Watchmen Review

Let's say this. This is not just another super hero movie. Watchmen is far from being Spider Man, Superman, or even The Dark Knight.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name, Watchmen is a darker semi-realistic take on the life of a super hero in the real world. While the Spider Man movies and The Dark Knight touch on the topic of the super hero having to battle public perception, Watchmen takes it to the next level.

Taking place in an alternate 1985 that not even Doc Brown could have predicted to Marty McFly Richard Nixon is serving his unprecedented fifth term as President of the United States in a time of turmoil. The USA is inching closer and closer to a nuclear war with the USSR. Reluctant to take a strike on the Soviets Nixon waits until Dr. Manhattan, the lone super hero with any real incredible powers, can come up with a device that can bring the Soviets down easily. Dr. Manhattan, a scientist who found himself trapped in an intrinsic field sub tractor which gave him super powers, has been sub contracted by the U.S. government and given the Americans a strategic advantage.

The storyline of the movie follows the history of each super hero's rise and subsequent fall. The Comedian, is one of the elder super heroes. After the heroes have gone into hiding somebody has tracked down The Comedian and killed him. But who could have done such a thing? On the way to learning who is behind all of the sinister plots to kill off the super heroes in hiding we meet Nite Owl, a character that is influenced by Batman, Ozymandias, who is a big fan of Egyptian culture and Alexander the Great, Rorschach, who wears a white mask that changes formations that resemble ink blot tests, and Sil Spectre, the daughter of a heroine of the same name.

My favorite character was Rorschach, who reminds me of Wolverine from X-Men. Both characters have a determination to take matters in to their own hands and have little care for what others feel is right. However, both know inside that they need the help of their friends to achieve the ultimate goal; justice.

The movie is long at two hours and forty minutes. I felt the movie lagged a little in the middle at times but the action scenes are solid and pick up the pace when it is needed. But as I said, this super hero movie is more than your traditional super hero movie so be prepared.

Watchmen is definitely worth checking out. The cast works well together, with no big names heading in.

What did you think of the movie? Did it live up to your expectations? Did it disappoint you or impress you?

Official Movie Website

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The Not So Sad Thing Is, I Like It

Fans of Guitar Hero may be familiar with a Los Angeles based band by the name of Shaimus. All of This, off of their debut album (Paper Sun), was one of the unlockable songs in the early versions of the video game iteration of air guitar.

Wanna be musicians who spend their time playing Rock Band 2 will hear a familiar sound with Like A Fool in the form of a free download. The song is part of the latest release from the up and coming band from the west coast, The Sad Thing Is, We Like It Here. Truth is, there is nothing to be sad about with the second installment in the young band's discography.

The alternative rock band hails from Boston and has come a long way in a short amount of time. I have listened to Paper Sun numerous times since its release and have listened to The Sad Thing Is, We Like It Here enough times to have noticed the progression of the style of the group. When you listen to the songs you feel like you are listening to a band that has been around for a while, one that knows who they are and where they want to go.

"Easily the biggest improvement over Paper Sun is that this was more of a full-band effort," says Shaimus guitarist Evan Brown. "We were still in our formative stages as a band while recording Paper Sun, and as a result we didn't quite have our sound together yet and much of the album sounds more like Phil [Beaudreau] and a backing band."

There is something familiar about that sound, but at the same time it is refreshing in this world of pop music. Everything is catchy and you will find yourself humming Turn the Other Way as fast as you can actually turn the other way. I know I did.

Below is a music video for Turn the Other Way...



To say that Shaimus is everything that is right about music would be an understatement. These five guys love what they are doing and it shows. All of the songs were written by the group as a whole. The band also takes the credit for producing the album.

"This album is 100% Shaimus and really defines our true sound as a band," says Brown.

Do you have $10? If so and you are looking for a new band to check out, buy this album. Not only will you be adding a fine CD to your music library but when the final track finishes you might just find yourself cheering on for Shaimus at the end and hoping they stick around.

