My girly post of the year

Not that I think it's a bad thing, since this is about a romantic drama, and not one of those tear jerker chick flicks that I've never seen. Anyways, last night after work I finally got around to watching Pride & Prejudice (which I downloaded), and quickly had my face kicked in with awesomeness. Not since Sense & Sensibility have I seen a romantic drama this awesome. Heck, I'd say it's better than S&S since it's not as slow (as far as I can remember). An amazing love story that drew me in from the start with it's great acting, writing, beautiful landscapes and music (classical piano OWNS me!). I heartily recommend it to everyone I know, even though I know none of my guy friends will care and the girls (the few I know) will want to see it regardless. The second it comes out I expect everyone to watch it whether they have to buy it, rent it or borrow the copy I'll be buying. Oh, and a few more thoughts about the movie.

1. Kiera Knightley finally proves that she can act. None of that boring acting from Pirates of the Caribbean.

2. An amazing love story that had me all giddy by the time it was over. Granted it was 3:30 in the morning so that might have had something to do with the giddiness. Anyways, all the twists and turns had me frozen in my seat and I even laid in bed for awhile afterwords thinking about the story, characters and the events that took place.

3. Judi Dench is the ugliest and meanest old woman actress ever, but she does a good job at it.

(note: My love for this should counter my hate for the Star Wars prequels)

Doug's look back at the best stuff of 2005

Well, I figured I've planned on doing this post for the last month or so, so here it is. Nobody is even reading my blog or commenting that I know of (I'm guessing because they've been busy with family and friends over the holidays) so I'll continue to take a break from blogging until things pick up again. I just wanted to get this done before we got too far into the new year. And speaking of the new year, I might also start work on a "look ahead at my most anticipated stuff of 2006" post. Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this post.

My favorite movies of the year: (Note that I haven't seen a few yet. Like Capote, Broken Flowers, etc. Also I'm rating stuff based on entertainment, not content and stuff, so some of these might have content that offends certain people)

1. Cinderella Man
2. The Aviator
3. Serenity
4. King Kong
5. The Machinist
6. Batman Begins
7. Hotel Rwanda
8. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
9. Walk the Line
10.The Life Aquatic

honorable mention: Harry Potter & the Goblet of Fire, March of the Penguins, Million Dollar Baby, Red Eye, Kung Fu Hustle, Ray

My favorite Animated films of the year:

1. Wallace & Gromit in Curse of the Were-Rabbit (Probably my fav movie of the year period)
2. Howl's Moving Castle
3. The Corpse Bride

honorable mention: Grave of the Fireflies, Porco Rosso (These didn't come out last year so I couldn't include them)

Most disappointing movies of the year:

1. War of the Worlds
2. Star Wars Episode III
3. The Island

My favorite books of the year:

1. Harry Potter & the Half Blood Prince
2. Every Man, God's Man
3. Knife of Dreams (Book 11 of the Wheel of Time)
4. A Voice in the Wind (I think that's the name)
5. I forget what it was, but I know I read it and enjoyed it

My favorite games of the year:

1. God of War
2. Resident Evil 4
3. Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
4. Guitar Hero
5. The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
6. Psychonauts
7. Mario Kart DS
8. Shadow of the Colossus
9. Donkey Kong: Jungle Beat
10.Sonic Rush

honorable mention: Radiant Silvergun and Valkyrie Profile (neither came out in 2005)

My favorite artists/cds of the year:

Matthew Good and Sloan's greatest hit albums
Radiohead's OK Computer and The Bends albums
Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream

My review scores for every movie I saw in 2005 (only including movies that were released in theatre or on DVD)

Serenity - 9
My Date with Drew - 7
King Kong - 8
Shaun of the Dead - 7
Primer - 7
The Final Cut - 5
National Treasure - 5
House of Flying Daggers - 7
The Life Aquatic - 8
In Good Company - 7
The Chronicles of Narnia - 8
Cinderella Man - 9
March of the Penguins - 8
Walk the Line - 8
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - 7
Wallace & Gromit in Curse of the Were-Rabbit - 10
The Corpse Bride - 8
Million Dollar Baby - 7 (the ending takes away from its score)
Batman Begins - 8
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - 7
Fantastic Four - 6
The Island - 6 (first half - 9/10, second half - 5/10)
Red Eye - 7
Star Wars Episode III - 6
War of the Worlds - 5
Madagascar - 3
Howl's Moving Castle - 9
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - 6
The Longest Yard - 6
Kung Fu Hustle - 7
The Aviator - 9
The Machinist - 8
Ray - 7
Hotel Rwanda - 8
Fun With Dick & Jane - 6

Still waiting to see the following 2005 movies: Everything is Illuminated, Broken Flowers, Elizabethtown, Pride & Prejudice, Good Night and Good Luck, Capote, The Constant Gardener, Syriana, Oldboy, Pride, An Unfinished Life, The White Countess, Cache (Hidden)

Merry Christmas everyone!

