It might not be completely due to the acting, but Pineapple Express certainly has its own flavor in comparison to the other Judd Apatow movies. It is definitely the strangest, most “out there” film of the group. In case you have been living in a cave (with Bigfoot) for the last few years, there have been plenty of these comedies released. They include (in my opinion):

• The 40 Year Old Virgin
• Knocked Up
• Superbad
• Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• Pineapple Express

Though Judd Apatow has his name attached to many other projects, these films star his classic group and share much of the same style of humor. Pineapple Express has the same level of raunchiness and profanity that I expected considering I have seen all the movies with the exception of Forgetting Sarah Marshall. However for whatever reason it seemed like that was not as prominent in Pineapple as it was in the others…but it was replaced with plenty of drug use.

I attribute most of that fact to the complete dedication to subtle peculiarity in the humor. In my opinion that is the greatest strength of Pineapple Express. There are plenty of slapstick scenes and a sizable of absurd comedy as well, but the true enjoyment for me came in the form of the understated. The best example is Franco uttering “Is there a Rancor down there?” just before he enters a hole in the ground. There is no time to process the line, and the movie just continues.

That brings me to the ingenious character who embodies this quality of the movie: Red. This odd role played by Danny McBride was the highlight of the whole film. Nearly every one of his lines is delivered so otherworldly, as if he does not belong on Earth. The humor he delivers is very unique and his performance is a big part of separating Pineapple Express from the pack.

At this point I have not established that much. The movie is strange, the humor is strange, and I liked the subtle humor. Beyond that there is not much I can disclose. This is not because there is not more, but because there is almost no way to put this movie into words. I will give it a shot though.

Next time you and your friends are sitting around and someone says “What if…” and that is followed by someone else chiming in with a “What if after that…” keep it going for a while. Make sure that over time the “What if”’s get increasingly bizarre and ridiculous. After an hour or two you will have a script that resembles Pineapple Express in terms of plot.

If you did not like any of the previous Apatow movies, you will not enjoy this. However if you did enjoy the previous movies but felt the formula was getting stale then Pineapple Express is a potential solid choice. I thought it was pretty good, but mainly because of the distinct brand of comedy. Just be forewarned about the profanity/lowbrow humor (Parents talk to your kids).

7/10

To make things simple I am going to go through division by division and throw out a few thoughts on each team. Then I will give you the division winner, and by the end will have the entire division predicted. I will start with the vastly inferior conference, the NFC.

NFC North

Chicago Bears

The Bears are currently in contention for the worst quarterback situation in the league. Coach Lovie Smith announced today that Kyle Orton will be the starter. Congratulations Kyle, you beat out Rex Grossman for a starting job. That said the Bears defense is still solid (in non-Adrian Peterson weeks) but do not expect anything special from them this year.

Detroit Lions

Detroit seemed to be on the verge of actually turning things around last season until they ran out of gas at the end of the year. I have not heard any bold predictions from Kitna this year, but I think the team still is on the way up. Having developing beast Calvin Johnson cannot hurt, and the Lions added monster back Kevin Smith in this year’s draft. It is their defense that will ultimately keep them out of the playoffs this year.

Green Bay Packers

Of course the loss of Favre (and the circus of news that surrounded it) will be a huge problem for the Packers this year. There is no player in the NFL with more pressure on him this season, and possibly for his career, than Aaron Rodgers. I think he has the skill, but it is going to take at least five or six games into the year before we see him at his full potential. People forget that when Alex Smith went first overall to the 49ers a few years back, Rodgers was in contention for that number one spot. He fell to the Packers at 24. Rodgers will be out to prove the Favre-faithful and the 49ers front office wrong this season.

Adrian Peterson will look to prove his rookie season was no fluke.

Minnesota Vikings

Everyone in sports expects great things out of the Vikings this season, and with good reason. The best rush defense in the league has upgraded its secondary to create one of the league’s more formidable defenses. Adrian Peterson is going to be widely recognized as the best running back in football by the end of the season. The wildcard here is Tarvaris Jackson. He has the weapons in receivers Berrian and Rice to make plays, but his injuries (already hurt in the preseason) could be an issue.

NFC North Winner: Minnesota Vikings

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NFC South

Atlanta Falcons

Michael Turner is a nice addition, but he probably would have preferred a team with an offensive line. Matt Ryan is for the future instead of the present, so do not be surprised if he struggles this year. The Falcons are rebuilding and unfortunately will be doing that for a few more years post-Vick.

