That's Mr. N00b to You

I finally got around to purchasing and installing the first Guild Wars game. I've been wanting to try out a MMORPG but I do not want to pay monthly to do so. Guild Wars doesn't charge the monthly subscription fee to play on their servers. I had gift certificates left from Christmas, and from MyPoints, so I ordered it.

I got it installed and created my first character yesterday. I chose a male Ranger. Name him Aevin Rybeck. Which, not so creatively, is just the letters of my first and last name rearranged a bit. I logged into the game and started a couple of quests. After about an hour and half of playing and not really knowing what I was doing since I've never played a MMO before, I had completed one quest fairly quickly and started another.

My character ventured into a village and was attacked by three Stryders. My character's weapon is a long-range weapon. The Stryders ran right up to me and attacked me at close range.

I had my character run away to try to get some distance to try to use his bow against them. The Stryders ran along with me literally pecking at me the entire time. Finally finishing off my character quite humorously. It was funny watching the Stryders, which are basically giant red ostriches, peck my character, I think with some magic thrown in, to death.

That wrapped up my first hour and half of Guild Wars.

That's Mr. N00b to You

kids websites

Hi!! I'm back. But in this post, the title says it all, am I not right? Okay here we go:
1. www.webkinz.com (you have to buy a webkinz to play on this )

2. www.Virtualmagickingdom.com

3. www.Neopets.com

4. www.millsberry.com

All these websites are free, but on webkinz, you have to buy a stuffed animal with a special code on it to play, check out the website for a store locator!! Elizabeth out!! P.S. I love exclamation points!

kids websites

Blog Party

A mom's blog is hosting a blog party the first week-ish of March.

Make plans to stop by. I heard mention of prizes. Plus, maybe you can make some new virtual friends.

Blog Party

THINKS For February 23, 2007

Real Life has been Trumping Blogging lately. I've still found the time to surf the internet - but no real time to write about anything useful. I'm in the middle of three different books - One I'm reading for a review, one I'm reading that I got from the library because it sounded interesting, and one I'm reading because I want to (and I own it, so there's no deadline to have it finished by). Eventually, I'll post reviews. Actually, I did finish another book recently, I just haven't gotten around to writing about it. But I have been remembering to email myself interesting links and other things that I want to post.

Here they are:

Here's a video on preventing Identity Theft.

Old news now - but House and Bones have been renewed. Rubi and I get to watch more TV together!

Here's a funny story about a kid dropping his mp3 player in the toilet and his moms reaction.

From Stacy at Active Christian Media:

If you're interested in having the opportunity to win a free book every
week, I want to encourage you to sign up for my weekly newsletter. I only
send it out once a week and would love for you to join and tell your readers
about it.

If you join, you have to confirm you have joined by clicking the link it
will send you.

Sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.activechristianmedia.com/ - We have a free giveaway
weekly!

Interested in learning about quantum physics, or psychology, or biology, or leadership and management? MIT offers hundreds of courses for free on-line. You just can't take college credit or certificates or anything for them - they are strictly for self-improvement.

I'm sure I've read this before somewhere, but someone else has posted the beatitudes as written by the devil.

Sign up with PaperbackSwap, guess when the One Millionth book is posted, and win prizes!

And finally, Warner Bros. is considering a JLA movie!

Back to Real Life now.

THINKS For February 23, 2007

Firefly/Serenity Meme

Number of times you’ve seen the whole series (to your best estimate):
I'd guestimate at least 5. Not much more than that.

Number of times you’ve seen the movie:
At least 4 times.

Favorite character (and why, if you want):
From the main cast, I can't narrow it down. They are all great.

Least favorite character (and why, if you want):
Niska. You are a crazy old man. Go lie down and take a nap!

Favorite episode (and why, if you want):
Maybe "Jaynestown," maybe "Serenity" (the pilot) - almost all of them are just as good.

Least favorite episode (and why, if you want):
"The Train Job". This was my first introduction to Firefly when it premiered on Fox. I didn't think the show was worth trying to figure out when Fox was airing to keep up with it. I only came back to FF just before the movie came out because the fans were raving about it. Maybe "Heart of Gold", as the laser gun/horse riding thing was a little too out-there for me. Although that is surely a good definition for FF: horseback riding and laser guns.

Favorite quote:
Too many to name. Whedon is an awesome writer and can really turn the language on it's head to express feelings.

Favorite scene:
The dining room scene in "Out of Gas." The Firefly Talk podcast uses the audio from this as an intro and it's just so much fun. Definitely shows how the crew has become a family.