-------------------------------------------------
Artist: Shaimus (website)
Album: The Sad Thing Is, We Like It Here (link)
Where to Download: iTunes, Amazon

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17 Kids and Boring

I admit that I watch the show Jon and Kate Plus Eight routinely, although I will also tell you that I only watch it because my wife watches it and I feel it is only fair because she watches so much baseball and football with me. Whether you believe that or not is up to you. I have also seen on numerous occasions the specials on the Duggar family, a family with more children than a grape vine has grapes. Possibly addicted to the uniqueness of such a big family I always made sure to watch the specials as the documentaries explore how the Duggars get from their Arkansas home to a gathering for other large families as well as how they progress on the building of their next home, a task they complete as a family rather than pay anyone to construct it. It is rather impressive.

But now TLC has gone too far, giving the family their own series as opposed to special documentaries. Why is that going too far? Because this family is flat out boring when you watch them for so long. Putting aside any opinions you or I may have about their religious preferences and whether or not we agree on their parenting philosophy of "more is better", it is painfully obvious that this family provides no personality worthy of being on tv each week.

Meet the Duggars. From left to right: Jim Bob (holding some kid who's name starts with "J"), Michele (holding another kid who's name starts with "J") and a whole bus load of kids whose names start with "J")

In the debut episode of 17 Kids and Counting ("Counting"? Yep...more on that later) the family took an airplane trip to New York City to appear on The Today Show on NBC for Mother's Day. Imagine taking a family of four or five to New York City and all the things that can distract you or your kids patrolling through the city and hailing a cab driver and ordering some lunch. Now imagine doing so with 17 kids. This sounds like a cool idea for a show, but the problem is I have seen this all before.

Jon & Kate Plus Eight has already done this to death with shows in which they travel to Chicago to be on the Oprah show, or taking a plan to Utah for a stay at a ski resort. Sure, 17 kids can be a lot more hectic than the 8 on Jon and Kate, but what Jon and Kate has is personality. If you have ever seen the show you would know that Jon is very mild mannered but can have a short fuse while Kate is nervous and easily irritated and panicky when it comes to her kids. Kate won't even let her kids walk around a hotel room without shoes on.

Michele Duggar on the other hand is very easy going and calm, even when disciplining her children, which from what I have seen is rarely needed. Both families have great family togetherness and values, but if I am going to watch a show about raising kids and the trials and tribulations that ensue, I want to see the kids get in trouble!

17 Kids and Counting has no misbehaving children. I mean it! No biting, no fighting, no scratching, no stealing, no yelling, no arguing. They all just get along. The most interesting storyline in the whole episode was when one of the younger Duggars (I won't even bother trying to figure out what the name of the kid was because there are so many of them) walked off in the airport with none of the other Duggar family members noticing. Immediately I am thinking of Home Alone 2, but there is no panic from the father, who we follow in search of his kid after hearing an announcement. Is Jim Bob really that calm and patient? He seemed to think nothing of the situation. Perhaps he thought that if the kid got lost that he and Michele could easily replace him? I shutter to think. If they had happened with the Gosselins then Kate would be tearing the airport apart trying to find her kid.

All is well that ends well though as the kid was returned to the rest of his family in the airport. Whew! What a relief.

Of course the big news that was supposed to be a surprise to the 17 kids on The Today Show was that Michele was pregnant. It is beyond me why any of the kids, especially the oldest ones, were the least bit surprised. If I were in that family I could probably predict the exact birth dates of my next 12 siblings. The whole thing has become such a joke. If you didn't know, each child's name starts with the letter "J". And now you can cast your vote for what the Duggars should name their next child, possibly because they have run out of ideas. Ironically though, each option to vote for (one for a boy and one for a girl) starts with "J". No write-in votes either. I was seriously ready to cast my vote for Juanita for a girl or Joakim for a boy.

Future episodes will document the engagement of Josh, one of the older boys as well as the family dating rules. That pair of episodes will be next week. The following week the show will document when another big family visits the Duggars. The entertainment value behind these episodes seems to be lacking.

Bottom line is that I used to like watching the Duggar documentaries, but enough is enough. I don't know if I can take anymore of it. The problem with the Duggar family is that they are a great subject for a documentary, but not fit to be the focus of a prime time tv series.

