:: Privatjokr ::

With locations all over the country, it is unlike me to agree to The Capital Grille as our destination of choice when visiting a friend in Washington, D.C. When I travel I like to try restaurants that I cannot have anywhere else. I like those that are unique to the area.

In D.C. I did not fight the trip to The Capital Grille. The plan was for us to go out and not worry about the bill. There were three of us and we made sure to stop by an ATM before having dinner. We agreed limits were off. Not that this is the only way you can enjoy The Capital Grille, this is simply how we opted to approach dinner on this reunion weekend.

Whenever I sit down at a nice restaurant and peruse the menu my eyes immediately drift to the Soups. I am always keeping an eye out for restaurants that serve a lobster bisque. I have a soft spot for lobster bisque. The Capital Grille happens to be my favorite. Now you see why I did not fight the suggestion to have dinner here.

Though they are known for their dry-aged steaks, I (in a moment of weakness) opted just for the delmonico. My steak was great, but next time I will try one dry-aged.

One of my dining partners opted for a smaller steak to facilitate eating of two pounds of lobster as well. The other began his meal with oysters on the half shell.

In true steakhouse-style, the side items are served family style to encourage sharing and passing. Our table ordered Sam's Mashed Potatoes and the Fresh Asparagus with Hollandaise. (Hungry yet?)

The Capital Grille has great food, but also has a very comfortable atmosphere that is conducive to a long meal. This is understood and would be a reason behind the dinner menu including a full wine list and the dessert menu coming equipped with an extensive selection of after dinner drinks. Between the three of us we had no trouble finishing two bottles of wine before it was time for a round of desserts and a pair of after dinner drinks.

The Capital Grille is a restaurant chain that I do not mind having locally. It, obviously, it also a place I will gladly go even when on the road.

(No, we did not go to the original Capital Grille on Pennsylvania Avenue. We went to a different location in the metro area.)

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My trip last week to Scottsdale was an interesting one. There were a few new experiences as well as a few repeated ones.

If I chose to move somewhere south, I would not choose Florida. I would not choose Texas. Those places do not interest me. For some reason, I LOVE Arizona. Traveling to Arizona is not as bad in the winter as in the summer (2 hours behind ET rather than 3), but it is still tough to lose nearly a full day traveling when a flight from west to east is involved.

One of the gentlemen with whom I golfed for the tournament attached to our conference made a great point as we discussed vacation tips. He said that he vows to never spend his vacation in the air so all of his personal flights are redeye. Why lose a day? No need.

Speaking of golf, I'm happy to report that my foursome managed to win the award for highest score. Golf. Highest score. Yes, that means we lost. We were the worst team that played. I am not sure how their formula worked, but our score was not a good one when compared to the team that won for lowest score. Those guys got fleece jackets for winning and odds are it would not have fit me anyway, so the golf towel I got suits me just fine. And 2nd place through 2nd to last place all went home empty handed. You will not see me complain about being given a free towel from the golf course we played.

Here is what I would call the major difference between golf in Arizona and golf in Michigan. Let's just say that I am a seasoned veteran at finding balls hit into the woods. I may or may not have had my fair share of practice. Being the experienced woodsman that I am on the course, I put my head down and go find my ball. Consider my lesson learned. Using this same approach to finding my ball in the desert resulted in my walking into a cactus. Yes it was a small cactus and there was no serious damage, I just got stuck in the knee by a few needles. The continuing pain I had a few days later was ended when I noticed while drying off post-shower that I had two small splinter-like objects protruding from my knee. Apparently I had two little needles sticking out of my leg for two days and it never occurred to me to check.

We found a pretty fun place to kill a few hours between meetings. Garduños calls itself the "Margarita Factory". They have a Happy Hour from 3:30-7:00pm during the week. This Happy Hour is half priced margaritas and appetizers. It also features a little buffet of chips, salsa and various other Mexican snacks.

The food was great. The hotel was great. The golf was...at least a lot of fun. Hard to believe I was in town for work. I love Arizona. I cannot wait to get back.

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I found this place last April when I took my first work trip to the greater Phoenix area. It is located just west of the main drag of art galleries in Old Town Scottsdale. For someone who prefers mild warmth to severe heat, the atmosphere was perfect in April. Having just been there in February, the temperature was a little chilly.

The restaurant has an indoor seating area, though I cannot imagine a scenario when I would try to sit there. There is also a full patio which is why you have no reason to go inside.

The patio (covered in the rain) has space heaters if it does get cold out. There is a beautiful fountain in the middle of the patio that mixes a fire and water show with ambiance.

The menu is a modified Mexican. Traditional Mexican meals and tastes presented in new ways. The food is very good and I am told their margaritas, though not the best in town, are very good as well.

So far, this is my favorite restaurant in Phoenix/Scottsdale/Mesa, Arizona.

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A diverse collection of root bark tea and root brew recipes is the source of Journey's Historic Brews. Native Americans shared intense aromatic root tea with conquistadores in the 1500's. Since then, the Anglos, Germans, Scandinavians and Americans have blended and brewed an estimated 60 root beer types over the last five centuries.

Desert Sage honors the Native American tradition of including sage in their sassafras herbal root beer. Enjoy the surprise of delicious herbs and savory root beer.

A surprise it was, and delicious it was not. This does not even taste like anything I would call a root beer. It tastes and smells like Christmas decoration. I do not like this one.

How does it feel to be desired by every man and envied by every woman? Wonderful. This is the life Nora Sinclair has dreamed about, the life she's worked hard for, the life she will never give up.

When FBI agent John O'Hara first sees her, she seems perfect. She has the looks. The career. The clothes. The wit. The sophistication. The tantalizing sex appeal. The whole extraordinary package -- and men fall in line to court her. She doesn't just attract men, she enthralls them.

So why is the FBI so interested in Nora Sinclair? Mysterious things keep happening to people around her, especially the men. And there is something dangerous about Nora when Agent O'Hara looks more closely -- something that lures him at the same time that it fills him with fear. Is there something dark hidden among the unexplained gaps in her past? And as he spends more and more time getting to know her, is he pursuing justice? Or his own fatal obsession?

With the irresistible attraction of the greatest Hitchcock thrillers, Honeymoon is sizzling, twisting tale of a woman with a deadly appetite and the men who dare to fall for her. In his sexiest, scariest novel yet, James Patterson deftly confirms that he always "takes thrills to the next level" (Pittsburgh Tribune-Review).

"Already named International Thriller of the Year by the Book-of-the-Month Club and 15 other book clubs worldwide."

"All writers have a book that they know is their best book, ever. Welcome to James Patterson's."

These two comments are included in the inside cover of the book. Could this have been too much pressure? Maybe. Did I enjoy this book? Yes. Do I think this is his best? No, I don't think I do.

Honeymoon provided the mystery and suspense you expect in any Patterson novel. I find no fault in that aspect of the book. I think I was merely let down by one thing. As the book begins to take off I had a hope that Patterson would develop a new serial character. I was hoping that Nora Sinclair would become Patterson's "bad guy" character. He writes his antagonists so well maybe I feel it time that we get to see a glimpse of a main character who is not solving crime but in fact committing it. As I began the book, I had flashbacks to Cassie Black in Michael Connelly's Void Moon. Don't get excited, I am not ruining the book by telling you this isn't the case. If you've read the synopsis provided in the book (provided above) then you know it's not the case. I did not read that prior to reading the book. It was not a factor in my decision to read it. James Patterson wrote it. That is all it takes for me.

Could it be the best thriller of 2005? Absolutely. I am not saying this is out of the realm of possibility by any means. All I really question is how you can say this is Patterson's best. I think I look to either The Jester or Along Came A Spider when I try to decide which is his best.

The ending came a little too abruptly I felt, and there was one part of the book that I was hoping would be explored a little more deeply. Obviously I will not tell you in the middle of this which part I mean.

Ok, ok, ok. I will stop being critical. The book was very good. In Patterson-fashion it is a quick read. The book flows so well due to the fact that the author's writing style makes you progress quickly, but also the story pulls you in.

