C0rk.W0rd

Ivy League Arrogance

So apparently the stand-up comedy group at UPENN is putting on a show April 1st and April 2nd. In anticipation of the event, the group decided to put up posters in University City providing details about the event. The event is called 'Drexel Relief'. Attendance will cost $5-$6 depending on where you purchase your ticket, and the flyer claims that "all proceeds help to provide food and clothing for Drexel alumni".

I like to think I have a pretty good sense of humor. I will gladly insult myself (and others) to get a chuckle out of someone. The name and tagline for this event is just plain rude. Regardless, I simply despise the arrogance of the individuals who would come up with such ideas, let alone believe they're representative of some truth about the quality of university graduates. When you consider all the people who lack the funds to go to ANY college, you need to think of the balls it takes for members of one higher-education institution to mock the graduates from another as being unable to feed and cloth themselves.

When I left you, I was but the learner; now I am the master.

As I enter the 1/2 way-point of my education at Drexel, I find myself at a fork in the road. The path I am currently traveling gets me a BS in Information Science after 5-years. My education, as many of you know, is combined with several (3) co-op's. Essentially I spend 1.5 of my 5-years, working full-time in the IT industry. I am just about to complete my 2nd co-op, and I'm slated to start my 3rd in the fall 2004. Given my current pace, I should graduate on-time in June 2006 with the degree mentioned above.

So where is the fork?
It has come to my attention that a small window of opportunity exists, wherein I can opt to earn a MS in Information Science in the same amount of time. The option is made available to all students having completed 90-120 credit hours, and having a GPA of 3.25 (or better). To do this, however, I would need to drop the last of my 3 co-ops and basically stay in class from now until June 2006. Graduate level courses would be integrated into my schedule, and I would be able to finish up BOTH degrees at the same time for June 2006 graduation.

What do you stand to gain?
For lack of a more elaborate description...an MS. It is also worth pointing out that the graduate program at Drexel's College of Information Science (the college from which I would receive my MS) has been ranked #1 for information studies by US News for the last 5 years. Granted, this speaks volumes about its undergraduate program, but to have an MS in Information Science from the #1 school issuing that degree would be very keen.

This seems to be a no-brainer... what are the caveats?
Surprisingly, the drawbacks are few. I do have to give up a 3rd and final co-op, though I will be working part-time for ISSI for (at least) the next 3-6mo. Entering this program would also mean school (the non-stop kind) from March 29th 2004 - June 2006. When I say non-stop, I mean exactly that. Drexel has four 10-week terms a year, and students are expected to attend classes year-round, when not on co-op. Freshman get their 1st summer off...but for the most part, campus stays pretty busy all year. So aside from the small breaks between terms, I would be in classes full-time between now and June 2006. For those of you keeping track, that's 9 terms over 26 months. I've talked to some seniors on the same co-op cycle as me who loathe the 5-term stretch at the end of their 3rd co-op.

More money?
Aside from the two additional terms (from the removal of co-op 3), the financial obligation does not increase by leaps and bounds. Actually, I get to take graduate level courses and earn graduate credits at the undergraduate rate (cheaper). Undergraduate scholarships also remain valid for the duration. So you don't have to pay extra?... I do, but compared to the cost of college education as a whole, the monetary influence is minimal.

I've pretty much made up my mind to apply for this program. It equates to giving up 6 months for an MS that would normally take 1-2 years to earn. Earning my MS after my BS would not only be more time consuming, but cost me much more $$$ in the long run. Having a year of IT work under my belt, puts me in a position to work in the industry (which has recently being known for hiring temps over full-time employees) part-time, while working towards my degrees. Actively working part-time during school will not only facilitate "out-of-class" learning, but make-up-for if not surpass my 3rd co-op in overall value, both professionally and monetarily. I'll let you know how things go...

