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So I live in Orlando, Florida, where “Tropical Storm Fay” was apparently supposed to hit. We had a long rain shower. There have been harsher thunderstorms than what I got. Meteorologists were so retarded in predicting this storm that they scared Full Sail officials into closing school yesterday. And without internet, movies, or cable TV… yesterday was very BORING. I made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and slept. I accomplished in getting nothing done and fucking up my sleep schedule(couldn’t fall asleep until 5:00 this morning.)

- Robert

I have a feeling I can offend many people with this post, but after all the shit I saw tonight at WalMart, fuck off!

To start with, it’s Back-To-School season. There were children everywhere. Black, white, hispanic, asian, all there. I’m not sure how many of the teenage mothers and fathers, who were getting school supplies for their senior year as well as their kids’ stuff, thought it was such a brilliant idea to go fuck-crazy so young, but congrats. Now all of you young sluts are destined to pass on these bad decisions to your kids so that you are a grandparent before the age of 30. If only you had taken that excessive energy and applied it to something, like say schooling, then you might have the option of doing something with your life. Instead you get to put your dreams in a box and take care of the product of a late-night romping. Idiots.

Hey fat people, stop eating so fucking much junk food. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many powered scooters used by fat people, ever. Don’t even claim you had no choice. I had the same options. Eat fast food like it’s going out of style, or eat real food and work out. I chose the latter, and while I can’t compete in the Mr. Universe competition, I am healthy and fairly toned. The lady in front of me in the check out line bought four different large bags/boxes of candy. Popped one open on the way out of the store. I almost screamed, “Are you fucking kidding me?!” There are medical conditions that some have no control over (slow metabolisms as side effects of given diseases), but that only applies to a very minute percentage of chub-a-lubs.

These are just two of the aggravations I witnessed tonight. Another was drivers, but I’ve already touched on that one. Hopefully tomorrow will be a better day.

- Robert

My aunt an uncle packed up the truck and left for Georgia yesterday while I was in class. I came home to an eerily empty home. I’ve lived there for a month so far, and after that point in time I got used to the setup and it felt strange to see every room completely vacant.

I started by vacuuming the carpet, picking up the leftover packing junk, and bringing in my own furniture and other items. At this point in time, I am almost completely moved in. The only thing left for me to do is to assemble the dining room table and bring in the 2-part couch.

Unfortunately, I had a small issue with the table that I have been using as a desk. I wanted to moved it closer to the closet, and as I dragged it slowly, the far side collapsed. My LCD Monitor, Computer, Keyboard, External Hard Drive, boxes, papers, gizmos, gadgets, etc… all sliding down the table. Thank God it lasted as long as it did (used it since living at the house on day one). The good news is that I went ahead and assembled the desk I got from Michael and Kelly at 10:30 last night. PC on the right, MacBook Pro on the left. It looks pretty snazzy if do say so myself.

At this point I’m making a grocery list and figuring out what I may need within the next month as far as furniture or dishware. It’s not easy moving out and being on your own. It’s a true test of responsibility and determination.

- Robert

P.S. Sleep Number beds are ridiculously comfortable. A big THANKS to Kelly for my awesome 40% off.

So I’ve lived in Florida for about two months now; Orlando for one. The drivers here are insane. It’s worse than Metro-Atlanta during rush hour. It boggles my mind. I’m actually surprised I am still alive. They can cut across every lane of traffic to hop on the exit ramp, tailgate so close you don’t see the hood of the car behind you, or accele-brake faster than you can say “apple.” The only reason I am going to survive driving here in Florida… I’m an awesome driver.

- Robert

This just happened minutes ago. Yesterday after class I walked out to my car to find a parking ticket, dripping wet, stuck to my windshield. It’s only $10, so it’s not too bad, but I was quite aggravated. Not even a month into my classes, and I already have a ticket.

