hardway... why did you have to say those things about the gay? Now you got Mr. George Takei on Kimmel with a fake PSA...

(That's public service announcement, 'kay?)

Jimmy... you make me laugh!

No Space

I did it. I got rid of my MySpace account. I was always logging into my account for nothing. I probably received a message only every once in awhile. My stalker days are over. It's best I just focus on school and all the other important stuff... like Blogs. :)

One distraction down... many more to eliminate...

You can post anything in You Tube

You can post absolutely ANYTHING in You Tube. Exhibit A:



How very UNEXCITING of a video clip was that?

SuperAds...

I had lots of fun watching the Superbowl yesterday. Usually the pressure of the big game gets to players, causing them to make mistakes which don't reflect their normal play. But the Bears vs Colts ended up being a genuinely good game despite it being for the NFL championship. Maybe the weather eased their nerves, having to deal with the rain and forcing them to focus. But I think the style of play from both teams was true to how they normally play. In any event, I'm very happy for Indy, Tony Dundy, Peyton Manning, and the rest of that class-act of an organization.

I pretty much watched the game all by myself. After an early morning-long day, my fiancee took a SuperNap, sleeping through the whole three hour event. In the first quarter, I paused some commercials and woke her up to watch some of the ads. But realizing she was extremely tired, I didn't bother for the rest of the game. Overall, the ads were just "okay" this year...but I still had some favorites:

5. CBS: David Letterman & his love: This was a commercial for Late Night with David Letterman. It started with a closeup on David Letterman watching the Superbowl at home. He was talking to his "loved one" saying, though he loved his Colts and she loved her Bears, they would still be okay because, together, they had love. Zoom out and who do we see? Oprah - with David's arm wrapped around her! Pretty funny considering the two had a public "feud" for 16 years before she finally appeared on his show in late 2005. Love Oprah for doing this with Letterman! [two chuckles]

4. GM: Robot Unemployment: This was a cute commercial featuring a robot arm working with humans in a GM auto factory. In attempting to place a screw on a car, the robot arm accidentally drops the screw and is laid off for his actions. The robot arm wanders sadly through the city, picking up odd jobs, like holding a "Condo for Sale" sign on a street corner & holding the speaker at a fast food joint. In each job, he is forced to see GM cars passing on the road. Overwhelmed by his mistake and his inability to contribute to GM, the giant robot arm decides to end it all by leaping from a bridge. Suddenly, the robot arm awakens back in the auto factory - it was all a dream... a nightmare. Gotta give it to GM for showing their commitment to quality. [three har-hars]

3. FedEx: Names: This commercial takes place in a small meeting for a fictitious company. It is announced that the company has decided to go with FedEx Ground in addition to the current FedEx Air services they already use. An employee asks, "How fast can they be with a name like FedEx Ground?" Another responds, "You shouldn't judge based on names..." and notes that others in the room agree. Ironically, the people who agree are: an extremely hairy guy (named Harry), a lady who literally leans on people (named Eileen), a happy, giggly girl (named Joy), a guy who bobs his head (named Bob), and a gigantic-necked boss (named Mr. Turkeyneck.) I watched this one a few times. Very funny. [four giggles]

2. Bud Light: Slap fight: All the Budweiser commercials were good. Some of my favorites were Wedding Auction (a groomsmen hires an auctioneer as the officiant in order to speed up the wedding, get to the drinking), It's a Bottle Opener (couple picks up a hitchhiker with an axe - but it's okay 'cause he had Bud Light), and Rock, Paper, Scissors (two guys play this game to determine who gets the last Bud Light - the guy who wins throws a real rock at the other's head, even though the other guy had Paper). But Slap Fight was my favorite of all the Budweiser commercials. This one starts off in a bar where one guy wants to "fist bump" his friend after treating him to a beer (fist bump: two guys form fists and bump them together; see "high five.") The guy receiving the "fist bump" says that fist bumps are out. "So what's in?" asks the curious friend? He's immediately slapped in the face - which is the new High Five! We are then treated to a montage of face slapping situations: people bowling, teammates in a pro basketball game, women at wedding, guys golfing. The timing of the slaps was perfect - it had me laughing out loud! [four laugh-out-louds]

1. Snickers: The Kiss: This was by far my favorite ad of the game. Two slob-type mechanics are working under the hood of a car. One guy pulls out a Snickers bar, unwraps it partially, sticks the unwrapped end in his mouth, and then removes the rest of the wrapper. The other guy, staring in obvious hunger, maneuvers his way to the exposed end and starts eating the Snickers as well. The two eventually meet in the middle of the bar, the candy bar no longer visible, leaving the two locked in a pseudo-kiss. They both immediately jump back, shocked that their lips were pressed together for a good amount of time.

Guy 1: "Dude... I think we just accidentally kissed!"
Guy 2: "Quick! Do something manly..."
Guy 1: [opens up shirt, rips a huge patch of chest hair, screams loudly]
Guy 2: [also rips open shirt, tearing hair off chest, screaming as well]

This one had me seriously laughing my arse off. Kudos on Snickers and the best commercial of the game! [one million roflao's]

Worst Ads: Doritos (really? that's the best contest winners could do?), Go Daddy Marketing (enough of that same cleavage revealing girl - she's not really that hot), Salesgenie.com (bad acting, unconvincing, they will be out of business within a year), Chevrolet "Sing a Song" (Mary J Blige to start? this will be good... horrible singing which followed? poor Mary J being associated with this ad)

Best Halftime Show: Prince. I liked. Very talented and entertaining. Sure was better than the Rolling "Zzzzzz" Stones.

Learning Piano...

Back in September, my fiancee's mother (my future mamma-in-law) gave us her piano. She lives right across the street so it wasn't too bad of move, with the help of several friends. In the past couple of months, I've been doinking around on it, trying to learn how to read/play sheet music. I'm kinda understanding some of the basic concepts but it's seems really tough. I am SO slow. I know It'll take tons of practice before I even come close to being able to play decent. But "my G" just came along and taught me a little warm up drill before playing. She taught me the whole-whole-half-whole pattern of the chords to practice on both hands. I just got finished practicing for about 1/2 hour and my fingers are SO warmed up. In fact, I turned on the computer to check some stuff out on the Internet and I just can't believe how fast and accurately I'm typing right now. It's incredible how those exercises are making me type like I've never typed before. Before I ever have to type a paper, I'm going to hop on the piano to get my fingers all ready...

Five things you REALLY wouldn't have known 'bout me...

After looking at what I posted for "Five Things You Might Not Know About Me", I was thinking, "Hmmm... that didn't really say much 'bout me." Here are some more personal tidbits about me:

1. (after reading Bossch's) After three months of stealing from various stores during my senior year in high school, I finally got caught at Rite Aid - stealing a radar detector. My life of crime started when a friend dared me to get something for him. It continued with me getting away with various items: CDs, food, clothes, shoes, and even a bike. And it was always for other people. I never kept any of the things I took. My parents grounded me for the remaining six months of senior year. Those "friends" who got me into it stopped hanging with me... which, in hindsight, was a blessing in disguise. Those guys got into tons of trouble...

2. Up until I was in kindergarten (or even first grade), I would pee in bed a lot. For fun. Okay, that's not true. There's nothing more irritating to the skin than dried urine. Looking back at that time, I must have had serious psychological issues. Because of my problem, my mom inserted a plastic covering under the regular sheets in my bed. I was SO embarrassed back then. But now? Yeah... still embarrassing.

3. The worst job I ever had was a telemarketing job in downtown Seattle. I used to make cold calls for the American Lung Society and, oddly enough, I was great at it. I used to rake in tons of donations, working along side the ex-psycho....errr... girlfriend. She used to get SO mad at me 'cause of my high numbers. I got promoted to informing Group Health customers about their insurance coverage in Eastern Washington. I left the job when the ex- was let go and didn't want me working there anymore 'cause of how they treated her. Yes, she had serious issues. But, hey, that's why she's the ex-.

4. I have aspirations of being a stand-up comedian. My realistic goal is to perform one time, just once, at an Amateur Night type show. I've been to one of those at Giggles - it looks REALLY tough. Personally, I'd consider myself to be only "somewhat" funny... and only in conversational situations... and only when I laugh in that way that forces others to laugh along... I'm not one of those people who thinks, "I could do that!" It's more like, "That looks like a lot of fun... I wish I could be funny like that." I'm going to make sure to invite all my friends to my amateur debut... (As a side note, I'd also love to be a professional dancer... hip-hop... but, I've let that dream go...)

