In the words of former CIA Director George Tenet, this election was supposed to be a "slam-dunk". There is a sitting President with an approval rating at or below 50% while a majority of the country believe it is on the wrong track. The economy is stagnant with a deficit going through the roof. Everyone is worried about the war in Iraq and the larger war on terror. Yet even with this perfect storm of bad news for President George W. Bush, he is the winner and still President of the United States, shutting out the valiant effort put forth by Senator John Kerry and soon-to-be former Senator John Edwards.

As the tone of the above paragraph suggests, I wasn't anticipating a 3.5 million popular vote victory for Bush; a win to be sure, but not by this margin. It should increase his chances at creating the vision he wants, especially with the gains he made in the House and Senate. How did he do it? Turnout was high. While turnout would traditionally favor the Democrats, Republicans, specifically Karl Rove, took the unorthodox route and believed the only way they would win is to focus on getting more Republicans to vote for them and just hoping swing voters would come along for the ride. So while Democrats succeeded at getting out the people they wanted (1.5 million more people under the age of 30 voted compared to 2000), their votes were cancelled out and then some by older conservative voters. I voted, inexplicably waiting 30 minutes to exercise my right to vote. But from the sounds of it, I was one of the lucky ones. The issue on a plurality of voters' minds? Moral issues. What is a moral issue? Seems to me it was gay marriage, abortion, and gun control among others. And among those concerned with moral issues, Bush won these voters by a margin close to 4 to 1. Bush also made gains with minorities. No doubt he didn't win them, but improvement over 2000 counts. So even if he won 11% of African-Americans this time, it's still better than the pathetic 9% he won in 2000. Kerry for his part, failed in following through the two-step plan to unseat an incumbent. The first part was easy: unite against the opponent. The second part was harder: have people support you. People found it difficult to back Kerry as a Presidential candidate and as a result, it led to the high numbers of undecided voters up to Election Day, and eventually votes for Bush.

Looking ahead, for Bush to be truly successful in the next 4 years, he must take light of the facts. Half of those who voted for Kerry did it not for their candidate, but as a vote against Bush. A 51-48 majority in the popular vote gives Bush only a slight mandate at best. His 2000 promise to be a uniter and not a divider came true to an extent. Democrats united together like never before against Bush, but their best effort fell short, which created the largely unchanged political landscape seen in this year's electoral map. Bush faces the difficult task of uniting the country again, probably not as much as it was right after September 11th, but something better than the divide we see today. Arrogance is proving to be Bush's weak point and this "my way or the highway" mentality has not only distanced himself from the country, it has distanced the country from the rest of the world. Some may argue we've strayed too far already, never to be found again with this President in charge, but I hold out hope.

So what should be on the agenda? A policy to fix things at home and abroad. Bush needs to reach out to Democrats as he did early in the first term, highlighted by passage of the No Child Left Behind Act. In all likelihood, no progress can be made in capturing Bush's vision without the help of Democrats, whether it is another massive tax cut or trying to pass a Supreme Court justice through the confirmation process. The lines in today's victory speech mark a good start. While Democrats recover from this latest blow, it wouldn't hurt for Bush to show some compassion. Once accomplishments are made, the United States should turn its lonely eyes on the world. The growing isolationism needs to cease. Iraq, by all accounts, is a lost cause in the eyes of the world. No one is going to help us so we need an exit strategy soon. But there are other avenues where we can improve international relations including Iran, North Korea, and the Israeli-Palestinian peace process. Oh if we could use the blueprint on The West Wing for that last one.

It will only be until Bush racks up accomplishments at home and in the world when he can be considered a successful President deserving of a lasting legacy. Good luck.

As we look back on the 2004 Presidential election, some quotes from the entertaining Dan Rather as the night went on, taken from a CBS press release.

“Let’s hit these biscuits with a dab of gravy.”

“Don’t taunt the alligator until you cross the creek.”

“Bush is sweeping through the South like a big wheel through a cotton field.”

“This race is hotter than the devil’s anvil.”

“In some ways, George Bush’s lead is as thin as November ice.”

“It don’t mean a thing if they don’t get those swings.”

“Never gamble with a stranger, never bet against a Republican in Kansas.”

“When John Kerry wrote Santa Claus, he said give me [Kansas], please.”

“If you try to read the tea leaves before the cup is done, you can get yourself burned.”

On Florida presidential contest: “This race is hotter than a Times Square Rolex."

“It may yet come down to Iowa and John Kerry has a lead as thin as turnip soup.”

“Tough, rugged race out there, nasty enough to choke a buzzard.”

On the near dead heat in Iowa: “This race is hot enough to peel the paint off houses.”

“This situation in Ohio would give an aspirin a headache…”

“If this race gets any closer, someone’s going to have to call 911."

According to FOX News (not exactly the most non-partisan network), President Bush has won Ohio. With Alaska a virtual guarantee, Bush has 269 electoral votes. Since he would win the tie-breaker against John Kerry, you're looking at one re-elected president.

More to come.

In a week plus a few days is election day, probably the most important election ever, until the next one rolls around. Here is a little primer plus my thoughts.

The most important office open is the highest office of the land: the presidency. And with November 2 around the corner, George W. Bush and John Kerry are fighting neck-and-neck and the polls prove it. President Bush stands for the values of any red-blooded Republican which is to uphold conservative values while protecting the country. Yet surprisingly, it's that last part which is making him look weak.

The war in Iraq has suffered major missteps during its course. While the execution of the war was flawless, the military plan to reduce the number of troops and go with a technology-driven battle has left Iraq vulnerable to insurgents and terrorists, leading up to today's unstable landscape. Not all countries taken over can be changed as well as Afghanistan has, which had free elections earlier this month. Kerry, however, has not shown he will lead the country in a different path than Bush has. Kerry proposes a summit in order to attract nations cooperation even though countries such as France have expressed opposition to help in Iraq, even with a Kerry presidency. Otherwise, Kerry wants to stay the course until things are stable, which is what Bush wants to do.

If not for the war, the talk would turn to the economy. The budget deficit is at its highest ever while slow, but improving, job growth and rising oil prices stifle the economy's growth as a whole. Both candidates though turn a blind eye toward the deficit. Sure, they say they'll cut it in half in 5 years, but independent studies have shown their plans will only raise the deficit. Bush wants to make his tax cuts permanent (they are due to expire in 2011). Kerry wants middle class tax cuts and a vast health insurance plan to cover a majority of the uninsured, which studies have shown the cost to be at least $1 trillion. Yet the only plan he has offered to pay for these plans is to repeal the tax cuts for those making $200,000 or more, which for some reason, probably won't reap the $1 trillion to cover the cost, plus a little more to close the deficit.

What's left are the little issues that constitute each person's record. As President, Bush has driven a divided country to the right, with limitations on stem cell research, environmental decisions becoming largely pro-business, a proposal for a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. Like his foreign policy, domestic policy seems to rest on going at it alone and allowing Bush to make things right, which works when you're arguing to protect America but leaves a lot of angry people when it comes to the issues.

You don't hear much about Kerry's record. When you hear a stump speech from him, his loudest applause lines come from remarks that sharply criticize Bush. A study by factcheck.org (note: it's not .com) found that in the 20 years Kerry has been a Senator, he has written a total of 11 bills that were passed by the Senate. The votes he has made confound quite a few people, leaving him open to attacks calling him a flip-flopper, especially the popular one about the $87 million for troops in Iraq which he voted for before he voted against it (he wanted to fund the troops but didn't agree on how it would be funded).

Lately, both candidates have been using scare tactics to strike fear in the electorate with attacks that are largely false. Bush contends Kerry's health care plan is tantamount to a government takeover, which it is not. Kerry contends Bush wants to cut Social Security benefits by 30-45%, which he doesn't propose. Bush believes the country would be less safe in a Kerry presidency, which is something that can't be predicted. Kerry says he would lift Bush's ban on stem cell research even though in fact, Bush is the first president to federally fund stem cell research, though with limitations. Bush states Kerry has voted to raise taxes 98 times even though he hasn't. Kerry believes Bush will bring back the draft, even though Bush is strongly opposed to it. They are attacking each other for showing weakness in winning the war on terror even though both said essentially the same thing. It really has marred what was a purely competitive race.

In the end, the polls to me would seem to be right. A Bush supporter is unabashedly with the president. A Kerry supporter is more likely to vote against Bush rather than for Kerry. As a Republican, my vote lies with Bush. While giving Kerry a fair shake, I don't see anything over-riding to sway my vote. Sure, there were flaws about Iraq, both going in and now, but there is little difference between both plans. The economy is improving and Kerry proposes a litle too much spending than what I'd hope for. Lately, Kerry has proposed expanding stem cell research, which I'd support if not for the massive amount of funding that would be needed which could be spent on AIDS funding and other diseases and the limited success stem cell research has had.

I agree with Bush on the issues, but the severe path to the right he takes on them is too much for me. A constitutional amendment on banning gay marriage is too much when there is a Defense of Marriage Act already law. Tax cuts are good but they could be focused toward people like me instead of the rich. The judges he wants nominated, mostly conservative, need to be more open to the process instead of pushing them through confirmation, which will be key with Supreme Court openings on the horizon.

What else is there? There's the California Senate Race. The what? That's right. We're choosing a senator. The incumbent Barbara Boxer faces Bill Jones, the former Secretary of State. Boxer is generally considered one of the more liberal senators in the Senate, and in a state heavily Democratic, that's a good thing. Jones was the only Republican in any high state office in 2002, so that has to prove something in terms of bipartisanship. The disadvantage Jones has though is money, something he does not have compared to Boxer's fundraising. As a result, Jones has been unable to get his message out there. One-third of the electorate have no opinion of him. I have no opinion of him.

