To sell or not to sell?

so pete and i moved this past weekend, and we both realized we have way too much stuff. some of it, i really don't understand why we have it. i think some of it was sentimental. some of it was stuff we never got a chance to sort through before we moved the last couple of times. and the other part are probably gifts that we kept for a "grace period" so we wouldn't have to explain where they went to the person who gave them to us. you all know what i am talking about.

anyway, i have come across a personal dilemma. it goes back to the sentimentality of things. i have a lot of cds that i have purchased and collected, per se, and am having a hard time deciding to sell them still. even though i have an ipod and a mac and all that stuff. it's the artwork and thinking about all the times i listened to that cd. where i was. what i was doing. who i was with. whatever. even the great lengths i went to in finding about the band or shopping for the cd at the store.

but...i never touch them now. i buy them. upload them. and then they sit and collect dust. there have been 2 or 3 times over the past 3 years where i have actually grabbed a physical cd and put it into a cd player (mostly a car that i am borrowing, renting). so...yeah.

my question is should i/should i not sell them?

i could make a good penny for a lot of them, and then i could buy other cool things. why is this hard? someone help me?!

More Movies

75 - Austin Powers (The trilogy)
If you don't like this pick I will feed you to my sharks with laser beams on their heads...

74 - Pirates of Caribbean (Only the first one)
One of my favorite rides at Disney World. Liked the movie even better.

73 - So I Married an Axe Murderer
Mike Myers at his best. The Scottish father scene is one of the funnies scenes ever. The best part is that Anthony Lapaglia can't stop from laughing while they were filming the scene.

72 - Bourne Identity (The Trilogy)
I love spy novels. I love spy movies. I love Matt Damon as a spy. The chase scenes, car chase scenes, fight scenes. However, the second movie did make Amanda motion sick which I find funny and concerning at the same time.

71 - The Karate Kid
I was wrestling with my brother the other day and I pulled a paint the fence move and said it as I did it. If that doesn't indicate the lasting effect of the movie, I don't know what does. (yes I am 30 and I still wrestle with my brothers) If you disagree I might just have to put you in a body bag.

70 - The Goonies
Not the best movie ever, but watching this movie is very comfortable. Its like sitting in front of fireplace. Just feels nice. Its a campy, funny movie.

69 - The Breakfast Club
I don't know. Its a classic.

68 - Finding Neverland
My name is Peter. Guess how many times people called me Peter Pan? Well I don't really know but it was a lot. Sometimes I wished I could go to Neverland so people would stop calling me Peter Pan. Very touching movie. Some of the best child acting I have ever seen. The scene with the orphans watching the play was adorable.

67 - Batman Begins
I almost put the original Batman on this list. But I like this version a lot more. The original was great. The others ruined the Batman franchise, but Christian Bale came to the rescue. Although, I would prefer a cat woman Michelle Pfeiffer to Katie Holmes any day.

66 - Kill Bill I & II
I like revenge movies. Man on Fire was so close to being on this list. I like characters that have enough moral ambiguity to exact revenge on those that have harmed them or their family. I think that's why Porter Rockwell has always been a captivating LDS historical figure. Not to say that he would have done what Uma Thurman did...how did I get on this tangent? Ahh...the beauty of the Blog.

65 - Contact
Interesting movie about faith. Made me think. This probably should be moved back toward the end because I would rather watch Anchorman, but whatever.

64 - Field of Dreams
I didn't mean to put the faith movies together. I used Field of Dreams for one of my lessons in our priest quorum. It was a good lesson.

63 - Lost Boys
I like vampires. Well I don't like vampires per say but I do like vampire stories. And this is a good one. It also has the two Cories at their best during the 80's. There is a new TV show called Moonlight. It is about a vampire and I really like the show. One of my new favorites. I think it would be kind of cool to be a vampire. Not the Keifer Sutherland kind, but the Moonlight kind.

62 - Boyz N The Hood
I wasn't sure if I should include this but it was the start of a huge film genre with movies like Juice and New Jack City. It was also highly controversial. Now it seems tame compared to what's out there.

61 - Superman (The Original)
I don't know why he turned time back for Lois Lane. She wasn't that hot and she was kind of bitchy. I mean he knew how she treated his alter ego, right? Although I didn't think about it while making this list, Mystery Men is a hilariously underrated movie. The scene when they are talking about the main superhero and how he can't be his alter ego. "But he can't be, he wears glasses." Oh that's rich!