Carolina Panthers

If Jake Delhomme is healthy, they can win their division. Granted receiver Steve Smith is suspended for punching his teammate in the face, but when he returns he is a Pro-Bowl talent. Speaking of fisticuffs, the one-two punch of Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams should give the Panthers a solid ground attack. Expect a big improvement from last year assuming they can avoid the quarterback carousel that was last season.

New Orleans Saints

After a miracle season that almost sent the Saints to the Superbowl two years ago, the Saints suffered a dramatic drop-off. This was partly due to the injuries in the backfield (Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister), but then again when your defense is a sieve you should probably address that. I like the addition of Shockey who will act more like a second wide receiver (behind Colston) than a tight end.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Tampa Bay is one of the most ignored NFL franchises right now. They have a great defense, and a solid running attack that gets even more potent if Cadillac Williams can stay healthy. If Jeff Garcia can remain consistent at quarterback I think Tampa Bay will have every opportunity to repeat their success from last season. However part of the reason they get overlooked is because they are mediocre on offense, and that could be a problem.

NFC South Winner: Carolina Panthers

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NFC East

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys are on the verge of a Superbowl appearance (which I in no way want to occur)…if they can ever win a playoff game. Tony Romo is spectacular during the regular season, but cannot seem to pull out a win in January. The Cowboys right now are the best team in the NFC, and there is no reason they should not be able to secure a first round bye in the playoffs. Even in their tough division the Cowboys are going to have a great record, and T.O. is going for a monster season.

New York Giants

After winning the Superbowl teams often have a tendency to fall very quickly. In many ways I expect that from the Giants this year. The loss of Michael Strahan should not hurt too much because of the emergence of Justin Tuck on the defensive line. My problem is that I see Eli as the same old Eli that he was before last year’s playoffs. Tons of incompletions and a myriad of interceptions will certainly be the case this year. The Giants still have the talent to make the playoffs, but for those looking for a repeat: no chance.

Philadelphia Eagles

There are a few big questions I have about the Eagles heading into the season. Can Donovan McNabb play an entire year, and can Westbrook maintain his production given his heavier workload? I certainly hope the answer to the second question is ‘Yes’ seeing as I drafted Westbrook for my fantasy team. The Eagles always have the ability to explode and make a run, but their division is just too tough for me to see them doing any damage this year. It is a toss-up between them, the Giants, and the Redskins for a shot at the wildcard. It really is anybody’s game.

Washington Redskins

My comments about the Eagles ability to explode applies to the Redskins as well. They have plenty of weapons on offense, and even made a playoff run last year with Todd Collins at QB. The word out of training camp this year was that Jason Campbell was looking stellar, and if that is the case Washington will have improved its situation dramatically. I expect big things out of Portis under new coach Jim Zorn, and it is not out of the question that they can sneak into the wildcard. As I said at this point the role of second in the NFC South is up for grabs.

NFC East Winner: Dallas Cowboys

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NFC West

Can Matt Leinart finally bring the Cardinals into respectability?

Arizona Cardinals

Will this be the year? It seems like each and every season the Cardinals get brought up as a team who could surprise and finally break into playoff contention. And every season like clockwork they fail miserably. Edgerrin James is not getting any younger (though still can go over a grand and maybe grab 6 TDs). Matt Leinart might be able to put his drunken frat parties on hold long enough to throw a couple of passes in the general vicinity of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. With the best wide receiver duo in football you would expect more out of this franchise, and maybe we will finally see that this year.

San Francisco 49ers

As I mentioned up in the Green Bay section, how does that Alex Smith pick feel now? Old small-hands does not deserve all the blame though. The front office has done a poor job of building a team, and throwing 80 million to Nate Clements did not fix their defense as they thought it would. On the other hand, Patrick Willis is a man among boys, and is right now the absolute best defensive player in the league for my money. In this division, the 49ers at least have a chance.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks replaced the fragile and currently unemployed Shaun Alexander with Julius Jones in the off-season which should help balance the pass-heavy offense they employed in 2007. At this point the Seahawks really have no choice because their receiving corps has been hit with injuries all around. The team still boasts one of the league’s best defenses though, so they should be in the mix to win the division.