Well, I'm sure Christmas will be over by the time anyone checks my blog, but anyways. It's been a pretty hectic week. Not because of Christmas coming up, but because it was my first week working at Day & Ross. So far it seems ok. I like the people I've been working with (even though so far I'm only really talking to three people (Todd and Patti who are my supervisors, and Jill who is in charge of keeping me working and fixing my mistakes). I also only had to work until 11 this week, so next week it'll be different with me working until whenever it is that they let me leave (1:30 maybe?). But anyways, I'll talk about work more after I settle in more.

Today I got my new computer, which Jonathan built for me. He gets mad props for doing such a great job. It's frickin awesome, which you should be able to tell from the pics below. Very nice job man. Now I just need a faster internet connection and I'll be downloading like a madman.

Taking a break?

It seems that things have slowed down on everyone's blogs. I'm guessing everyone is busy during Christmas, so I might as well take a break from blogging too unless things pick up again. In the meantime I'm gonna start work on my end of the year post. Oh, and I need to go to Fredericton sometime in the next week or so, so if anyone would like to go with me to help me finish my Christmas shopping, just let me know. I hate driving to Freddy by myself.

Guess who is now employed?

That's right, I got the job at Day & Ross. Now instead of having no life and being broke, I'll have no life and have money. I guess it's an improvement. As long as I don't get absorbed in buying and getting stuff. I'll probably keep selling games after I beat them so that I don't get caught up in collecting again. But yeah, I start Monday night and work Monday thru Friday from 5:15 pm to 1:30 am (with a couple hours overtime during busy months). There's a three month probation period starting out, so I guess I'll just have to take it as it goes. I'm a little disappointed that I won't be able to help out with youth anymore, but I'll just have to leave it in God's hands. If he wants me helping out with youth then he'll work things out. And it sounds like I can still go to youth once a month since I get one day off each month. And it also looks as though I'll be staying home by myself for Christmas after all. LOL Funny how things work out. But I have a job again for the first time in over a year so it's all good.

Guitar Hero is here!

OK, I finally got Guitar Hero friday morning, and it has been owning me (and my fingers) with awesomeness. So far I still suck. It's a lot harder than you would think. I can usually only play five or six songs before my fingers get tired and sore, but I'm sure if I keep it up for at least an hour a day I'll get used to it and will get better. So far my favorite songs to play are David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust, Boston's More Than a Feeling, Queen's Killer Queen and Frankenstein by The Edgar Winter Group. I'd also probably enjoy Ozzy Ozborne's Bark at the Moon if it wasn't frickin impossible to play. Anyways, so far it's one of my favorite games of the year (right up there with God of War and Resident Evil 4) and I can't wait to take it to youth and play with Josh and Josiah. As long as I keep constant supervision on the controller. Oh, and here are a couple of pics of me rocking out last night. Take note of my cat Kitten having a small cameo in the first pic. I think I see Pepper's tail coming from under the couch too. And yes, we are still in the process of putting up our tree.



Tomorrow night our youth group is taking the teens rollerskating in Houlton. I look forward to the ride more than anything, since my mom considers rollerskating one of those things that might hurt my back and just sitting there is pretty boring aside from watching the limbo. This time I'm tempted to just say "screw it, I'm having fun" and grabbing a pair of skates (if they have any that fit my massive feet). Is it wise to put having fun over safety? Probably not, but I hate sitting there while everyone is having fun. Knowing the way I am I'll chicken out at the last second and just do the usual thing, we'll see. For now, I'm gonna go read until Arrested Development comes on at 9. Please let Dave Thomas (Super Dave Osbourne) still be on the show!

