Free Apps For iPhone and iPod Touch For a Limited Time

I haven't downloaded any of these yet but the Punching Ball app seems cool. You 'punch' your iPhone or iPod Touch and have 60 seconds to score points by hitting the ball hard enough. These are only free for a limited time so get them while they're hot.

Free App Store Applications - dealmac.com

Knee-Jerk Review: "Tropic Thunder"

Note: This review contains spoilers by revealing cameos from the movie that are much funnier when you don't know about them going in. So if you haven't seen it you may want to skip this.

"Tropic Thunder" is a movie that I wanted to like, the premise is funny and the principals are all funny, but in the end it left me feeling empty. The best part of the movie, without a doubt, is all the cameos and bit parts filled by celebrities. You've got Jennifer Love Hewitt, Matthew Mcconaughey, Tyra Banks, Maria Menounos, Christine Taylor, Jon Voight, Jason Bateman, Lance Bass, Alicia Silverstone, and, best of all, Tom Cruise. Cruise delivers the best performance in the film and steals all the laughs as studio head Les Grossman. Other than the moments that Cruise is on screen there wasn't a whole lot that made me chuckle. Like I said, I wanted to like this film but in the end my expectations were not met and I felt like it should have, and could have, been funnier.

Rating: 5.5 out of 10

Moods Spread Like Ripples Through Friends

Here is an interesting study that concludes that one's mood is affected not only by their friend's mood but by the moods of the friends of their friends.

Moods 'spread like ripples through friends' say scientists - Telegraph

Calvin and Hobbes on the Financial Crisis

Calvin decides he needs his own bailout.

Knee-Jerk Review: "Eagle Eye"

"Eagle Eye" tries to be a taut action/thriller movie but ultimately falls short. The movie's suspense is only due to the fact that the audience is kept in the dark and knows very little about what is going on. Once the payoff comes it is underwhelming and comes off as if the writers could not think of a better ending so they took the easy way out and chose to use a cliche climax that we have all seen variations of many times before. As far as the performances, Shia LaBeouf is ok in the lead but I still do not buy him as a movie star. All I can think of while he is on screen is his role as the wacky kid in "Even Stevens" that used to be on the Disney channel. Billy Bob Thornton is good at times but there more often than not he seems to be phoning it in. All the other actors and actresses turned in so-so performances.
"Eagle Eye" provides some level of entertainment but does not quite become the thrill ride it tries to be.

Rating: 5 out of 10

Woot Daily Deal, 12/30/08

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Lipscomb Shocks Indiana; Upsets Hoosiers 74-69

I went to Lipscomb for my freshman year of college and attended every home basketball game. This is a huge win for the program, definitely the biggest win they have ever had. Way to go Bison!

Lipscomb Beats the Hoosiers

Seminole Basketball Update

The 'Noles got a big win yesterday against Western Kentucky, who was a Sweet Sixteen team last season. The win gives FSU another quality non-conference win and sets the 'Noles up to finish the non-conference schedule at 13-2 provided they take care of business and beat Texas A&M Corpus Christi as expected. Here are some links about yesterday's game:

-Warchant: (You may need to log in to read these articles, but you do not have to be a subscriber. Just register for a free membership and you should be set. Please let me know if you can not see these.)
FSU vs. WKU Boxscore
FSU vs. WKU Photos
Noles Come Together Against Hilltoppers

-Nole Sports:
Reid Has Homecoming at Orange Bowl Classic
FSU Passes Key Test vs. WKU With 82-69 Win

The Seminoles take a holiday break this week but will return with a home game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Saturday, January 3 at 2pm.

Woot Daily Deal, 12/29/08

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FSU Basketball Update

The Noles take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers today at the Orange Bowl Classic in Sunrise, FL. WKU went to the Sweet Sixteen last year so this is a great opportunity for FSU to get a solid non-conference win. It's been a little while since the last update so here are some links to get you caught up:

-Warchant:
Notes & Links: FSU Travels To Sunrise To Play Western Kentucky Sunday At 4

-Nole Sports:
Today's Game of High Importance to Seminoles
Hilltopper's Shooting Next Test for 'Noles
Break's Over: FSU Gets Back to Work
Seminoles' Singleton May Be One to Catapult Program
Seminoles Might Be On Verger of Elevating to Next Level
FSU's Douglas Living Up to Role as Top Option
FSU on the Brink of Something Special
FSU Falls to Pitt in Final Minutes
FSU's Reid Faces Big Challenge
Changes Could Be in Store for 'Noles
Blog: FSU Hoops Finally Tournament Bound?

"The Dark Knight": My thoughts and opinions are coming soon.