St.Louis Rams

Every day that Steven Jackson does not report to camp the Rams get further away from winning…well, anything. Besides Jackson’s holdout the Rams have to worry about their offensive line which was destroyed by injury last year. Bulger can put up huge numbers if that line can keep him off his back. Right now things look absolutely horrible for the Rams. At this point if they win six games I will consider their season a success considering their current situation.

NFC West Winner: Arizona Cardinals

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Wildcard Winners and Summary

In short I have the division winners as the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, and the Minnesota Vikings. As for the wildcard I see the New Orleans Saints and the New York Giants making it into the postseason.

Now that I have said all that, please keep in mind this is without seeing a single second of regular season action. The great thing about the NFL is that you never can know what to expect because of the parity on the league. Teams bubble up and fall down every year. I guess my boldest pick is the Cardinals winning the NFC West. I just see too much talent in an embarrassingly awful division.

What are your thoughts on the NFL and more specifically the NFC this season? Are you as excited for the NFL season as I am?

The opening ceremonies were amazing to watch. I have no idea how much money China put into them, but it was a display that was over the top in every way. Of course, that is not including the fifteen hours of people marching. However the US men’s basketball team looked tight.

The United States Men’s Basketball Team

Speaking of the basketball team, that is where all my excitement and anticipation lies in this Olympics. Today’s game against China (taking place in about thirty minutes) is poised to be the most watched basketball game in history with over 1 billion viewers. The team that has been assembled is much more of a team than in recent years where is was just a randomly assembled group of all-stars. I do question Jason Kidd starting over Deron Williams or Chris Paul, but then again Kidd is undefeated in international play.

Besides the basketball team I am very excited for the probable domination by Michael Phelps. He is already underway with one gold down, up to seven more to go. Phelps is definitely the most well-known representative of the United States, so I hope he continues to fulfill expectations and bring back gold to the US.

The wave of domination known as Michael Phelps.

Another one of the well-known names is Dara Torres, though I guess when you are competing in the Olympics since 1984 people should know who you are. Torres, a dinosaur by athletic standards, picked up her tenth Olympic medal last night at the age of 41. She posted the fastest split time last night (at least according to the announcers) which should just disgrace everyone else involved. Or prove she is that good…one of the two.

Our soccer team had a very strong showing today against The Netherlands (a favorite to win the gold). They nearly pulled off a victory were it not for The Netherlands scoring a tying goal in the 93rd minute (non-soccer fans: at the last possible chance). Still the US looked stronger than I expected them to be.

Overall I am much more into the Olympics than I had anticipated. I now depart to try to catch as much of the basketball game versus China as I can. What are your thoughts on the Olympics? What events are you most looking forward to?

Images courtesy ESPN.com

The new design for jbomb.net took me an incredible amount of time. The actual coding of the site is the easy part though. It is the actual design that takes such an extreme level of dedication and attention to detail. Let me be upfront: I am not a graphic designer. Therefore while the site is (in my eyes) a step up from the previous design, it still has a long way to go in future iterations. However, I really do think that it is a more functional design, and one that all of my loyal readers will enjoy viewing. I hope you like it.

There will be some kinks here and there, possibly with old posts. If you find any bugs or issues, please let me know via the contact form. I hope to work out the issues over the next week, in addition to adding features that are not available at the time of this post.

Though the new design is surely the more important news in this post, posting your thoughts on the internet 100 times (plus the 1200+ mini-thoughts on Twitter) merits some reflection into the past. My goal when launching jbomb.net was to post new content every 3 days. My average is about 3.5 to 3.6, so I have held fairly close to that (minus the last week I spent redesigning). I cannot guarantee I will hold that over the coming year, but I will certainly be shooting for twice a week.

I thought it might be fun to revisit some of my favorites posts that were put up every 3.6 days. Here are some highlights:

• Bracket Challenge - The first jbomb.net contest (in partnership with airxxi.com) was pretty successful. I hope to do more of them in the future.
• Best Films of 2007 - 2007 was a great year for movies, and while I dabble all over the place movies have always been at the core of the site. Looking at my top three specifically brought back memories of what a great year it was for film.
• Fall of Facebook - It is the winner of the most commented award, even if most of the comments have nothing to do with anything. My rants about Facebook have calmed down lately simply because the site has been useful in various situations over the past weeks. I still hate the place though.
• Cherry Bloom Review - Google “cherry bloom review” and see who the top result is. That is right, jbomb.net debuted the first (and at quick glance only) review of this independent album. I am still listening to it regularly. Plus whenever you review an album and the lead singer leaves a comment, you know you are doing something right.
• Wall-E Review - So far I would consider this the most controversial article I have ever written. I still stand by it. Wall-E is a phenomenal movie.
• Dark Knight Review - This is probably the best comments section of any post in terms of quality discussion about the film. Plus, I loved TDK.

