Just Sayin

Why does this make you SO Happy?

You never know. Hat tip to Ben for finding this total GEM!!!

Get them to the chapel on time

Last night I went over to the Four Seasons to celebrate Jimmy and Greg's marriage. They are actually getting married tonight and have mostly family with them but wanted to do something with their friends. I've really only started to get to know these guys in the last few years so it was really sweet that they asked me to join them last night. They're both really sweet guys, always really friendly and generous. When we used to be involved in the Holiday party every year they were the ones who brought the most and nicest gifts fort he kids. I'm so happy for them.

That's Jimmy on the left who insisted that Greg handle the response to the toast as he is uncomfortable in the spotlight.

Carl, George, Jimmy, Courtney, Miriam, Glenn, Bobby and Michael.

Courtney and Miriam - looking glamorous as always despite the fact that Courtney had just flown in from a full day of work in NYC.

George, Miriam, Courtney and Carl - 2 hours before this picture George crushed me in a brutal Step Aerobics/Cardio with weights/boxing class that was brutal. He's still smiling in this picture of the thought of me having to walk over the window to take a breather.

Me and the beautiful ladies

Dave and Larry - strategically located near the table serving solitude and protein

The Dark Knight

 

So last night I went and saw the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. I really would have wanted to see this on opening night but I've had a few things going on on the weekends so it took me about 2 weeks to get to it. WOW! What a movie.

Talk about big shoes to fill. Not only was it following in the footsteps of Batman Begins which clearly eclipsed any of the previous Batman movies, but the character of the Joker is so instrumental to the Batman storyline and with Heath's death and all of the hype I was legitimately concerned going in that it wouldn't measure up. It totally blew me away.

Fundamentally it comes down to one thing. The writing of this movie in terms of character development was superior. Yes the acting was first rate but we've all seen very good actors embarrass themselves by being in a piece of crap movie where the dialog was awful. This movie had none of that. Every character was strong. From Batman, to the Joker to Harvey Dent to Gordon to Rachel. Every single one of them was believable. That is the real difference of this franchise is that they don't push the boundaries into an area where you feel like you're watching a comic book or that it's too campy. Kind of like the way Roger Moore 007 movies are fun to watch but aren't as good as Connery's or Daniel Craig's.

Obviously Ledger's performance was on spotlight because of the importance of the Joker as Batman's foil but the thing that was so eerie about the performance was that you actually found yourself believing him. People ARE that self motivated and selfish and we all know it. So his theory that the real crazy people are the ones walking around deluding themselves into thinking that they are good people is VERY believable as is the crisis of faith it gives Batman. And the moments when he was scariest were not the moments when he was blowing things up but when he was actually calm and collected. The scene where he tells the story about his wife and how he got his facial scars was chilling.

But I was most surprised by how good Aaron Eckhart's performance was in terms of his transformation into two-face. It never got campy or lame. His insanity never came from a place of loss on control as much as it came from a place of overwhelming rage and the struggle to try and hold that in. He was fantastic! Again you really believed in the crisis he was enduring because of his ideals as an incorruptible DA and the victim forced to suffer the ultimate loss because of how corrupt those around him were. And the embodiment of internal struggle that he was facing as an analogy to the struggle between Batman and the Joker was really poignant and smart storytelling.

This is a move that must be seen on the big screen due to some of the action sequences - the building scenes in Hong Kong and overlooking Gotham harbor as well as the chase scene under the highway. This is the kind of movie that people walk out of and feel that every penny of their ticket was well spent and that they would get right back in line to see it again. Just great!! 

Nice Work Chipsters

My fraternity at Hamilton won the gold.

Hamilton's Chi Psi Fraternity Awarded Thayer Trophy for Most Outstanding Chapter

Hamilton's chapter of Chi Psi fraternity recently was awarded The Thayer Trophy at its annual conference, held this year at Cornell University. The Thayer is awarded annually to the most outstanding Alpha (chapter) of Chi Psi and is the highest honor a chapter can receive from the national fraternity. More specifically, it is given to the Alpha judged superior in areas such as scholarship, financial operations, campus activities, community relations, and the use of Chi Psi educational programs and traditions.

Paris for President

Hat tip to Matthew for this total gem. When she starts talking about "her" energy policy it immediately reminded me of the Post-it dream sequence from Romy and Michelle when Lisa Kudrow is like ".. by adding a complex glucose derivative during the emulsification process....and it turns out I was right!"

I don't care what any of you say...I love Paris!

The Douchiest Phone Message in History

As Promised - Brody William Jordan

Here he is. Born 7/31/08. 8lbs.13oz. 21" long.

What the hell is it?

My friend Sean sent me a link earlier today. Apparently this thing washed up on the shores of Montauk, LI. People are trying to speculate as to what it might be?
 
Some suggested ideas are as follows:

1) Shellless turtle species
2) Government genetic experiment gone wrong
3) Gimmick for an upcoming movie
4) Shelly Winters back for one last bite

Words to Live by

Seriously nuts!

 
So this is seriously fucked up. I read a posting this morning about a guy who completely lost it on a bus in North West Canada and started stabbing the guy next to him (who was asleep and listening to music) in the neck. He started screaming and everyone ran off the bus. The guy in the seat ahead of him as well as the bus driver tried to get back on the bus to help the guy and they saw the attacker sawing through the guys neck and ultimately beheading him. They bolted off the bus and waited outside. Apparently the bus driver disabled the bus somehow and then a few people waited outside with weapons they had got from a nearby truck to keep the guy on the bus while the police came.

This link is an interview with the guy who was seated in the row ahead of them and witnessed the whole thing. He said that at no point did there seem like a conflict or did they exchange words of anger and that the victim was asleep. That's some seriously scary shit. Bus beheading.