I may have to move to Canada if Bush wins the election this year. It always amazes me that Republicans complain about Big Government and Federal Government. Yet they will create laws to legislate our behavior. This FCC thing is really pissing me off. I used to love listening to Howard Stern, until he separated from his wife, then he seemed to have lost what made him so funny. The married guy who didn't cheat on his wife, but had tons of hot women always naked on his show. For the most part I like his brand of humor. I don't dig fart jokes, I usually like more thoughtful humor. And I wouldn't want my children to listen to his show and if they did at a friend's house, I sure as hell wouldn't let them emulate his behavior. But I do not need the government to protect my children from someone on a radio show talking about farts and poop. Keep Al-Queda from bombing my place of work, keep 14yr old boys from shooting up my kids schools, clean up the streets and neighborhoods of drugs and crime. Take care of that shit first.

It is so typical to go after something symbolic that requires very little real effort.

My parents almost never cursed in our home, they didn't drink except on New Year's Day and their anniversary, and only one drink each or they'd share a drink. But they let us watch horror movies at a young age, they let us watch violent movies at a young age, some movies even had nudity. I used to read Truely Tasteless jokes in 4th grade, I knew every curse word by then, some that my peers didn't know. And for all I had seen or heard at a young age, my parents instilled in us the values and the knowledge of how to properly behave. Even at my advanced age, I still don't curse in front of my parents. I know how to behave and act in different situations. They taught us that. Government didn't stop me from learning about sex from magazines or cable. But my parents taught me how to behave like a civilized human being. And you can't legislate behavior. It doesn't work. The best chance you have is educating parents, and educating children in schools and more importantly by modeling the behaviors you expect in others.
And society is always changing. It isn't always good, or comfortable. There was a time when bra commercials were just a spokeswoman showing a huge cross-your-heart bra on a mannequin. Now we have Victoria's Secret commercials and tv specials. Not that I mind, hehheh. But it is an example of this change in attitudes and what is acceptable. Movies have become more graphic with violence than ever before. I wish people weren't slowly becoming more rude or crude. Being polite and civil is not important to most people anymore. I miss that, and it does cause me concern. But I don't want the government to tell me what I can and can't listen to or see. That responsibility belongs to parents.
In a "free market" (which Republicans value so much) we can let the consumers decide. Let individuals write letters or boycott 7-11 if they don't remove Penthouse from their shelves. Don't buy tickets to Braveheart or Pulp Fiction if you don't approve of violence or profanity in movies. Write in to ABC and protest their showing of lingerie shows. That will cause change.
Also teach your children right from wrong. Tell them to say please and thank you, not to talk with their mouth full of food, to chew with their mouth closed, to open doors for others, to let people in front of them on the freeway when you see a turn signal, when you do cut in the freeway hold your hand up in a high five or a peace sign to say thanks, don't talk so loud when on your cell phone in an elevator....list goes on and on....but ultimately teach your children and those around you to "Do unto others as you would have other do unto you."

Me so sleepy. Well past my bedtime but i had lots o' fun. Another St. Patrick's Day put to rest. I can pack my green shoes up until next year. Yes green shoes. Green suede Doc Martens from way back in the day when I used to sell em to lil wanna be punks. Anyhoo I am off to bed. I hope everyone had a happy St. Patrick's Day. I always miss my grandma on this day. She was a good lady and always took care of her favorite grandson. Yeah you heard me I was her favorite. Hell I am everyone's favorite because I am such a damn nice guy.

