broomeman.com
Friday, June 29, 2001
I think I'll jump on the bandwagon this weekend and go see the new Spielberg movie A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). I've read good things about the film. Ebert enjoyed it, but says it fall short of greatness. Stanley Kubrick worked on the story for this movie for 15 years and then passed it on to Spielberg. Should be interesting, to say the least.
I really want to go swimming this weekend. I miss the NY beaches.
Look for new commentary this afternoon.
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Thursday, June 28, 2001
Jack Lemmon has died at the age of 76. He was one of my favorite actors. I feel that his ability to play the part of the angst-ridden everyman was unsurpassed by any other actor. His performances in these four dramas made me a fan: Save the Tiger (for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor), Missing, The China Syndrome, and the 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men. Even his small role in JFK was great. Ebert says that a sequence in Glengarry Glen Ross represents Jack Lemmon's best work as an actor. I've yet to see this film, but I did hear a sound byte from it on the radio this morning, and it seems that perhaps Ebert was right.
Jack Lemmon made movies for fifty years. He is perhaps best known for the eight comedies he made with Walter Matthau. What a funny team they were! To me, Jack Lemmon made his characters believable, and he had a quality that enabled the audience to relate to him. I sure will miss him.
If you'd like to rent a Jack Lemmon movie, I recommend the following titles: The China Syndrome, The Out of Towners, The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men and 12 Angry Men.
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Tuesday, June 26, 2001
I would like to thank Derek and Misha for the delicious supper Sunday night. Once again, we were treated to a sumptuous feast. Eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Yummy.
Winamp 2.76 has been released. You can download it here.
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Monday, June 25, 2001
Mondays should be illegal. Plain and simple. What's the point?
This weekend was great fun, with plenty of relaxation and sunshine. Bought some items at the Gap in Hattiesburg. They seem to always have quality clearance items.
Derek Cornell has contributed a review of the new Weezer album. You can read his review here.
Courtney and I rented and watched "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" on Saturday. I really enjoyed it. It is one of the funniest movies that I've seen in a long time. I agree with most of Ebert's review. This movie has moments of brilliance and hilarity. As a whole, the movie is not great. But there are enough great moments in the film to recommend it. The music is very good, including one song that has gotten a decent amount of airplay in recent weeks, here in Mississippi.
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Friday, June 22, 2001
It's Friday! Put a smile on your face.
John Lee Hooker has died. This native Mississippian blues musician was an influence on many guitarists, including Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana. Here's a clip from one of his more popular songs.
I'm feeling better already. As you can see from the photo below, the Broomeman will never have to own a minivan.
I'll be spending the weekend in Louisiana. My goals are simple: eat crawfish, swim, watch a new movie, sleep.
There is new commentary.
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Thursday, June 21, 2001
The wedding countdown timer begins now. Only 30 more days! Another wedding item was finalized yesterday: the food. Most of it will be catered, and a few traditional Louisiana dishes will be homemade. The plans are coming together quite nicely.
Version 3 of CloneCD has been released. Anybody who owns a CD burner should have a copy of this program. I've been using it for over a year, and it has worked flawlessy. It will allow you to copy any CD.
My coworker Billy reminded me of the fact that I live in the Great State of Mississippi. Thanks, Billy. I feel better, now.
The Phantom Menace will be released on DVD on October 16th. Extra features include an hour-long documentary and all of the theatrical trailers.
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Monday, June 18, 2001
The daily archive has been created. The link is below.
I finally bought a new computer. It's a HP XT853. Features include an 8-speed burner, a 17" monitor, 30 GB hard drive, and a Pentium III 866 MHz processor. I toyed with the idea of building my own, but decided to go the easy route this time. I performed a clean install of Windows 2000 on it with no glitches. So far, I really like it. I have 15 days to return it if I decide otherwise. The fast processor and burner will make the wedding music project much easier.
Saturday there was a surprise wedding shower for Courtney. She was totally surprised. All of the girls she works with were there, as well as many relative and friends. More great gifts, including a microwave, silverware, towels, cooking utensils, and household supplies. What we really need now is cookware, specifically, pots and pans. I want to thank everyone for their kind gifts. They are much appreciated.
Saturday night we ate at "The Woods" in Derby, MS. This is one cool place. I had the fried quail. They have a great selection of seafood and steaks, and the salad bar is top-notch. It is in the middle of nowhere, but it's worth the drive.
