Temple Joining MAC

Temple is joining the Mid American Conference in football only starting in 2007.

This is from a source on the Gopher Hole...so for what its worth.

Developer Doran running for DFL Senate nomination

Minnesota real estate developer Kelly Doran said Monday he will run for Senate next year as a Democrat, joining DFLers Patty Wetterling, a child-safety advocate, and Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar.

Doran, 47, described himself in an interview with The Associated Press as a "centrist Democrat.'' He said he supports the idea of a balanced budget amendment, to force Congress and the White House to be fiscally responsible. On other issues, Doran said he's opposed to President Bush's tax cuts and privatization plans for Social Security, and said the United States made a mistake in going to war in Iraq.

Doran declined to disclose his net worth, except to say it was a "healthy number.'' He said he planned to fund his race with a combination of his own money and fundraising. He has not held public office before, but argues people are ready for a different kind of candidate. "I'm not a career politician,'' Doran said. "Americans are tired of politics as usual." John Wodele, who was Gov. Jesse Ventura's spokesman, is serving as a consultant to Doran's campaign.

I don't know anything about this guy, but anyone who calls themself a 'centrist' and is also a real estate developer....I'm opposing!

Patty Wetterling is looking more appealing everyday.

Random Movie Quote

Bob Slydell: You see, what we're trying to do is get a feeling for how people spend their time at work so if you would, would you walk us through a typical day, for you?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah.
Bob Slydell: Great.
Peter Gibbons: Well, I generally come in at least fifteen minutes late, ah, I use the side door - that way Lumbergh can't see me, heh - after that I sorta space out for an hour.
Bob Porter: Da-uh? Space out?
Peter Gibbons: Yeah, I just stare at my desk, but it looks like I'm working. I do that for probably another hour after lunch too, I'd say in a given week I probably only do about fifteen minutes of real, actual, work.
-Office Space

Episode III Script

Can you wait? Can you? If you can't, the Internet Movie Script Database has the complete script for Episode III! You can read the entire movie and ruin the whole experience if you want?! Can you resist? Can you? Will you...?

The Top 10 TV Shows of All Time!

Continuing the pop culture turn that The MarxistGopher Report has taken lately here's my 10 favorite television shows of ALL TIME...

#10 - Family Guy (1999 - Present)
63 Episodes, 4 Seasons
Yes, this is just a crude knock-off of The Simpsons. But if you're going to rip-off a television show The Simpsons is the right one. I don't know if this deserves the 10 slot but I couldn't really think of a show that does, so I went with a show that I really like and watch regularly.

#9 - The Honeymooners (1952 - 1970)
162 Episodes, 9 Seasons
"One of these days Alice, one of these days." Ah, The Honeymooners....threats of spousal abuse has never been so hilarious! I'm sorry, but this show leaves other shows from the early years of television in the dust. I Love Lucy sucked! Plus this is one of the only shows I've ever seen that deal with class. How often is the major problem in the episode money? The terrible sitcoms of today are filled with attractive people in their 20's that never have money issues, and their only problems are relationships! (see Friends..ugh) This show definitely deserves to be in the top ten....and if you don't think so you probably have never seen the show.

#8 - The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961 - 1966)
158 Episodes, 5 Seasons
This is the classic television show of the 1960's. Thought the constant singing and dancing got very annoying the show was otherwise very entertaining. I spent many a night watching The Dick Van Dyke Show on Nick at Nite growing up. And lets not forget the uproar over Mary Tyler Moore's capri pants. Wow, those are smokin' hot for 60's TV.

#7 - Saturday Night Live (1975 - Present)
586 Episodes, 30 Seasons
How many people have grown up watching this show now. It's a definite television classic! Dozens of stars made their name on SNL. I grew up watching what was my favorite SNL era, Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, David Spade, Phil Hartman, etc. Ahhh, those were the days...
It's not as good anymore, but SNL has had some great years.

#6 - The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970 - 1977)
168 Episodes, 7 Seasons
Okay, this is a GREAT show! …and the first feminist sitcom. A show about the single successful Mary Richards, who lives in Minneapolis and works for a local TV station, and deals with her many personal problems. A milestone in television! Not to mention that it takes place in Minneapolis. I always loved it when they talked about the Vikings or someone was wearing a Vikings shirt. This show also had some of the great characters in TV history: Mr. Grant, Ted Baxter, Rhoda.... This should probably be above Quantum Leap, but I promised myself that I'd get QL in the top 5.

#5 - Quantum Leap (1989 - 1993)
97 Episodes, 5 Seasons
If you want to hear my thoughts on Quantum Leap go back and read the post that I devoted entirely to QL. After writing that I convinced myself that QL deserved a top 5 spot on this list.

