Friday Musings

Blog Update
As I mentioned in my last post, this site has been pretty neglected lately. I dusted off my sidebar and added some folks that have been blogging and have already linked to me: Jenny, Marcie (& Seth), Voni, and Hope.

ISU Basketball Is Back
Coming into the year, my expectations (and excitement) for Cyclone basketball couldn't have been much lower. After all, McDermott wasn't left with much in the cupboard to work with and he would be coaching a group of guys who were just learning his system and playing together for the first time. The non-conference schedule went pretty much according to script with disappointing losses to Drake, UNI, and Iowa. So the 2-0 start in the Big 12 comes as a pleasant surprise. The comeback win on the road at Missouri seems to have been the jolt needed to get apathetic fans back on the bandwagon. I'm not going crazy here--an NIT berth would be a good accomplishment for this team. But it's nice to have a well-coached team that is fun to watch again.

The Illusionist
Newly released on DVD this week, The Illusionist is a fictional story set in early 20th century Vienna. Edward Norton plays the lead role of Eisenheim the magician, who unexpectedly finds his childhood sweetheart (Jessica Biel) after many years apart. A member of high-society, she is engaged against her will to the cruel crown prince when tragedy befalls her. The film deftly blends mystery and romance as we try to piece together the clues of her death and the key to Eisenheim's greatest trick. Even though I guessed the conclusion beforehand, the film still kept me engaged throughout. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars.