2009 Came to an End

I hope this one year old massaging my feet isn't considered child labor. "I swear officer, I was babysitting one minute and the next minute he wants to massage my feet."

The beach of Half Moon Bay in November. What the #@*! were we thinking?

Minnesota Bridge is falling down, falling down...to soon?

The House of Horror in Farmington, UT

Blood, Blood, and More Blood

Cormac McCarthy has created a depressing style of literature that you can't even categorize it. Books, movies, and music classify themselves in genres to popularize their content; however, McCarthy seems to avoid that popularization at all cost.

Recently some of his books have caught fire with the general population, "The Road" and "No Country for Old Men," but it's not like he intended for it to happen. It seems that his style of writing is targeted more toward dragging your soul to the depths of a bottomless pit of mutilated corpses, so it makes the reader contemplate finishing his books. So my question is: Why does anyone enjoy reading his books?

Well, I enjoy reading his books because it takes me away from the Hollywood ending, over-the-top, very predictable novels, which are generally addicting. Reading one of McCarthy's books helps me escape the generalization of the literary world, and "Blood Meridian" is his most astonishing piece of literature that shouldn't be overlooked. It will make you cringe by some of the descriptive mutilations you'll read, but you'll enjoy each death like it'll be your own experience with the Grim Reaper.

McCarthy deserves praise for his accomplishments, but it's not like he'll enjoy it or take credit for anything he's done. He's an author that does the work because he enjoys it and it's all he has to do in his old age. And for that I am so thankful.

Q.F.T.

Thank God (Gosh?) the United States can take credit for having one of the best directors of all time, Quentin Tarantino. England has Guy Ritchie. Brazil has Fernando Meirelles. Spain has Guillermo del Toro. But luckily the United States has Quentin Fuckin' Tarantino.

Currently, critics are considering Tarantino's new film, "Inglorious Basterds," his greatest film ever; however, I still recognize "Pulp Fiction" his everlasting masterpiece. I'll admit that I loathed "Pulp Fiction" when I first saw it, but that was before I had a higher-IQ level than an Alabamian. The second time I saw the film it was like a clear picture describing everything I've been missing out on. Forget baptism by fire to begin a new life, I'll take the submersion by QT's films any day.

Granted, a viewer must listen to the dialogue closely in Tarantino's films to understand what's going on. It takes patience, but he fills in the gap of entertainment by plugging in a lot of violence, fuck words, and soothing music. For a moviegoer who hasn't seen one of his films, "Kill Bill" (1 and 2) is your best option to start with. Followed by "Pulp Fiction," and then finish things off with his new classic, "Inglorious Basterds." The Fiction will give your stomach a slight break between the scenes with buckets of blood being splashed across your screen.

So grab some popcorn, a beer, and a trashcan to puke into and enjoy a film that you won't find anywhere else than from Q.F.T.

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

The big debacle in the state of Utah is which University football team do yoU root for - Utah Utes or byU coUgars. It's very misleading to a stranger in regards to this rivalry, bUt we the fans take this "Holy War" very serioUsly. People lose families, jobs, or lives over this football game. Each year a team is crowned victorioUs and the losing fans have to deal with the harassment Until the next game is played. Which brings me to my first point - I am Utah fan.

I know my team lost in overtime this year and they've lost three of the last five games; however, this was oUr rebUilding year and this was "yoUr BCS year." UnfortUnately yoU lost two games again, so I gUess the qUest for perfection will have to come next year or the year after or the year after that...

So this brings me to my next point - byU fans can only talk aboUt what's happening now in each program after they beat the Utes and they always bring Up, "What has yoUr team done for yoU lately?" Let me go ahead and explain...

My team has gone Undefeated twice in the last five years and has won two BCS bowl games. My team has won eight straight bowl games dating back to 1999. My team hasn't had consecUtive losing seasons since the late 90's. My team has the best total win percentage against BCS teams in the coUntry since 2000. My team has matched every win with byU over the last ten years in the rivalry (they're both 5-5). So byU, I woUld like to ask a qUestion, "What has yoUr team done for yoU lately?" YoU've gone to the same bowl game the last five years. YoU're 3-4 in bowl games since 1999. YoU haven't beat a single, good BCS team since Lavell was aroUnd (Oklahoma finished 7-5 and Notre Dame finished 6-6 back in 2004). And yoU had three consecUtive losing seasons jUst a coUple of years ago.

So my last point - byU fans soUnd just like the old Ute fans when it was okay to lose every game dUring the season, bUt if they beat byU then the season was a sUccess. YoU've lived off winning 10 or more games the last foUr seasons, bUt yoU coUld never make it over that hUmp - the Las Vegas Bowl. I know what my team has done for me lately, bUt it appears yoU still don't have a clUe what yoUr team has done for yoU lately.