Is Computer Male or Female?

I recently got a "forwarded" email from my high school classmate. I find it really funny. So I'd like to post it here for every one to read ... and you can give us your opinion too.

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la Casa.'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer' ?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two
groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether computer ' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the feminine gender ( 'la computadora' ), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else;

3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you
find yourself spending half your paycheck on accessories for it.

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine ( 'el computador' ), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

So what do you guys think? Is computer male or female?

Gentlemen Broncos: An Instant Classic That Is Much More Than The Sum Of Its Parts

An Instant Classic That Is Much More Than The Sum Of Its Parts
23 October 2009
Author: merrilltoyco from United States

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1161418/usercomments

I saw this movie last night at a sneak preview in Jared Hess' home city. It totally ruled. It was full of laugh-out-loud scenes, with comedy on every level, excellent performances, and a sneaky plot that Scorsese would have been proud of. Everyone in the audience seemed to love it, lingering to cite scenes to each other long after the film was over. Even the press seemed genuinely giddy to be there.

Everyone who follows comedy knows what a big hit Napoleon Dynamite was, and although Nacho Libre was extremely funny, it lacked some of the kitschy style that made Napoleon more than just a comedy. Gentlemen Broncos seems to be the calculated result of a wise decision to return form. If Napoleon Dynamite has nerds, Gentlemen Broncos has Supernerds; if Napoleon Dynamite has touches of the 70's and 80's, Gentlemen Broncos has dropped you off and left you there.

Like the best Wes Anderson films, Hess has the ability to identify and isolate a lovably weird segment of our society and walk right on that line for the duration of his films. In this case, it's the soul-drying, bad sci-fi stories that I used to see when I was a kid but don't anymore. The lone, laser-gun-wielding hero standing on a world with three moons and a tight, lit-up grid pattern for ground; the farming space station that's been overrun by cyborg apes; etc. The kind of bad stories that couldn't even merit a hardback release, let alone a movie– and now can't even be found new. Capturing that odd energy and riffing a clear story on top of it earns Hess bonus points right off the bat.

He also has a gift for making good actors great at being bad, on purpose. Mike White has never been even nearly as hilarious as he was in this film (watch out for snakes), Jennifer Coolidge was in top form (as usual), and Sam Rockwell got all the way on board with a career burning phoenix of comedy that covered the polar ends of the spectrum. And because Hess pays special attention to each character, Hector Jiminez and Halley Feiffer are given equal opportunity to steal the show, and turn hilarious performances.

Now let's start a new paragraph. Shame on whoever dissed this movie before I had a chance to get here– you shall fall into the pit which you dig, because you seem to have forgotten one important detail: Jemaine Clement is in this movie. You can't give anything with Jemaine Clement in it one freakin' star. It's against the laws of physics. And when people see that you've done that, they'll only question whether you really even saw this movie at all. One of the funniest people alive, Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Conchords) reproves his very real character-acting abilities, swanning over the film in full form as a tightly wound, bad-jeans-wearing, writer-bearded egomaniac who is so cheesy that you can smell the leather conditioner coming out of the screen. He was the obvious heir to the throne, for the whole show, and turns in what I think is his best performance so far, by far- which is really far. He's a full-blown comedic genius, and still seems to have been able to go even further under the direction of Jared Hess.

But the real satisfaction ends up coming from Hess knowing to place Michael Angarano right up front to show everyone what he can do. Clement is no surprise, when his greatness comes through- that's just normal. But to watch Angarano hang ten on his own terms, through his own scenes, was magnificent.

I caught Michael Angarano in several films, starting with Seabiscuit. But it was in the family favorite "Sky High" that I noticed how well he was starting to do subtle comedy as a farce's underdog, a'la Ben Stiller. Apparently Hess noticed him long before that, and was able to capitalize on Angarano's rising talent, to have it perfectly coincide with Gentlemen Broncos. He builds up the pain in Angarano's character so smoothly and steadily, that when he finally explodes it's about as pressured as Travis the Taxi Driver. Except replace the mohawk with a woman's clownsuit dress and the gun with a bean pillow in the shape of a blonde, mustached tranny. And throughout the wind-up, Michael Angarano plays everything to a tee, walking brow-first above bloodshot eyes, seeming to be struggling to keep down his own intestines at the sight of the limitless tragedies that are happening to him throughout the bulk of the film. He's so likable and well-paced that you just can't believe it either, and can't imagine anything getting any better for him- until he goes off in a blaze of glory.

Now I realize that all of these descriptors may sound like Hess may have sacrificed the inspired randomness of Napoleon Dynamite in order to make a more structured film. But let me console you in saying that, somehow, surrounding this Coen-worthy plot is so much perfect silliness that most people won't even see all of the true plot steps until they come together for a perfect showdown and a winning finale. In fact, the movie is so wild that some will mistake it for trying relying on sophomoric humor, which it sells fresh and hot throughout (when the majority is more intelligent situational and quotable line humor, with which Hess is a born natural). But analyze it honestly, and you'll see that the emotion-based story is top rate in it's rawness and simplicity, like all the best films.