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New York City Recap; Dale and Thomas Popcorn

Before heading to catch our Broadway show we were walking around Times Square when the distinct aroma of popcorn took us captive. We had just passed Dale and Thomas Popcorn, a gourmet popcorn shop.

For a few bucks you can get a bag of uniquely flavored popcorn. Our pick was peanut butter white chocolate drizzle. I admit that I had low expectations for this food from the beginning, but one handful of the stuff and I was convinced. This was some good popcorn!

The flavor reminded me of Christmas time, probably because that is when most people have flavored popcorn like this. Some of the other flavors Dale and Thomas Popcorn offers include Cookies n' cream, north country cheddar, backyard BBQ, Dale's caramel and more. If the other flavors are as rich as the peanut butter and white chocolate drizzle, then you would be in for a treat!

If you go to the shop in person only a handful of the flavors will be available on any given day. You can get the popcorn delivered though by visiting their website.

If you walk in to their store and can't make up your mind then just ask for a free sample of any flavor (or flavors) you wish.

Tomorrow: New York City - The New Chocolate Town USA?

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New York City Recap; ESPN Zone

Stef and I went up to New York City last Saturday. For our anniversary I was able to get tickets to The Little Mermaid on Broadway, a show Stef has wanted to see since it debuted. We took a bus ride up, ate at the ESPN Zone in Times Square, and walked up and down a few times before the show, and a little bit after the show.

Over the next few days I want to share the experience with you. Today we take a look at the food we consumed...

ESPN Zone
After the bus dropped us off in front of a McDonald's, Stef and I walked towards the epicenter of Times Square and ate at the ESPN Zone. I had eaten there before but this was Stef's first time. I ordered a Black and Blue Burger, a burger "seasoned with blackening spice, topped with gorgonzola cheese, and served on a toasted bun with lettuce, onion, tomato, and chipotle mayonnaise. It was amazing. Stef ordered a grilled chicken caeser salad. It looked good.

We ate while the college football pre game shows were on, which was interesting. It was fairly empty when we entered, but by the time we left the place was filling up, especially around the bar area as the noon college games were getting set to kick off. There was one Iowa State fan who was definitely amped for his team's game against Iowa.

Aside from the college football fans there were plenty of New York Mets and Yankees fans getting in a good meal before their baseball teams took the field that afternoon. And what took me by surprise was the number of Tampa Bay Rays fans I found. One guy was wearing a Devil Rays Fred McGriff jersey in the ESPN Zone.
Yeah. It's even uglier on an overweight white guy wearing his hat backwards.

What I love about the ESPN Zone is the bathrooms. If you use the stall you'll have a TV hanging above you tuned to one of the games on TV at the moment, or I would assume whatever is on ESPN. Need the urinal? Don't worry, for there is a miniature tv screen placed right in the wall for you.

I may despise ESPN on the whole as a network, but they have their restaurant in top form. The food isn't much more expensive than you would expect to pay at an Applebees or Ruby Tuesday either. With the Spectrum being torn down soon I hope that an ESPN Zone finds a way to have a home in the development project that will take its place. I think it would be a great idea, especially with an ESPN Radio affiliate now in Philadelphia (950 ESPN).

Other similar alternatives in New York City include a Planet Hollywood and the good old Hard Rock Cafe.

Tomorrow: Dale and Thomas Popcorn

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Facebook Backlash

As [100] million Facebook users now know, the site has been redesigned. The changes have not exactly gone over too well, although more people than not apparently aren't complaining. I for one will voice my displeasure over the new layout.

Many people dislike it. Some are indifferent. I don't like it but I admit it is probably not as bad as some people make it out to be. It certainly has been a news worthy item though in the technology and internet community.

I like this intro to the story in the Chicago Tribune yesterday [link];

Imagine coming home from work to find your house in a different color, the rooms switched around and the furniture rearranged.

