When given a day off with nothing to do, the average human being might write out a list of important things to do. Tasks accomplished in that precious free time that no one suffers too much of. When I have a day off with no plans, I watch movies. And Saturday I watched four movies. Now now, I had previously started three of them (short attention span), but I finished all of them. These four films all were all included in one of the two AFI lists that I have blogged about previously. So my quest to catch up to Lucas continues with, Dr. Zhivago, All The President's Men, Duck Soup, and lastly The Searcher's. Fear not Lucas I am still like thirty behind you, but heed this warning, I am only nine days off (in which Amber also works) away from catching and passing you to the finish of the Great AFI Watch of '07-'08.

Speaking of the films Dr. Zhivago was a snooze, All The President's Men was excellent, Duck Soup was better than I thought it would be, and the Searcher's, I grew up on John Wayne so I always enjoy his movies.

Thanks for the Memories

I don't mean to poo-poo, but watching the Oregon Duck Men's basketball team implode in the NCAA tournament today completely incinerated my desire to care about March Madness. I didn't know I cared this much, but I guess I did. They missed 15 straight 3-point attempts during one stretch of the second half, and yet it did not stop them from heaving brick after brick. What could they build with all those bricks? How about a lead for MSU who went from 13 down to winning by 10 or something. Sorry again, I mean I am still proud and all, but wow, they sucked the life out of the whole thing for me. Short of a winning bracket I just don't see myself watching a bunch of basketball this weekend or next. Just ask Amber I am actually this cranky.

Tourney Time!

If you would like to know who will win in every years Eight vs. Nine match-up... Look at my bracket (I'll happily show you) and bet on the other team.

I am half way through day one and I am already in last place in my division. Good news is that I just got beer and I have nothing to do for the rest of the weekend except watch every other team that I pick to win, lose. If I could only pick wrong on every game I could try to pull some reverse bracket scientology or something, but I am just mediocre, not fantastically good or bad.

I am mildly upset that I listened so much to all the hype only to pick Georgia upsetting Xavier and miss one more pick. A fourteen over a three, what was I thinking. I am glad however that unlike Lucas I only picked one Georgia upset. Sorry bud, no sweet sixteen for the Bulldogs.

Lastly, Bravo to the local Portland State Vikings. They got crushed this morning, but what a great time they must have had (until the game started)

Do Not Fret Al Gore!
I read a story on npr.com about how scientists are not finding an increase in ocean temperature even though air temperature is rising and the ocean levels are expanding. The water temperatures are actually slightly decreased.

I do believe in our power to control global warming, and that global warming is a very real and serious threat. This story is however, an interesting example of how much we have yet to discover about this planet of ours.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=88520025

New York City

I had an I miss New York day today. I was bored during some training at my new job and found a Sudoku puzzle on a desk. I picked it up and after my first scan of the numbers I had to work with, it struck me. I was heart sick missing the bright lights of the big city. I always did Sudoku on the A train and I guess I haven't done many/any since we moved back. It has been interesting being back in Oregon since last fall. I suffer from manic swings of contentedness and longing that keep me fairly unstable most of the time.

AFI Update
This is an update to a MySpace.com blog wherein Lucas and I tallied how many of the AFI's 100 greatest movies we had seen. Once that I found out that I had only seen like half (I was shocked by this) I was inspired to get a hold of these movies and watch them quickly. Well I worked my queue and DVR and I began catching up slowly. That is until AFI released a ten year anniversary list last summer adding like twenty new movies to the list. Well recently I have been working hard to spend my movie watching free time knocking films off of both my lists. So as I move forward I will be bringing up a film now and then that is worth getting a hold of.

This Week I fell in love with 12 Angry Men, again. It is a perfect film. I thought I had seen it before, but couldn't remember exactly (so I had to watch it again). I started it while doing dishes and before five minutes had gone by, I was on the couch entranced. This drama was filmed mostly on a single set, and plays out one of the simplest stories, just perfect.

Stay tuned... I have lots of films to go.

The King of Kong
My little sister and I decided to build birdhouses yesterday. I decided quickly that I didn't want to build some cute little bird house that would quaintly compliment a small water fixture in a modest yard.
I wanted to build a monument to birds, and one of the great archatectual marvels of my favorite city not named Portland. So alas construction began on an all day project that would turn out to be a three nest home in the guise of the Empire State Building. Ridiculous, maybe. Preposterous, sort of. Obnoxious, well yes.

There is a dedication ceremony not yet scheduled for the day this modern cedar marvel lands at its resting place (somewhere in the Burt's yard). I dedicate and give proper ownership of said property to my dear friendo Lucas Burt. May your dreams be as big as my bird house.