Saw Tomb Raider Sunday night at Turtle Creek Mall in Hattiesburg. I enjoyed it, and wouldn't mind seeing it again. There is no plot to speak of, but somehow it's not too boring, and the action sequences are pretty good.
There is an article about Eric Clapton at NPR this week. A corresponding interview was on the radio this morning, and more of it will air tomorrow. It's quite interesting.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, June 15, 2001
Here's a quote from Roger Ebert's review of Tomb Raider, which opens today: "Did I enjoy the movie? Yes. Is it up there with the Indiana Jones pictures? No, although its art direction and set design are (especially in the tomb with all the dead roots hanging down like tendrils). Was I filled with suspense? No. Since I had no idea what was going to happen, should happen, shouldn't happen or what it meant if it did happen, I could hardly be expected to care. But did I grin with delight at the absurdity it all? You betcha." That's the kind of movie review I like to read. Giddy-Up! Calling Derek & Misha...do you want to go see it on Sunday? Radiohead has released a new album. It's called Amnesiac. Hopefully I'll have some new commentary later today.
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Tuesday, June 12, 2001
Have you tried any of Snapple's new "Element" drinks? The one known as "Gravity" is fantastic. Go get one! There are a number of new items on the links page.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, June 11, 2001
The government is calling 'Allison' a billion-dollar storm. She sure dampened my weekend plans. It was nice having the cooler cooler weather as a result of the rain, but I'm ready for some sunshine! The first wedding shower was lots of fun. Courtney and I got many fine gifts. The organzer of this shower asked everyone to include one recipe with their gifts. I thought that was a practical idea. Among other things, we now have a blender, toaster, 12-cup coffee maker, can opener, mixer, several different types of glasses, and an assortment of household items. I haven't been to the movie theater in over a month. I would like to go see 'Tomb Raider' this weekend. The TV ads make it look fairly entertaining.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Friday, June 8, 2001
Am I excited about the fact that it's Friday? I'm more excited than Jenna Bush at happy hour! Courtney and I will be hooking up with Derek and Misha this evening for pizza and a movie in Columbia, MS. What movie should we rent? Saturday will bring a "brown bag" wedding shower. (Apparently this shower is when people of give you food for your new home. The Broomeman likes to eat, so this can't be all that bad.) There will be several more showers before the 'Big Day' of July 21st. Sunday will bring more water park fun. The water park is half-price from 4 to 6 PM on Sundays. They have a few excellent slides, and I'm particularly fond of the wave pool. I'll get the keys to my new apartment around July 1st. Courtney and I are going to go by the apartment on Sunday to visit Nathan and Laura, and get a renewed image of the layout in mind. We need to begin planning the decor and the furniture scheme. Courtney's skills in decorating far surpass mine, so I'll be relying heavily on her direction in these matters. I'm seriously thinking of buying a new computer in the next few weeks. There should be a new post in my commentary section later today.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Wednesday, June 6, 2001
I now own "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" on DVD. I watched the first hour of it last night with Courtney. We saw the film at the theater a few months ago and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Several video clips from the movie are available here. This movie is visually stunning and it has an interesting plot. Ebert gave it four stars and so do I. Go rent it if you haven't seen it. If you've already seen it, please email me with your thoughts on the film.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Tuesday, June 5, 2001
Have you heard about Orbits.com? It's a new site created by five major airlines to help consumers search for the lowest available fares. I'm in the process of finding tickets for my honeymoon travel, so I'm going to give it a try this week.
If you haven't done so already, upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional. Simply stated, the real beauty of this Microsoft product is this: it works. Under normal operating conditions, it simply refuses to crash. Last night I completed a clean install of Windows 2000 Professional (with Service Pack 2) and Windows 98 Second Edition. I'm using BootMagic 2.0 (a component of PartitionMagic 6) as my boot manager. I also burned Ghost images of both partitions onto CD-R's.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Monday, June 4, 2001
Courtney and I have decided that we're going to Austin, Texas for our honeymoon. We both enjoy live music, and Austin Texas is the live music capital of the world. It's also a college town, and is known to be festive and friendly. More importantly, Schlitterbahn, one of the best water parks in the world, is only an hour away. We'll spend two days there.
I will soon have a 'Guest Writers' page. I have already asked some of my friends to contribute original short stories, non-fiction, poetry, essasys and the like. I'm looking forward to posting some of these in the very near future. If you're interested in getting on board, please email me.
