13 Going on 30: I like Jennifer Garner. This is not an original sentiment. Many people like Jennifer Garner in the way that a vast majority of us enjoy chocolate. Most can agree that she's a good thing, like rainbows and backrubs. And because she's stuck with a low-rated, but very high-quality show for three seasons while her star has continued to rise and because she's tried to keep her romances low-profile and because she's gorgeous, but goofy in a way that even Julia Roberts tries but can't quite pull off, a lot of us love her. Even those of us menfolk who are only mildly attracted to her (me among them), we still LHLAS. She's got so much charisma they ought to tax her on it, at least 35 percent. So, anyway, that's why I still want to see this movie despite the fact that it's pretty much a wholesale lift of Big. I fully expect to see Tom Hanks and Penny Marshall walking around with black eyes from such a blunt and unapologetic robbery. But it's Jennifer Garner. And if we can forgive Freaky Friday, we can sure forgive 13 Going on 30. You go, Jennifer Garner. You go.

Gloomy Sunday: This movie takes place in 1930s Budapest and it's mostly one of those incredibly evocative European love triangle movies where everybody swoons and dies and listens to fabulous music while thinking about Nietzsche. The title refers to a famous suicide song that was eventually recorded by Billie Holiday that at one time it was fashionable to kill yourself to. Oh, those crazy swingers! I hope that somewhere in the closing credits it says, "This one's for all the goths. Die on!"

Man on Fire: I have a theory that one day, soon after winning his Oscar, Denzel Washington looked in the mirror and said, "All right. Now I don't have to star in movies about the Civil War or John Grisham bullshit where I don't even get to kiss Julia Roberts or save the healthcare industry. I'm going to start playing assholes and shooting people and getting pizz-aid. Fuck the po-lice." And so he's been making movies where he's a little sleazier and sleeps with women like Eva Mendez and kills a lot of bad guys. This movie is getting such bad reviews that Denzel's goodwill as a serious actor has all but evaporated. This movie is offending critics on a level that makes it seem like the movie came to their house and smeared dogshit on the living room walls. Denzel's no longer an actor who we can count on to take great roles and make the most of them. Now he's just as much a crapshoot on film as Tom Cruise. And that's not a fantastic place to be right now.

The Seagull's Laughter: Dude, that's a bad title. I know you're Icelandic and you Icelandics are a little whimsical, but shit. The Seagull's Laughter? I'm sorry. You're just going to have to do better than that. And don't come back with Unicorn Stories or Where Eagles Care. I won't answer the door.

Two Men Go To War: This is a movie about dentists who go AWOL from military duty and go to WWII to win the war on their own. It's a comedy. Seriously. And it probably has that kind of Bridge on the River Kwai whimsical marching music and talks about how silly war is, really. All this movie makes me think about is stories like this and all of a sudden, it doesn't seem like such a great premise for a comedy anymore. One Omar Skips This Movie.

DVDs: Master & Commander is pretty fantastic, but we watched it really late at night and despite the brio and manliness of it all, I still started dozing halfway through. Sea movies do that to me. So I'll watch the rest of that soon with some coffee. Also, Triplets of Belleville! Hell yeah! And the new Smallville and Gilmore Girls DVD sets. My DVD cup runneth over.

I'm absolutely tired of this, but I have to get it off my chest or I'm never going to be able to live my life with any degree of self respect.

I had an affair with David Beckham.

It was before Rebecca Loos, but after that Malaysian girl. Also, before he hooked up with Matt Damon in Paris.

There. I said it. Now leave me alone, British press! Haven't you torn up my life enough!?!

L'il Floaty Omie Head lets his mind wander. Donkeys, Sofia Milos, Cliff bars, that sort of thing.

A week and a half left. I can't believe it.

My review of Weezer's Video Capture Device DVD is up on ye olde austin360 Web syte. Incidentally, it wasn't a freebie: it was a birthday gift from M. Giant and Trash, so thank you for giving me something that I coul watch and enjoy at work without guilt.

There's also a review of the Freaks and Geeks DVD set from Joe Gross who knows more about that show than I do about Smallville, so go check it out.

A new entry is up, an ode to C&W album titles. I wrote all of these the night I went to see Trejo's play and I've been itching to get them out there. That's right. Itchin'! I get a little itchy with these things sometimes.

Forgot Friday to link to this game review I did for Fight Night 2004. The only thing I've had time to write besides my XL Blog for work lately have been little bits and pieces like this.

Anybody playing this game online? Because my custom fighter Omie Joe Louis will kick your ass. Two times, even.

So we went out to the Zilker Botanical Gardens on Sunday and did a belated photo shoot of engagement pics, shot by my fiancee's brother. He shot a roll of black and white and a roll of color; they came out great. Here's one of the pics:

A new Smallville recap is up and I have to say I always have the most fun recapping after a long break. As much work as it can be, it really is something I miss when I'm not doing it for a long while.

Get it on, octagon, get it on! -- Robert Palmer says, "The cave is dark, and you're not home. Your powers are not your own. Your dad sweats, Lex Luthor shakes, a ripped shirt is what it takes. You can't fly, you can't screw, you just wear red plaids and blues. This plot is weak, so many scenes! That octagon is all you need!"

Maybe it's because it was a Sunday or because we were running around with errands and wedding preparations all day, but I didn't realize it was the Oklahoma City bombing anniversary until today. I probably don't have the means of calculating all the ways that it changed my life, but it did and every year that passes, those changes become more and more apparent.