I have been listening to old songs (80's) that bring up memories and emotions of nostalgic sadness. For some reason I have been doing this lately. I can't ever really figure it out. Some of these songs aren't necessarily depressing or anything they just dredge up bittersweet memories or not even specific memories but just feelings. It's odd because at times I will listen to some hard angry rock like Rollins Band or some sweet thoughtful relaxing music like Chris Isaak. But those are feelings in the present. I never understood my mom's love of old music, or the way lots of our parents never "grew" into modern musical tastes. But it seems to make sense to me as I get older. A lot of the songs and artists I have always liked and liked to listen to every now and then. Even when I was 21 I would listen to this stuff and fondly/sadly look back at 4th grade or other episodes of my life. I know I must be forgetting some songs/bands, perhaps I should start taking requests so I can build my music wishlist. My book and movie wishlists are already huge, but I haven't started one for music in over 15 years.
All I know is that sooner or later I will have to break down and buy one of those 80's compilation cd's and be told what 80's music to listen to instead of choosing my own songs.
Richard Blade would be proud.

Some people are estimating that Mel Gibson stands to make about $300 million dollars for himself after all is said and done with the Passion of the Christ. Wow. Gutsy move on his part. And it paid off for him. I respect that about the man. Say what you will about the movie or his religious views but that is a something I admire. I am sure that the sequel will make even more money.

I watched AutoFocus tonight, the movie about Bob Crane of Hogan's Heroes fame. Greg Kinnear did an excellent job and Dafoe was really good as the creepy friend. The movie was good. The last half dragged on and was stale and dry, but I think that was the point because it detailed his fall from fame and the feeling of the last half just connected so well with his life towards the end. The man was seriously addicted to sex. I thought I liked boobies and naked chicks, but this man was insane. And with all the picture taking and videos. Sad. It was funny because the priest in the movie talked about temptation and the need to remove oneself from temptation. I have always argued against that. It is my belief that only in temptation can one be sure of the strength to resist temptation. However it was this very reasoning of avoiding temptation that created so many ascetic monks and hermits. Ahhh the life of a hermit. Yo ho yo ho a hermit's life for me.

Ah another relaxing Sunday has come to an end.
Alias---An average episode. The whole thing seemed a bit rushed. I hope they put Sark down for good. It is amazing how many times they capture the guy and he gets away. At least Jack got to kill someone. He may be a distant and somewhat unemotional father, but could you imagine how cool it would be to have a dad that you could always 100% say to your friends "my dad can kill your dad." No one would mess with you at school.

Listening to music as I often do before bed. It usually gets me thinking or rather feeling certain things that cause me to think. Right now I am wondering why I don't just make the committment to being a hermit. So long as I had cable tv and the internet, my books and music, I could lead a relatively peaceful and happy existence. I'd even get a dog. That would be it. Just live in a cabin somewhere out of the way and just BE. When I express these thoughts and feelings, some friends tend to ask if I would feel lonely. And the truth is I would. But when those same friends also tell me how they envy my life, without attachments and I see some of the troubles in their relationships, I realize that it can be just as lonely IN a relationship. Sometimes more lonely. We are born alone and we die along. There really is no way around that. Yet we are by nature a social animal and we even institutionalize this need by creating a lifelong bond (well it used to be lifelong for some people anyway). Hell this need is so great homosexual couples in America are trying to have that same opportunity. Yet it really is becoming obvious that the "institution" of marriage is a relic and crumbling along with so many other old traditions such as taking care of the elderly in one's family, or keeping an eye on your children, hell even keeping an eye out for your neighbors kids. Today who even knows their neighbors, let alone would scold someone elses child for doing something. Hillary was right, it does take a village to raise a child. Hell more and more homes don't even have both parents or else they have some weird mix of step kids and parents. The trend really is the continuing decay of nearly thousands of years of traditional family structure. Talk about a major revolution. And it is funny because the conservative folks talk about preserving marriage and family by resisting the acceptance of gay marriage. It's like hanging on to a torn and shredded blanket when someone else wants it for warmth. You know what, it is pretty much useless so why not just give it up and get some goodwill in exchange.
And this isnt a repeat rant about gay marriage. The real subject on my mind is the whole lifelong relationship thing and how it's pretty much over. Or at least on it's last legs. Give it one hundred years and the whole idea of getting married ONCE and staying with that person until death does part you, the whole thing will be some quaint ancient cultural tradition. And if you think I am wrong ask yourself how you view a dowry or arranged marriages. Both of those are tradtions that lasted for thousands of years. Pretty much nonexistant in the modern Western world. Ask yourself what you think when we hear about a family in Africa that married their daughter to the man who gave 40 goats to the brides father. Or what do you think when you hear about the two kids who at age 7 were betrothed to each other somewhere in Asia? That used to be a standard practice across the world, even in Western society.