As for the propositions, you know if it's an important proposition if Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a jacket with the number on it. The first time, it was for his after-school programs. After that, the budget loans. And now, Arnold has a jacket saying No on 68 and 70. Right now, Indian tribes pay next to nothing to the state for their casinos. Arnold is trying to tap into that by negotiating contracts individually with each tribe. So, 68 and 70 were put on the ballot to put a share of each casino's profits into the state in exchange for more casinos. Arnold believes he can get more by himself and is thus voting no. The other major ones are 1A (limiting state control of local government funds), 60 and 62 (partisan vs. non-partisan elections), 71 (state funding of stem cell research in the amount of $3 billion), and 72 (employer-required health care).

So do your research and get out the vote.

Remember the Sharks earlier this year? Against Colorado in the 2nd round of the playoffs, the Sharks went up 3-0 on the Avs. After losing their next two games, people got worried. Could the Sharks actually blow it and let the Avs win? Luckily, the Sharks saved themselves the embarrassment and won Game 6. (Oh, don't I wish hockey was up and running.)

Such luck did not fall on the New York Yankees. Up 3-0 against the Boston Red Sox, things were looking up. They had just beaten the Red Sox by an obscene score of 19-8 in Game 3. Dreams of another World Series filled their minds. But don't tell that to the Sox. They kept their eyes on the prize, even knowing the odds were against them, even knowing the Curse of the Bambino still hung over them, even knowing the Evil Empire was at it again. And tonight, their dreams have come true. They have beaten the Yankees for the first time ever in the playoffs. And now, they have the chance to break the curse that has affected them since 1918.

But like the difficulty of beating the Yankees, beating the Astros or Cardinals won't be a walk in the park. While there was a part of me that wants to see the curse continue (without it, how will Boston fans continue to function?), it seems to me this might just be the Red Sox year.

John Kerry has been scaring young voters by saying if Bush is re-elected, the draft would be re-instated to relieve the troops in Iraq. Despite Bush's denials, voters seem to agree with Kerry.

Today, Bush tried to put it in his clearest terms that he won't, saying "the best way to avoid the draft is to void for me."

I think he should continue by saying, "I avoided the draft once before and with my help, I'll help you avoid it too."

I just realized this a couple of days ago, but my 500th post came and went. That Last Comic Standing post was the 500th post. So, now 2 1/2 years, 504 posts, and 170,000 words later, has this blog gotten any better? Probably not.

I will note that the Last Comic Standing finale will indeed be aired, but on Comedy Central tonite at 8.

I was at a wedding last night and one thought was absolutely reinforced yet again. At my wedding, no live band.

I was listening to a commercial while driving back. It was for people to try out a new program to kick their habit of smoking. There's even a guarantee too. If it doesn't work in a month, they will buy you two cartons of your favorite cigarettes. What??? If their true motive is to help them not smoke, why tempt them with more cigarettes? Why not just give them the money?

Reaction from the third and final presidential debate:

Exaggeration must be Bush's new word of the day.

I see they still want to smile awkwardly when they're not speaking.

The question was flu vaccines, right? Bush talked about it then made a right turn to litigation. Kerry ignored it completely, focusing on health care in general.

Why must these candidates continue to quote incorrect facts? Kerry quotes that 1.6 million jobs have been lost even though around 500,000 jobs lost. Kerry's tax hike for the rich will be balanced out by the middle class tax cut he wants leaving massive spending unaccounted for. Bush says Kerry has voted 98 times for tax hikes even though it's much less.

Bush isn't helping himself by labelling Kerry as a liberal. Labels really don't apply anymore.

Seems to me joking that it's not your fault when in fact it could be isn't prudent.

On C-SPAN, they show a continuous shot of both candidates. One hour in, Bush has taken a few sips of water. Kerry? None. That's amazing considering my mouth would probably be as dry as a desert.

No Child Left Behind refers to childhood education, doesn't it? What does that have to do with people getting minimum wage right now?

Bob Schieffer asked Kerry what he would do to protect Social Security and he responded, I already did. We gave Bush a $5.6 trillion surplus that would've protected the system. Yeah, that's fine. But we're in deficits now and your plan to take care of deficits falls well short according to many sources. Without deficit reduction, what's your plan?

Hey, this is a domestic policy debate, not foreign policy. Stop talking about Iraq and that annoying global test and backdoor draft.

Yeah, that Persian Gulf line was good, but it's two debates too late.

It sounds to me Kerry takes too much credit for what Clinton did.

It was another nice debate filled with policy differences and some welcome compliments in the end. Who won? I'd say it was a tie but the way the last two debates went, polls will probably say Kerry won as a result of his superior debate skills.

Team America: World Police
From the creators of South Park, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, comes a truly vile and offending puppet film with its target set at terrorists and Kim Jong-Il. Our group of heroes loses a man while saving Paris from a WMD, so for their next mission, Team America's leader, Spottswoode, recruits Gary, a Broadway actor, specifically for his acting skills to infiltrate a terrorist base. While the mission is a success, Gary feels guilty about the resulting retaliation and quits, leaving the door open for Kim Jong-Il to proceed with his plans for world chaos, using the Film Actors Guild (read the acronym) led by Alec Baldwin as his own puppet. In the end, it's up to Gary to save his friends and the world.

This film had a lot going for it. From the very outset, its targets were numerous and they were hit dead on, often to a very funny effect, from Team America's reckless disregard of famous landmarks to the creative wordplay. But somewhere along the way, probably after the graphic sex scene with two puppets, Stone and Parker lose their steam and the movie slows down considerably. It becomes increasingly obvious that the only laughs that linger are based on jokes that are derivatives of the ones we just saw a half hour earlier. So while you'll be delighted by the inspired songs and enjoy that no target goes ignored, by the end, you're just tired from it all. 2 stars

2nd Presidential Debate reaction:

Man, this debate is a laugh riot.

I think Bush has taken something out of the Kerry playbook. If you're not speaking, every 10 seconds or so, smile. Boy, does it look awkward. Bush is also starting to write things on his piece of paper. I wonder what they're writing.

Bush got really angry when Kerry said we were going in alone. Wouldn't even listen to Charlie Gibson. That temper is not gonna go over too well.

Kerry:"When was the first World Trade Center attack? 1993 or so? And the next one was 5...7 years later?" I think it was 8.

Why is it when they talk about tort reform, they must always mention the OB/GYN? Always prominently too.

It looks like Kerry got a kick out of Bush's reference to the National Journal naming Kerry the most liberal senator.

Yeah, that's right. Kerry just said Bush is scaring people and then he scares us even more.

I just don't buy the argument that 1% of America got $89 million of the tax cut. It may be true, but isn't that right? Say people got a 1% tax cut. If you pay $1 million in taxes, then you get $10,000 back. If you're only paying $1,000, you only get $10 back. Of course they wouldn't add up to $89 billion.

So Kerry says his programs don't cost $2.2 trillion like Bush claims. So what's the number?

Bush asked did he have any time left? Geez, he needs to read a traffic light. Is that too hard?

Sure, I don't understand the wisdom of Bush's economic policy but I don't understand Kerry's either. He wants all these programs and he wants to raise the taxes on the wealthy, plus he wants middle class tax cuts and manufacturing tax credits? Sounds like too much.

Maybe both candidates are going to factcheck.com instead of factcheck.org. Both Bush and Kerry are still quoting facts that have been refuted by the media.

Hmm, Bush and Kerry didn't pick a name for the Supreme Court even though the questioner asked. Of course, it's not the type of question anyone should be asking anyway.

Hey, the questioner asked about what wrong decisions you've made, not why such and such decision was right.

In the end, I didn't learn much more about the issues, but Bush presented himself much better this time around. Kerry's performance was aggressive as usual, but at times, repetitive. I could predict what he was going to say at one point. So while the debate I believe was a tie, Bush supporters have to be relieved about his performance, much more so than the last one.

Last Comic Standing was arguably one of the hottest shows during the summer. After a solid first season giving the world Dat Phan, the show exploded in its second season; so much so that NBC decided to bring back the casts of the first two seasons to battle it out. Just one problem: like the weather, this show cooled down considerably. Their acts got tired and nobody stuck around to watch. I was heartened to see Dave Mordal in the final 4, but I probably won't find out who wins. Why? NBC has ended the show prematurely. To find out the winner, NBC isn't devoting an entire show to it. Instead, they'll simply announce it in the middle of a Father of the Pride marathon. Yeah, like anyone watches that show.

I believe tonight you saw from Vice President Dick Cheney what President George W. Bush could not do in his first debate: stay calm and collected while staying on message. No doubt, Bush stayed on message in his debate, but he lost in style points with his constant slouching, his silly smirk, and his slight temper and ultimately lost the debate and his precious lead in the polls to John Kerry.

But not only did Cheney stay on message as well, he was calm in the face of an energetic John Edwards, who like a schoolyard bully, tried to pick a fight on numerous issues but was ultimately frustrated by his failure to break Cheney. Even still, Cheney started spewing facts back at him, which for some odd reason, sounded weird coming from a Bush-Cheney ticket. Frustration though came out constantly when Edwards would start making point after point and Cheney wouldn't say too much in response or he would begin by saying, where do I begin?

I found it a little disturbing that Edwards referred to himself as John Edwards at a couple of points in the debate. He got a little tongue-tied too but played on his strength well, which is his charisma and good looks to get people to listen to his message.

