Soxy

QUOTE(DrunkBomber @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 07:51 PM) I usually go to IMDB for movie reviews. Its pretty good, it has plot outlines, reviews and even message boards for each movie and actor. My only problem with IMDB is sometimes the spoiler quotient is really high.

QUOTE(NUKE @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 04:27 PM) It would also be a big help if high schools taught such a class. The basis for my considerable knowledge of money matters comes from the "Applied Economics" class I took when I went to high school. It covered a wide range of topics from investments to loans to debt management and a few other things. This was at Bogan High in the Chicago Public Schools system too. I think (at least in IL) there is that type of a class that is required for graduation. At my school it was consumer education, and went through the different types of savings accounts, retirement plans, types of property, how to fill out taxes/W2. It was helpful, but I think if people aren't taught how to handle money from the time they are very young it's kind of hard to learn those skills later in life.

QUOTE(shipps @ Jan 28, 2007 -> 04:41 AM) Do any of you guys go on rottentomatoes.com?And would you consider it a reliable source for movie reviews? The nice thing about rotten tomatoes is you get to see a TON of reviews in the same place. So, you can get a more wholistic view about what people are saying about the movies. If there's a movie I'm on the fence about seeing I always check rotten tomotoes.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jan 27, 2007 -> 08:23 PM) I dont mean to split hairs, but isnt this a case of sexual assault as opposed to molesting a kid? He was 18, is he still considered a minor in this case? It's not child molestation since the victim was 18, but sexual assaults are a form of molestation, so the thread title is only half misleading. This is actually a very low degree sexual assault (no penatration and no weapon), so I imagine, if it ever even goes to court, the politician will get probation and/or community service. QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Jan 27, 2007 -> 07:40 PM) No, it isn't the most important part of the story. But to deny that it IS important is simply putting your head in the sand. Cerainly important enough to be mentioned before the last paragraph of the story. I also hope he gets the full punishment allowed. Thanks, but I'd rather focus on the fact that some creep felt up an 18 year old rather than some aspect of journalistic style. Who the f*** cares what party this guy is? He should resign just like Foley, not because he's a democrat but because he's a pervert.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Jan 26, 2007 -> 11:41 PM) http://www.breitbart.com/news/2007/01/25/D8MSIME80.html But guess what party he belongs to? You have to read down to paragraph 16 before AP mentions that he is a D. Guess party affiliation isn't that important to AP. Because that's what's really important here. That he's a democrat. . . And I hope he gets punished the full extent of the law.

Went and saw both Letters from Iwo Jima and Dreamgirls today. Iwo Jima was just an awesome film. The performances were absolutely stunning, the script was good, and the whole scenerio was just heartbreaking. The cinematography was also really good. Prior to seeing this movie the only thing I really knew about Iwo Jima was the flag raising; this film provided a really interesting Japanese perspective on the battle there. I can't really describe the film, or the plot without giving a lot of the movie away, but it was interesting to see a futile battle being fought (and the people preparing to fight it). It was also odd because I found myself being really emotionally invested in the characters, so you don't want to see them get hurt--but you also realize they're fighting against Americans--I suppose that sort of undermined the futility of the battle that was beign fought. And also just spoke to the mass wasting of life that was going on. I really liked the movie (but I'm not sure I want to see it again) and I would recommend it. Dreamgirls was meh. The movie was at its best when Eddie Murphy or Jennifer Hudson were onstage. The movie also reinforced my belief that Beyonce is kind of plastic, pre-packaged and dull in most of her endeavors. The songs (of which there are many) were entertaining, but the bits inbetween the songs were kind of filler. I only had to pay 5.75 to see it, and I probably wouldn't have paid much more. It was a good movie, but more flash than plot or heart or anything else. More of a movie rental type movie, that is improved greatly from the performances by Murphy and Hudson (when those two are on it's almost like a different film). After seeing both films today, I'm really glad that Letters from Iwo Jima got the best picture nod over Dreamgirls; Dreamgirls isn't even in the same realm as Iwo Jima. And which that, I have seen all of the best picture nominees. Hurray. QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 26, 2007 -> 12:22 PM) Well you've sold me on not seeing the Brad Pitt movie but instead seeing this movie. I like Whitacker and it sounds like its got some action in it as well as drama and suspense. Good call. Let us know if you enjoyed it.

QUOTE(kyyle23 @ Jan 26, 2007 -> 03:56 PM) is there any sort of punishment that the parole board can get for releasing this guy, if he went out and did the same thing again? If I was that girl's family I sure as hell would want some "reckless endangerment" charges brought or something.

