Nah, you could use a wind ball too. I never liked using the cork balls. You ever had a fiery full toss or haul a cherry beamer at you? That shit ain't funny.

(Yeah I'm a pussy and bad childhood experience of getting a fuckin ball in my face..... I prefer to play with windballs heh)

People go crazy for cricket, man. Everybody watches cricket on TV here or try to go to the games. I used to play a lot when I was little. Nice memories of playing cricket at the beach. Cricket rules and baseball sucks because all you need to play cricket is a little space, a bat, a ball and something to use as a wicket (we used all sorts of shit, from like chairs to just sticking branches into the sand). And the rules are very simple. If you're playing it casual, it can be as short or long as you want and with any number of people (all you need is a batsman, bowler, couple of fielders and a wicketkeeper). I was always a good batsman but a real pie thrower when it came to bowling. I used to LBW too much, though.

Fun times like when kids used to soak the ball and you would hit it and it would spray water in your face.

The Oscar shortlist usually follows a specific formula. I don't even know if they know it. Let's go back ten years:

1. Blockbuster/People's Choice (the "we see popular movies too!" slot)
2. Biopic/Period Piece/Literary Adaptation (the "big budget sprawling epic" or "here is the movie about the life of a great guy" slot)
3. Indie Sleeper Hit/Critics' Darling/Musical (the "we recognize the little guys" slot)
4. Gritty/Quirky/Sappy/Foreign (the "we have variety" slot)
5. Emotional Powerpunch/Political Drama (the "controversy" or "heartbreak" slot)

See how formulaic it is? And though it's super early, this is how I think it's going to go for the next one:

Blockbuster - The Dark Knight
Period Piece - Revolutionary Road
Indie Hit/Critics - Rachel Getting Married
Sappy/Quirky/Foreign - Slumdog Millionaire
Politics - Milk

Maybe I should start betting money on this shit from now on.

Damn I was wrong.

My formula still somewhat works though:

Blockbuster - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Period Piece - The Reader
Indie Hit/Critics - Milk
Sappy/Quirky/Foreign - Slumdog Millionaire
Politics - Frost/Nixon

Fuckin bullshit nominations. TDK gets 8 nominations but no Director and Picture. Fuckin Waltz with Bashir not in animated. Gomorrah not there. What the fuck is The Reader

81st Oscar Nominations

Performance by an actor in a leading role

* Richard Jenkins in “The Visitor” (Overture Films)
* Frank Langella in “Frost/Nixon” (Universal)
* Sean Penn in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Brad Pitt in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Mickey Rourke in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

* Josh Brolin in “Milk” (Focus Features)
* Robert Downey Jr. in “Tropic Thunder” (DreamWorks, Distributed by DreamWorks/Paramount)
* Philip Seymour Hoffman in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.)
* Michael Shannon in “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage)

Performance by an actress in a leading role

* Anne Hathaway in “Rachel Getting Married” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Angelina Jolie in “Changeling” (Universal)
* Melissa Leo in “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics)
* Meryl Streep in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Kate Winslet in “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company)

Performance by an actress in a supporting role

* Amy Adams in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Penélope Cruz in “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (The Weinstein Company)
* Viola Davis in “Doubt” (Miramax)
* Taraji P. Henson in “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.)
* Marisa Tomei in “The Wrestler” (Fox Searchlight)

Best animated feature film of the year

* “Bolt” (Walt Disney), Chris Williams and Byron Howard
* “Kung Fu Panda” (DreamWorks Animation, Distributed by Paramount), John Stevenson and Mark Osborne
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Andrew Stanton

Achievement in art direction

* “Changeling” (Universal), Art Direction: James J. Murakami, Set Decoration: Gary Fettis
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt, Set Decoration: Victor J. Zolfo
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Art Direction: Nathan Crowley, Set Decoration: Peter Lando
* “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Art Direction: Michael Carlin, Set Decoration: Rebecca Alleway
* “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Art Direction: Kristi Zea, Set Decoration: Debra Schutt

Achievement in cinematography

* “Changeling” (Universal), Tom Stern
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Claudio Miranda
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Wally Pfister
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Chris Menges and Roger Deakins
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Anthony Dod Mantle

Achievement in costume design

* “Australia” (20th Century Fox), Catherine Martin
* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Jacqueline West
* “The Duchess” (Paramount Vantage, Pathé and BBC Films), Michael O’Connor
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Glicker
* “Revolutionary Road” (DreamWorks, Distributed by Paramount Vantage), Albert Wolsky