Read the book.

Buy Honeymoon $18.45

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For elaboration on my point above that contains spoiler information click

=> Read more!

Napoleon Dynamite told us it's pretty much his favorite animal. We laughed. We laughed at this ridiculous animal he made up.

He did make it up, didn't he?

Turns out the liger was not a figment of his movie imagination.

The liger is a cross between a male lion and a female tiger. It is therefore a member of genus panthera. It looks like a giant lion, with diffused tiger stripes. Like tigers (and unlike lions), ligers like swimming. -Wikipedia

(A tigon is the cross between a male tiger and a female lion.)

Who knew?

edit: This may unlock the secret. *NWS* CLICK *NWS*

This was my first stay at a Westin of any kind. I've heard legend of their registered trademark Heavenly Beds, but had never experienced one before. Having now spent three nights in one, I can begin to understand how they have earned the reputation in line with their name.

My room was not enormous, but was of a decent size. I was on the main floor of the hotel which may bother some people, but not me. I had a table and two chairs right outside the room for my use.

The bathroom was not huge, but was elegantly set up. Some hotels at which I have stayed recently have had cramped little bathrooms with no style. Kierland had a pretty nice setup; a nice big shower that I did not have to squeeze into next to a separate bathtub.

I did not have much chance to walk the grounds at the resort. My free time during the day was limited and I did not think I would get the full experience from touring at night. What I did see was enough to make me feel at home even though I was there to work. Stepping out back you are greeted with beauty. There is a large patio landscaped with palm trees and colorful flowers. There are many tables that have an individual outdoor fireplace and one large fire pit surrounded by many chairs. Raising your view you see a pond with a beautiful sculpture. Just beyond the water is a par 5 on the left and a par 4 on the right from the Kierland golf course. Beyond the holes you see the mountains.

We were spoiled in Arizona this week to see the incredible amount of green. The ground, the hillsides, the mountains were all green. The color was beautiful. One thirty year resident told us this is the most green Arizona has been in her time there.

The resort itself is expensive during the winder months. Another local told me, however, that if you can brave the desert summers the rooms are very affordable. He said that the rooms become an attraction to the residents of the area who just want a night or two away from home since the rates are so inexpensive.

No offense to the other resort in the greater Phoenix area at which I have stayed, but the Kierland gets my vote as the place to stay.

Great deal from Amazon.com right now. Pick from 50 titles (some obviously better than others) in their 2 for $15 deal.

CLICK HERE for 2 DVDs for Only $15

A guy I golfed with on Tuesday told me this one:

How many Notre Dame students does it take to change a light bulb?

5. 1 to change the light bulb and 4 to talk about how great the experience was.

Ok, so maybe I'm the only one who found that funny...

The Servant : A Simple Story About the True Essence of Leadership by James C. Hunter

In this absorbing tale, you watch the timeless principles of servant leadership unfold through the story of John Daily, a businessman whose outwardly successful life is spiraling out of control. He is failing miserably in each of his leadership roles as boss, husband, father, and coach. To get his life back no track, he reluctantly attends a weeklong leadership retreat at a remote Benedictine monastery.

To John's surprise, the monk leading the seminar is a former business executive and Wall Street legend. Taking John under his wing, the monk guides him to a realization that is simple yet profound: The true foundation of leadership is not power, but authority, which is built upon relationships, love, service and sacrifice.

Along with John, you will learn that the principles in this book are neither new nor complex. They don't demand special talents; they are simply based on strengthening the bonds of respect, responsibility, and caring with the people around you. Perhaps this is why The Servant has touched readers from all walks of life--because its message can be applied by anyone, anywhere--at home or work.

If you are tired of books that lecture instead of teach; if you are searching for ways to improve your leadership skills; if you want to understand the timeless virtues that lead to lasting and meaningful success, then this book is one you cannot afford to miss.

Buy The Servant $13.60

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Using Natural Ingredients, We Brew A Root Beer So Pure, So Rich And Creamy, You'll Swear It's Made In Heaven.

