Happy Birthday wishes go out to Hai and Steves. Steves' is actually tomorrow but hey, I'm consolidating posts.
The count for correct Oscar predictions this year was 14, which is a personal worst, but from what I hear, was actually pretty good this year.
2/28/2007
2/24/2007
700 posts later and now there's a new layout. I didn't want to change but this upgrade Blogger had forced my hand (it didn't have the old layout among the options).
It's Oscar weekend and now it's time for the final predictions. (The rest of them are on the sidebar. Based on the past, I'm usually good for 15.) I wholeheartedly believe The Departed should win for best picture and best director. With Dreamgirls out of the way by virtue of not being nominated, the frontrunners seem to be Babel and The Departed with Little Miss Sunshine being the leading darkhorse. Letters from Iwo Jima and The Queen (3.5 stars) were certainly good, but reached out to niche audiences. Little Miss Sunshine is hurt by the fact that it's mainly a comedy, and when was the last time a comedy won for best picture? I'd be happy if it won, but it doesn't look to be in the cards. I wouldn't be happy if Babel won. Babel (3 stars) to me seems like a poor man's Crash from last year. The Japanese storyline was a stretch and did not fit in, leaving Babel to be three-fourths of a movie. That leaves The Departed, best picture of the year. Will the Academy voters listen? We'll see Sunday.
On a side note, I did see The Last King of Scotland (3 stars) last night. That's one powerful feature and Forest Whitaker deserves that best actor award.
It's Oscar weekend and now it's time for the final predictions. (The rest of them are on the sidebar. Based on the past, I'm usually good for 15.) I wholeheartedly believe The Departed should win for best picture and best director. With Dreamgirls out of the way by virtue of not being nominated, the frontrunners seem to be Babel and The Departed with Little Miss Sunshine being the leading darkhorse. Letters from Iwo Jima and The Queen (3.5 stars) were certainly good, but reached out to niche audiences. Little Miss Sunshine is hurt by the fact that it's mainly a comedy, and when was the last time a comedy won for best picture? I'd be happy if it won, but it doesn't look to be in the cards. I wouldn't be happy if Babel won. Babel (3 stars) to me seems like a poor man's Crash from last year. The Japanese storyline was a stretch and did not fit in, leaving Babel to be three-fourths of a movie. That leaves The Departed, best picture of the year. Will the Academy voters listen? We'll see Sunday.
On a side note, I did see The Last King of Scotland (3 stars) last night. That's one powerful feature and Forest Whitaker deserves that best actor award.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16770525.htm
A federal jury has acquitted a man of charges stemming from a bizarre murder plot involving a booby-trapped toy dog, which exploded and killed a college student in South San Jose six years ago.
After three days of deliberations, the jury in U.S. District Court concluded that David Lin, 39, was not guilty of conspiring to mail an explosive device with intent to injure or kill. His defense attorney argued that he mailed a package as a favor for a friend but did not know it contained a bomb.
He still faces prosecution in two unrelated cases involving alleged credit card fraud. Lin, who has been in jail for more than five years in the bombing case, is scheduled to be released tonight on a $5,000 bond.
Patrick Hsu, an 18-year-old college student, was killed by the explosion at his parents' home in early 2001. Authorities say Lin had mailed the toy on behalf of another man, Anthony Chang, who was briefly married to Hsu's sister.
Chang is also charged in the case but he is a fugitive, currently believed to be living in Venezuela. Testimony showed that Chang assembled the bomb in Nevada and then asked Lin to mail it to the Hsu home from a post office in Milpitas. Authorities say Chang was angry at his former wife and wanted revenge against her family.
Earlier this week, defense attorney Daniel Blank argued in court that Lin had mailed the toy for Chang as a favor, without knowing that it was booby-trapped.
But prosecutor Jane Shoemaker told jurors that Lin had to know what Chang had planned. A prosecution witness testified that Chang had recounted conversations in which Chang told Lin the package contained a bomb.
When the package arrived at the victim's home, Hsu's father opened it and then put it aside. A few weeks later, Patrick Hsu, a freshman at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was home for the weekend when he picked up the toy and inserted batteries -- triggering an explosion that shattered windows and killed him instantly.
A federal jury has acquitted a man of charges stemming from a bizarre murder plot involving a booby-trapped toy dog, which exploded and killed a college student in South San Jose six years ago.
After three days of deliberations, the jury in U.S. District Court concluded that David Lin, 39, was not guilty of conspiring to mail an explosive device with intent to injure or kill. His defense attorney argued that he mailed a package as a favor for a friend but did not know it contained a bomb.
He still faces prosecution in two unrelated cases involving alleged credit card fraud. Lin, who has been in jail for more than five years in the bombing case, is scheduled to be released tonight on a $5,000 bond.
Patrick Hsu, an 18-year-old college student, was killed by the explosion at his parents' home in early 2001. Authorities say Lin had mailed the toy on behalf of another man, Anthony Chang, who was briefly married to Hsu's sister.
Chang is also charged in the case but he is a fugitive, currently believed to be living in Venezuela. Testimony showed that Chang assembled the bomb in Nevada and then asked Lin to mail it to the Hsu home from a post office in Milpitas. Authorities say Chang was angry at his former wife and wanted revenge against her family.
Earlier this week, defense attorney Daniel Blank argued in court that Lin had mailed the toy for Chang as a favor, without knowing that it was booby-trapped.
But prosecutor Jane Shoemaker told jurors that Lin had to know what Chang had planned. A prosecution witness testified that Chang had recounted conversations in which Chang told Lin the package contained a bomb.
When the package arrived at the victim's home, Hsu's father opened it and then put it aside. A few weeks later, Patrick Hsu, a freshman at the University of California, Santa Barbara, was home for the weekend when he picked up the toy and inserted batteries -- triggering an explosion that shattered windows and killed him instantly.
