Maybe it’s because they used Coheed and Cambria in the trailer. Maybe it’s because the main characters in the movie look a little too much like Sackboy from the Little Big Planet video game. Whatever the case, I knew that I had to watch the movie 9. It just seemed like such an intriguing concept, giving us a post-apocalyptic world not unlike The Matrix and Terminator Salvation, but having no human characters whatsoever.

Let’s get one thing straight. Despite the fact that 9 is a CGI animated film, it is not the family-friendly entertainment that you’ve come to expect from something like Kung Fu Panda. This movie is dark and mildly disturbing. There’s no blood shed, since there are no human characters, but there is definite death and dismay. Watching as “the Beast” sucks the souls out of the humanoid like sack characters might be more than what young children can handle. It’s almost like Shang Tsung’s fatality in Mortal Kombat.

You’ll definitely see some parallels with the Terminator and Matrix universes, since the protagonists are constantly on the run from the machines, but there is something so remarkably human about these nine rag dolls that not even Christian Bale can bring to the screen. Their struggle is real. Their emotions are real. And their deaths are most definitely real.

The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)

When it comes to horror movies, we inevitably end up looking at the same few common themes. You approach the demons from below, the aliens from above, the monsters from elsewhere, and something about seeing dead people all around us. The Haunting in Connecticut starts out almost with a Sixth Sense style theme, since main character Matthew Campbell starts to see things.

He’s been diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma and requires frequent and profound treatment at the hospital, which is eight hours away from their main home. As a result, the family moves into a house that is closer to the hospital, only to find mortuary-related equipment in the basement. Supposed based on a true story, The Haunting in Connecticut goes on to approach necromancy, powerful seances, and defiled bodies with strange symbols carved into them.

As strange as it may sound, assuming that you’re willing to accept things like this, the story in this movie is actually somewhat believable. Don’t expect anything too insightful or thought-provoking, though. This is a horror movie with cheap scares and short shocks, getting dead people to suddenly appear in the shadows and not much more.

Mirrors (2008)

The concept on which Mirrors is based is a common one. When you gaze into a mirror, it is said that you are not looking at your own reflection. Instead, you are gazing into an alternate reality of some kind and there is some being on the other side that is trapped in the “mirror” world.

Kiefer Sutherland of 24 fame plays Ben Carson, a suspended police detective who is working as a night guard to make ends meet. While patrolling a shopping center that has been torched in an arson, he starts to notice strange and frightening images in the mirrors. He sees a woman on fire in a change room, but only in the mirror. Eventually, we learn that some evil being (surprise!) is trapped in the mirror world and it’s collecting the souls of the dead.

The first two-thirds of Mirrors offers some cheap thrills and some gruesome violence (one woman has her head ripped in two), but the final act goes so far off the deep end that you begin to wonder whether you are watching the same movie. Worse yet, we’re never really given a true explanation of this soul-starved mirror being, making for a remarkably shallow movie where much substance could have otherwise been imbued.

Whenever you start a sentence with “what’s to say” or “who’s to say,” you need to complete the sentence with a full clause and a question mark. This is because these sentences are used for expressing the uncertainty of an event or a posited truth. Here are a few examples.

What’s to say he wanted to go to the party in the first place?
Who’s to say that we’re to blame for global warming?
Who’s to say what I can and cannot do?

Just like when it comes to ending sentences in a preposition and maintaining a consistent parallel structure, using “what’s to say” or “who’s to say” to start a sentence is largely a matter of personal preference. Some people like this kind of writing style, whereas others feel that it is too casual for certain applications.

If you separate the respective contractions, you can see how these sentences are still grammatically acceptable. “Who’s to say” can be separated into “who is to say.” This poses a question and the appropriate response to such a question would involve answering the question of “who.” In the above example on global warming, you could refer to David Suzuki or Al Gore.

In most instances, you can replace “who’s to say” with “what’s to say” to get the same desired query. You are still questioning the certainty of a certain statement. This is quite different than the difference between much and many, since that is much more distinct.

Do you have a suggestion for a future Grammar 101? Let me know through the comment form below.

The original inspiration for today’s speedlink comes partly from the original Transformers movie song, but it’s more more in line with the themes you’re used to seeing here on Beyond the Rhetoric. As you read through some of these great blog posts, remind yourself that you’ve got the touch, you’ve got the power, and you too can take two steps forward.

