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Top 10 Movies of 2010

31 12 2010
As has been my tradition for the last 8 years (see 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003 and 2002) I’m making a list of my favorite 10 movies that I watched for the first time this year. Of course, I’m not recommending these movies for everyone, if you want personal recommendations, let me know. In alphabetical(ish) order, here’s the list:




Honorable Mentions to Journey of Man, Dear Zachary, Date Night, Batman: Red Hood and The Social Network which are also great films. (more…)
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Categories : Flicks

Movies I've watched recently:

  • Air Guitar Nation (2006) 7/10

    2012-02-19 11:37
    * * * * * * *

    Documentary about the rise of Air Guitar in the States and it's popularity worldwide. The first few minutes it seems to be really bizarre to be taken so seriously but by the end it begins to seem much more normal.

    0.3

  • Another Year (2010) 5/10

    2012-02-12 22:07
    * * * * *

    Far too slow with little plot at all. I understand that it was going for character development more so than plot but it seemed to just drop every character that it started a story with, the insomniac at the beginning, Ken, the drunkard and ultimately Mary who seemed to become the lead character by the end. No closure and way too little happening.

    0.3

  • Higher Ground (2011) 8/10

    2012-02-08 22:25
    * * * * * * * *

    On Kevin's recommendation, Heidi and I watched this movie and we were glued to the screen throughout. It's the story of a woman's acceptance and struggle with her faith. I have no idea who I could recommend this to as it can be a bit crude for a Christian movie and a bit boring for those who like more' entertaining' movies. Nevertheless, her openness is powerful, "I gave my heart outright. I'm telling you today, I'm still waiting for Him to make Himself at home. I feel like I live in an empty place."

    0.3

  • Real Steel (2011) 7/10

    2012-01-30 22:13
    * * * * * * *

    YVR > SJC - kind of a zany concept but it works relatively well, not a great boxing movie but not too bad.

    0.3

  • The Guard (2011) 8/10

    2012-01-21 22:38
    * * * * * * * *

    This movie came well recommended to me and it was a good, strange and profanity laced comedy. The main character was profound, confusing and yet remarkably consistent and believable. Some good lines in there and a nice change of pace from an action movie loaded with action to this one which seems to try to avoid it at every turn.

    0.3

Movie ratings archive »

Stories to feel good about

16 12 2010

It’s not too often that I post stories that make you weep with happiness about the good-ness inside some people, but today I’ve got a bunch.

First up, watch the amazing story of a man’s love and care for the people in his extremely poor neighborhood in India. the youtube video, his website, via reddit. I’m amazed at this man’s ability to leave behind to leave behind his future of a regular job, shirk the misconceptions of his neighbors and help the poor in his community.

Second, read the heartwarming story of a guy stuck on side of a road with no one bothering to stop to help until a poor immigrant Mexican family gives everything they can. Reminds me of the Good Samaritan and the two coins stories from the Bible. It even comes with its own tagline, “Today you…. tomorrow me.” Here’s an except from the whole story:

I was DISGUSTED with how people would not bother to help me. I spent hours on the side of the freeway waiting, watching roadside assistance vehicles blow past me, for AAA to show. The 4 gas stations I asked for a gas can at told me that they couldn’t loan them out “for my safety” but I could buy a really shitty 1-gallon one with no cap for $15.”

But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants. Mexican immigrants. None of them spoke a lick of the language. But one of those dudes had a profound affect on me.

Last up, read the story of a homeless man in Tempe, AZ who found a bag with $3000 and decided to try to return it to the owner. He did and when word got out, people from the community did their best to give back in whatever way they could.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and may you be fortunate enough to find ways to give back this season (and all year!)

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Categories : Uncategorized

Massive Google Map

7 12 2010

Heidi and I love maps. I like to study them and try to get a feel for how big things are and Heidi loves to dream of where she’ll travel to. That said, I wanted to get a picture of a map that was bigger than my computer screen from google maps and after a bit of searching, I found a good way to do it.

Using the techniques on digital quest, I was able to quickly and easily grab a really large google map with street level definition and save it off as a graphic file. The thumbnail above references this 5MB highly detailed map of Vancouver; there’s also a 1MB more compressed version if you’re interested in something more reasonable.

Happy map creation!

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Mint Officially open to Canadians

3 12 2010


via lifehacker

Back in May, I had mentioned that Mint had started supporting a few Canadian banks (my PC one included). They later quietly added support for RBC but then they suddenly dropped President’s Choice leaving me hanging so I returned to MS Money.

Today, they’re coming out and saying it full volume that they’re supporting Canada!! Interestingly, they don’t specifically mention support for PC or CIBC (PC’s parent company) but it appears to be working for me; let’s hope it lasts!

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