Brewed using ingredients from all over the world, Virgil's has a distinct flavor. Unfortunately, for my taste, the licorice is too overpowering. It even tastes more like a Birch beer to me, than a Root beer. Good, but not the best.

** Rhetorical **

What is the point of turning up the volume on a movie you're watching that is in Japanese with English subtitles?

To see me sitting at my computer at night with a book on my lap is not an uncommon scene. There did happen to be something different about it last night. It was not something that was different for the first time, just something that was different for the first time in over three months.

My old regimen involved leaving work 3-4 days a week and going straight to the gym. Once there I would play 2-3 hours of basketball. Needless to say I would be good and tired by the time I then got home. Once I hurt my ankle, plans changed. I was no longer playing basketball and my surplus of energy found no release.

Nearly two weeks ago Wil dragged me to the gym and we played a game or two both Friday and Saturday. It was nothing exciting, but nice none the less to be back on the court. I could tell, however, that I was not fully ready.

Last night I let him sucker me into going with him again. After a quick lift I could no longer contain my anxiety to get back on the court. Unsure how my ankle would hole up, I remained cautious, but played just the same.

I had a few scares, but nothing serious. I came down on another guy's foot in one of the handful of games we played, but I came down flat on it. My ankle didn't rotate. I got lucky.

We were probably at the gym for close to 2 hours, and though it wasn't nearly as much basketball as I used to play I was happy. My ankle is not 100%, but it is nice to know that I can test it a little more now than I could before. My legs will be sore tomorrow, but it is that "I did something" sore that I don't mind.

Sitting at my computer last night I was genuinely physically exhausted. It had been a long time. It felt great.

You are capable, competent, creative, careful. Prove it.

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter...

I read Into the Wild for the first time over four years ago after I had read Into Thin Air (also by author Jon Krakauer).

The argument has been made that having read the blurb on the back cover of the book (listed above) that there is now no reason to read Into the Wild in its entirety. What more could they tell you? You know how the story ends, don't you? Christopher Johnson McCandless died at the end of his journey. What you do not know is how he got from Emory University in Atlanta, GA to Alaska. The synopsis above does not tell you how many lives he touched, and how deeply, along the way.

Chris McCandless, or "Alexander Supertramp" to a few, was not the first to bid farewell to society and try his hand at living off the land, being at one with nature. He is, however, arguably the most unique individual to do so. Krakauer has pursued extensive interviews with not only Chris' family, but also friends who met him on the road and know him only as "Alex".

How deeply do you think you can be touched by a hitchhiker as you drive him a few hundred miles down the road? Did you ever think you would wish he would not get out of the car when it comes time? I am not sure the people who did Chris a favor ever thought they would either, however in their accounts they try to put into words what was so special about this particular young man.

Chris was a very gifted athlete. He was an above average student throughout his entire academic career at one point with aspirations of Harvard Law and the grades to match. He had an entrepreneurial spirit that had made him a good deal of money and earned him a lot of respect growing up.

Why would someone with this background give it all up and walk into the woods? Jon Krakauer takes us along the path to California, South Dakota, into Mexico, eventually to Alaska and many places in between to find out.

The author seems to approach this book as if he were trying to solve the mystery of Chris' death and in essence he was doing just that. He really tells us why Chris was unable to survive his journey and in the process we find out why he began the journey in the first place. The depth of the research is remarkable. Krakauer in this, and all of his books, really goes the extra mile to talk to anyone and everyone involved and find out as many details as possible. I have the highest level of respect for the work that Jon Krakauer does for his books.

In the Acknowledgements section at the end, the author thanks those he interviewed for helping him put the book together. If you read this book I am sure you will, like I do, want to thank them as well. Less than a year has passed from the time you find out a loved one has passed away; a loved one about whom you have worried everyday since he last contacted you which was two years ago. Along comes a journalist who wants to get to know him through you. How forthcoming would you...or could you be?

If you like this, another Krakauer book I cannot recommend enough is called Under the Banner of Heaven.

