This movie was, quite simply one of the best movies that I have seen in a long time. Brilliant, romantic, funny and beautiful. These only begin to scratch the surface of what Wall-E is all about.

The actual film itself was gorgeous. There were some scenes that were nothing short of stunning - when Wall-E is rocketed into space and sees what the stars look like from a distance. I was left in quiet admiration for how absolutely beautiful the movie was.

There was so little dialog. But the silence only accentuated the power of the subtle movements that Wall-E and EVE made. The metallic sounds of “Walllllllll-Eeeeeeee” or “Eeeevaaaa” were placed with intentional brilliance.

The movie also humored my geek side, as it humored me with lots of technological gadgets. EVE was particularly fun to watch as I sat and thought about how the different components might interface (yep, I’m a geek).

Several messages were certainly evident: pollution is bad, we need to live a sustainable lifestyle, and we need to be careful to never become fully reliant on technology. But over all, this was nothing short of a romantic tale. Watching the interaction between Wall-E and EVE really moved me.

There was a genuine level of innocence between the two robots. Wall-E simply yearned for a companion, and EVE came to discover how wonderful that Wall-E really was. It was, in a way, a story of a peasant and a princess as well. Wall-E was an old, old model (exceedingly outdated), but who he was on the inside was something unlike EVE had ever experienced.

I was pulled in almost immediately by the movie. It was enchanting, to be sure. I left with a great feeling inside and a smile on my face. This is definitely a movie that I would love to see again. I’m also going to buy it when it comes out on video as well.

If you haven’t seen this movie, you need to. Pixar has certainly outdone themselves again, and you don’t want to miss it.

Cyrus gives this a 10 / 10.

My bride, my heart
Joy of my tomorrow
Daughter of the moon
Oh child of the sun
Radiance is your raiment
Sunshine is your hair
Stars are your brilliant eyes
That draw me deep into your soul
Drowning in your beauty
As I pledge my heart to you
Never release me from this ring of gold
That binds me close to you
With each day that passes

My bride, my heart
Joy of my tomorrow
I pledge my heart to you

Watching my good friend Alex (10-Speed) get married, I couldn’t help but feel his joy for Natalie. I could almost see their hearts entwining. So I wrote this poem for them, for their joy, for their hopes, and for their future.

This past Saturday one of my very close friends, Kenan, got married. I really had to step back and think about the gravity of what just happened.

Kenan and I have been good friends for a long time now. A little over nine years, actually. To say the least, we’ve been through a lot. A whole lot of good, but also some bad. We saw the first of our high school friends, John, get married a while back. And now Kenan is number two.

The reality is starting to set in. We are, in fact, getting to this age. My friends are starting to get married. And it isn’t out of the ordinary.

I’ve got a long list of thoughts queued up for processing. But in the mean time, I’m very happy for Kenan. I’ve never seen him quite so energetic and excited as at the reception. The wedding itself was fun - not overly serious, but not a joke either. A wonderful balance, to be sure.

I’m glad to have been a part of his wedding, and to have several of my close friends be a part of it as well. And let’s be honest. We all look smoking hot in our tuxes. Even Kenan.

There has been a pretty heated debate between the White House and congress for some time now, namely over the telecom immunity. Why is it such a big deal? Well, it’s a huge deal. And I’m angry and upset with the bill that is being pushed through congress right now. And this is why.

The backdrop for the situation is fairly simple. The US Government approached several telecom (telecommunication) companies to hand over phone call records and other communication type records. This isn’t completely out of the ordinary. However, this was done without a warrant. Which means that any telecom that conceded to the government’s demands broke the law. It also means that the government broke the law.

An argument that I’ve been hearing tossed around is that if the government asks you to do something, and it is illegal, you shouldn’t be able to be punished for doing what the government demanded. No. Flat out no. That is wrong, and there is no nice way to put it, that is stupid. We do not have to give in to the government’s demands if they are illegal. In fact, I think it is our duty to not give in to their demands.

Okay, so what’s the big deal about granting them immunity? Well, it doesn’t hold the telecoms responsible for the actions. Two, and perhaps more disturbingly, it absolves the government of any wrongdoing. Third, it allows the government to ask the telecoms to give information over without a warrant in the future.

If a lawsuit is brought up against the telecoms, the Attorney General only needs to say that it was requested by the US government for internal protection purposes, and the lawsuit stops. No information is disclosed. Nothing. We know nothing other than the government wants it. This is bad news on so many fronts.

If you’re interested in the article I found about it, it’s here.

This is a steady erosion of our constitutional rights. And I’m frustrated that the Democrats, who were so vehement in their opposition to this bill, have seemed to buckle with the new version. President Bush has been clear that he would veto any bill that doesn’t grant immunity to the telecoms.

This shows a strong favoring to big business (by letting the telecoms get away with this) and a distinct lack of concern for privacy rights for individuals. I cannot begin to express my disgust at the possibility of this passing (which it seems certain that it will).

This is something I’ve been thinking over lately. Its roots are in TWLOHA (to write love on her arms). You should check it out if you haven’t yet.

Cold unfeeling steel pierces your skin
      the physical representation of the world you know
The blood runs down your wrists
Dripping off of your finger tips
And forming little pools at your feet

Hope was found in pools of blood
That ran down fingertips
Hope was found in cold unfeeling steel
That pierced deep into skin

But those were not your wounds
Those were not your cuts
Those were His
     and they were for you.

Can I not show you His love?