That's the virtual equivalent Facebook users have faced or will face as the online hangout forces its 90 million members to adapt to a redesigned site, unveiled in late July. Beginning this week, users' profiles will be irrevocably migrated to the new site. And the changes are being met with a mix of protest and resignation.

Let's take a tour...

The Tabs

I understand the idea going here and it doesn't seem terrible, at first. Why Facebook would decide to implement this tab idea though is beyond me. With the old layout all of the information that would appear in these tabs used to be right on a person's profile page in a resume sort of layout. What I mean is all of your profile information was laid out from top to bottom, depending on what you wanted published. If you wanted to close, or minimize, this information all you had to do was click on the heading and it would all be hidden. The best part about the old way was the clean and efficient look it would give he user.

The new tabs allow the user to view what information they want to see, whether it be comments on the person's Wall, detailed profile information, photos of the person in the profile, or view all of the "extras" the individual has added to their profile.

Facebook's biggest problem may have been the excessive amount of applications that users would add to their profiles pages. Many applications add to the content being provided by users and it was a way of customizing their individual profile to best showcase themselves. The new layout hinders that extra touch of personality and instead shoves it all into a cluttered mess under a tab titled "Boxes".

For example, my old Facebook profile had extra applications that represent me and I felt I placed them in spots that were fit for each. I have an application for Phillies fans, Penn State fans, a game I enjoy, a section for quizzes and a few others I liked. Now it is likely that nobody will ever see them because they are under the vague "Boxes" tab.

Facebook does give each user the opportunity to add extra tabs to better showcase different applications, but I am curious as to just how many people will really do that.

Wall Filters

I admit that this is not the most terrible idea ever. On your profile page you can see all activity on the wall (for non-Facebook users, the Wall is where users can exchange messages to each other that everyone can read, much like the comments section in a blog) or filter it to see only the posts you made on your own wall or comments left for you on your wall. Adding to the much unneeded clutter is the fact that it adds in your status updates and comments you have left on other people's photos.

As if it weren't enough to leave comments on somebodies wall, now you can leave an additional comment on one's status message. I'll use my friend Mike as an example...
I will occasionally leave somebody a message relating to their status message, much in the way people sometimes leave an instant message responding to an away message. The first time I did this with the new Facebook I had trouble finding the message I had left for somebody. I assumed that I had left a comment on their wall, which until now would be the most logical location for my comment, but in fact I had contributed to a completely new string of comments.

While I applaud the thought process here, I have to give a thumbs down. Imagine if I did something like this for the blog. What if you could leave a comment about a blog post in the comments section but also leave a comment responding to the title of the post under the title? Sound confusing. That is my point exactly. In this case, less is good. Which leads me to the next segment...

The Feeds

What you see above is a snapshot of my recent "Live Feed". It gives me a stream of all the activity my Facebook friends are doing. It gives me updates on status messages, what photos they were tagged in, who my friends have become friends with (in case I want to be their friend too) etc. It is nice, straight forward, and clean. It is everything a feed should be. So why am I complaining about it? Because it is not the default feed that shows when I load up Facebook!

Below is a snapshot of the "News Feed" that shows on screen when I log in to Facebook.


Both of the above snapshots were taken within a minute of each other so we can tell the similarities and differences. Personally I want my information to be as clutter free as possible, but Facebook decides to show me the photos that are added and the ones people were tagged in as well as the profile picture of a friends who is leaving a comment for somebody else next to what they said. My beef is not that the News Feed is not the best layout, but that I can't change my preferred feed to load when I log in. I would be much happier if I could view the Live Feed by default instead of the collage-like News Feed.


Look, Facebook users can join their protest groups and people like me can blog about it to their heart's content but the reality is that the layout is not likely to change anytime soon. In a recent article from the United Kingdom the following statement was made [Telegraph.co.uk];

Facebook said about 40 million users had tried out the new design, and that about 30 million had embraced it instantly, without returning to the old layout.

Sounds like tough noogies for Facebook layout protesters to me. I am sure that in a short amount of time many of the angry Facebook users will do one of two things;

1. Get used to the new layout and discover benefits of the new design
2. Forget what they were so angry about
3. Realize that life still goes on (I mean, I personally lived without Facebook for about 25 years, right?)