5. At age thirteen, I was babysitting my little sister (who was four at the time) and I was bored out of mind. Seeing her LONG straight hair (to her back), I asked her, "Do you want me to curl your hair for you?" (uhhh...yeahhhh... please, don't ask) She said, "Sure..." so I took the curling iron (ol' school spikey kind) and practiced first without plugging it in. I quickly rolled a huge chunk of hair quickly from the bottom of her back up to her shoulder. I suddenly had problems unraveling it. Like, SERIOUS problems trying to remove the curling iron. OH SH*T! IT'S STUCK! I wanted to cry and was in full panic mode. My strict parents would be home any minute and their little darling daughter's beautiful locks were wrapped tightly around the curling iron. It was just dangling out of her head. Thankfully, my little sister, only four years old, felt my anguish and accepted my pleas for help. She ended up telling my parents that SHE (not ME) tried curling her hair and was unable to remove the tangled curling iron. They were so pissed but, feeling the loss of her hair was enough, never ended up punishing her. It took some time before her bob grew back out to its long length. My sister was SO loyal to me that she didn't end up telling my parents the truth until she was eighteen. I ended up being grounded for two weeks... at age twenty-seven. Sad... but true.

Five Things You Might Not Know About Me

So I've decided to accept Rebecca's challenge and post "Five Things You Might Not Know About Me." Or, as the Canadians would say, "Five Things You Might Not Know Uh-Boat Me." For those who DO know me, this is a little tough 'cause I'm pretty much an open book who talks about all my interests and aspect of my life (maybe, sometimes, a bit too much.) But let's give it a try:

1. I love tearjerker romance movies. Onscreen love is a beautiful way of reminding us never to take our special someone for granted. Same with love songs. Sure, it can be viewed as sappy & cheesy - but, to me, there's nothing wrong with getting into the moment and feeding off of that kind of energy. I consider it a turbo boost of romance in my own life. One of my favorite movies is "The Notebook." Wasn't it beautiful? [insert tears here]

2. My favorite athlete of all time is John Elway. In another lifetime, I was a HUGE Denver fan who LOVED the Broncos, especially Mr. Elway (as I addressed him in all my fanmail.) I started seriously watching the NFL in 1985 at age eleven while living in Colorado Springs where my dad was stationed. The team everyone watched in the area was the Broncos, led by the legendary quarterback. He was the master of the fourth quarter comeback and known for his arm strength. I watched a local story on him which showed his wide receivers, shirtless, with crosses imprinted on their chests (formed from the tip of the football.) Now that's power! But since he's retired, I've been a huge Seahawk fan!

3. The reality show I enjoy the most is "American Idol." I still consider it a fun show and I'm looking forward to next week's premiere. I enjoy the competition part more than the horrible auditions, unlike most of my friends who watch it more for the bad performances. After seeing only a huge handful of the first season's episodes, I've since watched every single episode. But, sadly, my favorite singers from each season have never won. Last year, I was hoping Katharine or Elliott would win. Instead, pepper-haired Taylor won. A better example would be my favorite from Season 3... it was Jennifer Hudson and she lost early on. But, hey, isn't she now the REAL winner of that season? Fantasia who?

4. My current top five celebrity crushes are (in no particular order):

--Jessica Alba (Invisible Girl? C'mon... Why would they do such a thing?)
--Leeann Tweeden (model, commentator on FOX Sports' "Best Damn Sports Show Period")
--Kristen Bell (the mystery solving "Veronica Mars")
--Moon Bloodgood (part Korean, Irish, Dutch actress from "Daybreak," a show that I loved but has been pulled by ABC...grrrr)
--Maggie Gyllenhaal ("Stranger Than Fiction")

Honorably mentions: Katherine Heigl (from "Roswell" to "Grey's Anatomy"), Rachel McAdams ("Mean Girls" and "The Notebook"), Maggie Grace (no longer lost on "Lost"), Sarah Shahi (1st season of "Alias" and "Wedding Crashers")

Would I ever leave my fiancee for any of these women? Like, if they just threw themselves at me and said they wanted to be with me forever? If in the heat of passion, we found ourselves... errrr... What was the question? Ummm... OF COURSE NOT! But they're all personalities who, on & off screen, come off as real, normal people...

5. When I graduated from high school in 1992, I was given an award recognizing me as the top math student out of our class of five hundred students. What did I do two years later? I dropped out of the University of Washington while pursuing a Civil Engineering degree. Heh heh heh... I have since triumphantly returned with a career in numbers, currently working towards a degree in Accounting. I just gotta live up to that award!

Now, I tippity tap tap Erwin and Bossch.

Bold Prediction...

I just posted a comment on someone else's blog... so I'll repeat it in here: I highly recommend seeing "Dream Girls." Oh my. What a movie! Loved it so much that I have to correct myself: I LOVED IT! Sure, I'm creating high expectations but I can't help it. I'm so hooked on every single song on the soundtrack. The actors were amazing...both the big ones and the newcomers. I saw the stage performance when it came to Seattle... French Davis played the part of Effie and her rendition of "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" had me in tears. But... wow. In the movie, Jennifer Hudson was, as Simon Cowell has been quoted saying, "extraordinary." I was quite emotional for a few songs in the movie.

So, my bold prediction is... without seeing any other movie... Dream Girls for Best Picture for both Golden Globes and the Oscars. Yes, loved it that much!

From "Angel" to "The Office"

I used to LOVE the "Buffy" spin-off, "Angel." At times, I enjoyed the story lines of the show more than Buffy. One my favorite characters on the show was Skip, a monsterous demon who appeared in a few episodes. Here's how Wikipedia introduces his character:

"Skip is a formidable and powerful demon, whose body is plated in armor. He appears in four episodes of the series. The demon sports a confident, charismatic personality and frequently makes humorous reference to human popular culture and turn-of-phrase. The history and nature of Skip is largely unknown since much of what Skip spoke was later revealed to be a lie. Skip was revealed to be a servant of Jasmine who was used to trick Cordelia Chase into becoming a vessel for the infestation and birth of Jasmine."

So why do I bring him up? Why now? Maybe it's because I miss that show and the actors in it... OR, maybe it's because Skip can be found on The Office. He plays Pam's ex-fiance, Roy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Denman

I can't believe that the actor has played both roles! Okay, back to studying...

"I'm an Accountant..."

I felt a little stupid today at work today. I was helping out a friend/coworker/fellow-blogger figure out an issue with our company's bank. Earlier this week, he had accidentally deposited a Canadian check into our US currency account instead of our Canadian account. It was an innocent mistake. In order to protect the bank's identify, I won't give the name. Let's just say the banks name is, "Fells Wargo." Anyway, my friend's called a customer rep for the zillionth time around 5pm. My boss wanted us to confirm, one more time, how the error was to be corrected. I was there to help since , me being me, wanted to get hear the story directly from Fells Wargo. My friend re-explained the problem to a rep, was put on hold for ten minutes , then had to hear the rep give the answer we didn't want to hear. So, in order to add to the conversation, I said, "Hi, this is Rodney. I'm an accountant here..."

Forget the rest of the call. I felt a little bit stupid. [waving hands in air] "Look at me... I'm the accountant. You must listen to me 'cause I'm a big man on campus. You know, me...the accountant..." I was a bit embaressed but finished off the conversation getting the answers I didn't want to hear.

Though I'm very happy with my new "Staff Accountant" title, it's strange actually using it...

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Seattle was shut down today. It snowed last night, making the roads icy, and forcing many a Seattle-ite to stay home instead of going about their usual business. Since I was out sick yesterday, I decided to brave the cold and bus it downtown to work. Being month-end, I felt this would be the best way to spend my day. Glo and I live four hilly blocks away from the bus stop on California Avenue. With our house smack dab in the middle of our block, we have the choice of two different hills to climb. One's less steep with a longer ascent, while the other is very steep with a shorter hike. I think the cold weather must have gotten to Glo's head 'cause she made a move for the steeper hill. "Ummm, hello? Scary." I quickly tackled her and exclaimed, "What are you doing? Are you MAD? Going that way is far too dangerous!" After snapping out of that delusion, I returned to reality and simply suggested, "Ummm... Glo? Maybe we should go the other way. You think?" She quickly agreed and we were off to conquer Mount Andover.

It took us some time to get up the hill but it was pretty uneventful, with only an occasional, "Whoa" and "Yikes" shooting from our mouths. We did see one car struggle to get up one of the hills, eventually giving up and reversing completely down the hill. The sidewalk itself was very slippery so we walked on the snow covered grass whenever possible. Once we were a block away from our destination, on level ground, I offered my arm in support to Glo. As chivalrous as that might sound, I did request that she let go of me if she felt the need to fall down. There’s no reason for both of us to injure ourselves in the event of an ugly wipeout.