Your opinion of the movie: love it, shove it, or mixed feelings:
Mixed feelings. It wasn't long enough to showcase every character and introduced some new ones that we didn't really need. I loved going back into the `verse and continuing the story. But I want more!!

Favorite canon pairing:
Zoe and Wash.

Favorite non-canon pairing:
To quote KRAD, "This is a stupid question."

In brief, what got you hooked?:
The fans. The movie was about to come out and I kept hearing rumblings on the internet from general SF-fans (not the browncoat community specifically as I hadn't gotten into that yet). So I decided to jump on the bandwagon and see the series before the movie.

Your favorite theory on Book’s background:
I don't know what all the different theories are, so I can't say.

Your favorite theory on Inara’s reasons for leaving Sihnon:
Again: I haven't heard all the theories, so I can't say.

Will Mal and Inara ever get together?
If I know Whedon: yes, then no, then yes, then no, then maybe... then they'll be best friends.

Will Simon and Kaylee stay together?
Again: If I know Whedon: probably not, but I sure hope so.

Will River stay (or get) on the road to mental health?
Isn't that what happened at the end of the movie? I think she'll always be messed up because of the always feeling everyone's emotions - but much of her dementia came from the locked up and repressed knowledge of the Reavers. Now that that's out of the way, she can at least try to adapt to the psychic abilities.

Favorite Firefly fanfic:
Never read any. I've heard a few (on podcasts). I have to say "Old Wounds" was an excellent story.

Is Firefly your main fandom now?
Probably. I was never really "into" a fandom. But I'd say FF and Star Wars are my main fandoms that I'd get involved with. I like all kinds of things (the 'Gates, BSG, Heroes, etc), but as for the fan community - it's FF and SW for me.

What are your top 2 other fandoms?
Oh... I think I just answered that.

Firefly/Serenity Meme

MCFPerilous 2.11

More Answer from MCF requiring his readers to guess the correct answers for an as-yet-to-be-determined prize.
It's shorter this week, just ten answers.

1. A lot of the pages were completely redesigned.
Why was MCF staying so late at work in January?

2. Midol.
What did MCF take to alleviate the pain in his bizarre nap-related injury?

3. Growing breasts.
What is one side-effect he hopes doesn't happen from taking a "woman's medicine".

4. My yard.
What did MCF take photographs of because of his nap-related injury?

5. Peter's.
Who's secret origin does MCF like the best?

6. Hannibal, naturally.
Who is MCF's favorite member of the A-team?

7. Jelly Beans and The Carpenters.
What snack food and musical group kept MCF entertained while he was recovering from Nap-Elbow?

8. Lisa Loeb, Tina Fey, and Curt Happy.
Who are three people that recently had babies?

9. He returned the Twinkie.
How did MCF introduce himself to his first girlfriend?

10. A radioactive isotope, but I didn’t gain any powers.
What did the doctors inject MCF with to help diagnose his nap-injury, and why was MCF disappointed?

That's it for now - Real Life has been trumping blogging lately.

MCFPerilous 2.11

It's Not Easy Being Green

GREEN

You are a very calm and contemplative person. Others are drawn to your peaceful, nurturing nature.

Find out your color at QuizMeme.com!

Hmm... I kinda like that.

Interesting quiz. What color are you?

It's Not Easy Being Green

Perilously close to being late

I almost forgot about this. MCF latest Perilous quiz.

 

1. Because he's David Carradine, d***it!
How does MCF do all those cool kung-fu moves?

 

2. They're either really honest, or they never clean there.
yeah... I got nothin'

 

3. Fell face first on a piece of glass, fell below the surface in the deep end of a swimming pool, climbed out on a second story window ledge, was force-fed poisonous berries, suffered massive internal bleeding from a birth defect, was pulled out to sea by the combined force of a wave and undertow, danced in Manhattan traffic while very drunk, sat in the passenger side of a car which was struck by an oncoming van, walked across a partially frozen pond, and wakes up every morning, to name a few.
What are some moments that have changed MCF's life?

 

4. None of it is hyperbole.
What is a one fact about MCF's blog?

 

5. Eddie, Kurt, James and Chris.
What are the first names of the lead singers of MCF's favorite bands?

 

6. Cobie, Rena, Charisma, and Rosie.
What are the names of MCF's cats?

 

7. Instinctive, compulsive snacking.
What is one method of geek weight-weight?

 

8. Emil, Chaos, Rocket, Graem
What are four names MCF has never used for pets?

 

9. This video would be.
If MCF could keep something secret, what would it be?

 

10. Velcro.
What can keep MCF occupied for hours and doesn't involve computers?

 

11. Squeeze it between your thumb and forefinger, then twist.
What guidance does MCF give to bartenders adding a lemon to his vodka?