I believe that Facebook layout detesters should find other ways than joining groups on the service though. Take your complaints, thoughts, suggestions and what have you straight to Facebook. There are a few ways to this as well...

• SEND FEEDBACK! I am sure many people overlook this, but if you log in to Facebook, look in the top right of your screen...
  Ta-da! An instant link to voice your displeasure to the Facebook group.
• If you want to find another way to reach Facebook, why not comment on their own blog? It seems to me that either nobody reads it or nobody leave s a comment on it. Seems to me that if those million plus people who joined 1,000,000 AGAINST THE NEW FACEBOOK LAYOUT had each left a comment on the Facebook blog, the chances of Facebook listening might be a little better.
  

My Final Thought

I can live with it, but like the days of the four man pitching rotation, the old Facebook layout is not likely to return despite my craving for it. I will move on and adjust accordingly, and I would applaud a reversal in thinking at Facebook, but I don't anticipate any retro changes to happen. On the flip side there is something nice I have picked up on. That is that I have been seeing far fewer advertisements make their way into my feeds that advertise applications or are just plain old commercials.

So you see, it's not all bad! Changes are inevitable people, especially in the online community.

What are your thoughts? Leave them in the comments. Oh, and feel free to Facebook me!

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The Happenening Review

Short and sweet.

M. Night Shamalongadingdong just got my last hard earned $1.


Jerk face.

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War Without Death; a book review

Few divisions in all of sports are as storied as the National Football League's NFC East Division. The Dallas Cowboys. The New York (football) Giants. The Washington Redskins. The Philadelphia Eagles. Together they own a quarter of the NFL's Super Bowl championships (ten) and have been the team of many legendary football players. The competition in the division is highly regarded as the toughest not only in the NFL, but in all of sports. Mark Maske took the opportunity to chronicle a year in the life of the NFC East in the book, War Without Death.

War Without Death: A Year of Extreme Competition in Pro Football's NFC East is exactly what the title says it is. The storyline of the 2006 calendar year for the NFC East is divided into three sections. And instead of giving you just the game recaps from the NFL season, the reader is put right in the thick of things from the coach's office, to the owner's box, to the draft rooms, and the player's homes. You start off right in Oakland at the end of the 2005 NFL season, where the New York Giants had clinched the 2005 NFC East division in January. Stories of the legendary Mara family, owners of the Giants, are told and signify how special things were in the organization, as well as documenting the emotions of the Cowboys, Redskins, and Eagles.

Maske tells the story more from the angle of the owners of the clubs than anyone else. Dan Snyder comes off as a rich man who is looking for his next buck. Jerry Jones comes off as a man wanting his Cowboys to be "America's Team". John Mara comes off as a man who wants to respect the history of the Giants and NFL, as well as wanting to ensure the Giants mean something in the league. And Jeffery Lurie comes off as the owner who wants to be successful but wants to do it smartly, rather than being the over spender. Each personality is represented just as they appear to be in real life.

The three sections of the book are "The Planning", "The Build Up", and "The Payoff". Each section progresses through the year starting with the end of the 2005 season. In the first section the reader learns what each club is thinking coming off the end of the 2005 NFL season, coaching changes, free agents, and looking forward to the draft. "The Build Up" is all about the second half of the off season as the reader learns how the draft unfolds, the legacies of the owners and general managers that are defined by free agency and drafts, and the wonderful world of training camps.
"The Payoff" takes the reader through the up and down 2006 season, all of the division lead changes, the national exposure games, and the eventual playoff match-ups.

There are so many plot lines that are followed through out the entire book. One to pay attention too is the story of Adam Archuleta, a free agent who decided to sign with the Redskins for more money as opposed to going to Chicago, where he could play in a system that better suited him and was close to his old home. Archuleta tells Maske just how feels as he makes the decision and how his feelings turn bitter as the season unfolds. By the end you want to feel sorry for Archuleta, but at the same time you may feel like saying "Told ya so!"