There are plenty of other memories, but those stood out to me the most. I want to thank everyone who reads this site and especially thank those who leave comments (610 left so far). It is your readership and participation that motivate me to continue writing all of these reviews and assorted thoughts. Plus, many times your comments make me laugh out loud they are so hilarious.

What are your favorite posts so far, or what would you like to see in the future? Also, please share your thoughts on the new design (likes/dislikes). I do not know what the internet equivalent of a toast is, but consider me doing that for this 100th post celebration. Here’s to another 100.

For one, I think in our society we naturally think that the later something occurs, the more fun it has to be. If one day you went to Wendy’s at 7pm, and later in the week went at 12:30am, which trip would be more fun? No matter what happens after you order your Stack Attack and Frosty at 7, I guarantee the post-midnight trip is the one with the memories.

This same logic applies to watching movies at home. Watch Rush Hour 2 at 9pm and it is a funny movie. Watch Rush Hour 2 at 2am and it is the funniest thing you have ever seen. Jokes are funnier, and things that are not supposed to be jokes suddenly become hysterical. I think this phenomenon applies mostly to comedies, but it is the general idea of the late night that I am trying to point out.

This idea is a large part of the source of the midnight theater experience. Of course once you factor in the thrill of anticipation (especially for a movie like The Dark Knight) and the undeniable joy from seeing the very first show, you are in for a treat.

The crowd (in line for snacks above) is a big part of it. Not only do they share your emotions of excitement and anticipation, but you end up feeding from each other. Whether is was crazed comic book fanboys or middle-aged men dressed up as The Joker, the crowd at TDK was just awesome for setting the mood. My excitement grew as each costumed moviegoer entered and searched for their seat.

I have attended many midnight showings, but unfortunately many of them were complete duds. Spider-Man 3, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, I Am Legend…all very disappointing. Luckily The Dark Knight broke that trend in a big way (read the review if you have not already). Many thanks to the manager of the theater (crudely cell phone pictured below) for his role in hyping up the crowd.

“You wanted The Joker, but you got The Penguin. Now, are you ready for BATMAAAAAAAAAAN!?“

What are your experiences and thoughts with midnight showings? If need be feel free to ignore that question and rave some more about The Dark Knight. Everyone else is.

Every person who can read these words has surely been exposed to the universal excitement for this movie. From the amazing trailer to the aforementioned underground advertising, and of course the sad death of Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight has had a ton of news surrounding it. I honestly will be very surprised if it does not shatter every opening weekend record over the next several days. The most important part of all of this is that the movie, though I thought it impossible, actually lived up to the hype.

The Dark Knight picks up essentially where Batman Begins left off, and it is quite a ride from there. The story-line is gripping and had me completely engaged through its entire two and a half hour run time. I can only describe TDK as an epic superhero film, a quality it is able to achieve because of its length. The length was not a problem however. The twists and developments in the story coupled with the explosive action sequences provide plenty of material that will ensure the audience is never bored.

The length also allows for an amazing level of character development, and that is especially appreciated for this spectacular set of comic book personalities. There are so many important members including Bruce Wayne/Batman, The Joker, Harvey Dent, Rachel Dawes (now played by Maggie Gyllenhaal), James Gordon and even Alfred among many others. Nearly every single one of them grows or changes immensely during the film. This large assortment contributes to the epic nature of the movie, and is key in putting the audience into Gotham City.

The acting in TDK is simply superb (with the exception of Christian Bale’s Batman voice, which I found slightly strange). I loved the performances of the entire cast, but let me address the prevailing theme of Dark Knight discussion: the performance by Heath Ledger. His death definitely changed many people’s perspective of the film, and in fact the event may be influencing many people’s judgment (including me). Regardless of these factors I can say without question his role as The Joker is flawless.

