For the first time in the history of my reviews (nearly six years), I am releasing a review for a movie before it comes out. That review is for Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs which I saw during the special Father's Day preview. This review also marks review #125. Maybe by the time I hit #200, I'll be getting a little more exposure. Getting paid to do this would be icing on the cake.

Today was one of those days where I wanted to run home to mommy. I doubt very many people care, but this is my therapy.

Beginning yesterday, I was involved in an e-mail discussion with two other people about using a different online service to deliver course content to students. This is the same online service I was hired to work with and we've been using in some capacity for a few years. I am just trying to get people tu utilize some of the other features instead of just using it for the minimum requirements. I never thought something like this would cause such a stir.

In the e-mails that went back and forth yesterday, I became frustrated that the other two people were either not reading what I was writing or failing to comprehend what I considered basic English. By the end of the day, I thought I had reached common ground even though my blood pressure was rocketing upward with each e-mail. But, when I got one more snide e-mail, I instantly deleted it after reading thinking I was done with the whole conversation.

While getting ready for work this morning, I thought of a way to address the e-mail in a calm manner and quite possibly get both of these people on my side. Apparently this fanned the flames even higher and by lunch I was sent a very brusque e-mail basically telling me that what I wanted to do (as simple as it was) wasn't going to happen without a faculty vote and approval. Faculty approval to use software we are required to use? Are you serious?

While my frustration continued to mount and blood pressure raced higher and higher, I displayed my professionalism in every e-mail, always apologizing for confusion and blaming myself for not conveying my thoughts properly, knowing full well that I was dealing with hard-headed people who really had no interest in supporting this software we are required to utilize. I ended by trying to get them to explain why there needed to be an act of Congress (not my exact words) to do something so simple and was quickly met with an e-mail saying this discussion was over.

By this point, I had broken down in tears in my office; the frustration level was astronomical. I decided, even though I didn't want to drag my boss into this, to e-mail her to ask if what the other two people were saying was true. The e-mail I got back was "I'm talking to the dean about this at 1:00". Oh crap!! Was I in trouble for doing what I thought was my job? Had these two people gone behind me and complained to the dean or my boss, the associate dean?

I immediately went downstairs to ask what was going on. Apparently one of the two people had been causing some problems elsewhere and this was just one more thing that needed to be pointed out. Feeling better about the situation I went to class and did what I needed to do. After class, I stopped back by to talk to my boss and apologize for getting her involved. As I talked to her before I was on the verge of breaking down again. I'm sure she sensed my frustration. Thankfully, I was in the clear and doing my job. It felt good to know I wasn't in the wrong and that my boss had my back.

So tomorrow, after a half day of work, I'm headed to Atlanta with Erika to see the Braves and Yankees play. We aren't staying long since the kids can't stay alone for too long. I think I've deserved some R&R time after today.

How do you describe simplicity? I struggled with that very question as I wrote the review for The Hangover, a movie so basic and simple with one goal, to make people laugh. It certainly doesn't try to be anything except a guilty pleasure. Not sure if The Hangover is for you? Take a look at my review.

A Year With Wii Fit

On Monday, I celebrated one year of using Nintendo's attempt to get gamers off their butts. I've used Wii Fit pretty diligently for the past year, weighing in at least 4-5 times a week except during vacations. And that's practically all I ever did. Given all of my time with Wii Fit, the majority of time was spent weighing in and testing my Wii Fit age. Generally, I only did a couple yoga poses or strength training twice a week for 10 minutes at most.

Over the past year, I managed to lose 11 pounds. I think, although I have no scientific proof, that some of the fat was replaced by muscle. My pants are noticeably looser and I have seen considerable improvement in my weight training, doubling the amount of weight I use in most cases. Had I not encountered a few bumps along the way in terms of eating habits, I likely could have hit 15 pounds or more.

How much of that had to do with Wii Fit? I would say very little. Wii Fit did not motivate me. I know the programmers mean well, but making Wii Fit chastise folks isn't helpful to their motivation. I made myself work out because I wanted to lose weight. Wii Fit just helped provide an accurate weight and helped me manage my goal electronically. Being able to see the tenths of a pound lost is a good thing that I didn't have with a regular scale.

The problem with seeing those tenths of a pound has made me become a little obsessive about my weight. I'm not eating disorder obsessed, but I get mad if I notice that I gain a pound over the week. Seeing the little weight gain over time makes me more conscious of what I eat. I start avoiding dessert and eat a little less if I don't work out one day.

I'm not any sort of workout fiend though. I try to workout 4 times a week, Monday - Thursday. Over the past year I have worked out about 124 hours. That equates to a little more than five days of the past year. A person exercising 30 minutes every single day of the year tallies about seven and a half days of exercise.

So, is Wii Fit worth the price? The distraction in the beginning is nice. The newness definitely wears off after a month or so and it starts collecting dust unless you force yourself to use it. If you aren't motivated to work out, I don't think Wii Fit is going to help that. For as little as I've used Wii Fit for the exercise, a $90 price tag is a bit high. I hope Nintendo makes more games other than skiing that use the balance board. I hear Punch-Out!! with the balance board is really fun.

I just posted my review for Up. I had a difficult time writing the review because I was completely torn on what I thought of it. On one hand, it was somewhat depressing, and on the other hand, the storytelling was excellent in eliciting such strong emotion. I think it is best for everyone to read the review and make a personal decision about viewing the movie. If you are an animation aficionado like myself, go ahead and see Up if you haven't already. It is a Pixar movie after all.

I've been pretty lazy after work this week. All the excitement from E3 had me watching G4 and watching videos online practically all week, including at work where I had the live feeds running all day. I forced myself to start on a review for Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Wednesday after promising to have the review up Tuesday. Here it is Saturday and I finally finished it. Take a few minutes to read it and see if you agree with me, assuming that you've already seen the movie. If you haven't, then let my review guide you in your choice of movies to see this weekend.

The Sandwich Obituary

Today we mourn the loss of Mr. Sandwich. Mr. Sandwich was laid to rest in the Green Memorial Kitchen Trash Can at 6:45 AM Monday morning. Mr. Sandwich was found in a book bag earlier in the day and pronounced dead on the scene. Mr. Sandwich lived to the age of 3 days before dying of natural bacteria. He was buried in two slices of Arnold's OatNut bread with the finest slice of Market Pantry fat-free American cheese that could be bought at Target Supercenter. He was also accessorized with several slices of hard salami deli slices. It is regretful that Mr. Sandwich was never able to experience his dream. Since his birth on Friday morning, he dreamed of swimming in stomach acid and taking a ride through intestines before visiting a waste treatment plant. Mr. Sandwich will be missed. His descendants will be treated to the best experience possible and promptly eaten within hours of creation fulfilling their destiny.