Raul Pacheco is quite the busy fellow, so it makes sense that he values the importance of organization. Every month, Raul sits down to plan for the month or week ahead, laying out the tasks that need to be completed and how long each of them will take. How much monthly planning do you do? Or do you play it by ear along the way?

Thursday Bram offers some great advice on a common concern that work-at-home professionals may have. Buying your first home is complicated enough, but it can be even more complicated for freelancers. How do you prove your income and, thus, your ability to afford a mortgage? What do you need to bring to the table to close the deal?

Susan Johnston takes a moment to address the number one fear of many freelancers: going broke. Many of us know that some freelancers can experience monthly incomes that fluctuate all over the map, so make sure that you diversify, live below your means, and put away enough money into your savings each month. Proper financial planning goes a long way.

Therese Borchard handles an interesting conundrum that some people may face. We all want to be the best that we can be, but how can you tackle perfectionism in the healthiest possible way? Ironically enough, one of the more effective tactics to employ is to compare yourself to others. Realize that no one is perfect and that includes you.

RT Cunningham offers his perspective on why the evolution of wireless electricity is important. Considering that we all have cords and cables dangling in every which direction, both in the home and in the office, giving another ability to go wireless is certainly appreciated. Corded phones? Wired landlines? Let’s make wired electricity another thing of the past?

Whether you participate in a competitive sports league or you’re looking to move ahead in your career, finding a never-ending supply of motivation can be the difference between monumental success and monumental failure. Finding this motivation inside of yourself can be difficult, so sometimes we turn to outside sources to push us along in the right direction.

With this kind of sentimentality in mind, I started to wonder if it would be more effective to be motivated by your rivals or by your colleagues. Many of us are already familiar with the quandary of comparing yourself to others, but this can also help you achieve much more than you ever thought possible.

The Power of the Rivalry

On the one hand, you will find that some of the most successful people in this world seem to be motivated by their rivals. This is particularly prevalent in professional sports, because they are motivated to be better than their rivals.

Would Magic Johnson have achieved the success that he did if it were not for Larry Bird? They feel like they have something to prove and they use their rival as a measuring stick. Bragging rights and self-satisfaction go a long way.

We Shall Rise Together

On the other hand, you can choose to focus on your strengths and find motivation with your colleagues. The idea here is that you aim to bring the rest of your “team” up with you, motivated to bring out the best in everyone to bring about the best overall results.

You feel good when you see your colleague succeed and he feels the same in kind when you manage to achieve something. Is this an inner competition with teammates? Perhaps, but it works.

Some Healthy Competition

While it can also bring out the worst in many people, I think that some healthy competition can serve as a very powerful motivator. You may or may not want to be someone else, per se, but you likely want to outperform your rival. If your rival is able to do the 100-meter dash in eleven seconds, you want to do it in ten.

Without a rival (and not necessarily an “opponent”), you may not find the motivation to reach into your reserve tank for that last stretch. Picture a horse race like the one depicted above. You push harder, because your fellow racer is neck-and-neck with your horse.

The Unreachable Peak

This will naturally lend itself to a competition that cannot end. Each time you “one up” your rival, he or she will fight to outperform you again. At that point, you’ll find the motivation to outperform him or her again. It is through this perpetual climb toward greater and greater success that we come to realize impossible is nothing. Push your limits, believe in yourself, and you just may be surprised by what you can do.

What do you think? Do you find greater motivation from your rivals or your teammates?

Maybe you choose to make your money through affiliate marketing. Maybe you run a highly successful eBay store. Or maybe you choose to take the freelance writing path like me. Whatever the case, you may have taken the plunge and are currently working from home.

While there is certainly a community of work at home moms online, you also have to remember that there are other people who choose to make their living from their living rooms too. Buzz Bishop, for example, reminds us that there are work-at-home dads too. And then there are people who like me who are neither moms nor dads, but we treat our home-based businesses just as seriously as someone who chooses to open up a coffee shop or clothing store.

When you are first transitioning from a conventional job to one where you work from home, you may not really feel like you’re a “work at home” kind of person right away. Soon, however, you’ll start to discover the symptoms of home-based entrepreneurship.

• You get an oil change on the car once a year, not because you can’t afford a more frequent schedule, but because you only rack up 6,000km (~3700 miles) in 12 months.
• You’re the only one there when you go to visit the zoo. That’s because it’s a Wednesday afternoon.
• You sit at your computer well into the wee hours of the night, because you have a client’s project that absolutely must be finished by the morning. Meanwhile, Stephen Colbert is cracking jokes in the background.
• You have an alarm clock in your bedroom, but you don’t set an alarm.
• You don’t really notice when it is a public holiday, because you’re probably going to treat it like a regular work day anyway.
• You haven’t taken a vacation that wasn’t work-related in over two years.
• You take a long look at each sales receipt, thinking about whether you can write off any portion of the purchase as a business expense.
• You swear never to work in a conventional office ever again.