I suck

I know I promised a massive update, but I've been in a weird mood today feeling awkward and slightly depressed which kinda is the opposite of what I was planning on posting about, so I don't really think it's a good time to post about the stuff that was on my mind. Don't worry though, I got Guitar Hero last week, so after I spend some more time with that and get some pics of myself rocking out I'll make another post. Oh, and today someone was passing notes to me in church for the first time since I was like 15, which was just weird and slightly annoying. Although she was just being nice asking about my job interview so no hard feelings there. Just kinda weirded me out. In the meantime I'll continue to feed my weird mood by contemplating how maybe I'll be better off in Adam and Greg's bomb shelter where I don't have to worry about feeling awkward around people.

I've had a lot of different thoughts going through my head over the last day or so, and since I can't share those thoughts with friends on msn for a few days, I decided to come to the library to post about them. First of all, I had a second job interview at Day & Ross last night. It seems likely that they'll hire me, but I'm still not sure how much I want to work nights. It would be Monday to Friday from 5:15 to 1:30 am with a few hours overtime during busy seasons, so needless to say my social life will come to a hault if I take the job. That would mean no more chatting on msn in evenings (when most of you are online) and even worse, no more helping with youth. The idea of having to work Tuesday nights really saddens me, because I've come to love working with the teens and I enjoy hanging out with J-Ro and Jess afterwords. But I guess that's the price you pay when you want to earn money. It's a cycle. Either you have money and no free time, or lots of free time and no money. Anyways, I guess it won't hurt to try the job since there's a three month probation period before they hire you for good. I'll continue to pray about it and if anyone else wants to pray for me, that would be greatly appreciated. Who knows, maybe I'll get a job offer from McCain's or somewhere else.

I also started reading a book that Jess lent me last night (I forget the name already, yeah my memory is THAT bad) and was surprised that the first chapter was actually pretty violent and depressing. Still good though, and the end of the chapter was really good and made me think. It reminded me that God provides no matter what situation you're in. Needless to say I can't wait to read more. I also watched the first half of Gandhi last night. I figured I'd be bored out of my mind, but it's actually very interesting and seeing how Gandhi lived really made me think about my life as a Christian. He never stepped back from his opponents even when they struck him in violence. He fought back with words and tried to make peace with everyone. Truly an amazing man. Anyways, between the book and the movie I had a lot on my mind.

Also, I see Narnia is hitting theatres this weekend. Is anyone planning on going to see it in the next week or two? Because I'd be glad to have people to go with besides just myself. Heck, maybe I can even convince J-Ro to go if other people are going. Please, let me know if you want to go either by commenting here (I'll check my blog again tomorrow) or calling me. My phone number is 375-6219 for those who don't know.

Finally, I've become completely obsessed with Radiohead (A British band that Coldplay ripped off). What really shocks me is how I hated them when I was a teen, but now I can't get over their sound. In fact, I just took out one of their albums from the library. I suggest that any of you who like Coldplay check out Radiohead's OK Computer and The Bends albums. Especially these songs: Fake Plastic Trees, High & Dry, Just, Street Spirit (Fade Out), Paranoid Android, Karma Police and No Surprises.

That is all for now. Hopefully I'll be back on msn in a few days.

My computer has bit the dust.

Well, the fan on my computer is finally dead, so I just thought I'd let everyone know that until I get a new fan installed or a new computer I probably won't be posting very often (only when I go to the library) and will likely not be on msn at all. Without the fan running my computer just freezes up after about 15 minutes. So that's that I guess. I'll catch up with everyone whenever I can.

lyrics of the week.

Stand Inside Your Love - The Smashing Pumpkins

You and me
Meant to be
Immutable
Impossible
It's destiny
Pure lunacy
Incalculable
Insufferable
But for the last time
You're everything that I want and ask for
You're all that I'd dreamed
Who wouldn't be the one you love
Who wouldn't stand inside your love
Protected and the lover of
A pure soul and beautiful you
Don't understand
Don't feel me now
I will breathe
For the both of us
Travel the world
Traverse the skies
Your home is here
Within my heart
And for the first time
I feel as though I am reborn
In my mind
Recast as child and mystic sage
Who wouldn't be the one you love
Who wouldn't stand inside your love
And for the first time
I'm telling you how much I need and bleed for
Your every move and waking sound
In my time
I'll wrap my wire around your heart and your mind
You're mine forever now
Who wouldn't be the one you love and live for
Who wouldn't stand inside your love and die for
Who wouldn't be the one you love

An interesting experience.