Please weigh in with your opinion of my tentative decision... (that means comment)

Drexel.Spring.2004

Well, It has been nice milling around the house these past few months with little responsibility save showing up at work the next day, but like many good things, this too must come to an end. After battling with the much abhorred bannerweb system for a few days, Drexel finally saw it fit to add additional sections of some much-needed required classes. Like many things in my life, this schedule is also subject to change at any time, and for any reason whatsoever. Nevertheless, I give you my schedule for the Spring 2004. (Forgive the crude html - I can only work with what bannerweb gives me, though I did add links to the course description pages. Enjoy!)

Click Here For A Link To C0rk's Spring 2004 Schedule @ Drexel University

Some Interesting Picks:

TAX 353 Personal Income Taxes - I could have taken a political science class in this time slot titled Religion & Government In America, which would probably have been very enjoyable for me. However, as is the case with most of my decision-making processes, practicality reigned supreme. Despite my interest in the political science topic, taxes are something I should probably know more about than I do. It might assist my understanding of the tax process currently underway at work, while keeping me out of jail in the future.

WRIT 304 Visions In Writing - I'll probably be finishing up my fine art electives faster than any other student in the history of IST. All IST students are required to not only complete the freshman Humanities Regiment along with certain special topics in COM and PHIL, but also accrue 9 additional credits in a humanities subject of their choosing. I get the impression that I am one of very few IST students who actually enjoys learning and practicing written communication. I'm also a big fan of Dr. Riggs who is teaching this course. I had him for HUM102 and HUM103, and I'm pretty sure that the man knows EVERYTHING, and has a great sense of humor too. Following all of his Monty Python and Firesign Theater references was a definite plus for me.

It's also worth mentioning that I will be at ISSI during most of the workweek not spent in class. Erin and I talked to our boss, Hal, and gave him a rough figure of around 15 hours a week. With my schedule laid out as it is, I will probably be able to squeeze in 16-24 hours in a week, rather than the low estimate. Budgeting time will be key to a successful school/work balance, but because my time at work is flexible and to a certain extent forgiving (since they're only really paying me for when I'm here), I imagine I will be able to manage this fairly well. Welcome to "the life".

** There is a link to this schedule in the left hand toolbar under "links" for future reference **

Bob Jones University, Oh yea... and HO HO HO!

I recently finished Al Franken's book Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right. In it Franken discusses a comical ruse executed by him and a research assistant at Bob Jones University. I'm not going to relay the story in its entirety, you can buy the book for the whole thing, but lets just say it involves a widowed born-again mother, a box of blood, and evolution... Regardless, It's just the kind of civil and polite irreverence I enjoy. The mentioning of one particular article titled "Three College Shipwrecks" really demanded my personal investigation. Al claimed it to be written by Bob Jones, founder of the University, and treated me to a small sample. Though I never hastened to call the writer a "liar", some of the things he relayed, through his telling, defied belief. Though the radical right rarely disappoints…

Below is a link to the article in question, being freely displayed on the BJU (the 8th grader in me chuckles) website. If you do a little poking around the University Policies area of the site, I think you'll be particularly shocked at just how RADICAL BJU's policies are. In fact, BJU supplies several explanations as to why parents should not allow their children to make their OWN choice when it comes to where they pursue college education. I'm also greatly entertained by the section explaining to parents why they shouldn't care that BJU is NOT an accredited University. << Your Feedback is MOST welcomed >>

Article By BOB JONES - Three College Shipwrecks - Apparently all of us attending non-Christian 'accredited' universities are doomed to "blow our brains out".

BJU's Special Articles Section - A Sort of FAQ - check out the Religion on the Gap Theory Section... perhaps this is not the best place to go pre-med.

... thank you in advance for you observations ...

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL!!!

That's right, its Monday Night Football time, and the Eagles season opener which will be kicking off in just about 3 hours. I'm pretty pumped to see them go up against the Bucks again. I originally thought I might be going to the game, but it became apparent that I wasn't early this afternoon. I'm a little disappointed, but hardly devastated. Though he's not the biggest football fan, Chaz is gonna come over later. We're gonna eat Buffalo Wings, drink some beers and watch the game. Hopefully I will have positive game results to report later on this evening. More on that after the game...