The funny thing is, I do like the idea of a lifelong companion, a woman who I may raise a family with, who I can share my thoughts with, build a life together, connect with, have adventures and experiences together. Someone who has different interests that would complement my own. Oh and of course she would have a hot body and I would never tire making love to her.

Sounds good. But the hermit thing really is much less complicated and more realisitic.

I have finally decided to go back to teaching. It is a gorgeous day out today and I look forward to having summers off again and just tooling around town with not a care in the world. It is a glorious feeling to be out while the rest of the world works. Go to a movie at 11am on a Wednesday. Or sit out on a patio having lunch near the beach with the sun on my face. Just thinking about it makes me feel years younger. Plus in addition to the free time, it will feel good to have purpose again and contribute to the progress of mankind. Hey it's the only way I can justify my existence here. With no belief in heaven or hell, that leaves me with the knowledge that this is all we have. And if that is the case, then to give my life purpose, I too need to believe in something greater than myself. For me that is the continued progress of humankind. And if i can teach and guide young people to think for themselves, I am confident that they will make the right decisions for themselves.
And the fewer drug addled, uneducated people out there will mean a better society. Holding back the tide of decay is something I have always wanted to do. Surely no one person can do it on their own, but if we all put our fingers in the dyke we can hold that tide back.
Not to mention bring a smile to the dyke.

I just saw Spartan today. It was a pretty good movie. It wasn't all that original, but it was written and directed in such a way that for the most part it had the feel of an orginal movie. You can never expect too much from these sort of thrillers. Mystery about some crime/international incident, backroom politics leads to a double-cross, running from the very people you worked with, pushing forward when you should have played it smart and done the wrong thing, and then conclusion. It's usually the same, but a good movie in this genre will usually leave you feeling like you sorta knew what was going on, gives you a legitimate twist and then takes you for a pretty good ride.
Val Kilmer was as cool as ever. Ever since Top Secret he has been one of my favorite actors that just has that aura of cool. Tia Texada is in the movie and I can't figure out if she is pretty or not. They seem to have used a lot of makeup on her, and there is something askew about her lips and her face in general. She has that Michelle Rodriguez look, where you are sorta attracted to her, but there is something "off" yet perhaps that is why she is attractive. Not necessarily beautiful, but attractive in the actual definition of the word. That is there is something that attracts you to her.
Of course I could be crazy but perhaps that is the real charm, like the imperfect stamp that is actually more valuable than if it was perfect.

I feel bad for Martha Stewart. Sure I think she is a bitch and she did do something wrong. But it's sad just how much she is taking a beating for this whole thing. And it's not just because what she did is wrong, and it's not just that she is stuck up, controlling and a bitch. A lot of this is because she is a woman. There are so many executives and owners of companies that are assholes, greedy, controlling etc. Who have done similar or worse things. Now she could have played it smart and acted sorry, played dumb etc. But she stood firm and confident and juries hate that shit especially in women. OJ walked because Johnny Cochran was a genius and flipped the script so that OJ became a victim. Hell why do you think The Passion of the Christ is so popular, we love victims. Now you have to be careful when you play the victim, it can't be overplayed because then you lose sympathy and seem opportunistic.
Obviously Martha knew better, as a former broker she knew the rules and what to say. But the one thing the Feds hate, and most authorities hate, is lying. But throwing her away for more than 1 year in even a Club Fed is extreme.
I am not some conspiracy hippie freak or anything, but if George W. Bush can LIE to the American people to make his daddy proud and fulfill some daddy-pleasing-following-footsteps-Freudian-thing by cooking the intelligence and engaging in unlawful warfare causing the death of American men and women, then will someone please tell me why he isn't in jail or being impeached? For crying out loud, Clinton gets a blowjob in the Oval Office and he's up shit creek. Bush leads thousands to die and is about to let a half-baked "democratic" Iraq run itself and no one other than a few liberals cry out.

