A few good flicks

We've been movie addicts of late, taking in three really good and different films.

My favorite was "Little Children," a tale of flaws, mistakes, dreams, regrets and, ultimately, redemption.

The characters are deep, complex and all-too-real. It reminded me of another great movie, "The Ice Storm." The message of both movies: we're all broken, we all mess up, often badly, and we all deserve another chance.

On the surface, "Shortbus" is a movie about sex, OK, a lot of sex. But it really isn't about sex.

I loved the way this movie was filmed. There's a fantastic party scene as seen through the loaded eyes of one of the characters. It's amazing!

The dialogue is superb. And the soundtrack is phenomenal.

Then there's "Borat!" This is playground comedy at its best. My favorite scene occurs when Borat, after taking a manners lesson, eats with a Southern dinner club in a faux plantation house.

Borat II can't be far off.

Borat think LSU pretty in Bowl of Roses

Rose Bowl bound ? ! ? ! ? !

Looks like I might get to hear the Golden Band from Tigerland play LSU's pre-game anthem live on Jan. 1 if the Tigers get a first-ever invite to the Rose Bowl.

Here's the band opening a 2005 home game in Death Valley.

Perhaps my move to SoCal was perfectly timed.

A ride up the coast

Here are the results of a recent afternoon road trip that we took along the old highway (Route 101) that runs up the coast from San Diego to Camp Pendleton. (Click on a picture for a larger view)

Our first stop was in Solana Beach.


Encinitas followed. Most of the towns feature walkable downtown centers just a few blocks from the ocean sporting a wide range of architecture from the first half of the 20th Century.

We couldn't resist this burger joint on the edge of Oceanside, our farthest stop.




We watched the sun set from the Oceanside pier.

The Saints are Coming

Check out this great video of a song performed by Green Day and U2 just a couple of months ago at the New Orleans Saints' first game in the Superdome following Katrina.

Another California sunset

We watched the day end near the old lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument on the tip of Point Loma in San Diego.

On one side of the hilly peninsula is the city and bay.

On the other side is the Pacific Ocean and eternity.

Pool party

We spent Sunday afternoon exploring the tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument, which sits at the end of Point Loma at the entrance to San Diego Bay.

When the tide goes out, hundreds of shallow spots and divots in the rocks are left filled with water and all sorts of sea creatures such as crabs, tiny fish, hermit crabs, anemone and even an occasional octopus.

They're like naturally occurring saltwater aquariums.

But don't worry. All of the critters get to escape their rocky prisons when the tide returns.