In the end, both did really well in articulating the positions set forth by their bosses, but Republicans will be relieved by the performance by their man that will keep them going in the near future, at least until Friday when President Bush must go back on stage for another debate.

Another funny comic from Tom the Dancing Bug.

Bay Area sports has been struck with a feeling of disbelief. All 4 sports have been utterly disappointing, making it hard to read the Sports section every day.

In baseball, Oakland and my team Baltimore have been traveling down different roads. Oakland was to be the class of baseball with 3 top pitchers and a capable offense. The O's have been struggling to stay afloat after many disappointing seasons. Yet today, these two roads converge. Oakland's streak of playoff appearances snapped today as the Angels eliminated the A's from playoff contention in what has to be the most traumatizing meltdown seen by the A's in recent history. Across the bay, San Francisco blew a 3-run lead in the 9th as it saw the Dodgers hit a walk-off grand slam and win the division. The Giants playoff hopes have not disappeared though, but it needs Houston to lose at least once or then it's over.

Moving to football, the 49ers are not the 49ers we know. They got shut out last week for the first time since 1977. They're starting the season 0-3. The Raiders have come out decently but question marks remain as they replace their starting quarterback with Kerry Collins.

In basketball, the Warriors are the Warriors. What do they and Stanfurd have in common? They'll both probably win 30 games tops. Of course, the Warriors play 82 games and Stanfurd only 35.

The HP Pavilion is silent as hockey continues its lockout of players. The Sharks should have been playing exhibition games by now with the season to have started October 14. But that's thrown out the window.

The only major team outperforming all others? The #10 California Golden Bears, now 3-0 with a win at Oregon State today, head down to L.A. next weekend for a matchup against USC with the winner most likely becoming the Pac-10's representative at the BCS bowls.

After the first Presidential debate, it's clear from a stylistic point of view that Kerry won this debate. President Bush is not the most eloquent of folks and it showed tonight as he was constantly fumbling over words, had long pauses, and at one point, had that deer in the headlights look when moderator Jim Lehrer surprised him with an extra 30 seconds to say something. Kerry was quick to respond to every shot he took from Bush and actually looked presidential.

But lost in the show is the message. Bush had one message to communicate and that was if we stay the course, everything will be all right. And that's all he said while criticizing his opponent for wavering in the political winds, as they like to say. Kerry's task was much more difficult and while he was just as successful, he needed to be better. He didn't show off what he would do differently to get the U.S. out of Iraq. Sure, he criticized the President heavily on how he went to war, but didn't say much on how to get out. And on the parts he did talk about, it's no more different than what the President is doing right now. As a result, neither side gained the knockout punch they wanted. But Kerry's edge in the image he projected certainly will boost Democratic spirits who are sick of seeing constant poll numbers showing Bush 5 points ahead in the presidential horserace.

The funniest comment I've seen just before the debate may have been about the lights. A small traffic light was attached in front of the candidates' microphones to remind the audience that the speaker had 30, 15, and 0 seconds left. Though it was part of the agreement the campaigns signed, the Kerry campaign wanted them removed, something that obviously was not done. And what did Vice President Cheney have to say? "It's just like John Kerry -- he was for the lights before he was against the lights."

So I'm driving along Blossom Hill today and this Civic comes up from behind and speeds right past me, easily going 80 mph on this road. I'm sorry, if the 60 mph I was driving was not fast enough, something is very wrong.

I went to Sweet Tomatoes recently and there was a sign on the cash register which claimed that they will no longer accept expired coupons any longer. Whoa, they accepted expired coupons? Those coupons from a few years ago could still be honored? What's the point of having expiration dates on them in the first place?

So those Star Wars DVD's came out and I'm just shocked at the changes, including placing Hayden Christensen in the final scene of Return of the Jedi. I still insist that casting Christensen was the worst mistake Lucas made in making the prequels, but updating the graphics in the original is one thing. Changing a memorable scene is quite another.

Lucas claims that in the future, a newcomer should watch the six episodes in order, instead of the last 3 first and then the first 3, like the rest of us did. I strongly disagree. Reserving judgment on the upcoming third film, how can you appreciate the Star Wars series when you have to sit through the worst two episodes of the series?

This from the Mercury News today:

The SJSU athletic department released a new attendance figure for last weekend's home opener against Morgan State: 10,411. After an official audit, the university found that student tickets were counted twice in the announced crowd of 11,360. There were also about 50 counterfeit tickets used for admission.

San Jose State can only attract 10K for football for its opener? Last year, Cal attracted football crowds as low as 25K and people were panicking. No wonder people want to get rid of it. Admittedly, the opponent was against a relative unknown from a lower division, but still.

Student tickets were counted twice? Maybe they should've counted them 3 or 4 times. It would probably still be 10K, anyway.

Counterfeit tickets? To a SJSU football game? That's lame. I really hope they were free. Actually, that wouldn't help. Students already get in free and they still don't go.

Resident Evil: Apocalypse
Following the events of the first film, the people at Umbrella decide to open up the lab to see what really happened. But things become out of hand and soon, a virus spreads to the surrounding city, causing everyone infected to become zombies, forcing the electrified fences to turn on and all access out of the city to be closed. But, of course, there are still normal people trapped inside, trying to find a way out. Meanwhile, the heroine of the first film, Alice (Milla Jovovich), suddenly awakens from her coma-like state, feeling strong from the experimentation done to her, also does her part to get the people that are normal to leave. The catch? The scientist promising a way out force them to save his daughter before they can proceed out. But there's another obstacle to go along with the zombies walking around: Umbrella's creation from the Nemesis project, and the company believes this is the perfect time to test its new toy.

Doesn't it seem like we've had one too many zombie movies lately? After watching this, I think we've had one too many Resident Evil movies. This movie is a total mess, probably only made to satisfy a company's coffers. Sure, it may be characterized as a zombie movie, but during large portions of the film, you'll wonder where they all went. Other times, where did they come from? For example, all of a sudden, you see zombies coming out of graves. When were they infected? Did I miss something? Along with an ending that frankly comes out of nowhere, in a bad way, not a good way, "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" adds up to something ultimately unnecessary. 1 star

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow
Gotham City isn't protected by Batman in this world of tomorrow. Instead, the city turns its eyes to the Sky Captain, Joe Sullivan (Jude Law). Large robots are soon seen in the sky and descend to steal the city's energy generators. Reporter Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) gets clues as to why they're here and teams up with her former lover Sullivan to track down their true motives. It seems scientists are being kidnapped who were all part of a secret German project during World War I. With only the name Totenkopf and a smart know-it-all in Giovanni Ribisi to track down the robots' signals, the two must travel to Asia to find the scientists and try to stop whatever dangerous scheme Totenkopf is up to.

The film is admittedly a mixed bag. I applaud Kerry Conran's vision to use CGI throughout the entire film, creating a fantasy world that dazzles the eyes with life in the past. But the story could use a little work. Paltrow's performance in the beginning became more of an annoyance with every line she said. It's amazing her character could co-exist with Joe for so long in the film. Like a plane taking off, the trip to Asia and the ensuing events, including an encounter with Angelina Jolie, becomes a high note of the film. But the ending is too non-sensical for even the imagination to handle and its attempts to keep our attention through humor falls short. 2 stars

The Manchurian Candidate
It was the Persian Gulf War and a commanding officer, Ben Marco (Denzel Washington), has been knocked out leaving it up to Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber) to save the men in his unit, save for two people tragically killed. Flash forward to today, where Shaw is using his war credentials and his connections through his senator mother (Meryl Streep) to run for Vice President of the United States. Meanwhile, Marco and the rest of his unit is continually haunted by nightmares of the war experience. His investigation leads him to believe the whole thing may have been a hoax just to get someone into the White House. But every time he seems to get close, people get into his way including, curiously, the Manchurian Global corporation.

Most people remember the 1960's version of this film from John Frankenheimer and wonder why in the world an update was needed. But considering the quality of this modern version from Jonathan Demme, while it takes its cues from the original, it is independent enough to stand alone as a taut political thriller. Pretty much anything Washington does will be quality material and he doesn't disappoint here. The victim of apparent brainwashing and constant surveillance, Washington does well balancing these two forces while looking as crazy as you can get. The true effect of the classic Manchurian Candidate wasn't truly felt until much later. This film won't leave that kind of lasting impression, and it probably spells things out too much at the end, but it's a carefully crafted film that keeps track of every detail and holds its secrets well until the last second. 3.5 stars

You want an election nightmare? As you know, we elect our president through the electoral college, which has 538 votes for the 50 states; one vote for each representative in the House and one for each Senator. So California, for example, has 55 electoral votes, winner-take-all. You need 270 electoral votes to win.

What if Bush or Kerry fail to reach 270? Then the House votes for President and the Senate for Vice President. In the House, each state delegation gets one vote and Republicans have a decided advantage in the House, so Bush, in this case, becomes President. For Vice President, things get a little iffy.

The Senate races are real close this year. Republicans currently control the body 51-48. If Republicans keep control, Cheney is VP. If Democrats gain control, then John Edwards becomes VP. What if there's a tie? The current Vice President has the tie-breaking vote, meaning Cheney would be voting himself back into office.

Of course, if any of this happens, people will be screaming bloody hell.

A nice way to keep track of this mess is through electoral-vote.com, which keeps track of the map every day until election day.