Today after class I came over to Caleb, Tim, and Kevin’s apartment to hang out before we go see The Dark Knight. Tim, Kevin, and I went to eat, and Caleb set up his Hookah with Andrew. It wasn’t five minutes after we returned the incident happened. I was watching “the most awesome preview for a school project ever” only to be distracted by Caleb saying, “Oh shit” and scrambling around. Come to find out, he dropped the coal for the Hookah on the carpet. Here’s a picture of the damage:

Unfortunately my photos are limited to coming off of my computer, so they are kinda bad.

Anyway, after vacuuming up all of the excess coal dust, some of which was still aflame and made a really cool cyclone effect in the Bissell, there was still a sizeable portion of the carpet damaged. Instead of just covering it up, we did what any group of college kids do, we made a bad situation worse. Here is the hole:

I can’t tell you how funny this whole ordeal was. It only lasted a few minutes, but it was very funny. Hope you enjoyed it.

- Robert

I am about to quote an entire review of The Dark Knight, a film I am going to see twice in one day. Both, of course, in IMAX. This Christopher Nolan film is not a Comic Book Movie. It is a Crime Drama. That’s the word on the street, and from every report, review, and article I read, I sure believe it. Before I delve too much further into it, here is Kevin Power’s, of Firstshowing.net, review of the daunting movie:

US Release Date: July 18, 2008
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy
MPAA: Rated PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and some menace)
Running Time: 142 minutes
Directed by: Christopher Nolan
The Dark Knight on IMDb
10/10

It feels completely counter-intuitive to care little about the special effects and action in The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan’s sequel to his 2005 Batman Begins. For a movie like this, you naturally expect to be engrossed by garish gadgetry, incredible stunts and seat-gripping adventure. The Dark Knight has all of this, don’t get me wrong, but even the most intricately executed explosion or choreographed car crash does little to shock you out of the stunning, unrelenting dark drama created in what amounts to one of the best sequels in cinematic history. Nolan takes the basic idea of good versus evil to depths rarely seen, and awes the audience with the heady psychology and physics of what happens when “an unstoppable force meets an unmovable object.”

Obviously, The Dark Knight’s intensity is enhanced by the incredible performance of the late Heath Ledger. His ability in Brokeback Mountain is something else. His turn here is almost too wicked for words. Put plainly, Ledger’s Joker is one of the most frightening, smart and well-played villains ever. Ever. Believe me when I say I’m not being hyperbolic – it’s just unavoidable. What makes Ledger’s clown so amazing is the sheer awareness and purity he brings to the role. The Joker isn’t a bad guy, so much as a perfect, un-bargaining force of chaos and anarchy. And he knows it. Throughout much of the film, the Joker delivers some of the best existential answers I’ve ever heard. “He’s like a dog chasing a car. He’ll chase it forever, but wouldn’t know what to do if he catches it.” The Joker is that unwavering and motivated. He simply follows his instincts for mayhem and disorder. Ledger not only disappeared into the Joker (as many reports have lauded), but he also caused the Joker to disappear into unmeasurable destructive purity.

What makes The Dark Knight so compelling is the mind-wrangling dichotomy of Batman and the Joker. Despite their near super-human abilities and diametrically opposed natures, neither wants to kill the other. Batman cannot premeditatedly take a life, while the Joker won’t destroy his only worthy adversary (or play thing). In essence, the two exist because of each other. Congrats to Christian Bale for stepping up his game, then, and bringing a new brooding quality to Gotham’s protector that is complementary to Ledger’s performance. Batman grapples with his own character, battling his obligations to the city, what it means to be a hero, and how to handle someone who is his complete antithesis, physically and mentally. Both have a rage that motivates them, but in entirely different ways.

