Batman: The Dark Knight Trailer. Am I the only one who is incredibly excited about this?

iTunes and iPods/iPhones have the ability to remember where in the book you stopped should you pause or disconnect your iPod. This is tremendously useful because I drive different cars and scrolling through a 54 hour long audio book to find my spot is a pain. The catch is this functionality only works on audio books that are in a particular format that only Apple or Audible.com support.

Well I get my music from a variety of sources, much of it in MP3 format from rented audio books. iPods don’t remember where you stopped on an MP3 file, only on the M4B format. I did some Googling and as recommended by Michael Alderete I downloaded and used MP3 to iPod Audio Book Converter. It converts MP3 audiobooks to the M4B format, can combine multiple MP3 files into a single file, and is free. Best of all, it works wonderfully.

If I ever get my movie review site up and running again, I may have to rewatch it and write a real review but this DVD is definitely a keeper.

More than any time in recent history, America’s destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedom and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people’s strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive. 44 people were killed a couple of hours ago at Kennison State University. Three swimmers from the men’s team were killed and two others are in critical condition. When, after having heard the explosion from their practice facility, they ran into the fire to help get people out. Ran into the fire. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They’re our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we’re reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars. God bless their memory, God bless you and God bless the United State of America.

The speech gave me patriotic goose bumps but even more memorable was, “I Don’t Like Mondays”, sung by Tori Amos which played in the background. This song was originally written by Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats in the late 70’s.

One morning in 1979 a 16-year-old California girl named Brenda Spencer took out the rifle she’d been given for her birthday by her father, and loaded it. Her home happened to be across the street from an elementary school, so she aimed the gun out the window and started firing. By the time police had broken into her home, raced up the stairs, and stopped her, she’d killed the principal, a kid, and a teacher, and injured sixteen kids. Things like that didn’t happen back then, despite the ready availability of guns and violent TV. The police, of course, asked her why she’d done this. She replied “It was something to do. I don’t like Mondays”. The Boomtown Rats were touring the United States when this tragedy occurred and quickly wrote a song which became an overnight hit everywhere in the world except the United States which banned the song.

The album, “The Fine Art of Surfacing” in which Bob Geldof’s song was released is perhaps one of the best albums ever released. It is an album which was released in the era where the lyrics of rock songs were like poems — not devoid of meaning. Few bands today release albums with lyrics that are worth listening to let alone buying. The Boomtown Rats is a forgotten band who were brilliant when they innovated, but never even remotely needed to.

Brenda Spencer was denied parole for the third time on March 15, 2005.

Lyrics
The silicon chip inside her head
gets switched to overload
and nobody’s gonna go to school today
she’s gonna make them stay at home
And Daddy doesn’t understand it
He always said she was good as gold
And he can see no reason
Cos there are no reasons
What reasons do you need to be shown

[Chorus:]
Tell me why
I don’t like Mondays
I want to shoot
The whole day down

The telex machine is kept so clean
and it types to waiting world.
And Mother feels so shocked
Father’s world is rocked
And their thoughts turn to
Their own little girl
Sweet 16 ain’t that peachy keen
No it ain’t so neat to admit defeat,
They can see no reasons
Cos there are no reasons
What reasons do you need to be shown

[Repeat Chorus]

All the playing’s stopped in the playground now
She wants to play with her toys awhile
And school’s out early and soon we’ll be learning
That the lesson today is how to die
And then the bullhorn crackles
And the captain tackles
With the problems and the how’s and why’s
And he can see no reasons
Cos there are no reasons
What reasons do you need to die

[Repeat Chorus]

Thus I always have music playing when I’m working, but noticed that if I listen to stuff I like and understand when I work, I start signing along in my head and lose focus on my work. Thus I’m always listening to foreign music via Shoutcast when working.

I recommend you guys to try it. Dial into this station called “Russian Hits (mp3.rin.ru)”. Its actually pretty good!

I asked a friend to go see a movie but she was busy. Then I went to another friend’s house but got bored and didn’t want to see Man on Fire that late.

So, I went over to Blockbuster and checked out Kill Bill Vol 1. Put it on 75db in the new home theater system that I really haven’t used and 2 hours later I have to say:

It’s so damn good. I couldn’t find anything wrong with the movie, except that I don’t think the average American movie goer is going to “get it.” The movie has been played off as an all-out action flick, and while it certainly has a lot of action, that idea has been overplayed. It really isn’t just an action flick. The final fight between O-Ren and the Bride, for example: here we have two people who totally hate each other, yet in the combat find complete respect and a sort of kindred soul. It’s a bit of philosophy, with amazing camera angles, and brilliance. The best thing about Tarantino is that the music and camera angles work perfectly.

If you are
a. Already a Tarantino fan.
b. A fan of Kung Fu movies.
c. Craving a flavor other than Hollywood vanilla.
d. All of the above.

Then run don’t walk to see Kill Bill.

If you:
a. Have no sense of humor.
b. Have no sense of style.
c. Have an alergic reaction to giesers of blood.
d. All of the above.

Well then, don’t know what do do with you.

Can’t wait to go see Volume II.

Another great movie that I saw recently was Matchstick Men. Definitely worth seeing, and the end is totally impossible to guess. Usually 1/3 of the way thru the movie I can figure out what the ending is going to be and movies where I can’t I usually end up loving. Probably one of the top 10 movies I’ve seen this year.

In addition to that, its one of the few shows that assumes its viewers aren’t complete morons and aims for people who have graduated from elementary school.

Tatu – All the Things She Said – Download

I’ll probably watch it a few more times before it leaves the theater (which won’t be for months I’m sure). Gollum was particularly impressive — especially because they had so much to lose if it was done poorly. Peter Jackson is a genius.

I don’t want you to give it all up
And leave your own life collecting dust
And I don’t want you to feel sorry for me

Link: Download
Link: Full Lyrics

Also, by chance I was scrolling down a list of movies playing on TV today, and Part II is playing tonight at 9 on channel “Bravo”. Going to watch it, and then rent part three next weekend.

Great:
Goo Goo Dolls
Wallflowers
Eve 6
Simon and Garfunkel
Jimmy Eat World
U2
Dashboard Confessional

Some songs are good others aren’t:
Hoobastank
Lifehouse
Dave Matthews Band
Nickelback
ATC
Greenday
Blue Line Medic
Aerosmith
Ricky Martin

I walk the maze of moments
But everywhere I turn to
Begins a new beginning
But never finds a finish
I walk to the horizon
And there I find another
It all seems so surprising
And then I find that I know

Chorus:
You go there you’re gone forever
I go there I’ll lose my way
If we stay here we’re not together
Anywhere is

The moon upon the ocean
Is swept around in motion
But without ever knowing
The reason for its flowing
In motion on the ocean
The moon still keeps on moving
The waves still keep on waving
And I still keep on going

Chorus

I wonder if the stars sign
The life that is to be mine
And would they let their light shine
Enough for me to follow
I look up to the heavens
But night has clouded over
No spark of constellation
No Vela no Orion

The shells upon the warm sands
Have taken from their own lands
The echo of their story
But all I hear are low sounds
As pillow words are weaving
And willow waves are leaving
But should I be believing
That I am only dreaming

Chorus

To leave the thread of all time
And let it make a dark line
In hopes that I can still find
The way back to the moment
I took the turn and turned to
Begin a new beginning
Still looking for the answer
I cannot find the finish
It’s either this or that way
It’s one way or the other
It should be one direction
It could be on reflection
The turn I have just taken
The turn that I was making
I might be just beginning
I might be near the end.