Some people have been expressing concern over my last post. I assure you all that I am mentally, fairly decent. I had quite a few introspective moments on Saturday night that made me feel at odds with the world. Either way I'm over it now, and in relatively high spirits. I spent Saturday night between Coffee Works and Palace discussing various issues with Jessica over countless cups of Joe. It was nice to see a new face, since Voorhees has become pretty desolate the last few weeks. Regardless, I think a good time was had by all, though I think I managed to creep Jess out on more than a few occasions on account of her soft-touch, as compared to my soul-less, heart-less, penchant for unfettered cruelty towards the world --- which is all meant in jest of course, or well… most… some of it. I guess my barbaric sense of humor can come off as overly caustic and hurtful at times... in-any-event, she said it was the most she's laughed in a long time... and I'm not that funny --- so go me!

The rest of my weekend was pretty bland. I saw The Order with Andrew and Merissa, and it almost caused me to loose all the Mexican food I had consumed not an hour prior in an involuntary personal protein spill. PLEASE think twice, no wait, three times before going to see this god-awful film. The concept for the film is GREAT but it cannot save the piss poor execution and seemingly mindless events that occur throughout. This movie has more blatant and poorly written 'filler' than anything I can remember. AVOID THIS FILM!!!

I also helped Andrew set-up his wireless network. Andrew just scored himself a top-of-the-line Alienware that SCREAMS!!! To say that I am jealous would be an understatement. Either way, we were both a little concerned when (after installing the wireless card), the system seemed to freeze up at the Alienware Splash screen. Andrew called Tech Support, and the operator thought removing the Network Card would solve the problem. After this didn't work, I asked Techie to run me through the BIOS resetting procedure for this particular MB. Resetting the BIOS fixed the problem immediately, and everyone was able to breath a little easier. Other than a minor hic-up the operation seems to have been a complete success. Must contain the urge to plunk down mucho $$$ for a new box. - BREATH!!!

It seems that my optimism paid off. I checked BANNERWeb this afternoon, and it pleases me to report that I received an 'A' in CS390D. For those of you that don't know, that’s Level 4 C++ Class. I didn't think I had a shot in hell of getting anything over a 'B', but I always seem to surprise myself. I still have two more grades coming in - one from the obnoxious air-head mentioned in a previous post, and the other for Computer Ethics. I would really like to make this a 4.0 term for me, but I just have this funny feeling that Computer Ethics is going to ruin it for me. Regardless, Computer Ethics class included some really interesting readings and classroom discussions. The Final Paper that I wrote, concerning the RIAA vs. File-Swappers, was also pretty well done, I feel.

I would write more, but I have some wings to eat and beer to drink and football to watch. If anyone wants to join, you know where to reach me.

It's All Over!!!

Finally, my work for the term is complete, and all I have to do is await the damage. I don't know if damage is really going to be the operative word, because things are looking pretty good thus far. Grades for three of my classes have already been posted all of which are 'A's'. I was surprised to receive an 'A' in 'creative non-fiction writing'. I got the distinct impression that my professor considered me a 'B' student, but I'm not going to complain. My final essays for Political Philosophy class must have rolled over real well with my professor since my only grade up until that point had been a 'B+' on the midterm, and he indicated that he was going to grade harder on the final. The computer ethics final was yesterday. All things aside I think I did decent, though there WAS the occasional memory lapse. The articles we read for class all seemed to blur together, and the final essay asked us to extract all the major point of ONE essay. Seems like this would lend an advantage to students who just happened to read one essay. Since we completed the exam less than 24 hours ago, the grades have obviously not been posted yet. The computer science exam was given this morning at 8am. I was less than thrilled by the exam-time, but at least it is out of the way. My grades in the class, up until this point make it impossible for me to FAIL. Having calculated it out, I would need to get a 13% or less on the final to get a 'D' in the class, between 43%-14% for a 'C', between 79%-44% for a 'B', and 80% or above for an 'A'. The thing with CS exams is that they are unpredictable as far as grades are concerned. Typically I end up doing better than I think, so I am going to go out on a confidence limb here (extremely uncommon for me) and say that I will probably get an 'A' or 'B' in the class, which is most agreeable, especially since this will mark the end of my Computer Science (C++) requirement at Drexel, I AM FREE I TELL YOU, FREE!!!