"The Dark Knight" is a dark and gritty film not just visually and stylistically but also thematically. The film transcends other comic book movies and becomes a vehicle through which the psychological and philosophical idea of good versus evil is explored. The obvious effort to make the film as realistic as possible helps make the main themes of the movie have a greater impact than movies that create alternate worlds and exist outside of what we except as possible. Great attention has been paid to make the film more than just an action movie and to elevate it into an important expose on current affairs and on age old questions of morality.
    I have been working on writing about the themes featured in the film and have decided the best way to present them is to post my thoughts in a series of posts instead of posting them all together. Some of the ideas might overlap a little but I think posting  all of them at the same time would be too long a read and this way I can post as I finish each section rather than waiting until I finish the whole thing. I hope to present my thoughts in a way that will develop further discussion about the film, so please post your comments.

Note: I must admit that I strove to reach a higher plane by writing these articles. That is to say that I delved into things that are a little above my head and not totally within my reach. I do not have much background in philosophy or psychology, despite having taken introductory courses in both subjects, and I probably brought up some topics that I am not equipped to fully flesh out or explain. I think a quote by Friedrich Nietzsche communicates what I am trying to say better than I can. In Fate and History: Thoughts (1862) Nietzsche says, "It is folly and doom for undeveloped heads to venture out into the sea of doubt without compass or guide: most will be driven off course by storms; only very few discover new lands." Though it is taken a bit out of context (Nietzsche was talking about questioning the "deeply rooted prejudices" of childhood, in particular Christianity) the quote gets to the root of my shortcomings in this article: I am attempting to examine and interpret things that I do not fully understand and probably failed in adequately describing my thoughts. What I am trying to say is that I did my best but these pieces probably evoke more questions than they give answers. To be positive, I hope what I have written will inspire discussion about the themes and topics the film explores and I look forward to hearing from people that know much more than I do. This is why I have made posts highlighting other writers and their thoughts on the film. That was a lot of words to say that I do not know what I am talking about.

Woot Daily Deal, 12/23/08

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Woot Daily Deal, 12/22/08

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Woot.com

Incredible Story: 61 Year Old Man Wins Ultramarathon

The Legend of Cliff Young: The 61 Year Old Farmer Who Won the World’s Toughest Race - Elite Feet

The Big Pictures Top Ten Worst Movies of '08

Figured I should post this since I post their Top Ten list. Though I have only seen a few of their top movies, thankfully, I have not seen any of these.

The Big Picture's Ten Worst Films of 2008 - Get The Big Picture -

The Big Picture's Top Ten Films of '08

The best movie blog out there has posted their top ten list of the year's best films. I have yet to see Slumdog Millionaire, Frost/Nixon, Man On Wire, Let the Right One In, Mongol, Changeling, and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which means I have only seen three of his top ten. I watch a lot of movies so I'm not sure how I missed all of those, though I have slowed down on my trips to the theater lately. From the ones I have seen In Bruges is the best, then probably Tropic Thunder, and last is Wall-E. I won't be posting my own top ten list this year, mostly because I haven't seen a lot of the movies that are on everybody elses lists. Here's The Big Picture's list:

-The Big Picture: Top Ten Films of 2008

Woot Daily Deal

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Dustin Kensrue Christmas Album On Sale For $1.99

I may have messed up and given you little time as I think this deal is only available through the end of today. That gives you about an hour to buy this, I recommend it even at full price.

Amazon.com: This Good Night Is Still Everywhere: MP3 Downloads: Dustin Kensrue

Watch Relient K's Leno Performance

Relient K performed on Leno last night. You'll never guess who played with them: Biff from Back to the Future. You can watch the performance at the link:

-Absolute Punk:
Relient K On Leno

Anberlin Album on Sale; Single Breaks Top Ten

You can buy Anberlin's newest album for only $3.99 on Amazon. Also, "The Feel Good Drag" has broke into the top ten and is now number 9 on the modern rock charts. Here are the links:

-Absolute Punk:
Anberlin Album on Sale This Week
Anberlin Crack the Top Ten

Paul Rudd and Jason Segal Star in "I Love You, Man"

Paul Rudd has been an underrated actor for years now but his supporting roles in Judd Appatow's flicks has helped push him into the spotlight and now he is starting to become a solid leading man. His newest movie also stars the hilarious Jason Segal, another Apatow extra that came into the spotlight with and is best known for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall". Here's a look at their new film, "I Love You, Man":

Trailer - Paul Rudd in 'I Love You, Man' - Get The Big Picture -

FSU Basketball Update

The Seminoles moved to 10-1 last night by beating Tennessee Tech 69-59. Led by 28 points from Toney Douglas the 'Noles let Tech stay around late into the game but was able to end the game with a ten point win. The play of Derwin Kitchen has been a welcome addition to the team. He has come up big in the final minutes of the last two games, the first two games he has played in all season. Freshman Chris Singleton contributed three three-pointers, proving he's more than just an inside threat. When Singleton figures out that he can beat guys with his first step and begins to drive to the basket I think we'll see him blossom into one of the best FSU has ever had.

