HUGE NEWS!!! (relatively speaking, of course)

Guillermo del Toro has officially signed on to direct "the Hobbit" films (yes, they are making 2)

Rumors have been circulating for a while, but rumors mean very little in hollywood (but then again, where do they mean much??). Although i am disappointed that PJ is not directing I am pleased about this decision. I think GDT is the next closest director with the ability to handle this project (he's most famous for directing the oscar winner "pan's labyrinth"). I was not interested in having Sam Raimi (spiderman 1,2,3) direct the films. he's very talented, but cheesy, and i don't think he could manage the huge size of the film (see spiderman 3).

I am encouraged not just because of Del Toro's experience in fantasy film-making, but his interview with theonering.net confirms his positive relationship with PJ and his perspective on staying true to the fellowship trilogy.

[you can read the article here]

just how big do you think this news is??

lazy pistons

(rip hamilton hangs his head in shame during friday's game)

i couldn't watch the game last night. not that i wasn't home or that i had some other obligation to attend to. i couldn't watch because the pistons were playing horribly. miserably. brokenly.

and i think i know what the problem is. They believe that they work best with their backs against the wall, but they don't.

It's just like a teenager who procrastinates on his or her homework. The teen claims that he/she work best under pressure, but the truth is that they are constantly forced to work under pressure because of a lack of planning, time management, and self- discipline. He doesn't work his best then, he's just forced into that position. She would do much better if she did had a strong commitment to discipline.

The pistons don't have a sense of urgency. They don't work hard because they are overconfident of their ability to work under pressure. And they are going to lose this series. they aren't going to turn it on until it's too late. i hate to admit it, but i don't think the pistons will beat the 76ers.

the habs are back

I've not followed hockey for several years. Ever since the 04-05 lockout i've not really cared about the nhl. It doesn't help that my favourite team (montreal) has stunk lately. but that's all over now. The canadiens have had a great season, but they nearly blew it in the first round of the playoffs. They were up 3-1 in the series and then lost the next 2 games, bringing the exciting/terrifying game 7. as sean baligian mentioned this morning on his radio show (am1130 wdfn) a game 7 is incredibly exciting as a fan of the sport, but it's dreadful if your team is playing in it. i was really worried that they were going to lose (especially after watching the pistons lose the other night), but they decimated the bruins and can move forward. stanley cup here we come!

Here comes the Pope, all dress in... bope?? fope?? soap-on-a-rope??

I'm a frequent viewer of the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. I love the blend of humor, pop culture, and political commentary. Tonight's guest was Peter Steinfels, a professor of religion and columnist for the New York Times. He brought up a really interesting thought about the pope.



He said the only time we pay attention to what the pope says is when his messages intersect with hot button political and cultural issues. We only care about using his comments to support or criticize the war, abortion, homosexuality, or any other polarizing topic. When the pope shares messages of hope and love, forgiveness and grace (the true messages of the gospel, imho) we ignore him.

I think the professor is right. The pope speaks messages to gigantic crowds all around the world, and the only parts i ever hear about are a few sound bites condemning the war in iraq. While i personally have never looked to the pope as a source of spiritual inspiration perhaps it's because i'm overlooking the real message that he is trying to communicate.

april fools!... oh wait, you aren't kidding; oh snap.

Lately I've found myself thinking of ideas and encountering stories that i'd like to blog about when i'm away from my computer, and then when i'm online I totally forget about it.

I don't know if you heard it in the news, but around April first a story was released about national high school graduation rates. Once again the city of Detroit is numero uno. And once again, it's in the worst category. 75% of all high school students in the city of Detroit drop out. it's a number so ridiculous i have to write it again. 3/4 of detroit high school students DO NOT graduate.

i find that unbelievable. seriously, i cannot even imagine what that would look like to only graduate with a quarter of the students you entered high school with. I don't know how the city of detroit is going to be able to recover from the mess that is currently is in. It has half the population that it had four decades ago, but with a much larger and more complicated (and aging) infrastructure to support. Detroit business are failing or leaving entirely. The local economy is completely in the tank. It leads the nation in crime rates. It takes homes an average of 50 months to sell (in the freep yesterday). and the mayor is under criminal investigation for lying under oath.

And the future of detroit is giving up on their education. It seems there is little hope for the future of this desperate city.

Deeetroit Basket-Ball!!

I just got back from the Pistons game and enjoyed watching them pwn the Wizards. I took 18 of our youth (including a few adults) and we had a ton of fun. It was a total blow-out game (pistons 102, wizards 74), but i still enjoyed it none the less. Going to a game isn't always about the score or even the sport, it's about the experience. of course, it's better when your team wins.

I'm excited about the pistons chances in the playoffs this year. Their bench is much stronger than in years past and i think last years disappointment has given them something to prove.
Jason Maxiell has been playing particularly well (he had 28 points and was player of the game tonight). I was able to even walk away with a free maxiell jersey and pistons hat. i'm going to keep my eyes open for some playoff tickets.

oh, and the family directly 1 row in front of us won a chance to win a new house. Go Gregory!!!!

scramblicious

Hi my name is Alex and I'm an addict. I cannot stop playing the game Scramble. It's a version of Boggle that's connected to facebook. I started playing games just with my family, but i've moved on to the live games. Even when i'm not playing my mind continually breaks down every word i hear. (hear= her;are;ear;era) thankfully it's not affecting my work right now, but i stayed up way too late last night.




wanna play??