$0.02 doesn't go far

krismee @ 2009-01-07T22:24:00

2009-01-08T03:29:12Z

From dragonkat747
I'm really impressed that some of these movies made it past the movie snobs...

From AFI's list of the 100 Greatest Movies of All Time - bold the ones you've seen.

1. Godfather, The (1972)
2. Shawshank Redemption, The (1994)
3. Godfather: Part II, The (1974)
4. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, The (2003)
5. Lord of the Rings: The TwoTowers, The (2002)
6. Schindler's List (1993)
7. Shichinin no samurai (1954) (aka Seven Samurai)
8. Casablanca (1942)
9. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, The (2001)
10. Star Wars (1977)
11. Citizen Kane (1941)
12. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
13. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
14. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
15. Rear Window (1954)
16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
17. Pulp Fiction (1994)
18. Usual Suspects, The (1995)
19. Memento (2000)
20. North by Northwest (1959)
21. 12 Angry Men (1957)
22. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il (1966) (aka The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly)
23. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
24. Psycho (1960)
25. Fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain, Le (2001) (aka Amelie)
26. Silence of the Lambs, The (1991)
27. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
28. Goodfellas (1990)
29. American Beauty (1999)
30. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
31. Vertigo (1958)
32. Matrix, The (1999)
33. Cidade de Deus (2002) (aka City of God)
34. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
35. C'era una volta il West (1968) (aka Once Upon a Time in the West)
36. Apocalypse Now (1979)
37. Pianist, The (2002)
38. Third Man, The (1949)
39. Paths of Glory (1957)
40. Taxi Driver (1976)
41. Fight Club (1999)
42. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) (aka Spirited Away)
43. Some Like It Hot (1959)
44. Double Indemnity (1944)
45. Boot, Das (1981) (aka The Boat)
46. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
47. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
48. Chinatown (1974)
49. L.A. Confidential (1997)
50. Maltese Falcon, The (1941)
51. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
52. All About Eve (1950)
53. M (1931)
54. Bridge on the River Kwai, The (1957)
55. Se7en (1995)
56. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
57. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
58. Rashômon (1950)
59. Raging Bull (1980)
60. Wizard of Oz, The (1939)
61. Alien (1979)
62. American History X (1998)
63. Sting, The (1973)
64. Léon (1994) (aka The Professional)
65. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
66. Manchurian Candidate, The (1962)
67. Vita è bella, La (1997) (aka Life is Beautiful)
68. Touch of Evil (1958)
69. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The (1948)
70. Finding Nemo (2003)
71. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
72. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
73. Great Escape, The (1963)
74. Modern Times (1936)
75. Clockwork Orange, A (1971)
76. Amadeus (1984)
77. On the Waterfront (1954)
78. Ran (1985)
79. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
80. Annie Hall (1977)
81. Wo hu cang long (2000) (aka Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
82. Jaws (1975)
83. Apartment, The (1960)
84. Braveheart (1995)
85. High Noon (1952)
86. Aliens (1986)
87. Fargo (1996)
88. Strangers on a Train (1951)
89. Shining, The (1980)
90. Metropolis (1927)
91. Blade Runner (1982)
92. Sixth Sense, The (1999)
93. City Lights (1931)
94. Donnie Darko (2001)
95. Duck Soup (1933)
96. Great Dictator, The (1940)
97. General, The (1927)
98. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
99. Princess Bride, The (1987)
100. Dogville (2003)

need i say more?

2008-11-05T15:11:47Z

Favorite News Stories of Nov 5th 2008

2008-11-05T15:04:31Z

To be added to throughout the day...

A New Era for America

On the Lighter Side

Nation Finally Shitty Enough to Make Social Progress
Can I Stop Being President Now?
No We Can't, White Folks

is it too much to ask an administrative assistant to be helpful?

2008-09-09T19:15:07Z

My instructions to Mumbles:
Here's the new one-sheeters to go on the media wall...
The FIRST TWO PAGES NEED TO BE PRINTED FRONT AND BACK so that they're on a single sheet of paper. (This was spoken slowly and clearly so that she understands)

1hour later:

Mumbles: I printed out the first two pages and stapled them together.
Me: Well thats fine, but in the future I'd like you to print them double sided
Mumbles: Why?
Me: So that we save a page
Mumbles: I don't understand
Me: Well, if we print double sided we only use ONE SHEET OF PAPER, if we print single sided, we use two sheets and a staple
Mumbles: I don't understand. How will they know to look on the back?
*headdesk*
Me: I'm just going to go on faith that they figure it out.
Mumbles: (to herself as she walks away) #$%^ Jesus Christ! %^& that doesn't make any sense at all. I never heard of such a thing... etc.
*headdesk*headdesk*headdesk*

two random musings on lavender...