2/22/2007
2/07/2007
Super Bowl sucked, didn't it? Game, commercials, etc. There's just not much to say. It wasn't memorable.
Completely unrelated to the case at hand, the judge in Patrick's case described below was hit by a light-rail car! Somebody has it out for him.
Oscar nominations are out, so pretty soon, I'll come out with some predictions for them as the big day nears. I've given up hope on watching Blood Diamond...that'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD in March, so the last Oscar-related movie I'll see will probably be The Last King of Scotland, hopefully this weekend.
The Police reunite on The Grammys this Sunday and Billy Corgan announced a new Smashing Pumpkins album will be coming out in July. Can't wait, especially since anything is better than that Zwan crap.
Finally, my favorite show for the past couple of years has been The Office, so if you're not watching, you're missing out. Here's a long clip of some of its best scenes.
Completely unrelated to the case at hand, the judge in Patrick's case described below was hit by a light-rail car! Somebody has it out for him.
Oscar nominations are out, so pretty soon, I'll come out with some predictions for them as the big day nears. I've given up hope on watching Blood Diamond...that'll have to wait until it comes out on DVD in March, so the last Oscar-related movie I'll see will probably be The Last King of Scotland, hopefully this weekend.
The Police reunite on The Grammys this Sunday and Billy Corgan announced a new Smashing Pumpkins album will be coming out in July. Can't wait, especially since anything is better than that Zwan crap.
Finally, my favorite show for the past couple of years has been The Office, so if you're not watching, you're missing out. Here's a long clip of some of its best scenes.
1/29/2007
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16570774.htm
It has been nearly six years since a bizarre murder plot tore apart the Hsu family of San Jose. On a February weekend visit home from college in 2001, 18-year-old Patrick Hsu noticed an odd toy robot dog that had been mailed in a box weeks earlier. His father had opened the box, then set the contraption aside when he noticed it needed batteries to function. Later, Patrick Hsu placed batteries in the robot -- triggering a hidden bombing device that killed him. This week, one of the alleged participants in a scheme targeting Hsu's family goes on trial in federal court in San Jose after years of legal sparring. David Lin, a Milpitas engineer accused of shipping the robot dog in the mail, faces life in prison if convicted of killing Hsu. But the central figure in a case that has spawned an episode on ``America's Most Wanted'' will be nowhere near the courtroom. Anthony Chang, a Las Vegas man charged with masterminding the plot as an act of vengeance against his estranged wife, remains a fugitive who is thought to be living in Venezuela and outside the reach of U.S. authorities, court records show. Chang's role will still be front and center in the trial, however. Lin's lawyers make it clear that they will argue Lin had no idea what was in the fatal package and was an unwitting dupe in Chang's plan to harm someone in the family of Wendy Hsu, his estranged wife and Patrick Hsu's sister. Lawyers picked a jury last week and will make their opening statements to the panel today.
``The only issue is, did David Lin know what was in the package or not,'' said Daniel Blank, Lin's lawyer. ``He didn't. They are going to say he did.''
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Shoemaker, the lead prosecutor in the case, declined to comment. In court papers, the government says there is ample evidence that Chang told Lin what was in the package and that he followed instructions to mail the robot dog to the Hsu's San Jose home. In one recent document, prosecutors outlined an exchange between Chang and a former girlfriend who is on the government's witness list.
``Chang told his then-girlfriend that the defendant knew there was a bomb in the package and that he had instructed the defendant how to handle the package to avoid leaving fingerprints on it,'' prosecutors wrote.
Patrick Hsu, a freshman at the University of California-Santa Barbara, was away at college when the package was mailed to his home. Prosecutors say that Chang hatched the plot over his rocky relationship with Wendy Hsu, and made threats against her and her family before the fatal incident. Police first linked Lin to the robot bomb when the package was traced to a Milpitas post office. Court papers show they also questioned Chang at various times, and he claimed he didn't send the package but ``may have provided information to others that caused the bombing to occur.'' As the investigation was unfolding, Chang quit his job at the Primadonna Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and skipped the country, days before he was formally charged. Lin's lawyers say the government botched the case, ignoring evidence that Chang was preparing to leave while they focused on Lin's role in the crime.
``He filed a change of address form, and they still didn't arrest him,'' said Blank, an assistant federal public defender.
Chang apparently has not been hard to find -- defense investigators found him in Venezuela. But Venezuela does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, and government officials declined to comment on the effort to return Chang for prosecution. Chang is a Venezuelan citizen, making it even more difficult to secure his extradition, according to lawyers familiar with the case. Meanwhile, Lin is on the hook for the killing. Until last year, federal prosecutors were pursuing the death penalty against him, but Lin's lawyers persuaded the Bush administration to drop that part of the case. Chen Hsu, Patrick's father, did not respond to an interview request. But he has told the Mercury News in past interviews that his son was popular, an Oak Grove High School graduate whose death rocked the family.
``How could this happen?'' Hsu said days after the incident. ``No one can handle this.''
The trial is expected to take four to six weeks in U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte's courtroom.
It has been nearly six years since a bizarre murder plot tore apart the Hsu family of San Jose. On a February weekend visit home from college in 2001, 18-year-old Patrick Hsu noticed an odd toy robot dog that had been mailed in a box weeks earlier. His father had opened the box, then set the contraption aside when he noticed it needed batteries to function. Later, Patrick Hsu placed batteries in the robot -- triggering a hidden bombing device that killed him. This week, one of the alleged participants in a scheme targeting Hsu's family goes on trial in federal court in San Jose after years of legal sparring. David Lin, a Milpitas engineer accused of shipping the robot dog in the mail, faces life in prison if convicted of killing Hsu. But the central figure in a case that has spawned an episode on ``America's Most Wanted'' will be nowhere near the courtroom. Anthony Chang, a Las Vegas man charged with masterminding the plot as an act of vengeance against his estranged wife, remains a fugitive who is thought to be living in Venezuela and outside the reach of U.S. authorities, court records show. Chang's role will still be front and center in the trial, however. Lin's lawyers make it clear that they will argue Lin had no idea what was in the fatal package and was an unwitting dupe in Chang's plan to harm someone in the family of Wendy Hsu, his estranged wife and Patrick Hsu's sister. Lawyers picked a jury last week and will make their opening statements to the panel today.