60 - Ghost Busters
Let's switch this spot with Magnolia. I agree with Mrs. Everything. Magnolia should be moved further up and I think Ghost Busters should be moved back a few spots.
New ranking - #80

59 - Blade Runner
This could really be a lot higher, but on rewatchability I have to leave it here. I like science fiction. I think this is a completely unique movie, but its not easy for me to watch very often. In fact I have only seen it all the way through once.

58 - Romeo & Juliet (The Leonardo Version)
I like Baz Lurman's style. And it has Michael from Lost before he became a bastard and betrayed all his friends...

57 - Stand By Me
Think Keifer had to act in these movies, or do his current personal problems reflect a life time of personal problems?

56 - Wayne's World (let's pretend the second one never happened)
I wonder if our kids will think the comedies we find funny will be funny to them? I suspect not. I don't have Animal House or Blues Brothers on this list. I have never seen Animal House so I can't put it on the list, but I guess I didn't really like Blues Brothers that much. Hmmm..I might have to rethink this. I actually did find it pretty funny.

56 - (A) Blues Brothers
Okay. Our kids might think our comedies are funny. Blues Brothers is a good movie.

55 - Jurassic Park
Great adaptation of the book. Very cool new movie technology. I had a film class at UVSC and this was one of the films we talked about as being one of the great movies ever made. I kind of agree. Not sure if it would make the best 100 of all time, but I'll throw it into this list.

54 - Terminator 2
Didn't really like the first one, and the third one was entertaining but not good enough to put into this list. Still a cool movie.

53 - Unbreakable
Huge M. Night Shyamalan fan. His movies are unique. I personally enjoy his pacing and story telling. I think with this movie it was either a love or hate thing. I loved it.

52 - Dances With Wolves
Beautiful movie. It makes you realize how badly we treated Native Americans. And probably Kevin Costner's best work.

51 - A Simple Plan
I have only seen this movie once. It may be one of the hardest movies to watch that I have ever seen. It shows the subtle decline of Bill Paxton's character as he continues to make bad decisions to keep a bunch of money that he found. It is heartbreaking and compelling.

50 - Rocky IV
I remember watching this when I was 8 years old. We lived on a farm in Michigan and it was the winter. I went outside and ran laps around our farm because I felt so motivated by the movie. No other movie has made me get out of my seat like that. I mean they have a statue of Rocky (A fictional character) in Philadelphia.

49 - Best in Show
Christopher Guest is also a genius. His movies are a good way to screen friends. If someone really doesn't like one of his movies, you probably don't want to be friends with them. If they don't get the subtle humor, they don't really have a very good sense of humor. Unless you don't like his movies in the first place, then you would want to be friends with the people that don't like his movies. But then you would hate this pick...by the way I think I could bench-press you!

48 - Adaptation
That Charlie Kauffman. This is probably Nick Cages best movie. I mean I did enjoy National Treasure, but...I was like totally wasted man J/K. The book the Orchid Thief was actually really interesting, but his adaptation is really really cool.

47 - Raising Arizona
Nick Cage again. Didn't mean for that to happen. Coen Brothers are hit or miss for me. They have some amazing movies, and then some not so amazing movies. What happened to Holly Hunter by the way? She looks terrible lately.Oh, and by the way people, Fargo is not in Minnesota. It is in North Dakota.

46 - Stranger Than Fiction
I really like this movie. This gets tough cause I could have this movie in my top 10, but its like 1 -50 could be my favorite movie depending on what day it is. But this is an excellent movie. Does anyone else think Maggie Gyllenhaal is kind of weird looking?

45 - The Shining
If you like Stephen King, or have read the book, this movie makes even more sense. Especially if you are big Stephen King fan. And in the book, the caretaker guy lives, the one who could communicate with Danny. I don't why they gotta have the only black man in the movie rush across the USA through a snowstorm and then die right when he gets there. What's up with that?

44 - Pieces of April
Really touching movie. Its amazing how small independent films can be so much better than than the big overproduced hollywood movies. (I don't capitalize hollywood cause I don't think they deserve it)

43 - The Ring
Scariest movie ever. I don't like slasher films and I don't think they are real scary movies. They just depend on people being stupid and a lot of blood and gore. The ring is just straight up creepy. Watching it alone in the dark is...I still get scared.