Here's some links from around the web:

-Warchant:
Box Score: Florida State 69, Tennessee Tech 59
FSU Earns 10th Victory
Audio: Hamilton Audio
FSU vs. TenTech Game Photos
Kitchen's FSU Career Finally Underway
Singleton Named ACC Rookie of the Week

-Nole Sports:
FSU Men Go Ugly Again-- And Win
No Peeking Ahead For Seminoles
Seminoles Trying to Find Rhythm on Offense
Kitchen's Last Minute Was Big for FSU Men

Today's Movie Releases

Here's a list of today's new DVD releases:

New to Home Video: 'Mamma Mia!,' 'Mummy,' 'Burn After Reading' - Get The Big Picture -

Obesity 'controlled by the brain'

Seven new gene variants discovered by scientists suggest strongly that obesity is largely a mind problem.

BBC NEWS | Health | Obesity 'controlled by the brain'

Woot Daily Deal, 15 Dec 08

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British Man Walks Out Window, Falls to His Death

Terrible story of a man sleepwalking out of a window and falling to his death. This freaks me out because it makes me wander if I could sleepwalk my way off a balcony someday. I could probably find a way to walk off a balcony while I was awake, or I would break the railing while leaning over it. One of the two.

-Telegraph: Briton 'sleepwalks' to his death off hotel balcony

Seminole Basketball Update

I mentioned the other day that Florida State guard Derwin Kitchen has been cleared by the NCAA and would be suiting up for yesterday's game against Georgia State. While Kitchen played limited minutes, he showed that he is a competent ball-handler and a quick defender. The highlight of his night came when he grabbed a rebound as the game was ending and sunk two free-throws to give FSU a five point led and iced the game. As the game was beginning I could not find Kitchen on the bench and was worried his clearance was still pending, but my fears were relieved once I noticed that he had just cut off his dreads and was sporting a shorter haircut. Kitchen will be a big help at the 1 and the 2 this year, even if all he brings to the table is the ability to move the ball up the court as FSU has struggled at times against the full court press.

Links:
-Nole Sports:
FSU Men's Basketball Build Big Lead, Hang on for Five-point Victory
Kitchen's Last Minute Was Big For FSU Men
Game Blog from FSU's 62-57 Win
FSU Basketball Update: Kitchen Cleared to Play
Kitchen Expected to Debut for FSU

AP.net's Entertainment Round-Up, 12/13/08

No comments on anything from me this week, just enjoy the link and all the gooey goodness it contains:

-Absolute Punk: Entertainment Round-Up (12/13/08)

Return of Clive Owen

It's been a little while since we've seen a Clive Owen movie, which is disappointing. Owen is one of the best guys in the business, in my opinion, especially in crime movies like "Inside Man". But, the wait is over as Owen has two movies coming out next year. Check the link to see posters from his upcoming films "The International", with Naomi Watts, and "Duplicity", with Julia Roberts.

-Get the Big Picture: Posters: Clive Owen Doubles His Pleasure

Man Sprays TPers with Fox Urine

This retaliation might seem extreme but I know that if I was TPing someone's house I would stop once I was sprayed with any type of urine, and I wouldn't do it ever again, so maybe this guy is on to something.

-Breitbart: Man sprays 'toilet-papering' teens with fox urine

Man Gives Police Fake Name, Real Name Tattoed On His Neck

Here's a tip: don't give the police a fake name when your real name is tattoed on your neck. It's probably good advice to not give a fake name to the police under any circumstances, but that might be asking to much.

-Star Tribune: Any identifying tatttoos? Well, in fact, yes.....

FSU Basketball Update: FREE DERWIN KITCHEN!

Seminole basketball fans have waited all season for the NCAA to make a ruling as to JUCO transfer Derwin Kitchen's eligibility. The wait is over. Kitchen will be suited up tomorrow night as the Noles take on Georgia State on the road. The hope is that Kitchen will supply some needed depth at the guard position, specifically at the point guard spot. If Kitchen is able to run the point all-ACC guard Toney Douglas will be free to move over to the 2-quard spot and do what he does best, score. This also means the pressure on freshman point guard Luke Loucks is somewhat relieved as he will not be relied upon to carry as big a load. If you saw Louck's performance against Northwestern you undoubtedly know that he needs a little time to adjust to the college game. (Though, to be fair, Loucks has looked much better in other games, especially so against UF). We will see what Kitchen brings to the table tomorrow night when he puts on the garnet and gold for the first time.

Links:
-Nole Sports:
Early Success Could Pay Off For 'Noles Basketball
FSU Freshman Ready to Fill Sharpshooter Role
FSU's Alabi Realizing Giant Potential

Year's Biggest Full Moon Friday Night

The full moon Friday night will be the biggest one of the year as Earth's natural satellite reaches its closest point to our planet.

read more | digg story

Woot Daily Deal, 12 Dec 08

SLS Audio QS1000 Home Theater System

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Woot-Off!