Buy Into the Wild $10.36

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Roman Polanski's brooding film noir exposes the darkest side of the land of sunshine, the Los Angeles of the 1930s, where power is the only currency--and the only real thing worth buying. Jack Nicholson is J.J. Gittes, a private eye in the Chandler mold, who during a routine straying-spouse investigation finds himself drawn deeper and deeper into a jigsaw puzzle of clues and corruption. The glamorous Evelyn Mulwray (a dazzling Faye Dunaway) and her titanic father, Noah Cross (John Huston), are at the black-hole center of this tale of treachery, incest, and political bribery. The crackling, hard-bitten script by Robert Towne won a well-deserved Oscar, and the muted color cinematography makes the goings-on seem both bleak and impossibly vibrant. Polanski himself has a brief, memorable cameo as the thug who tangles with Nicholson's nose. One of the greatest, most completely satisfying crime films of all time.

Look at the cast (Nicholson, Huston, Dunaway). Look at the director (Polanski). I will be so bold as to call Chinatown a classic. It fits the bill.

This is another movie that I had wanted to see for a long time that I never got around to renting. Thanks again to online DVD rental services, I was able to see a movie I have otherwise not gotten around to seeing.

I am having a hard time articulating what I liked so much about this one, but believe me when I say that I really liked it.

I love the mysteries throughout which you are constantly trying to sleuth along side the main character(s). My favorites, however, are the ones that take you in circles. I want plot twists. I want to be led in directions that end up being dead ends. I want to be left surprised at the ending, admitting that I never saw it coming.

Though I was not surprised at the ending of Chinatown, there certainly were plenty of twists in the plot. A longer movie, at more than 2 hours, that never dragged; Chinatown did not disappoint.

The movie was also extremely aesthetically pleasing. No, I am not referring to Faye Dunaway...entirely. The style chosen for the film was using muted colors and accenting a few greens, blues, yellows and pinks. The stark contrast between the dull scenes and strategically placed vivid colors was great.

A great movie at a great price. I will certainly be adding Chinatown to my collection.

Buy Chinatown $11.24

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Yesterday (Saturday) morning I had somewhere I had to be at 8:30am. It was the type of engagement that had I missed it I would have needed to wait 4 months for another appointment. My appointment was to take my LSATs and once the testing has begun, if you are late you do not get to take the test. The next test date is scheduled for June.

Sure I was smart enough to leave plenty early. No surprises at the testing site if you arrive early enough. I only had one stop to make on my way. Makes sense to swing by the convenience store for an eraser in case of any mistakes on the exam, does it not?

I exit the store and get in my car. Backing out of my parking space I notice that something is afoot. Parking halfway out of the space I run around my car to see my front right tire completely flat.

What I thought was an innocent incident, apparently was more severe. On route to the store the truck in front of me ran over an umbrella of all things. In doing so the umbrella flew out from beneath the truck directly at...my front right tire.

Long story shortened in the interest of your time, it is a good thing that my parents live 10 minutes away from the store in whose parking lot I was stranded. I was, however, prepared to seek other means to make my appointment. Thoughts crossed my mind to walk back into the store and ask for a ride. I was even ready to walk the remainder of the way; I was not far away mind you.

Nothing too exciting. Just dumb luck.

(In the end I made it on time and my tire was changed shortly after my test. The test went as well as was expected. I get my results in a few weeks.)

Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Volume One Disc One

From the Main Menu select Special Features. On this menu highlight the Episode Commentary and press to the right. See the pendant on Carl's chain light up. Press Enter/Select to see what I believe is an alternate opening to Episode Two: Escape From Leprechaupolis.

Playing around on the internet as I, like many, often do, I happened upon a site this morning not unlike many others. It was a blog with a more preachy atmosphere (not my style) but one thing on the page really stuck out in my mind. It had nothing to do with the page's author which is why the link is not included. Through simple Google banners it is amazing to see what the internet has to offer.

I understand that the logic built into the Google ad just grabs text from the current page and shows that you can search eBay for anything under the sun, but I would guess stem cells might be one item they might not want to advertise. But as always, I could be wrong...It's just not likely ;).

