Edwin MacPhisto

There'll be a sequel. $70 million in 5 days is plenty. This is also the kind of movie that's going to sell millions upon millions of DVDs. You don't have to worry.

If the teams were within 2-3 points of each in the final minutes, I don't think anyone would be complaining because that would imply some really good games and even play by both sides. The fourth quarter has basically been garbage time for this series.

I'll be the person who "cleverly" suggests that Johnny Cash's two prison albums might qualify. Never heard 'em myself.

I'm just defining the word here. Wanting to ban civil unions isn't a moderate position, whether you want to base it on not being a dumbass or on public opinion. I don't know shit about Mitt Romney so I'm just talking about this particular stance.

I don't think there's much anything moderate about wanting to ban civil unions.

Fantastic fucking movie in every way.

What a pick. Truly great, and up there with "Ex-Liontamer" and "Outdoor Miner" as far as immediately catchy goes.

I'm with these guys. Whatever you get, make sure the parts match--wireless card to wireless router, unless your computer just has a default Intel wireless card or something in it. I just went through this, and Linksys worked out great. Buy from Best Buy; they've got big-time mail-in rebates. I particularly like the Speedbooster card and router, if you're willing to shell out a few more bucks. For the internet, the difference isn't very noticeable, but the extra memory makes file transfer--either straight downloading or peer to peer--much quicker. Don't get the D-Link DI-524, no matter what a good deal it might look like--it's bargain bin.

Just read about High Tension. Looked fun, but now I'm not going to see it, because it apparently relies on just about my least favorite plot device of all time. Reeeeeeeeeeeetarded.

My favorite Airplane! moment is "All right boys, let's take some pictures!"

I love the Wu Tang Manual. I read the chapter on live shows in front of my literary society a couple months ago. It has an esteemed place on my shelf between Watchmen and Ulysses.

They were very fun when I saw them on the tour to support Maladroit. They used a computer program to generate the setlists each night; it was designed to make a set that was 2/3 Pinkerton and Blue Album, and 1/3 Maladroit and Green Album. Still, the show was only about 80 minutes. I have no idea what they're doing now. And, Fooster: it's just really bad. Simple as that.

Good news on this front. One of my best friends works at DC in New York and got to go to the company advance screening last night. He's a huge comic nut and reports that this one delivers on pretty much all sides. Called it a solid A-, satisfying just about everything for people who fancy themselves Dark Knight Returns or Year One type fans.

They have some great songs ("Everything Hits At Once" especially) but I've never really gotten into them too much. I haven't heard Gimme Fiction, their latest album.

Liquid Swords is probably my favorite Wu solo album too. Really all of that first wave--Tical, Cuban Linx, Ironman, Return--are great, but GZA's is the most unified, in my opinion. He works best with RZA's production, and all the samples give it a bit of cinematic cool. Admittedly, "B.I.B.L.E." is a really weird closer...sounds great, but the lyrics are kinda fundamentalist-terrifying in an unpleasant way.

That's disappointing. I like the newer material and all, but only four songs before Moon? They've got such a wide catalogue that they could put on a great show where they really spread out.

I like Long Drive very much, and it has some fantastic moments; "Dramamine," "Tundra/Desert," and "Talkin Shit About a Pretty Sunset" are the highlights for me. Overall, though, it still has some of the bloated feeling of Lonesome Crowded West without as many peaks. Feels like a first album. Again, if you end up a pretty big fan, you're going to have all the albums and get those high points some time or another. I agree that chronologically is a good way to go, but the leap between the first few albums and the major label stuff might be a bit jarring if you digest it all quickly.

Thanks guys! This has actually been one of the best birthdays I've had in recent memory, so more cheer just keeps it rollin'. ::checks watch:: Still plenty of time for those daiquiris...

Gentlemen, thumbs up. I love the Afghan Whigs. All this chatter about Cold Roses being on the level of Heartbreaker makes me actually want to buy a Ryan Adams album. WTF indeed.

Lonesome Crowded West is ultimately my favorite album of theirs. Be advised though; it's long and a bit bloated, and feels that way. If you become a big-time fan though, you'll eventually get it. Moon and Antarctica sounds the most like the new album, i.e. more polished, but aside from the three gorgeous songs that open the album, it's largely less satisfying than previous work. I think I'd actually recommend the mid-career singles compilation, Building Nothing Out Of Something. 12 tracks, 55 minutes, very crisp, wonderful songwriting that covers moments both melodic and groany-gritty-dirty. Out of all their efforts, it's the most filler-free and probably the easiest listen outside of Good News.

He used to be the man. Beautiful Struggle is ass. I found a lot of Quality pretty boring too. Black Star is one of my favorites but he's gone downhill since. I still like most of his guest appearances, especially his bit on the Roots' Phrenology.

So I just made the switch to wireless and am sporting a D-Link DI-524 wireless router and a Linksys WPC54GS wireless card on my Dell Latitude laptop. When it's working, it works great. Unfortunately, my connection dips out, like clockwork, every seven minutes or so. Instant Messenger keeps a nice log of it if I have a window open: signed on at 10:07:24 PM. signed on at 10:14:27 PM. signed on at 10:21:31 PM. signed on at 10:35:32 PM. signed on at 10:42:32 PM. signed on at 10:49:38 PM. signed on at 10:56:32 PM. Any clue as to how to get around this? It's not crippling, but it's very inconvenient and irritating, especially if I'm in the midst of file transfer.

The last two albums I bought: The Wedding Present's Seamonsters, which is, in line with what its adherents on this board have said, really fantastic...and the Road House soundtrack. Best $4 I've spent all week.

I'm not sure I want that. Most what classes itself as "conscience hip hop" has been really subpar of late. It's meandering junk in its own way. I don't need Talib Kweli's shitty new singles blowing up.

Now that's family.