The bus wasn't completely full when we got on but there was at least one person in almost every seat. The only two-seater offering was in the middle accordion section of the bus. We reluctantly sat down in what I consider to be the worst seats on the bus. Riding sideways? With no window? Not only do I get a bit nauseous in those seats, I also feel self-conscious since I’m forced to face in the direction of those sitting across or diagonally from me. Thankfully, the two people in front of us were reading books. I could look their direction without worrying they might think I was staring at them. I avoided looking diagonally to my right (to the back of the bus) because my eyes kept meeting those of the folks in those seats. Everything would be okay if I just looked straight ahead or to my left... so I thought.
At the last stop in West Seattle, the bus driver asked those standing in the aisle to move back in order to make room for more riders. Up until that point, there were a couple of guys immediately in front of me. One of them had a huge backup that could potentially crush me to death if the bus stopped suddenly, but I didn't care. After they moved further back, the two men were replaced by a tall, slender, attractive woman with a fit figure. This brunette was wearing some tight jeans, a short brown leather-ish jacket, and matching long boots. To my peripheral right, I could tell the two guys were checking her fanny out.

I refrained from looking up because her round booty was only a few inches from me. "Great..." I thought, "people are going to think I'm the biggest perv checking out her rump." I pulled out my law book to get some reading done and to avoid having to deal with her backside. But her buttocks were right there. Every time the bus made a turn, the corner of my book was close to stabbing her in the derriere. It's rather difficult to avoid a bum when it's right in your face. We've all been in a similar awkward situation with someone's rear bumper honking at us. In restaurants, you’ll see an occasional hiney of a waiter or waitress in someone's face. It doesn't matter whether they have a nice permanent vertical smile or not. An arse in the face makes for an awkward situation. I could tell she was occasionally looking back to make sure I wasn't gawking at her butt. But I felt like she was purposely putting her rear in my face so as to say, "Look at my ass. Isn't it the best behind you've seen? You have to admit, these are great buns." Thankfully, we arrived at the first downtown stop where Miss Gluteus Maximus took her can off the bus. That put an end to my rear end scenario.

I'm now home, after a six-hour work day. Unless it snows tonight, I'll still go to work tomorrow even if it's icy. But hopefully I won't END up in the line of fire of someone else’s tush...

Been busy...

Have I been so busy that I haven't posted a new blog in almost two months? Wow... that's a long time. What a depressing last blog too! So serious.

My back hurts and I've been kinda sick the past few days. I "coulda" went to work today but I decided to stay home and rest. It was nice to get caught up on some homework I couldn't do the past few days 'cause I was too nauseated to do anything.

So, a quick summary of what I've been up to since my last blog:

-I was accepted to UW Business School (yay!)
-I'll probably decline my acceptance (booooo) in order to attend Central Washington University's night program. I have to do what's convenient for my schedule!
-My title at work was upgraded to Staff Accountant/Financial Data Specialist! I'm so happy that I'm finally an accountant... I'm on my way once I get done with school.
-All I do is work and study.

It's been pretty quiet but things are moving along very well. I hope people decide to take the day off at work tomorrow so I can get a lot of stuff done. I'll keep my blog short for now and write more sooner than later...

Instant Gellin...

My coworker/budinsky Greg and I were chatting on instant messenger today. Not sure how we started making references to the Dr. Scholl's "Are you gellin?" commericials. But, in addition to using some existing rhymes, we came up with some of our own.

Rodney says:
i'm chillin' over there...
Rodney says:
"here"
Greg says:
Are you going to be zinfindel'in?
Rodney says:
certainly, just like Nate McMillan...
Greg says:
I like to eat watermelon.
Greg says:
I married a felon.
Rodney says:
I'd prefer if AV actually be sellin...
Greg says:
There's a revolt that needs a quellin'
Rodney says:
You're good enuff for 1st billin...
Rodney says:
101 Dalmations is what I saw Cruella Deville in.
Greg says:
If you don't stop bugging me, I'm tellin'
Rodney says:
Fine! Send me home now so I can watch Ellen...
Greg says:
Sometimes I wish you would bathe more, you need to stop smellin;
Rodney says:
HA! I'M TYPING ALL CAPS TO MAKE LIKE I'M YELLIN!
Greg says:
I wish comics weren't so expensive, I'm getting broke from all the money I'm shellin'

Yeah, it was funny to us.

WSA

Today's a big day for me. I took the day off to take the Written Skills Assessment (WSA) test at UW for entry into their Business School. Though I'm most likely attending Central Washing University, I thought I'd apply just to keep my options open.

My test was at 2pm today. I got up this morning around 8:30ish with plans of writing some essays as practice for the afternoon exam. I took my fiancee into work and was back to my house before 10am. "Lazy ass" best describes how I was feeling. That's absolutely what I was. When I got home, I fried some bacon & eggs and toasted some bread for a hearty breakfast. I watched "The View" which was the last day of Rosie's first week with the gals. I must say that it reminded me of Rosie's old show except with three other women trying to get a word in every second or so. Rosie's one of the best at what she does. She's great at interviewing folks and giving away the free shtuff to the audience (they all got tickets to "Wedding Singer" on Broadway since Rosie's one complaint from the first week was that there was no Broadway number).

But, yeah, what a lazy morning it was! I watched more TV and did absolutely NO writing. I had been transferring episodes of "So You Think You Can Dance" from DVR to videotape and caught myself wrapped up in the past season's performances. "Screwed" was now the thought in my head by 12:30pm. Completely 100% screwed. I started taping another episode around 12:45pm when I FINALLY decided to take a shower. But, before I did, I got my pencils and form ready to take with me to the test.

...so, hmmm, where's that form? Ah, here it is and it... says... the... test... WHAT????

...

THE TEST IS AT 1PM!

...what time is it????

... OH SHIT!!!!!!!!! It's 12:45PM... I'm in West Seattle and the friggin' test is at 1PM....

Shorts off. (I'M SO STUPID!)
Jeans on. (WHAT AN IDIOT?)
Wallet. (WHY DIDN'T I CHECK THE TIME?)
Watch. (CAN I ARRIVE LATE AND STILL TAKE IT?)
Phone. (THERE'S JUST NO WAY!)
Form. (SHOULD I JUST CANCEL?)
Two #2 pencils. (...out the door!!!!!!)

I jump into the car...

OHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOH
MYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMY
GODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGO
DOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODO
HMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHM
YGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYG
ODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGODOHMYGOD

70MPH down the West Seattle Bridge...
traffic onto I-5 (darn!)...

...I get on I-5. Express Lanes. 90MPH. UW, first exit... not too much further...

YES! Street parking right in front of Schmitz Hall...

...elevator to 4th floor (testing center). WHERE'S ROOM 400????

...and there's a line to sign-in.

WHEW.

Thank-God-WHEW.

...so, I even had time to use the restroom really quick. I was the very last person in line, hair sticking up, but glad to have made it. The test itself? I feel like I did okay. Two essay questions in 90 minutes. First one was a position essay on something about making change in order to make the world the way you wish it. And the second was a persuasive essay on supporting one of two candidates as partner in an international law firm. The first candidate was a smooth & charismatic lawyer with rich upbringing, was good looking, and had experience with negotiations in European countries. The other candidate is someone with high technical skills, great at writing legal argument, and is a brilliant analyst. However, he's socially awkward and physically clumsy. Do you think I supported the first candidate (from a senior partners perspective)? Or was I a partner who supported the second individual?

It doesn't matter. I'm just happy I made it to the damn exam...

Ivan

Here's a video of Ivan with Elmer Pizarro, formerly of Seattle's Baneful Brew (way long ago). Ivan being linked to someone I used to admire locally is awesome. And I'm glad that Elmer (whose the same age as me) is still going strong with the dancing.


Another video of Ivan...


Here's Ivan with Marty Kudelka , tour choreographer for Justin Timberlake


Please take note of the disclaimer on these videos (which I admire):
DISCLAIMER: For Inspirational purposes only. Please respect the creative work of this choreographer. Duplicating or recycling these moves in any shape or form for your own use (without permission) is prohibited and "shameful."

Have respect for the dancing geniuses of our world!

GASP

I love those TV jaw-droppin' moments. The rare "I can't believe that just happened" feeling. It's quite a rush. Last season was filled with those during Lost. What a great show!

However, it wasn't such a great feeling last night when my favorite female dancer on So You Think You Can Dance was booted off by America. What the fug?

[on hands and knees screaming]: NNNNOOOOoooooooooo ! ! ! !

Me so sad. She was the most verse-ah-tile dancer of the very talented top four women who remained on the show. I expected her to at least last longer than Natalie. I mean, yes, Natalie's great, athletic, and very talented...but, Allison? Allison??? She deserved to be there longer than the Gnatalie.