Best documentary feature

* “The Betrayal (Nerakhoon)” (Cinema Guild), A Pandinlao Films Production, Ellen Kuras and Thavisouk Phrasavath
* “Encounters at the End of the World” (THINKFilm and Image Entertainment), A Creative Differences Production, Werner Herzog and Henry Kaiser
* “The Garden” A Black Valley Films Production, Scott Hamilton Kennedy
* “Man on Wire” (Magnolia Pictures), A Wall to Wall Production, James Marsh and Simon Chinn
* “Trouble the Water” (Zeitgeist Films), An Elsewhere Films Production, Tia Lessin and Carl Deal

Best documentary short subject

* “The Conscience of Nhem En” A Farallon Films Production, Steven Okazaki
* “The Final Inch” A Vermilion Films Production, Irene Taylor Brodsky and Tom Grant
* “Smile Pinki” A Principe Production, Megan Mylan
* “The Witness - From the Balcony of Room 306” A Rock Paper Scissors Production, Adam Pertofsky and Margaret Hyde

Achievement in film editing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lee Smith
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Mike Hill and Dan Hanley
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Elliot Graham
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Chris Dickens

Best foreign language film of the year

* “The Baader Meinhof Complex” A Constantin Film Production, Germany
* “The Class” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Haut et Court Production, France
* “Departures” (Regent Releasing), A Departures Film Partners Production, Japan
* “Revanche” (Janus Films), A Prisma Film/Fernseh Production, Austria
* “Waltz with Bashir” (Sony Pictures Classics), A Bridgit Folman Film Gang Production, Israel

Achievement in makeup

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Greg Cannom
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), John Caglione, Jr. and Conor O’Sullivan
* “Hellboy II: The Golden Army” (Universal), Mike Elizalde and Thom Floutz

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.),Alexandre Desplat
* “Defiance” (Paramount Vantage), James Newton Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Danny Elfman
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A.R. Rahman
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Thomas Newman

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

* “Down to Earth” from “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Music by Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman, Lyric by Peter Gabriel
* “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music by A.R. Rahman, Lyric by Gulzar
* “O Saya” from “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Music and Lyric by A.R. Rahman andMaya Arulpragasam

Best animated short film

* “La Maison en Petits Cubes” A Robot Communications Production, Kunio Kato
* “Lavatory - Lovestory” A Melnitsa Animation Studio and CTB Film Company Production, Konstantin Bronzit
* “Oktapodi” (Talantis Films) A Gobelins, L’école de l’image Production, Emud Mokhberi and Thierry Marchand
* “Presto” (Walt Disney) A Pixar Animation Studios Production, Doug Sweetland
* “This Way Up”, A Nexus Production, Alan Smith and Adam Foulkes

Best live action short film

* “Auf der Strecke (On the Line)” (Hamburg Shortfilmagency), An Academy of Media Arts Cologne Production, Reto Caffi
* “Manon on the Asphalt” (La Luna Productions), A La Luna Production, Elizabeth Marre and Olivier Pont
* “New Boy” (Network Ireland Television), A Zanzibar Films Production, Steph Green and Tamara Anghie
* “The Pig” An M & M Production, Tivi Magnusson and Dorte Høgh
* “Spielzeugland (Toyland)” A Mephisto Film Production, Jochen Alexander Freydank

Achievement in sound editing

* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Richard King
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), Frank Eulner and Christopher Boyes
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Tom Sayers
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Ben Burtt and Matthew Wood
* “Wanted” (Universal),Wylie Stateman

Achievement in sound mixing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Mark Weingarten
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Lora Hirschberg, Gary Rizzo and Ed Novick
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Ian Tapp, Richard Pryke and Resul Pookutty
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney),Tom Myers, Michael Semanick and Ben Burtt
* “Wanted” (Universal), Chris Jenkins, Frank A. Montaño and Petr Forejt

Achievement in visual effects

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Eric Barba, Steve Preeg, Burt Dalton and Craig Barron
* “The Dark Knight” (Warner Bros.), Nick Davis, Chris Corbould, Tim Webber and Paul Franklin
* “Iron Man” (Paramount and Marvel Entertainment), John Nelson, Ben Snow, Dan Sudick and Shane Mahan

Adapted screenplay

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), Screenplay by Eric Roth, Screen story by Eric Roth and Robin Swicord
* “Doubt” (Miramax), Written by John Patrick Shanley
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Screenplay by Peter Morgan
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Screenplay by David Hare
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Screenplay by Simon Beaufoy

Original screenplay

* “Frozen River” (Sony Pictures Classics), Written by Courtney Hunt
* “Happy-Go-Lucky” (Miramax), Written by Mike Leigh
* “In Bruges” (Focus Features), Written by Martin McDonagh
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Written by Dustin Lance Black
* “WALL-E” (Walt Disney), Screenplay by Andrew Stanton, Jim Reardon, Original story by Andrew Stanton, Pete Docter

Achievement in directing

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), David Fincher
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), Ron Howard
* “Milk” (Focus Features), Gus Van Sant
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), Stephen Daldry
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), Danny Boyle