``The only issue is, did David Lin know what was in the package or not,'' said Daniel Blank, Lin's lawyer. ``He didn't. They are going to say he did.''
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jane Shoemaker, the lead prosecutor in the case, declined to comment. In court papers, the government says there is ample evidence that Chang told Lin what was in the package and that he followed instructions to mail the robot dog to the Hsu's San Jose home. In one recent document, prosecutors outlined an exchange between Chang and a former girlfriend who is on the government's witness list.
``Chang told his then-girlfriend that the defendant knew there was a bomb in the package and that he had instructed the defendant how to handle the package to avoid leaving fingerprints on it,'' prosecutors wrote.
Patrick Hsu, a freshman at the University of California-Santa Barbara, was away at college when the package was mailed to his home. Prosecutors say that Chang hatched the plot over his rocky relationship with Wendy Hsu, and made threats against her and her family before the fatal incident. Police first linked Lin to the robot bomb when the package was traced to a Milpitas post office. Court papers show they also questioned Chang at various times, and he claimed he didn't send the package but ``may have provided information to others that caused the bombing to occur.'' As the investigation was unfolding, Chang quit his job at the Primadonna Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas and skipped the country, days before he was formally charged. Lin's lawyers say the government botched the case, ignoring evidence that Chang was preparing to leave while they focused on Lin's role in the crime.
``He filed a change of address form, and they still didn't arrest him,'' said Blank, an assistant federal public defender.
Chang apparently has not been hard to find -- defense investigators found him in Venezuela. But Venezuela does not have an extradition treaty with the United States, and government officials declined to comment on the effort to return Chang for prosecution. Chang is a Venezuelan citizen, making it even more difficult to secure his extradition, according to lawyers familiar with the case. Meanwhile, Lin is on the hook for the killing. Until last year, federal prosecutors were pursuing the death penalty against him, but Lin's lawyers persuaded the Bush administration to drop that part of the case. Chen Hsu, Patrick's father, did not respond to an interview request. But he has told the Mercury News in past interviews that his son was popular, an Oak Grove High School graduate whose death rocked the family.
``How could this happen?'' Hsu said days after the incident. ``No one can handle this.''
The trial is expected to take four to six weeks in U.S. District Judge Ronald Whyte's courtroom.
1/22/2007
It was quite a weekend. My mom's Lexus was hit in the parking lot on Friday. I was getting conflicting reports on the severity of the damage. My sister claimed it was just a small bump. My mom said it was more like a foot wide. The picture's up so see for yourself. Looking at it, I'm just not sure how it happened because the eyewitness said the car in question, a large SUV, was parked in the stall next to the Lexus and did the damage as she was leaving. I would understand if the car backed into the bumper but not if the car was next to my mom's. I'd know, I've done it.
Just to balance out the bad news, I've posted Kelli from Christmas with her new dog from babystyle. Poor Hello Kitty in the background. I didn't get to see her this weekend since I was with friends on Saturday. With Datman and Paul, we were to meet Hai and Claire in Alameda for sushi. Things didn't go exactly as planned. We made it but they didn't. Westbound 80 was closed due to a multicar accident. A car eastbound went out of control and jumped the center divider. This had to be tough because the westbound lanes are elevated above the westbound lanes. In any case, the endgame was a trip to Cache Creek where I managed to get a free drink. I paid for my $6.25 drink with a $10 bill. The waitress gave me back $13. Realizing her mistake, she puts down the original $10 bill, took back the two fives she gave me and left, leaving me with my $10 bill.
Those who went can answer me this: there were 2 trays of ribs left, right? When I opened my trunk, all that was left was the potato salad.
More random questions: Why is UPS using a song by the Postal Service. And where did McDonald's dig up Ben Seaver to do a commercial?
Since last I wrote, I've seen 3 great films that are worthy of Oscar nominations (announced tomorrow at 5:30 am). Children of Men imagines the world where no one is under the age of 18 and women can't give birth. When a pregnant woman suddenly appears, it's up to Clive Owen to transport her safely to an independent group that will (hopefully) raise the child and give civilization another chance. Otherwise, she'll fall in the hands of the government (too busy with controlling society) or to activists who will use the baby to lead a rebellion. It's a simple movie filled with thought-provoking questions and reflections on where our own society may one day lead. The handheld scenes following the two out of the internment camp is just edge-of-your seat stuff.
Little Children is a character film that works on so many levels. Admittedly, some of the material may shock and awe, but the multitude of stories are very interesting and engrossing from an unhappy Kate Winslet having an affair with a fellow unhappy father (seriously, who cheats on Jennifer Connelly?), to Jackie Earle Haley's creepy sex offender role and the actual little children themselves. Then there was Letters from Iwo Jima, a technically well-done piece of filmmaking from Clint Eastwood. He supremely portrays the honor of the Japanese as they fought a losing battle to hold the island of Iwo Jima based on a few letters found in the caves where they held out for 5 days under American fire. Through a proud General who had lived among Americans to a simple baker who wanted to be home, these stories, along with Flags of Our Fathers, show us the humanizing qualities of both sides, a departure from American war films of the same period.
1/13/2007
There's still plenty of movies to watch before 2006 is wrapped up but here is the annual summary for the movies I've seen so far. The count is currently 35. Movies I hope to see follow.
