Miss Layup

I'm not a male chauvinist. Really, I'm not. But I have to say, anyone pushing for 'equal treatment' for women's college basketball is out of their mind. If an NCAA Men's Elite-8 game ended as pitifully as this women's game, it'd make shameful headlines. With the game tied, a Xavier player misses 2 wide-open layups! Then the Xavier defense allows a Stanford guard to go coast to coast in less than 5 seconds to make a game-winning layup! Ugly ugly basketball. And this is one of the top 8 teams?



But just to prove I'm not a male chuavinist, I will admit that the UCONN women's basketball team (winners of something like 76 in a row) could beat me 5 on 1.

American Idol 10

For the last couple of years I've posted my statistical analysis of American Idol. I've been watching it and scoring them, but I haven't been blogging it b/c I watch it so late that by the time I'm done I just want to go to bed. Nevertheless, I will start blogging now that they are down to the top 10. I just want to say that it was really stupid that Lilly Scott didn't make the top 12. She was one of my favorites. I am glad Paige is gone, but I wish they could have voted both of the bottom 2 out last night.

Wii Bowling Night

Gold
Scott 201

Silver
Bryan 182

Bronze
Jeff 179

Honorable Mention
Noel 149


Top 8 Qualifying and semi-final scores
Matthew 214, 168
Jeff 206, 170
Elise 205, 115
Bryan 200, 175
Samantha 186, 123
Fred 177, 167
Noel 174, 175
Scott, 168, 224

Qualifying Scores
Garrett 160
Robyn 158
Drew 165
Melanie 182
Katie 145
Mindy 182
Katlyn 160
Evelyn 159
Sharon 149
Donna 114
Brandon 129
John 167

A Case for Tirzah

Ever since I first heard it, I have always liked the name Tirzah (pronounced Teer-Zah). It comes from the Bible (she's one of Zelephohad's 5 daughters), but I really began to like the name when I watched the movie Ben-Hur (Tirzah was his sister in the movie). My like turned to love when I added the middle name Joy. Tirzah-Joy (get it?). I thought this was my own creation, but in fact that are a number of Tirzah-Joy's (mostly in New Zealand it seems). I think it is a beautiful name and I've always imagined it for my first baby girl.

Here is my case for the name Tirzah:
1. Katie & I both like the name
2. It's always been my dream name for a baby girl
3. It's unique (Katie & I both like unique names)
4. It's connected to one of my favorite movies
5. It's a Bible name
6. Tears-of-joy is connected to childbirth
7. Hebrew means pleasent/delight

In the interest of full-disclosure I will admit that some people think the name could result in Tirzah being made fun of. But I don't think it's a name that will attract too much attention to be honest. All kids will probably be made fun of at some point anyways, but I don't think the name Tirzah, or even Tirzah-Joy is especially susceptable to peer-attack.

This is my quick case for the baby-girl name Tirzah :)

The Invention of Lying

The Invention of Lying is like Jim Carrey's Liar Liar on Steroids. Rather than just one man telling the truth no matter how hard it hurts, everyone in this films' world does so. Ricky Gervais' character, as a chubby man with a snubby nose, is on the losing end of all this truth telling. But then he learns how to lie! Deception opens doors for Gervais' career, popularity, and romantic life. With everyone else so gullible, the sky is the limit for this fomer loser!

Of course, things get quite out of hand when Gervais tells his dying mother that, rather than nothingness, the afterlife is a wonderful place. The doctors, nurses, and soon the whole world want to hear more of this new information. Gervais invents the idea that there is a man in the sky that is in control of the world, but has trouble filling out this newly invented theology. His life gets even more complex as he begins to see the value of truth in relationships. Is it better to live a 'perfect' lie or an authentic reality?

I'd imagine that some Christians might find this film offensive in that it implies that the 'man in the sky' is the product of human invention. But we should not discount the reality that some religions (and aspects of all religions) are man-made. Technically the film does not deny the existence of God... the people of that world simply didn't have any information about such a being (and when they got some, it was made up).

All in all, the movie was worth watching and I'd recommend it to people who like my kind of movies. I like Gervais style of humor and there were quite a few funny lines. I doubt anyone would say the movie was all that it could have been, though, and at certain points the blatent honesty was either crude or annoying. Overall, I think Liar Liar was more funny and perhaps even more thoughtful.

Rating: 8.0 out of 10

Matthew Perry

For the full ACTOR RANKINGS click here

A Great Movie earns you 3 points
A Good Movie earns you 1 point
An Average Movie counts for nothing
A Bad Movie costs you 2 points

Great

Good
Fools Rush In

Average
17 Again
The Whole 9 Yards
The Whole 10 Yards
Three to Tango

Bad
Almost Heroes
Numb

Total Score: -3

Rules I've Made Up Along The Way:
1. No animated/computerized/cartoon voice acting stuff counts
2. The actor must have played a major role in the movie, not some two minute cameo.
3. I had to have seen over 90% of the movie UNLESS it was so bad that I turned it off.
4. I must have seen them in at least seven movies that fit rules 1-3.