On a different note, ABC has had a lot of problems in the past few years. Ever since Who Wants to be a Millionaire aired and crashed to the ground, ABC crashed along with it. Along the way, it decided to give quality a try. Yes, it delayed its foray onto the reality bandwagon and it deviated from its family comedy style it built its past success on, but at least they'd be going down with style. And that's how the world was introduced to two geniuses in Aaron Sorkin and J.J. Abrams. Sorkin was an accomplished writer of theatre and film and went to ABC to make the phenomenal show Sports Night. But nobody watched it and ABC was reluctant to give him another show. So Sorkin went to NBC and gave them a big hit in The West Wing. Now, here comes Abrams, with only Felicity under his belt, bringing in the buzz show of three years ago in Alias and introducing us to Jennifer Garner. But nobody watched it. Luckily, enough people watch it for us to enjoy season 4, but it's not the smash hit ABC wanted. But they weren't about to make the same mistake as they did with Sorkin. Here comes this project called Lost, and Abrams signs on. And what do you know? The first episode was great and 18 million people watched it. With a respectable hold on next week's audience, it looks as though ABC finally has a hit on its hands.

Happy birthday wishes go out to my two cousins who turn 21; Christy's is today while Trang's was last week.

I went to the dentist recently and lo and behold, the worst happened. They found a cavity. Oh my. I haven't had one of those since my age was still in single digits. It was tricky to find too. Those spiffy computerized x-rays couldn't find it. It took a nice dental instrument to poke everywhere just to find it. Man, it's been so long, I don't even know how they fill it anymore. From my last cavity, this metal colored thing remains, but nowadays, they use white fillings and such to hide it as best they can. So they filled it on Monday, but I think they used too much of that numbing agent. It lasted a good 3 hours before the effects went away.

There was this Simpsons episode once when Mr. Burns was worried he didn't have an heir to pass along his fortunes so he held tryouts for every young boy in Springfield in order to find the perfect heir. Eventually, he settled on the energetic Bart smashing up the windows of his estate. Why did I think of that when I was watching The Benefactor? I don't even understand the show. It seems Mark Cuban will find just about anything to out the contestants. Well, you know what, he might say, I don't like that your left-handed, so you don't get my million bucks. Or something like that. Just a ridiculous excuse for a show.

I finally watched the updated version of The Manchurian Candidate, bringing the summer's movie total to 23. 23? That's it? What happened to the times when you could watch 23 in a month? Well, times have changed and, let's face it, August pretty much sucked in terms of movies. And September doesn't look any better. Probably the next true must-see is in October when Shark Tale comes out. Though I might catch Sky Captain, I'm not waiting in any line to see it.

This was in my email a few days ago and I had a laugh again when it was published in today's Mercury News.

THE NEW 2004 CALIFORNIA STATE EMPLOYEE GIRLEY MEN HANDBOOK

by GOVERNOR ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

SICK DAYS: We will no longer accept a doctor's statement as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.

PERSONAL DAYS: Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturday & Sunday.

LUNCH BREAK: Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch as they need to eat more, so that they can look healthy. Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure. Fat people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim Fast.

DRESS CODE: It is advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing $350 Prada sneakers, and carrying a $600 Gucci Bag, we assume you are doing well financially and therefore, you do not need a raise. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes. Therefore you do not need a raise. If you dress in-between, you are right where you need to be and therefore, you do not need a raise.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives, or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have no employees attend to the arrangements. In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, funerals should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave that much earlier.

RESTROOM USE: Entirely too much time is being spent in the restroom. There is now a strict 3-minute time limit in the stalls. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the stall door will open and a picture will be taken. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the company bulletin board under "Chronic Offenders".

Thank you for your loyalty to our great state. We are here to provide a positive employment experience.

THE GOVERNATOR,
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER

Today marks the 3rd Anniversary of 9/11. By now though, things for the most part have gone back to normal. People have begun planning for 9/11 as they would any other Saturday. Football marks the day as the college games are in full swing. People I know are working tomorrow or headed to some party. We have moved on but the memories live on. And now, as published every Sept. 11. Okay, it's easy to keep track; it's been done 3 times.

The Names by Billy Collins

Yesterday, I lay awake in the palm of the night.
A soft rain stole in, unhelped by any breeze,
And when I saw the silver glaze on the windows
I started with A, with Ackerman, as it happened,
then Baxter and Calabro,
Davis and Everling, names falling into place
as droplets fell through the dark.
Names printed on the ceiling of the night.
Names slipping around a watery bend.
26 willows on the banks of a stream.

In the morning, I walked out barefoot
among thousands of flowers,
heavy with dew, like the eyes of tears,
and each had a name --
Fiori inscribed on a yellow petal.
Then Gonzales and Han, Ishikawa, and Jenkins.
Names written in the air
and stitched into the cloth of the day,
a name under a photograph taped to a mailbox,
monogram on a torn shirt.
I see you spelled out on storefront windows
and on the bright, unfurled awnings of this city.
I say the syllables as I turn a corner,
Kelly, and Lee,
Medina, Nardella, and O'Connor.

When I peer into the woods,
I see a thick tangle where letters are hidden,
as in a puzzle concocted for children.
Parker and Quigley in the twigs of an ash,
Rizzo, Shubert, Torres and Upton,
secrets in the bows of ancient maple.
Names written in the pale sky.
Names rising in the updraft amid buildings.
Names silent in stone
or cried out behind a door,
Names blown over the Earth and out to sea.

In the evening, weakening light, the last swallows,
a boy on a lake lifts his oars.
A woman by a window puts a match to a candle,
and the names are outlined on the rose clouds --
Vanacor and Wallace,
(let X stand, if it can, for the ones unfound)
then Young and Ziminski, the final jolt of Z.

Names etched on the head of a pin,
one name spanning a bridge, another undergoing a tunnel.
A blue name needled into the skin.
Names of citizens, workers, mothers and fathers,
the bright-eyed daughter, the quick son.
Alphabet of names in green rows in a field.
Names in the small tracks of birds.
Names lifted from a hat
or balanced on the tip of the tongue.
Names wheeled into the dim warehouse of memory.
So many names, there is barely room on the wills of the heart.

Remember the first Mighty Ducks movie? Emilio Estevez walks into his childhood hockey arena and surveys the scene. At the corner of his sight, he sees the championship banners of his hockey team, the Hawks. He looks at them one year at a time, but one blemish remains; the year he lost it for them. He reminisces to that moment and looks down, still disappointed.

I think that's how the team of De La Salle feels right now. Their high school football winning streak of 151 games, a span of 12+ years, was snapped. When I was going through high school, many of my friends on the team, which experienced its high point when I was there, expressed their desire to play them. One even insisted that negotiations were underway. But that wasn't meant to be. They weren't given a chance to make history. That honor instead goes to a team in Washington. To be fair, a team that lost most of its starters and is still reeling from the death of a former teammate set things up for a De La Salle loss at some point. But I don't thing anyone would have expected it to come so suddenly, and by such a margin (19 points). So congrats to them for an excellent streak, one that probably drove other teams to succeed as well. Next week, everything begins again.

In other sports news, Cal won its opener, 56-14 over Air Force. The defense looked pretty weak in the first half and while it shut down the Falcons' triple option offense in the second half, I still have my doubts. They need a much better performance against New Mexico State to convince me that they can beat the triple threat of Southern Miss, Oregon State, and USC. At least there is nothing to worry about in terms of the offense.

Finally, the guy I usually talk sports with, Datman himself, celebrates a birthday tomorrow, if I'm reading my calendar right. So happy birthday. Remember, you won't find him at a casino any time soon. He's got a bet going that he won't gamble for a year. Oh, I mean, there will be a penalty if he breaks his promise to not gamble for a year.

Click for a delightful comic from Tom the Dancing Bug.

This from a Mercury news editorial today:

Tonight, for the first time in decades, a heavily promoted first-run film -- ``Paparazzi'' -- will open simultaneously at the Camera Cinemas downtown and Century 21 in the Winchester theater complex. That's great news for movie fans throughout the city.

Excuse me while I laugh hysterically.

Paparazzi? It sounds like they're calling it the savior of Camera Cinemas. Ha. It's probably the most unintentionally funny movie to come out until Cellular comes out next week.

What prompted this editorial is the fact that Century Theatres required exclusivity of running movies near Valley Fair, the big domes plus the new CineArts at Santana Row. Century now has relaxed the restrictions allowing "big-time" movies to come downtown to the new Camera Cinemas. The lack of first-run attractions doomed United Artists in their foray downtown.

And the first to come down the pipeline? Paparazzi. I'm sorry to tell you this, but don't pin your hopes on this film. There's probably a reason why Century let them show it.

Have you seen the ridiculous storyline? The paparazzi following a particular celebrity causes an accident that hurts his family. So what does the celebrity do? He does what anyone would do. He goes around killing them.

Even for this person who tries to watch most of the big films, even though you can't characterize Paparazzi as big, I'll still pass on this one. Not even worth a download. The studio would seem to think so too. Critics were not given a preview so that they could review it today.

Whenever you go to a Cal football game, there is one rule you must always obey. Never wear a red shirt. If you do, the students will yell at you and most likely rip it off your back.

I was reminded of this while watching President Bush speak. He spoke softly and gave a strong speech, albeit filled with nothing I haven't heard before. He spoke a lot slower though, even for him. And could you tell? He was tearing up a bit at the end.

But you could tell whenever he was getting into a rhythm, some protester jumped up and started yelling at him. But like the Cal faithful, the Republicans drowned him out with chants of 4 more years, even if Bush just kept on talking about Afghanistan or the economy. For this, I blame the Republican Party security, who should know not to let these people into the hall in the first place. Besides, there weren't any protesters in the Democratic convention. Show a little respect! Your friends are outside anyway.

Finally (borrowing from the Democratic convention), hey! Where the f--- are those balloons?