#4 - M*A*S*H (1972 - 1983)
251 Episodes, 11 Seasons
You've got to love a sitcom that starts out as a comedy and ends up as an anti-war drama, and replaced half of its cast in the process without losing its popularity. In fact, I like the later episodes better than the early seasons. I think I've been able to catch most these episodes over the years, as I was not alive for most of the shows run, and was an infant for the last years. I probably should have marked it down for that 3 hr last episode though...ugh, that was disappointing.

#3 - All in the Family (1971 - 1979)
210 Episodes, 9 Seasons
If there was ever a TV show that could be used to teach history, this is it. In fact, All in The Family probably would be enough to teach an entire course on the 70's. It started out cutting edge and exciting and ended up with boring worn out characters and some damn kid that suddenly appeared out of nowhere. But this show is at the #3 spot for the first 5 or 6 seasons, not the last. No other television show has dealt with current political issues like All in The Family did. How I long for there to be another show like this in my lifetime...but we all know that isn't going to happen.

#2 - Seinfeld (1989 - 1998)
181 Episodes, 9 Seasons
The show about nothing made it all the way to #2. Definitely the best sitcom ever made. The way the writing was able to draw together seemingly unrelated story lines in a humorous way at the end of the show was genius. Four more selfish immature characters were never related to by more people in the history of television. I, like every other man on the planet, consider myself to be George Constanza. It's too bad it was only on for 9 seasons, as it was definitely still strong and very popular....oh well, I still have the memories...and the DVD's!

#1- The Simpsons (1989 - Present)
356 Episodes, 16 Seasons...signed for 2 more seasons.
Now, many of you may not have heard of this show, but it’s an animated series on this station called FOX. It's really and good show. If anyone's ever really bored and looking for something to do, I would recommend checking out this show....you might like it. (If you didnt know this was going to be #1 you don't know me very well)

Homer: Lisa, Vampires are make-believe, like elves, gremlins, and eskimos.

Film Review: Donnie Darko

Donnie Darko
2001
1 hr 56 min
Directed by Richard Kelly

Plot: During the presidential election of 1988, a teenager named Donnie Darko sleepwalks out of his house one night, and sees a giant, demonic-looking rabbit named Frank, who tells him the world will end in 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds. He returns home the next morning to find that a jet engine has crashed through his bedroom. As he tries to figure out why he survived and tries to deal with people in his town, like the school bully, his conservative health teacher, and a self-help guru, Frank continues to turn up in Donnie's mind, causing him to commit acts of vandalism and worse.

This comment says all you need to know about this film..."Brilliant mix of black-humour, time-travel and a teen love story." It started out with so much promise but just turned into another Sci-Fi movie. The opening line of the film was one of the greatest in history..."I'm voting for Dukakis," the teacher character who would later be seen wearing the "God is awesome!" T-Shirt was hilarious, and the whole 'religion and comformity' story line showed so much promise, but the sci-fi, time travel, etc. got in the way and totally reunied the movie for me. I'm relly not a sci-fi fan...except Quantum Leap, but for people who are this is probably a movie for you. It just wasn't the movie for me....

MarxistGopher's Rating: ***(3 of 10 stars)

Film Review: The Laramie Project

The Laramie Project
2002
1 hr 30 min
Directed by Moisés Kaufman

Plot: Moisés Kaufman and members of New York's Tectonic Theater Project went to Laramie, Wyoming after the murder of Matthew Shepard. This is a film version of the play they wrote based on more than 200 interviews they conducted in Laramie. It follows and in some cases re-enacts the chronology of Shepherd's visit to a local bar, his kidnap and beating, the discovery of him tied to a fence, the vigil at the hospital, his death and funeral, and the trial of his killers. It mixes real news reports with actors portraying friends, family, cops, killers, and other Laramie residents in their own words. It concludes with a Laramie staging of "Angels in America" a year after Shephard's death.

Last nights movie was The Laramie Project. I was really in the mood for a more overtly political film and I got it. It was an emotional film that was hard to watch at times. And then at times I thought it was overly emotional to the point of being manipulative, but I won't hold that against it....I mean I did love Million Dollar Baby. I thought the film did a great job of including all the differing warped opinions of the people of Laramie on the murder and then attempting to rip them apart...with varying degrees of success. I actually thought they could have gone farter and more in depth, but since this movie was based on a play that was based on real interviews done in Laramie I can understand the limitations...Overall I think it's a great movie that everyone should see.

MarxistGopher's Rating: ********(8 of 10 stars)

Moe: I'm better than dirt. Well, most kinds of dirt, not that fancy store-bought dirt... I can't compete with that stuff.

Photo Flashback

Remember this? The game winning overtime goal in the 2002 national championship game at the X. God that was a great game! I can't believe that was 3 years ago.... Man I feel old.