4 stars
The Departed
Children of Men
3.5 stars
V for Vendetta
Stranger than Fiction
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Children
United 93
Letters from Iwo Jima
3 stars
Casino Royale
The Devil Wears Prada
The Da Vinci Code
Jet Li's Fearless
Lucky Number Slevin
Snakes on a Plane
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
2.5 stars
The Break-Up
Fast Food Nation
Friends with Money
The Guardian
Inside Man
School for Scoundrels
Scoop
The Sentinel
2 stars
Clerks 2
Deja Vu
The Last Kiss
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Superman Returns
1.5 stars
The Good Shepherd
Miami Vice
Mission Impossible III
X-Men 3
1 star
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
Scary Movie 4
0.5 star
Firewall
0 stars
Date Movie
A partial list of what's left to see from 2006:
The Queen
Letters from Iwo Jima
Babel
Little Children
Volver
Blood Diamond
Curse of the Golden Flower
Rocky Balboa
The Illusionist
This Film is Not Yet Rated
World Trade Center
The Black Dahlia
Thank You For Smoking
Sketches of Frank Gehry
Sherrybaby
Trust the Man
4 stars
The Departed
Children of Men
3.5 stars
V for Vendetta
Stranger than Fiction
Little Miss Sunshine
Little Children
United 93
Letters from Iwo Jima
3 stars
Casino Royale
The Devil Wears Prada
The Da Vinci Code
Jet Li's Fearless
Lucky Number Slevin
Snakes on a Plane
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
2.5 stars
The Break-Up
Fast Food Nation
Friends with Money
The Guardian
Inside Man
School for Scoundrels
Scoop
The Sentinel
2 stars
Clerks 2
Deja Vu
The Last Kiss
My Super Ex-Girlfriend
Superman Returns
1.5 stars
The Good Shepherd
Miami Vice
Mission Impossible III
X-Men 3
1 star
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Poseidon
Scary Movie 4
0.5 star
Firewall
0 stars
Date Movie
A partial list of what's left to see from 2006:
The Queen
Letters from Iwo Jima
Babel
Little Children
Volver
Blood Diamond
Curse of the Golden Flower
Rocky Balboa
The Illusionist
This Film is Not Yet Rated
World Trade Center
The Black Dahlia
Thank You For Smoking
Sketches of Frank Gehry
Sherrybaby
Trust the Man
12/28/2006
Merry Christmas everyone. I realize it's the 27th but hey, better late than never. Hopefully yours was a happy and healthy one. Mine was happy but certainly not healthy. More on that later. Birthday plans were about as good as to be expected, which is great considering the 3 other birthdays and Christmas all within 7 days, the fact that some people don't want to interact with certain other people, and when people come up with the lamest of excuses to get out of it or reschedule. Hence, the busy week that probably led to my downfall Christmas Day. Anyways, thanks to all those who could attend.
I did get an employee bonus this year, which was surprising because of the timing. From what I hear, it usually doesn't come out as late as it did. So this unexpected bonus (much, much higher than last year) goes straight to savings, which means for now, I'm only $300 + whatever Christmas is costing me before paying off the car. After that, that money's going to that Roth IRA and those mutual funds I have.
The driving gods haven't been smiling at me lately ever since I eyed down a CHP officer last Saturday before Christmas. I was going 80 on 280 when I see a CHP cruiser tailing me. Not wanting to attract attention by braking, I simply let my foot off the gas while he passes. Then we stare at each other for what seems like 5 miles until he finally does pass. From then on, weird things have been happening. Veteran riders of my car will attest that these are normal occurrences caused by dangerous driving on my part but I assure you it's not. Two incidents of people cutting me off. Two incidents of people trying to merge when I'm right next to them. The second one is the funny one. The guy is braking at a green light and I'm trying to figure out why. We're the only two cars on the road on this empty street in Hayward. As I'm passing him in the middle of the intersection, he suddenly swerves into my lane, causing me to swerve! Why the hell would he do that? Then there's the guy who couldn't successfully handle a 4-way stop (not my boss, who probably can, but chose not to on the way to my birthday lunch) and today's wind-filled adventure up the peninsula to San Francisco. At least today I was driving the heavy Accord and not the light as a toothpick Mazda.
Probably the only movie to report on is "The Good Shepherd" starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie and directed by Robert DeNiro. Coming in, I was expecting something exciting. After all, the commercials did say that it detailed the birth of the CIA in what was the Godfather of CIA movies. Instead, it might be the Godfather III of CIA movies, if that. It hurts even more to think that I sat through 3 hours of that. The technical aspects of the plot are fascinating to watch, such as the deciphering of the video and the execution of certain missions ordered, but the bulk of the story deals mainly with Damon's character, and it's tough to craft an interesting story about him because he's a secretive, uninteresting guy, which is good for the CIA, but not for the screen. It's quite obvious the film was much better when he was dealing with the people (like the scene with Joe Pesci) than with fellow spies. The real waste however is the attractive Jolie, who seems to be stuck as a pouting Stepford wife and nothing more.
And it brings us to today with me sick since Christmas afternoon. The fever has passed but the effects still remain. Go Bears, beat A&M. And if you haven't seen JT in this SNL digital short, you're missing out. It's the best one since Natalie Portman's. See you on the flip side of the year.
I did get an employee bonus this year, which was surprising because of the timing. From what I hear, it usually doesn't come out as late as it did. So this unexpected bonus (much, much higher than last year) goes straight to savings, which means for now, I'm only $300 + whatever Christmas is costing me before paying off the car. After that, that money's going to that Roth IRA and those mutual funds I have.
The driving gods haven't been smiling at me lately ever since I eyed down a CHP officer last Saturday before Christmas. I was going 80 on 280 when I see a CHP cruiser tailing me. Not wanting to attract attention by braking, I simply let my foot off the gas while he passes. Then we stare at each other for what seems like 5 miles until he finally does pass. From then on, weird things have been happening. Veteran riders of my car will attest that these are normal occurrences caused by dangerous driving on my part but I assure you it's not. Two incidents of people cutting me off. Two incidents of people trying to merge when I'm right next to them. The second one is the funny one. The guy is braking at a green light and I'm trying to figure out why. We're the only two cars on the road on this empty street in Hayward. As I'm passing him in the middle of the intersection, he suddenly swerves into my lane, causing me to swerve! Why the hell would he do that? Then there's the guy who couldn't successfully handle a 4-way stop (not my boss, who probably can, but chose not to on the way to my birthday lunch) and today's wind-filled adventure up the peninsula to San Francisco. At least today I was driving the heavy Accord and not the light as a toothpick Mazda.