Do any of these symptoms sound familiar? Congratulations and welcome to the world of working from home.

“It is the nature of desire not to be satisfied, and most men live only for the gratification of it.”

When you think of Ancient Greece, the same three names inevitably rise to the surface: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle.

Some people may feel that these great Athenian philosophers hold very little bearing on the world today, but these are the same people who believe William Shakespeare has no relevance. The truth is that these men were able to dig right into the very nature of man and this nature is timeless.

In the above quote from Aristotle, we are reminded of the very nature of desire. By definition, we only desire that which we cannot or do not have. This can be yearning for more money, a better job, or any number of other things. At the same time, we learn very quickly that the reward is not so rewarding shortly after it is received.

Let’s say, for example, that you set it a s a goal for yourself to earn $40,000 a year. That’s a very respectable annual income and it’s a reasonable goal to have. It sure sounds like a lot of money for someone who is more accustomed to earning minimum wage. However, should this minimum wage earner achieve the goal of a $40,000 job, he or she will likely get used to this newfound “wealth” quite quickly.

What was once the object of desire has become a point of expectation. Anything less than $40,000 doesn’t feel like nearly enough and $40,000 becomes the new norm. More likely than not, this person will not yearn to earn more. $60,000? $100,000?

Remember that while you are traveling down this road called life, you will likely desire this thing or that. You want a new television, a new confidante, or a new abode. It is also very true that many people live for the gratification of this desire, but know that desire will also act like a carrot on a stick. It’s always just out of reach. Once again, we are reminded to value what we already have.

As Ray told us last week, the grass might not be greener on the other side. Your own grass might not be so bad after all.

Boo! I know that Halloween isn’t officially until tomorrow, but based on all the people that are dressing in their offices and on television, I think it’s safe to say that many folks are “celebrating” this “holiday” one day ahead of schedule.

It’s been a while since I’ve done a “random musings” post here on Beyond the Rhetoric, so I thought I’d take Halloween as an opportunity to do so. Feel free to chime in with your random Halloween-related ideas through the comment form at the bottom as well.

Everything is Commercial

The original story of Halloween (All Hallows’ Evening) tells us that the border between the living and dead is the thinnest on October 31. It’s on this day that both harmless and harmful spirits can pass through into our world; ancestors are honored and harmful spirits are warded off with costumes, masks, fires, and so on.

How this tradition of ghoulish outfits transformed into costumes for aging boxers and French maids is anyone’s guess. What is clear is that, like any other holiday, Halloween has long since gone very commercial. Selling costumes and decorations is big business!

The Scariest Man-Beast Hybrid

I’m using a fairly loose definition of a man-beast hybrid, referring to just about any humanoid-like “monster” with some animal-like features. I’d include blood-sucking vampires as part of this mix, as well as werewolves and Spider-man.

After some thought, I’d have to agree with Elisa in saying that the scariest man-beast hybrid is the minotaur. He’s just so menacing! What do you think? What do you think is the most frightening man-beast hybrid? My friend Harry thinks it’s the man-bear-pig. Do you know the reference?

Your Greatest Fear

Horror movies are a lot of fun, because they give us an opportunity to address the worst case scenario without actually putting ourselves in any physical harm. We can watch as people get slaughtered by Jason Voorhees while admonishing the characters’ poor survival skills.

These movies are also an interesting way to live out our greatest fears vicariously. GeekRevolution says that his greatest fear is “death by avalanche or cave-in.” What’s your greatest fear? What would be your ultimate horror movie?

While you may have no problem differentiating between bizarre and bazaar, many people seem to misunderstand the difference between famous and infamous. Some people think that these two words can be used interchangeably, but that is far from the case and you can easily offend someone by choosing the wrong word.

Do you know when to say someone is famous and when to say someone is infamous? Do you know why you may strive to achieve great fame rather than to live on in infamy? These are two very different concepts.

Famous: Well-Known in a Good Way

Saying that someone (or something, for that matter) is famous is to say that this person (or thing) is widely known and celebrated. The person is generally held in high regard and thought about in a positive manner. For example, you could say that President Barack Obama is famous. He may have some opponents, but we would generally hold him in a positive light.