First of all I'll just say that I'm having a ton of connection problems, so if anyone wonders why I'm not on msn much or fail to update my blog, that's why. Stupid Aernet...anyways, on to my post. Yesterday I had the first job interview that I've had in over a year, and it went alright I guess. My dad has been bugging me to take a resume into Day & Ross for quite awhile now, so I finally took one in the other day. My parents wanted me to give it to whoever was in charge of hiring, but that person was out so I just handed it to the person at the front desk. I didn't really expect to get a call back merely an hour later (heck, I didn't expect to be called back at all), but call back they did. What was really odd was the guy asked me what day and time would be good for me. I was rather confused by this and it took me a minute to respond. So yesterday morning I went to my interview. After waiting at the front desk for a few minutes the guy in charge of hiring came and took me through the kahsi'r (sorry, Pepper jumped on the keyboard. I'll leave that in for effect) building. It was rather interesting walking through the building, despite the fact that I've been in it before when my dad was painting the offices. Once we got to his office he asked me what position I was applying for and then had me fill out this sheet of paper. It had a bunch of different qualities and I had to check the ones that I thought others would think would be important in me. It was kinda weird at first, and I had to fill out the same thing twice. I guess they use it to see if you check the same qualities. Anyways, after that he had me do a typing test to see what my wpm is. I was really stupid and didn't practice or anything beforehand, but maybe it was better that way. I thought I did pretty poorly since I'm not used to typing as fast and accurately as possible for five minutes straight, but I managed to average 58 wpm with 97% accuracy. Way better than I expected and the guy seemed impressed when he told me how I did. Next he took me to a cubicle and I had to do a series of tests. The first involved a series of two numbers in a column and I had to check whether they were the same or different. I did pretty good, but didn't manage to finish them all in the four minute time limit. Next I had a piece of paper with a series of numbers in different patterns and I had to figure out the pattern and write the next two numbers in order. Pretty easy at first but there were a couple that stumped me and I only got half way through before time ran out. And finally I had a test with a bunch of math and word problems and had to write the answers. I only got half way through this one too, but hopefully getting answers right makes up for not finishing. That was pretty much all there was to my interview. He told me to call another guy tonight to see what my outcome was on the tests, so I'll just have to wait to see what this guy has to say. I still don't know if I want the job that badly. It could mean no more helping out at youth and I wouldn't be able to chat on msn with my friends (since most of them are online at night), but at least I'd finally have an income. And I also won't be able to go to Ontario if I start work, but I guess I won't worry until I see if I got the job. Anyways, I'll stop rambling now. I have to try to get ahold of J-Ro so I can drag him to J-Hop's birthday party. Oh, I also cancelled my preorder of Guitar Hero because frickin EB was ticking me off by constantly changing the date that they're getting it in. I ordered it online which means I'll have to pay $40+ more, but at least I'll have it by the end of next week. And yes, I realize I crammed everything into a single paragraph, but I'm lazy today and don't feel like paying attention to proper writing.

Alright, this isn't much of a post, but there's something I need help with so I figured I'd see if any of my commenters can help. I want to get pics from my digital camera developed, but how do I do that? Do I take the memory card to the Superstore? Or email the pics to them? Or what? I have no idea and I'm getting way too many pics on my computer. Any help would be appreciated.

A change of mind

After giving it some thought (and talking about it with Jess on msn) I've decided that I SHOULD go to Ontario with my family. Everyone's right, I should be with family during Christmas, not sitting at home by myself for a week (although I'm sure I would've spent a little time with my sister, Jonathan, Josh and my grandparents). I'll have time to hang out with friends at some point during the holidays, and chances are everyone would be too busy with family to do anything that week anyways. The other reason I decided I should go is my grandma told my mom "I wish I could see Douglas one more time". How can I stay home after hearing that? So I'll put aside my dislike of the 16 hour drive and go with my family to Fergus for a week. By going to Ontario I also get to celebrate Christmas twice, so it's not like I had any reason to complain in the first place. I can even update my blog at the library in Fergus so everyone knows what's new. Oh, and Adam, you'll have to let me know when you and Luiza will be home, so that we can plan to go see King Kong and maybe do other stuff.

Robert Jordan finally writes another good book.