Watching the moderate faces of the Republican party speak for the first two days at the convention, it became apparent they were intent to convince swing voters that the fight against terrorism triumphs over all other issues and Bush is the obvious choice to lead that fight. But the attack dogs waited until tonite to pounce on Kerry with an unlikely person to speak: a Democrat, albeit a conservative Democrat. Zell Miller, Senator from Georgia, said protecting his family was the key and the Democratic Party was simply the wrong one to trust with the protection of his family and the country.

"I ask which leader is it today that has the vision, the willpower and, yes, the backbone to best protect my family? The clear answer to that question has placed me in this hall with you tonight. For my family is more important than my party. There is but one man to whom I am willing to entrust their future and that man's name is George Bush."

"Together, (Ted) Kennedy/(John) Kerry have opposed the very weapons systems that won the Cold War and that is now winning the War on Terror. Listing all the weapon systems that Senator Kerry tried his best to shut down sounds like an auctioneer selling off our national security but Americans need to know the facts. (Lists various weapon systems Kerry has opposed) ... This is the man who wants to be the Commander in Chief of our U.S. Armed Forces? U.S. forces armed with what? Spitballs?"

"George Bush wants to grab terrorists by the throat and not let them go to get a better grip. From John Kerry, they get a "yes-no-maybe" bowl of mush that can only encourage our enemies and confuse our friends."

But the best part was afterwards when Miller went ballistic on Chris Matthews on MSNBC. Matthews wanted to know if Miller, who is retiring from the Senate, actually meant some of the things he said and a combination of the loud locale and Miller's difficulty of hearing made things interesting. Reading the transcript afterwards, it's still funny to read.

MATTHEWS: Well, let me ask you, when Democrats come out, as they often do, liberal Democrats, and attack conservatives, and say they want to starve little kids, they want to get rid of education, they want to kill the old people...

MILLER: I am not saying that. Wait a minute.

MATTHEWS: That kind of rhetoric is not educational, is it?

MILLER: Wait a minute. Now, this is your program. And I am a guest on your program.

MATTHEWS: Yes, sir.

MILLER: And so I want to try to be as nice as I possibly can to you. I wish I was over there, where I could get a little closer up into your face.

(LAUGHTER)

MILLER: But I don‘t have to stand here and listen to that kind of stuff. I didn‘t say anything about not feeding poor kids. What are you doing?

MATTHEWS: No, I‘m saying that when you said tonight—I just want you to...

MILLER: Well, you are saying a bunch of baloney that didn‘t have anything to do with what I said up there on the

(CROSSTALK)

MILLER: No, no.

MATTHEWS: OK. Do you believe now—do you believe, Senator, truthfully, that John Kerry wants to defend the country with spitballs? Do you believe that?

MILLER: That was a metaphor, wasn‘t it? Do you know what a metaphor is?

...

MATTHEWS: Well, you could argue it was not nurses who defended the freedom of nursing. Why did you single out freedom of the press to say it was the soldiers that defended it and not the reporters? We all know that. Why did you say it?

MILLER: Well, because I thought it needed to be said at this particular time, because I wanted to come on...

MATTHEWS: Because you could get an applause line against the media at a conservative convention.

MILLER: No, I said it because it was—you‘re hopeless. I wish I was over there.

...

MILLER: If you‘re going to ask a question...

MATTHEWS: Well, it‘s a tough question. It takes a few words.

MILLER: Get out of my face.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MILLER: If you are going to ask me a question, step back and let me answer.

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: Senator, please.

MILLER: You know, I wish we...

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

MILLER: I wish we lived in the day where you could challenge a person to a duel.

(LAUGHTER)

MILLER: Now, that would be pretty good. Don‘t ask me—don‘t pull that...

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Can you can come over? I need you, Senator. Please come over.

MILLER: Wait a minute. Don‘t pull that kind of stuff on me, like you did that young lady when you had her there, browbeating her to death. I am not her. I am not her.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Let me tell you, she was suggesting that John Kerry purposely shot himself to win a medal. And I was trying to correct the record.

MILLER: You get in my face, I am going to get back in your face.

...

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you this about John Kerry‘s war record.

MILLER: Well, are you going to shut up after you ask me?

(LAUGHTER)

MILLER: Or are you going to give me a chance to answer it?

Funniest thing I read today:

A man believed he was getting a bargain on Ebay by buying a flat-screen TV for $2,000. Yet what he got in the mail was simply a picture of a flat-screen TV. When he emailed to complain, the auctioner said he should've known better.

Well, the authorities got involved, but I don't know what's worse: the fact that a guy is auctioning off pictures of televisions or that at least 3 people fell for it.

Luckily the kid was caught, bringing shame to Asians and Brians alike. Brian Kim of New Jersey was arrested at his high school and charged with theft by deception. He defends himself by saying the word picture was clearly marked in the ad. But come on, does he really think people are dumb enough to bid thousands of dollars on a picture??? Okay, three people are.

Observations on this the first day of school:

Wait, this doesn't apply to me. Maybe next time...

So now it has come to this. We're approaching autumn and that could only mean films are being released with Oscar on their minds. Either that or they're dumping films upon us to mix things up. Here are the movies being released in the next four months sure to generate buzz, both good and bad.

September 1

Vanity Fair - Based on the novel by William Makepeace Thackeray, Reese Witherspoon seeks a higher position in society in 1820's London.

September 3

The Cookout - Cultures clash as a just-signed basketball player decides to hold a cookout for his black family, his white neighbors, and his friends, both rich and poor.

Paparazzi - A celebrity is fed up with the paparazzi hounding him so he decides to kill them all.

Wicker Park - Josh Hartnett decides to settle down in Wicker Park until he puts everything on hold to search for his long-lost love.

September 10

Cellular - Chris Evans is the only one who can save a kidnapped Kim Basinger and the only thing helping him is the conversations they're having on their cell phones. Can he save her before the battery runs out???

Resident Evil: Apocalypse - I didn't even know this movie did well enough to earn a sequel, but here we are. Some movies deal with zombies, others a biological weapon. In this sequel, Milla Jovovich reprises her role to defeat zombies and stop a biological weapon from detonating.

Criminal - Diego Luna and John C. Reilly happen upon some rare currency from U.S. history, but in order to sell it, they need the help of Reilly's sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal. (Limited)

September 17

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - In the computer generated world of tomorrow, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, and Angelina Jolie work to find out why all the famous scientists are being abducted.

Mr. 3000 - Bernie Mac's whole life is based on his achievement of hitting 3,000 times in baseball, but ten years later, a careful study of the records shows he is three hits short, forcing him to come out of retirement.

Silver City - While the film is about a high-level conspiracy involving a dead body, one can't ignore the performance by Chris Cooper as the President who's bumbling qualities will remind everyone of our own real President.

Wimbledon - Paul Bettany has been merely an average tennis player but finds his muse in Kirrsten Dunst, and suddenly finds himself on the verge of winning the most famous tennis tournament in the world.

Head in the Clouds - Charlize Theron is a wealthy woman living in Europe, dating Stuart Townsend and is best friends with Penelope Cruz. As World War II erupts though, Townsend and Cruz focus their energies on fighting the Fascists while Theron entertains the Nazis. While all three separate, their destinies bring them back together. (Limited)

September 24

First Daughter - Romance blossoms as Katie Holmes, the president's daughter, attends college, but how will she react when she finds out the true identity of her new love?

The Final Cut - Robin Williams continues his string of creepy roles as a scientist who implants a chip in kids to gather information for postmortem movies.

The Forgotten - Julianne Moore deals with the loss of her son until she finds out that he was just a figment of her imagination.

The Last Shot - Matthew Broderick's dream of filming a major production in Providence, Rhode Island is threatened by the revelation that the producer (Alec Baldwin) is using it to investigate the Mafia for the FBI.

Shaun of the Dead - A British comedy lampooning the recent spate of zombie movies.

A Dirty Shame - John Waters' latest film sees Tracey Ullman become a sex addict as a result of a concussion she suffered. (Limited)

The Motorcycle Diaries - A road trip of Latin America by motorcycle has a profound effect on the lives of two friends. (Limited)

October 1

Hair Show - Peaches (Mo'Nique) owes $50,000 to the IRS and the only way out of this mess is to earn first place at a hair show.

Ladder 49 - Joaquin Phoenix is trapped while at the scene of a fire as John Travolta and company rush to save him.

Shark Tale - From Dreamworks comes another animated film, this time involving a fish named Oscar (Will Smith) who becomes a great hero for fending off a shark only to find himself a target. Robert DeNiro, Renee Zellweger, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie and Martin Scorsese also provide voices.

Around the Bend - Michael Caine, Christopher Walken, Josh Lucas, and others journey around the world to discover more about themselves. (Limited)

I Heart Huckabees - Albert (Jason Schwartzman) is going through an existential crisis, but when the detectives who were helping Albert soon turn their focus on helping the very cause of his problems, Jude Law and his girlfriend Naomi Watts, Albert teams up with others to take matters into his own hands. (Limited)

October 8

Friday Night Lights - Another in a long line of inspirational sports movies turns its attention to high school football, chronicling the actions of a high school team of a struggling small town in Texas.

I Am David - A story about a young boy's travels through Europe from war-savaged Bulgaria.

Raise Your Voice - Hilary Duff combines her musical and acting talents to make this film about a girl who goes to summer music camp on the strength of her extraordinary voice against her father's wishes.

A Sound of Thunder - When a time travel trip run by Ben Kingsley goes awry, Edward Burns must undo the damage.

Taxi - Sorry, the TV series isn't coming to the big screen. Jimmy Fallon is a cop who can't drive and is forced to use the cabbie services of Queen Latifah to track a group of bank robbers.