Probably the only movie to report on is "The Good Shepherd" starring Matt Damon and Angelina Jolie and directed by Robert DeNiro. Coming in, I was expecting something exciting. After all, the commercials did say that it detailed the birth of the CIA in what was the Godfather of CIA movies. Instead, it might be the Godfather III of CIA movies, if that. It hurts even more to think that I sat through 3 hours of that. The technical aspects of the plot are fascinating to watch, such as the deciphering of the video and the execution of certain missions ordered, but the bulk of the story deals mainly with Damon's character, and it's tough to craft an interesting story about him because he's a secretive, uninteresting guy, which is good for the CIA, but not for the screen. It's quite obvious the film was much better when he was dealing with the people (like the scene with Joe Pesci) than with fellow spies. The real waste however is the attractive Jolie, who seems to be stuck as a pouting Stepford wife and nothing more.
And it brings us to today with me sick since Christmas afternoon. The fever has passed but the effects still remain. Go Bears, beat A&M. And if you haven't seen JT in this SNL digital short, you're missing out. It's the best one since Natalie Portman's. See you on the flip side of the year.
12/12/2006
12/06/2006
So long to Bill Amend. He draws the excellent Fox Trot comics in the paper. He's reducing his workload to weekly comics instead of daily. :(
So I was reserving for my birthday dinner and I asked the nice lady if there were any tables for 6-8 pm on any day of the weekend. Imagine my surprise when she said the answer was no. Apparently, the only times available were 5 and 9:30 for all 3 days. She said people have been booking her place since July. July! It's the f---in Macaroni Grill for crying out loud. You would have thought a 3-star chef was cooking there.
So I was reserving for my birthday dinner and I asked the nice lady if there were any tables for 6-8 pm on any day of the weekend. Imagine my surprise when she said the answer was no. Apparently, the only times available were 5 and 9:30 for all 3 days. She said people have been booking her place since July. July! It's the f---in Macaroni Grill for crying out loud. You would have thought a 3-star chef was cooking there.
11/29/2006
11/25/2006
Oh boy, was that a debacle of a game. Cal football looked as disappointing as that Aerosmith concert I went to a few weeks ago at the Shoreline. It's gonna take a miracle now for the Golden Bears to reach the Rose Bowl, but the slim hopes are still there. Otherwise, it's a matchup in San Diego with Texas or Texas A&M or Nebraska.
You won't be able to notice this by reading, but believe me, this post is gonna take awhile to write. I have just been stuffed from this week's feast of feasts. And it seems every party I went to had pumpkin cheesecake, which is like the kiss of death in my book. It's so good.
Speaking of good, good films are slowly making their way back to the cinema and at obscene prices too! Mercado's admission price is now $10.25.
Many comedic actors have tried and failed to make the transition to dramatic work, but Will Ferrell of all people might be able to make it happen when you consider his work in "Stranger than Fiction". Gone is the frat boy image he has cultivated to perfection and in comes a fairly complex character as he tries to figure out whose voice it is that is describing every facet of his life including his imminent death. It's a great film to watch.
Almost at the same level is "Casino Royale" which mixes in the old with the new. The story is old (it's from the first story by Ian Fleming), but it's been made anew to fit with the modern times including the recent editions' confusing plot lines. If you need a simple plot summary, here it is. Bond needs to win a poker game. Much has been made about the choice of the new Bond, Daniel Craig. I think he's got the action thing down, as evidenced by the Crouching Tiger-like beginning and all the other fighting involved. He still needs to work on the charm that made the other Bonds so successful. Otherwise, the franchise's move to a back-to-basics movie was a good one. Thumbs up.
"Fast Food Nation" was a great book detailing the enormous success of the fast food industry from the restaurants all the way down to meat plants. Now, in cinematic form, its story is told as a dramatization instead of a documentary (like "Super Size Me" was). As a result, the lessons may hit closer to home but I couldn't have cared less. In all honesty, I think it would've worked better as a documentary. At the very least, they could've expanded on Greg Kinnear's character as a marketing executive investigating the meat-packing plant. His role seems to be done halfway through the film while we get to follow Amber's dull story about becoming an environmentalist. The interesting but predictable storyline goes to Wilmer Valderama and his wife, the girl from Maria Full of Grace.
"Deja Vu" is one of those films where if you don't think about it, it's a pretty good crime thriller. But once you get bogged down by the science, you'll quickly see how preposterous the film becomes. The machine itself is ridiculous but even when there seems to be limitations, the writers always seem to have something to get them out of a jam and that's no fun. In the end, Denzel Washington makes the film with his cool demeanor and his ability to take a movie to the next level, no matter how bad the script is.
You won't be able to notice this by reading, but believe me, this post is gonna take awhile to write. I have just been stuffed from this week's feast of feasts. And it seems every party I went to had pumpkin cheesecake, which is like the kiss of death in my book. It's so good.
Speaking of good, good films are slowly making their way back to the cinema and at obscene prices too! Mercado's admission price is now $10.25.
Many comedic actors have tried and failed to make the transition to dramatic work, but Will Ferrell of all people might be able to make it happen when you consider his work in "Stranger than Fiction". Gone is the frat boy image he has cultivated to perfection and in comes a fairly complex character as he tries to figure out whose voice it is that is describing every facet of his life including his imminent death. It's a great film to watch.
