• Getting married in Big Sur, CA. Not only one of the most naturally beautiful places I've ever seen, but also very special to me because that's where my wife grew up as well as where I lived for a while in my childhood.
• Breakfast at Deetjen's Big Sur Inn. Some of the best Eggs Benedict I've ever had.
• Lunch at the Big Sur River Inn. Sure, the burger is kind of expensive, but it's mighty tasty (and still the cheapest in Big Sur). Plenty of good stuff apart from the burger, too; it's my favorite restaurant for lunch. And, for dessert, the apple pie is my second favorite in this world (I have to give my mom's the number one spot).
• Dinner at Ventana. They have a filet mignon that just melts in your mouth, and if you go right around sunset you have a spectacular view of the sun going down over the ocean.
• The bathrooms in the Salt Lake City Airport. Cleanest airport bathrooms ever.
• Renting a convertible in Hawaii. Yeah, it immediately marks you as a tourist, but it's so nice to feel the wind in your hair.
• The Hotel Hana Maui. Hands down the nicest hotel I've ever stayed in. The road to Hana is very twisty and a bit stressful (since all of the other people on the road are also tourists), but as soon as you get there it all just melts away. The staff was amazingly friendly and helpful. It's also very close to Hamoa Beach, which is one of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen. And if you're into horseback riding, the hotel runs tours on a couple of trails that offer some amazing views.
• Tony and Tina's Wedding. A very interesting off-Broadway production that makes you feel like you really are a wedding guest. It takes interactive theater to a level I've never experienced before.
• Breakfast at the Sea House Restaurant. About six or seven miles outside of Lahaina, it overlooks a beautiful bay and has a great view of Molokai (or maybe it was Lanai, I can't remember) and the food is excellent.
• The Koloa Fish Market. In Koloa, on Kaua'i, there is this tiny, hole-in-the-wall fish market that sells lunch plates that are to die for. There are no seats, indeed there's barely enough room to turn around, but the fish is so fresh and the prices are extremely reasonable.
• Air Kaua'i Helicopter Tours. Not for those who are afraid of heights, but for everyone else, it's amazing. Even the locals on Kaua'i say the helicopter tours are great, and with good reason. Such a beautiful place, and seeing it from a bird's-eye view is even better. And the Air Kaua'i helicopters have huge windows, which makes for a great viewing experience.
• Brick Oven Pizza, in Kalaheo. Also on Kaua'i. They have good pizza. Really good pizza.
• Marrying the one you love. My wedding was the best day of my life. We've been together for almost seven years, since high school. In that time we've had a lot of experiences. We've grown, and grown up, together. I can think of nothing better than knowing that this is the person that I'm going to grow old with, share my life with. I can't wait to see what the future will bring.

The fourth installment of the Legacy of the Alldenata saga concludes the Human-Posleen War series. It lived up to the first three novels, if it did resort to a bit of deus ex machina in the end. I would have been upset with all the loose ends, but Ringo made it clear in his afterword that he will be writing more about these characters (although perhaps after a not-too-brief hiatus).

Started: 2003-07-09 | Finished: 2003-07-13

Purchase from Amazon

I've been a huge fan of Gene Wolfe since I first picked up his Book of the New Sun series about five years ago. His novels are dense and it can be difficult to get to the core of them. A single reading is never enough to figure them out. But, oh!, they are so beautiful! The Fifth Head of Cerberus was my favorite of his books for a while, but Peace may be giving it a run for its money.

Started: 2003-07-02 | Finished: 2003-07-09

Purchase from Amazon

This was a welcome change of pace after Nietzsche. Ambrose's book is a bit biased, and since it was so short and covered so much he didn't have time to really delve into any of his topics, but it was still a good read and I think I can apply the highest praise that can be given to an historian: it made me want to learn more about the people and events he described.

Started: 2003-06-28 | Finished: 2003-07-01

Purchase from Amazon

I read this book as a part of my continuing quest to read all the books I was supposed to have read for various classes. It didn't take me long to remember why I skipped it the first time around. Nietzsche is a racist, a chauvenist, a classist, and, in general, a jerk. I disagree with the basic premise of his philosophy—that the basic and sole important drive in people is the will to power—as well as most of the conclusions to which it brings him. Nevertheless, he was an important influence on so many thinkers, so I suppose it wasn't a total waste of time.

Started: 2003-04-30 | Finished: 2003-06-26

Purchase from Amazon

This may be the best comic book movie I've seen. The character of the Hulk is one of the more interesting in the Marvel universe, which gave the film a solid backbone. Nick Nolte was very good, and Eric Bana was quite decent. The editing was a bit jarring at first, but it really made it seem like I was reading a comic book.

Viewed: 2003-06-21 | Released: 2003-06-16 | Score: B

IMDb Page

Another example of Pixar's tradition of excellent filmcraft, this movie had everything an animated feature needs: great comedy, an engaging storyline, amazing graphics, and heart. The fun characters and good messages make it a good family film, but there was more than enough humor to keep me (and most of the rest of the adult audience) laughing out loud.

Viewed: 2003-06-02 | Released: 2003-05-29 | Score: A

IMDb Page

I love going to my local theater that shows indie films; usually they're so much more interesting than mainstream movies. This one was such a disappointment. It was poorly written, poorly directed, extremely poorly edited and two of the four characters were poorly acted. The characters were poorly developed, merely slaves to the movie's central idea, and the imagery that the director must have thought was edgy and meaningful was, in fact, clumsy, obvious and pretentious. I left the film thinking, "The director clearly had no respect for me, so why should I have any respect for him?" Perhaps I'm too hopelessly bourgeois to appreciate a film like this, but I didn't miss the point, I dismiss it.

Viewed: 2003-05-24 | Released: 2003-01-17 | Score: F

IMDb Page

This movie was what you'd expect from a Jim Carrey movie: hilarious. Morgan Freeman was especially good, although that was no surprise. Two things hurt this film: Carrey was not completely successful at reining in his tendencies toward ham, which ruined some of the more serious scenes, and the main character was totally unlovable for the majority of the movie. If I hadn't seen this formula a million times already, I would have had no reason to think he would have any reason to be saved.

Viewed: 2003-05-23 | Released: 2003-05-22 | Score: C

IMDb Page

One of the most hyped films of the year, it definitely lived up to my expectations. Others may have varying mileage, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The action sequences were visually stunning and, unlike some, I found the plot and main philosophical conundrum engaging. I can't wait for number three.

Viewed: 2003-05-22 | Released: 2003-05-06 | Score: B

IMDb Page