Alberta!
Well, I'm gone until next Wednesday night. Should be a tonne of fun in the redneck province. I probably won't be able to post until then, so don't be holding your breath.
The Law and Eco exam went today - and I think it went well. So glad for a week off - hopefully it will be refreshing and relaxing.
That's about all for today - up at 5:30, so I'm hurrying to bed.
Cheers!
New CD: One Day Remains, by Alter Bridge
Great, great CD. Basically Creed, except with a new vocalist - and I like him better. Scott Stapp's voice was always a little weird at times, regardless of how good Creed was. I hope these new guys catch on because they are really good.
New Feature ----------------------------------------->
As can be seen over there, I've found a free poll server on the net that can be easily added to blogs (a fact of which I sure will be copied by several of you bloggers who frequent my site). Today's poll question stems from the passing of Johnny Carson, not surprisingly.
CLF/CMDA Interfac!
We had a great time at the joint CLF/CMDS interfaculty party on Friday - great people, great games, great hanging out. One of the better events of the year, and I'm thrilled to see how far the club has come in such a short time. From non-existing as recently as October to now:
2 big trips (Vancouver - National Conference, Edmonton - Student Conference)
Dessert Potluck Kickoff Event
Weekly Bible Studies
Operation Christmas Child
Dinner at FMC in Toronto
25 person mailing list (and growing weekly)
Interfac (with more to come - including a Super Bowl party)
And more events planned for the rest of the year, including a speaker (likely a city attorney from Kitchener), and another party, it has just been fantastic. Such a God thing - amazing how He's brought it from nothing to this in such a short time. Truly amazing - thanks be to Him.
NFL Wrapup
2-0 on both this week - the games were pretty boring, no real contests. Puts me at 8-2 straight up, and 7-3 against the spread. Not too shabby.
More later today...
NFL Conference Championships
Straight Up (Playoff Record: 6-2)
Eagles
Patriots
Spread (Playoff Record: 5-3)
Eagles
Patriots
Top 10 (+1) of 2004
Well, I got inspired after my last post when I referred to the upcoming "Top 5 list of 2004". So I went on the net, looked up the
list of movies that were released in 2004, and I realized that I should do a Top 5 of 2004. Well, there are more than 5 - so I settled on 10, +1, of the best movies of 2004. Later on, I'll give Joel's Oscar picks (which I guarantee will be radically different than the ones those "critics" decide on).
Warning. Few of these movies were Oscar worthy. So don’t go off and say you “can’t believe I would pick that one”. Say what you want – just remember, if I had to take 10 (+1) movies from 2004 on a desert island, this is the selection I would take.
Number 11 –
Walking Tall
I learned from this movie is that The Rock can act. This was a fun, enjoyable flick, a true “check-your-brain-at-the-door” and enjoy. Which is really nice to have once in a while. Relaxing, and good action.
Number 10 –
National Treasure
I’m surprised this one made the list – I fully anticipated it to be “mediocre” – and was instead pleasantly surprised. Cage does a good job, and the plot keeps running the whole time, never really drops off. A fun caper movie – what Ocean’s Twelve should have been, but failed miserably. In thanks to a fun movie, this is it.
Number 9 –
The Bourne Supremacy
An inherently cool movie, with few mistakes. It’s debatable which was better between this one and the first – I’ll go with this one. The camera angles constantly changing (because they were handheld) was so cool, and the action was top-notch. The acting was also exceptional, Matt Damon can do anything, and Joan Allen also did a fantastic job.
Number 8 –
The United States of Leland
The only one on this list I didn’t see in theatres, although not for lack of trying. A movie that tries to do an awful lot – and didn’t quite make it. That said, full marks for trying, and an excellent cast. I didn’t totally see how Jena Malone could pull off the part of a druggie, and that didn’t really work, but Ryan Gosling, Kevin Spacey and Don Cheadle were all fantastic. A real thinker of a movie, and one that should have gotten more recognition.