 

12. Because there isn't a single “real” photo of me anywhere on my blog.
What do people cite as the main reason for not believing MCF is a real person?

 

13. Charlie Whoosh-whoosh.
What did MCF's mom call him as a small child during potty-training?

 

14. NCC-1701
What was the license plate number on Hiro's Dad's car on Heroes?

 

15. The second week of October, in the year 2010.
When is the next Star Wars movie due to not premiere?

 

16. You'll have to keep reading to find out.
Will we ever find out what the prizes for these MCFPerilous quizzes?

 

17. His brother Kevin.
What relationship did Fred Savage play on the Wonder Years to the character of Wayne?

 

18. It can only increase.
If something can never decrease, what can it do?

 

19. A train, a space shuttle, a tank, a fighter jet, a fuel tanker, and a commercial airliner.
What kind of vehicles did the first three Decepticon Triple Changers transform into?

(Astrotrain, Blitzwing, and Octane.  I had to look up Octane's name - I thought it was High Octane).

 

20. Seven times a week.
How many times does MCF eat breakfast?

 

 

Perilously close to being late

THINKS for Saturday February 10 2k7

I'm trying to post my THINKS more frequently than every few months or so. But it's just easier to post a no-brainer meme that takes hardly any time to fill out or to actually put into coherent words what's been going on in our lives. I do occasionally find things and links around the internet that I'd like to share. And sometimes I remember to email the links to myself to remind me to share them.

As I did with these items:

Here's a listing of SciFiChicks 13 Greatest SF Villains. And the response: (Note to kids: Don't click this link - foul language there) The 11 Least Intimidating Movie Villains - gotta agree with some of the commentary. Rubi adds: David Bowie not scary enough in Labyrinth? Let's make his tights even more tighter!! My favorite comment there?

"IT'S THE DALEK'S! Everybody walk away"

Disney's Kim Possible Season 4 premieres tonight on the Disney Channel. My kids are excited. I actually enjoy this show - it's quite witty and entertaining. BlogginBaby has an interview with the creators of KP.

Where can you find me on the internet? It's kind like a where's Waldo starring Kev.

You can find me at MySiteProfile, Ziki, Myspace, Gather, and LiveJournal.
What? You've never heard of MySiteProfile? Here's a short article from Lockergnome about it.

GeekMonthly has a four-part interview with Joss Whedon mostly about the upcoming "season 8" comic book of Buffy. Why is Dawn a giant?

Carrie found a link to a great video of a guy juggling. That description does not do it justice as this guy goes crazy juggling just three balls.

I'm really enjoying catching up on the Justice League/Justice League Unlimited cartoon series. Here's a website devoted to the entire DCAU with wallpapers, avatars, interviews with the creators, etc.

Here's another great website for cool comic-book wallpaper.

That's my list for now. Tune in for more pointless memes in the future.


THINKS: Kev's term combining the words Things and Links: an assortment of images, links, games, trivia, memes, minutia, and whatnot found while browsing and mentioned collectively in a blog or message-board posts.

THINKS for Saturday February 10 2k7

Dedicated Reader

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Literate Good Citizen
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Sure....
You couldn't tell this from my posts and from my sidebar.
Right?

Dedicated Reader

Meme of Fours

Four Jobs I have had in my life:
    1.   Country Music Radio DJ.
    2.   Sno-cone trolley driver.
    3.   Telemarketer.
    4.   9-1-1 Dispatcher.

 

Movies I could watch over and over.
    1.  Star Wars (any of them)
    2.  Highlander
    3.  Serenity
    4.  Monty Python and the Holy Grail

 

Four places I have lived:
    1.  With my parents.
    2.  In a one bedroom apartment with Rubi.
    3.  In a duplex with Rubi.
    4.  In our own home with Rubi.

 

Four TV shows I love to watch
    1.  Stargate
    2.  Heroes
    3.  Bones
    4.  BSG

 

Four places I have been on vacation
    1.  Orlando, FL
    2.  Nashville, TN
    3.  Memphis, TN
    4.  St. Louis

 

Four of my favorite foods:
    1.  Pizza
    2.  Cinnamon rolls
    3.  White Cake
    4.  Steak

Four places I would like to be right now:
    1. Napping
    2. Reading
    3. At home
    4. Watching Firefly.

Four  friends I think will respond:
    1. You!

 

Now... there are apparently rules associated with this - anyone reading it is supposed to fill it out with their own answers and post it or forward it to other people to fill out.  Kinda like spam. You're even supposed to email it back to the person from whom you received it.  I guess the idea is to "get to know each other"...