Got to see Last King of Scotland last night. The performances were all astounding. I was expecting Forest Whitaker to be awesome, but I was also blown away the Scottish doctor and most of the supporting cast. Definitly an impressive cast. Whitacker was really amazing at capturing the range of moods that Amin goes through during the film, and he really makes him unpredictable, volatile, terrifying, and extremely childlike. I'm not exactly sure, though, how Whitaker was the Leading Character (according to the awards), he did steal every scene but in terms of pure screen time, he's definitely more of a supporting character. On the way out my friend remarked that it was predictable, but I think that was actually kind of the point. Especially considering that Gillian Anderson's character pretty much lays out the course of the new regime in the first 10 minutes of the film. It was a little more violent and suspenseful than I was expecting, but I enjoyed it a lot. The screenplay was co-written by the guy who wrote the queen, so the screenplay is good too. I've heard the movie (adapted from a book by the same name) took plenty of liberties from actual history, but in my mind the greatest bit of liberty was probably that I never saw the Scottish doctor who spent plenty of time out in the hot African sun with a nasty sunburn. Come on now. . .

QUOTE(Steff @ Jan 25, 2007 -> 04:26 PM) So no new epi tonight..? Nopers just 3 re-runs. Non-sequitor: According to the Trib's tv reviewer's blog, Andy WILL be returning to the show, though not until after Feb.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Jan 25, 2007 -> 01:55 PM) There are several jokes hiding in there, but that 'Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr' at the end kinda scares me. It's just been one of those times when growling seems very justified.

I am in such a bad mood. I'm worrying that it might be permanent, I've been extra pissy since the middle of last semester. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

QUOTE(Chisoxfn @ Jan 24, 2007 -> 04:59 PM) For those that saw Babel, is it worth seeing? What about the Last King of Scottland (is that like an action drama)? Both sound like they could be interesting but I don't remember any previews on them and since I'm out of town on business I'll probably hit up the theatres to kill time at least one night during the next 2 weeks. I haven't seen the last King of Scotland, but I may drive up and see it. Babel was not good. It was just really pretentious. I don't know if this makes sense, but it wasn't a movie that was made for people to watch and enjoy, it was made for award season. I wouldn't recommend seeing it unless you're on a quest to see all the big pictures of the year. Otherwise save yourself 2.5 hours. There's my 2 cents Jason.

I loved his focus on education. I was flipping between the SOTU and another show, and I must admit the speech (and the response) sounded like a bunch of political blather to me. Actually, it all reminded me of my students on the last page of their essays, they don't really have anything to say, but they need to fill up another page.

From what I've heard the film makers actually had a social worker on set for the scene and that the kid was wearing a body suit. I doubt any film maker would be dumb enough to make sure this wasn't on the up and up.

Bucky Katt announces his intentions. Just for those Get Fuzzy fans.

Trucker hats are soooooooooo 2004. Last summer Bermuda shorts (are those the same as board shorts?) were huge for both men and women. I also tend to think they're more universally flattering than shorter shorts. I'm not sure if they'll be big this summer still.