Out of complete boredom this weekend I went out and bought the newest Wheel of Time book. At first it was the same old slow stuff with me trying desperately to remember who these hundreds of characters are. But surprisingly it started getting good. There's actually action again and even more surprising is that plot lines that have been going on for three books or more are FINALLY getting conclusions. About frickin time Jordan! I'm sure those who have given up on the series won't bother, but for me I'm glad that the story is finally moving after it went to crap in the last three or four books. I'm also loving the little romance going on with Mat and the daughter of the Nine Moons. It's taken so long to get going that it's nice finally seeing where it's going. And it's humerous as well. Anyways, this book is helping me get over my boredom so I'm (bloody) happy. Only two more years until this series comes to a deserved end. 12 books and 11,000+ pages? Insanity!

Feeling a little stressed out.

It's been a crazy last few days, mixed with boredom and insanity. The mixture of stress over trying to sell the 360 and boredom of sitting at home doing nothing two days straight has taken it's toll. After spending the entire day sitting in front of the computer I had to get out, even though I didn't have anyone to do things with. So I went to the Superstore and bought the new Wheel of Time book (book 11. What's this? 14,000 pages read so far?) and then I went to Movie Gallery and chatted with Darrek and Paul for a bit before renting This Is Spinal Tap. Sure, it wasn't really an exciting trip, and it involved me spending money, but at least it got me out of the house for a bit. Isn't it sad how I must spend money in order to be entertained? Isn't there some way to keep myself preoccupied that doesn't involve spending money? I'd hang out with friends if I had any in the area, but everyone has moved away and the only places to make new friends are at bars or other churchs. But maybe having more friends wouldn't make a huge difference. Having a bunch of friends probably wouldn't mean I'd actually have something to do. Chances are they'd be too busy to hang out more than once a week, so I'd still be bored to death on weekends. Anyways, I'm just stressed out and feeling kinda depressed, so I'll just leave it at that. Anyone have any thoughts?

Updated Thursday morning. Added some thoughts on yesterdays events. Just so those who have already read this post know.

Just a few things I thought I'd share.

1. Hugo (the guy threatening to sue me) is a jerk. After his long nasty email I sent him a nice apology(which he didn't deserve) and sent the parcel with tons of insurance and nicely packaged and sent him another nice email telling him it's on its way and then he emails me back saying "thank YOU!" sarcastically. Jerk.

2. I'm not dating anybody, so those of you saying I should date *insert name here* can give up now. please k thanks. I've decided that it's much easier and less stressful just being single the rest of my life. Don't have to get all nervous at the idea of asking somebody out and potentially ruin a friendship or something.

3. J-Ro seemed kinda moody last night. And for a guy wanting a massage he wasn't being very nice to the person he was asking. Calling Jess a fat fish and other things. He didn't deserve that hug and when I told him that after we left he said that it's because he's so charming to girls. He needs a rude awakening or something.

4. But thanks to him I now know how to choose my blog layout, so I was finally able to get rid of that boring bland one I had. I wasn't about to choose pink (Jess and Josh both have that color anyways) so I chose my favorite color.

5. But it got rid of all my links, so I have to do that all over again. *shakes fist at blogger*

6. I think I'm going to Freddy today to see Harry Potter again. Hopefully EB will get Guitar Hero in today. If not I'm going to Bum Rush the employees (Final Fantasy VI reference for those who are thinking odd things).

7. I feel like kicking myself in the nuts for not buying a 360. They're fetching $2000+ on ebay now. $1500 profit is nothing to scoff at.

8. Jody is coming home tonight. Too bad I probably won't see him until the weekend or at church. Here's hoping he has time to hang out.

9. I'm sure J-Ro will bug him if he's busy or not, so maybe I can just make sure I'm around J-Ro all weekend. Probably not.

10. I'll likely update tonight if I get Guitar Hero.
_____________________________________________________________

11. And I wasn't able to get one. Screw you EB! And I didn't bum rush the employees, which is probably a good thing.

12. Ohh Emm Gee! I frickin got a 360 yesterday. Time to hit up Ebay and see what I can get. Mad props to Heidi for the heads up on Superstore selling them. The gamer in me is saying to open it up and start playing, but the grim reality is I need money badly and can't afford to keep the 360 for myself. Unfortunately the value seems to have dropped to $1100. Still nothing to scoff at I guess.

13. Yesterday was crazy. After the 360 experience I went to Freddy, bought a couple of games to put in the auction, hung out with Greg and his siblings, and went and saw Harry Potter with Hooper and Whitey. Fun stuff.

