The Matrix, Revisited

Where was I in 1999 when they released the first Matrix movie? That's right, I seem to recall now, I was locked in a dull gray cubicle - working on some meaningless IT related project, staring at my monitor, watching the pixels dance their endless somber march up and down, up and down - and then...The phone rang.Startled, my headphones came crashing down off my ears, taking those abnormally thick wire rim glasses with them. I peered at the phone with considerable trepidation; "who could it be, why we're they calling me, what had I done" I was thinking...

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Being Bond

It was a sultry night in Monte Carlo. The roulette wheel was rolling in my favor - I always bet red, red, red. That's when she caught my eye, tall sultry and wearing red lipstick that could melt through the average aluminum beer can.I had left my tux at the cleaners after busting through a few buttons while attempting to tie my JC Penney's loafers - no choice, I had to wear my Carson Palmer jersey and khaki shorts. Just as well, the disguise was perfect, a disgruntled Bengals fan wandering the Mediterranean looking for a team that didn't lose,...

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The Zen of Movie Watching

There is an art to appreciating art, or pseudo-art or even stuff that isn't that artistic at all. Once upon a time in a different century, I sat diligently at my local university and learned how to appreciate modern cinema in a course titled aptly enough "Film Appreciation 101." At the time, I remember being torn as to whether it was a wonderful deal or a giant rip off to be sitting through an entire semester doing not much more than watching movies.Oh, but have the years piled on the wisdom - I can now see through the prism of hindsight how that...

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