Number 7 –
I, Robot
And now we enter the meat of the list – where people are losing the excitement of the initial few, and waiting for the final few. I think I was one of the few people who really enjoyed this movie – I found it funny, and I didn’t have the burdens of comparing it to the original book. Which I’m sure was better, but hey – it was a summer action flick that entertained me. It did its job, did it well, and that’s why its here. The ending was also great, and I really didn’t see it coming.
Number 6 –
The Ladykillers
I had a tough decision between this one and no. 5, both were good. The only 2 comedies on the list and Tom Hanks did a great job of showing he can be a bad guy. Gotta love J.K. Simmons as well, and Marlon Wayans – and yeah. Just a funny, funny movie. It’s good to laugh, and if laughter’s the best medicine, this should be a keeper.
Number 5 –
The Stepford Wives
I’m sure this will be the most questioned of my choices, and as of right now, I probably couldn’t stand to see this movie again, because I saw it so many times, with different people each time. But I really, really liked it. A great dark comedy, with a great cast that carried it the entire way. Bette Midler was hilarious, and Nicole Kidman showed that she can do pretty good comedy as well. Speaking of Kidman –
The Interpreter, due out this spring, looks like it will be one of the best movies of 2005. But that’s another list.
Number 4 –
The Passion of the Christ
I was one of the few people who came out of this movie thinking – “Wow, that wasn’t as gory as they said”. Aside from the fact that all the major movie studios were idiots for not producing it, this was a great movie – powerful, moving, and thoroughly thought-provoking. Definitely a movie that could not be watched without feeling emotion. It pulled no punches, and scored a major knockout.
Number 3 –
The Village
I’ll never understand why this movie got shredded by critics. Shymalan is amazing, and this was his second best (of the ones’ I’ve seen, yes, still haven’t seen
The Sixth Sense). A shocking moment midway through, and although it seemed to stutter at moments, it definitely deserves to make this list. It also has the distinction of being the only “thriller” on this list. And Joaquin Phoenix has gotta be one of the most underrated actors out there.
Signs,
Gladiator, and this year’s
Ladder 49 (which could be an honourable mention on this list) show that he’s one of the best out there right now.
Number 2 –
Spiderman 2
Yeah, here it is. How could this movie not make the list? A rare sequel that was better than the original, and hopefully, they’ll follow that up with another winner. Alfred Molina was great as Doc Ock, and another great performance in an increased role to J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah. I have fears about the third one, as I’m afraid they will simply use the Green Goblin 2 as the villain again (I’d much prefer Venom), but so far, Raimi hasn’t screwed up this series. We’ll give him the benefit of the doubt until he does (which is most unlike George Lucas, who no longer gets the benefit of the doubt in
Star Wars. Which still has potential to be one of the best of this year, but I’ll wait to see how badly Lucas butchers it).
Number 1 –
Collateral
In my opinion, this was an easy decision. In our first year in three without Lord of the Rings, I had assumed
Spidey 2 would easily top this list. But
Collateral was phenomenal. One of the best soundtracks of the year, coupled with not 1, but 2 of the best acting performances in any movie this year (Jamie Foxx, Tom Cruise) and a great plot, with fantastic camera – there’s too much good to say about it. Apparently they almost had Adam Sandler in Jamie Foxx’s role, which I wish I could see in a remake. Keep everything the same, except insert Sandler. Not that Foxx didn’t do a great job – he did – but I’d like to see what Sandler could do. Cruise did a great job as the villain for once, and the movie had a good, solid ending. No mistakes either. A great action/drama, and one that should get Oscar looks.
Well, that’s the list. 2 other great ones that didn’t make the list would be
Paparazzi (Mel Gibson’s production studio’s second flick after
The Passion) and
Ladder 49 (somewhere between a tribute, documentary, and drama). Feel free to disagree, comment, etc. – I’m sure I’ve forgotten, omitted one or two some of you will disagree with.
7 Days Left
Wow, the term is almost over. A week from today, I write my exam, and a day after that I'm off to Alberta. Looking forward to it - even though I don't really like the fact that we have a week off already - I'd prefer the reading week a little later in the term.