Almost at the same level is "Casino Royale" which mixes in the old with the new. The story is old (it's from the first story by Ian Fleming), but it's been made anew to fit with the modern times including the recent editions' confusing plot lines. If you need a simple plot summary, here it is. Bond needs to win a poker game. Much has been made about the choice of the new Bond, Daniel Craig. I think he's got the action thing down, as evidenced by the Crouching Tiger-like beginning and all the other fighting involved. He still needs to work on the charm that made the other Bonds so successful. Otherwise, the franchise's move to a back-to-basics movie was a good one. Thumbs up.
"Fast Food Nation" was a great book detailing the enormous success of the fast food industry from the restaurants all the way down to meat plants. Now, in cinematic form, its story is told as a dramatization instead of a documentary (like "Super Size Me" was). As a result, the lessons may hit closer to home but I couldn't have cared less. In all honesty, I think it would've worked better as a documentary. At the very least, they could've expanded on Greg Kinnear's character as a marketing executive investigating the meat-packing plant. His role seems to be done halfway through the film while we get to follow Amber's dull story about becoming an environmentalist. The interesting but predictable storyline goes to Wilmer Valderama and his wife, the girl from Maria Full of Grace.
"Deja Vu" is one of those films where if you don't think about it, it's a pretty good crime thriller. But once you get bogged down by the science, you'll quickly see how preposterous the film becomes. The machine itself is ridiculous but even when there seems to be limitations, the writers always seem to have something to get them out of a jam and that's no fun. In the end, Denzel Washington makes the film with his cool demeanor and his ability to take a movie to the next level, no matter how bad the script is.
11/18/2006
11/07/2006
For the first time in 12 years, the Democrats have taken control of the House of Representatives and with a little bit of luck, they could regain control of the Senate, something they haven't seen since early in the Bush presidency. If all the Senate seats were up for grabs, like the House seats were, we'd be talking about a Democratic landslide tonight, but instead we're in for a long night as Senate results from Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, and Montana keep trickling in. Democrats need 3 out of 4 races to gain control, something unthinkable just a few weeks ago, especially in Virginia where Sen. George Allen expected to coast in his race for re-election. But calling somebody Macaca seemed to begin his downfall and Jim Webb took swift advantage of this and Allen's loyalty to an unpopular president.
Pertaining to the House races, Republicans liked to say that local issues will dictate how the elections would go instead of the national furor against the war. Boy were they sorely mistaken. Exit polls consistently said that people were unhappy with the war, unhappy with the president, and we need a change. As the party in power, Republicans had to have been bracing for a loss, but probably not the 30 seat loss NBC is projecting. Of course, the Mark Foley sex scandal didn't help in the final days of the campaign, especially when it looked as if the Republicans had turned a corner. However, even with this new power, it's currently unclear what the Democrats will do with it. Their campaign, as it was in 2004, was based on promising not to do things the Bush way. Democrats failed then to produce a plan of their own and as a result, failed to win the White House. This year, Democrats won with the same strategy but still haven't put forth any idea on how things will change. On Iraq, do we pull out? Can't do that. Add troops? Very unpopular. Increase Iraqi troops? Well, Bush is already doing that. On the economy, can't raise taxes. Unemployment is at 4.4%, which is pretty low. The economy is still growing, albeit slowly.
Here in California, we're immune to the national picture. In fact, we've gone against the tide. Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected overwhelmingly as Governor and Republicans are actually leading in a few statewide offices after suffering a Democratic sweep 4 years ago.
Finally in the city of San Jose, Chuck Reed holds his lead for mayor, and rightfully so. He seems better suited to rebuild the foundation of the city before he can hand over the reins of the office to somebody who can be a visionary.
Pertaining to the House races, Republicans liked to say that local issues will dictate how the elections would go instead of the national furor against the war. Boy were they sorely mistaken. Exit polls consistently said that people were unhappy with the war, unhappy with the president, and we need a change. As the party in power, Republicans had to have been bracing for a loss, but probably not the 30 seat loss NBC is projecting. Of course, the Mark Foley sex scandal didn't help in the final days of the campaign, especially when it looked as if the Republicans had turned a corner. However, even with this new power, it's currently unclear what the Democrats will do with it. Their campaign, as it was in 2004, was based on promising not to do things the Bush way. Democrats failed then to produce a plan of their own and as a result, failed to win the White House. This year, Democrats won with the same strategy but still haven't put forth any idea on how things will change. On Iraq, do we pull out? Can't do that. Add troops? Very unpopular. Increase Iraqi troops? Well, Bush is already doing that. On the economy, can't raise taxes. Unemployment is at 4.4%, which is pretty low. The economy is still growing, albeit slowly.
Here in California, we're immune to the national picture. In fact, we've gone against the tide. Arnold Schwarzenegger was re-elected overwhelmingly as Governor and Republicans are actually leading in a few statewide offices after suffering a Democratic sweep 4 years ago.
Finally in the city of San Jose, Chuck Reed holds his lead for mayor, and rightfully so. He seems better suited to rebuild the foundation of the city before he can hand over the reins of the office to somebody who can be a visionary.
10/25/2006
Election Day is coming up in less than two weeks and this is what's on my mind about it.
It doesn't seem that long ago, but three years have passed since Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor of California. Nobody in their right mind wanted him in office but in essence, we didn't have much of a choice. As I wrote back then, Gray Davis was the absolute wrong option at the time and the other candidates to replace him were either part of the Davis administration or were on the other end of the ideological scale. After a shaky start, Schwarzenegger has performed as well, if not better, than anyone could have imagined. You don't have to look much further than the legislative session in the past year, one in which the Legislature got more done than in any other in recent memory. Much to the dismay of the Republicans he represents, Schwarzenegger got it done with a lot of Democratic help, showing he is as bipartisan as you can get. To get things done, which would be more plausible...Arnold working with Democrats or Phil Angelides working with Republicans? Even in the best of times, Davis could not work with Republicans, resulting in a lack of results and notoriously late budgets. Angelides figures to have similar results. As treasurer, Angelides has proven he can work competently for the state, but a dynamic leader he is not. As a result, while a vote for Angelides is not necessarily a vote to move backward, a vote for Schwarzenegger is most definitely a vote to move forward.
