Sunday, April 18, 2004

My own take on Kill Bill Volume 2

Some people watch movies to gain insight into life and to deepen their understanding. If you're one of these people, then you will not enjoy Kill Bill Volume 2 (see Vacuum Energy for this take).

However, for the most part, if you're the gore loving person, then you will probably not enjoy this movie either. Most of the gore from the first volume is lost in this movie with the poignant exception of one scene in which you get to see how Elle lost her first eye, firsthand and then see it done again (if you didn't get that, I recommend watching the movie, if that made you want to retch, stay away).

The tying up of loose ends, I think, helps this movie. Whereas the first one lacked plot, this one more than made up for it, although, it does use an ex deux machina to get out of a lot of problems and to get to the end quickly. In fact, the climactic battle, was in fact, anticlimactic, but helped to let David Carradine make a dignified exit, which, in my view, was entirely appropriate for his character.

All in all, if you're the casual moviegoer, wanting to escape reality for awhile, I recommend this movie and would give it a rating of:
Plot 1/2
Cinematography 2/2
Acting 1.5/2 (Uma Thurman and David Carradine score almost all of the points here, though Daryl Hannah also turned in a good performance, I particularly enjoyed how she was able to portray her character as cold and heartless by reading about the Black Mamba snake to a dying Budd. I thought the information was interesting and helped to get the audience to despise her character. IT WAS NOT WORTHLESS)
Enjoyability 2.5/4 (The loss of the 1.5 point comes from the one truly gruesome scene of the movie)
Total: 7/10

"You have to do some things for enjoyment, if you are doing something and you don't like it, ask yourself 'Why am I doing this?' If you cannot come up with a good reason, then WHY ARE YOU DOING IT?"

David Carradine dies twice in one weekend, News at 11!

David Carradine reprised his role as the leader of the Followers of Rambaldi, and is a monk in Nepal. However, he tragically just died again, this time shot by Mr. Julian Sark.

Carradine joins Quentin Tarantino (Covenant man) and I believe also Vivica A. Fox on Alias and Kill Bill.

Eh, its back on!

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Joe Wins

See Vacuum Energy last night and see the bottom link.

BTW- WTF was the Seattle's Manager just thinking? He left in Joel Pineiro. I can pitch better than Joel Pineiro sometimes and that's when I can't get my curveball or slider working (which happens way too much, my dad usually shells me in BP, but I have pretty damn good control).

Sunday, April 11, 2004

Response to a Response of an incident

Okay, in responding to Vacuum Energy's (put link on the right-finally, lol) to that we'll have a hard time replacing a valuable coworker, I have just one acronym to say:

ROFLMAO

Thursday, April 08, 2004

Dreaming of the Alamo

After talking about it in the lab, I then had a dream, dealing with The Alamo last night. It went something like this.

[Music starts playing in the background. It took me awhile, but this is the theme from Gladiator]

Voiceover: They were bankers.
[Showing some 1830s bankers]
Voiceover: They were lawyers.
[Showing some 1830s lawyers]
Voiceover: They were physicists
[Shows Joe wearing the stereotypical Davy Crockett gear with a coonskin hat and Scott wearing a 1830s suit. They're cleaning their muskets]
Scott: I tell you, Joe, when they unify the EM equations, Physics will be changed forever!
Voiceover:...and they were wavy red-haired girls who like to teach English to deprived Mexican kids.
[Show picture of Emily walking towards us. Music stops suddenly like how a rapper stops a record.]
[Turn to picture of Scott and Joe. They look up. Their faces are in horror and completely surprised.]
Scott: Wait, Emily's here?
[Jim Bowie walks towards them]
Joe: Hey, Bowie! Is Emily here?
Bowie: Yeah, she wants to teach English to deprived Mexican children.
Scott: Uh-oh.
Joe: You all gonna die now.
Bowie: Huh?
Scott: That's it! All bets are off!
Joe: You gonna die.
Scott: We're going now, Bowie. Best you do too. FLEE FOR YOUR LIVES!!!!!!

[They throw down their muskets, run for their horses and flee for their lives]

20 MINUTES LATER {Okay, so maybe I don't know if it was 20 min later but lets say it was for dramatic effect}
[Mexican troops are walking through the open doors into the Alamo without any type of a fight.]
Bowie: Wait, who was the idiot who left the doors open?
Random person: Umm, those are the doors that Emily leaves by.

[Bowie is in shock as he remembers what he was told.]
Bowie: EEEEMMMMMIIIILLLLLLLYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Travis: We gonna die now.

[Turns to picture of Joe and Scott fleeing for their lives]
Scott: I told them to FLEE FOR THEIR LIVES!!!!!!
Joe:
They all dead now


Voiceover: The ALAMO, betrayed by a girl named Emily. Comes to a theatre near you on Friday.


Tuesday, April 06, 2004

What to do? What to say?

"I am paralyzed by indecision."

I feel exactly that way. Choosing a grad school is a big decision.

I disagree with James M. who basically said, "its no big deal". But it is! Especially for an experimentalist! While the theorist will just gain tools on how to work in physics, the experimentalist becomes highly specialized over the years of grad school as you do pick up some general knowledge, but you gain a lot of knowledge in your field. BEC knowledge can be partially applied to quantum computing--like how my knowledge of vacuum pumps helps me with other pursuits-- but cannot be transferred completely. Grad school is huge.

So which one is it? Colorado (work with Cornell hopefully), Michigan (easy qual and interesting quantum computing plus Monroe), Washington (best facilities of all but AMO program is dying) or Illinois (BFE).

Thoughts, anyone?