In my opinion Ledger’s Joker is the best comic book villain ever to hit the screen. His interpretation of how The Joker would talk and move is so unique, and yet after seeing The Dark Knight I cannot imagine The Joker acting any other way. The Joker stole the show as the psychotic, troubled maniac complete with a signature haunting laugh. He was disturbing, frightening, intimidating, and sometimes hilarious all at the same time. I also appreciated the raw costume design that enhanced Ledger’s acting. His performance was perfectly done.

Ledger’s example of quality and intensity spread throughout the rest of the movie as well. The Dark Knight is extremely suspenseful and fierce. The grittiness of Gotham is extended into the dark, unflinching presentation of the film. The violence is just as sordid and occurs just as frequently as you would expect from a city filled with deranged criminals. There were many moments where I was either on the edge of my seat with anticipation, or being blown away by an action sequence. The movie is mature and real while still retaining its comic book feel.

The Dark Knight stands as one of the best superhero movies ever created, if not the best. There are certainly some minor weaknesses, but they are so trivial when compared to the ambition of the film and the success it achieves in almost every one of its aspects. I highly recommend The Dark Knight and I personally will be seeing it again before it leaves theaters.

9.5/10

Special note: If you enjoy comic book or superhero movies like I do, you will definitely want to see the trailer for Watchmen. It plays before The Dark Knight, so if you would rather wait to see it on the big screen ignore that link. I am already so excited for the adaptation of another one of my favorite comics.

The movie is directed by Michel Gondry, which gave me mixed feelings when I first decided to watch it. On the positive side, Gondry directed the brilliant Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Unfortunately he was also at the helm for the awful Science of Sleep. With those two in mind, Be Kind Rewind had a 50/50 shot to be brilliance.

Sadly things ended up on the other side of the coin. That is not to say BKR is as bad as the horrific Science of Sleep, but it is not a good film by any means. The premise (aka the trailer) is Jack Black and Mos Def reenacting popular movies after all the videos at their store get erased. I mention the trailer because honestly that is about all the reenactment (Sweding as the film calls it) that takes place. If you watch the movie because you think those two acting out classic movies will be fun, you are better off watching the trailer. You will get the same amount of laughter as I got from the movie, and you will avoid all the boredom in between.

In many ways I see the same problems that appeared in Science of Sleep here. Since Eternal Sunshine Gondry has been unable to present a great story. Many (including myself) suspect that the success of that film was due to the creativity of Gondry combining with the writing of Charlie Kaufman, who wrote the script. Both SoS and BKR were written without Kaufman, and both are extremely boring and lack any kind of heart.

Gondry also is trying too hard to live up to his “creative” status. Be Kind Rewind is dominated by ideas that were just blatant attempts to be quirky. It certainly does not help that the characters are strange and completely unexplained. Why is Mos Def living in a video store? Why does he talk very slow and act confused all the time? Why does Jack Black sleep in a trailer in a junk yard? Are we supposed to just assume that is the reason he loves conspiracies? Why do we spend so much time getting force-fed Fats Waller references?

This review is definitely critical, but in the end you might get a few laughs when this hits TNT. Would I recommend spending any money to see it? Absolutely not. In an oh-that-is-sort-of-cool-but-wow-it-did-not-work-out-I-laughed-about-twice sort of way, Be Kind Rewind is just like the short films created by its characters: poorly designed, poorly acted, and overpriced.

5/10

At this point a large majority of people are familiar with Pixar’s films. Their body of work is simply spectacular, with personal favorites of mine such as Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., and the aforementioned Ratatouille. Even mentioning those is difficult, because I am leaving out a lot of classics like Toy Story.

Pixar does not even need a feature-length movie to impress. Wall-E’s opening short film, Presto, is honestly better than a lot of two hour films. Five minutes of a magician and a rabbit and I am already laughing and grinning like an eight-year-old. The level of production and creativity at Pixar is mind-boggling.
Wall-E is both a continuation of their tradition, and at the same time a completely fresh creation.

Wall-E will feel familiar to long-time Pixar fans. Top-notch computer animation, clever character design, and plenty of humor. Wall-E is genuinely funny, and had me and the audience laughing out loud frequently. In addition to its visuals and comedy, Wall-E has a fantastic storyline. The amount of character development in this “kid” movie is so beautifully crafted it puts most lice-action movies to shame. By the end of the film my level of emotional investment was simply indescribable.