14. The drive home was pretty exhausting though. Luckily the roads weren't TOO bad.

15. It was worth it when I got to Woodstock though. Nothing beats driving through Woodstock at 12 in the morning with snow falling everywhere and all the pretty decorations lit up. Really felt like Christmas.

16. And then when I got out of town and on my road I started cursing winter again. I hate bad roads and my road was covered in snow and slippery.

17. Knowing Jody was probably home was really exciting, even though I might not see him until Sunday morning.

leetspeak for you n00bs.

Commonly used words

QFT - Quoted for truth
FTW - For the win
1337 - leet or elite
haxX0r - hacker
phear or ph33r - fear
tekniq - technique
teh - the
t00l - tool
n00b - newbie
pwn - own
pwn3d - owned
j00 - you
suxX0rz - sucks
ruxXorz - rocks
fuXx0rz - the f bomb
w00t - woot

OMG, WTF, BBQSauce and/or Burnsauce are quite often used together.

Always include 1 and "one" in place of exclamation marks

the is always misspelled "teh"

certain numbers are used in place of letters.

A = 4
E = 3
I = 1
S = 5
T = 7

Here's an extreme example:

1 ruXx0rz l1k3 4 1337 h4xX0r5 4nd OMFGWTFBBQSauce n00b ch33k 0u7 /\/\y w3b 51t3 l1k3 n0W!!1one I 4M t3h 1337 haxX0rz u n00b!one1 j00 have been pwn3d1

which translates to something like what you see below.

I rock like an elite hacker and newbie check out my web site like now. I am the elite hacker you newbie. You have been owned.

Looks like I might get sued.

Well, I probably won't, but I just got threatened by an ebayer. I find it all very humerous, because all that happened was I sent the guy the wrong amount for shipping and emailed him back immediately saying it's $4 more than what I originally said. I made a mistake, so I wasn't going to get upset if he didn't want to pay the difference, but I didn't really expect him to get angry and threaten to sue. I guess if people can sue McDonalds for making them fat than they can sue somebody for asking them to pay an additional $4. Anyways, I sent back a nice email appologizing for my mistake and saying that I'd send the game system as soon as possible tomorrow morning. Here's hoping he gets it in a timely manner so that I can forget about this idiot. And I'm totally expecting negative feedback for this, so I look forward to screwing up his "perfect rating" that he told me not to mess up. Ebay is crazy. I might forget about it after this.

Miyazaki appreciation post

Because it's been awhile since I've pushed his films at people and everyone needs to give them a chance at least once. Sure, you can pass it off as "anime", but you're missing out on something that most Disney movies can't even surpass. These aren't merely "cartoons". They are real movies that use the animation medium to create worlds and characters that can't even be created by visual effects. These movies are moving just like dramas can be, have characters that you can relate to, and are just happy and make you feel good (well, maybe not Grave of the Fireflies). So if you enjoy movies, then please give these a chance. Rent them, or borrow them (I own all of his films), or heck, watch them with me. I'm always up to watching them again. OK, I'll shut up now and just leave you with summaries of each one.

EDIT: I should point out that I didn't write these summaries. They're taken from rottentomatoes.com. I was too lazy to write up my own summaries.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - 1984 - My score: 8/10

An epic, environmentally conscious film, takes viewers on a voyage through time and space to the magical and dreamlike Valley of the Wind, where good battles evil for the future of the human race. Faced with almost certain destruction of her planet's natural resources, the warrior Princess Nausicaa must rally her people against an evil queen's brutal army to bring a new life to her homeland.

Castle in the Sky - 1986 - My score: 9/10

A rousing adventure that follows an orphan named Sheeta as she eludes the clutches of a secret agent named Muska while trying to discern her family's history. After her first escape from Muska, Sheeta meets up with a young boy named Pazu, whose father, a photographer, was disgraced after he took a picture of the legendary flying island of Laputa and had it dismissed as a hoax. When the two realize that a family heirloom Sheeta carries allows them to levitate, the two begin a search for the lost island, trailed by Muska, who is also searching for Laputa.