2008-09-09T13:50:13Z

On vacation in Colonial Williamsburg I treated myself to a pretty paper box of lavender bath powder. Later that afternoon - I took a long luxurious bath in the over-sized tub and when I got out - I used my new powder.

I was instantly overwhelmed by one of the strongest and sweetest memories I've ever experienced...
Nana used to keep bath powder - and when we would bathe at her house as little girls she'd dry us off and pat us down with the big pretty powder puff.

It felt clean and warm and silky and smelled of love.

This morning - as I was battling consciousness with my clock radio - this drifted into my ears from the dulcet tones of Garrison Keillor on this morning's edition of Writer's Almanac:

I Planned To Have a Border of Lavender
by Paul Goodman

I planned to have a border of lavender
but planted the bank too of lavender
and now my whole crazy garden
      is grown in lavender

it smells so sharp heady and musky
of lavender, and the hue of only
lavender is all my garden up
     into the gray rocks.

When forth I go from here the heedless lust
I squander—and in vain for I am stupid
and miss the moment—it has blest me silly
     when forth I go

and when, sitting as gray as these gray rocks
among the lavender, I breathe the lavender's
tireless squandering, I liken it
     to my silly lusting,

I liken my silly indefatigable
lusting to the lavender which has grown over
all my garden, banks and borders, up
     into the gray rocks

from Collected Poems. © Random House, 1973

i'd like to have a garden like that

AWESOME!

2008-08-07T00:23:36Z

Folding Kyaks

How freakin' cool is THAT?
I wanna blue one!

just what i was thinking...

2008-08-06T14:09:42Z

Toles Cartoon

on my list

2008-07-25T19:32:10Z

Visiting interesting statues.

an argument for print...

2008-07-22T20:09:09Z

the most disturbing thing to talk about in social psyc...

2008-07-16T19:24:09Z

Bystander Effect

if only they could find my keys too...

2008-07-10T14:52:08Z

Phone Phindin' Pups

home from vacation...

2008-07-09T15:56:49Z

So I get home yesterday evening after having been out of town for 6 days. I take my suitcase into the bedroom - and I noticed something odd...
My bedroom smelled very distinctly of powdered tea mix.

say bye bye job

2008-06-10T20:51:40Z

outsourcing...

(btw-this is the other research group - the ones does influence the content of the paper)

A Toles cartoon from Wed, May 21st

2008-06-06T16:34:08Z

Democratic Marathon: The Finale

2008-06-04T22:16:11Z

A really cool interactive on the road to the democratic nomination from wp.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/marathon/

Three Types of People

2008-05-29T15:58:18Z

cat calls vs compliments

2008-05-14T18:20:01Z

So is it an an unexpected side effect of my weight loss?
Am I just OUTSIDE on the street more?
Or some combination thereof?

At any rate - lately I'm getting them at a steeply increased frequency and I never quite know what to do with them.

I've also recently discovered that I need to be more careful in my selection of clothing when I'm alone as opposed to when I'm out with Gary. I can wear low cut -tops when I'm out with him - because who's going to mess with the 6'2" guy whose hand I'm holding? But I wear the same shirt when I'm out on my own - or with another girl - and all of the sudden I get eyeballed.

I'm stuck somewhere in between glowing from the compliment and being terrified of the person delivering it. I'm embarrassed to admit it has everything to do with the age & appearance of the person as well as the tone with which it was delivered. And why do I have the general feeling that I wouldn't feel so nervous about it if I were living in Blacksburg?

Anyhow - I'd been talking to Gary about this lately. He found this related article and forwarded it my way.

Trials of City Life

2008-05-08T14:13:38Z

I'm full of indignation and fury this morning. Someone stole ... my soap.

Let me take a moment to wax poetic about this soap. It is simply wonderfulness in a solid form that you can lather up and bathe with. It smells like real lavender in the sunshine. Like the lavender plant I had in my plot in the community gardens in Blacksburg. Remember the huge lavender plant with the little birds nest inside?

Its one of those little luxuries I allow myself at $3 per bar, and a bar lasting a month or so - I don't think that's too bad. Its one of my favorite things. Its a happy thought.