 

 

Meme of Fours

Which Robotech Character?

You scored as Max Sterling. His modest and unassuming personality belies Max’s deadly prowess as the SDF-1’s most renowned Veritech pilot. Certified as an ace following his first battle, Max’s skills earned him quick distinction among both his fellow RDF pilots and their Zentraedi adversaries. Max Sterling 60% Rick Hunter 40% Marie Crystal 40% Scott Bernard 30% Lancer a.k.a. Yellow Dancer 30% Dana Sterling 20% Lisa Hayes 20% Lynn Minmei 10% Annie LaBelle 10% Nova Satori 10% Which Robotech character are you most like? created with QuizFarm.com

Which Robotech Character?

Book Review: The Ahriman Gate

The Ahriman Gate: Some Gates Should Not Be Opened by Tom and Nita Horn.

I've been hearing about and wanting to read The Ahriman Gate for more than a year. I heard about in the "Christian Conspiracy/UFOlogy" circles where I seem to remember it being highly recommended.

It's about an ex-Marine, Joe Ryback, seeking vengeance for the murder of his father at the hands of a group of people inside the U.S. government. That group, using technology from a crashed UFO, is trying to bring about the Biblical end-times so Satan will have control of the United States and a group of nations working with her - and inevitably - control of the world.

Joe, of course, is not strong enough by himself. Along the way he gets help from a hermit and the hermit's dog Tater. Joe's youngest sister gets involved over her head, a Biblical professor at a local college gets involved investigated Joe's claims of giants being gengineered at a local military installation - the college professor thinks the giants are really Biblical Nephilim. A computer hacker running an alternative news website helps out; and a high-ranking military man comes to the aid of Joe and his friends - even though he has goals of his own.

The story culminates with the crashed UFO being reactivated and Lucifer's fallen angels about to wage armegeddon with the angels of God, all while Joe is trying save his sister and outrun the Nephilim and their keeper who want to bring the AntiChrist into the world.

It's an average Christian Action/Adventure/Sci-Fi novel. It does do a good job of summing up the basic concepts and theories bandied about in the aforementioned "Christian Conspiracy/UFOlogy" circles.

If you're interested in more of theories by this author, he's been interviewed several times on PID Radio.

Book Review: The Ahriman Gate

New Windows Stuff Rocks!!!1!!!!

At least, according Bill Gates it does.
An article at Dailytech discusses Bill Gates' reaction to his users, and to the Apple advertisements.

"Internet Explorer 7, which is offered to all Windows XP users as an
optional update. According to Gates, less than a third of Windows XP users
downloaded the new browser, and even less take advantage of less advertised new
additions. So how many people have upgraded to IE7? “I would say it's less
than 30 percent,” Gates replied. “We’ve had this incredible desktop search
[available for download] that won every review, and I’ll bet that less than
10 percent of Windows users went and got that..."

I actually agree with this. The reason so few people actually upgraded to IE7 is because it is cumbersome to use, isn't as intuitive with the tabbed browsing as Firefox or even Opera, and they changed the UI around just because they could - moving (removing) frequently used buttons and menus from one location in IE6 to a completely different location in IE7. Some of the elements can be put back (the menus), but other buttons have been moved in the "upgrade" and you can't hack them back into place. The only option is to revert back to IE6.
Or switch to Firefox or Opera.

And that Desktop Search mentioned above? Why do I need that? I have 160GB HD and all my files are organized into directories and subdirectories. If I need a file, I either know exactly where it's at because I put it there, or I have a really good idea of where it will be and can find it in a matter of minutes. The only value I could see to a massive local search engine would be in a networked environment where you might have files spread across several different PCs and servers too. However, most home users don't have anything that complicated.

“And I don't know why [Apple is] acting like it’s superior. I don't even
get it. What are they trying to say?” Gates continues to express his disgust
with the Apple ads...

I'm a die hard Windows user. And I firmly believe the Mac OS is a better operating system. Windows is, always has been, and always will be bloatware. A massive amount of code to do simple things. From what I've heard and read and seen, the Mac OS is more streamlined, the code itself is revised instead of just added onto, and installing it doesn't slow down your computer. An operating system should make your computer use it's resources in the most efficient method possible. Windows does not.
Windows is relatively easy to use, because, for the most part, it hasn't really changed any in 15+ years. The multitudes of PC buyers are familiar with it and have gotten used to it, and don't want to try to something different.

