Mystery, Alaska

Wolfing and I watched Mystery, Alaska last night, and we both really enjoyed it.

I don't go out of my way to watch "sports films" but this one had a lot of sweet, funny scenes -- and I always enjoy watching Russell Crowe.

Here's an official synopsis:

Mystery, Alaska –– In this little town on the outskirts of greatness, completely isolated by glaciers and vast, snowy mountains, there are only two things to do when the temperature drops below zero: Stay inside with your spouse (or somebody else‘s), or get out and learn to skate on a glacier. The legendary hockey players of Mystery are born on skates. And the weekly hockey game on the local "pond of dreams" is much more than a sport –– it‘s a ritual celebration attended with religious devotion, the only thing that holds the players together. But then an article in a sports magazine prompts the National Hockey League to send the New York Rangers to challenge these local heroes in a "Rocky"–like, back–to–the–roots–of–hockey exhibition game. The publicity stunt thrusts this tiny town and writer David E. Kelley‘s and Sean O‘Byrne‘s colorful characters into the national spotlight and promises fame and fortune for everybody. But the invading corporate circus threatens to destroy the only thing that matters to Mystery: the pure ritual of the local sport. Will the boys of winter transcend the hype and take on the Rangers in a real contest? Or will they become a national joke? The outcome is only a game away.

My Presentation Went Well

I just got out of a meeting with my team's director (my boss's boss), in which I presented the quality program which I created.

She had a lot of questions -- and each one of them was already answered somewhere in my powerpoint deck. I never had to say "I don't know" or "I'll get back to you on that."

Afterward my boss told me she was proud of me.

It's a good feeling.


Now, off to the polls!

Obama

CNN has just declared Barack Obama President-elect of the United States.

Totally aside from issues of partisanship, I wasn't sure I'd see an African-American become president of this country in my lifetime. This is an amazing milestone for our nation.

May he rise to be equal to one of the terrible and most awesome challenges a human being can shoulder.

May he justify the faith and the trust of the millions who have voted for him.

May he prove worthy of earning the trust and respect of those who voted for someone else.


May he find a way to truly bring about the unity -- with honor and in good conscience -- that he promised he would strive to achieve.