Allison's the only girl that was able to successfully pull off every style of dance she was faced wih. Granted, her first hiphop routine of the season was "aiight"... but I had just got finished boasting about her and Ivan's performance the night before. Allison was the first performer to actually dance along to the lyrics at the end of the solo routines. It was so cute the way she'd shake to the lyrics, "So you think you can dance" then end with a Travolta Saturday Night Fever style pose. What happened? Did she not say enough for people to like her? Wasn't her talent and genuine smile enough? I guess not.

I predict that, next season, the judges will choose who gets booted off every show until the final two dancers are left. That'll ensure that this sheeeeaht doesn't happen again.

...By the way, did anyone know Ivan's from Seattle? Go figure! I found a Seattle P-I article on him. And, to think, I've danced in the same studio with him... Everyone now, "OOOOOooooo..."

Ivan and Allison

I look foward to every episode of "So You Think You Can Dance". This show is what a DVR was meant for. Every week, there's at least one performance which I just can't get enough of. Last night, Benji danced with his cousin Heidi. They probably danced the most professional routine of the week. They both excel in partner dances so their routine was SO amazing.

But their performance wasn't the one I watched over and over and over again. It was Ivan and Allison. Shane Sparks (did I spell that right?) put together a most excellent hiphop routine to a slow R&B song by Neo. Man, the song and the choreography was just so... cool.

The first five weeks of the show, these two youngins were partners. Last week was the first time they didn't dance together. By chance, they were paired up again in yesterday's top four couples' routines. They had two strong performances but Ivan, whose specialty is hiphop, showed how important chemistry is as he and Allison gave me chills with their sweet ass routine. I loved it.

Ivan has improved SO much. I didn't like him at first 'cause I thought there was no way he'd be able to do anything except hiphop. He looked horrible in his first couple of non-hiphop dances. But, man, I was wrong. He's so much better now. Still, he's at his best doing hiphop.

I hope this link works for awhile...

"Soft" Ball

I had lunch with Eric, Wes, and Erwin at 12:30 yesterday. The brainwashing has worn off and Wes is leaving Active Voice. Hence, lunch with the Fantasy Football fellas before he leaves downtown and starts working as a consultant for Microsoft...

Scene 1 - Restaurant
Eric: "Hey, you know... tonight's my softball league's championship match... wanna come?"

Rodney: "Maybe... what time?"

Eric: "6:30pm - It's at South Park..."

Rodney: "Oh, yeah, I remember that place. Sounds like it could be fun. Plus, I'd get to meet your new girlie, eh?"

Eric: "Yep..."

Six hours later. My fiancee (not Beyonce) arrive just a little late. It's the bottom of the 1st inning and we can see Eric up to bat. Awwww... he's out.

Scene 2 - South Park Ballfield
Rodney: "Hey, Eric... What's the score?"

Eric: "You just get here? You missed my brilliant first inning as pitcher where I gave up five runs. It's 5-0."

I guess Eric's no longer the pitcher. He's in at shortstop. It's a co-ed team. All I know is that his new girlfriend/we're not official yet/"friend" is named Angie. We listen carefully as each girl on his team gets up to bat...

"Go Becka!" Nope, not her. Next girl?

"You can do it, V!" Nope, not her either.

Eventually, there's an Angie. Hmmm... nice looking girl. She made contact with the ball. Sure, she got out - but at least she's playing sports. Eric likey girls who are into sports.

Smackdown (Eric's team) comes back, score seven runs, and lead at the top of the 4th/5th-ish inning. Great game! But, uh oh, the other team is making their own comeback. What a shame. It's now 7-6 and bases are loaded. Next person up? Big dude. On the first pitch, Big Dude swings and makes solid contact, the ball screaming towards Eric. This ferocious line drive bounces off the ground and ricochets vertically into Eric's face. He's down!

But no worries... Eric always gets hurt. He'll get up pretty quickly...

...

Ummm... nope. He's still down. Both benches are cleared as Eric's surrounded by everyone trying to help.

"Someone... grab a towel!!!!"

From my seat I think, "Hmmph. He must be badly stunned. He just probably needs ice. Good thing all these people are here to help."

...

"Hmmm... Eric sure has been down for quite a long time. That's it. I'm going to check it out."

I walk around the fence towards Eric but he's already up and walking to the dugout. Whoah. His hand and the towel covering his nose are completely covered in blood! The ball wacked him in the nose, not only breaking it, but creating an inch long laceration.

From the field (in the Georgetown area), I pull my best emergency moves, speeding down every road, and even taking a left at an intersection with a red light. I tried to scream this ambulance-type wail to get people out of the way - but that didn't work! We rushed to the Group Health Urgent Care center in Captiol Hill. Leave it to my pal Eric to want to go there instead of the closest emergency room. Ultimately, it's the smartest thing we could have done, in regards to finances...

We were at the hospital for over three hours. Glo and I left him in good hands with the new girlie. But the doctor who treated him didn't seem to knowledgable.

Scene 3
Doctor: So, yeah, there are a couple of options. But, I'm gonna call someone to ask them which route to go. So, yeah... Ummm... okay, I'll call them after reading up on how to do sutures.

All is well today. I just talked to Eric on the phone. He'll have surgery on Thursday to have his nose popped back into place. His girlfriend took care of him last night... and this morning... and... nevermind. It was nice to meet her last night and get to know her - despite the circumstances. I hope Eric's able to play softball again this season...

Econ Revisited

I received the following response from my buddy in Econ.

Hi, Rodney.

I'm really sorry about what happened.
but I want to explain why I copied yours.
To be honest, I'm not comfortable with English. I've been in USA for couple
years.
Everytime I do my hw, I always have ideas for each question
but it's not easy to write that down in English.
and I realized what I wanted to answer is the same as you had answered.
I didn't mean to make you upset and get scores easily or something like
that.
I'm trying to spend couple hours to study eco201 everyday
and figure out how to express my opinions efficiently.
I'm still dealing with it.
so.. please understand what I did to you.
and sorry about that again.

Thank you

__________

I guess that makes sense. Why would anyone flat out copy another person's assignment when the postings are available for everyone to see? I'll let this one go... this time!

"Individual" Assignments for Economics

I'm studying for my econ test tomorrow. Yep... that's right. I'm "studying"...

It's an online class. It's been quite a unique experience this quarter. What makes it even more unique is an assignment I completed over the weekend. In the online format, students post their answers to weekly homework assignments. From Lesson 5, I've copied and pasted two questions, my answers, and a fellow classmate's answers (to the same two questions). I have not edited any of the answers. I'm simply control-c'ing and control-v'ing to this blog:

Question 5c - Can you think of other aspects of well-being that are associated with the rise in womens labor force participation? Would it be practical to construct a measure of well-being that includes these aspects?

My answer:
The rise of womens labor force participation means a tradeoff of less time spent at home where, previously, time may have been spent taking care of children. This might have a negative impact on the children in these households. It doesnt seem practical to construct a measure of well-being that includes this. How does one quantitatively measure the happiness of a child whose mother is now working?

My classmate's answer (posted, today, two days later):
The rise of womens labor force participation means a tradeoff of less time spent at home where, previously, time may have been spent taking care of children. This might have a negative impact on the children in these households. It doesnt seem practical to construct a measure of well-being that includes this. How does one quantitatively measure the happiness of a child whose mother is now working?

Problem 1B - Do tennis racquets become more or less expensive relative to Gatorade? Does the well-being of some people change relative to the well-being of others? Explain.

My answer:
Tennis Racquets: ($600 - $400) / $400 x 100 = 50
Gatorade: ($400 200) / $200 x 100 = 100
Tennis racquets (50% increase) become less expensive relative to Gatorade (100% increase). Because of this analysis, those who purchase tennis racquets would be relatively better off to those who purchase Gatorade. And, actually, those who purchase tennis balls would be relatively better off than those who purchase tennis racquets or Gatorade, since the price of tennis balls dont change.

My same classmate's answer (again posted today, two days later):
Tennis racquets become less expensive relative to Gatorade. Because of this analysis, those who purchase tennis racquets would be relatively better off to those who purchase Gatorade. And, actually, those who purchase tennis balls would be relatively better off than those who purchase tennis racquets or Gatorade, since the price of tennis balls dont change.



...so, did you notice any similarities between the two sets of answers? It's like "Hocus Focus" in the comic section of the newspaper where you try to distinguish the difference between the two panels. But, in this case, there's nothing different. My classmate actually copied my answers? (Say WHUT?) So, I emailed my classmate (I went easy 'cause I don't like my instructor - what good would come from me reporting this?):

Dear _______,

Hi. I just wanted to tell you that I noticed that a couple of answers on Lesson 5 (Individual assignment) were copied directly from my answers to your answers.

Please dont do that again. If you do, youre taking away from your learning process. I work very hard on these assignments and for someone else to just come along and copy and paste doesn't seem fair.

Thank you,
Rodney
So, if you were me, what would you have done? Should I have reported this person to my instructor? This was more amusing than irritating...