But please lock Martha Stewart up, pull Howard Stern off the air, stop Siegfried and Roy from marrying each other. That'll create jobs and keep America safe.
Shit like that makes Michael Moore look sane.

Have I mentioned how much I hate my job? That place makes me feel stabby and shooty. Don't people understand just how stupid they are? That really is one of the most annoying things about stupid people, they are too stupid to know they are stupid. Worse than that, its that they feel the need to constantly remind me of just how stupid they are, as if I could ever forget. Don't get me wrong not everyone is stupid. There are some people who I deem to be almost as intelligent as myself, hell there is even one or two people I consider to be slightly more intelligent than me. And yes, I am aware of my faults and failings as well as the fact that I am not the most intelligent person on Earth. It may not always seem like it with my superior and self-righteous attitude, but I do acknowledge the greatness of others. Over the years though I have let my contempt for others really shine through. And while I am aware this can be percieved as being petty, I honestly don't care anymore. This anti-social attitude has been growing slowly over the years and I am more convinced than ever that I shall live in a hermit-like existence with a heart like C. Montgomery Burns. The only thing to save me will be the ghosts of hot models past, present and future. They will remind me of the love and warmth I used to have in my bitter old heart and I will wake up one morning a changed man and ask the chimney sweep outside of my window if the biggest goose is still in the window and when he says yes, I shall tell him to go fuck the goose and stay away from my chimneys.

That or I will go out and buy hairplugs and a sports car and pick up on women like Barbara Eden at PTA meetings. Do they even have those anymore?

Listening to music again helps keep me motivated. I am not sure why but I have always been very connected to music in an emotional way. I know most people are but I am curious if everyone is. You know how some people can't stand the sight of blood or some people get vertigo. Maybe people have different wiring when it comes to what stimulates them. And not just based on association, but on some biological level. I have great senses which I would jokingly refer to as being super senses or super sensitive. Certain sounds just drive me insane, like when people use a knife and it cuts the plate....I am pretty narrow when it comes to what I listen to.
I always tell people what an open mind I have, which is amazing to people who know me because so many ways I act are very narrow. Fish. I don't eat fish. I refuse to eat fish. But being the nut I am, I will eat a tuna sandwich. That's just one example. But while I may live my life in a narrow way, the mind is very much open. I usually explain like this-- for my mind to be open sometimes I must be very close minded. Think of a computer, if your PC had no spam blockers, no pop up killers, no virus protection software and no firewall would your PC be able to openly be on the Internet? Probably not for long I would imagine before it became infected with all manner of trash. Such is my philosophy for my picky existence. I am open minded enough to understand how someone can believe what they do, but not so open minded that I can become brainwashed either.

Although joining a cult would probably allow me to meet some easy women. But of course the cult leader usually saves them for himself. Rat Bastard.

Wow, Patricia Wettig was on Alias again, and damn her tits were huge looking. She used to be on Thirty-Something and now she plays a shrink for the CIA on the show every now and then. Of course that is mostly because her husband, Ken Olin produces and directs a lot of the episodes. After that it was time to watch some Dave Chapelle. That show is so funny. I love that Comedy Central makes more of their own shows now. Crank Yankers can be funny sometimes, and of course The Daily Show is pure genius. I wish more people could see it and appreciate it the way I do. Ah the world would be a much better place....

