A Really Good "Romance" Flick

It could be that I just really enjoy Natalie Portman in a stripper outfit, but hot damn, "Closer" is a great movie that I HIGHLY recommend. If you have HBO On Demand, it's there, although I'm not sure when it runs out.
What did I like about the movie? The dialogue involving Jude Law was great and Clive Owen's lines are like brutal stabs in the face of the typical "chick flick." Really, the movie is as slick as Ocean's Eleven although it's not trying as hard. It's about 4 people and how they all influence each other's lives and run into each other within a certain period of time, etc.

The movie kind of reminded me of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind only less predictable and with much cooler dialogue. Oh, and Natalie Portman being the hottest I've ever seen her doesn't hurt.

My 4 year undergraduate Collegiate career is over.

Not that it deserves to be under a random movie review. It feels strange to be "done." Everybody knows the cliches, the douchebags who say "Welcome to the Real World," "9-5, 24/7," and "Yea, college years are your best ones, enjoy it while it lasts," etc. etc. etc.

Being in the period in time that is post-undergraduate college, I feel like I have to prove the cookie-cutter John Doe 9-5er stigma wrong. It partly the reason I didn't major in Accounting or Finance. I didn't want to be stuck in a rat race leading a miserable existence. That's my personal stigma, and I could easily be wrong, but such is life.

I didn't say goodbye to everyone that I would have liked to. I hate to sound depressing, but it really feels like a tornado that is unraveling everything really quickly and unexpectedly. It's self explanatory that everything comes to an end and in the case of a semester you can actually set the date and nearly the time, but it isn't real until it actually knocks you in the balls. And right now my proverbial balls are sore.

The toughest part of all this is that all my life I've known what to expect. Summer is laughable job followed by a school year. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse, Repeat. Lather, Rinse, WAIT WHAT THE FUCK WHO TURNED THE WATER OFF?

I'm trying to make this blog more "viral" with people who comment with enlightening individual comments. Are you a recent graduate who still finds the time to hang out, drink beer, play videogames and enjoy life as much as before you started work? If so, make yourself heard, share your story. I'll read it at least.

P.S. - I didn't attend my graduation. Instead I went to Newport, RI to spend a quality weekend with friends I hadn't seen in about a year. We had a rocking great time and it feels great to meet and hang out with characters you normally wouldn't. My biggest regret was that my parents didn't see me walk and get pictures taken of me wearing a ridiculous looking hat and a black gown.
Some people feel very strongly about the choice I made. Apparently this act of dressing up and walking and taking pictures in a field with similarly stupid looking friends and classmates is very holy and it is the prize of 4 years of tuition, of blood and sweat and tears.

Call me a hippie, but I just struggle to see it that way. If you didn't watch movies and TV, the commencement idea would seem pretty silly. Just because it's the final episode of all your favorite teen television shows doesn't validate its existence.

I graduated and I have funny stories and $100 textbooks to show for it. I also ideally have some knowledge in the marketing field and a bunch of friends and acquaintances that I wouldn't otherwise have. That is my commencement.

Pearl Jam - Live in Concert, May 25th 2006

Great show. My seats were behind the stage, but there were no obstructions. The sound was terrific and I got to rock out with Neil to one of the best alternative bands of our time. I wish I recognized more of Pearl Jam's songs - the setlist included many that I wasn't familiar with - but no matter the song, Eddie Vedder is a brilliant artist who captures the attention of the audience with a down to earth, drinking-booze-on-stage approach.
My favorite selections of the night were songs I recognized, like Alive, Wishlist, and Betterman. I was hoping to hear Yellow Ledbetter, Elderly Woman Behind a Counter, All Those Yesterdays and Thin Air, but so it goes - those were tracks from the Mansfield show a few years back and they sounded great.

Soon I'll be going to the Radiohead show - It's going to be scrumptralescent.

PS - If you're a Pearl Jam fan and you want a recording of the show I attended, you can purchase the mp3s at www.pearljam.com

"Support Our Troops"

OK - don' t expect a crazy far left hippie rant, because that's not what this is. It's not a right winged ignorant one either. Here's what I'd like to say: I do not understand why people put magnets on their cars that read "support our troops." First of all, it implies that those that don't own the magnets must not support American troops. Secondly, why do citizens feel that they need to advertise their "support" of troops, does it make any difference in national morale? Is the bright yellow magnet serving a societal need or a personal, egoistic one instead?

I logically hate that young americans are dying overseas. There are too many factors involved to come to a firm decision like this war is good or this war is bad, and you'll get a plethora of political opinions on the topic that end up in nothing but two monkeys throwing poo at eachother. I just wanted to say that support of people risking their lives should be implied, it shouldn't be some commercial good to profit some guys company that's probably outsourcing production of the magnets to China or something.

Which brings me to the film: United 93.
I haven't seen it and I don't want to see it. I don't care that it's received good reviews. The actual events were so dramatic and horrifying that seeing a made-for-movies reenaction doesn't interest me.

I apologize that this post isn't very funny. But I saw a group in facebook that a friend of mine was in, and the name of the group was "Support Our Troops." Does this mean that the kids not in the group therefore don't support our troops? It's just stupid, and the support of soldiers should be inherent. If you're going to join a group like this looking for public awareness then choose something like the hunger in Africa or the plight of people in New Orleans, or something that isn't so saturated in the media and so prevalent on, for example, the bumper stickers on big Ford SUVs. I'd like to hear some opinions on this, even though people don't seem to like to respond. I hope this war can end soon and instead of buying yellow magnets people can buy welcome home banners and vacation airline tickets.

Hello lovers, a picture post for you on this beautiful Sunday morning:

You know how athletes thank God when their team wins? What if they're buddhist or something - do they thank the elephant with all the legs? What if they're atheist? Who do they thank then?

Well that's kind of the way I feel right now, I just got accepted as an intern for AbsolutePoker.com - and everything is coming up roses. I can't wait to live in Costa Rica for the summer and possibly beyond - it's going to be incredible, and who knows - I might post pics of all the fun I have.

Costa Rica - Summer 06 - Amazing.