“I don't think the over 90 percent of the [population] who use Windows PCs think
of themselves as dullards, or the kind of klutzes that somebody is trying to say
they are,”

Mr. Gates is right. We, the Windows users of the world, do not consider ourselves dullards. We're not. We're just afraid of change and risk.

At home, I could back up all of my files to DVD, wipe my hard drives, and install Linux on my PCs and then spend some time learning the ins and outs of that OS, and teaching it to my family. At work, our massive IT department could spend millions of dollars backing up every computer and server on their networks, wipe all the computers and install Linux.

It wouldn't cost be anything to do this at home, besides time and effort. Linux is free.
But as I mentioned, it would probably cost millions for my place of work to switch from a Windows OS to anything else. Time, manpower, training on the new OS. It all adds up to a hefty price tag.

For the time being, I'll stick with Windows. If I get a new computer while my kids PC still works, I might use the kids PC to tinker with a Linux installation and use that to learn on.

But I wouldn't just make the switch without a fallback.

New Windows Stuff Rocks!!!1!!!!

Supersomething

Apparently, there is some kind of ball-game on TV later today.

I'm not a sports fan. The few sporting events I attended in college I did so just to hang with my friends, not out of any real interest in the sport. I don't think I attended more than a couple of sporting events in high-school, again for the same reason.

I attend my kids sports games not because I enjoy those sports, but because I enjoy watching my kids no matter what they are doing.

However, if I am watching a game, whether it's my kids playing, or the basketball teams playing while Elizabeth cheers for them, or it's something on TV wherever I happen to be, I do enjoy seeing the game played well. A fast, almost dance-like spur-of-moment pass in basketball resulting in a great shot showing the sportsmanship of the players does make the game more enjoyable.

There are "sports" I do enjoy watching, even though I have no idea who I'm watching and don't care who wins or what the point of the game is. I really enjoy watching Winter X-Games-type sports like snowboarding, and snowmobile racing. Alexander and I sat down one Saturday afternoon on the spur-of-the moment and watched motocross. That was fun (more for Alexander's reactions than anything to do with the sport itself). And I enjoy watching ice-hockey on the rare occasion I come across a game on TV and stop for a few minutes. And I enjoy watching cheerleaders.

Now that the Indianapolis Colts are in the Superbowl against da Bears (see: I do know a little), even my family is getting into the spirit of things. Rubi and Elizabeth are going to a Superbowl party later today with the rest of our small group. I'll be at work - but we are all bringing in food and snacks and the game will be on the TV with the sound off or turned low.

I'm sure "business" for me at work will slack off during the game, and will quickly pick up at the end as people drive home from parties, or get in fights over the outcome of the game, or choke on tortilla chips.

Rubi is even making custom Colts shirt for her and Elizabeth to wear to the party.

I really have no interest beyond a basic, "The Colts won? I'm glad for them."

Supersomething

Hardly Any

How many of the top 250 IMDB user-selected movies have you seen?
I can you tell you now, it won't be many. I just haven't seen that many movies that usually make these lists.
Also - I'm sure what order this list is in.

( ) The Godfather
(X) The Shawshank Redemption
( ) The Godfather: Part II
(X) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
( ) The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
( ) Casablanca
( ) Schindler's List
(X) Pulp Fiction
(X) Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back
( ) Seven Samurai
Total so far: 4 (hmmm, almost half of the first 10).

( ) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
(X) Star Wars
( ) Rear Window
(X) The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
( ) 12 Angry Men
(X) Raiders of the Lost Ark
( ) The Usual Suspects
( ) City of God
( ) Dr. Strangelove, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
( ) Goodfellas
Total so far: 10

(X) The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
( ) Psycho
(X) Citizen Kane
( ) Once Upon a Time in the West
( ) North By Northwest
( ) Memento
(X) The Silence of the Lambs
( ) Lawrence of Arabia
(X) It's a Wonderful Life
( ) Sunset Boulevard
Total so far: 14

( ) Amélie
( ) Fight Club
(X) American Beauty
(X) The Matrix
( ) Vertigo
( ) Apocalypse Now
( ) Taxi Driver
( ) Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
( ) Se7en
( ) León
Total so far: 16

( ) Paths of Glory
( ) Chinatown
( ) To Kill a Mockingbird
( ) American History X
( ) The Third Man
( ) Downfall
( ) The Pianist
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
( ) M
Total so far: 17 (wow - just one out of that list).

