Dumb crimes of 2002
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Driving down to Champaign not as bad as I'd thought. It helps that I've basically slept the whole time since I got back.

There are some ugly-as-crap designs being turned in for the new World Trade Center. Like this.

'Rings' Sequel Conjures Record Box Office Opening
And they'll be getting more of my money. Just another excuse to talk about LOTR:TTT again. I've been deliberately reading reviews done by people who didn't like it, like TheMovieBoy.com. It's just interesting to hear the few nays in a chorus of yeas.

"How Tipping Works"
Hmm.

Saw The Two Towers today, and was happily whisked away to very comfortable, recognizable world where I got to forget about all the dumb things that distract me. So happy. I wish I had the DVD so I can go to that world whenever I want, but it'll be here soon enough. I'm just trying to savor it right now. Which is hard because I'm tired as crap. And I have to wake up early to drive down to Champaign and pick up my brother. Whateva.

Good night.

Washboard Hank Home Page
"Washboard Hank plays an amazing conglomeration of bells, licence plates, duck calls, etc., and actually gets music out of it." The Fallopian Tuba? Oy.

Watched Frailty, answering my previous question of what happened to Matthew McConaughey. Messed up, but still really good. Can't look at Texan fundamentalists the same way ever again. But who cares, The Two Towers is here.

Change in plan for Thursday, I have to drive down to Champaign to pick up my brother for winter break. Stink.

South Africa cannot afford drugs to fight HIV/AIDS partly because it needs submarines to deter attacks from nations such as the US, its health minister said. Hmm. Maybe what they need is a bunch of Bulgarian tigers.

CD MAP Settlement
Go get the money the music industry owes you. I filed a claim. I predict my lawyer friend David will yell at me for the sketchy legality of the suit, but who cares.

I'm pretty irritated at the lack of progress made today in grad school crap. Must do better tomorrow.

Christopher Walken wants to make 'The Continental' into a movie? Not yes but hell yes. "Please sit down and have some champanya."

Albino penguin hatched at zoo
Not as weird-looking as I'd hoped.

Not that anybody believes in scheisters like John Edward (alleged communicators with the dead) but here's how they hook people on their schtick.

Transaction Oracle - Baseball Primer
Finally, some trade action at the baseball winter meetings. The Giants look like winners with the Durham and Alfonzo signings (tho they shouldn't play Durham in center), along with the A's getting Erubiel Durazo for basically Jack Q. Squat. Anyway, the link goes to Baseball Primer's Transaction Oracle, which is a nice little recap of transactions along with fan comments.

I'm not a big fan of getting people "coffee-table" type books, but M.C. Escher is one I don't feel bad about giving. Check out some of his stuff here.

I pulled my hamstring again on Friday playing volleyball. I quit sports for the rest of my life, period. What the is wrong with me? At least it'll force me to stay home and work on grad school stuff. GREs don't look to be as worrisome as I thought, which is encouraging. Still no ideas about who to ask for my other recommendation, tho. Perhaps one of the drunken guys done up in Santa Claus suits running around downtown Chicago, whom I ran into outside of O'Toole's That was great.

One of my friends asked me what it would take for me to actually date somebody. (Was he despairing for me? I think it was the eggnog and rum talking.) I told him information: just getting to know somebody well enough, and finding out if there's some sort of compatibility there. He asked me if he thought I was maybe waiting to root out too much information, to the detriment of finding someone suitable. Hmm. Maybe. But I've got enough other things to think about first. Maybe Bill or Russell could give me some dating advice.

Saw U-571 over the weekend. Pretty good, as submarine movies go. Whatever happened to Matthew McConaughey? I'm still scared to go see Solaris, cuz people seem to love it or really hate it. But none of that matters, because the Two Towers is almost here.