Stage Beauty - Ned's (Billy Crudup) acting career is over after the King orders no man shall play female parts any longer but Claire Danes hopes to turn his career around. (Limited)

October 15

Shall We Dance? - A workaholic (Richard Gere) discovers a passion for dancing. It doesn't hurt to have Jennifer Lopez as a dancing partner.

Team America: World Police - The creators of South Park bring out a team of marionettes to save the world from terrorism.

Being Julia - Based on a novel by W. Somerset Maugham, a May-December affair involving turns into a revenge plot when the woman discovers her lover has his sights set at a younger woman. (Limited)

The Machinist - Christian Bale's confusing life may be pieces of a puzzle that when fit together will unlock the reasons why he has lived this way for so long. (Limited)

P.S. - Laura Linney is a 30-something college admissions officer who falls for one of the applicants (Topher Grace). (Limited)

October 20

Sideways - Jack is about to be married and Miles decides to treat him to one last road trip. But lots of wine leads to women complicating things for the two men. Directed by Alexander Payne.

October 22

Alfie - A British playboy (Jude Law) in New York City discovers the truth and consequences of his free-wheeling lifestyle.

Finding Neverland - Starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, Finding Neverland follows J.M. Barrie's journey toward creating Peter Pan.

The Grudge - This horror flick starring Sarah Michelle Gellar centers upon a curse passing down from generation to generation.

Surviving Christmas - Ben Affleck yearns for a Christmas like he had as a child, so he returns to his childhood home for a nice, old-fashioned Christmas, even if his family doesn't live there anymore.

October 29

Ray - A biography about Ray Charles starring Jamie Foxx, who certainly looks the part.

Eulogy - The patriarch of a dysfunctional family has died but the following days sees the chaotic nature of their personalities struggle to co-exist and the comfort it provides. Stars Ray Romano, Hank Azaria, Kelly Preston, and Zooey Deschanel. (Limited)

The Hollow - Marking the acting debut of Nick Carter of the Backstreet Boys is this film that continues the Sleepy Hollow story of the Headless Horseman. (Limited)

It's All About Love - Set in the near future much different than today, a separated couple (Joaquin Phoenix and Claire Danes) meet to sign the divorce papers but other things at work threaten both of their lives. (Limited)

November 5

Alexander - The first of two films about Alexander the Great is released, this one starring Colin Farrell in the title role and directed by Oliver Stone.

The Incredibles - From Pixar comes probably the next big idea in animated film, a story about a retired superhero who returns after receiving a top-secret communique.

Birth - Nicole Kidman believes her husband has been reincarnated in a boy. (Limited)

November 10

The Polar Express - Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks team up in an animated version of the children's story about a ride to the North Pole.

Seed of Chucky - In a particularly shrewd move of counter-programming to The Polar Express, the fifth installment of the horror series Child's Play is released.

November 12

After the Sunset - Master thief Pierce Brosnan is lured back at the promise of a big score.

The Ringer - With Johnny Knoxville in the mix, two guys conspire to rig the Special Olympics.

Kinsey - A story of the life of Alfred Kinsey, a pioneer in the study of human sexuality. (Limited)

November 19

Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - Renee Zellweger returns to her role as Jones, picking up right where the first movie left off in her new relationship with Colin Firth.

National Treasure - Nicolas Cage finds some competition in his quest for a Revolutionary War treasure chest: the FBI.

The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie - The hit children's TV series makes it to the big screen.

Bad Education - This new film from director Pedro Almodovar follows the lives of two people from grade school to adulthood. (Limited)

November 24

Beauty Shop - More hijinx in hair styling ensues as Queen Latifah brings her character from the Barbershop sequel to her own beauty shop.

Christmas with the Kranks - The Christmas spirit is usually strong at the Kranks' household, but with their daughter not coming home, the parents (Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis) decide to take a vacation. But a daughter's change of heart brings about a rushed preparation for the joyous holiday.

The Flight of the Phoenix - A plane crashes carrying a bunch of outcasts and through the rebuilding process, their own lives begin to get rebuilt.

Beyond the Sea - Kevin Spacey plays the role of Bobby Darin, a successful musician who has battled health problems throughout his life. (Limited)

December 3

The Phantom of the Opera - The revival of Broadway in cinematic form continues with Joel Schumacher directing a big-screen version of this enduring musical, a movie which includes a new song from Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Closer - With a cast featuring Julia Roberts, Jude Law, Natalie Portman, and Clive Owen, this romantic drama sure can't go wrong, can it? Written and directed by Mike Nichols. (Limited)

December 10

Blade: Trinity - Honestly, I didn?t even know they were making a third Blade film but here it is with Wesley Snipes in the lead role again. Here, he joins up with a couple of Nightstalkers to battle a modern Dracula.

Ocean's Twelve - The entire cast from Ocean's Eleven plus Catherine Zeta-Jones travel to Europe to pull off another heist.

The Life Aquatic - Wes Anderson is back with another film and the usual cast: Bill Murray, Owen Wilson and Angelica Huston. Cate Blanchett, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Goldblum come along for the ride as Bill Murray is an European oceanographer traveling the waters. (Limited)

December 17

The Aviator - This biography of Howard Hughes focuses on his early years as he expanded his fortunes to include Hollywood and the skies while falling for Katherine Hepburn and Ava Gardner. Leonardo DiCaprio plays the lead with Kate Beckinsale and Cate Blanchett supporting.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - One of the more anticipated movies of the season finds Jim Carrey as Count Olaf, who schemes to steal the inheritance of two orphaned children, but continually fails, often with hilarious results.

Spanglish - A newly immigrated mother and young daughter from Mexico are taken in by a couple (Adam Sandler and Tea Leoni) where they must deal with the language barrier and the cultural barrier.

December 22

Meet the Fockers - Now that Ben Stiller has successful dealt with the father of the bride, Robert DeNiro, it's now time for the two sets of parents to meet. Playing Stiller's parents are Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand.

December 24

An Unfinished Life - Robert Redford has been living in solitude ever since his son's death, but 10 years later, the person he blames, his daughter-in-law Jennifer Lopez, comes back with a granddaughter he didn't know he had while old wounds begin to show up once again.

Proof - Starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Anthony Hopkins, a daughter comes to the aid of her dying father, a math professor who is losing his grip on reality.

The Woodsman - Kevin Bacon struggles to rebuild his life as he tries to escape his past as a sex offender. (Limited)

December 25

Fat Albert - One of Bill Cosby's most popular characters gets the live action treatment as Kenan Thompson plays the title role.

December 29

Synergy - It's an office relationship of a different sort as Dennis Quaid's new younger boss, Topher Grace, begins to date his daughter, Scarlett Johansson.

Hero
Three assassins threaten the kingdom of Qin, specifically the king himself, and a reward has been offered if someone can eliminate them. One man has stepped up to the challenge and has succeeded, bringing with him the assassins' swords as proof of his success. After Nameless (Jet Li) approaches the king, he tells the story of how he defeated Broken Sword (Tony Leung), Flying Snow (Maggie Cheung), and Long Sky (Donnie Yen), but the king (Daoming Chen) is skeptical. What follows is a series of back-and-forth stories until the truth is revealed.

This is a magnificent movie on all fronts. It's an old film that was nominated for an Oscar and a film I watched a long time ago, but only now being released to American theatres. What audiences will be thrilled to see is a high-flying and thrilling Asian film that exceeds expectations, especially considering the above average, but ultimately disappointing, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. The film, directed by Zhang Yimou, displays remarkable balance with luscious scenery, beautiful cinematography, intricate swordplay, and good control of the large battle scenes with lots of arrows and lots of real people; none of that CGI we've been accustomed to lately. But most importantly, it's the people that count and while they don't say much, it is their actions that is particuarly telling of their characters. It isn't quite emotional, but nevertheless, still packs quite a punch. 4 stars

How many weeks are in October?

The question sounds easy, but apparently it isn't. I was doing some forecasting at work when it came time to do a few projections for October. I look at the database calendar and it says October has 4 weeks. Every business goes by the quarter system and as such each quarter has 13 weeks. These 13 weeks need to be divided among the 3 months and for the fourth quarter of 2004, they've decided to do it with a 4-4-5 split, 4 weeks in October and November and 5 weeks in December. That would cause my projections to be a little skewed since all the quarters I've researched have a 5-4-4 split. I pass this piece of information to my co-workers and they scream bloody hell. Apparently, they believe it's a 5-4-4 split for the 4th quarter. So I submit the question to the database management.

Soon enough, my simple question has turned into a problem ticket where at least 8 big-wigs need to be contacted for a solution to the problem. It took 3 days to uncover another problem ticket that fixes this problem. It actually is a 5-4-4 quarter but nobody bothered to change the calendars, probably just to confuse the heck out of me.

Interesting things I've found along the way...

I read this quote as the controversy over the Swift Boat ads was stirring. "Mr. (Scott) McClellan (the White House Press Secretary) needs to understand that John Kerry is not the type of leader who will sit and read `My Pet Goat' to a group of second graders while America is under attack," said Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter in a reference to President George W. Bush's activity during the first minutes of the Sept. 11 attacks. While being a supporter of President Bush, I feel it's necessary to make this correction to the quote just for a cheap laugh. George W. Bush wasn't reading "My Pet Goat" to a group of second graders on September 11, the teacher was reading it to him and the second graders.

