Stranger than fiction

Sorry gentlemen. I have finally watched the film. I went to Radioshack and got the part to make my new DVD player work with our old TV. My impressions of this film were very good. I enjoyed the acting and the plot. I thought the acting was very good. Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson delivered their usual steady performances. Maggie Gellynhaal was sexy. She is not bombshell sexy like Halle Berry or any of the chicks on VIP but she definitely has a flare about her. Maggie was also great as Lee Holloway in The Secretary (2002) with James Spader. (The spanking scenes are great in that one) I was surprised by the performances of Will Ferrell and Queen Latifah. They played the straight man in this comedy??? Overall I must say I found this movie very entertaining.

I also noticed a few other interesting points. In the film everyone around Harold Crick saw him as the “crazy” one but he actually was the calmest sanest person in the film. Karen Eiffel the genius writer that controls all of Harold’s actions was on the brink of insanity. Jules Hilbert a totally rational professor is perfectly willing to see someone he knows and seemingly cares about die because it would make a better story. Then he is clearly disappointed that his friend’s life is spared. English professors, who can figure them out? I also thought about how Karen only narrated Harold’s life she was silent when other’s interacted with him. Who was controlling those characters? Were they actual people, were they the heroines in other stories or are they just extras in the story of Harold Crick? Do they even exist outside of Harold? I hope they do because Ana Pascal could headline any story. You cannot forget the theme of living your life while you have it. Harold does not truly live until he realizes he is going to die. Even though Harold realizes he is not in control of his life he wants his life to have meaning.

As I thought about this movie I though back to my childhood when I asked myself this question. Am I real? Did I do that or am I a character in someone else’s imagination. What if we are just the toys of a child who controls our movements like we are in a Sims game? That would truly be strange. To control the life of someone (in a video game) while someone else is controlling you… Isn’t that like watching the screen of a video that you are shooting of yourself watching the screen? The image could go on into infinity, thousands of smaller and smaller TVs within one TV. I guess one could also ask himself another question? Are we in control of our lives or do outside forces determine our fates? What I mean is, does god come from within or is god someone, or something that is outside of us?

On the above questions I would agree with René Descartes. He popularized the statement, "Cogito, ergo sum" (Latin: "I think, therefore I am") or Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum (Latin: "I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am"). We cannot be sure if this is the right answer but it is a good starting point. The definitive answer to the question of our existence will only come when we no longer exist

World's Best Barber

Mark was a talented football player growing in Logan a neighborhood in Philadelphia. His team the Logan Cowboys won the 115 lbs football PAL league championship in 1983. Mark was the starting safety for the team leading the team in tackles in 1983. Mark’s football career was shortened by a terrible knee injury in 1984.

Although Mark Stroman’s football career was cut short he still has a healthy love for the game today. Mark is currently the 3 times reining champion of the LeCrown Fantasy Football League. Mark often credits his success to his days playing PAL League football with the Logan Cowboys and watching a lot of the NFL.

Mark Stroman attended Germantown High School where he majored in Academics. His was a straight A student and he made the honor roll several times. He graduated with honors in 1989. Mark aspired to attend Maryland Eastern Shore University but financial hardship prevented him from fulfilling his academic aspirations.

Not attending university did not deter Mark from making his dreams come true. He attended barber college. Mark graduated with distinction in 1991.

Mark worked at a Kato’s barbershop until 1997. The owner of the shop had financial trouble and the Kato’s went out of business later that year. Mark did not despair when he at his sudden state of unemployment. Mark Stroman saw the shop closing as an opportunity to fulfill his dream of owning his own shop. Mark purchased a building across the street and opened LeCrown Barbershop.

LeCrown is a community shop--we service the community. We've got special rates for mothers with lots of sons. We do $5 haircuts on Wednesdays for low-income mothers. And we have Senior Cut Saturday the first of every month. Mark has mentored 100 of youngsters through out his time at LeCrown and has given several young barbers their start in the business. The culmination of Mark Stroman’s career came in 2004 when he was awarded the Golden Clipper for barbering excellence

Mark Stroman has worked tirelessly as a community activist and volunteer. He has also denoted several thousand dollars to local charities that promote youth sports, art and scholarship.

http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=8672

Myspace spammers

Why do the internet marketers persist on Myspace? No! I don't want to buy any of your ringtones. I am not interested in pimping my site by going to your site. I don't need to go to your other web page to see naked pictures of you. I don’t want insurance, real estate or your stock market advice. I understand promoting a club appearance or your band maybe even your new calendar or film but please stop with everything else. You are not going to become the next Tom sending me an email or bulletin trying to sell me the “latest cool ringtones”. I know you heard that some dude from Texas got a bunch of friends and now a soft drink company is paying him to promote them but that is not going to happen for you. Internet marketer, you are not that bright!

If you insist on making up these phony profiles posting pictures of chicks you probably have never even met please stop emailing me. I just don’t care that you are new to “Anytown, USA” and trying to make new friends by directing them to a site where they can see naked pictures of you. I have never had to resort to showing someone nude pics of me before they became my friend. Plus I don’t need you to show me where I can see pictures of naked women on the internet. If you want to become a marketing genius, get your money together and buy advertising space.

Nfl's dirtiest player

Why should I feel sorry for this guy? If anything I feel sorry for Conrad Dobler's wife. She has to put up with all of his malarkey. What bothers me most is these aging professional athletes that feel the younger generation of players owe them something. NFL players of the 1970s did not make the salaries of todays NFL players but they still were paid 5 times as much as the average working man. If Conrad would have spent less time boozing and running around with women and more time saving and planning he might not be in his current situation. He also repeatedly complains about people that want something for nothing but he thinks the NFLPA should give him something for nothing. Conrad they do not owe you anything.

This is a response I posted to a recent espn article about Conrad Dobler and the NFLPA.