Among the other story lines that are detailed more accurately and without bias is the Terrell Owens sage, which moved form Philadelphia to Dallas. Owens' image issues, coach Parcels battles, and overdose episode are discussed, as well as his road from Philadelphia to Dallas. Also detailed throughout the book is what happens above the club level.

A owners' meetings are discussed in an important year for the NFL. A new collective bargaining agreement was put in place, as was a new commissioner. Stadium deals are passed, coaches are scrutinized, and players are revived and dismantled.

Every topic thinkable is covered in War Without Death. I bought it a while ago and finally finished it over the weekend. If you are a football fan, especially of either of the NFC East teams, this is a must read when you get a chance. You will undoubtedly come away with a higher appreciation for the inner workings of the NFL and its teams, owners, general managers, coaches, and players.

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The Bourne Ultimatum

I went to see The Bourne Ultimatum over the weekend and I left the theater confident that I spent my money well. The popcorn was just right with it's perfect portion of butter and the medium Barq's Root Beer wasn't watered down or too syrupy.

The move wasn't half bad either!

I note that I have not read the books so I can not compare the movies to the books. I am a big fan of the first installment, The Bourne Identity, and I like The Bourne Suprmeacy. Unfortunately though I forgot how the second movie ended and I made the mistake of not refreshing my memory by watching the first two movies again before seeing the third. Ultimatum, I believe, picks up literally right where the second movie ends, so if you have not seen the second movie, watch it first.

The story of Jason Bourne finally comes full circle as he remembers everything that has been missing in his memory the past few years. He once again finds a way to to out maneuver the C.I.A. as they race to sources of leaked information and a press reporter publishing the vital information. Matt Damon plays the super-hero agent role well, a completely different pace than he had in Ocean's Thirteen earlier this summer. Julia Stiles returns to the plot to fill in a couple holes that Damon couldn't solve himself, although I like Stiles better with long hair, but maybe that's just me.

Joan Allen is back to continue her role as the CIA agent who is attempting to track down Bourne, but she eventually becomes an ally of Bourne in an attempt to justify moral supremacy over Noah Vosen, played by David Strathairn, who is leading a the CIA in covering up the leaks that could harm the CIA and the rest of the government.

Strathairn plays his role brilliantly I think, but that should be expected. Strathairn always seems to play a great role in whatever movie he is in. He is perhaps one of the most underrated actors out there. He has been in some of my favorite movies, such as Fracture, We Are Marshall, and of course A League of Their Own.

I recommend you see this movie, but highly recommend that you watch Identity and Supremacy before Ultimatum.

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Simpsons Movie

I can honesty say that I had been waiting for the day that a Simpsons movie was made and for the longest time I was in the group of people who did not want it to happen. Why? Because I thought they would go overboard and not do the great legacy of The Simpsons it's due justice.

And then it happened. Fox went ahead and made a movie with the Simpson family and cast of characters America and the world has been watching since 1989. And it was brilliant.

Sure, The Simpsons Movie did some things you would never see on the television show, such as Homer using a hand gesture, Marge cursing, and Bart showing off his...well, not his butt. The animation was definitely different from the show, and why not? When you have a Hollywood studio producing one of the ultimate movies in the franchise, you want to make it look good. The movie uses more of a Futurama style in it's animation, which was fine with me. I love Futurama. The plot wasn't too over the top. You get a good fill of the characters you love, but maybe you missed some of your favorite characters.

For example, where was Sideshow Bob? Are you telling me in the whole timeline of the movie you couldn't put Sideshow Bob, the ultimate Simpsons cameo character and nemesis to Bart, in one stinking scene? Was Kelsey Grammar demanding too much? I doubt it, when you can find a way to get Tom Hanks to have one of the best lines of the movie.

And maybe it was just me, but Arnold Schwarzenegger as President of the United States? Why not stick to Simpsons characters and put Simpsons film star Rainier Wolfcastle in that role?

All in all though we follow the story of Homer ruining the lives of his family as Marge questions their marriage, Lisa detests his morals, and Bart looks for a new father figure in his life...Ned Flanders. But as it happens in every show with similar conflicts, Homer realizes what he must do to help save his relationship with his family, and in this case the entire town of Springfield.