In honor of the Super Bowl this Sunday, I offer you a short clip from TerrellOwens.com.

Click here to see T.O. doing the Ray Lewis Dance

Oh, and GO BIRDS!

Leif Enger's best-selling debut is at once a heroic quest, a tragedy, and a love story, in which "what could be unbelievable becomes extraordinary" (Connie Ogle, The Miami Herald). Enger brings us eleven-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy in the Midwest who has a reason to believe in miracles. Along with his sister and father, Reuben finds himself on a cross-country search for his outlaw older brother who has been controversially charged with murder. Their journey unfolds like a revelation, and its conclusion shows how family, love, and faith can stand up to the most terrifying of enemies, the most tragic of fates.

Here it is. The long anticipated review of the book that took me more than a month to get through. My motivation to get through this book was nearly non-existent until the past few days. As per usual I finished the book in a hurry with one goal in mind: that next book. What was different about this scenario was that I had more pages than usual to bang out and finish up.

I've said many terrible things about this book over the course of our time together and I want to clear things up. This book was not nearly as horrible as I let on at first...second and third. I have decided that since the book gets off to such a slow start, I was lost right out of the shoot and had to fight too hard to get back into the book. Call it my stubborn nature, I think "determination" sounds better, but I did not put this book down unfinished and I am glad I gave it a chance.

The ending of the book was pretty good. It seemed as though the author forced some action to be able to include some story. He basically had to manufacture action to allow for his predetermined reaction. This made the end of the book pretty choppy. The action was pretty out of place, but I understand how it was necessary for the reaction.

One constant throughout the novel was the author's writing. Enger wrote a book beautifully. Notice I did not say he wrote a beautiful book. What he wrote was not the best, but how he wrote it was fantastic.

At the end of the day I still list Peace Like a River as a "Don't Read". Even though the story came on at the end, I cannot think of anyone to whom I would recommend this book. Thank you to my uncle who suggested I read it, but I did not love it.

Buy Peace Like a River $9.75

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So I am the type of person who does not venture out much in terms of menu variability. When I got to a restaurant, not for the first time, I almost always get the same thing. Most places I visit I have my "go to" order. I know what I am getting when I walk in the door, I do not even require a menu.

I would be remiss if I said I cannot think of any time(s) when this is used against me by friends and/or family. I am given a hard time over simply knowing what I want. If you know a restaurant is good, you go there. If you know an item on the menu is good, would you not get it? Why go out and risk having a bad meal? I do not see the point in it.

I listen to a skipping record in my head that plays, "Why not try something else?" over and over again. Funny how the voice on the recording is my parents, my siblings and my friends all at the same time.

Fine, today I tried something else. I went to a restaurant I enjoy roughly one time each week and ordered something other than what I get normally. When the waitress seats me she asks if I want the usual. (Yes, the usual. Having your own "usual" is a beautiful thing.) Here I have to tell this poor woman that her world is coming to a crashing halt as I am not getting what I always get. She actually thought I was kidding. I ordered something else and she gave me a funny look and asked if I meant it.

"I cannot believe it either," I wanted to tell her.

But I actually went through with it. Do I feel as though I am a better person for it? Not even a little bit. You know what? My lunch was not very good today. My "go to", the USUAL, is significantly better than what I ate today.

Maybe it was psychological. Perhaps I had talked myself out of liking what I got today because it was not my usual. Did you think of that too? YOU'RE WRONG. It was just not as good.

I ate it, sure. I went through with it. To appease you all, I ordered something different. And I will never do it again.

Let hatred turn into friendship because of your existence.

The most that you can spend on any child is time.

A situation in which I rarely find myself is one that continues to baffle me. What is one to do when the book being read currently is displeasing? I am not saying so much that the book is bad. It is...but that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying that for whatever the reason I cannot get into this book. It absolutely shames me to admit that I have been reading this book for over a month now (which explains why you've seen no book reviews written in 2005) and I am only 2/3 of the way through it. A 310 page book is causing me such a hassle.