42 - E.T.
I haven't seen it in a long time. I'm afraid that if I do it will lose the magic I remember it having from when I was a kid. It might just seem cheap and silly.

41 - Hoosiers
I love basketball. Best basketball movie ever made. I can hear the music from the last basketball game montage..naaah nah nah na naaah nah naah na naah nah na na nah nah..

40 - Forrest Gump
Feel good movie. Great historical narrative. And I would like to someday live in Savannah, Georgia. That is where he is sitting on the bench waiting for the bus. Savannah is so cool. And if you live in the historical district and want to paint your house, you have to buy paint that is made they made paint from back in the early 1900's.

40 - (B) Dazed and Confused
I mean..Martha Washington was the coolest lady ever. She would have a doobie waiting for George when he got home...

39 - Sixteen Candles
I know this movie has been overplayed on the television and the whole bit, but it is a classic. And no matter how many times I have seen it, I can still sit turn this movie on and be entertained.

38 - Beetle Juice
Not sure what to say here except I think Tim Burton does drugs.

38 - (B) Empire Records
No way man, If Rex Manning were on the side of the road, Axel would grab the wheel and...

37 - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Can still watch it and be entertained.

36 - Unstrung Heroes
Touching movie. A really under the radar movie that I don't think many people have seen but very well done and great acting. Michael Richards is in it.

35 - Lost in Translation
Good solid movie. Darkly humorous. Bill Murray is outstanding in this movie.

34 - Braveheart
My parents don't watch rated R movies and as a result they didn't want us watching rated R movies. I still did but my dad told me to go see this movie when it came out. Braveheart and A Few Good Men were the only rated R movies that I got the OK to go see. Naturally this was a great movie.

33 - Say Anything
Maybe the greatest romantic dramedy ever made. LLoyd Dobler is a classic character and every time I hear In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel, I think of this movie.

32 - Dead Poet's Society
Oh captain my captain. That scene makes me tear up every time I see it.

32 - (B) Almost Famous
Almost forgot about it. I really like the guest appearance of musician Mark Kozelek as the drummer for the band. Jason Lee is another actor who I like almost anything that he's in, ever since Mall Rats. The scene when the lead singer gets on the bus and they all start singing Tiny Dancer. I look forward to that scene the most, but you have to watch everything before it for it to be a really great scene. That's why it is such a great scene.

31 - Raiders of The Lost Ark
Okay. I wanted to be an Archeologist after seeing this movie. I don't what little kid didn't want to be. However, after The Temple of Doom (eating weird stuff and being stuck in a room of bugs) helped me get over that dream.

30 - Goodfellas
You know, this could move off the list. It was a good movie and well acted, but...I don't know. I don't really like watching it that much and I think I got swayed by the critics. So Almost Famous moves here and Goodfellas moves to Honorable Mention

29 - Secret of Nimh
Another movie that I have not scene for a long time but was magical to me as a kid.

28 - Starwars (I, II, III The Newer Ones)
The order I like these is III, I, II. They are good and I do like them, but they are not as good as the originals.

27 - The Jerk
Another good movie to judge your friends by. If they don't like it, they aren't that cool.

26 - Back to the Future (I & II - Let's pretend like the 3rd one never happened)
Where we're going we don't need roads...

Top 100 Movies From 1977 - Present

Okay....

This a Monster Blog.... I am going to post this one in a few different parts.
I started thinking about this over Christmas break. I know that everyone's top movies change all the time depending on what month and year it is and what new movies have come out. But there are some universal movies that are so awesome they should never move off the list. Obviously some do if a better movie comes along. The list is always in flux, but as of today 12/27/2007 here is what my top 100 movies from the year I was born to the present would be.

