I don’t think I have ever written down a new years resolution, save when I was 6 or 7. I think that resolution was to be nicer, or not eat as much candy, either probably lasted less than a week. So in the spirit of the the new year, I am going to detail my resolutions for 2007.

• Take a picture of myself everyday.
• Paint, draw and be more outwardly creative
• Work out regularly (we did buy an elliptical machine after all)
• Implement a sustainable GTD system
• Learn to play the harmonica and guitar at the same time
• Work on video podcast with Esther
• Create podcast with or without Esther
• Blog daily

I think I’m going to do a 3 month check-in to see how I’m doing.

Yesterday, Esther and our friends Casey and Kristi went and saw The Good Shepard, and in the style of Reading Rainbow, it was great! “But…you don’t have to take my word for it.”

A very intriguing movie covering the change from the OSS to the CIA and finally ending with the disaster at the Bay of Pigs, The Good Shepard portrays the sticky and confusing world of international espionage against the Soviet Union. Matt Damon plays Edward Wilson, who is a loose adaptation of James Jesus Angleton (December 9, 1917–May 12, 1987) and the term loose is used with a great deal of generosity. After having read about Angleton’s life, Damon’s character seems to be a pale reflection of the more intriguing story.

On with the movie review… Damon plays an effective international spy master, his demeanor is very convincing and comes across as cold and heartless. His supporting cast, including John Turturro as his trusted aide, Alec Baldwin as his FBI counterpart, Oleg Stefan as the Soviet spy master Ulysses and Robert Di Nero as General Bill Sullivan (an adaptation of William Joesph Dononvan) all played their parts with elan. The only performance that was a real let down was Angeline Jolie. This part felt beyond her acting range and I had a very difficult time separating her celebrity from her role.

The movie was a good watch, but after wanting to learn more about the characters, it becomes apparent that the movie was a glossy veneer of an idealized man who single handedly brought created the CIA after honing his skills through the counter intelligence battlefields of World War II. The movie was well acted and beautifully shot, exhaustively using well done flashbacks to create a deeper story later, leading the viewer up to the present, days after the failed Bay of Pigs. Only after wanting to learn more are we reminded that it is “inspired by the true story” and while it was an enjoyable two hours and forty minutes, the lack of truth in a movie that felt and wanted to be the truth was somewhat of a disappointment. I hope that doesn’t turn any one off from seeing the movie which is definitely worth the price of a ticket.

[rate 4.5]

• WiiKitty.com
  This is specifically for a co-worker
  (tags: games nintendo wii cat kitten humor)

So Esther and I spent the Christmas holiday with her extended family down in Alabama. It was a nice vacation and I enjoyed visiting with everyone, but it was really a long time and sometimes boring. Not bad borning, but I guess really, just slower paced than what I’m used to. I have learned that I like a certain pace to my life and when I am in a situation where I have to slow down, not of my choosing, I feel very … useless (?). I think it was because I was not in my element, I wasn’t able to work on the projects that I have been creating in my mind. The most important thing is that I think Esther’s mom got a lot from it.

It was a very long drive there and back. Esther really stepped up and drove a good share (half) of the entire mileage, which was great! I was really worried, especially after a goof up the night before, that I would be driving the entire thing, but thanks to Esther’s quick thinking, she was able to get on the rental car’s driver list.

An observation about Alabama: No Starbucks. At least in the portion of the state that we were in (as confirmed by the Starbuck’s Store Locator). This sucked because Esther and I were going to use a giftcard we got to get away for some “us” time.

At the end of year, everyone, and I do mean everyone, starts doing “year-in-review” and “year-in-preview” posts, I think I will add my own to that growing list.

Predictions

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