Part of this was due to the inspired direction taken by Pixar. In Wall-E’s 100 minute runtime, I would estimate there are 25 minutes of dialogue. In fact there is none to be found for the first 45 minutes. The ability to convey feeling and advance the plot without language is utterly brilliant. Wall-E is Pixar’s most artistic, and in my opinion, genius film to date. Wall-E discusses love and loneliness on a human level without ever saying a word.

Expressing what made the movie so great is somewhat challenging. It really is the sum of Wall-E’s parts that propelled it to greatness. Its wonderful lead character, its sense of adventure, its humor, and perhaps most importantly its level of artistry all combine to form what could end up being the best movie of the year.

Perfection is a strong word, but Wall-E comes extremely close to achieving it. Wall-E is an exquisite piece of cinema that has a perfect balance of entertainment and narrative. It is intelligent, bursting with creativity, and quite honestly inspiring. I cannot recommend this incredible work of art enough.

10/10

5. Grand Canyon

Though it might be considering a “boring” choice, I picked it because well…I have never been there. The Grand Canyon is in movies fairly often, but I am sure that seeing it in person will blow me away no matter how many times I think I have seen it. I want to be amazed by its enormity and view the greatest natural wonder in the United States.

4. Venice

Venice is a more cultured choice than the Grand Canyon, though it is still spoken of as a popular tourist destination. Without having been there myself I cannot fathom the idea of the water streets, gondolas, and everything else way overused in romantic comedies. Italy has a ton of areas that I would want to visit if I ever step foot in the country, but Venice stands at the top of the list (and on this list).

3. Mayan Ruins

There is not really a specific location that Mayan ruins are contained within, so I do not have a specific location here (somewhere in Central America). I must say that a lot of my interest in checking out the ruins stems from The Fountain. After watching the film and the DVD extra features I was intrigued by the ruins. The culture is interesting, and the ruins are beautiful from both an aesthetic and archaeological standpoint.

2. Great Barrier Reef

Now I am getting into dream destinations that I have wanted to visit for a long time. Scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef is definitely one of the coolest things anyone can do on this planet. The amount of amazing underwater life is simply stunning. According to the research I did, Lady Elliot Island seems to be the prime tourist spot in the GBR, though there are several other islands that are tourist-available.

1. Alaska: Northern Lights

It was a foregone conclusion in my mind before I started typing that the Northern Lights were going to be number one. I have been obsessed with the display since the day I first learned about the phenomenon. The aurora borealis are most easily seen in Alaska, which means I will be hitting Seward’s Folly at least once in my lifetime. I cannot speak for readers, but personally I find this occurrence to be absolutely fascinating. If I ever visit one place from this list, I hope it is this one. I will get to see the most beautiful light show on the Earth…and possibly even see a polar bear.

Several of the entries illustrate what an impact film and television have. Would we know as much about places such as Venice or the Mayan Ruins were it not for popular entertainment? I think not.

What do you think of my list? What places do you want to visit?

For those who do not know I recently moved. Still in Pittsburgh, but now in a different area. However through some miscommunications with various utility companies, both me and my family were stranded without gas or electricity for four days. Add that to the three days that internet was shut off at our old house because of transferring the service and you have one full week without the internet.

Your first response might be, “Justin is a computer scientist, so naturally it was difficult for him to miss internet capabilities.” Actually as I reflected upon that week without access I do not think that many people in my age group, geek or otherwise, would have had an easy time.

A large part of our society today relies on internet connectivity not to keep them hooked up to their favorite websites, but to information they need to live. Whether it is working from home, checking your bank account, or even checking the forecast, the internet is now a daily staple. I would guess this is most evident in teenagers and twenty-somethings, but really I think it extends deep into the current working class (40s-50s?).

This is not new information, but I know that sometimes pointing out the obvious puts things into perspective. I know that last week I realized how much information I absorb from the internet on a daily basis. Be it from email, RSS newsfeeds, or using Google to find specific information I need, my dependency on computers/internet is even more than I had thought.

This is not necessarily a bad thing either. It is a sign that our culture has tightly integrated the use of technology into work and recreation. In most areas this means an improved flow of information (all your info in one place) and an ease of use that allows technology to be widely accepted (think iPhone).

Geek or not, how important is the internet in your daily routine? Can you imagine going a week without email or any of the other things I mentioned?