My Neighbor Totoro - 1988 - My score: 10/10

A slower-paced, stunningly realistic portrayal of life in the countryside. When their mother is hospitalized because of an unspecified illness, two young sisters spend a summer in the Japanese countryside with their father. The children's strange new environment turns out to be a natural wonderland filled with exotic real-life creatures and a trio of furry, woodland sprites who can only be seen by children. The film evokes both the terrors and wonders that children can experience unbeknownst to adults--a feeling the young Miyazaki knew only too well after his mother was hospitalized because of spinal tuberculosis. With homages to Alice in Wonderland and Mary Poppins.

Grave of the Fireflies - 1988 - My score: 9/10

In post-World War II Japan, a janitor finds a deathly ill boy lying beside a metal candy container. The janitor unwittingly tosses the possession into the night, beginning a most unusual tale of survival set amid the atrocities of war. Brother and sister Seita and Setsuko, ages 14 and 4, flee their disheveled home and deceased parents to make their bid for a new life. Before American troops begin to occupy their country, the children resort to dwelling in an abandoned bomb shelter in the countryside. Though these siblings later get a sense of safety, they realize necessities such as food and water will not be easy to come by.

Kiki's Delivery Service - 1989 - My score: 8/10

Set in a time when airships still ruled the skies and World War II never happened, Kiki's Delivery Service is a coming-of-age tale that explores the difficulties of being a young witch. On her thirteenth birthday, budding witch Kiki is in a hurry to leave her family and establish her independence. With only her talking pet cat as a companion, Kiki is attracted to the bright lights of a beautiful port city, but finds that making friends is not easy. Using her skill at riding a broom to start an express delivery service, Kiki quickly discovers that she cannot take her unique abilities for granted.

Porco Rosso - 1992 - My score: 9/10

A period, fantasy film about an Italian, ace WWI pilot who undergoes a transformation to become Porco Rosso, part man, part pig, after witnessing the deaths of other pilots in his last air battle. Under this spell, Porco Rosso survives by taking odd jobs, and finds himself in one comic situation after another as he romances women, rescues the innocent, and looks for a way out of the porcine spell.

Princess Mononoke - 1997 - My score: 9/10

A beautifully realized tale of civilization versus nature, Princess Mononoke is a true epic. While protecting his village from a rampaging boar-god, the warrior Ashitaka is cursed with a rapidly spreading scar that threatens to end his life. Seeking a cure and a reason for the animal-god's attack, he journeys into the sacred depths of the Great Forest Spirit's realm. On the edge of this once serene forest, however, the Tatara clan have begun to destroy the surrounding land to produce iron. In retaliation, San, the adopted daughter of the wolf-god Moro, has begun raiding the Tatara fortress to stop their encroachment. Soon Ashitaka is caught in the middle and must stop the war between the humans and the forest dwellers before they destroy each other.

Spirited Away - 2001 - My score: 10/10

Spirited Away is the tale of Chihiro, a young girl who is taken down an unusual road by her parents while moving to a new home in an unfamiliar town. The curiosity of Chihiro's mother and father leads the reluctant child into what appears to be an abandoned amusement park. Soon her parents are greedily feasting on various delights from an enticing food stand and are literally turned into pigs. The frightened and bewildered girl then encounters a young man named Haku, who explains what she must do to navigate this strange and magical realm. Finding employment in a bathhouse for spirits and other odd characters Chihiro attempts to figure out how she can free her parents from the clutches of the resort's owner, a powerful witch named Yubaba. In the process, she makes some very eccentric friends.

Howl's Moving Castle - 2004 - My score: 9/10

Sophie, an average teenage girl working in a hat shop, finds her life thrown into turmoil when she is literally swept off her feet by a handsome-but-mysterious wizard named Howl, and is subsequently turned into a 90-year old woman by the vain and conniving Wicked Witch of the Waste. Embarking on an incredible odyssey to lift the curse, she finds refuge in Howl's magical moving castle where she becomes acquainted with Markl, Howl's apprentice, and a hot-headed fire demon named Calcifer. Sophie's love and support comes to have a major impact on Howl, who flies in the face of orders from the palace to become a pawn of war and instead risks his life to help bring peace to the kingdom.

J-Ro, Becky and Darrek suck!

Update your stinking blogs! I need stuff to comment on! And I know J-Ro doesn't read my blog. He told me himself that the only blog he reads is Becky's. Who wants to help me beat him up? Anyone? Oh, and Darrek doesn't suck quite as much as the other two, since he DOES update every once in awhile and he's fairly new to this, so I'll give him a break.