So after all this time, I finally checked out that hit MTV show, Laguna Beach.
My friend convinced me to go check it out, but unfortunately I'll have
to disappoint by saying that I won't be watching this show again. Yeah,
it just really isn't a show I would follow.  It seems too 90210-ish
with that over emphasis on rich attractive kids and their teenage
angst. Also, for a program that claims to be a reality tv show, the
camera angles seem too strategically placed and the dialogue is far too
timed to be believable.  I suppose the pseudo reality aspect of
the show is part of the appeal.

While we are on the subject of TV shows and being that it is "November
sweeps," I may as well plug in the shows that have proven to be really
strong this season. Arrested Development, Supernatural, My Name is Earl, the Office, Law & Order SVU, Everybody hates Chris, Veronica Mars, South Park, Family Guy, and American Dad. There are also other shows worth watching, but the ones listed above have really been stellar.

what I'm listening to this week...

1) Dream Theater - octavarium
2) Kaiser Chiefs - employment
3) Rob Thomas - something to be...
4) Ill Nino - one nation underground
5) Various Artists - metallic assault : a tribute to metallica

Your Animal Personality

Your Power Animal: Swan Animal You Were in a Past Life: Rabbit You are passive, sentimental, and emotional. You sometimes lack self-confidence, but you are creative and rational.

Recently I attended a large family gathering.  Normally, I avoid
these types of events because for the most part I'm not very social to
a majority of my relatives. It's the pessimist in me thinking that I'm
just going to get scrutinized about my life. Usually I just hang out
with my immediate family or with my girlfriend in these parties, but
I'll attempt to socialize with my relatives if the opportunity presents
itself. The funny thing here is that there are some cousins of mine
that I used to be really close with...ohhh...ten years ago.  But
since then I've grown apart from their lives and I can't believe how
much of a struggle it can be to start conversations with them. 
Then there's the cousins who I can't even remember their names, but clearly
they know who I am. *sigh* Sometimes I wonder if I'm "odd" for being so
anti-social with my relatives, or is this normal for most everybody?

Random Nothingwrong

beer licking good (video)

lion + kitty + electrical pole (link)

chinese backstreet boys (video)

panda bounce (flash game)

waterbed prank (video)

sleeping with someone's ex = Vandalized m3 (link)

polar bear attack (video)

ninja color attack! (flash game)

Mr.Angry and Mrs.Calm (link)

where is my change? (video)

create your own cow work out video (flash game)

now that's a car pool (video)

A History of Violence
starts off very simple enough for one small town family, until the
heroic act of violence stopping some criminals changes their lives
forever. The movie is pretty honest in portraying the different kinds
of violent acts, and how the results are more or less the same as to
whether it was a good act or an evil act. The cast are excellent in
their roles, especially Maria Bello who finds herself in such a difficult situation, and Viggo Mortensen
as the husband / father who can't seem to follow his own lessons of
practicing non-violent solutions to problems. The violent scenes are
unapologetic and horrific at times, and I was also surprised at some of
the sexual scenes in the movie as well. This movie won't be for
everybody, but it's a great film nontheless. "B"

Flightplan
is all
about how you don't want to get in the way of a mother looking for her
child. This is also a movie about perception and how things aren't
always what they seem. Jodie Foster
still shows that she is a great actress who always gives her all in the
role and is captivating as someone who is trying to fight breaking down
from an emotional hard time. There's a lot of twists and turns in the
story that keeps the movie interesting, and the conclusion is quite
satisfying. There's also a nice take on how passengers can get quite
agitated in a flight, and how uncomfortable flying on a plane can
really be. There are some situations that might take some suspension of
belief, but the execution is done well enough that there are some flaws
that can be excusable. "B+"

One of the CDs I've been listening to this week is Metallica's "St.Anger"
album. For A LOT of metalheads out there, their hands must be up in the
air with disgust that I would listen to such an album.  For those
of you who don't know, St.Anger is more or less considered a "crappy"
album by the metal community. Why? There's lots of reasons for the
hate, and you won't be wrong if you suggest that the negative publicity
that's been going on with the band the past decade might have something
to do with it (ex: Napster debacle). Another reason is the sound of the
way the album is done.