It seems Microsoft isn't widely accepted throughout the world because employees at the company didn't have geography lessons according to news.com. Among the gaffes that have caused its products to be banned: the Spanish-language version of Windows asked its users to choose between male, bitch, and not specified when asked for their gender, a couple of games featured the chanting of the Koran as well as Muslim fighters turning churches into mosques, and the incorrect coloring of 8 pixels meant to represent Kashmir.

USNews.com says officers who had swum in Saddam Hussein's old pool in Baghdad can't anymore because somebody gave all the lifeguards two weeks off. But one colonel has chosen to swim anyway. His response? "What are they going to do," he said. "Send me to Iraq?"

The reference above to the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth has made for interesting conversation as it has dominated the airwaves for the past few days even though the ads they produced have been out for about 3 weeks. It wasn't until last Thursday when Kerry denounced these ads and called for the President to do the same. Coincidentally, or not, Thursday was also the day a CBS News poll was released showing Kerry's support among veterans weakening to the point that even though it was tied at the beginning of August, President Bush now has a commanding 18 point lead among them.

The center of the controversy is the ads by this 527 group. A 527 group can collect as much money as they want for political purposes as long as coordination between any campaign is non-existent. The most popular one among Democrats is moveon.org. Republicans who were pretty much opposed to 527s, saw Democrats take advantage of this loophole and have thus been far behind in their own 527s. Spending by these groups along with Kerry/Edwards have exceeded Bush/Cheney spending. In regard to the Swift Boats, there are many points and counterpoints that can be made.

Point: The ad claims Kerry lied about his service in Vietnam and betrayed his comrades, both by leaving early and protesting against the war when he returned.

Counterpoint: Kerry volunteered to serve in Vietnam and in the process saved at least one life and earned 3 purple hearts, a bronze star, and a silver star.

Point: It is this organization that is lying and it is the front of a negative attack machine from the Bush/Cheney campaign. Kerry is pushing for an end to the attacks on his service in Vietnam.

Counterpoint: While we don't know who is telling the truth, we do know you can't have a double standard when it comes to letting veterans talk. On the day Kerry denounced the ad and wanted those veterans silent, he allowed Wesley Clark and others to attack Bush's service in the Texas National Guard. Yes, the Swift Boats have a lot of Republican connections that make it possible for coordination to occur but it's also entirely possible that there are numerous Democratic connections in the 527s. I say there will never be total independence from the campaigns until heavy regulations are put down almost to the point that there is public financing of the campaigns.

Point: Bush should denounce this ad.

Counterpoint: Bush has denounced all ads made by the 527s and has pushed for Kerry to do so also. Democratic 527s have been big business, attacking Bush with $63 million worth of ads throughout the campaign. The Swift Boats ad has cost less than $1 million to run.

Point: With Kerry taking a break from campaigning, running mate John Edwards said Bush needs to tell the group to pull its ads, a step the White House and the Bush campaign refuse to take.

Counterpoint: Of course not. First of all, it's helping Bush, as those similar ads that attacked Bush helped Kerry. Then there's that independence rule. 527s can't do what campaigns tell them to do so even if Bush told them to stop, there's no guarantee that they will. This group has insisted that if Kerry was a Republican, they'd still be doing what they were doing.

Luckily with the Republican convention next week and debates shortly after, we may have heard the last of the Swift Boats. In the end, it may hurt both campaigns, raising questions about Kerry's military records as well as the poor comparison of Bush's military record against Kerry's accomplishments. Negative campaigning does work, but at the cost of voter turnout.

The Village
At this Amish-like community in Pennsylvania, everyone is in his or her right place. You've got the village elders, headed by Edward Walker (William Hurt), running this place of isolation while the rest of the population does the everyday activities. The two most important rules that bind the community? Never show off the color red and never go into the forest. If you do, you may never come back. Lucius (Joaquin Phoenix) has the urge to venture through the forest and travel to the towns but the elders forbid it. Edward's daughter, Ivy (Bryce Dallas Howard), cares deeply for Lucius as well as Noah (Adrien Brody), a mentally challenged man. When an accident occurs, the call to reach the towns is renewed in order to get medicines. Edwards thus is reluctantly forced to send Ivy through the woods while he, Lucius' mother Alice (Sigourney Weaver), and others reflect on the true nature of the village.

So we're told M. Night Shyamalan directed this feature, and you know what? All the elements of a Shyamalan movie were there. The creepy music. The dark places. The slow pacing. What was missing? An interesting story to tie it all together. Nothing compelled me to be fearful of what lurked in the woods surrounding the community, a perception helped moreso by their brief appearance, nor were there the light moments to identify with the characters and so what we're left with is a 19th-century period piece that really isn't a very good one. Our feeling of detachment from the film leads into an underwhelming ending which leaves the reaction of "oh, yeah, I guess that works." The leading stars are left mired in a script that Data from Star Trek could read better. Phoenix, with a surprisingly limited role, avoids the bad lines and had the most potential in the film, but that wasn't used. The focus instead turned to the newcomer Howard, whose performance as a blind woman wasn't too convincing, but nevertheless was a bright spot in this dreary film. So in a switch, Shyamalan's handling of the film is much better than his script, but it doesn't save it at all. 1.5 stars

So, a couple of months ago, some guy emails me to write that it's difficult to find old movie reviews on this site. First of all, he doesn't need to be wasting his time here. He could go to a more respected guy to read reviews from. Second, how hard is it to work the archive? It's by month. So you just have to remember when the movie came out. Third, why should I listen to him? I don't even know the guy. After more thought, I figured a secondary archive wouldn't hurt. So I ran around looking for sites to transfer the reviews. At first, I thought about making my own site. That wouldn't work. My HTML knowledge is a bit rusty and basic at best. Plus I didn't have the time for it. So, as a user of Rotten Tomatoes, I started my own little journal over there. All the reviews are out there from every movie reviewed here at Blogspot. Looking at it from that viewpoint, I really do spend a lot of time watching movies. I'm lucky I graduated from college, which according to BearFacts, is finally official.

On a related note, I'm changing the email address in the upper left corner from the old Netscape email address to Gmail. No reason...I just wanted to use the Gmail account.

I'm feeling pretty tired. I didn't get my usual nap at work because I actually had an assignment to do that took most of the day. Though I finished a hour early, I had packing to do. That's how much they care about me, the poor co-op. First, they get me an inferior computer, incapable of handling the files that my department uses. But now, they're moving me downstairs away from my co-workers. A couple of people took out the seniority card in wanting to move closer to their respective departments so I'm left hanging by moving down and sharing an office with somebody else. I guess it's better than a cubicle.

The Olympics started. Yawn. I used to like the Olympics, but I think not watching the last two has really turned me off from it. I watched a little of the replay after I got back last night and I liked this line from Katie Couric describing the warm conditions in Athens. "Nights in Greece are much cooler than in daytime."

So that beheading tape released around the world and caused such a furor was really just a hoax. But you know what I thought was the most disturbing? Accompanying the news story I was reading was a picture of the guy who did it. They took a picture of him in just his boxer shorts. Ewww. Really, I don't need to be looking at hairy guys when I'm reading the news, please.

I saw a commercial recently touting the world's easiest phone. The phone works with a LCD screen you can touch. I don't know about you, but phones with buttons are already pretty easy in my book. I don't think you can get easier than that.

Some of you found it weird that my sister was taking classes before she started San Jose State. As I've explained, it was only because she couldn't find a summer job. Well, classes ended a couple of weeks ago and on the last day, what happened? She got a job offer. So if you're at Old Navy, please go bother her. Umm, I mean, open an Old Navy account for her. She doesn't get a commission, but it looks bad to have no accounts opened.

Blast from the past after Karate Kid I and II was on. Wow, the first was one of those movies that was so bad, it was good. The sequel was just bad. But come on, how could you not like Mr. Miyagi just clapping his hands together and magically healing Daniel's leg? Or the goofy way Daniel tries to woo Elisabeth Shue? And successfully too! Then, there's the classic montage highlighted by the song You're the Best...Around where Daniel gets beat up but then all his opponents fall down so that he can advance. It's unintentional comedy at its finest.

Let me remind you of the greatest study of the Karate Kid trilogy ever written. Okay, maybe it's the only study of the Karate Kid trilogy ever written. It's by Bill Simmons and it can be found at ESPN.

Congrats to John Heffron for becoming the Last Comic Standing. Of course, I'm a bit disappointed since I believed he was the third best comic on the stage. Alonzo, I believed, was head and above the other two. But it was not meant to be. Gary had a weak set in the finals which probably ruined him. John was strong throughout the show, but later on, my impression of him soured. He got better in the last episode, which helped him a lot.

Now I bet we're all looking for Last Comic Standing 3, which pits the comedians from the first two against each other. Yes! Dave Mordal is back, hopefully. Bad news...we get to see Ant perform again. And of course, I'm holding out hope that Dat Phan has at least one brand new joke to entertain the masses before he goes back to the tried and true. If tonight's set is any indication, his performance will be dismal. Come on! He did that bathroom joke again!

Collateral
Vincent (Tom Cruise) coolly walks through the airport and is bumped. Bags fall and apologies are exchanged. And so begins his next job. As a contract killer, Vincent is hired to kill 5 witnesses of a crime to be used in an upcoming trial. To drive him around, there's Max (Jamie Foxx). He's the hard-working cab driver with dreams of starting his own limo company. When Vincent offers him $500 to drive him around, Max can't refuse. But soon, he quickly realizes what he has gotten himself into. With each successive kill, Max stands by helpless, succumbing to the whims of a greater foe. It isn't until he finds out who the last victim will be when Max musters up the courage to do something about it.