The woot-off is still going on, this is the longest one I've seen the site due. For those that don't know this means that instead of their usual one deal a day there is a ton of deals throughout the day. So keep refreshing the page as they try to make room in their warehouse.

Woot : One Day, One Deal (SM)

Thrice, "Live At The House of Blues" Released Yesterday

Somehow I forgot to mention that yesterday Thrice's live CD/DVD was released. Check out the link below to see them perform "Firebreather" from the DVD. Thrice is absolutlely one of my favorite bands. If you haven't checked them out you really need to. All of their CD's are great but I specifically recommend Vheissu and The Alchemy Index Vols. 1-4, two of my all time favorite albums.

"Firebreather (Live)"
THRICE.net

New Breakthrough Treatment for Depression Approved by FDA

-CBS News: Magnet Device Aims To Treat Depression, FDA OKs Use Of Noninvasive Stimulator To Affect Brain's Electrical Impulses

Dark Knight Score Back in the Oscar Race!!!

This is exciting news: the score for the Dark Knight has been ruled eligible for contention in the Academy Awards! Previously the score had been ruled ineligible because of some question over who actually wrote it or something but now it's back in the running. In my opinion it should win; it's the only film score I've ever listened to regularly and it is just great, well-written music.

'Dark Knight' Score Back in the Oscar Race - Get The Big Picture -

DVD Releases

The big release today is obviously The Dark Knight. Since I've seen the movie multiply times and being that I am strapped for cash at the moment, I am waiting to get it as a Christmas present. I had hoped to have my review of the movie up today but finals got in the way and I'll have to post it later in the week. Check out the link to see what else came out on DVD today:

New to Home Video: 'The Dark Knight,' 'Man on Wire,' Tons of TV - Get The Big Picture -

WOOT OFF!!!

I would advise you to check out woot.com throughout the day as they are having a woot off. This means that instead of their usual one deal a day they will be having dozens of deals today. Take advantage.

Woot : One Day, One Deal (SM)

Christopher Nolan Talks 'Dark Knight' Burden, IMAX

Not any big news here but at least it hints that Nolan will probably make at least on more Batman film, once he finds the right story.

- Get The Big Picture -

Seminole Hoop Update

WOO HOO!!! The 'Noles beat their rival Florida gators last night, 57 to 55. FSU looked much, much better against UF's press than they did in last week's terrible performance against Northwestern. Being 8-1 at this point in the season is great, most had us picked to have 2 or 3 losses already, but that loss to Northwestern really hurts as we showed last night that we are much better than we played against the Wildcats.

-Nole Sports:
Thinking Equals Success for FSU's Demercy
FSU Makes It 3 Straight vs. Gators With 57-55 Win
FSU vs. Florida Game Blog
-Warchant: (Warchant is a subscription service so I have tried to link only to articles and features that are available for free on their site. If you can't read an article or see a video please let me know so I can take down the link.)
FSU vs. UF Photos
Warchant TV: Hamilton and Donovan on the FSU Win
Q & A With Coach Hamilton
FSU vs. UF Box Score
FSU Makes It Three In A Row Over UF

Woot Daily Deal, 8 Dec

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Knee-Jerk Review: "Bolt (3D)"

I have to start off by saying that watching a movie in 3D is awesome. I am very excited by the fact that 3D seems to be a growing trend in Hollywood. That being said, I have missed some of the recent 3D movies, such as Beowulf and Journey to the Center of the Earth. In fact, the only movie I had seen in 3D before Bolt was Meet the Robinsons, which I found very entertaining as a family friendly type movie. Unfortunately, Bolt does not quite match the Robinson's fun value.

Bolt is a kids movie, unlike a lot of the animated films being made today, mostly those by Pixar, which appeal to kids and adults. Bolt is not a particularly engaging character, instead a hamster named Rhino steals the show and is given the majority of the funny lines. Bolt just never really gets going and suffers from a story line that doesn't really go anywhere. There are some themes about loyalty and the loving relationship between pets and their owners but overall the film doesn't have a message to convey. The good news is that there is no objectable content, this one's squeaky clean. Take the kids to see this and they will probably like it but you may have a hard time getting much enjoyment out of it.

I think this will be a solid box-office movie for Disney, based on it's appeal to children, but their real hits will continue to come from Pixar, who has yet to dissapoint.

Rating: 4 out of 10. The movie isn't great but seeing it in 3D is a cool experience.

AP.net's Entertainment Round-Up

Here's a great weekly source of news from the world of entertainment:
-Absolute Punk: Entertainment Round-Up (12/06/08)

The story that interested me most was the quotes from Jason Bateman about the continuing progress towards an Arrested Development movie. Arrested Development was a hilarious show that ended much too soon; I can't wait to see what the Bluth family will do on the big screen.