The complaints goes something like this... The instruments don't sound
right. Guitar's are "much too" down-tuned. Odd snare sound in drumming
can be annoying. Lyrics are pretty repetitive and too "teenage angsty."
Singing is very unrefined and off key at times. There are no real
guitar solos, which makes it "metal-less."  All in all, it sounds
like somebody just threw a jam session together and created a CD out of
it. Which ironically is kinda what they were going for. If you can't
get past these negatives, then you definitely won't like St.Anger at
all.  I for one LOVE the album.  My friend's know I'm a
die-hard Metallica fan, but I've got my own unbias reasons for loving
the album. Put it this way, all those negativity that I mentioned? I
agree with them. But that doesn't change the fact that the positives
the album has (yes it has them) outweighs those negatives.

The biggest thing I love about the album is that the songs and it's
subjects actually do hit me emotionally.  That's not surprising
since the theme of the album is in a more introspective agenda.
Feelings are left out for the world to hear, which most metal fans are
too "manly" to appreciate. I for one am a metal fan that loves to sing
along with the songs, so I'm glad that Metallica didn't go for growling
out the lyrics like most other metal bands are doing nowadays. I'm also
really digging the riffing in the album, which are a lot more
aggressive than people give it credit.  Sure the riffs don't
exactly sound complicated but they do their job a lot better than other
metal bands who try and make a really difficult but pretentious riff. I
also love the aggressiveness and heaviness of the songs, because they
actually drive me to bang my head, raise my metal fist, and thrash
around the room like crazy. Isn't that what heavy metal is suppose to
make you do? and people don't call St.Anger metal. Unbelievable.

Ofcourse, for the common metal fan, they will argue about my positive
compliments of the album until pigs fly.  I say screw them! I can
accept why people don't like this album, but if you can't accept that I
love it, then you are just an insecure loser. Sorry, but it's true.

Random Polaris

The Super Mario Bros. theme(s), as played by the London Symphony (audio)

star wars gangsta rap SE (video)

stickman fighter (flash game)

Mom's jeans (video)

stereotypes (link)

the yoda dance (video)

the real mortal kombat (flash)

asian girl + butterfly knife (video)

surfer photos (pics)

"a million ways" dance (video)

subservient webcam girls (flash game)

uuhhmm, what's this Japanese show about? (video)

Star Wars, Episode III : Revenge of the Sith
has been released on DVD, and apparently I'm missing out by not buying
it already. Do you know how many times I've been asked as to whether I
got the DVD or am getting it? A lot. On the other spectrum, there are
many people who automatically assumed I already got it. Because you
know, everybody else has it (it sure seems like it), so that must mean
I have it too. Wow. I know Star Wars is already a cultural phenomenon,
but I completely underestimated the impact a DVD release could have on
the public.
For the record, I'm waiting for the inevitable release of the prequel trilogy box set (maybe x-mas06) to go along with my original trilogy box set. I will be picking up Star Wars : Clone Wars volume II on it's week of release though.

what I'm listening to this week...

1) Audioslave - out of exile
2) Clutch - robot hive / exodus
3) Beck - guero
4) Arch Enemy - doomsday machine
5) Metallica - st.anger

You Are Chinese Food

Exotic yet ordinary. People think they've had enough of you, but they're back for more in an hour.

recapping the movies I've seen this past month of October

On The Big Screen...

- Domino (B)
- North Country (B+)
- Tim Burton's Corpse Bride (B)

On the Small Screen...

- The Batman vs Dracula (C)
- Inside Deep Throat (B-)
- Stewie Griffin : the untold story (C)

That's it, three and three. I wish I could watch at least one more
movie for each category, but that's how it went. I did end up seeing Serenity a second time on the big screen though.