I think I'll jump on the bandwagon this weekend and go see the new Spielberg movie A.I. (Artificial Intelligence). I've read good things about the film. Ebert enjoyed it, but says it fall short of greatness. Stanley Kubrick worked on the story for this movie for 15 years and then passed it on to Spielberg. Should be interesting, to say the least.
I really want to go swimming this weekend. I miss the NY beaches.
Look for new commentary this afternoon.
Thursday, June 28, 2001
Jack Lemmon has died at the age of 76. He was one of my favorite actors. I feel that his ability to play the part of the angst-ridden everyman was unsurpassed by any other actor. His performances in these four dramas made me a fan: Save the Tiger (for which he won an Oscar for Best Actor), Missing, The China Syndrome, and the 1997 remake of 12 Angry Men. Even his small role in JFK was great. Ebert says that a sequence in Glengarry Glen Ross represents Jack Lemmon's best work as an actor. I've yet to see this film, but I did hear a sound byte from it on the radio this morning, and it seems that perhaps Ebert was right.
Jack Lemmon made movies for fifty years. He is perhaps best known for the eight comedies he made with Walter Matthau. What a funny team they were! To me, Jack Lemmon made his characters believable, and he had a quality that enabled the audience to relate to him. I sure will miss him.
If you'd like to rent a Jack Lemmon movie, I recommend the following titles: The China Syndrome, The Out of Towners, The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men and 12 Angry Men.
Tuesday, June 26, 2001
I would like to thank Derek and Misha for the delicious supper Sunday night. Once again, we were treated to a sumptuous feast. Eggplant parmesan, chicken parmesan, and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Yummy.
Winamp 2.76 has been released. You can download it here.
Monday, June 25, 2001
Mondays should be illegal. Plain and simple. What's the point?
This weekend was great fun, with plenty of relaxation and sunshine. Bought some items at the Gap in Hattiesburg. They seem to always have quality clearance items.
Derek Cornell has contributed a review of the new Weezer album. You can read his review here.
Courtney and I rented and watched "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" on Saturday. I really enjoyed it. It is one of the funniest movies that I've seen in a long time. I agree with most of Ebert's review. This movie has moments of brilliance and hilarity. As a whole, the movie is not great. But there are enough great moments in the film to recommend it. The music is very good, including one song that has gotten a decent amount of airplay in recent weeks, here in Mississippi.
Friday, June 22, 2001
It's Friday! Put a smile on your face.
John Lee Hooker has died. This native Mississippian blues musician was an influence on many guitarists, including Eric Clapton and Carlos Santana. Here's a clip from one of his more popular songs.
I'm feeling better already. As you can see from the photo below, the Broomeman will never have to own a minivan.
I'll be spending the weekend in Louisiana. My goals are simple: eat crawfish, swim, watch a new movie, sleep.
There is new commentary.
Thursday, June 21, 2001
The wedding countdown timer begins now. Only 30 more days! Another wedding item was finalized yesterday: the food. Most of it will be catered, and a few traditional Louisiana dishes will be homemade. The plans are coming together quite nicely.
Version 3 of CloneCD has been released. Anybody who owns a CD burner should have a copy of this program. I've been using it for over a year, and it has worked flawlessy. It will allow you to copy any CD.
My coworker Billy reminded me of the fact that I live in the Great State of Mississippi. Thanks, Billy. I feel better, now.
The Phantom Menace will be released on DVD on October 16th. Extra features include an hour-long documentary and all of the theatrical trailers.
Monday, June 18, 2001
The daily archive has been created. The link is below.
I finally bought a new computer. It's a HP XT853. Features include an 8-speed burner, a 17" monitor, 30 GB hard drive, and a Pentium III 866 MHz processor. I toyed with the idea of building my own, but decided to go the easy route this time. I performed a clean install of Windows 2000 on it with no glitches. So far, I really like it. I have 15 days to return it if I decide otherwise. The fast processor and burner will make the wedding music project much easier.
Saturday there was a surprise wedding shower for Courtney. She was totally surprised. All of the girls she works with were there, as well as many relative and friends. More great gifts, including a microwave, silverware, towels, cooking utensils, and household supplies. What we really need now is cookware, specifically, pots and pans. I want to thank everyone for their kind gifts. They are much appreciated.
Saturday night we ate at "The Woods" in Derby, MS. This is one cool place. I had the fried quail. They have a great selection of seafood and steaks, and the salad bar is top-notch. It is in the middle of nowhere, but it's worth the drive.