If you happen to be like me and have been watching the show on tv for it's entirety, as well as the many many reruns, and own all of the dvd season releases, then you will likely enjoy the movie on another level. There are some great inside jokes that only the purest of Simpsons fans would understand. For example, I knew the elephant's name. Did you? I particularly got a great kick over the scene where Homer and Bart jump Springfield Gorge. I think I may have been the only one in my surrounding area that loved that part so much. I know, I'm a dork.

If you are a fan of The Simpsons, you probably already saw this movie and enjoyed it. If you have never seen an episode of The Simpsons you probably have never watched tv in your life. Do yourself a favor and check out this movie. If you get a chance find a theater that is showing the digital version of the movie, as the picture and sound will be even crisper and sharper than a traditional roll of film (which is what I saw). Prepare to have a good time.

If you can't see The Simpsons Movie, or you alreday have and you're still looking for some good laughs, then check out the Adam Sandler and Kevin James film, I Now Pronounce you Chuck and Larry. I think Adam Sandler is funny, but I think Kevin James is hilarious. James was the star of one of my favorite, and often overlooked, show The King of Queens. Having grown to love his character of Doug Heffernan, I had to see this film. As in every Sandler film over the past few years you will find Sandler playing the role of the guy who thinks of himself first and everybody else never, until he realizes that his best friend needs help that nobody else can provide. From there Sandler transforms his opinions 180 degrees as you get the feel good ending. And you got it, Sandler's pals make their usual cameo appearances, and so does Gary Valentine, James' brother.

Of course the most marketable aspect of the film is Jessica Biel. Gee, I wonder why...

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Askville

I received an e-mail from the folks at Amazon.com today and they invited me to participate in the beta of their new service, Askville. Naturally I was intrigued so I gave it a once over.

The main site lays out everything for you and tells you exactly what this site is about right away. You ask a question and wait for other users to respond to your question. Sure you could ask questions about the universe or ask the importance of life, but it seems to me that the site is more geared for shopping purposes (as if the fact that it is a service of Amazon did not give that fact away already). You can tell by the varying questions that are listed on the front page you can tell that this site will be eclectic in opinions and experts.

The process is simple. You do need to sign up for an account (your existing Amazon account will suffice and save you time). I signed in using my Amazon account information. Once you are signed in, start typing in your question in the text box and away you go. Once submitting your question you will be taken to a screen where you can add details to your inquiry and even assign it topics. For example, I asked about finding an affordable set of golf clubs. I then added more information to the information box such as I am a beginner, have only been out a handful of times but plan on going out in the future. I also noted that I would prefer not to use an auction site such as ebay, but have not ruled it out. I also added that I would prefer new, but slightly used could work as well. After that you are given the option of assigning topics for your question. This feature can be helpful because then you can break down all of the questions by other users by category. Perhaps you have the same question that is out there. Instead of asking yourself you may find somebody else has already received an answer that can help you out as well. I highly encourage people to look before asking, although I'm sure that will not happen on a large scale. Nothing irritates me more than finding the same question in a forum because people do not look before they speak, thus in Internet etiquette, or "netiquette", world, makes them look foolish. When you are finished, click on "Ask Your Question" and your question is added to the forum. All you have to do now is wait for people to answer your question.

As mentioned this is a beta service. The official service will be called Questville.com, which is slated to debut later this year. Essentially it will be the same service from what I gather except it will offer items that can be redeemed with Questcoins and "other cool things", as the FAQ says. The Questcoins are used as motivation for users to use Askville in a mature matter. You earn these coins in a number of ways. You receive one coin every time you ask or answer a question. Users asking questions also get to grade the responses they receive. A "Great answer" receives ten coins, and the "best answer" gets an extra five coins. However, in a move that will motivate users to leave useful feedback and not just pollute the forums with lackluster responses just to boost coin totals, "weak" and "awful" answers will lose five coins and ten coins respectively. You also get five points just for logging in (limit of once per day). There are a couple other little ways to receive points as well.