Then there is the issue of my ISYS210 grade. My ISYS210 teacher decided not to give us a final exam on account of her not wanting to grade them (a rare instance in which the teacher is lazier than the students). Instead, she only required that we turn in our Drexel-Check%20TM%20Documentation.doc">final project document and a disk containing our constructed database tables. For those of you keeping up, that is the Drexel Check System mentioned in a previous post. The problem arose when she failed to show up for class on the day we were supposed to submit our projects, but she called in and requested that we simply submit them at the CRC Desk in the IST Building. This all occurred last Thursday (08/28/2003). One of my project group members, Tom, works at the CRC desk, and informed me that as of last night, our professor has yet to pickup our projects from the CRC. We are not very confident that our grades will be submitted promptly if at all. The fact of the matter is that nobody learned much of anything in the class. She may be a very nice lady, but she has no idea how to teach. Aside from her shortcomings in the teaching area, she is also has an extremely caustic delivery, oftentimes demeaning or insulting various students. I know that several students filed complaints with the college about her in-class behavior, and piss-poor teaching ability. Since she is an adjunct professor, many believe she will be let go as a result of the various complaints. Personally I can deal with her lack of professionalism, my chief concern is the fact that she is extremely lazy when it comes to returning assignments, and that I got 'NOTHING' out of the class. I am supposed to proceed with the second half of our database course load, not having learned ANYTHING in the 1st. Entering Database 2 with a disadvantage could prove disastrous.

Despite all these issues, I am pleased to be done with classes. Now I can proceed onward to a relatively worry-free co-op with ISSI. My GPA is strong and my worries greatly reduced. Not having to program C++ for a while is enough to put a smile on my fact for at least the next 3 weeks. I'll be returning to classes at the tail end of March 2003, right before I take off for a week to go skiing. I plan on applying to the Honors College while I'm on co-op. I took Political Philosophy which was supposed to be 'Honors Only', but they didn't seem to notice an 'outsider' in their midst. An 'A' in HNRS202 (Political Phil) and my high GPA should be enough to get me in, though I am told the Honors College itself is not big deal, but it always looks good on a resume.

Well, Andrew just IM'ed me and wants me to come help him set up a wireless network to get his new Alienware on the net. So I guess that mean that I should make with some decent garb. I'll try to squeeze in another post later. I just bought Battlefield 1942, so I'm a little distracted. Having demo'ed it a few months back, it didn't impress me. It seemed to be very sloppy with poor graphics handling and countless bugs. Though after patching it, it plays pretty well. OK, i have to split now.

Friends Depart, Finals Arrive, Work Awaits

Most folks have departed for school by now, and the local school are all back in session as of today. I actually spent 10min this morning IMing back and forth with my 9-year-old cousin. Yep, things are getting pretty dreary around here. I still have a few finals to take later in the week --- Computer Ethics on Thursday, and Computer Science on Friday. After Friday, I'll be all done school for the year, and not a moment too soon.

ISSI, the company I will be co-oping with through March sent me my employment application last week. Work will begin on Monday, September 15th, and I certainly hope I will have a better time than I did at CIGNA. Erin, a friend of mine from Drexel who has been working for ISSI since last September is a little upset that I am going to be moving into her office, which used to be exclusively hers. It wasn't my intention to push her out of her office, but since ISSI doesn't do the whole cubicle thing it seems necessary that we double-up. Because ISSI is a much smaller company with a seemingly laid-back working environment, I'm hopeful that my experience will be different than previous ones. With everyone leaving town, I have been playing with the idea of getting a part-time job. It would mostly serve just to fill in my nights and weekends, not to mention pull down a few more bucks on the side. We'll find out in the next few weeks.

I'm trying to make shorter more frequent updates, because I think they will be more effective in drawing traffic. Plus, I'm sure everyone would rather I get to the point than mix around with extra verbiage... so I think I will cut this entry here... and throw in a little funny picture you can laugh at in your spare time...