Ok, who turned on the friggin heater. We have had nice cool weather until today. Suddenly its in the high 70's. I had to find a pair of shorts to go out and get lunch. I haven't worn shorts since October. (which is an indication of how warm October can be.) It is supposed to be warm like this all week. Of course then I am sure it will get cool again. Just to mess with us. It really does feel like June or July. This heat of course makes me want to go out for summer fun and goof off. Of course heat like this also makes my sex drive kick in to overdrive. Something primal about the heat, even though it means sticky sweaty not neat clean sex. Then of course there is always showering together. It would be nice to have a big bath tub for that.
I also do not want to cook anything in the kitchen, ok so it's not like I usually do anyway. But now I just want someone to bring me something to eat. But I am trying not to spend too much money these days as I want to kill that last credit card once and for all. And I have to save my money for a little trip to Mexico in a few weeks with some friends. I actually was tempted to buy all 6 seasons of Stargate SG-1 last week at Best Buy. They had a pretty good deal, Save 50 bucks if you buy all six. But I can't really justify that as it is still on the air and I don't know that I would really watch them. But I do enjoy the show a lot. And after having bought Alias seasons 1 & 2, I feel more and more like it is worth it to have certain shows. Speaking of Alias, I am so glad there is a new episode tonight. It has been weeks. With all these Sunday awards shows and specials. I hope this means they will continue showing new episodes each week. After all I need my weekly dose of Jennifer Garner.

It occured to me today that I don't have a cool hobby and perhaps that is why I am not rich and successful. This morning I met my friend at work to pickup his car and follow him down to San Diego so he could have some work done on it. So my day included lots of fun driving down and back up the coast. Which I actually enjoy as it gives me time to take in the scenery as well as ponder lifes many mysteries. I do my second best thinking while taking such leisurely drives. My best thinking however occurs in the shower.
But I am off track here. So as I am waiting at work for my friend to arrive I see these other two people meet up in the garage in separate cars. They both get out and grab golf bags and pile into a third guy's van. And I realized hey, I don't have some kind of scheduled hobby/sport/socializing event that gives my life meaning and structure. I thought about how lots of successful people have these organized lives and part of that is to set aside specific time for such types of activities. Obviously it isn't the activity itself that generates or contributes to the success, it is the general way that these people organize their lives.

Now I have always known this, and have missed teaching for that exact reason. I miss schedules and planning things ahead. That kind of organization makes it easier to be more efficient in the use of the little time we have here. And it also doesnt hurt to lose a golf game to your boss now and then.

I find it interesting and entertaining to listen to peoples thoughts and opinions, even when I don't agree with them. Hell sometimes that's more fun. Usually I just nod politely, utter a few comments they want to hear to reinforce their demented thoughts and let them walk away thinking what a nice agreeable chap I am and how they should invite me to the next meeting with the Grand Wizard or the Queen Alien. Some repair guy today came into our office to repair our fax machine and I helped him carry it's worn carcass out to his car. He found it necessary to mention that he was in the Army Reserves and might get called up soon. A prospect that I find sad and most certainly wish him the best of luck. He continued telling me that his unit specializes in something that only 3 other units do, he declined to mention what that was other than "oh we do lots of things, right now one unit is directing traffic in the desert in Iraq so convoys don't get lost." Hmm I thought to myself, a specialty in doing lots of things. I let that one go and let him continue telling me that he doesn't mind going there, he did two tours of duty in Vietnam, one in the first Gulf War and Bosnia. But more importantly because he hopes that Bush gets reelected so that they can finish the job otherwise some other president will change things and get this, "we will be the laughing stock of the world, because right now they know we mean business and no one else was going to step up and do anything."

Being the expert at deception that I am, I was able to hear all this without conveying my sense of shock and disbelief. Other than the fact that Bush plans to withdraw our major presence by the end of June, well before the election and thus making that point moot. He actually believes that what we did with Iraq was right and worth the dangers our troops face. And he must also believe that somehow in less than one year democracy will take root and flourish in Iraq.