I can't believe I'm an idiot...

I should be working on my Econ test ... but, it's all good... there's always tomorrow...

So I get in the elevator after work to head out of the building from our fifth floor office. It's usually a lonely ride in my escape from Active Voice... but, on this particular trip, it's a full load when I get in. Actually, there were only four people. But, with as small as our elevator is, it seemed like a whole bunch more. There are two younger guys, 'bout my age, carrying boxes filled with paperwork. I don't notice the two others who are against the side walls of the elevator. I'm focused on these first two 'cause they're struggling, especially this one dude trying to balance a cup of coffee on the top of his load. They're taking up a lot of room, invading my personal space. Noticing that the third floor button is lit, I realize I'm gonna have to step out to so one of these fools can get out. Mr. Coffee says, "Yeah, we're auditors for the state..."

Third floor, doors open, and I step out briefly in order to get out of the first two guys' way. In leaving, I'm amazed at Mr. Coffee's focus on making sure his drink doesn't spill. Quite impressive. I feel like I should applaud. Instead, I get back into the elevator and, being one never to miss an obvious observation, say out loud, "Man, that guy sure needed his cup of coffee". A slight chuckle from the remaining two. I don't deserve it since there's nothing especially funny about obvious comments. But, I appreciate their politeness as I step to the back wall of the elevator.

Normally, I don't look at people in an elevator. It's only right not to stare. But I can't... help... but... notice... the guy to my left is rather... tall. I look over... and up. Way up. Who do I see? Friggin' Bill Russell! That's right. Bill "What the HELL are YOU doing in the elevator with me???" Russell. He was a five-time NBA MVP, 12-time All-Star, and won eleven championships with the Boston Celtics. Yes, it's jaw droppin' time.

When it comes to celebs, I don't care 'bout autographs. I just like to say, "Hello..." to see if they're nice or not. Now, what moment would this be? Would this be another Shaun Alexander moment? Last October, I saw Shaun outside the theater down the street. Trying to play it cool, I confidently said to him, "Hey Shaun... 'sup?" His response of , "Hey, man..." made me feel like we were long-lost friends. I replied back, "Great game the other day..." And he genuinely reacts with a, "Gee.. thanks!"

Yeah, I could do that again with Mr. Russell. I was sure I could say something smooth. You know, something to make this moment last forever. Something I could brag about to my friends. Maybe I could chat it up with Bill 'bout the Sonics? Heck, maybe Billy-Boy here would want to head to Starbucks for a double-tall-non-fat-iced-mocha. We could joke about those silly auditors who got out of the elevator. I really wanted to say something impressive to Willy...

But, instead, what happens? In typical Rodney-fashion, I blurt out, "Wow... I can't believe I'm in the elevator with a star..."

[echo] star, star, star... [echo]

[silence]

What... did... I... just... say? Man, it was silent for such a long time. Mr. Russell, knowing that I probably hadn't had my medicine yet, broke the silence with, "Yeah, me neither..."

Dammit. He was mocking me. I felt like such a fool. C'mon elevator. Open, open, open. Finally, were on the first floor. Bill gestures for me to go first. But I insist, "No, no, you guys first."

Mr. Russell and his buddy go ahead & step out before me. But not without Mr. Russell saying, "Oh... age before beauty, eh?" Ugh. Another mockatory comment! Cmon, me beauty? I later learn from James, the barista from the espresso cart, that Mr. Russells lawyers are in our building. He was probably the other guy in the elevator. So, maybe one day I can redeem myself? Ummmmm... no.

So... alright. At least Bill Russell was a nice enough guy. I mean, look at his picture. Doesn't that smile just spell N-I-C-E??? But I had proven again that, yes, you SHOULD think before talking. Oh, well. At least it gave me something to finally blog about.

American Inventor

I tried watching American Inventor last night.

(Side note: When trying to type inventor, I typed "inventory". Twice. Wow, I AM in Accounting.)

I didn't just try to watch this show, I watched all but the first fifteen minutes of it. I thought the show was just "ehhhhh". Not one invention impressed me. There were cool "concepts" but no invention blew me away. I thought this show would be filled with life-changing innovations. Though I liked the idea of a sanitizer pump on a toilet tissue holder, it certainly wasn't the Next Great Invention. Or how about an additional pedal added to a bicycle so the front-handle bar passenger could help power it? This is supposed to change our world? This better get good quick before it becomes one of those shows released on DVD featuring "Episodes You Didn't See".

Maybe the lack of "eye candy" takes away from American Inventor's appeal? These people aren't even close to beautiful... they're not at all visually appealing folks. But, of course, the show is about inventors. I think an attractive cast of players adds to a show which lacks in substance. Don't get me wrong, I'm not all into looks. I'm certaily not that great to look at. I'm what you'd call "eye broccoli" - you know, not a great looker. But once you realize how good I am for you, you start likin' me? No?

Anyway, I can certainly do without this show in my TV lineup. I should have gotten caught up on Smallville, Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, Apprentice, or How I Met Your Mother. Yeah. That would have been better. We're only about forty shows behind...or so.

...sigh...

The Simpsons

You know I like a video clip when I play it over and over and over and over again... And it's an especially cool clip when I've linked it to my blog. Check out this live-action version of The Simpsons opening sequence. Sure, there are things they could have done to make it more like the animated series. But, hey, what a great job!

2006 Calendar

Seldom does an email forward come my way that sends me into hysterics. However, my coworker forwarded me a PDF file of a calendar. Whoever created this is brilliant! Below is a picture of the entry for March. It is currently hanging outside of my other coworker's (Sonja) office. That's what she gets for not being here today.



...and here's my favorite month. December. David Hasselhoff? You slay me!

Lent...

Lent. Everyone's blogging about it. I guess I should too.

Number one - I'm giving up fast food. More specifically, any dining facility which has a window from which, in your car, you can order & pickup food. Taco Time and KFC? Out. However, Dicks and Kidd Valley are still a go. But when do I ever go to those places?

Numero dos - No more pop. Soda. Soda-pop. That doesn't include Nestea or Hi-C Orange. Mmmm... Hi-C Orange... My drink of choice at Mickey Dees. There's a McDonald's a block from my work on 6th Avenue. And you know what? There's no drive-thru window at that particular McDonalds...

(Lent is not only a time to give up something. It's also a time for me to find away around those items I've pledged to stop consuming. And, did you know that "item" and "time" both have the same letters in them?)

And, lastly - No more rice. It's what I've been over-eating the past three months. Lots and lots of rice. I guess that's why I've gained so much weight...

I agree with another fellow blogger-er who says typing what you're giving up for Lent "makes it so". Word to her wiseness.

Yessss...Napoleon Chili

Erwin found a site that allows us to post a better quality video version of our Napoleon Chili. So glad we can [sob] share with the world...

in memory of...

I can't seem to articulate myself in front of a lot people. Actually, I'm not the best at expressing myself in writing. Still, it's a lot easier than trying to talk in front of a bunch of strangers. During my father's funeral services in November, I didn't have a chance to speak during the actual ceremony. Because of the strict policies of the catholic church in little ol' Port Orchard, only one person was allowed to say a eulogy. I'm glad my brother said it 'cause he needed to get out those feelings he was holding inside. It was an opportunity for him to say his peace with my dad. As for myself, I tried to say something during an "open mic" session at the reception - but I didn't do the thoughts in my mind and heart justice. The chance to say a little something was a bit unexpected. I don't work well under pressure.

So now, here we are, the night before my uncle's service. Within two months, two brothers lives on earth have come to an end. Very tragic for my family but it's just one of those things. Once upon a time, when I used to have "favorites", my Uncle Ponciano (pronounced pun-shawn-oh) was my favorite uncle. I rarely saw him 'cause he lived in Guam. But he took the time to visit my family when we were in Ft. Lewis in 1982. And, again, when we were staying in Colorado Springs back in 1987. Those visits weren't just about the gifts of cash (which I used to love). It was about him asking me all kinds of questions to quiz my intelligence. He taught me my state capitals and would ask me all kinds of math problems. Uncle "Chano" made learning fun. He was a teacher by profession and he enjoyed his job - evident in the way he interacted with me and all his other nephews and neices. In return, I enjoyed cooking breakfast for him, making him bundt cakes (yellow cake was my specialty), and playing tennis with him. He loved to tease others but was also able to take a little jabbing himself. And, boy, did me and my cousins make fun of him... but in the most respectful and loving way, of course! I'll always remember his kind spirit even though he did think I was a crackhead on ice when I visited Guam in 2000. But, hey, that was Uncle Ponciano! May he rest in peace... I'll remember him and my dad... always.

And it happened...

Thursday, January 19th, 2006 - A view of the beautiful Seattle skyline from Alki, in West Seattle, after days (days) of rain. Two hours later, it would rain again. For now, I'm in luck...