To start this out let's go over the criteria.
1) I have seen the movie
2) I am the judge and jury. This list is completely subjective
3)Awesomeness - They blow you away. Some you can watch over and over and some you can't
4)Artistic Value - Cinematography, angles, lighting, etc...
5)Story - Original, not original, nor original but told originally...you get the idea
6)Breakthrough - Was it original? For example Citizen Kane is not that exciting of a movie. But if you take into context that it was completely new for its time, it makes sense why it rated so highly on AFI's top movies list. (Not our cat AFI, but the American Film Institute)
7) There are probably some movies that I forgot about that should be moved to the list. It is bound to happen so if it does ill try to change it later or ill post about it afterwards
8)Most of the trilogies I wrapped into one spot. Starwars has two spots, one for the first three episodes and one for the second three. Other movies like that I wrapped into one like The Bourne series or...I don't want to spoil too much.
9)These are kind of in order. I mean i tried to put the ones I think are better toward the front, but on Any Given Sunday one might be able to move up and another might fall a few spots. Too many are just as good as another next to it, so its more like 20 ties than 100 movies in order

Since I am starting in 1977, come great films won't be on this list. The Godfather, The Godfather II, American Graffiti. But those are the breaks. Also, here are some honorable mentions that didn't quite make the list but might have on another day.

Bottle Rocket

Shrek

A Time to Kill

The Silence of the Lambs

Twelve Monkeys

About A Boy

Blade

In America

Jackass (Both Movies)

Spider-man

Waiting For Guffman

Last Samurai

Batman

The Outsiders

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

Flight of the Navigator

The Never Ending Story

Pee-Wee's Big Adventure

Red Dawn

Revenge of the Nerds

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Young Guns

I Heart Huckabees

Man on Fire

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

School of Rock

Blues Brothers

A Christmas Story

A River Runs Through It

The Power of One

The Fugitive Toy Story

This is starting at 100 and we'll go from there

100 - Pride and Prejudice (The Latter-Day Comedy)
So this is not the best movie, probably doesn't deserve to be in the top 100, but I met my wife on the set of this movie. I actually do enjoy the movie quite a bit and in the scene when Jack goes to jail and there is a guy moving behind him the background that is the real star of the movie...me!

99 - The Princess Bride
Fun movie. Good story and very quotable. Easily could have been an honorable mention, but I chose to include it.

98 - Army of Darkness
Sam Reimi at his best...well early best. And Ash is one of the great bumbling movie heroes of all time. I think it's great that Bruce Campbell is on the new TV show Burn Notice (which is also a fun show that I enjoy). This movie has some of the great quotes of our generation. If you have never seen it, I suggest you check it out.

97 - Anchorman: The Legend on Ron Burgandy
I love this movie so much I ate a whole wheel of cheese...

96 - American Beauty
I didn't really like this movie the first time I saw it. I didn't get why everyone thought it was the best movie ever. The weird guy from next door (the son) was a little too I'm so deep and artistic no one is as deep and artistic as I am...but then I watched it again and it made a lot more sense to me...Even though the kid was like that, I saw people like that all the time in high school and college, and I still meet people like that. It made me think and I think that was the intention of the movie...But this could have easily slid to the bottom of the honorable mentions pile, and it still might.

95 - Moulin Rouge
This movie was weird and quirky and I thought the soundtrack was great. It is a unique movie and still is.

94 - The Royal Tenenbaums
I have a thing for Wes Anderson films. The guys a genius. From set production, costumes, and dialogue he is a hip cat.

93 - Pulp Fiction
So this is one of those movies that I can't watch all the time. Only once every few years. The language and violence are a little much. However, it has maybe some of the best dialogue of any movie, ever. The way the story intertwines is very cool and the last scene in the cafe is...if you don't want to hear any swearing you shouldn't watch it.

92 - Gods and Monsters
Okay. I have only seen this movie once. It could be that I thought it was really intriguing when I saw it and if I saw it again I would think to myself, that was not as intriguing as I thought. It is a weird movie and has a very homo-erotic theme to it. You see weiners in the movie. Brendan Fraser is a gardener and strikes up this friendship with Ian Mckellan a very gay retired movie director. He directed old monster movies and the movie kind of makes this analogy between directors and gods and how they can become monsters. It was a really interesting movie. I thought about it for weeks after seeing it and a good movie does that.

91 - Die Hard (All of them except #2)
What can I say. I'm a dude and I have loved every minute of John McClane's crazy rides, except for the one at the airport.