He certainly isn't insane or anything like that, he just has an opinion and world view that is different than mine. And that is what I really got out of it, aside from being afraid that more people think like that. It is helpful to know what other people think even if it differs from what we think. We have to live and work with people who we may not like or trust or agree with, but it's that basic ability to get along and move past those things that keeps us from slipping into some chaotic barbarous state.

Well Kerry has emerged as the Democrat to run against Bush and now things will really heat up. I can't wait to see how this unfolds. A lot of this will depend upon the running mate Kerry chooses. More than likely it will have to be a more conservative Southern Democrat to counter the Northern Liberal charges against Kerry. They should do pretty well with the issues if their team sticks to the economy with a sprinkling of the rush to war with Iraq. Bush of course hopes that by turning Iraq back to the Iraqis by the end of June that will make Iraq a non-issue. However, considering how premature the turnover of power will be it is very likely to back-fire when the country slides into chaos. The gay marriage issue will eventually fade away as the Republicans realize it's not a major domestic concern. Now we are finally hearing about "out-sourcing" American jobs abroad. We watched this happen in the 70's and 80's with manufacturing and now it is happening with service and certain tech jobs. Granted we can adapt and develop new jobs for a new economy, but we also have to stem the tide of our jobs and industries leaving the country.
There will come a time when we will need to have goods manufactured in this country and the people to provide services to also reside here. We have become a victim of our own success. Yet many Americans still don't have the kind of prosperity one would expect we should have. Living in SoCal, I can't imagine that I can ever own a home here. Unless I move to the desert somewhere and commute 3 hours. And I refuse to live to work. It is bad enough we work to live. I can't imagine defining my existence by my job.

How is it that a giving someone a simple ride home can end up in an evening at a strip club? It's like Gilligan's Island, what should have been a short little trip ended up with a long stay on a tropical locale, in this case the Hawaii Theater. I should have been home with a heating pad on my shoulder instead of having a hot stripper on my lap. It was my second time there, my second time at any strip club as a paying customer. I don't like to frequent such places as I have in my younger days dated and was friends with quite a few strippers/dancers. So I have never had much interest in seeing or paying for that kind of entertainment. After getting to know some of them, and seeing how they play the game I see past the illusions that seem to enthrall so many guys. As such I have a difficult time enjoying the show. One of the dancers last night had what looked like a wedding ring on and I couldn't help but to keep noticing it.
Really the best thing about the place is that they play Rock music. Though some of the girls lack the energy or skill to perform to the music. One of the girls had a body that was just out of whack and not in good shape, but she had energy and knew how to dance and work the floor. Then some young teenish looking girl comes out and looks so awkward and stiff I felt bad for her. Another dancer kept looking around the room and watching what was going on at the bar or towards the dressing room as other girls came and went. Nothing worse than to watch someone who isn't into their performance, whether that is acting, music or in this case dancing.
Ok, so I obviously have a tough time just relaxing and enjoying it for what it is. But these are the twisted thoughts that run through my head. I can't watch them and think about sex with them or fall for the illusion and lust for them like I am supposed to.
It's like watching that movie where they show you how they make hot dogs. After that you really can't eat another hot dog knowing what you now know.

It's raining and it sounds so good. Right now I wish I was sitting in a beach house on some tropical island listening to the rain. I can even smell how clean the air is. I have always loved the rain and will never really understand why so many people look at it as a bad thing. The 'weathermen' on the news always say things like, "And tomorrow will be a better day, with sun and no more rain". Screw you buddy, the rain makes a better day. I remember having my annual pass to DisneyLand when I was a child and when it was overcast and there was a slight chance of sprinkling or drizzle, we used to go to DisneyLand and no one was there, you could run through the lines and go on rides over and over. Even to this day when it's cool, overcast and looks like it may drizzle, I call it DisneyLand Weather.
Sure it's no fun to drive in the rain, especially in SoCal, where people do one of two extremes. They either drive faster than what is safe, or they slow down to some kind of paranoid crawl in constant fear of their tires going into a slight puddle. Put both types of lame-ass drivers on the road and we have a nice pile-up.