In addition to Questcoins, there are experience points. Experience points are used to grade the individual users and their knowledge in varying topics. This is another reason why I suggest adding topics to your questions, and you will see why in a minute. Let's use an example for this. Going back to my golf club question, I assigned the topics of "sports", "golf" and "golf clubs". Let us assume that "GolferJay" (this is a made up name just so you know) chimes in with a terrific answer that helps me out. I will then vote "GolferJay" as my "best answer" and he will receive 15 experience points in the topics of "sports", "golf" and "golf clubs". This will help other users out because now somebody else asking a question in any of those topics will recognize that "GolferJay" has some knowledge on those topics. The experience points work the same way as the questcoins in the negative way as well, which helps pick out the Internet hitchhikers leaving their trash along the super highways. Also, once a user reaches a certain number of experience points, they will be rewarded with questcoins, depending on their level.

The Questcoins will not be able to be redeemed anywhere but Questville.com when it debuts, so Askville is encouraging users to get going and Amazon clearly hopes they can build a following in the beta stage and have them transfer right over to the Questville service. There are more areas to still explore on Askville right now for me, but I plan on giving it a run and see how it works out. I love the idea of the user-to-user format. It is almost as if Askville is mixing the MySpace philosophy with ebay, or I suppose Amazon's service would be more appropriate. In any event, if you try out the site, let me know what you think of it in the comments section.

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Spiderman 3

*Before reading this rambling, be sure that either A) you have seen Spider man 3, or B) you have no interest in seeing the movie, because I will spoil part of the plot line for you. So, consider yourself forewarned.


Like many of you I'm sure, I saw the third installment of the Spider man movies. I have been looking forward to this film quenching my thirst for the Spider man story to reach a new level, yet I left still wanting to order a Vault to fill that need.

I felt that Spider man 3 fell into the same trap that Batman and Robin did. That problem was having too many characters and thus too many story lines. What I saw was essentially two Spidey movies crammed into the time they had for one. When I was in my comic book reading days my friend Jason introduced me to Venom, one of the baddest villains around. I quickly grew found of Venom and loved his storyline, even when it appeared to fight for good rather than evil. Venom was a twisted character and one tough dude and he hated Spidey. This movie did not give Venom his justice. And rather than leave themselves open for a, dare I say it, a fourth Spider man film focusing more on Venom, they killed him off. To me, a lot of potential died with him.

The whole Sandman character, to me, seemed kind of forced on us. It seemed that the character was thrown in there to either fill up space, or try to force another threat on us. To me, I feel there could have been stronger characters to put in the movie instead of Sandman, some more powerful Spidey foes. I would have liked to see Peter Parker's professor, Dr. Curt Conners, be written in to take his role as the Lizard. If a fourth movie is done, maybe that's the way they will go.

As I mentioned, Venom and Sandman were the two main villains, but the movie starts off by Harry settling his score with Peter, and then Peter knocks him out and that results in Harry losing his memory. How convenient. It's not like Spidey could have three enemies at the same time, right? And as if that weren't enough they introduce the black Spider man, sort of the evil alter ego of the friendly neighborhood Spider man. Again, the story line is jumbled enough as it is. Then of course there is the strained relationship between Peter and Mary Jane Watson.

Two movies could have easily been made out of this film. One movie could have dealt with Harry and Sand-Man, and then the other could have centered on the love story and Venom (as wella s the black Spider man).


Here is my hope for the fourth movie (if there ever is one). Carnage needs to be brought in. He is the toughest and most vicious of all the Spider man villains I think. And since Venom was already written off, Carnage would be the next best thing. I would have had Spider man and Venom fighting each other first but then have them team up to take out Carnage, but then again, I'm not a Hollywood writer am I? I wish another hero could be brought in, like Ghost Rider or Dare Devil, but the fact that those characters have been in their own movies surely will prohibit form that happening.

There were some excellent previews before the movie though, including Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer and the latest Harry Potter film, both due out this summer. And the popcorn wasn't too bad either. If you like the Spider man movies, you should still see this one, however I remain thinking that the original is still the best.

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