Well, whaddayaknow? A bench sits before this wonderful scene. There are rose petals sprinkled along the ground, a half-dozen roses representing the number of years we’ve been together, candles lit and blown out (repeatedly) by the wind, a flashlight and nightlight as backup, and a blanket to keep us (her) warm…

We sit together, in the cold, and I ramble…er…reminisce about our six years together – “the story of us”. After some laughs, some tears, and a whole bunch of emotions, I go down on one knee and ask her to marry me (details left out on exact wording to make it appear that it was asked smoothly).

…

[silence]

(but she’s smiling)

…

She takes a second to compose herself and finally answers, with a straight face, “I s’pose.”

I exclaim, “I’ll take it!” Sure, that may have sounded like a slightly ambiguous reply. But those who know her KNOW what I heard. It’s a, “Yes.” A clear and resounding YES! (No, I am not disillusioned)

…and there you have it. I’m the luckiest guy in the world!

Old MySpace Blogs

I don't want my blogs on MySpace anymore. Therefore, I'll post them in here. Please don't read. These are boring. But I don't want to delete them forever... just erase them from MySpace:

Saturday, April 23, 2005

Napoleon Chili

So, at my work (Active Voice, LLC), we have a chili cookoff every year... All chilis are voted on different categories like Best Meat, Hottest Edible, Most Creative, etc. Well, for five plus years now, our Production department has won the category for Best Ad Campaign. That is, until this year.

With the help of a couple of close friends (Erwin & Cesar), my department (Finance) put on the winning ad campaign for our chili. It's name? Drumroll please... Napoleon Chili (it's Dynamite). We couldn't think of a better way to pay tribute to such a great movie but to make a video ad campaign based on the movie Napoleon Dynamite. We created five different video clips and have them available for viewing...

Does anyone know of a place I can store these videos? Each .wmv clip ranges from 5K to 21K - I'd love to put them on the Internet for people to watch. I've never been so proud of anything like I am of these videos. We started filming on Saturday April 16th and finally got done with edits early Thursday morning (the Chili cookoff was yesterday, April 21st). It's only about ten minutes long - but it's got its funny moments...

Anyway, let me know if you know of a place I can store these. OR, if you'd really like to see it and have room on your email account for small (and crappy) versions of the videos, I could always email it to you. Just give me your email address and I'll send it to you for your viewing pleasure...

Again, I had so much fun and am so proud of everyone who helped out with it (especially Erwin & Cesar). I've been watching the clips over and over and over again... Too addicting...


Thursday, April 14, 2005

c'mon Sonics!

I would love it if the Sonics could close out the season on a winning streak - and I think they're completely capable of it. I went to the game last night and, though they lost, I thought they did a decent job against a good Mavs team. Any of y'all down on the Supes? Don't be... They've got Rashard, AD, and Danny back. Rashard was very cold to start the game - but I think it's to be expected after being out...what? seven, eight games? Don't any of you count these guys out... I agree with one writer who compares this string of losses to their bad preseason. Rashard, Ray, and Flip were all hurt and it made them look like not such a great team. Just think of this as their preseason before the playoffs. I predict that they'll at least get to the Western Conference finals! Yeah!

I must say, the game was lots of fun with the Saraspis last night. I like hanging out with them... especially Tony. I'm glad I got to see next to him. He's all growns up now... Anyway, go Sonics! More blogging later... Back to work after a short lunch...

Monday, March 28, 2005

One of those emails...

Here's one of those emails people send and you're supposed to reply so people can learn more about you. I thought I'd paste my results in here for fun:

[x] Full Name: Rodney Lloyd Toves Champaco
[x] Birthdate: May 19, 1974
[x] Birthplace: Fort Meade, Maryland
[x]Ethnicity: Chamorro
[x] Current Location: In my office
[x] Eye Color: Brown
[x] Hair Color: Black with gray hairs “here and there”
[x]Single/Married: Yeah… exactly
[x]Children: Nope
[x] Righty or Lefty: Righty
[x] Zodiac Sign: Taurus (hence the stubbornness)
[x] Innie or Outtie: Innie

-----------------DESCRIBE------------------
[x] Yourself: I’m Rodney… what else is there to know?
[x] Your favorite thing to wear: Clothing… otherwise, I’d be nekked…
[x] Your style: I have style? Okay, I’ll call it plain.
[x] The shoes you wore today: My comfy sketchers – walking shoes
[x]Your room: Light Purple-ish
[x]Your car: A 1992 Nissan Sentra
[x] Your fears: Phone conversations (I’m not a fan of talking on the phone)
[x]Your life: I’m all about having fun no matter how important or significant an event or task is
[x] Your friends: They’re aiight. I like ‘em, I guess. Actually, my close ones know that they should never analyze the friendship… just BE my friend. No drama.
[x] Your last relationship: My current one? It’s grrrrreat. Or the LAST one? It was the opposite of grrrrreat.
[x]Your handwriting: Blah.
[x]Your pet peeves: Not being respected. I don’t like it being treated like crap if I haven’t done anything to deserve it.

-----------------WHAT IS------------------
[x] Your most overused phrase: "…or no?" Example: “Do you want to go watch a movie?…or no?”
[x] Your thoughts first waking up: "How much more time can I sleep?”
[x] The features you notice in the opposite sex: “Those” and “those”… okay, honestly…hair.
[x] Your best physical feature: “Those” and “those”… Am I actually supposed to answer this? Fine then… my toes.
[x] Your bedtime: 12ish
[x] Your most missed memory: All those family moments when I was kid (between age of 5-12). So clueless back then… I loved it!
[x] Your worst habit: flipping TV channels
[x]Your favorite food: Spam
[x]Your favorite sandwich: Spam…nah, pastrami
[x]Your favorite junk food: Spam…actually, fast food onion rings – does that count?
[x]Your favorite drink: Spam juice… nah… WATER!
[x]Your favorite alcoholic drink: Long Island iced teas
[x]Your favorite ice cream: Any form of chocolate
[x]Your favorite dessert: Any form of chocolate
[x]Your favorite smell: light scented lotion… Mmmmm…
[x] Your Favorite movie: I’ll copy Bossch with different genres… Comedy =
"Napoleon Dynamite", Romantic = "Sleepless in Seattle", Drama = “Shawshank Redemption”, Animation = “The Incredibles” (yes, even more than Toy Story”)
[x]Your favorite TV show: Lost, Alias, Desperate Housewives (all clever shows)
[x]Your favorite song: Right now? Since You’ve Been Gone (Kelly Clarkson)
[x]Your favorite sound: When I make a basketball shot with “nothing but net” – love that crisp sound
[x]Your special talent: Dancing
[x] The farthest you've been from home: What’s farther? Frankfurt, Germany? Or the Philippines?

-----------------YOU PREFER------------------
[x] Pepsi or coke: Pepsi ‘cause it’s sweeter
[x]Hot sauce or Ranch: Hot Sauce
[x]Take out or Homecooked: Home cooked
[x] McDonald's or Burger King: Burger King (‘cause of the onion rings)… there’s one on the corner of Spokane & 4th
[x] Single or group dates: Single
[x] Adidas or Nike: Nike
[x] Chocolate or vanilla: Chocolate
[x] Cappuccino or coffee: Cappuccino
[x] Top or bottom: TOP
[x]Dove or Caress: The caress of a dove… okay, caress
[x]Pink or red: red
[x]Hugs or Kisses: I agree with Bossch… BOTH… but from him? Well…
[x]Summer or Winter: Summer
[x] To Love or To Be Loved: To Love

-------------DO YOU------------------
[x] Smoke: Nope
[x] Cuss: “rarely”
[x] Like to cook: Yes – hate to cleanup
[x] Take a shower everyday: Of course
[x] Sing in the shower: Sometimes…but very badly
[x]Have any bad habits: besides channel surfing, I guess I’m a procrastinator (doh!)
[x] Have a crush(es): yep
[x] Think you've been in love? Uh-huh
[x]Miss anyone?if so who?: yes… Bossch
[x]Trust others easily: Funny…EXACT same answer as Bossch… “Yep. You have my trust from the get go. You
have to do something for me to lose my trust in you.”
[x]Think youre strong: For some reason, yes.
[x] Want to go to college: Go back? Of course…
[x] Like high school: Nope. Cliques were horrible!
[x] Want to get married: Maaaaaybe…
[x] Type w/ your fingers on the right keys? Yes.
[x] Get motion sickness: Sometimes…depends
[x] Think you're attractive: Nope…not at all. Uh-uh… no siree…
[x] Think you're a health freak: Yes, I do. Always aware of my health. BUT, do I do anything about it? Nope.
[x]Think you're a daredevil: I could be. I love taking risks…
[x] Get along with your parent(s): Yes… never thought I would… but I do.
[x] Like thunderstorms: Not really ‘cause they’re usually go hand-in-hand with rain
[x] Play an instrument: Yes, a CD player
[x] Go to the mall: Only if I have to buy something