This is in no way intended to suggest that I am not in favor of women’s rights... but com'on even feminists should be able to laugh at this... and if they can't then they're taking their cause just a little too seriously... being able to laugh at yourself is as important as breathing you primates

Some Works?

I'm sitting in Cognitive Psychology class at the moment, and I thought I would make a little blog entry to pass the time. First, I wanted to apologize for neglecting to make frequent updates over the last week. School work has been piling up. In fact I've written over 30 pages of text in the last 48 hours, so you should feel luck that I still feel like churning out this mindless drek. That is why I have decided to use this post to showcase my work. Some of it is good, some of it is bad, but if you're bored enough, have a read and lemme know what you think...

In the area of Political Philosophy...

My class entitled 'Critical Issues in Political Philosophy' required that I respond to four essay prompts. You may remember that I completed similar work in the middle of the term. I found these essays easier to write than the ones I did earlier in the term. I think it was because the prompts were more open-ended. The philosophers discussed during the later half of the term were also a bit more interesting, so I'm certain THAT helped as well... After reading the prompt, click the 'My Response' link to download the *.doc file and enjoy!

Essay 1 Prompt - John Rawls and Robert Nozick offer very different (and clearly incompatible) perspectives on what a theory of justice in political philosophy is supposed to do. What are their fundamental differences and assumptions? If Aristotle were to read Nozick’s work on the nature and value of political society, what critique might you imagine him offering? Would you agree with Aristotle’s analysis? Why or why not? - My Response

Essay 2 Prompt - In what specific ways is the concept of rights (meaning not simply legal rights but what we’ve called “second-generation rights”) connected with the idea of distributive justice? Would a classical Marxist agree that a capitalist society can be structured in ways to make it embody meaningful principles of distributive justice? Why or why not? - My Response

Essay 3 Prompt - Louis Menand, in the article we discussed from The New Yorker (28 July 2003), notes that many Americans believe that “a genuinely free person would never willingly exchange his lot to live under the thumb of an autocratic priesthood” (or, one assumes, any other form of servitude). In what ways does Hobbes’ Leviathan present a counter argument to this thesis? Does it ring true or false in your view? Develop and explain your answer. - My Response

Essay 4 Prompt - We’ve discussed several philosophical replies to the critical question of political obligation, namely, how can one be obliged to obey the law and still remain free, still retain a meaningful sense of moral agency. Of the positions we’ve analyzed (for example, Hobbes, Locke, Aristotle, Aquinas, Hegel), which response, in your view, is the most defensible? What are your arguments for coming to this conclusion? - My Response

Creative Non-Fiction?

I attempted to produce two more creative non-fiction works for my course of the same title. Included below are the explanations I submitted to my teacher detailing my intentions while writing. I struggled with these, so they aren't very good.... try to enjoy! Click the 'Read More' link at the base of the explanation for the *.doc file.

The Teachings of Cathol… Who’s Cathol? (Reflective Essay)
This is intended to justify and rationalize my current religious views utilizing my reflections on growing up with Catholicism. I intended it to be ironic that the more I learned about Catholicism, the farther I withdrew from it. There is also an attempt to inject humor in order to maintain a light-heartedness throughout, though I think that will depend more on the readers sense-of-humor regarding religion. The reader should, by the end, understand how and why I came to abandon Catholicism, as well as the righteousness of my value system despite the religion’s absence from my life. - Read More

On the Value of Bad Movies (Historical/Opinion Essay)
Using a recent situation as a base from which to launch my analysis, I attempt to express to the reader my opinion of bad movies. I use historical data to back up the claim that American seem to love bad movies, but offer the argument that the nature of their love is inconsistent with my own. This leads me offer the conclusion that Americans have generally poor taste in film. I end with a question that is intended to emphasize the peculiar nature of the introductory situation, on the basis of my conclusion. - Read More

Computer Ethics

My final paper for Computer Ethics class relates to a VERY current issue. It discusses the recent actions of the Recording Industry Association of America has taken against file swappers and argues for alternative solutions to music piracy. Click the article title below for the *.doc.