London applications are almost done - to be sent tomorrow. Should be interesting.
NFL picks are coming later in the week - I still haven't completely decided. Right now - as noted by one of my faithful anonymous posters, I'm 5-3 against the spread, and 6-2 straight up. In other words, it's a good thing I don't bet on football. Or anything, for that matter. The sporting event I picked the best was the 2002 World Cup of Soccer - where I picked the 2 finalists (and ultimate champion) correctly from before the tournament and I know NOTHING about soccer. In other words, sports gambling is pure guesswork.
Movie Review: In Good Company
A great movie. Very realistic - so much so, it wouldn't surprise me if something like that could happen any day. And a rare movie that didn't overextend itself, and didn't make any mistakes. It started, made its point well, and then ended. Unlike too many movies that try to do too much and can't quite get there, or movies riddled with holes, this one was darn near perfect. It's an early candidate on Joel's Top 5 Movies of 2005.
Music of the Day: City of Blinding Lights, by U2
One of the best songs off of the latest Atomic Bomb CD, probably the best - and definetely one of the best U2 songs ever. I'm kinda surprised it hasn't been picked as a single yet (Vertigo was one of the weakest songs on that CD), and I'm sure it will be.
Weird Day
So the prof today tells us a story about how he once dated a girl (before he was married of course - he was quick to point this out) who's parents came from somewhere where they did not know cars. And they made her wear a helmet while driving a car. Interesting.
We're also getting a heavy snowstorm now. Pretty darn cold too - feels like -20. But that's not as bad as what they have out East now, according to the news, so I suppose we should be thankful.
The world's oldest mother gave birth today.
She is 66. Sorry, but that's just odd.
But weirder -
psycho with nail in his head. Now THAT'S just insane.
So that qualifies as a weird day.
NFL Divisional Playoffs
Straight Up (Last Week: 3-1):
Steelers
Rams
Eagles
Patriots
Spread (Last Week: 4-0):
Steelers
Rams
Vikings
Patriots
3 Stupid Crooks
Well, I enjoy stupid criminal stories as much as the rest of them. And CNN.com compiled them all in one nice
news story.
1) The case of the Christmas Carol Burglar
2) The case of the French Fry Psycho
3) The case of the Locked-Out Robber
Enjoy!
Heat is Good.
Sunset on Mary Lake, Muskoka, Ontario, Canada
Having working heat is good, especially in the wintertime. They've now fixed our furnace, and it's warm in here again. Much appreciated as well - they had to put some sort of liner in the chimney - so no more carbon monoxide.
As it turns out, I was a perfect 4-0 against the spread last weekend in the NFL (3-1 straight up) - my best set of predictions ever. Now, I'll probably go 0-4 next week, but hey - I'll celebrate while I can (celebrate over rolling the dice correctly, or something like that).
I go back to class tomorrow after 4 days off - class everyday from W-F this week. I am still really enjoying the class, but I'm looking forward to having lectures again to help go over the book (it's the best way to learn).
It's amazing how quiet the library is at 8:15 in the morning. Especially down in the stacks - I didn't see anyone until 10 am. It was really nice, able to get lots of work done.
There's a joint meeting between CLF and the CMDS (Christian Medical Dental Students) at the end of the month - email me for more information.
And the Edmonton/Calgary trip looks like its going to be a tonne of fun - and it's only 2 weeks away. That's kinda scary - 2 weeks until my exam, and then another week and a half off. Weird. I'll be off from the 27th of January all the way until the 8th of February (no class on the 7th for me).
Music of the Day: Iris, by the Goo Goo Dolls
Yeah, back to old stuff. Live with it. A personal favorite of mine, always has been. It IS a bit of a problem when one's sister also likes the song and plays it repeatedly (like 8 times in a row) - kinda loses the luster a little bit. But that's okay - I still love you, sis.