In the race for San Jose mayor, Chuck Reed surprisingly won the primary election over Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez on the strength of potential honesty and accountability after Mayor Ron Gonzales' indictments were handed down by the grand jury. Months later, little has changed with the exception of recent revelations about Reed using public money for club memberships and whatnot. While not illegal, it doesn't look that good. But it pales in comparison to the deteriorating trust the people have with the city government. Reed would more closely represent the fresh start San Jose needs than Chavez. Reed's campaign focuses on tackling the problems we have from within while building coalitions with the council since Reed himself is considered an outsider on the council. Chavez has better ideas and vision for what San Jose should look like down the road, but a foundation of trust and good financial standing needs to be built first and Reed would be a better choice to accomplish such a task.
Those were the big ones. Briefly:
Dianne Feinstein and Zoe Lofgren deserve re-election to the Senate and House respectively. Not only have they represented their constituents admirably, a shift in power in Congress would elevate these women's power within Congress which would be great for the area. Just to note, Democrats need 15 House seats and 6 Senate seats to regain power. The House changeover looks more and more like a lock, no matter what Bush and the Republicans would like to believe, while the Senate looks like a tossup. We could be looking at the early rise of Bush's lame-duck presidency, which could be a good thing since the only thing that can save Bush is some kind of shake-up that's out of his control.
The statewide offices are up for grabs. I'd vote for McClintock (Lt. Governor), McPherson (Secretary of State), Strickland (Controller), Lockyer (Treasurer), Brown (Attorney General), and Poizner (Insurance Commissioner).
State propositions:
Yes: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 84, 86
No: 83, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90
So please vote November 7.
It doesn't seem that long ago, but three years have passed since Arnold Schwarzenegger became Governor of California. Nobody in their right mind wanted him in office but in essence, we didn't have much of a choice. As I wrote back then, Gray Davis was the absolute wrong option at the time and the other candidates to replace him were either part of the Davis administration or were on the other end of the ideological scale. After a shaky start, Schwarzenegger has performed as well, if not better, than anyone could have imagined. You don't have to look much further than the legislative session in the past year, one in which the Legislature got more done than in any other in recent memory. Much to the dismay of the Republicans he represents, Schwarzenegger got it done with a lot of Democratic help, showing he is as bipartisan as you can get. To get things done, which would be more plausible...Arnold working with Democrats or Phil Angelides working with Republicans? Even in the best of times, Davis could not work with Republicans, resulting in a lack of results and notoriously late budgets. Angelides figures to have similar results. As treasurer, Angelides has proven he can work competently for the state, but a dynamic leader he is not. As a result, while a vote for Angelides is not necessarily a vote to move backward, a vote for Schwarzenegger is most definitely a vote to move forward.
In the race for San Jose mayor, Chuck Reed surprisingly won the primary election over Vice Mayor Cindy Chavez on the strength of potential honesty and accountability after Mayor Ron Gonzales' indictments were handed down by the grand jury. Months later, little has changed with the exception of recent revelations about Reed using public money for club memberships and whatnot. While not illegal, it doesn't look that good. But it pales in comparison to the deteriorating trust the people have with the city government. Reed would more closely represent the fresh start San Jose needs than Chavez. Reed's campaign focuses on tackling the problems we have from within while building coalitions with the council since Reed himself is considered an outsider on the council. Chavez has better ideas and vision for what San Jose should look like down the road, but a foundation of trust and good financial standing needs to be built first and Reed would be a better choice to accomplish such a task.
Those were the big ones. Briefly:
Dianne Feinstein and Zoe Lofgren deserve re-election to the Senate and House respectively. Not only have they represented their constituents admirably, a shift in power in Congress would elevate these women's power within Congress which would be great for the area. Just to note, Democrats need 15 House seats and 6 Senate seats to regain power. The House changeover looks more and more like a lock, no matter what Bush and the Republicans would like to believe, while the Senate looks like a tossup. We could be looking at the early rise of Bush's lame-duck presidency, which could be a good thing since the only thing that can save Bush is some kind of shake-up that's out of his control.
The statewide offices are up for grabs. I'd vote for McClintock (Lt. Governor), McPherson (Secretary of State), Strickland (Controller), Lockyer (Treasurer), Brown (Attorney General), and Poizner (Insurance Commissioner).
State propositions:
Yes: 1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 84, 86
No: 83, 85, 87, 88, 89, 90
So please vote November 7.
10/19/2006
Excuse me while I vomit...no, it's not because of you. I literally am sick. Well, was sick now. I had a stomach ache on Tuesday, but it didn't bother me so I went through my day eating a chicken sandwich for lunch and an enchilada for dinner. Little did I realize I would be seeing those meals again at around 5 am the next morning. Ugh, I haven't felt that way in years. After that episode, I realized I had reports due the next day and while it would have been fun to see somebody else try to do it, I thought it'd be easier to just do it myself. So against the pleas of Steve, Leslie, Jennifer, and countless others to go home, I finished my work before collapsing on the floor of my office for a little 5 minute nap. The nap helped since quite honestly, I felt a little drowsy trying to navigate through rush-hour traffic. Hopefully, I didn't make anyone sick, but if I did, apologies in advance.
I'm better now and it's all thanks to the meds. Maybe it's because all these pills taste like sugar now. Tylenol, Imodium, etc. all sugar. Better not be a placebo.
Oddly, now that this sickness has passed, I'm getting hiccups at random times during the day. I haven't had hiccups in years either. What's next? Chicken pox?
Sooner or later, I'll post my usual election preview. The simple summary right now? With less than 3 weeks to go, Republicans will be none too happy when they see power over the House and possibly the Senate vanish right before their very eyes.