The RIAA’s Mission Against File-Swappers: A Mission Against the Consumer

For all you Database People

For the last two terms, myself along with four other IST students have been designing a Drexel Check system. We finally finished up the documentation for our proposed system, along with SQL database specifications. If you're highly interested and into tech stuff, feel free to Drexel-Check TM Documentation.doc">download this robust document (960KB - 47 Pages)

WHAT THE HELL?

Ok, It is really fucking hot out today. I'm a little irritated by that, but I have still managed to consume three cups of coffee -- most of them good. Luckily I am typing to you from the air conditioned bowels of Drexel's Korman Center -- Room 111F to be exact. My creative non-fiction class is going to start in a little bit, and I just thought I would throw down some words, since I'm not in the mood to construct anything mildly academic. The past few days have been all about procrastinating. As mentioned in my previous post, I have 7 papers due next week -- adding up to approximately 24 pages of text. I tend to produce better work under pressure, but at the same time, I really need to be 'in-the-mood' to churn out quality papers. It is my intention to set aside a day this weekend to write and just pump the fuckers out one by one.

Though I know you all love reading about all the shit that is bugging me, I thought i would try to discuss some actual topics rather than simply 'bitch' --- for lack of a better term...

On Linguistics...

According to an article in the Bangkok Post, over 3,000 new terms are being added to the Oxford Dictionary. Some of these words/phrases include --- Bada Bing: emphasizing something will happen effortlessly and predictably; and Muggle: which according to Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling, denotes a person who is lacking magical powers. The Oxford Dictionary's focus on maintaining an index of 'living' language, seems to warrant the addition of such bizarre and unusual terms, that are more the product of pop culture than anything else. Now I know that most of your are expecting my to harp on how absurd it is to recognize such terms as part of the English language, but I'm somewhat amused by the circus in this regard. Though to be truthful, it is more of a selfish interest or intrigue. This stems from my intention to introduce the word 'assholism' (pronounced ASS-HOLY-ISM) into the language. It specifies the condition that results in someone being an asshole. Such a term could come in handy such as "I suffer from genetically induced assholism" or "The conflict in Iraq is the result of presidential assholism" or "I plead guilty by reason of assholism". Yeh! I know this is a pretty dumb idea, but its just so much FUN to say... ASSHOLISM!!!

On the use of - 'Mr. Corkery'

As far back as I can recall, teachers, professionals and various other persons have always taken to calling me 'Mr. Corkery' or in some instances 'Dr. Corkery'. I would like to think that it is a formal display of respect, and though I enjoy being called 'Mr. Corkery' sometimes, I can't help but wonder if it is intended as mockery. I suppose you could equate it to the way that Agent Smith calls Neo 'Mr. Anderson' in The Matrix. It always seems to carry that conniving and somewhat belittling tone. Perhaps it is my affinity for sarcasm that leads me down this path of thought? Making use of titles, when addressing someone outside of a professional environment, can often be equated with sarcasm. Though I am certain this is all just paranoia on my part, I can't help but be somewhat bothered by it. I know I am making something out of nothing, but I seem to have a natural knack for over-examination.

... ok ... this has probably been the most ill-conceived and poorly executed post I have written in a good-long-while… I got carried away trying to be cool and lost sight of the fact that I’m not. Christ, I had an hour long discussion about Star Trek last night, followed by another 20 minutes trying to determine who should be cast in the movie version of the Graphic Novel Series Preacher. I hardly consider these flaws in my character, but I’m certain that some feel otherwise. Then again, I am hard pressed to determine what those alleged ‘cool’ folks have to say for themselves --- actually they were probably off getting laid. I take comfort in the fact that it was more than likely shallow and meaningless sex that I wouldn't envy in the first place. It’s all relative.

What in the hell am I talking about? … god-damn-it --- somebody pull me out of this FUNK!!! (word-of-the-week)

FYI – “In Hot Water” – (Phrase of the Week)

Next time I will try to return to my old format... doing what I apparently do best... producing vast amounts of text that for-all-intents-and-purposes SAYS absolutely NOTHING!!!

I’m going to demand your comments as always, but I’m already upset enough about the piss poor quality of this post, so let’s keep them on the positive end shall we?