Carbon Monoxide
So I wake up this morning to the news that we've got a guy coming to check out the furnace - my dad was smelling gas coming from the furance this morning. So the dude shows up, my mom leaves for errands, and lo and behold, we've got carbon monoxide being emitted from our furnace into our house (along with regular gas - my dad of course couldn't smell the CO because it is odorless - and deadly, of course). So they slap us with an "A" infraction tag, and shut off the gas. Fortunately, it's a relatively mild day, so it's not freezing in here - just cold. Lots of sweaters and socks.
The hot water was fine, and so we have power and hot water, just no hear. Lots of instant coffee and hot chocolate necessary as well. We've got a couple of furnace contractors here working on it now - hopefully they'll get it all fixed up quickly - I'd prefer to pass on the cold night (and colder day tomorrow expected), without a furnace.
I AM curious to know how long it has been leaking CO. Apparently, it can cause headaches and nausea (in smaller doses - in large doses it just kills you), and Zach has been struggling with migraine headaches for a while. Interesting. I wonder if there is a connection.
My drum set is now in our kitchen - Zach wants to play more regularly. We'll see how that goes - right now, it's just really noisy. Need to get some dampers for it - whenever he plays, the whole house can hear it.
Our church (New Hope Community) is running the Purpose-Driven Life again, and I'm once again participating. Sunday nights, 6:30 pm. I just realized that that is going to be a direct conflict with the Super Bowl. Hopefully they will cancel it for that week. Surely. It's a young adults/college and careers group. I guess I better get that request in soon.
Music of the Day: Somebody Told Me, by The Killers
I've been questioned about why my music of the day selections have been coming from years past - so I decided to go with a newer song. I just wanted to rant about how I can't stand this song at all. So repetitive, and cheesy. I have no idea why it is so popular - all I know is that once I hear it, it goes running through my head constantly for hours. And it's really annoying. If anyone can expound on the merits of this song, I'm more than willing to listen. Just don't be surprised if I disagree with you.
NFL Wild Card Weekend, Mid-Way Edition
So I went 1-1 straight up (Rams won, Chargers lost) - but I beat the spread 2-0 (Rams, Jets). Not bad, I suppose (I would have preferred if the Chargers had won, but that's what happens once in a while. Even I'm not perfect.
Movie Review: The United States of Leland
Good movie - tried to do maybe a little too much, but the acting was excellent, and it was very enjoyable. A real thinker movie. Ryan Gosling has obviously come a long way since Breaker High, and Don Cheadle was good in a non-Ocean's # movie. Jena Malone (in a druggie role that just didn't seem to fit), and Kevin Spacey in a "jerk-of-a-writer" role round out a good cast. A good rental.
Evil, Conniving Tim-Hortons-Pretty-Quarter Thief
I've been really enjoying January term - Law and Economics is great. In the lecture, I played the role of the evil, conniving Tim-Hortons-Pretty-Quarter Thief, and the lectures are just generally funny, well-organized and easy to understand. I've been able to resist the temptation of checking my email or using MSN in class (for 5 hours of lecture time now), so obviously the prof is doing something right..hehe
NFL Wild-Card Weekend. We should be seeing the Colts, Chargers, Rams and Vikings all advance to next weekend. This has been blogged before game 1 starts, so after I go 4-0, you'll all know it was legit.
Confirmed this week that I'm going to Alberta at the end of the month (January 27th-February 2). In Edmonton from the 27th-30th, at the CLF Law Student conference - with up to 75 law students/pre-law students across the country. Hosted at the University of Alberta, and will be staying with various students there. Should be a TONNE of fun, and the first time I've done any such trip on any reading week, so I'm looking forward to that. From the 30th-2nd, I'll be in Calgary, staying at a fellow UWO law student's house - just hanging out and exploring Alberta (Banff, Calgary, etc.). I can hardly wait. If anyone wants to go to the conference, let me know, there are opportunities still available, and spots open.