( ) The Bridge on the River Kwai
( ) Spirited Away
(X) Alien
( ) Das Boot
( ) L.A. Confidential
( ) A Clockwork Orange
( ) The Maltese Falcon
( ) Requiem for a Dream
( ) Hotel Rwanda
( ) The Shining
Total so far: 18 (This isn't looking good)

(X) Double Indemnity
(X) Metropolis
( ) Reservoir Dogs
( ) Saving Private Ryan
( ) Rashomon
( ) Singin' in the Rain
( ) Sin City
( ) Raging Bull
( ) Modern Times
(X) Aliens
Total so far: 21 (Which Metropolis? The original? or the original, but with the 80's soundtrack?)

( ) The Manchurian Candidate
( ) Rebecca
( ) Some Like It Hot
( ) The Great Escape
( ) Pan's Labyrinth
( ) The Departed
( ) All About Eve
(X) 2001: A Space Odyssey
( ) Touch of Evil
(X) Amadeus
Total so far: 23 (Amadeus rocked!!)

( ) Million Dollar Baby
( ) Life is Beautiful
( ) The Seventh Seal
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Jaws
( ) The Sting
( ) Strangers on a Train
(X) Terminator 2: Judgment Day
(X) Batman Begins
( ) On the Waterfront
Total so far: 26 (Didn't like Gump or Batman Begins)

( ) Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
(X) Braveheart
( ) The Elephant Man
(X) The Wizard of Oz
(X) Full Metal Jacket
( ) Kill Bill: Vol. 1
( ) Blade Runner
( ) The Apartment
(X) The Incredibles
( ) City Lights
Total so far: 30 (Hated Braveheart, hate war movies, The Incredibles is Excellent!)

( ) Cinema Paradiso
( ) The Big Sleep
( ) High Noon
( ) Notorious
( ) Ran
( ) Donnie Darko
( ) Fargo
(X) Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi
( ) The Great Dictator
( ) Crash
Total so far: 31 (uh... just one, and it's Star Wars. I've heard good things about Donnie Darko though!)

( ) Once Upon a Time in America
(X) Finding Nemo
( ) Cool Hand Luke
( ) Princess Mononoke
( ) The Sixth Sense
( ) V for Vendetta
( ) Unforgiven
( ) The Wages of Fear
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Ben Hur
Total so far: 33 (couple in that list I'd like to see).

( ) Oldboy
(X) Back to the Future
( ) Annie Hall
( ) Kill Bill: Vol. 2
( ) Yojimbo
(X) Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
( ) The Killing
( ) The Green Mile
(X) Life of Brian
(X) The Princess Bride
Total so far: 37 (Life of Brian made the top 250 list?!) Princess Bride is a great movie!

( ) The Deer Hunter
(X) Platoon
( ) The Graduate
( ) It Happened One Night
( ) For a Few Dollars More
( ) Gladiator
( ) Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
( ) Nights of Cabiria
( ) Gandhi
( ) The African Queen
Total so far: 38 (wow - only one, and it's another war movie)

( ) Kind Hearts and Coronets
( ) Love's a Bitch
( ) The Bicycle Thief
( ) The Battle of Algiers
( ) The Adventures of Robin Hood [1938]
( ) Diabolique
(X) Toy Story 2
( ) 8 1/2
( ) Shadow of a Doubt
(X) Stand By Me
Total so far: 40

( ) The Night of the Hunter
( ) Brief Encounter
( ) Run Lola Run
( ) The Wild Bunch
( ) The General
(X) Die Hard
( ) Harvey
( ) Children of Men
( ) The Conversation
( ) Wild Strawberries
Total so far: 41

( ) Dog Day Afternoon
( ) Patton
( ) Duck Soup
( ) Glory
( ) Nosferatu
( ) The Day the Earth Stood Still
(X) Gone with the Wind
(X) Groundhog Day
( ) Hero
( ) Spartacus
Total so far: 43

( ) The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
( ) The Gold Rush
( ) Trainspotting
( ) Finding Neverland
(X) Toy Story
(X) The Grapes of Wrath
( ) The Exorcist
( ) Magnolia
( ) Heat
( ) Mystic River
Total so far: 45

( ) The Big Lebowski
(X) A Christmas Story
( ) Twelve Monkeys
( ) King Kong [1933]
( ) The Prestige
(X) The Philadelphia Story
(X) Shrek
( ) Beauty and the Beast [1946]
( ) Cinderella Man
( ) Big Fish
Total so far: 48 (hated A Christmas Story - that little kid is so annoying!)