Director Michael Mann has created a movie you can't take your eyes off for a second. First, there is the cool camerawork capturing an essence of Los Angeles rarely seen on-screen: a nighttime setting that is large but quiet with an emptiness that permeates throughout the city unless you find the right vibrant spot. Cruise dazzles in his performance as Vincent, a cool and confident hitman who's thinking many steps ahead of the next guy. Cruise has seemingly been on a hot streak since splitting from Nicole Kidman, hasn't he? The dialogue is filled with small nuggets that let us know more about the mysterious Vincent as well as the innocent Max, who Foxx plays well. The film's lone shootout evokes thrilling emotions as Vincent must fight his way through guards and police to get to his target. But as smart and as thrilling as the movie is, the ending degenerates into the usual chase sequence that yes, ties up the loose ends, but still, misses its mark to put an exclamation point on a fine film. 3.5 stars

The Notebook
Allie (Rachel McAdams) was the rich girl who stayed in the Carolinas for the summer. Duke (Ryan Gosling) was the hard-working man living in the Carolinas. But one night at the carnival changed both of their lives. They soon fell for each other, but Allie's parents disapproved of the couple and moved her back early. Life went on, but while Allie moved on, eventually becoming engaged to a wealthy military man (James Marsden), Duke can't get the image of Allie out of his head. Duke's picture in the paper forces Allie to re-examine the choices she has made thus far. All of this is told from a notebook by James Garner, telling the story to an Alzheimer's patient (Gena Rowlands).

The movie is quite a predictable love story but the couple of McAdams and Gosling make that part of the story work. However, it is the interludes of Garner and Rowlands that messes up the timing and effectiveness of the movie. These scenes try too hard to hide the secret that director John Cassevetes wants to save for the big finale that not only is it pretty obvious where the story is leading, I lost all interest I had in the old couple and impatiently waited for the young couple to turn up again. The scenes are beautifully shot and the script isn't all too bad for this type of film, but it never builds up a rhythm to the point where we really feel for them. Instead, we're just waiting for the inevitable to happen. 2 stars

A Cinderella Story
Once upon a time in the San Fernando Valley, there lived a young teenage girl named Sam (Hilary Duff) who lived with her stepmother (Jennifer Coolidge) and her stepsisters. With the passing of her father, Sam worked daily at the restaurant her stepmother inherited while trying to balance the studies necessary to get into Princeton. In her dreams though, it is the thought of ending up with Austin (Chad Michael Murray). Unbeknownst to her, the secret man she has been communicating with has been Austin. When he musters up the courage to ask to meet at the dance, Sam is faced with the choice of defying her stepmom or staying. Ultimately, she goes and has a wonderful time without revealing herself to him. The road soon becomes uphill as the pressure to come clean gets to be too much for Sam.

Two annoyances stick out. First, Sam's mask only covers her eyes and you expect me to believe Austin couldn't pick her out of a crowd the next day? And Sam really didn't have any friends at all, did she? After all, nobody, including Sam, called the phone to see who has it. "A Cinderella Story" though is your by-the-numbers teen romance, straight down to the bitchy jealous former girlfriend and the nerdy friend who sticks by the main character at all times. But forcing upon it the Cinderella storyline actually made it worse off. Duff is obviously talented, as evidenced from her turn as Lizzie McGuire, but she needs to distance herself from fare such as this. 1.5 stars

Thunderbirds
Based on the British show, the Thunderbirds go live-action, following the sixth Thunderbird (Brady Corbet) as he dreams of following in the footsteps of his father (Bill Paxton) and his brothers. But when The Hood (Ben Kingsley) damages the Thunderbirds' space station and effectively traps them once they leave on a rescue mission, it's up to the young son, a couple of friends, the brainy scientist (Anthony Edwards) and Lady Penelope to save the day.

So Thunderbirds are go! Okay, just stop. You'd think accompished actors Paxton, Kingsley, and Edwards would steer clear of movies like this. Instead, they're part of a film we're laughing at instead of with. Luckily for Paxton, he's barely in it. Unluckily for Kingsley, he must recite bad line after bad line while trying desperately to keep up the facade of a villain. The children awkwardly work through the scenes with an inexplicable handle on each situation. I would have been more interested on how Kingsley and the little girl got those superpowers. What explanation do we get? Ehh, it runs in the family. In the end, kids will probably suck it all up and enjoy it, but Thunderbirds has at much depth as a Saturday morning action show. But at least those are 30 minutes long. 1 star

The Bourne Supremacy
Matt Damon returns to his role as Jason Bourne, the spy with amnesia. He has calmly reclaimed his life and along with his girlfriend, has settled in India. However, the past has caught up to him and soon, he begins a whirlwind tour through Europe to reclaim what he has lost. The plot revolves around secret Russian documents that the CIA was about to obtain only to lose them through sabotage and the murder of a CIA agent. Bourne is framed for this crime. Soon, Bourne's actions seem to be vital to his survival rather than living up to a promise of retribution.

One thing annoyed me about "The Bourne Supremacy". The camerawork during the most intense scenes could have used some work. In a fight scene, I wanna see the whole picture. I don't just wanna see body parts. Overall, it almost gets dizzying. But while this sequel loses some of the intrigue about its main character, it doesn't lose its intelligent storytelling and gains a whole lot more in thrills and fast-paced action. Damon establishes the signature role of his career as Jason Bourne while the cast against him brings an air of intimidation with their performances including Joan Allen and Brian Cox. And just like the first movie, Julia Stiles just disappears halfway through the film. Sure, she's effective so why can't she be in more of the movie? Now here's another minor question. In a land of BMW's and Mercedes, why is the CIA driving around in Chrysler minivans? In any case, The Bourne Supremacy lives up to its title as being a supreme movie. 3.5 stars

King Arthur
It's the beginning of the end for King Arthur and his knights. After years of protecting Britain for the falling Roman Empire, it's time to claim their freedom. Whoa, not so fast. One last task remains. Arthur (Clive Owen) and the gang must transport a priest and his family to safety from the Saxons, who are beginning to invade. Once there, Arthur is troubled by the conditions he sees on the priest's lands and takes matters into his own hands. He tells the commoners on his land to follow him. On his way back, his eyes gaze toward Guinevere, played by Keira Knightley. Once he returns, he aims to protect the last remnants of what he governs from the Saxons.

I don’t know about you but the Arthur legends I remember were just that: legendary. Here, director Antoine Fuqua goes completely against the mainstream stories and instead tells the tale of an uninspiring man who led his troops to battle against an enemy he didn’t have to fight at all. And maybe it was because I was dozing off a bit, but why was Knightley fighting again? When did she become an all-out warrior? It’s a different Guinevere than I remembered. All the better though; she basically wore straps onto the battlefield. As for the main villains, they weren’t too villainous, were they? At first, it was Merlin, but he eventually makes nice. The Saxon leader doesn’t show much leadership at all, not saying much and taking his time to make decisions. So is there anyone to look up to in this film? Not really, and that’s why once you get to the final battle scenes, something that might have been extraordinary 10 years ago but now poor against the likes of Braveheart, the Lord of the Rings, and Gladiator, you don’t care about it. It just needed to get resolved. 1.5 stars

I, Robot
In a time when robots have become a vital asset to everyday life, Del Spooner (Will Smith) seems to be the only skeptic. Soon, he's called to the scene of the apparent suicide of Dr. Alfred Lanning (James Cromwell), the creator of these robots. All the clues lead Spooner to believe a robot did it, something the president of the company (Bruce Greenwood), the leading psychologist/scientist (Bridget Moynahan), and his police chief (Chi McBride) deem ridiculous. But with the rollout of a new line of robots comes an apparent mutiny: the robots begin to control themselves. It's up to Spooner to come face-to-face with his enemy in order to keep the robots in line.

"I, Robot" suffers from a cliched story that this movie does not really improve upon with the inclusion of Will Smith and his brand of action and humor. The jokes mostly fall flat and I didn't know which was acting more robotic: the robots themselves or the human actors (with the exception of Smith and Moynahan). Instead, what this movie should be remembered for is its superior special effects. The robot-human interaction looks great and director Alex Proyas and his team should be commended for the final action scene in the catwalks of Viki filled with dazzling camerawork and, well, many, many robots. But the lack of any suspense from the merely average plot makes this a slightly above average movie. 2.5 stars

Judging by its site, Americans Coming Together (ACT) is obviously not a big supporter of President Bush. Any other time then, I'd ignore it, but how can you pass up Will Ferrell playing Bush in a new video? I know I can't. Watch the hilarious commercial at this site.

Yes, it's Friday just after midnight, but it's Friday nonetheless so it's time to wish Jeanette a happy birthday. So happy birthday Jeanette.


I think the building I work in just isn't working with me. For those familiar with the former IBM campus, I'm in the large blue building you can see from the highway. It's the main building covered with windows. And while it looks nice, it really is just a big metal box. And what lies within are many metal walls. And for me, that means electric shocks. Nothing like a nice jolt to wake you up in the morning when you reach out for the doorknob to the stairs. Then there's my cell phone. If you've tried to call during the workday, you've probably heard the voicemail go on. Why? No signal. But now, I can correct that statement to read weak signal. It takes laying the phone down on its side on the opposite side of the desk facing the door. I can get two bars out of that, but if it rings and I pick up, you'll have 10 seconds or so to say something before the connection cuts off.

I could've been in LA tonite watching Last Comic Standing, but that wasn't meant to be. Instead, I had to watch it in my home. But what transpired? Gary and Alonzo are obviously at the top of their respective games. But John's set about the girls in the bar was not the best that he's done. I would have rather seen Kathleen go on, but instead, I predict Alonzo wins it.

Then again, who woulda thought Dat Phan would win it last year?