Week 9, More Movies, & a FEZ

It took me an hour to get back from the city this morning because a bunch of people in white robes and fezzes (is that the plural for fez, or is the plural simply 'fez' i donno) were standing in the middle of the intersection of 30th & Market Streets. I have absolutely no idea what these people were there for, all I know is that they had children walking through traffic begging for money -- I ignored them --- why should I give money to people who are impeding my travel. I suppose that is a little harsh... but I don't really think blocking traffic is an effective way of getting ANYTHING done, other than pissing people off. Ok so on to something else...

The end of the term is rolling around. We are officially in week 9 now... only 1 week left. I have a great deal of writing to do in the next week to tie up all my loose ends. I have a 7-page paper due in computer ethics, 9-pages of non-fiction due in my creative non-fiction class, and 4 X 2-page essays on various topics in political philosophy due for my political philosophy class. Needless to say, I will be writing a great deal in the next week. I'm planning to work on one of these papers after I workout later this afternoon. Lets see how productive I can be --- yea I know I'm laughing too.

State In Movies...

I wanted to go see Freddy Vs. Jason this weekend, but unfortunately I could not find any saps willing to go with me. Shayna and I had planned to see it together, but she has been MIA the last few days, and I have begun searching for other viewing companions. If anyone is interested, let me know --- I NEED TO SEE THIS GOD-AWEFUL MOVIE!!!

I didn't get out to the theater this weekend, but I did manage to watch three classic films while the rents were out of town. I watched LA Confidential on Friday night, which I hadn't seen in a few years. It was a good refresher. Though I am still not a fan of Russell Crowe, the film itself is quite good, and Kevin Spacey was superb as always. On Sunday night I started watching Seven Samurai an old Japanese film with a 3 1/2 hours runtime. Having other things to do with my Sunday, I was forced to finish my viewing on Monday morning. Seven Samurai is a LONG film that tells an intricate and beautiful story in authentic Japanese style with English subtitles. However, I am inclined to only recommend it to those who are extremely patient and interested in the genre, or to those who enjoy old artistic film-making. The last film I watched over the weekend, I enjoyed while riding the bike on Monday afternoon. I finally got around to seeing Scorsese's classic Raging Bull starring Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci. Filmed in black and white this historical retelling of the life of famed boxer Jake La Motta is both disturbing and beautiful. The soundtrack, filming techniques, and brilliant performances all make this an EXCELLENT example of American cinema.

Lets see... what else can I tell you about? Oh! apparently a movie theater in Vineland is showing a Kubrick double-feature on August 30th. They will be showing Dr. Strangelove, followed by Full Metal Jacket. If anyone is interested in going to THAT... drop me a line and let me know.

I also read an interesting article this morning about what the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) thinks is to blame for their less than exemplary performance at the box-office this summer. Oh no, they're not being accepting blame for churning out such bombs as Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle & Gigli. And surprisingly they're not pointing the guilty finger at file-sharing software and movie piracy courtesy of programs like KaaZa and Grokster. No, the MPAA seems to think that cell phone text messaging is the reason for the drop in box office sales. Apparently, they feel that the speed at which people are able to send their movie reviews via text-message is serving to warn potential viewers of flops before they purchase their ticket. So essentially they are pissed that we are now BETTER at avoiding shit-films? ... Isn’t the solution to start making better movies? God-Damn-It!

This entry really didn't cover many of the things I intended to, so I guess you can expect some more updates in the days to come. Until that time... everyone take it easy, and leave some comments PLEASE!!! (Come’on I’m being nice, leave some comments so my words don't feel so wasted)

Well, there's a piece of Maria in every song that I sing And the price of a memory is the memory of the sorrow it brings And there is always one last light to turn out and one last bell to ring And the last one out of the circus has to lock up everything Or the elephants will get out and forget to remember what you said And the ghosts of the tilt-a-whirl will linger inside of your head And the ferris wheel junkies will spin them forever instead When I see you a blanket of stars covers me in my bed

SORRY! --- I JUST NEEDED THAT :-)