Well I guess I wasn't too far off. I am glad that LOTR won so many Oscars. Though I think everyone did get LOTR fatigue and the whole thing became rather boring because of it. Nevertheless, it was a worthy movie series.

Well another fun week ahead for me. Work has been so crazy that my eye twitch has returned. It really must be work, because at home on the PC I don't have it. How sick is that, I have developed a nervous tick. And for what? A job.

I really am sick of Billy Crystal hosting the Academy Awards. Why not have Chris Rock or Jay Mohr or Ben Stiller. Lets get some younger and better comedians. Ah well, let's see who will win. It's always interesting to me to see who should win as opposed to who actually wins. And the envelope please:
(The A's are my picks, the O's are Oscar's)

A-Best Picture: LOTR. Just for the fact that it made history being filmed all at once. No more George Lucas crap where we wait 10 years between each film.

O-Best Picture: Lost in Translation. It has the buzz, a female director and is a good movie. Master & Commander, please lets give Crowe a break from Oscar. Seabiscuit? Its too formula. It smells like inspirational Hollywood sap. Empty calories.

A-Actor:I'd like to see Johnny Depp get it for Pirates only because it was a very good character. But for full depth of acting ability, I pick Bill Murray. He should have received an Oscar for his role in Wild Things.

O-Actor: Tough one. But I think they will go with Bill Murray. Again the buzz. Sean Penn yah he's gained serious status over the years, Ben Kingsley another great actor, but who even saw this movie? Johnny Depp is a favorite, but the role was too light and fun. Jude Law, the movie had some buzz, but he's young and they would likely see him get one later in his career.

A-Actress:Naomi Watts for 21 Grams. Good actress.

O-Actress: Ugh, Charlize Theron is a favorite. It's almost a sure thing.

A-Supporting Actor: Benicio Del Toro. That guy is a good actor.

O-Supporting Actor: Tough one to figure out. Tim Robbins is a favorite, but they may want to give a nod to Alec Baldwin.

A-Supporting Actress: Marcia Gay Harden, she is a really good actress. Go see her.

O-Supporting Actress: Renee Zellweger is the favorite here.

A-Director: Peter Jackson. Again he did something amazing with this movie. It could have turned into a flop Willow-style. But it made gobs of cash, was fun to watch, and did a good job all around.

O-Director: Clint has won before, so it's not likely they will give him one this time, though winning before does make anyone seem more Oscar worthy. (It's like the presidential election) Sofia Coppola may just walk away with the Oscar for this one. It was a good movie, and again has the buzz. Jackson may be snubbed purely for the fact that the movie is a fantasy movie. Comedy movies dont win many Oscars.

As for the rest? Who really cares. Costumes and Sound and Editing and all the rest. Hey I am sure good work was done, but it's not exciting to me.

Another fun-filled evening has come to an end. Did the whole Newport/Costa Mesa thing tonight and didn't even have a lot to drink. Usually I do to take the edge off when being around that kind of crowd. I get suck a kick from watching people. Not in the lurking behind your bushes peeping through your window way, but in the "I am judging you with my eyes" way. I have always been an observer more than a participant. I enjoy watching things around me and learning about my surroundings and how it all fits and works. Not just the rain cycle or photosynthesis. But how does that old man with the walker look at the two kids on skateboards with tattoos all over them. And how do they look at or regard him as they almost knock him down in their oblivious Bill & Ted stupor. I think that the observing has made me a better judge of things and has allowed me to see what is likely to happen in situations. Though that over-thinking causes me to be very judgemental and on edge.

But as I get older and continue to reflect and grow, I become much more pleased with who I am as a person and the way in which I view the world. Although I am very displeased that I have to wait yet another week for the next new episode of Alias. I liked it better when the Academy Awards were on a Monday and in March.