( ) Before Sunset
( ) Ed Wood
( ) Judgment at Nuremburg
( ) The Hustler
( ) Snatch.
(X) The Terminator
( ) The Best Years of Our Lives
( ) The Lady Vanishes
( ) Bride of Frankenstein
( ) Walk the Line
Total so far: 49 (Rubi says I have got to see Walk the Line)

( ) Grave of the Fireflies
( ) Out of the Past
( ) In the Heat of the Night
( ) Stalag 17
( ) Wallace & Gromit in The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
( ) Witness for the Prosecution
( ) Sleuth
( ) Little Miss Sunshine
( ) Bonnie and Clyde
(X) The Thing
Total so far: 50 (but only if it's John Carpenter's The Thing)

(X) Young Frankenstein
( ) Talk To Her
( ) Rosemary's Baby
( ) Manhattan
( ) Scarface
( ) Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
( ) Frankenstein
( ) The Straight Story
( ) Arsenic and Old Lace
( ) Anatomy of a Murder
Total so far: 51

( ) Sling Blade
( ) High and Low
( ) Rififi
( ) All Quiet on the Western Front
( ) Throne of Blood
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
(X) Monsters, Inc.
( ) Roman Holiday
( ) The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
( ) The Lost Weekend
Total so far: 53

( ) The Four Hundred Blows
( ) Doctor Zhivago
( ) The Searchers
( ) Bringing Up Baby
( ) United 93
(X) A Streetcar Named Desire
( ) Planet of the Apes [1968]
( ) The Lives of Others
( ) Come and See
( ) Sweet Smell of Success
Total so far: 54 (Stella!!!!!)

( ) Brazil
( ) Stalker
( ) Infernal Affairs
( ) The Ox-Bow Incident
( ) Great Expectations [1946]
( ) Dial M for Murder
( ) Umberto D.
( ) Inherit the Wind
( ) In Cold Blood
( ) Mulholland Drive
Grand total: 54 (ooh.. none on that list).

Wow.... Only 54 out of 250. Of course, many of those listed I really have no desire to see. A few I just haven't gotten around to yet (Walk the Line, Blade Runner).

Others that I'm proud of seeing, The Philadelphia Story (love it!), Double Indemnity.

I fell asleep during Citizen Kane and didn't finish American Beauty because it was such an awful movie - do those two count?

Hardly Any

Vote for the name of the next SITH LORD

The current Star Wars Expanded Universe series of novels, called Legacy of the Force, features Han and Leia's son Jacen Solo turning to the dark side in what he sees as the only way of bringing to peace to the galaxy.
Much like his grandfather Anakin Skywalker thought years earlier during the Clone Wars.

Only this series of novels does a much better job of showing his reasons for falling to the dark side and makes the readers wonder if that really is the only way. But really we just know he's being deluded and we scream at him as we read the pages that he's making a big mistake.

As Jacen fully gives in to the dark side, he will take a Sith name, much like Palpatine gave Anakin Skywalker the name Vader.

Del Rey and Lucasfilm took suggestions from fans for Jacen's Sith name, and they have narrowed it down to five and are now taking votes for what will become Jacen's official Sith name in the EU.

Vote for the name of the next SITH LORD!

Who will be the next SITH LORD?

We asked you for your input in naming the next Sith Lord. We received more
than 8,500 entries. From them, the Lucasfilm, Del Rey editors and Legacy of the
Force authors Karen Traviss, Troy Denning and Aaron Allston narrowed it down to
five finalist.
Choose from the five names below, and help name the next Sith
Lord!
Darth Acheron
Darth Caedus
Darth Judicar
Darth Paxis
Darth Taral

Vote at www.darthwho.com

The winning Sith Lord will be name will be revealed in Star Wars®: Legacy
of the Force: Sacrifice, the fifth book in the new Legacy of the Force series.
On sale in Del Rey/Lucasbooks hardcover May 29, 2007.

Wow, those names are quite lame. There's discussion of them on the boards at theforce.net - with Darth Judicar and Darth Paxis being the seeming best suited names for Jacen as he sees himself as judge of the galaxy (Judicar) and the bringer of peace (Paxis). Caedus, depending on how you pronounce it, seems to be too close for comfort to the name of the Skywalker character in the Legacy comic book series set some time in the future after this series. Taral is just dumb. And Acheron is a river or something from mythology, and from what I've read, the fans aren't sure how that relates to Jacen.

Go vote. Or don't. Maybe if no one votes for any of these names, They'll go back and pick different names. But I doubt it.

Vote for the name of the next SITH LORD

THINKS? Are they back?

It's been awhile since I collected some of my random 'net wanderings into a THINKS post.

THINKS: Kev's term combining the words Things and Links: an assortment of images, links, games, trivia, memes, minutia, and whatnot found while browsing and mentioned collectively in a blog or message-board posts.

I just wanted to use the words minutia and whatnot. Those are fun words.