Saw Tomb Raider Sunday night at Turtle Creek Mall in Hattiesburg. I enjoyed it, and wouldn't mind seeing it again. There is no plot to speak of, but somehow it's not too boring, and the action sequences are pretty good.
There is an article about Eric Clapton at NPR this week. A corresponding interview was on the radio this morning, and more of it will air tomorrow. It's quite interesting.
Friday, June 15, 2001
Here's a quote from Roger Ebert's review of Tomb Raider, which opens today: "Did I enjoy the movie? Yes. Is it up there with the Indiana Jones pictures? No, although its art direction and set design are (especially in the tomb with all the dead roots hanging down like tendrils). Was I filled with suspense? No. Since I had no idea what was going to happen, should happen, shouldn't happen or what it meant if it did happen, I could hardly be expected to care. But did I grin with delight at the absurdity it all? You betcha." That's the kind of movie review I like to read. Giddy-Up! Calling Derek & Misha...do you want to go see it on Sunday? Radiohead has released a new album. It's called Amnesiac. Hopefully I'll have some new commentary later today.
Tuesday, June 12, 2001
Have you tried any of Snapple's new "Element" drinks? The one known as "Gravity" is fantastic. Go get one! There are a number of new items on the links page.
Monday, June 11, 2001
The government is calling 'Allison' a billion-dollar storm. She sure dampened my weekend plans. It was nice having the cooler cooler weather as a result of the rain, but I'm ready for some sunshine! The first wedding shower was lots of fun. Courtney and I got many fine gifts. The organzer of this shower asked everyone to include one recipe with their gifts. I thought that was a practical idea. Among other things, we now have a blender, toaster, 12-cup coffee maker, can opener, mixer, several different types of glasses, and an assortment of household items. I haven't been to the movie theater in over a month. I would like to go see 'Tomb Raider' this weekend. The TV ads make it look fairly entertaining.
Friday, June 8, 2001
Am I excited about the fact that it's Friday? I'm more excited than Jenna Bush at happy hour! Courtney and I will be hooking up with Derek and Misha this evening for pizza and a movie in Columbia, MS. What movie should we rent? Saturday will bring a "brown bag" wedding shower. (Apparently this shower is when people of give you food for your new home. The Broomeman likes to eat, so this can't be all that bad.) There will be several more showers before the 'Big Day' of July 21st. Sunday will bring more water park fun. The water park is half-price from 4 to 6 PM on Sundays. They have a few excellent slides, and I'm particularly fond of the wave pool. I'll get the keys to my new apartment around July 1st. Courtney and I are going to go by the apartment on Sunday to visit Nathan and Laura, and get a renewed image of the layout in mind. We need to begin planning the decor and the furniture scheme. Courtney's skills in decorating far surpass mine, so I'll be relying heavily on her direction in these matters. I'm seriously thinking of buying a new computer in the next few weeks. There should be a new post in my commentary section later today.
Wednesday, June 6, 2001
I now own "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" on DVD. I watched the first hour of it last night with Courtney. We saw the film at the theater a few months ago and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Several video clips from the movie are available here. This movie is visually stunning and it has an interesting plot. Ebert gave it four stars and so do I. Go rent it if you haven't seen it. If you've already seen it, please email me with your thoughts on the film.
Tuesday, June 5, 2001
Have you heard about Orbits.com? It's a new site created by five major airlines to help consumers search for the lowest available fares. I'm in the process of finding tickets for my honeymoon travel, so I'm going to give it a try this week.
If you haven't done so already, upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional. Simply stated, the real beauty of this Microsoft product is this: it works. Under normal operating conditions, it simply refuses to crash. Last night I completed a clean install of Windows 2000 Professional (with Service Pack 2) and Windows 98 Second Edition. I'm using BootMagic 2.0 (a component of PartitionMagic 6) as my boot manager. I also burned Ghost images of both partitions onto CD-R's.
Monday, June 4, 2001
Courtney and I have decided that we're going to Austin, Texas for our honeymoon. We both enjoy live music, and Austin Texas is the live music capital of the world. It's also a college town, and is known to be festive and friendly. More importantly, Schlitterbahn, one of the best water parks in the world, is only an hour away. We'll spend two days there.
I will soon have a 'Guest Writers' page. I have already asked some of my friends to contribute original short stories, non-fiction, poetry, essasys and the like. I'm looking forward to posting some of these in the very near future. If you're interested in getting on board, please email me.