Matrix Theory

I'm not referring to the math course (which I believe is M 341) by my title, but rather one man's take on the latter two Matrix movies. Don't pull away in disgust yet, just listen for a minute. I don't think anyone took issue with the first Matrix, and it was largely understandable (I've only seen it 6 or 7 times myself though). When people saw the second one, they were underwhelmed, but some chalked it off to being too hyped for it. After the third one, I think people were disowning their copies of the original Matrix. However, that guy actually makes a number of good points that may cause you to reach into your trash can to bring back your old DVD and maybe even buy the later movies. I don't know that the Wachowski Brothers are clever enough to have drawn inspiration from the religions that he connects some of the scenes to, but it would clarify things up a ton. For example, did you ever consider the progression of Matrix recreations to be related to the Ages references in classical mythology (golden, iron, etc.)? Or considered the Architect and Neo to be yin and yang, like God and the devil? Or thought about the rave scene as the people of Zion being cast out of "heaven"? There are a lot of thoughts about connections to Hinduism as well, and I think it's just an interesting read overall whether or not any of it is true or whether you believe it. You have to be open-minded with interpreting movies just like learning about religions.

I just have one article to offer to CS majors, and it's a humorous description of how not to go about learning computer science. I have actually personally encountered a few of these, and I was really disgusted when I heard one guy mention how you could get code for an assignment off of DC++ or something. The FCC has determined that American households stand to save an average of 13% on their cable television bill by buying stations a la carte rather than as a package, but the industry, predictably, stands opposed. I can see their point of view, but I don't agree that channels that only have a cult following should be kept afloat by the rest of us just because a la carte programming would kill them. Most people, myself included, don't think enough about properly caring for their hard drives. Hence, I strongly recommend reading this article with some great tips, and I'm going to defrag my hard drive tonight, in fact. Speaking of hard drives, the PS3 is now rumored to have one at launch due to comments in BusinessWeek citing a reliable source, and I wouldn't be altogether surprised if it was just a nominal one (like 10-20 GB). Something really would be better than nothing, in my opinion. The reason it's so important is that industry icons agree that the online revolution is evolving rapidly, and they even seek the total annihilation of the single-player experience. I still think that there should always be some single-player games (maybe with just downloadable content), but I do agree that online functionality should be pushed for more and more. Lastly, Nintendo DS is actually going to allow its users to download demos for the newest portable games via wireless networks at certain retail stores, which is a really neat idea except for that the DS doesn't have a built-in HD. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that they've beaten the PSP in this step forward.

There's not an abundance of movie news today, but I'll give you what I have. Latino Review put up another amazing script review, but this time it's of Casino Royale. Contradictory to my earlier suspicions due to actors/actresses turning down the movie, they consider the script to be pretty rock solid and achieve the end that it should achieve. I guess the key now is proper execution. IESB got word from a Michael Keaton fan getting his autograph that Keaton may be in Robert Rodriguez's portion of Grind House. It's not altogether unlikely since he did pretty well in Jackie Brown, and it would be nice to see him in a good movie again. Lastly, there's a trailer up for Lady Vengeance for those of us not in Asia, and it makes me want to watch it so bad. I've heard that it's not as good as Oldboy, but I don't care because it should still be good.

My brother just got a puppy yesterday (the guard dogs they keep at his fiance's work had puppies in December), and I just had to post a picture of her because she's so unbelievably adorable:



A friend of mine actually recommended that I dognap her, and it actually doesn't sound all that crazy, except that my apartment complex doesn't allow pets except with an extra deposit. Now I have to make a trip to Houston sooner than later to see her while she's small. Oh, and she's a mutt, so don't try guessing the breed.

Now for Friday's Feast:

Appetizer
What was a class or course you took while in school that you realize now was a total waste of time?
Definitely P.E.. I'm in the best physical shape of my life, and none of it whatsoever can be attributed to my experiences in high school gym class.

Soup
Who is the tallest person you know?
This guy I knew in high school, Yi Zhao, is really tall. I don't see him too often in Austin, but he hasn't gotten any shorter. There's also this dude at the gym who is really tall and really freaking buff. I don't know his name, but I wish he was my best friend.

Salad
What's your favorite midnight snack?
Honey-roasted peanuts or chocolate-chip cookies. Either one is sinfully refreshing.

Main Course
Have you ever found money somewhere? If so, where did you find it, and how much was it?
I wish! I haven't found money just lying around in quite a while.

Dessert
Where would you like to retire?
Somewhere fun, but I don't know where yet. I don't think I've seen enough of the world to make that kind of a decision, so give me a few more years. I haven't even been in Europe! I don't consider a stopover in Frankfurt to be a trip to Germany.