-------------HAVE YOU EVER------------------
[x] Flown on a plane: Yes
[x] Told a guy/girl that you liked them?: Of course…
[x] Cried during a Movie?: Yes.
[x] Eaten sushi: Yes sir…
[x] Been on stage: Yes…
[x] Been dumped: Kinda…well, yeah.
[x] Dumped someone: Yes
[x] Gone skating: Yes
[x] Made homemade cookies: Yes, sir
[x] Dyed your hair: Yep… a shade of brown once… full blown-out blonde another
[x] Stolen anything: Yes…lots. When I was 16-17, I did it SO much until I got caught stealing a radar director at Payless Drugs (now, Rite-Aid)
[x] Been trashed or extremely intoxicated: Yes…first time with coworkers. Threw-up on myself. Sweeeeet…
[x] Gotten beaten up?: Only verbally
[x] Been in a fight: Only verbal ones… argh…

----------------THE FUTURE------------------
[x] Age you hope to be married: When I grow up…
[x] Numbers and Names of Children: Two would be nice… Pochaco and Poncho
[x] Describe your Dream Wedding: Eloping in Vegas (no, I’m not joking)
[x] How do you want to die?: I wouldn’t…
[x] What do you want to be when you grow up? One day, I want to be a junior high teacher
[x] What country would you most like to visit?: Italy

-----------------NUMBER OF-----------------
[x] Number of people I could trust with my life: With my life??? I guess many people… but I’d probably only truly choose 3 or 4
[x] Number of CDs that I own: Maybe a couple hundred …
[x] Number of piercings: At one point, 3… but now, only left ear, bottom lobe (others were right-ear bottom lobe and left-ear top lobe)
[x] Number of tattoos: Just one small one on my right arm of the Guam penant
[x] Number of times my name has appeared in the newspaper?: A couple of times for little things
[x] Number of scars on my body: Besides the acne and chicken pox scars…none.
[x] Number of things in my past that I regret: Like Bossch, I try not to have regrets either…so, none.

----------------RIGHT NOW I'M------------------
[x] Wearing: Brown sweater, blue jeans, red boxer briefs, white undershirt, fossil watch, hanes socks, black belt, Active Voice keycard, glasses, and a smile
[x] Drinking: Water
[x] Thinking about: Getting off work at 6pm
[x]Watching: The sun shining brightly through my window behind me (finally)
[x] Listening to: this damn air-con system… so LOUD
[x]Wishing i was: already out of the office

---------IN THE LAST 24 HRS------------------
[x]Food you ate: lowfat blueberry coffee cake with a tall nonfat mocha for breakfast, 6-inch turkey subway sub on whole wheat with all the veggies except onions/jalapenos with only salt & pepper for lunch, ice cream cake (for someone’s b-day), had 19-peanut m&ms, four nestle crunch candy eggs, and drank 64 ozs of water today
[x]Movie you watched: first two-thirds of Men of Honor on TNT yesterday morning
[x] Cried: Nope
[x] Worn: yes, clothes…
[x] Met someone new online: No.
[x] Done laundry: Nope
[x] Drove a car: Yes
[x] Talked on the phone: Did I? Only work calls.

---------------DO YOU BELIEVE IN--------------
[x] Yourself: 100% completely!
[x] Your friends: Again, 100% completely!
[x] Destiny/Fate: Not really… I believe we make our own destiny…
[x] God: Yes
[x] True love: Yes
[x]Soulmates: Yes

-----------FRIENDS AND LIFE------------------
[x] Do you ever wish you had another name?: Yes. I always wished I had a different name than “Rodney Lloyd”… c’mon now… wouldn’t you? But, still, I like it. It’s “aiight”
[x] Who have you known the longest of your friends? That’s easy… Eric Ecker… been friends since 1989.
[x] Are you close to any family member?: Yes – closest one being my little sister, Roxann. For as little as we see or talk to each other, she’s the closest
[x] When have you cried the most?: Probably 2-3 months after my older sister’s death. It just hit me all of a sudden while watching TV about someone dying prematurely. I started talking about how unfair it was for him or her and then I think it completely hit me about my sister. I was ballin’ for at least 5-10 minutes. Felt good afterward… Yeah, that was probably the longest. Or did I cry longer after the Denver Broncos lost their fourth Superbowl? It’s one of the two…
[x] What's the best feeling in the world?: Making someone laugh. Good times… good times.
[x] Worst Feeling?: When you’ve made someone feel like crap and didn’t know it. Man… that really sucks. Talk about “awkward”
[x] What time is it now?: 5:38pm


Saturday, February 26, 2005

Academy Award Picks

So... I haven't had time to review all the movies like I would have wanted. Maybe I'll still do that later... In the meantime, here are my picks to win the major categories on tomorrow night's Oscars:

Best Picture
Million Dollar Baby
...if it was up to me, I'd pick Sideways to win 'cause I thought the writing was clever. I had no idea that I'd be laughing as much (or as hardily) as I did...

Best Director
Clint Eastwood - Million Dollar Baby
...what can I say? The guy's a genius...

Actor in a Leading Role
Jamie Foxx - Ray
...there is no doubt in my mind that this guy deserves the victory in this category. If he wasn't nominated, I woulda picked Don Cheadle in Hotel Rwanda. As usual, he did an awesome job...

Actress in a Leading Role
Hilary Swank - Million Dollar Baby
...another easy choice. She's just the best...

Actor in a Supporting Role
Morgan Freeman - Million Dollar Baby
...not such an easy choice. I saw all the nominees and think they all deserve the Oscar (except Alan Alda's minor role in Aviator). Jamie Foxx won't win 'cause he'll get the award in the lead role. But, man... Thomas Haden Church and, especially, Clive Owen were great. Personally, I'd choose Clive - but I'll give it to the veteran Morgan Freeman...

Actress in a Supporting Role
Cate Blanchett - The Aviator
...another not so easy decision. Virginia Madsen was captivating in Sideways. As beautiful as she is, you really felt the chemistry between her & Paul Giamati. And Natalie Portman displayed such great range of emotion in Closer. I'm picking Cate Blanchett - but I wouldn't be suprised if Madsen won it...

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Sideways
...since the voters will give Best Picture to Million Dollar Baby, I'm thinking this award will go to Sideways and its great dialouge...

Writing (Original Screenplay)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
...I'd actually pick it for Best Picture if it had been nominated in that category. But it wasn't - so I'll stop whining. Without a doubt, Eternal Sunshine grabs the Oscar for original screenplay...

AND in the other minor categories (where I've actually seen the movies):

Animated Feature Film: The Incredibles
Art Direction: The Aviator
Cinematography: The Aviator
Costume Design: The Aviator
Film Editing: Million Dollar Baby
Makeup: Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events
Music (Score): Finding Neverland
Music (Song): The Polar Express
Sound Mixing: The Aviator
Sound Editing: Spider-Man 2
Visual Effects: Spider-Man 2

If you read this before Oscar time, I hope you'll post your choices for any or all of the categories above. Happy Oscar Watching!

Monday, February 21, 2005

The Aviator

So here’s the movie with eleven Academy Award nominations – the most of any film. With those numbers, you’d think “The Aviator” stands a chance of winning a ton of Oscars. Unfortunately, I don’t think that'll be the case. From Fandango.com…

“The Aviator chronicles the early years of billionaire Howard Hughes. The film looks at his career as a director and his passion for flight while the aviation industry was in its infancy. During this time, Hughes was also known as a playboy, romancing some of the most prominent women in Hollywood, including Jean Harlow, Ava Gardner and Katharine Hepburn.”

11 Academy Award Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Alan Alda
Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Cate Blanchett
Best Director
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)
Best Art Direction
Best Cinematography
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Sound Mixing

This movie was simply “okay”. It did give a peek into the life of the eccentric Howard Hughes – a person I barely knew anything about. Leonardo DiCaprio’s portrayal of Hughes made me forget that he drowned in the Titanic. Hughes’ obsessions couldn’t have been depicted any more perfectly. You can see why Leo is such a great actor. Unfortunately, he’s facing Jamie Foxx in this category. Luckily for the movie, there is one acting nomination that could result in an Oscar win: Cate Blanchett. Her portrayal of Katharine Hepburn seemed dead-on. She’s my pick for Supporting Actress…well, for now. But Alan Alda? Nah… there are other better nominees.