The weirdest news of the week is that John Stamos is working on a new show based on Full House. Candace Cameron Bure (better known as D.J.) says, "John has been working on a semi-remake of Full House. I know it would involve me and Jodie Sweeten. We would revive our characters, but today as young women." Is the world ready for a return to Full House? Or, should it just live on as a fond memory of childhood for the generation of kids that grew up watching it in the early 90's? I think I would tune in to the first episode out of curiosity but I doubt I would watch it regularly. Full House was an awesome show during it's time but I think that time has passed and that this is probably a bad idea.

FSU vs. Florida Tonight, 6:00 on FSN

The annual FSU beatdown of UF in basketball takes place tonight in Tallahassee. It will be broadcast at 6pm on FSN. FSU has won the last two games in the series.

-Warchant: FSU Looking to Rebound, Win Third in a Row
-Nole Sports: FSU Basketball Tries to Extend Win Streak vs. Florida

Woot Daily Deal: Dec 7

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The Dark Knight Script (and Some Ramblings About "No Country For Old Men")

Warner Brothers has set up a site promoting the Dark Knight for the upcoming Oscars. The best thing about it is that you can download the script! I was mesmerized by the screenplay, even after seeing the film multiple times, and I finished it all in one sitting. It is just fantastic writing and was very educational to me as I dream of writing screenplays some day. The coolest thing was getting an understanding of what the writer's vision for the movie was and how the director carries out that vision. Obviously, with TDK the director was also a co-writer so the vision in the script matches up with what we see on screen.

I wonder if movies that have different people writing and directing run into problems about the tone of a film and how things should look. My guess is that sometimes they are on the same page and sometimes they are not. I recently read the book "No Country For Old Men" and was amazed at how much of the book was simply recreated in the movie, which won the academy award for best picture last year. Almost every line of dialogue from the book was qouted word for word in the film. I found it interesting that the Coen brother's seemingly only had to worry about how to represent the book visually and did not have to focus on dialogue or plot because that was already taken care of thanks to the excellent writing of Cormac McCarthy. I plan to start reading more scripts to get an idea of how they are interpreted when put on the big screen.

I went a little off subject, but here's the site were you can download the script for TDK:
Warner Bros. Awards / Movies / thedarkknight / foryourconsideration

Dark Knight to get Oscar Push With Theatrical Re-release

-Get The Big Picture: Official: 'Dark Knight' Oscar/Billion Dollar Push Coming

"The Dark Knight is sure to be the top DVD this
holiday season. It comes out on Tuesday, and if you don't think it will be the
top selling DVD ever, you should probably reevaluate that position.

And, as has been the position of Warner Bros

. for a
month or so, the studio will re-release The Dark Knight in theaters on January
23rd. It's a well-timed move, on one hand, as

Wired notes the theatrical run will happen the
day after the Oscar nominations are announced, giving voters one more chance to
see it in theaters. The way it's playing out, The Dark Knight will likely
be in the running for Best Picture, Best Director, and
Heath Ledger
for Best Supporting Actor, along with several technical awards."

Colin Boyd, from Get The Big Picture, makes some good points in his posting about a theatrical push for TDK just before the Academy Awards. Why release a movie back into theaters after it is available on DVD? I think most people will have already seen the movie, many multiple times, or they will own the DVD by the time it is put back on the big screen. TDK is still on at the Imax in Tallahassee, so does it really need to be back in regular theaters? I strongly encourage anyone who hasn't seen it, or someone who wants to see it again, to go your nearest Imax and see it there. The visuals look amazing on the huge screen, especially the ones that were filmed with an Imax camera, and the sound hits much harder and adds a lot of tension compared to a regular theater. I'm just not sure pushing it back into theaters is a good move, thought I would like to see TDK reach the billion dollar mark.

Woot Deal of the Day: Dec6

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From AP.net: Thrice, "Firebreather" Video from their CD/DVD "Live At The House of Blues"

-Absolute Punk: Thrice: "Firebreather" Live Video

Thrice's new CD/DVD, "Live at the House of Blues", is in stores next Tuesday (Dec 9th).

More Students Are Choosing Philosophy as a Major and More of Them Are Finding Jobs After Graduation

As I have struggled over the last four and a half years since I graduated from High School to come up with what I want to do with my life I have not been able to decide what I want to major in. I am a semester away from completing junior college and I will have to make a decision soon. Up to this point when people have asked me what major I was going into I have used the blanket answer of business. Recently I have discovered that philosophy and psychology are the two areas I am most interested in, particularly philosophy. As of right now, I plan on majoring in philosophy and minoring in psychology. I believe this will make me an attractive candidate for all kinds of jobs and will also prepare me well for my dream of being a writer.