Now granted, I must have left it somewhere I ought not. Because they didn't get into my locker - at least not that I can tell. Now, I know what you're thinking: "pipe down! someone probably just threw it away." There's an number of reasons why I don't think that's the case. If I left it laying around - there's a lost-and-found milk crate in the locker room for shower flip-flops, shampoo, hairbrushes and other things that didn't make it back to people's bags or lockers. So there was an avenue for disposing of it from whatever inconvenient place I left it that didn't involve the trash can. Not to mention - it was safely tucked inside a travel soap container so its not like it was a slimy bar of soap I left somewhere - it was in a really nice travel case (the only one I've ever found that this soap fits in!)

What would make someone walk off with a used bar of soap? Besides the obvious explanation that it is fabulous soap (I mean, I'd probably steal it if no one was around.) All I have to say is its a cruel cruel world where someone would walk off with a stranger's bar of lavender soap.

*sigh* Oh well. Now I have another reason to go back to Trader Joe's. Soon!

let the river run

2008-04-11T14:04:21Z

For the first time since 1997 - the Bonnie Carrie spillway will open today.
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/04/midwest_rain_forces_opening_of.html

the funniest - most bizarro and amazing thing I've seen... today.

2008-04-04T17:49:21Z

A ballet troupe of men (essentially in drag) mocking female prima ballerinas -
These guys dance on pointe - and their technique is nothing less than flawless.
They are secure and stable on those toes far better than many women you see.

What I'm saying is if they wiped the stupid grins off their faces, got some chest flesh, and lost the adams apples - they'd be bloody brilliant ballerinas. Its unlike anything I've ever seen!

Watch this - you won't beleive it!

Lines on Spring

2008-03-21T17:02:08Z

When winter weather wanders
Whispered wants will, weakened, wane -

When we wonder if warm wishes
Were once whimly wished in vain -

Wafting webs will weakly waver
Whilst white wraith-like warbler whines -

And wanish winter, weak with wander-lust
Slips on spring and so resigns.

coffeeeeeeeeee

2008-02-15T15:11:23Z

This looks like a jittery good time!

amusing satire from ann tenaes

2008-02-01T20:38:45Z

i really like this lady's political cartoons

this is the first one that was on wp.com
flip through the archives.
they're funny.

national gallery of art

2008-02-01T16:50:22Z

There are four things I like best at the National Gallery of Art. I could go back and visit them over and over.

Two Women at a Window
Bartolome Esteban Murillo
Spanish, 1617 - 1682

Usually when you look at a painting or photograph or the like - your eyes are drawn to something in particular. Some action or some centerpiece or the vastness of the horizon or a subject's eyes, whatever...

As you walk through the gallery you see painting after painting after painting of landscapes and seascapes and portraits and still lifes and blah blah blah blah. And everything you want to see is contained within the frame. But then there's this one. You see the look on their faces and you turn around to see what they're looking at.

Not that I'm an art expert or anything - but I'd really really really prefer to see this painting hanging about 6 feet higher on the wall than it is now. So that those hungry eyes are looking down at the handsome fella standing next to me. But that's just my opinion.

Venus and Cupid
Follower of Giovanni Bologna
16th Century Italian

A working fountain! I love water fountains - but I have to say I hate the ones where things are spitting - or water is gushing from unlikely places. The water element here is so understated - its just a tiny drip from her hair - as if she's nearly done wringing water from it. Oh and then the fish is spitting at her feet. I ignore that part.

In these photos - it looks like the water was not flowing to the upper part - to let her hair drip - because the drips collect in the conch and then spill over- and the splash leaves her left leg wet too...
I like that. I could sit by this one for hours.

The Old Violin

William Michael Harnett
American, 1886

It looks as though you could take it off the wall and play it.
Gary made me notice this one - I would have probably walked right by.

The Reading Girl (La Leggitrice)
Pietro Magni
Italian, model 1856, carved 1861

What stopped me cold the first time I saw this one was the detail. Life-sized and yet her clothes look like a light breeze coming through the window might make them rustle. A true marvel in marble. I really really really want to touch it. But somehow I think the guards would get upset. :)

VOTE!

2008-01-28T01:39:04Z

Here's a very cool site that a friend just sent me. http://glassbooth.org/

Enter points for the issues that are important to you - then take a short quiz about those issues. This website then tells you how your views match up with the candidates! It will first tell you which candidates views are most in line with your views, then give you a summary on the extent to which you differ or are similar on specific issues. One click deeper and you can see WHY you differ from candidates on specific issue - by reading recent quotes, summary statements of actions taken, or how he/she voted on these issues. No - it isn't all inclusive, and it misses out on things like character (which I'd say is pretty important)- but for a logical breakdown of issues - its a pretty nifty tool!

Also - the Virginia primary is coming up - Feb12th!
Find out WHERE to vote!