Music of the Day: Mr. Jones, by the Counting Crows. I was driving home the other day, and was stopped a red light. The girl in the car next to me was obviously singing at the top of her lungs and I was curious as to what song it was (my lip-reading skills still need some work). So I checked through the main London radio stations, and sure enough, it was Mr. Jones.
Coolest Pic In A Long Time
No apologies for this pic. Just way too cool not to post. It's a little fuzzy, I can't seem to fix it. The link to the article (and a clearer pic) is
here.
I'm not going to explain it, I'm just hoping that you can name each person here, and what role they played in one of the best movie series of all time. Hopefully it can maintain that as it ends this May.
Entertaining Angels
Well, finally settled on the "Law & Economics" class for January. The book is amazing, and so far, I'm enjoying it. The first real lecture is today, and we'll see how that goes.
I've been enjoying how the Raptors have done well since the Vince Carter trade, and the Nets really haven't improved at all. Always nice to see hard work pay off. And I'm a fan of the trade (you can put that on the official list of my opinions).
If you're wondering why in the world I'm talking about basketball, it's because I have no desire to think about hockey right now - until the NHL resolves the lockout, I won't be wasting my time with that league.
Go Canada Go - at the World Juniors. About time we won gold.
Have been spending lots of time in the library (yes, already). And it's been good - I've enjoyed being back in the routine. Surprisingly (maybe sadly), I was getting bored with Christmas break, and am happy to be back. I reserve the right to change that opinion at any time, however.
Music of the Day: Entertaining Angels, by the Newsboys. One of their best songs ever (probably the best) and I've never gotten tired of listening to it - as I have with most of their stuff. Although they've done a remarkable job of realizing they are all getting older, and reinventing themselves as a top-notch worship band now. I really need to get their latest CD - they do a really cool rendition of "Blessed Be Your Name" - a current favorite worship song.
The Link, As Promised
Here's the small version for the
O12 trailer, as promised.
Quick review of that movie - not bad, not great. Some very funny moments, but some very poor choices in the time allocation (too little Bernie Mac - too much Casey Affleck, for example). And the plot itself was fairly weak. Definetely not as good as O11 - although I wouldn't put it on the list for worst sequels of all time (which would go to Star Wars Episode 1 - simple because of the MASSIVE drop from the sheer brilliance of the original trilogy to Jar Jar Binks. I'll never figure out what George Lucas was thinking).
Hello again
Well, I almost made a full month without posting. The weeks between Dec. 3 and 17th were just so busy, and during the Christmas break I was pretty much taking a break from everything. So here I sit again in the library, trying to sort out what class I'll be taking this year.
For those unfamiliar with Western Law, we only take one class in January - the "January Term" (original names around here, huh?). It's a high-intensity, specialized, concentrated course. Well, as I think I ranted about already, my first one was canceled. They dumped me in this class about "Regulations of Whistleblowing", and I've been trying to find a replacement ever since. I was in "Protection of Minorities", but after the prof told me I'd be doing a complete look at the entire legal culture of Ecuador (among other things), I decided that was out of my league (and interest), and dropped the class. So now I'm going to be trying out "Whistleblowing" and "Biotech Law" this afternoon and next. Should be interesting, if nothing else. Heh. 3 and a half weeks, and then I'm done this term - followed by my reading week (early, I know), and then the "Spring Term" (give it up for original names).
Christmas was good - I didn't do much, which helped and was very nice. Very relaxing. I thoroughly enjoyed sitting around and doing very little. I received the LOTR Trilogy (very nice, thanks again to the parents), as well as some books, CD's, money, etc. A very nice Christmas, and good to spend lots of time with the family.
New Year's Eve - saw 54-40 at the Vic Park Bandshell - which was a lot of fun - they were pretty good, and just generally walked around downtown. The most bizarre and disgusting moment of the night was when we saw a couple of 14 year old girls puking on the sidewalk. At 10 pm. That was pretty sad.
Music of the Day: Beautiful Day, by U2. Got the ATYCLB CD from my sister for Christmas (a good gift), and really like the song - even if it's an ugly day out there right now.
