Mike B.

Another excellent film from one of the finest young directors of today, Danny Boyle. Considering the director, and how few good horror films have been produced the past decade, I had high hopes for this, and I am not disappointed. Few plot holes, a very good script, tight, creepy camera work and special effects, and fine performances all around lead me to unequivocally recommend this.

^ (×2) If you're referring to what I said, I don't derive pleasure from such a thing, merely a bit of amusement. I don't feel remotely sorry for poor, suffering sportsfans, whether it's a Chicago Cubs fan feeling bitter disappointment yet another year or someone rooting for their hometown or home country hero who can't come up with the big victory. Anyone who invests so much emotional energy and places so much importance on a mere sporting activity is a sorry bloke indeed. Well, except for perhaps the World Cup, and that excludes America, for obvious reasons.

Though I've tried about every kind of fish and seafood, including shark & pals, I've never had whale, and I probably never will. Yes, I feel it's ok to base one's food selections on the animal's relative intelligence, though keep in mind pigs are quite smart. And I like pork, on occasion. Several varieties of whale are not remotely endangered, and many indigenous peoples participate in ritual whale hunts and rely on whales for sustinance. So, I'd say sporadic, commercial hunting of non-endangered whales is acceptible.

The most ridiculous traditions in my home country (good 'ol U.S. of A.) are the worship of wealth, the hoarding of unnecessary material goods, the election (ha) of incompetent polictians, and the reverence of talentless celebrities.

Because the sun rises so early here in the summer, bright light comes streaming through my window around 6am, even though my window faces northward and my blinds are shut. To back up Mr. Sun, a legion of birds begin their lovely cacophony in conjunction with the first rays of light, making a natural alarm clock. Trouble is, I don't need to wake up until 8-8:30 most days. Which is why I'm perpetually sleep-deprived and cranky.

I'm glad Henman lost. I hope no native Brit wins Wimbledon ever again. Not because I dislike England, but because it'd be amusing. I hope Mark Philippousis wins; he seems like a cool guy, and I like his game.

Quote: Originally posted by enderzero: Do you want to get a good taste of Japanese culture and lifestyle and be a little close to the cities? So where in Seattle are you? Some weather lately eh? What brings you to this forum? Yes, a good taste of Japanese culture is what I'm looking for on my first trip, which will hopefully be next year sometime. So I'm more likely to travel to Honshu, though I'd rather not do the Tokyo/Yokohama thing, as I'm not fond of sprawling, overcrowded cities. Something a bit slower-paced, more relaxed. I'll be studying Japanese this whole year, as I'd like to sp

I suppose I'm glad Vancouver will be getting them; at least Seattle won't have to deal with all that excess. Washington state has some incredible slopes, to be sure; I've actually never skied in British Columbia despite living less than 200 km south of Vancouver and visiting there many times. Where will the 2006 Winter Olympics be, by the way?

I once flew from Seattle to London, then London to Hamburg (Germany). I don't know how long the flight was, but I slept for 17 hours straight once I got to my friend's house in Hamburg. On the flight back home, I had a few glasses of wine, then used the eyeshades and listened to music. I passed out for several hours. I recommend classic music, maybe some light Mozart or Bach. And lots of wine - not beer, because you'll have to pee soon after.

I agree. San Francisco is a great city, a much better place to visit than L.A. San Fran is a very clean city, with less crime, and the traffic isn't quite as bad. Seattle's lovely, too...it's been my hometown since I was a kid.

Were I to go on a skiing trip, which island would be preferable? I've read that Hokkaido is better, though Honshu offers more choices. Nagano is, of course, supposed to be a great resort town, but I'd lean more toward Furano. I've never been to Japan, though, so I don't know from firsthand experience.

Oh, nevermind. It seems the picture only shows up on the "Profile" page, not in every post - that's what I'm used to.

My avatar (icon/picture) isn't showing up, and neither is anyone else's, it seems. What's up with that? The link to my URL is correct.

This is a difficult question to answer. Are you referring to another person, or, perhaps something else, like a car, or a musical instrument?