Best motion picture of the year

* “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” (Paramount and Warner Bros.), A Kennedy/Marshall Production, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
* “Frost/Nixon” (Universal), A Universal Pictures, Imagine Entertainment and Working Title Production,Brian Grazer, Ron Howard and Eric Fellner, Producers
* “Milk” (Focus Features), A Groundswell and Jinks/Cohen Company Production, Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, Producers
* “The Reader” (The Weinstein Company), A Mirage Enterprises and Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH Production, Nominees to be determined
* “Slumdog Millionaire” (Fox Searchlight), A Celador Films Production,Christian Colson, Producer

Sorry guys didnt sleep in a month. Thought I'd post a piccie


It's me

Hurt isn't always bad.

EDIT - Also nackster, I talked to that guy on the phone and he told me that he'd always felt a sort of attraction to boys, but it never really struck him that he was a homo until he was like eleven or twelve or something. He said he didn't really argue with himself about it or feel any denial. I didn't talk to him for long though because he is actually a very dense and irritating person. And uninteresting (listens to awful music, doesn't read, likes to talk about Gossip Girl TV show)

If a girl launched herself at you right now, you'd probably feel different.

fatty, you're just sour about the whole relationship thing.

Harvey (1950), with James Stewart.

Plot: Elwood P. Dowd is a mild-mannered, pleasant man, who just happens (he says) to have an invisible friend resembling a 6-foot rabbit.

Very, very funny movie. If you're into old movies and James Stewart and such, definitely give this one a look. I wish there were more comedies like this.

Believe it or not, partly why I have been talking to him is kind of for the same reason nackster made this thread!

But personally, uh, I'm in the same boat as nackster. Not disgusted by guy-on-guy stuff, able to watch gay pornography, could imagine myself with another dude without feeling appalled, but just never the desire to actually do it. I guess you'll never really know until you actually do it (if you do it) to know if the experience is different from just imagining it. As for watching dicks in porn, I don't think that's really an indicator. Everyone love to a great big old dick having a good time

I've been talking to a gay guy on the phone lately, nackster. I'll ask him and get back to you on what he says.

Anaryu and Hima told me on IRC. People are always going to hack you and rip you off if they want to but I was just looking for a basic lock-text thing. Anyway, problem solved, so locking.

P.S. If anyone wanted to know, it's this plugin: http://www.pdfforge.org/node/77

Hey I'm wondering if there's a way you can lock a PDF or make it so that you can't copy and paste text from it or convert it to a text file. Is this possible?

I think he probably meant Eraserhead. I wouldn't really understand how Eastern Promises is UGLY unless he meant... the fight scene

I can see what you're saying if you've seen Eraserhead and Mulholland Drive, but I think Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man were pretty straightforward for Lynch movies. Wild at Heart was weird but it was coherent. However, Mulholland Drive, I think, has a meaning. You just have to look at it hard to figure out. But I can see what you mean. I haven't seen Lost Highway or Inland Empire or the others. I'm not a terribly big Lynch fan, though. I only really like Blue Velvet and The Elephant Man.

I don't really understand when you say Eastern Promises is "ugly".

Don't be afraid to say why, climbtree...

ps strangeluv tell me you like lars and the real girl because it was really ridiculous!  what a movie, man.  i didnt think it'd be about what it was because it did not seem possible to me but then i saw it and....and....

I liked Lars and the Real Girl because it had this crazy concept but I thought it was handled really tastefully, like it wasn't this GOOFY comedy, and it still managed to be funny. I was really interested to see it because I didn't really know how they would handle a concept or material like that, and I was pleasantly surprised how it never really made fun of Lars but made me feel for him, especially him being viewed from the "outside". It's kind of hard for me to explain but I walked out of this movie feeling very good and not emotionally manipulated.

Top 10's! Love top 10's!

(not in order)

1. Pulp Fiction
2. Magnolia
3. Taxi Driver
4. Rear Window
5. City of God
6. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
7. The Shawshank Redemption
8. Blue Velvet
9. The 400 Blows
10. Amelie

Here's my top 10 for 2007/2008

(not in order)

1. Lars and the Real Girl
2. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
3. Wall-E
4. Slumdog Millionaire
5. The Dark Knight
6. There Will Be Blood
7. Eastern Promises
8. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
9. No Country for Old Men
10. Tropic Thunder

(I haven't seen a shitload of new movies)

Lennon, what the hell, man? Haven't you seen any movies before 2008

Jesus, for a moment, my heart sank because I thought you'd meant MICKEY ROURKE. lol

I've never seen Fantasy Island. The old one, anyway. The only one I'm familiar with is the one with Malcolm McDowell as Rourke.

Why have you gone back to making bullshit