Have a Great Weekend Part II
Okay, okay, okay....
So here is the scoop. My meeting let out early and the Blazers have won the first two games of there road trip. Now all the rest of the world may be having a hard time, but I should take heart in the fact that things, while not great, are really not so bad for me. I will take this as a lesson learned, luckily I don't have any money in stock market right now.

Have a great weekend everybody!
Well,
I just clicked over to CNN.com to see what's going on in the world and apparently someone exploded a small bomb in Times Square, Chinese hackers got into the Pentagon's computer system, the Stock Market dropped today to it's lowest point in over a year, a storm dropped a foot of snow right before a tornado hit the same area, UNC student body president Eve Carson was shot to death near campus on Wednesday, did I mention that a barrel of oil will set you back $100, I have to work on Saturday, and the Portland TrailBlazers, who have lost nine of their last ten on the road, start a five game road trip tonight. I almost can't wait for Monday.

Check this Out
Hey, I am not a huge fan of youtube.com, I am not just saying that because I dropped 30k on film school and this site is infested with these ding dongs that think they are filmmakers, but occasionally I miss something in pop culture and I check it out on the site to catch up. With that disclaimer out of the way please go to youtube.com and look up the recent music videos produced for Jimmy Kimmel's late night talk show. Look up up Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Kimmel or Sarah Silverman. Some combination of this celebrity names will reveal some truly inspired television that is as funny as anything since Conan shaved his "Strike Beard"

Let's Hear it for the Boys
I just wanted to take a moment and give props to my Portland Trailblazers who, in the last two years, have given Portland a team that we can believe in again and I am very appreciative. These guys are a lot of fun to watch and even when they lose, they seem to be trying to do it the right way. When Greg Oden comes back healthy and we can rebound (in any capacity) we are going to be dangerous. You may have noticed that I began saying "we" well thats because, when I cheer for the Blazers, they do better. Rip City Baby!

Favorite Music of 2007
Well as is has been almost a year since I paused blogging and so now it is time again for the year end lists. My thought is that no one but Lucas and Amber will read this, but alas I carry on with the hope that people care enough about what I think to sit down, read, and then find this music. First hint, ask Lucas, I am always giving him music to listen to and he is probably using the discs as coasters so give him a shout. I am going to break this down into three categories; Music from artists I was familiar with before this year, New to me artists, and finally a short list of discs that I did not get to, but hope to check out before '08 gets cruising too fast....

Returning Champs
As you can read below, I was very excited about '07 before it happened and most of these albums were highly anticipated.

Arcade Fire:Neon Bible- Dark, Moody, and big. I am still listening to it. No Cars Go is pure genius.
Interpol: Our Love to Admire-Saw them in concert. Fantastic album, my favorite band.
Radiohead: In Rainbows-I didn't pay, but I should have, they are always great and worth it.
Rilo Kiley: Under the Black Light-Slow to grow on me, seeing them in concert helped. Jenny Lewis is one of my favorite artists working right now.
The Shins: Wincing the Night Away-Saw them twice this year. What a great year.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs: EPA brilliant 5 song set to satiate my appetite until their next album.

News to Me
If you have had a conversation with me in 2007 this is what I told you to listen to.

Andrew Bird: Armchair ApocryphaAn album Lucas might like, why do I even try...
Beriut: The Flying Club CupCheck this out, it's fantastic.
Feist: The Reminder-She is very sharp and I love her dance moves.
The Good, The Bad, and The Queen: Self Titled-I'll follow Damon Albarn anywhere.
The Grand Ole Party: Humanimals-They are releasing this album this year, but I bought it at a concert in '07 so it goes here. These guys/gal are a blast.
The National: Boxer-I have an argument for this being the best album of 2007, listen and see.
Panda Bear: Person Pitch-Out there a little bit, and that's why I like it.


Not There Yet
Kanye West: Graduation
White Stripes: Icky Thump
Modest Mouse: We Were Dead Before the Ship Sank

I subscribe to the service E Music which is a pay to download site. I find most of my new music through these guys and it is cheap to download a couple of albums a month. That said my not quite got to them albums are major label records that I would have to buy outside of my nasty downloading habit and that is why I am slow to them.

Let me know what I have missed, this is what struck me and what I am listening to right now. Please recommend something if you think I would like it.

I'm Baaaack...
Well good readers of my blog (no one) My good friend Lucas has decided to start blogging again so he is dragging me back in. I am happy to be back though and I am already working on a couple of things. See you soon