Using “fame” or “famous” to refer to most celebrities would also be appropriate, regardless of their relative level of skill or talent. Lindsay Lohan is arguably just as famous as Tom Hanks, and it would largely be inappropriate to refer to either individual as infamous.

Infamous: Say Hello to the Bad Guy

Both famous people and infamous people are well-known, but they are widely known for very different reasons. While a famous person is generally viewed in a positive manner, an infamous person is known for bad things. Usually viewed unfavorably, infamous people can include notorious gangsters, serial murderers, or genocidal politicians. I think most of us would agree that Adolf Hitler will live on infamy.

Unless the person is best known for a notoriously evil act of some kind, it probably would not be a great idea to refer to a Hollywood celebrity as infamous. The exception could perhaps be someone like Roman Polanski, but I’ll leave that up to you to decide.

A Political Statement in a Single Word

By choosing to use “famous” or “infamous” to refer to a political figure of some kind, you are immediately making a statement about this person. If you say that Chairman Mao Tse-Tung is famous, then you may be thinking about how he completely changed the face of China, giving it an opportunity for prosperity.

However, if you say that Mao is infamous, then thoughts of Communist restriction and propaganda may feature more prominently in your mind. One word makes a world of difference. Choose wisely.

You may have noticed that I have written about the concept of perspective several times before on Beyond the Rhetoric. I’ve discussed how there are two sides to every coin and how we can reinterpret bad news. It’s important to consider different points of view so that you can have a more comprehensive understanding of the world around you.

For this week’s speedlink session, we look to the blogosphere for some perspectives that may be unconventional, under-explored, or otherwise different from what we may normally expect.

Joshua Denney, a Canadian born and raised, recognizes that many people around the world had and continue to have a strong dislike for our American neighbors to the south. However, he is quick to point out why he doesn’t hate America and why we shouldn’t either. Despite some inclinations to act as the world police, there is still something magical about the American dream.

Melissa Karnaze has some trouble sitting in front of the keyboard sometimes, just like the rest of us. When the words fail to flow, she reminds herself why writer’s block is her secret weapon, also reminding us that it can be our secret weapon too. Ironically enough, writer’s block can help you find clarity and boost your confidence. It’s all about approaching it in a different way.

InvestorBlogger has something to say to all the Apple fanboys in the audience: Macs suck and PCs rule. As much as some people may applaud the strengths of the Apple computers, InvestorBlogger finds that all the extra graphical flash of the Mac doesn’t help with efficiency. Moreover, Windows-based software is still more affordable and varied than the Mac counterpart.

Damien Riley knows that the current state of the economy has a lot of people hurting and many have been laid off as a result. At the same time, Damien is able to offer another point of view on the recession. If you lose your job, you may have to accept a position in a different field just to pay the bills. This is an opportunity to learn. The future is filled with new possibilities.

Daree Allen likes traveling around the world, but unlike most other tourists who travel with friends or family, Daree chooses to go it alone. She took a solo vacation in Las Vegas for one week, not restricted by the preferences and itineraries of any travel mates. She was able to work by day, have fun by night, and do whatever she wanted to do. Have you ever traveled alone?

Call it a recession special. Call it a year-end sale. Call it whatever you want, because this is one killer deal.

It was just over ten months ago that I unveiled the new website design for Beyond the Rhetoric and one of the major changes was the introduction of the 125 x 125 ad blocks near the top of the page. This is a great ad placement, as it is featured prominently on every page, giving optimal exposure to your company, business, or blog.

Well, I’m going to give you two months at this ad spot for the price of one.

Here’s how it works:

The current one month price for the 125 x 125 ad spot is US$30. Send the thirty dollars via PayPal to michael -at- michaelkwan -dot- com, along with the link to your website and the URL to your 125 x 125 image file. Animation is fine, but Flash is not. You can email the image file to me if you’d prefer not to host it yourself.

This will pay for December 2009 and you will get November 2009 for free!

If you order before November 1, then you get the whole two months. If you order during November, then you get the remainder of that month and the entirety of December.

There are a total of six ads in rotation with three being displayed randomly with each page load. In this way, this offer is only good for the first six advertisers. If you want to completely dominate it, you can buy all six spots yourself! I will put a quick update in this blog post when all six spots have been sold.

What are you waiting for? Head on over to PayPal and send that payment to michael -at- michaelkwan -dot- com now!