Random Movie Quote

Karen: If you're from Africa, why are you white?
Gretchen: Oh my God, Karen, you can't just ask people why they're white.
-Mean Girls

3rd Edition

It's time for another edition of Friday Feelings... So step up to those keyboards and tell us what you think. Come on, what the hell else are you going to do today?

Random Movie Quote

Peter Gibbons: Look, I don't know about you guys, but I'm tired of being pushed around. Aren't you?
Samir: Yes, Peter, but I'm not going to do anything illegal.
Peter Gibbons: Samir, this is America.
-Office Space

Question of the Day?

So is this chilly, rainy mid-May weather we're having a sign of global warming or just a symptom of a normal weather pattern?

i'm all verclempt....talk amongst yourselves...

Homer: Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.

Film Review: Three Kings

Three Kings
1999
1 hr 50 min
Starring: George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, Ice Cube
Directed by David O. Russell

Plot: In the aftermath of the Gulf War, 4 soldiers set out to steal gold that was stolen from Kuwait, but they discover people who need their help.

The recommendations I recieved going into this movie were all good despite my reluctance to accept that it was anything more than a dumb action movie. In reality the film was mix of a dumb action movie and commentary on the United States in the first Gulf War.

The film attacks the US for encouraging the Shias to rebel against Saddam and then leaving them to be slaughtered...and the story focuses on a small group of soldiers trying to "do their part to help" despite the policies of the US gov't. There's a great torture scene where an American soldier is being tortured and the Iraqi soldier tells him of the destruction that the bombing caused in Baghdad and the death of his son. He then shows him why the Americans are really there by pouring Oil down his throat.

A problem I had with the film is it seemed like they were making the case that the US should go back and finish the job and 'liberate the Iraqi people from Saddam. I know the film was made before there was any notion of that happening, but it could really be watched that way in the atmosphere that exists now. I'm sure it was a much better film before the war. Plus its hard for me to take a movie seriously that stars George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube. Overall, a very good movie with some problems...

MarxistGopher's Rating: *******(7 of 10 stars)

Film Review: Kramer vs. Kramer

Kramer vs. Kramer
1979
1 hr 45 min
Starring Dustin Hoffman

Plot: Ted Kramer is a career man for whom his work comes before his family. His wife Joanna cannot take this anymore, so she decides to leave him. Ted is now faced with the tasks of housekeeping and taking care of himself and their young son Billy. When he has learned to adjust his life to these new responsibilities, Joanna resurfaces and wants Billy back. Ted however refuses to give him up, so they go to court to fight for the custody of their son.

This is another 'classic' that I needed to see. It won 5 acadamy awards in 1980 including best picture and best actor for Dustin Hoffman. I thought it was a fairly good divorce movie. I'm guessing it was one of the first that told the story of the father getting the kid, which is interesting. However, I thought film really villified the woman(Meryl Streep). She was not a major part of the film and her side of the story was never told. You were meant to take the side of the father. Most of the story dealt with the bond that was forming between the father and son as he transforms from a father that is obsessed with his career and doesnt know what grade his son is in to negleting and eventually losing his job to spend time with him. Not to mention that the ending was unrealistic and disappointing. Overall I would say a fairly average movie. It didn't really move me in its favor or against it, leaving me with no strong feelings either way. However, it was an entertaining film that is probably worth seeing if you have not. Plus I'm always a sucker for the courtroom drama...even if it was only a small part of the movie.

MarxistGopher's Rating: ******(6 of 10 stars)

General Blog Notes

Just a note in general about the blog.

I've added a counter in the bar on the right. It's between the 'Previous Posts' and the weekly archives. I'm getting a lot more traffic on The MarxistGopher Report than I thought. It's very exciting!

That leads me into the other note. If you haven't already figured it out I'm archiving my film reviews right below the basketball profiles archive. I'll try to keep the film reviews up-to-date with what I'm watching but that could be kinda tough since I have no life and am averaging a movie a day!

Whenever I do one of these general blog notes...thats the time and place for you to respond and let me know if you have complaints, ideas, etc. about The MarxistGopher Report. Don't worry about my feelings. I will promptly respond and tell you to shut up/kiss me ass if I disagree :-)

Young Andy's Gumball Machine

Okay, last one. I just thought this blog needed a little color. I mean, the all-black thing is kind of depressing eh? Who's idea was that anyway?...This is the gumball machine that I made in shop class in 8th grade. My grade is still on the bottom...I got a B+(marked down for poor sanding and finish). We use it at work now for our skittles and M&M's. People here must be really bored of their work because they eat a ton of candy.

Let Me Sleep Cameradude!

Here's another one of Spitzy. Doesn't he look cute?