Here are a few articles about what a philosophy major can do after college and the recent rise in philosophy as a major:

-New York Times: "In a New Generation of College Students, Many Opt for the Life Examined"

-The Guardian: "I Think, Therefore I Earn: Philosophy Grads Are Suddenly All the Rage With Employers"

-Cardinal Points: "Philosophy Major Teaches Skills for Life's Work"

Apple and Walmart Teaming Up For $99 iPhone?

Apple, Walmart to do $99 4GB iPhone? - Engadget

Look, we know you've been holding out for the iPhone to hit Walmart before you pick it up, sandwiched between the fishing gear and row upon row of exercise videos -- and we don't blame you. You'll ride your shopping cart down the wide aisles like a chariot, and when you get home with the phone you'll dial up all your friends and let them know how much cheaper your iPhone was than theirs. What was that? Yeah, the new word on the street is that Walmart is getting a 4GB iPhone 3G for a mere $99, according to Boy Genius Report, and while BGR was previously reporting a November 15th launch date at Walmart, and can't vouch for the accuracy of this new report, Walmart training materials (pictured above) have been seen in the wild, so there's a grain of truth to this madness somewhere. Plus, a $99 iPhone just sounds so Walmart-ey, doesn't it?

FSU Basketball Links

Here are two more articles about the 'Noles:

Warchant (FYI: if you're interested in FSU basketball the Seminole Hoops Forum on Warchant is the best place to stay up to date): FSU Self Destructs at Northwestern

NoleSports: FSU Looks to Shake Bad Night

Gulf Oil CEO says gas could hit $1 next year

Gulf Oil CEO says gas could hit $1 next year - Quincy, MA - The Patriot Ledger
Gulf Oil CEO Joe Petrowski said on Wednesday that the price of oil
could sink to $20 per barrel, and there is a chance gasoline prices
could drop as low as $1 per gallon by early next year.

OJ Simpson sentenced to 15 years

US football star and actor OJ Simpson has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for armed robbery, conspiracy to kidnap and assault with a deadly weapon.

read more | digg story

101 Movie One-Liners Every Movie Junkie Should Know

We all know some of the famous on-liners from the movies, but some of them are so commonplace that you may not even know that it’s a quote from a movie or from which movie it originated. But there are some quotes from movies that everyone should know. Some of them have really stood the test of time and are very old.

read more | digg story

Knee-Jerk Review: "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist"

"Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist" never really gets going nor does it establish much of an identity or develop any purpose. There is little depth to the characters and I didn't find myself rooting for Nick and Norah to be together, which is what the movie tries to make the viewer do. Micheal Cera is funny, as usual, and he proves once again that he has impeccable comedic timing, possibly the best you'll see at the cinema today. But, the movie overall has only a few laughs and does not evoke any emotional response from the viewer.
The worst thing about this movie, to me (and probably only to me), was a running gag with a piece of chewing gum. To set this up, I should tell you that I am absolutely disgusted by saliva. I mean it really makes me sick to my stomach. So, in the film Norah's friend, who drives much of the plot as Nick and Norah try to find her after she gets drunk and becomes lost in the city, is chewing a piece of gum. The first thing she does that grossed me out is twirling the gum with her finger. Then she drops the gum into a toilet after she has vomited in it and fishes it out to chew on it once more. At the end of the movie she has Norah hold the gum and Norah puts it in her mouth. It may not bother most people but it really grossed me out. I know I'm weird but I had to get that off my chest.

Rating: 4 out of 10

Ingestible Electronics Monitor Drugs in Your Body

Over the next few years popping a pill could be more than just taking a drug and hoping it works.

read more | digg story

Woot Daily Deal: 12/5

Marshmallow Popper

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The Dark Knight: Analyses and Interpretations

Here are some reviews and articles from around the web about The Dark Knight (and Batman in general) that I found interesting. I have my own review that I hope to put up next Tuesday, the same day the film comes out on DVD, and I am working on an article about some of the themes of the film and the philosophical and psychological topics it addresses. Enjoy:

-History Channel Special, "Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of the Dark Knight"
This is a great show that covers the psychology of Batman from the comics to Batman Begins and includes a little bit about The Dark Knight. I highly recommend watching this and if the links don't work or the videos are taken down, don't worry, this will be an extra on the DVD.
 Part 1
 Part 2
 Part 3
 Part 4
 Part 5

-Psychology Today:
"Chaos Theory and Batman: Part One"
"Chaos Theory and Batman: Part Two"
"Chaos Theory and Batman: Part Three"
Very in-depth article, admittedly a little over my head, about the chaos and complexity theories.


-Psychablog: "The Dark Knight- A Psychologist's View"
Good article about the psychology of the Joker from one of the interviewees of the History Channel special.