As you know - I like to read. A lot. I also occasionally post reviews of books here. I've also started cross-posting my reviews to Gather. Gather is kind of like a reincarnation of ThemeStream. But I think it's executed much better. At Gather, I created two groups: one for Christian Fiction Book reviews and discussion, and another for reviews of podcasts. I actually haven't gotten around to posting anything in the podcast reviews group - but I will soon.
Really.
There are many other book review groups on Gather. I joined one of the many: The Book Review. The creator of the group was kind enough to publish a "newsletter" listing all of the book reviews posted during January!
Handy to have them all listed in one place!

Another "web place" I found recently through a Lockergnome newsletter is Ziki . Ziki is website that wants to be the main internet presence for all of your various and widespread internet content. Join up, create your profile, add your feeds, and you've got a website that has your information and links to all of your various content: from your blogs, your Flickr accounts, etc. Anything you publish to that has a feed, you can list the feed and it will present it on your myZiki. Kind of neat. Also, if you're one of the first 10,000 people to join up - they'll give you a year free of search engine presence advertising (I think it's called). That's where if someone searches on your name (or whatever you signed up with Ziki for), they'll see a paid link at the top of that search that goes to your myZiki page.

I recently discovered a couple of interesting looking music remix websites: JamGlue and great essay that's a few years old (can't remember who's blog I found it linked from though). This essay examines Star Wars Episode 4 in a new light based on the events of the prequel trilogy. I have to say, if the Expanded Universe went this way, it would have been much more interesting (and made much more sense).

My sister-in-law sent me a funny email with a new Answering Machine message:
"GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES"
"Press "1" if you speak English."
"Press '2' to disconnect until you can.

That's just great - everyone should have that on their answering machine.

I can't guarantee I'll ever post my THINKS regularly. Usually I'm busy visiting recommendations from other websites.

To finish up this THINKS, here is a massive meme asking about my life Ten Years Ago, Five Years Ago, and Now:

Ten Years Ago:
1.) How old were you?
23 (Sheesh)

2.) Where did you go to school?
University of Southern Indiana

3.) Where did you work?
I think a better question would be where didn't I work. I had several part time jobs.
I worked at WSWI (the college radio station), I also did some odd-job work for the University like driving tour groups around in a van. I also worked at several other area radio and TV stations around that time.

4.) Where did you live?
With my darling wife, in a nice 2 bedroom duplex with a crappy landlord.

5.) Where did you hang out?
At WSWI.

6.) Did you wear glasses?
Yep.

7.) Who was your best friend?
Rubi.

8.) How many tattoos did you have?
No tats.

9.) How many piercings did you have?:
No piercings.

10.) What car did you drive?:
A Cavalier station wagon that I still miss and regret getting rid of, even though I had to replace the entire exhaust system on it every year.

11.) Had you been to a real party yet?
Yes. And I had absolutely no fun at all. I'm not a drinker, nor a smoker. So I pretty much sat on the couch and let the pretty girls fall asleep on my shoulder. Wait, it wasn't all bad.

12.) Had your heart broken?
No.

13.) Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter:
Married. Happily married. So very happily married. Had been married for almost three years.

Five Years Ago.
1.)How old were you?
28.

2.) Where did you go to school?
I had finally graduated by that point.

3.) Where did you work?
Same place I do now.

4.) Where did you live?
Same place I do now.

5.) Where did you hang out?
On my sofa napping.

6.) Did you wear glasses?
Yep.

7.) Who was your best friend?
Rubi.

8.) Who was your crush
Natalie Portman.

9.) How many tattoos did you have?
Still no tats. Won't ever have tats.

10.) How many piercings did you have?
No piercings then, none now. None in the future.

11) What car did you drive?
99 Dodge Stratus (that I still drive).

12.) Had you had your heart broken?
Nope.

13.) Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter:
Happily married.

Now (February 2007)
1.) How old are you?
33

2.) Where do you work?
Same place I did five years ago.

3.) Where do you live?
Same house I did five years ago.

4.) Do you wear glasses?
Yep.

5.) Who is/are your best friend(s)?
Rubi.

6.) Do you talk to your old friends?
Very rarely.

7.) How many piercings do you have?
Again with the piercings! I had my brain pierced - that's why I can only fill out memes now.

8.) How many tattoos?
No body art for me. Thanks.

9.) What kind of car do you have?
Just bought a 2007 Grand Caravan.

10.) Has your heart been broken?
Nope.

11.) Single/Taken/Married/Divorced/Bitter?
Happily Married!

Feel free to do that meme on your own blog!

THINKS? Are they back?