Mike Munhall

This is AFI’s list of 100 Top Movies. The new list will be out later this month. Highlight the ones you’ve seen, add 5 more at the bottom, and post to your blog.

1 CITIZEN KANE (1941)
2 GODFATHER, THE (1972)
3 CASABLANCA (1942)
4 RAGING BULL (1980)
5 SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN (1952)
6 GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
7 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
8 SCHINDLER’S LIST (1993)
9 VERTIGO (1958)
10 WIZARD OF OZ, THE (1939)
11 CITY LIGHTS (1931)
12 SEARCHERS, THE (1956)
13 STAR WARS (1977)
14 PSYCHO (1960)
15 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
16 SUNSET BLVD. (1950)
17 GRADUATE, THE (1967)
18 GENERAL, THE (1927)
19 ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
20 IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
21 CHINATOWN (1974)
22 SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
23 GRAPES OF WRATH, THE (1940)
24 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
25 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
26 MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
27 HIGH NOON (1952)
28 ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
29 DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
30 APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
31 MALTESE FALCON, THE (1941)
32 GODFATHER PART II, THE (1974)
33 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST (1975)
34 SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
35 ANNIE HALL (1977)
36 BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE (1957)
37 BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, THE (1946)
38 TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, THE (1948)
39 DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
40 SOUND OF MUSIC, THE (1965)
41 KING KONG (1933)
42 BONNIE AND CLYDE (1967)
43 MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
44 PHILADELPHIA STORY, THE (1940)
45 SHANE (1953)
46 IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
47 STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, A (1951)
48 REAR WINDOW (1954)
49 INTOLERANCE (1916)
50 LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING, THE (2001)
51 WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
52 TAXI DRIVER (1976)
53 DEER HUNTER, THE (1978)
54 M*A*S*H (1970)
55 NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
56 JAWS (1975)
57 ROCKY (1976)
58 GOLD RUSH, THE (1925)
59 NASHVILLE (1975)
60 DUCK SOUP (1933)
61 SULLIVAN’S TRAVELS (1941)
62 AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
63 CABARET (1972)
64 NETWORK (1976)
65 AFRICAN QUEEN, THE (1951)
66 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
67 WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966)
68 UNFORGIVEN (1992)
69 TOOTSIE (1982)
70 CLOCKWORK ORANGE, A (1971)
71 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN (1998)
72 SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE (1994)
73 BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
74 SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, THE (1991)
75 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT (1967)
76 FORREST GUMP (1994)
77 ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976)
78 MODERN TIMES (1936)
79 WILD BUNCH, THE (1969)
80 APARTMENT, THE (1960)
81 SPARTACUS (1960)
82 SUNRISE (1927)
83 TITANIC (1997)
84 EASY RIDER (1969)
85 NIGHT AT THE OPERA, A (1935)
86 PLATOON (1986)
87 12 ANGRY MEN (1957)
88 BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
89 SIXTH SENSE, THE (1999)
90 SWING TIME (1936)
91 SOPHIE’S CHOICE (1982)
92 GOODFELLAS (1990)
93 FRENCH CONNECTION, THE (1971)
94 PULP FICTION (1994)
95 LAST PICTURE SHOW, THE (1971)
96 DO THE RIGHT THING (1989)
97 BLADE RUNNER (1982)
98 YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)
99 TOY STORY (1995)
100 BEN-HUR (1959)

Mine (With the exception of Raising Arizona, these aren’t necessarily favorites, just movies that I really liked.  My top five list changes from day to day.  If I wrote this list tomorrow it would be different):

1 RAISING ARIZONA
2 DEAD MAN
3 GHOSTBUSTERS
4 SLC PUNK
5 USUAL SUSPECTS

Every photographer (or artist of any medium) gets into a creative rut now and then. This trick using Flickr and Flickriver is something I use to get new ideas for photographs. Even if you are not a photographer, Flickriver is a great source for fantastic photographs and I recommend, at the very least, a quick visit just to see some great photos.

First, you’ll need to know what Flickr and Flickriver are. (I’m sure that those of you living on the top side of the rock already know about Flickr): Flickr is a photo sharing website. It’s much more than that, really. But, for the purpose of this post, that’s all you need to know except that to do this trick, you need to have an account with Flickr so you can save your favorite Flickr photos for review later. Flickriver is a really cool website that taps into Flickr to fetch all of the most interesting photos posted there. The photos change each day, and each day there are hundreds of new, interesting photos to see.

Now, for the stupid trick. This trick is so simple (and so stupid) it’s almost not worth writing about it, but here it goes:

1. Go to www.flickriver.com. View the photos.
2. When you see a picture you like, click it to open the original Flickr page with the photo.
3. Hit the “Add to Faves” button. (You’ll need to be logged into Flickr to see the button.)
4. When you’re done browsing Flickriver, jump on over to Flickr and view your favorites.

See? I told you it was simple. Stupid, too. But, when in a creative rut, it’s a great way to glean ideas from great photos and get the creative juices flowing again. It works because there are so many Flickr users posting so many great photos all the time, that there will always be something that appeals to you. Flickriver consolidates all of those interesting photos in place for easy viewing.

Now, to really speed things up, you can use these keyboard shortcuts on Flickriver to move to the next or previous photo and to open the Flickr page containing the photo and the “Add to Faves” button:

• j: Next Photo
• k: Previous Photo
• v: Open Flickr

I really didn’t mean this post to be as much an advertisement for Flickriver. But, I admit, it really is a great use of the Flickr API.

Tonight’s sunset was spectacular. These three photos, if stitched together, would show the sunset from west to north. This was a perfect end to a great weekend with Nate and Laura. Thanks, guys. We’re lucky to have friends like you. Next time, though, I’m bringing my “A” game for Trivial Pursuit and Boggle.

Sunset 1, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

Sunset 2, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

Sunset 3, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

A, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

Dorrie and I are staying with Nate and Laura this weekend. This horrible photo is from Dorrie’s camera phone, at the restaurant where we had lunch and some kick ass pale ale. The photo isn’t horrible only because Dorrie’s camera phone is sub-par, it’s horrible because Dorrie and I look like tool bags. Nate and Laura look great, though. Don’t they? Yes, they do.

From Outside My Office…, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

Reasons why xkcd is the best comic ever:

• It’s funny. Funnier than any other comic I’ve ever read. Even the About page is funny.
• I’m always looking forward to the next one.
• Randall Munroe has the best sense of humor.
• The subject matter, particularly math and sarcasm, appeals to me, specifically.
• It’s smart. Everything about it is smart. Even the About page is smart.
• Randall Munroe will let you post comics in your blog without permission.

 Thanks, Randall Munroe. Whoever you are.

I generally try to keep my political opinions off this blog, but this is too good to pass up.

Happy Anniversary, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

Can you believe Dorrie and I have been married for three years?

I’ve mentioned the anniversary in a few posts, but today is the actual day of the anniversary. Dorrie threw the “thirty dollar limit” rule out the window with these awesome roses. I swear I get more flowers delivered to my office than everyone else combined (see the bamboo in the background?). That rocks.

Finished the Puzzle, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

Sunday Dinner, originally uploaded by mmunhall.

Sunday dinner is a big deal to me and Dorrie. It’s even better when friends come over. On the right are Jen and her brother, Dan.