-3, 2, 1... Context: "The Dark Knight and Philosophy"

-Dube's World: "A Dark Knight Philosophy"

-Life According to Zach: "Dark Knight Philosophy"

-The Blackwell Philosophy and Pop Culture Series: Batman and Philosophy: The Dark Knight of the Soul
Really good book that covers the philosophy of Batman drawing from the comics, movies, and tv shows. Very interesting read that really makes you think and brings forth some interesting topics.

FSU Basketball Update

The 'Noles played a very ugly and frustrating game last night, losing to Northwestern 73-59. Despite being infinitely more athletic the Seminoles could not stop the Wildcat's princeton offense and could never get anything going on the offensive end. Though they led at the half the 'Noles were hampered by foul trouble, with Chris Singleton, Soloman Alabi, and Xavier Gibson sitting out much of the first half after all of them picked up two fouls in the early minutes of the game. That's two freshman starters (Singleton and Alabi) and a freshman off the bench (Gibson) that is FSU's second tallest player after Alabi. Alabi was off to a hot start accumalating a handful of blocks and points before he had to sit due to foul trouble. While the officiating was atrocious, the loss still was due to FSU's inability to score and to sloppy play that resulted in way too many turnovers.

I have stood behind coach Leonard Hamilton the last few years, as others have called for him to be fired, becuase of his success on the recruiting trail. While no one can deny that Hamilton has raised the talent level at FSU the case against his floor coaching is becoming harder and harder to defend. FSU never adjusted their defense last night and the offense once again resembled a street ball game. Hamilton opted not to take advantage of FSU's athleticism and only pressed the last minute of the game. It was just a frustrating performance overall and does not provide much optimism for the rest of the season. On the bright side the 'Noles are 7-1 at a time when most people thought we would have 2 or 3 losses. This weekend's game against Florida would be a great time for FSU to put everything together and hopefully last night's pitiful performance will make the team more focused so they can bounce back with a big win on Sunday.

Links:
FSU basketball bows to Northwestern, 73-59
FSU Suffers Its First Defeat

FSU men's basketball update: Cold-shooting Seminoles lose, 73-59

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FSU Basketball Articles

I will be regularly posting links and articles about the 'Noles basketball team, including my own break down of each of the players, but here's a bunch of articles to catch you up on how the season is going so far:

-FSU Men Aim For 8th Straight Win
-FSU Basketball Commitment Confident He Made the Right Decision
-FSU Hoops Stays Perfect With Win Over Cal
-Seminoles Stay Unbeaten With Win Over Cal in Las Vegas
-FSU Basketball Gets Tough, Beats Cincy
-Hamilton Guarding Against Distractions
-Seminoles Coast to Easy Win, Stay Undefeated
-Seminoles 5-0 after 67-55 Win
-FSU May Give Bench Players A Look
-'Noles Get Hamilton's Message
-Coach Hamilton Pushes 'Noles to Win Over Coastal Carolina
-Reid Stands Tall For 'Noles

The Seminoles take on Northwestern on the road tonight at 9:30 on ESPN2.

Woot Deal of the Day- 12/3

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Obama Flip Flops On Clinton's Foreign Policy Experience

CNSNews.com - Obama Disputed Hillary Clinton’s Credentials Before He Applauded Them
In the article Obama says that Hillary would say anything to get elected. It looks like the same applies to him as he reverses his stance on Clinton's foreign policy experience, saying during the primaries that she has none and now praising her ability when announcing her as his Secretary of State. I guess the change he was talking about is flipping on everything he said during the election and doing the opposite of the promises he made.

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Today's DVD Releases

From "Get The Big Picture"- New to Home Video: 'Wanted,' 'Prince Caspian,' 'Step Brothers,' and 'X-Files'

The big news is that The Dark Knight comes out next week but there are some pretty good flicks being released today to hold us over. I have not seen Wanted yet but it looked like a cool idea and the visuals are supposed to be amazing. Step Brothers was an ok comedy but is not Ferrell's best work.

The 8 Best Recurring Arrested Development Jokes

Now that the Arrested Development movie has been confirmed as a sure thing (knock on wood), I felt it was the time to take a look back at the series’ best running jokes. The show failed because 90% of the jokes were based on older episodes, and that didn’t make for very good promo commercials, because people are stupid.

read more | digg story

College Football's Unusual Trophies

Here's some of the more peculiar awards given to the winner of a rivalry game: SI Vault

Gaming the Online Poker Industry

'60 Minutes' report: How online gamblers unmasked cheaters

Woot Deal: 1Dec08

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Movie Trailer- The Great Buck Howard

Malkovich is 'The Great Buck Howard' - From: Get The Big Picture -

Back With A Vengence

Hey there, it's been a while. I am going to fire things up around here and get the engine running again. I know I've said that before only to neglect the blog a few days later but this time I am for real. Look for reviews of music, movies, and books, tons of links to great articles (and to things I find interesting), daily deals from Woot, and some original articles thrown in to spice things up. It's a great way to get the best (at least as I see it) of the internet all in one place.

