Dante @ Bacani

31 December 2006: Much of what you see below was slapped together in early August 2003. I'd left DanteBacani.com domain inactive for far too long, and I wanted to put something online here so that those who click on the URL in e-mail "signatures" would no longer encounter "Error 404 - File Not Found" messages. Standing at the cusp of a new year, I resolve to do more with this web site in 2007, so please re-visit soon after I've designed and added new content. In the meantime, enjoy the means for procrastination listed below.

I have many interests, and one of the Top Five would have to be reading. Books, magazine, newspapers, comics -- I'm rarely without reading material wherever I go. In March 2000, I started a book group, the Dubbya Dubbya Club. The "dubbya's" in the name refer to "words" and "wine", and have nothing to do with the 43rd President of the United States (aside from the fact that the group was named around the time he came to national prominence during the 2000 election primaries, so the "W" in his name was appropriated for our purposes).

The DDC meets the fourth Wednesday of the month (except for Oct-Dec, when we meet the 3rd Wed. to avoid holidays), at a location chosen by the group member who's hosting that month's meeting. We're one of the book clubs featured in THE BOOK CLUB COOK BOOK by Judy Gelman and Vicky Levy Krupp, which was published by Tarcher Penguin in spring 2004. If you'd like a copy of our reading schedule or to be put on our mailing list, send a message to dante@dubbyadubbya.com. Check out our website when you have a chance.

On Monday, 27 October, 2003, I completed the Dublin Marathon in 4 hours, 52 minutes, and 22 seconds. The AIDS Marathon Training Program ("AMTP") got me in shape to complete the race, though training in the flatlands (aka Chicago) didn't quite prepare me for the rolling terrain of Dublin, so cramps became an issue over the last quarter of the race. I raised nearly $4,600 for the AMTP, (exceeding the minimum commitment of $3,600 by nearly one thousand dollars!), and I had a great time in Ireland. I plan to sign up for the AMTP again in 2004, though this time I'll stay close to home and do the Chicago Marathon. The AMTP benefits the AIDS Foundation of Chicago. If you're considering running a marathon, I highly recommend the AMTP as a means of getting in shape for it.

Friendster is a recent discovery that I've been sharing with, well, friends, since I was turned onto it by Kara Sponsler in late July 2003. One of its novelties is that it illustrates the degrees of separation you are removed from others in your "Personal Network." It is, among other things, a kind of matchmaking (i.e., dating) service, but if they develop this site a bit differently, it could be a great way to meet anyone (platonically or romantically) with whom you share interests. Whatever your motivation, if you're a socially-active person, it's worth checking out (esp. while it's still free!). If you register with Friendster, add bacani@hotmail.com (i.e., me!) to your "Friends" list.

Man on Film

The links to various sites related to filmmaking, film criticism, film appreciation, etc. have been moved to a new page. While you're here, though, enjoy the syndicated content presented below courtesy of the Four Word Film Review, one of my favorite online diversions. Check out the site at http://www.fwfr.com, but be forewarned -- it can be habit-forming (not to mention hilarious!).

Be Afraid ... Be Very Afraid!

"Blasphemous, yet hilarious." (I can review that web site in three words! I'm getting the hang of it!) DateJesus.com -- you just have to see it to believe it!

The little pixie to the right is a Peter Pan wannabe in his late-forties who seeks his one true Tinkerbell. I wish I could make a funny comment about it, but it's ridicule-proof (in its own way): Nothing I'd write could be as funny as his earnest descriptions of his lifestyle choice. Be that as it may, his web site has had over 4 million hits since he went online with it around 1997, and that number may rise sharply with the December 2003 (unrelated) release of the Peter Pan film.

So you're saying to yourself "Dante, where do you find these people?" [And if you really did say that to yourself, I hope you were alone if you did it aloud.] The answer: Losers.org, which indexes hundreds of sites nominated as "loser" material. Losers.org rates websites by degree of "loser-ness": 1-L (low-grade losers) to 5-L (ultimate losers, such as Peter Pan above). [Note: Jesus is a 4-L.] They are further indexed by category: couples, dorks, freaks, hobbyists, journalists (referring to 'bloggers, not the Geraldo Rivera-losers of the world), trekkies, wannabes, etc. You have to love Internet resources like this: Without them, where would we find the amusing vulgarity of Cartoon Girls I Wanna Nail, for example?

That's all for now. One day (and that day may never come) I'll add some more links, a photo gallery, some pages with personally relevant info., etc. In the meantime, if you'd like to send comments, suggestions, questions, or you'd just like to say "hi", e-mail me at Dante@DanteBacani.com.

Thanks for visiting DanteBacani.com!