In short, Gentlemen Broncos is just like it's name- a sophisticated, well-dressed animal that kicks naysayers repeatedly in several places. I wish I had the connections to be able to see it again right now. Thank you comedy Gods, for giving us Jared Hess.

Gentlemen Broncos Trailer

Here's the trailer for "Gentlemen Broncos." We're all excited to go and watch this. :)

Was He a Ghost?

November 28, 2008--an acquaintance's dad passed away of a stroke. This acquaintance has a very promising future in show business. I am not going to divulge his name to protect his identity, so I am just going to refer to him as "Harry."

Harry and I are not really "friends" ... just acquaintances, because he and my daughter go to the same dance school. When I created my Facebook account, I requested him to be my friend. Being a good young man he is, he accepted my request. That's how I found out that something bad happened to his dad, because his friends were commenting about it, wishing his father well and be out of the hospital soon.

Two weeks after that, I saw Harry, his younger brother, and his dad coming out of the dance studio. I was parked right in front of the door of the studio, so I saw and heard Harry talking about his car trouble. His dad asked if he checked the battery and something about the water. I was elated that Harry's dad is finally better. My mom was sitting on the passenger's side, so I commented to her that Harry's dad is finally okay ... although he still looks frail and pale ... that he should be resting at home. While I was making those comments, my mom kept asking me, "Where?" because she didn't see Harry's dad at all. All she saw were the two brothers walking to the truck. We both thought she probably was just looking at the wrong direction. I even teased her for being "blind", because they walked right passed in front of us. After a few minutes, the two brothers went back to the dance studio but this time I didn't see their dad with them. I thought he probably left to go home and rest.

Several weeks later (maybe about 4 or 6 weeks later), my daughter chatted with me online while I was at work. She started out with, "I didn't know Harry's dad died. No wonder he was going all emo on Facebook." She was right. His Facebook was always full of comments like how he has to stay strong for his dad, etc. I thought his dad was probably still not too healthy to do many things and Harry had to be the man for him, while he was recuperating. So I asked my daughter when and where did he pass away. She checked the http://www.wikipedia.com/ and told me that he passed away while he was at the hospital due to medication error. Needless to say, I was flabbergasted! If that is the case, who did I see talking to Harry and his brother about their car trouble?

I talked to Harry and his brother a week after I got the news. I told him how sorry I was for not even knowing that his dad has passed on. And then came the hard part (because I didn't know what his reactions would be), I told him what I saw. He clearly remembered that afternoon, but he wasn't talking to his dad but to his brother. "Well," I said, "he was there with you that afternoon." I could see tears at the corners of his eyes.

So what do you think, folks? Was I hallucinating that afternoon, or did I really see a ghost? Tell me what you think.

Online High Schooling

School started for my daughter this Monday--at Open High School of Utah. Although, she's been a home-schooler since Kindergarten, being in High School and having actual online teachers made her very nervous. I assured her that it would be okay and having teachers would be wonderful. After all, mommy is also a student of University of Phoenix Online.

After several hours of downloading her materials to her laptop that was issued to her by OHSU, she finally started her classes. It was actually a little late, but as soon as she started clicking her first course (the one that finished downloading first)--Algebra, her anxiety subsided. Not only her fear for Algebra diminished, her love for her Math teacher increased as the hours passed. She made Algebra seemingly a fun class to be in.

After those initial hours of getting to know her courses, she already has established her favorite classes and teachers. Her excitement went through the roof ... and needless to say, she stayed up till 3 a.m. to do her first homeworks!

For more information on online high schooling, visit Open High School of Utah.

Remember Michael Jackson

The passing of Michael Jackson came as a big shock to all people around the world. I am not a die-hard fan of MJ, but his passing seemed to have affected me for several days--the void I'm feeling that I couldn't explain. Maybe because deep inside, I know that whatever music of his we have enjoyed will now be memories.

Visit "Remember Michael Jackson" for a FREE $250 iTune card, and enjoy his music as much as you can.

Utah Dancesport Championship 2009: Junior Ballroom Company

Utah Dancesport Championship 2009: Junior Ballroom Company

Last night, Center Stage's Junior Ballroom Company did their first performance at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi. The kids were extremely nervous but I think they did really well at next day's Utah Dancesport Championship 2009. They took 2nd place!

Center Stage 2009 Showcase: Junior Ballroom Company

February 6th, Jizelle's ballroom team, the Junior Ballroom Company, showcased their number at Thanksgiving Point, Lehi. The performers were a bit nervous, since this was their first performance of the year. They all commented of not having done it well. But I think it was pretty impressive that many of the kids danced better ballroom than many of us adults. LOL! Anyways, check out the video below.