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| Matt's World |
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 Friday July 21 "The blood of the martyrs will water the meadows of Freedom" I got this great comic idea that someone should replace all occurrences of "France" or "French" in Les Miserables with "Freedom" and was reveling in my creativity until Sha quickly ran a diff in her head (too much damn source control on my mind) and realized very few lines would be different. Great. But I did really enjoy seeing the production last Sunday. I especially liked the Fantine performer. I was really convinced, for the first time, how delirious and distraught her life had made her. I've been reading Po Bronson's "What should I do with my Life" recently. I am definitely very skeptical of any author who claims to provide instructions for living your life (that's something you gotta figure out on your own, right?) Fortunately Bronson doesn't instruct or preach to the reader, but rather organizes and presents real stories of people trying to figure out the question. Isn't that just disguised preaching? Yeah. To a certain degree, so you still have to filter. But it's good, and fun. One of the theme's I've seen pop up is "Don't do this and say you'll do that later. Always do 'this'." Or that. Anyway, point is don't wait. Don't put off things. I know I was living that way working at R2. Thinking I'd get some options to vest, then leave and figure out what I really wanted to do. Good thing I got laid off, 2 years of taking chances has been far better in all areas of my life than another 3 years of set routine, something I likely would have done. So do you know what "this" is for you? You do. I think that's the good news and the bad news in one. Wait....now I'm just preaching in disguise right? Yeah. This statement is false. Huh????? End on something light.... Simple pleasure of life #24601: While flipping through channels, finding a movie on TV you own on DVD and deciding to watch it on TV anyway. Thursday July 14, 2005 'LIBERTE! EQUALITE! FRATERNITE!' (Happy Bastille Day mon amis) The chant my 7th grade history teacher had us say, after an execution, in what was one of my favorite school activities ever: a mock French Revolution. I was cast as Maximilian Robespierre, devious, scheming, and overly self-righteous leader of the "Reign of Terror" during the revolution. (Hmm...was I that much trouble?) I got to round up countless bourgeoisian enemies (including King Louis XVI) and introduce them to l'guillotine. Until of course I got guillotined (we used a cardboard replica mind you.) I will be seeing Les Miserables this Sunday for my first time ever. Not the fourteenth or fifteenth as most people think by how much I sing it. I never really liked musicals much until I decided I really liked Frances Ruffelle's (the true Eponine) voice and wanted to try the whole soundtrack. Oh man can she sing. Her voice doesn't sound so much like the human voice you get on a keyboard (smooth and very technical, a la Sarah Brightman) but rather like a soulful voice that has a real human quality while still being right on key. Think a BB King solo versus a BB Mak solo. Sticking with the French theme, I've been watching pieces of the Tour de France in the wee hours of the morning. So I think I get what a peloton is and how the jerseys are won, but I'm far away from understanding all the strategy. When I used to run in crew workouts, it was basically each man for himself. In cycling there's the concept of team, someone attacking, someone chasing, etc. Confusing. But it is pretty cool to watch, Go Lance. It's made me think of starting biking again. And by biking I mean "swinging by Stanford to see if my bike is still chained up somewhere outside Lag." Oh yeah and my Mom is going to France too in a week. Coincidence that she's going during the Tour? I think not. I hope she gets an extra yellow jersey in xl. Friday June 17, 2005 "For Milk" That's what James J. Braddock said he was fighting for (to feed his family during the Depression Era 30's) in Cinderella Man. I've seen about 4 or 5 good movies the past few weeks (also Mr./Mrs. Smith, Batman Begins, Star Wars EPIII, Saving Face) but I was most moved, by far, by Cinderella Man. I'm not a huge movie buff (though I love boxing movies) but I could tell Russell Crowe easily made an Oscar worthy performance. He really nailed nuances of the character, like the twinkle in his eye when he got back his confidence just as he was about to beat Corn Griffin, his mimicry of Braddock's long stride fighting style, and his desperation. Yeah Ron Howard basically pulled every tear jerking movie trick but dammit I'm glad he did. I still have to see Raging Bull and Million Dollar Baby, but this immediately goes up with Rocky and The Boxer as my all time boxing movie favorites. (Interestingly enough, both Cinderella Man and The Boxer featured the Irish folk tune "Danny Boy," as the Irish anthem in Boxer and kind of a jest by Braddock's trainer in CM) The Hurricane was good, but I don't think the movie did as much justice to the story of Rubin Carter as did Bob Dylan's song. Oh yeah, throw in the Ali movies as great, too. Blah. I could go on forever about this movie. In all fairness, as inspired as I am by Braddock and impressed with the film, it's obviously not perfect. It does fail to provide a more complete picture of Max Baer, who was seen by many as a champion of Jewish people against Hitler's Max Schmeling. It also fails to mention the nightmares Baer experienced after the death at his hands of Frankie Campbell. Heavy. Not only has CM generated crazy Oscar buzz, it has also drawn comparisons with a certain Division 2 2nd place IM Softball team. Inspector Gadget. When asked what the team was playing for, the players unanimously replied, "For Gatorade." Wednesday June 8, 2005 Woohoo.... And there's an up for every down. Our IM softball team made it to the Division 2 finals!! We lost 2-0 after the game's only run producing hit: a homerun from a 6'10" giant. Tuesday June 7, 2005 Phooey... Crap. Managed to drop my iPod a whole 1 foot and cracked its screen. On a brisk Spring day my spirits are a soar As I ascend the steps to my life of bore For the next few hours of my time will be spent Slaving as such an hp-orific computer gent Knowing that my hands will be confined To the grasps of mighty Microsoft's keyboard for a time I take one last comforting smile Knowing that the symphonic tunes of my ipod i will hear in a while Alas as I summit and reach a plateua anew I realize the player isn't so sticky as glue And it plummets a slow, dire fall Therefore hitting a carpeted floor, player, lcd screen and all Thus a new art form has evolved on its screen Not a pleasant one but a dismembered one I wish I hadn't seen But I have and although it is whack The screen on my precious U2 iPod now has a crack Thursday May 12, 2005 Quote from the past: From my favorite M.E. (what, I took M.E. classes?) teacher, Prof. Chris Edwards, "Well it's not rocket science" on explaining engine heat transfer in ME 140: Integrated Thermal Systems (rocket science) Quote of the day: In N' Out worker at the drive through, "Will that be for here?" ---- Yeah.... so I'm gonna stop my car and eat while I'll block the line Stuff to do/get:
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