90 - Saving Private Ryan
This is another movie I have only seen once. War movies are hard for me to watch. I end up crying like a baby and I don't like to cry. Watching a depiction of what people go through during wartime has its highs and lows. People rising to the occasion and people giving in to their fears. Seeing how war changes people and how if affects them. It always makes me wonder how I would react...and I don't want to have to find out.

89 - Ace Ventura Pet Detective
To those of us who were not allowed to watch In Living Color...ahem...this was an introduction to Jim Carrey. This movies is still hilarious and cracks me up every time I see it.

88 - Collateral
I'm not a huge Tom Cruise guy. As you might notice Top Gun is not on this list. I didn't really like the movie and didn't understand the big fuss. But this movie might be one of his best performances. Also, Michael Mann directed (Heat, Ali).

87 - Gladiator
Russell Crowe's character might be the biggest Bad A ever, next to Leonidis and his Spartans. That reminds me that I forgot to include 300 on this list. Might have to stick it somewhere. Love the fight scenes

87 - (B) 300
As I said, I knew I would forget something, so i'm popping it in here. This movie is so creative and unique. Se fantastique.

86 - X-Men (All the X-Men Movies)
If you don't like these movies...hold on while my adamantium claws cut your arm off...

85 - Brigham City
I know I know, Richard Dutcher is kind of crazy and he's not Mormon anymore, but that doesn't diminish what I though this movie brought to the table. The mystery crime drama was good, but the way he incorporated religion into dealing with the tragedy of a small community and the personal issues that went along with that were really well done. This is another movie that I thought about for weeks after seeing it and still think about on occasion.

84 - Before Sunrise
I saw Ethan Hawke once. I was driving through Santa Monica and I saw him walking on the street. I yelled "Hey Mr. Hawke I love your movies" and he flashed me the peace sign. That was big. Before Sunrise started me on my Ethan Hawke man-crush. He did a great job. There are a few actors that I don't really care how bad the movie looks, but I will still see it i.e..Ethan Hawke and John Cusack. But this was a legitimately good Independent movie. I did hate how they left it so open in the end. Then they made Before Sunset and I guess that helped clear it up...

83 - Garden State
Any movie that has a guy dressed up as a knight speaking cling-on is okay in my book.

82 - Being John Malkovich
I didn't really like this movie that much...but who the hell thought of this movie. Oh yeah it was that Charlie Kaufman guy. I don't know where he comes up with his ideas but they are so unique you can't help being intrigued by the stories. John Cusack played the most whiney narcissistic little man, and he did it superbly. I hated his character, but I think that was the point. If you've never seen this, gotta check it out at least once to appreciate how different it is. The other point here is that a lot of movies do the whole I'm so different check me out thing, but a lot of them end up being too "look at how awesome I am" and this movie isn't like that. It is just strange on its own merits.

81 - The Prestige
Walked out of this movie and thought Wow! That was a great movie and I'm really glad I took time out of my day to see it. Even though you think you are predicting what is happening, the end is still surprising.

80 - Magnolia
Ok. This might be Tom Cruise at his best. He is so much better when we hate his character. P.T. Anderson is also a genius (At directing movies. I don't know if he can add 4+4 or solve complex algorithms in his head). But the man can tell a story. The stories intertwine really well and the acting is first rate.

79 - Glory
Great great movie! What else can I say about it?

78 - Home Alone
One of the best Christmas Holiday movies ever made. I watched it this holiday season. And even though I am a lot older now, it was still a fun movie and it was about family and how important it is.

77 - Harry Potter (All the movies)
Not all the movies are equal but I have to group them up. Up until this last movie i hadn't read a single Harry Potter book, but I needed to know if he lived or died ***Spoiler Alert*** He dies (Or am I lying?)

76 - Reality Bites
So this movie started my crush on Winona Rider. Maybe the same for a lot of other guys? And furthered my man crush on Mr. Hawke.

Keep your eyes out for 75 - #1. More coming soon...

Commentary on Humiston List of 65

One of Spencer's list items was that he has been arrested twice. I was there for one of those. He got arrested for an overdue speeding ticket (Provo cops obviously have nothing to do). So I went to bail him out, but our friend Blake beat me there. Then Spencer went on a date with the girl who brought the bail bond. Classic.

Spencer forgot to add this to his list and I feel really sad that he didn't, but he should have put...ran away from Provo cops and it was like a scene from a movie.