So outside of Blanchett, I don’t think this movie will win any other awards. I think that other movies are better qualified to win the Oscar in their respective categories. “The Aviator” has that Martin Scorsese “Gangs of New York” feel to it. It didn’t work for “Gangs…” and it certainly won’t be good enough for “The Aviator”. If I end up being wrong, I’ll blame it on the fact that we were late to this movie and had to sit in one of the first rows. My neck’s still in pain from watching it… blah…

Go out and see this movie if you care to see why the Academy will give it only one or two Oscars… Otherwise, I’d recommend waiting for the DVD… Next up, the movie that waited fifteen years for Jamie Foxx… “Ray”…


Jipped Movie of the Year: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...

Since I’ve seen a butt load of movies lately, I’d better keep my little blogs of each movie to a minimum – and maybe steal a little from other websites as far as the synopsis goes. From Fandango.com, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is about…

“Joel (Jim Carrey) is stunned to discover that his girlfriend Clementine (Kate Winslet) has had her memories of their tumultuous relationship erased. Out of desperation, he contacts the inventor of the process, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak (Tom Wilkinson), to have Clementine removed from his own memory. But as Joel's memories progressively disappear, he begins to rediscover their earlier passion…”

It’s up for two Academy Award nominations…
Best Actress: Kate Winslet
Best Writing (Original Screenplay)

I think it’s a shame that this movie isn’t up for “Best Picture”. I loved every facet of it: the story (how original), the director/writer’s vision, sequence of events, and dialogue, the acting (especially Winslet & Carrey’s interaction), and special effects (you have to watch the movie twice to notice little things you missed the first time around). I only watched this movie because a friend (thanks Bossch) loaned it to me. I remember when the movie came out almost a year ago (March 2004). A coworker of mine told me, “Rodney, you gotta see this movie”. Man – was he right!

So if I’m gushing so much over this film, why isn’t it up for more awards? Maybe ‘cause The Academy has such short-term memory? Why can’t a bunch of film folks recognize originality? Eternal Sunshine was a beautiful work of art. The story unfolds in non-sequential order but by the time the film is over, you completely understand the reasoning and wish you were as brilliant as this writer-director combo. The transition from scene to scene is not only the result of special effects but the vision of a gifted director. The best part about watching this film on DVD is how I was immediately able to watch deleted scenes, interviews with cast & filmmakers, and listen to some of the commentary. Good stuff...

How will it fair at the Oscars? I definitely think it’ll win for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). Unfortunately, I’m still thinking that Hillary Swank’s got the award for Best Actress. That shouldn’t take away from the wonderful job that Kate Winslet does. You forget that she has an accent and can’t help but fall in love with her characters quirks. Any other year, I’d give it to her… unfortunately, I’m still a fan of the Swanker…

Since this movie’s out on DVD, I’d recommend buying it. It’s definitely a keeper and will be part of my collection soon. Hmmm, maybe Bossch will forget he loaned it to me? Nah... that would be bad... bad Rodney…

So, what movie to talk about next? Ah, yes… The Aviator…

Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Finding Neverland

It's been a few of weeks since I've seen Finding Neverland, but I'll try my best to give my review since it does have SEVEN Academy Award Nominations:

Best Picture
Best Actor - Johnny Depp
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Best Art Direction
Best Costume Design
Best Film Editing
Best Music (Score)

This movie suprised me. I'm not a fan of films set in the late 1800's/early 1900's. Nor do I care for those movies set in Britian. I'm definitely not a Peter Pan fan. And I never cry in movies. However, by the time Finding Neverland was finished, I had done all I could to fight back the tears. The story takes place in 1904 and is about British author/playwright J.M. Barrie (Jonathan Depp), his troubled marriage, and the inspiration of a widowed wife's (Kate Winslet) four kids on his creation of Peter Pan.

If I had allowed myself, I would have been crying like a moe foe. I don't know if it was the performances turned in by Mr. 21-Jump-Street or Miss Titanic (why didn't she make room for Jack on that raft?) Was it the music? The story? The emotional performance of 13-year old Freddie Highmore, one of Kate Winslet's four sons? It had to be a combination of all that 'cause the last half hour had me close to ballin' like a baby. Maybe it's all my emotional issues? Oh, we'll save that for a different blog. I'd prefer to think that the filmmakers simply did a great job of evoking such emotion.

So what Oscars will it capture? Johnny Depp was good - but trailers from "Ray" have me thinking that Jamie Foxx should win in that category (I can't wait to watch it so I can know for sure that he's who should win). Back to Finding Nemo-land, I don't think it's strong enough in to win Best Picture, Writing, or Film Editing - the other nominees are way too strong. However, the Art Direction, Music, and Costume Design could be the categories it'll score in. When it comes to Costume Design, it seems like time-specific pieces like this movie always get rewarded with the Oscar. Of course, I still have to see a few more movies before making my final decision.

So, is this a movie to see in the theaters? As with Million Dollar Baby, I watched a matinee showing of it. For you Academy Award enthusiasts, it's definitely worth watching. However, for y'all trying to save money for "The Incredibles" DVD, just wait until Finding N comes out on video and rent it. Of note, as good as Kate Winslet was, her "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" performance was much, much better... Speaking of which...

Next blog review: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind - the movie the Academy forgot...

Wednesday, February 02, 2005

It's Oscar season...

So, every year, my girlfriend Glodine and I watch as many Academy Award nominated films as we can before the actual awards show. This year, the awards are showing on Sunday February 27th. That gives us a little over three weeks to catch all the Best Picture nominees & to try and see as many other top nominated films as we can. Will this make us experts on the Oscars? Hell no. What it makes us is poor from all the money spent on tickets, popcorn, and cherry coke. Well, actually, I guess we are a bit more prepared for our Oscar Party/Ballot/Quick-Money-Making-Scheme than most.

This year's Best Picture nominees are:
Million Dollar Baby
Finding Neverland
The Aviator
Sideways
Ray

In the past week, we've seen two of the movies: Million Dollar Baby & Finding Neverland. You members of MySpace are lucky enough (yeah, right) to get an insight on one person's perspective (that would be me) of these movies. If anything, it'll certainly assist you with your own Oscar ballots. You DO partake in an Oscar ballot, right? Alright... so, it's just me.

Anyway, first up...Million Dollar Baby.

7 Academy Award Nominations
Best Picture
Best Actor: Clint Eastwood
Best Actress: Hilary Swank
Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Morgan Freeman
Best Director
Best Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
Best Film Editing

A film about a boxing "cutman" (Clint Eastwood) who owns a boxing gym. He reluctantly trains a girl from the "other side of the tracks" (Hillary Swank) after his pal/gym maintenance man (Morgan Freeman) persuades him to do so. Though I really liked the movie, I can't say, "I loved it..." It was missing the extra oomph. Maybe 'cause it was a slow paced film. For any of you who saw Mystic River and liked it, this is definitely the movie for you. Clint Eastwood's directing style is one of bringing a "real feel" to his movies - just like Mystic River. Is this movie Best Picture worthy? Not sure yet - I'd have to see the other movies first. But my initial feeling is, "Naw".

However, Hillary Swank is AMAZING in this movie. She's no Charlize Theron ala "Monster" - but, man, I don't think the other nominees in the Best Actress field stand a chance. Her physical conditioning and portrayal of the lead character blew me away.

As far as the other actors go, I'd think Morgan Freeman has more of a chance of winning as Best Supporting Actor than Clint Eastwood does for Best Lead Actor. Eastwood's my bet for winning Best Director.

So, should you go see the movie in the theaters? Only if you're interested in seeing why it will win for Best Actress, Best Director, Best Writing, and (possibly) Best Supporting Actor. If anything, catch it via a matinee. However, if you could care less about the awards, just wait for it to come out on DVD...

Next blog... Finding Neverland: The movie that almost made me cry...


Friday, October 22, 2004

Election 2004

Never have I followed an election as closely as this year's Presidential race. Why the sudden concern? Plain and simple... Bush must go. I think many Americans are tired of what this country has gone through the past four years - and it's time for a change. Before watching Farenheit 9/11 (did I spell that correctly?), the only reason I had for NOT voting for Bush was based on his personality alone. Sure - funny guy. Great to laugh AT him... But our nation's leader? Please... Michael Moore has totally inspired me to get more involved and educate myself of this country's politics. I'm trying to read up on the candidates, I've been following the debates, and I've been listening to NPR (94.9FM) whenever I'm driving. Can't believe's there actually a world outside the workplace, basketball, and movies & tv... If you can vote for American Idol, you can vote for our president...

On a side note, I just got done watching a clip from IFILM.com (ummm... a bit different than IFILMS.com...hehehe). It's the clip of Jon Stewart on CNN's Crossfire. Gotta love Jon Stewart & The Daily Show.

Crossfire Appearance:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2652831

Jon Stewart's "Spin" on his Crossfire Appearance: http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2653047

Time to sleep...