I'm better now and it's all thanks to the meds. Maybe it's because all these pills taste like sugar now. Tylenol, Imodium, etc. all sugar. Better not be a placebo.
Oddly, now that this sickness has passed, I'm getting hiccups at random times during the day. I haven't had hiccups in years either. What's next? Chicken pox?
Sooner or later, I'll post my usual election preview. The simple summary right now? With less than 3 weeks to go, Republicans will be none too happy when they see power over the House and possibly the Senate vanish right before their very eyes.
10/10/2006
A long time fixture in the Bay Area, Century Theatres is no more. The company agreed to be acquired by Cinemark Theatres. No word on what this means for the dominant player in cinema in these parts, but hopefully they can continue the quality moviegoing experience we've come to expect at a cheaper price than AMC.
In a weird side note, whoever wrote the Wikipedia article on the Century Theatres claims the domes were sold back to Syufy Enterprises, the parent company of Century. It's really the only place to fully enjoy the big screen experience and I hope they don't close down.
What is closing down? Say no more to Tower Records. RIP.
In a weird side note, whoever wrote the Wikipedia article on the Century Theatres claims the domes were sold back to Syufy Enterprises, the parent company of Century. It's really the only place to fully enjoy the big screen experience and I hope they don't close down.
What is closing down? Say no more to Tower Records. RIP.
10/08/2006
First a note...while this was a family trip, originally this trip was supposed to be an extra day so when I was doing my planning, I put in some time to hang out with friends. That all dried up when work and family plans pushed things to Friday and into a very tight schedule. Stuff had to be sacrificed including my free time and Nancy's side trip to Beverly Hills.
Gee, Steves, didn't know you wanted to go to Disneyland. When I begin to plan my cross-country trip for next summer, I'll let you know. Speaking of Disneyland, boy what a place. It only gets better with age. In fact, most of the disappointing items were actually the new things. Pirates of the Caribbean is certainly very nice-looking but it's really boring. The newly remodeled Tomorrowland is back under construction with a new Finding Nemo submarine voyage and a new monorail coming soon. That left the new classics to leave us entertained. Space Mountain and Splash Mountain were as good as I remembered. Haunted Mansion, with its Nightmare Before Christmas theme, was entertaining. Indiana Jones still feels fresh (Star Tours isn't but I still like it and it doesn't look as aged as the Star Trek ride is in Vegas). All in all, a very nice time. And it took the whole day.
Miscellaneous notes: Unbeknownst to us, it was Gay Day at Disneyland. Man, the gay community was out in force that day...all around there were red t-shirts signifying their presence. Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.
All Nancy wanted was a picture with Mickey and Minnie. Apparently, they're separated so they have two houses and two photo shoots...Mickey indoors and Minnie outdoors. At 1:00, we found Minnie but the line was being shut down so missed opportunity #1. We instead went to see Mickey but he had an hour long line we had to wait through. When we were getting out, Minnie was there again, but again the line was being shut down. Missed opportunity #2. Finally, at around 6, we spotted her in costume (Halloween theme throughout the park) and Nancy got in line. When she got to the front, Minnie's reps said she had to leave. Dissed 3 times. What a rat.
Fastpasses are a god-send. Take advantage whenever you can.
The fireworks show was great...even better than the last time when I was directly underneath the show.
There's a large hole in the middle of the day and that was reserved for a screening of "The Departed". Based on the Asian film "Infernal Affairs", something I vaguely remember watching a few years ago, it is by far the best film so far in 2006. While it's directed by Martin Scorsese, it doesn't have the feel of a Scorsese film, especially compared with the last films he's directed like "The Aviator" and "Gangs of New York", both coincidentally starring Leonardo DiCaprio. DiCaprio is recruited to infiltrate a gang syndicate led by Jack Nicholson who also has a mole of his own in the police force. That mole, Matt Damon, and DiCaprio must keep their identities a secret from the other and those around them or else face certain death.
The sheer acting talent is already accomplished enough and yet, everyone turns it on an extra level to produce something extraordinary and the twists and turns will keep you guessing until the bitter end. The most underrated of the cast seems to be Mark Wahlberg, who is very entertaining in the film. Go watch this movie...you won't be disappointed.
10/06/2006
Live from L.A., it's me. It's a more shortened trip than I envisioned, but nonetheless I'm here for a couple of days for the sister Nancy who turned 20 this week. Traffic wasn't too bad until we passed Six Flags than it was a nice 20 mph trip all the way to the hotel in Fullerton. The thing I hate about driving on the 5 is the fact that everybody wants to speed. I'm going a respectable 80 and may go up to 90ish when conditions warrant but when cars are passing me even then, people are just going way too fast.
At night was a trip to Dolce, an Italian restaurant partially owned by celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson. My co-worker will recognize the name of Mike Boogie from that Big Brother show. Apparently, he was one of the master planners of the restaurant. It was either this or Medieval Times and my sister wanted to go classy. It was good, but it probably wasn't worth the price. $150 for the three of us plus tip. I had the seafood risotto and it wasn't half bad...tasted a little cheesy for some reason but seafood's a plus in my book all the time and there was plenty of it. And you can't mess up tiramisu, especially at a place named sweet in Italian.
More to come tomorrow. I'm headed off to Disneyland for the first time in ten years.
At night was a trip to Dolce, an Italian restaurant partially owned by celebrities Ashton Kutcher and Danny Masterson. My co-worker will recognize the name of Mike Boogie from that Big Brother show. Apparently, he was one of the master planners of the restaurant. It was either this or Medieval Times and my sister wanted to go classy. It was good, but it probably wasn't worth the price. $150 for the three of us plus tip. I had the seafood risotto and it wasn't half bad...tasted a little cheesy for some reason but seafood's a plus in my book all the time and there was plenty of it. And you can't mess up tiramisu, especially at a place named sweet in Italian.
More to come tomorrow. I'm headed off to Disneyland for the first time in ten years.
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