Let me set this up for you. So we (Spencer, me, his roommate Brian, Josh Dunn, Charlie?, Blake? can't remember now) were shooting off fireworks in front of his house in Provo. All of the sudden a car comes around the corner with it's lights off creeping real slow. One of shouts cops and we all take off running through the back of house and then we crawled through his back yard fence cause it had a few loose boards. So a few of us split up in opposite directions and we were all running through yards and trying to stay out of the street. I ended up at a party somewhere and then got picked up. Brian had the worse fate. He walked back to the house and the cops were waiting in the bushes. That sucked. I think I still owe him some money for that ticket he had to pay.

The Matrix

Hello everyone (This is Pete not Amanda)

The other day the Matrix was on TV and so I started watching it. After the first commercial break I decided that I didn't want to watch the Matrix with commercials so I got out our DVD and started watching the Matrix commercial free. I forgot what a freaking awesome movie it is! I hadn't seen it for a few years, but watching it I was reminded of how cool it was when it first came out (and how cool it still is); The camera work, the action sequences, and most importantly the story line. The story line is gooood. I remember being blown away when they pull Neo out of the machine energy plant and we figure out what the matrix is.

So after watching the Matrix, I wanted to watch the second one. Luckily, my wife is so bodaciously awesome that she bought me the Matrix box set a few Christmases (that's probably not a word) ago. So the next day I popped in the second one and that one is freaking awesome too. So after I finished that one (took a few days) I wanted to watch the third one. So i started watching the third one.

From what I remembered I didn't like the ending before. But this time I really liked it. I know all these people have issues with the whole Neo representing Christ thing, but I don't. It's a freaking movie about machines ruling the world.

But aside from all that, it was a compelling trilogy with a great story, fast paced action, and I hope they make another three at some point in time. As for all of you, go rent it and watch it again. The trilogy should be ranked, as one movie, in the top 10 greatest movies of all time.

ninja in training

so the baby started kicking and moving around a lot this past week. one day, as i was driving home from work, it felt like it did this karate chop to my insides. it was freaky and hurty and cool all at the same time.

i am guessing this baby is honing in on its asian-ness. but my craving of oranges, lemonade and honey bunches of oats is a good clue that it's a little white bread.

*btw, i kept the pregnancy secret for a long time 'cuz i am of the glass is half empty persuasion. i've been burned too many times to get excited and "boast" too early until i know i am in the clear.

plus, it's fun to watch people's faces as they try and figure out if i just got fat or am pregnant. it's an interesting to watch the social behaviors unravel.

pete's dragon

so a lot of you already know this, but we want to announce on the world wide web that pete and i are expecting a new addition to our family. and no, it's not another cat. it's a baby!

we call it pete's dragon, since it gives me lots of gas and heartburn from time to time.

i am almost 5 months along, and i will be (supposedly) due on april 28th. i was a large baby, 8 lbs 10 oz and pete is a big guy, so i am expecting a ginormous halloween pumpkin-sized child. (hopefully, its head will not be pumpkin shaped...) we are both super excited and getting psyched every day, even though i am getting uncomfortably fat. women who tell me that being pregnant was one of their favorite times in their lives must have had a different experience (or are lying to me) than what i am having so far. maybe it's because i have a short torso? i don't know. cuz even at 5 months, i find it hard to maneuver--like bending. this is all the reason to never get this fat unless pregnant.

anyway, i have taken some pics for you all to see my progression. i don't want you to see my face in any of the pics, cuz i am usually in my weekend-at-home-cleaning-around-the-house-not-showering-or-beautifying routine in the pictures. the belly is really all you want to see anyway, right? these weeks just represent the biggest changes in belly growth for me.




this is 13 weeks along. it's a little pudge. my sister-in-law was amazed at how much i had already grown. she said she didn't show this much until she was at 5 months. geez. kick me in the jewels, why dontcha?



this is me at 16 weeks. you can tell my pants are too tight for me, cuz they are really cutting into me.



this is the one i took tonight. i am 19 weeks. i don't know if this picture really shows how big my belly is now. it really is. i think it's because i have a bubble butt that it detracts from my front. pete chuckled the other night when he glanced over at me, and said it was getting so big. careful with those words, honey...

i will post more pics as i grow. my ultrasound will be coming up soon, so stay tuned!