Speaking of opposites side of the same coin, sitting smack between the two is Harvey Dent played by the very capable Aaron Eckhart. While Batman and the Joker remain on their respective sides of good and bad, Dent manifests what it’s like for someone to shift, painfully, from one side to the other. As Dent gains political prominence in Gotham, Batman begins to retreat from the spotlight as the city’s hero. Dent is poised to be the shining knight of Gotham – that is until the Joker systematically breaks the optimistic crime-fighter down, poisoning him with resentment, anger and the desire to act. It shouldn’t come as a spoiler that Harvey Dent eventually becomes the villain Two-Face. If you look at the moral poles of the film and Dent’s inner turmoil, the division of his face takes on a wonderfully complex meaning. The Dark Knight is riddled with so many intellectual wells like this, you’ll be dissecting the film for hours.

The Dark Knight certainly has a dark shadow cast over it because of Ledger’s death. However, I would venture to say that seeing him in one of the last roles of his career is almost a fleeting concern. The truth is, it’s not Ledger in the film. The young actor delivers such a dark, forceful and complete performance that you don’t discern the actor behind the make-up, but rather see only the hypnotic chaos within. There is not enough that can be said of Ledger’s performance, and yet, at the same time, there are no words. But to be fair, Ledger is just one part of the film. At two-and-a-half hours, believe me when I tell you the The Dark Knight feels short. Everything from the supporting cast (Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine) to the cinematography to the score come together to create a thick, poetic and realistic drama unlike any other. Well done, Christopher Nolan! Well done!

Obviously, this is the only absolute MUST-SEE this year. Reports are indicating that this film could possibly stand to bank $200 Million in it’s opening weekend. The first time in history that it ever happened. Regardless of the actual numbers, Christoper Nolan and his cast and crew will NEVER need to worry about being turned down for a job ever again.

After I watch the film twice on Saturday, I will write up my own review and post it. I can’t wait, and I’m sure none of you can either.

- Robert

Well, first off, because the Transformers: Rise of the Fallen Director likes having everything that surrounds him to be awesome as well:

Yeah, he’s soooo cool I want to pick someone to bear his children. Email me, all of you willing volunteers!

- Robert

Roland Emmerich, the political director famous for Day After Tomorrow, and the recent flop 10,000 B.C. has his next film lined up and in the casting phase. The film, 2012, due out at the end of 2010 is based on the “End of the World” theory derived from the Mayan Calendar that ends with the year 2012.

Let’s be clear: I’m not a Roland Emmerich fan. His directing is average, and his vision that is conveyed in each film he does is everything we’ve seen before, in better films, originated by far greater directors. He doesn’t add any talent to his plate. Now to the proof this movie is going to suck:

Woody Harrelson to star in Roland Emmerich’s 2012

Dear Roland Emmerich, you cannot out-destroy our planet better than Michael Bay. We’d rather you burn the $200 million budget for 2012 in a pit on the beach and film Woody Harrelson and Danny Glover dancing around it. MTV confirms that Woody has signed to star in Emmerich’s Mayan Doomsday Bonanza, 2012, and, yes, he’ll play the token “told you so” paranoiac…

“I play a guy who’s been talking for a long time, the whole world thinks he’s crazy,” Harrelson said of his character. “But he’s been talking that there’s gonna be hell to pay for what’s been going on ecologically and everything.”

Harrelson added, “I don’t know why they thought of me.” Yep. He’ll join a cast that includes
John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Amanda Peet, Glover and (of course) Oliver Platt. Emmerich’s last two films, 10,000 BC and The Day After Tomorrow, were godawful and probably cost more than the Iraq War. He also made The Patriot, which has a growing ironic following due to the Pineapple Express tribute posters.

Michael Bay has a “competing” project in development called 2012: The War For the Souls. If anyone out there has a voice oft-mistaken for a cool demon’s, please leave the previous sentence on Emmerich’s voice mail every single day until his film is released on July 10, 2009.

That quote was from Slashfilm, and I couldn’t have said it better myself. The fact that John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Amanda Peet, and Oliver Platt are in it give a redeeming hope that at least the acting may not be complete garbage, but I don’t see this as anything other than crap. Crap covered in gold, but crap nonetheless.

- Robert