Sure I now get DVDs in the mail, but I think my motivation to see as many as possible is increased due to the idea of reading this book being so unappealing. I do not think I am just reading less because I am watching so many movies. That make sense?

I know my desire to read has not decreased. I have picked up a few books in the past few days and (I have a weird relationship with books) just holding other books was a good feeling. I like the idea of reading and I want to be doing it.

So I visited this issue when I was on page 130, now I am on page 205. My point is that my luck is such that if I put it down on page 130, on page 131 the book will get good. I am not one to put down a book once I've started it. Especially since this book was recommended to me, I want to be able to say that I at least finished it. I will not be accused of not giving the book a fair shot and putting it down pre-maturely.

A coworker and fellow reader gave me her opinion when asked. She told me that she will not waste her time with a book that she does not like and will absolutely put it down and move on.

Am I just nuts? Does anyone else stick it out? Should I just put this down and pick up another?

A car accident serves as the bouncing-off point for three separate stories.

This one was added to my viewing queue following a long and artsy review by Moyer. As he and I generally like the same movies, how could I go wrong? I guess I set myself up for a fall with that one. Bring on the irony. I never thought I would utter the following phrase, "This movie was just too dark for me."

3 LONG stories all linked around a car crash scene that opens the movie. Each story not only involves, but is centered around characters' relationships with dogs. I am not a dog person, but I do consider myself an animal lover (go figure). All three "shorts" (I use that term loosely) shows dogs getting either hurt or killed. It was not enough for me to be offended or grossed out or upset, but it did hurt my opinion of the movie.

My thoughts are not all negative towards Amores Perros. I did like how the main characters/dog owners in each story are just like the dogs with which they keep company. Parallels can easily be drawn between the characters and the dogs. In this way to suggest that we are not so unlike dogs and that we are not necessarily as civilized as we like to think was very well done.

I think the percentage of people who would like it is so small that the odds are not in your favor. If you do happen to see it and do like it, I will stand corrected. That said, good and bad both shown above, it is my recommendation that you should pass.

Buy Amores Perros $11.24

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It would appear that Gmail is ready to expand at a more rapid rate. Though account creation is still on an invitation-only basis, the invitations current users are granted have expanded. What has been 3-10 invitations at a time that we are awarded to dole out since Gmail started is now revamped.

Logging into my Gmail this morning as my Gmail Notifier alerted me that I had an e-mail in my inbox I saw this new invitation box. Beyond setting my mom up with her very own Gmail account (finally able to tear her away from a certain company that goes by a simple three letter acronym), I don't know what to do with 50 invitations.

As with before, if you are interested just leave a comment if you're interested in an invitation. If you are worried about the internet boogeyman stealing your e-mail address I won't complain if you send me "name (at) domain (dot) com". And no, I will not use your e-mail address for anything other than sending you your Gmail invite.

As an avid supporter of Google and everything that they do, I am glad to see that Gmail is finally getting off the ground and they are opening it up to more users. It would be nice if I could look forward to a 2005-06 Google Fantasy Football League (hint hint). Add that and streaming audio and I will never have any reason to visit "the competition".

What is good is when it is Thursday afternoon and you suddenly realize that tomorrow is Friday. You think, "Man, this week really flew!"

v.

What is bad is when it is Tuesday night and you finish the leftovers your mom gave you to take home after dinner with your parents a few nights ago and are washing dishes and suddenly you realize it's only Tuesday. Friday could hardly be further away.

It hasn't even been a particularly trying week for me work-wise; especially in comparison to the previous two. It was nice that I was not feeling ambitious this evening. As our meeting came to an end this afternoon/evening my boss asked if I had any crazy plans. I explained to her that if in fact ambitious was how I felt, my big plans tonight meant ironing. With that to look forward to it is certainly hard to imagine how my motivation to iron those shirts disappeared the second I walked through my door.

I am 24 years old. On Monday I did a few loads of laundry. On Tuesday I had planned to iron clothes washed Monday. My god my life is exciting.