Biggest shock? No Dreamgirls in best picture category. NOMINATIONS BY CATEGORY - 79TH AWARDS Performance by an actor in a leading role Leonardo DiCaprio - BLOOD DIAMOND Ryan Gosling - HALF NELSON Peter O'Toole - VENUS Will Smith - THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS Forest Whitaker - THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND Performance by an actor in a supporting role Alan Arkin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE Jackie Earle Haley - LITTLE CHILDREN Djimon Hounsou - BLOOD DIAMOND Eddie Murphy - DREAMGIRLS Mark Wahlberg - THE DEPARTED Performance by an actress in a leading role Penélope Cruz - VOLVER Judi Dench - NOTES ON A SCANDAL Helen Mirren - THE QUEEN Meryl Streep - THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA Kate Winslet - LITTLE CHILDREN Performance by an actress in a supporting role Adriana Barraza - BABEL Cate Blanchett - NOTES ON A SCANDAL Abigail Breslin - LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE Jennifer Hudson - DREAMGIRLS Rinko Kikuchi - BABEL Best animated feature film of the year CARS HAPPY FEET MONSTER HOUSE Achievement in art direction DREAMGIRLS THE GOOD SHEPHERD PAN'S LABYRINTH PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST THE PRESTIGE Achievement in cinematography THE BLACK DAHLIA CHILDREN OF MEN THE ILLUSIONIST PAN'S LABYRINTH THE PRESTIGE Achievement in costume design CURSE OF THE GOLDEN FLOWER THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA DREAMGIRLS MARIE ANTOINETTE THE QUEEN Achievement in directing BABEL THE DEPARTED LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA THE QUEEN UNITED 93 Best documentary feature DELIVER US FROM EVIL AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH IRAQ IN FRAGMENTS JESUS CAMP MY COUNTRY, MY COUNTRY Best documentary short subject THE BLOOD OF YINGZHOU DISTRICT RECYCLED LIFE REHEARSING A DREAM TWO HANDS Achievement in film editing BABEL BLOOD DIAMOND CHILDREN OF MEN THE DEPARTED UNITED 93 Best foreign language film of the year AFTER THE WEDDING DAYS OF GLORY (INDIGÈNES) THE LIVES OF OTHERS PAN'S LABYRINTH WATER Achievement in makeup APOCALYPTO CLICK PAN'S LABYRINTH Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score) BABEL THE GOOD GERMAN NOTES ON A SCANDAL PAN'S LABYRINTH THE QUEEN Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) "I Need to Wake Up" - AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH "Listen" - DREAMGIRLS "Love You I Do" - DREAMGIRLS "Our Town" - CARS "Patience" - DREAMGIRLS Best motion picture of the year BABEL THE DEPARTED LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE THE QUEEN Best animated short film THE DANISH POET LIFTED THE LITTLE MATCHGIRL MAESTRO NO TIME FOR NUTS Best live action short film BINTA AND THE GREAT IDEA (BINTA Y LA GRAN IDEA) ÉRAMOS POCOS (ONE TOO MANY) HELMER & SON THE SAVIOUR WEST BANK STORY Achievement in sound editing APOCALYPTO BLOOD DIAMOND FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST Achievement in sound mixing APOCALYPTO BLOOD DIAMOND DREAMGIRLS FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST Achievement in visual effects PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST POSEIDON SUPERMAN RETURNS Adapted screenplay BORAT CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN CHILDREN OF MEN THE DEPARTED LITTLE CHILDREN NOTES ON A SCANDAL Original screenplay BABEL LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE PAN'S LABYRINTH THE QUEEN

No, for serious! Pet shop owner creates beer for dogs Mon Jan 22, 8:38 AM ET AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - After a long day hunting, there's nothing like wrapping your paw around a cold bottle of beer. So Terrie Berenden, a pet shop owner in the southern Dutch town of Zelhem, created a beer for her Weimaraners made from beef extract and malt. "Once a year we go to Austria to hunt with our dogs, and at the end of the day we sit on the verandah and drink a beer. So we thought, my dog also has earned it," she said. Berenden consigned a local brewery to make and bottle the nonalcoholic beer, branded as Kwispelbier. It was introduced to the market last week and advertised it as "a beer for your best friend." "Kwispel" is the Dutch word for wagging a tail. The beer is fit for human consumption, Berenden said. But at euro1.65 ($2.14) a bottle, it's about four times more expensive than a Heineken.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 22, 2007 -> 12:39 PM) Just so everyone understands....El Nino ≠ global warming, and odd effects in any specific year, especially during years controlled by other climatic processes, do not prove or disprove anthropogenic climate change. Don't even waste your energy, Balta.

Happy Happy Birthday!

Saw The Pursuit of Happyness last night. And I would emphasize the PURSUIT. About 93.8% of the movie was really depressing. In the end it was rather feel-good, but ladies bring a tissue. Good acting though, I was really impressed with both Will Smith and his kid (who looks exactly like Jada). I also saw The Third Man--really good, I love film noir, and would highly recommend this film to anyone else that loves that genre. It was a good enjoyable film. And it was also really beautifully filmed in post-war Vienna.

QUOTE(IlliniKrush @ Jan 20, 2007 -> 01:27 AM) 9:43? Jesus. Yeah, that is pretty early. Looks like our little Ioweegian is a cheap date. . .

QUOTE(RibbieRubarb @ Jan 10, 2007 -> 09:41 PM) What?!? Am I the only one who watches Veronica Mars?!? Oh hell no you're not. Who do you think killed the dean?

I started watching Scrubs this summer and got hooked really quickly. I loved last night's episode. The whole season has been great. And for favorite song, I'm going to have to vote for "For the last time, I'm Dominican."

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Jan 19, 2007 -> 12:26 PM) Colbert on O'Reilly O'Reilly on Colbert I think you got the first link wrong there tigre.