Apple Wins Ultimate Mac vs. PC Abusive Lab Test

Hardcore blind tests of new iMac vs Gateway One and Penryn MacBook vs. Asus M51SR (with detailed benchmarks) come out overwhelmingly in favor of Mac --with surprising details in number crunching

read more | digg story

Knee-Jerk Review: "Be Kind Rewind"

I really, really wanted to love this movie. Everything it stands for and wants to be meant so much to me. But, ultimately, the film fails to follow through on the promise of being a scathing indictment of everything wrong with films today and stops just short of being a testament to how movies should be made. Don't get me wrong, it's a good movie. It's just not great or as good as I had hoped.
Being Micheal Gondry's most mainstream movie, by far, means some parts of the film feel forced and ungenuine. It should do pretty well at the box office, with funny performances from Jack Black and Mos Def to draw people in, but I was hoping it would instill in people a desire to stop taking in so much of the slop they are fed and search out movies, and art in general, with real creativity and honesty at their heart.
'Be Kind Rewind' delivers some solid laughs and is a heartwarming tale about the power of community and creativity.

Rating: 6 fingers.

Coming Soon

I'm reinvigorated and have decided to dust off the cobwebs, pull the ripcord to stop the freefall, and get The Spectrum going again.

Here's a little of what you will begin to see very soon:

*Knee-Jerk Reviews: Quick reaction to an album, movie, book, etc. Complete coincidence that it is written by a jerk. I'm going to go through my cd and dvd collections and put one of these for everything I've got. I go to the movie theater a lot, so you'll be seeing knee-jerk's of the latest releases often.

*Full Reviews: A more substantial and critical look at movies, music, events, books, etc.

*Note* I rate things I'm review with my hands. This means everything is on a 10 point, or 'finger' scale.

*Links: Cool things I've found around the web. You'll that I post a lot of stuff found on digg.com

That's a little taste of what you'll be seeing here at The Spectrum. I'll also chime in with some original articles and random other stuff every now and then.

Later...


fyi, The Spectrum is run by "KNIGHT OF DAY ENTERTAINMENT".

Oregon panhandlers make $300/day

A police survey says panhandlers outside Wal-Mart in Coos Bay can make $300 a day. Inside, it takes a clerk a week to make that much.

read more | digg story

'Chaos Theory' Movie Trailer with Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds stars as a man whose structured life begins to come unraveled in the dark comedy 'Chaos Theory.' Looks interesting, and Ryan Reynolds is always funny.

read more | digg story

Building a Life on $25 and a Gym Bag

Great story of a college graduate leaving his comfortable life for one of poverty. His goal was to go from having $25 and a gym bag to having a furnished apartment and $2,500 saved up.

read more | digg story

Flash on iPhone: It's coming

Hopefully, this means it's coming for the iPod Touch as well.

"Well, we’ve just got word from a reliable source that Flash support is on it’s way to the iPhone, and it should be coming very, very soon. Speculating a bit further on our own, we are guessing that it would be pretty convenient for Flash support to be introduced alongside the iPhone SDK, wouldn’t you say?"

read more | digg story

Apple Tv Review: Apple TV 2.0 Review

Gizmodo Review of the Apple TV 2.0 Update"Ever since our Apple TV 1.0 review decided that Apple's thrust into the living room wasn't pantsworthy, we've been waiting for them to step up and make a revision that was. Apple TV 2.0 is their answer."

read more | digg story

The 5 Craziest Con Artists Of All Time

Yeah, they've screwed over thousands of innocent people, but they showed a lot of courage pulling it off! Five of the craziest con artists to ever live.

read more | digg story

Florida Deputies Dump Quadriplegic Man From Wheelchair

This is just wrong! It's hard to imagine any reason as to why this needed to happen.A veteran Florida sheriff's deputy is in hot water after she was caught on video dumping a quadriplegic man out of his wheelchair while he was being booked.

read more | digg story

Wi-Fi wants to be free

The best news here is that Starbuck's is rolling out free wifi! You get two free hours a day, then you have to pay. Sounds fair to me. It is also great news that the trend is going towards free wifi. Let wifi be free!!!A kind of "tipping point" was reached this week, and now -- instead of being rented for a fee -- Wi-Fi will increasingly be given away to motivate customers to buy other goods and services. Wi-Fi is now just like the free toaster that banks used to hand out for opening a new account.

read more | digg story

20 Things I Wish I Had Known When Starting Out in Life

Great stuff rom ZenHabits.net. 20 valuable lessons in life for college students or anyone starting out. You might ignore them anyway, but at least you've been warned.

read more | digg story