Check out the kick ass teaser trailer for Rob Zombie's remake of the classic horror flick Halloween!!!
Friday, April 27, 2007
Election 08
The first Primary Debate on the democratic side of the political coin took place last night. The GOP will get their go about a week from now.
As you can imagine, most of the debate circled around Iraq and the need for troop withdrawal. A couple of shots were taken at Hillary Clinton for having supported the initial invasion to begin with. One of the shots was fired by John Edwards who said that "she or anyone else that voted to authorize the war should search their conscience." As a side note, Senator Edwards also voted to approve the war.
Honestly I think that anyone who voted to begin the war should be forgiven. Tempers were hot and the nation was still scared, shocked, and on their heels when the idea of an invasion began making the rounds. It was a terrible mistake, but one that many people share the blame for.
Voting against Clinton or Edwards because of their initial stance would be short sighted, especially since yesterday both of them voted in support of a bill that would see the complete removal of troops by April 2008. (Note: Bush has said that he will veto any such bill and there are currently not enough republicans in support of the motion to overturn Bush's decision.)
Other hot issues for the night included partial-birth abortions and a recent supreme court ruling upholding the law that makes them illegal. While all candidates are pro-choice most said that they would not fight the ruling, but said that any nominees to the court selected by them as president would be required to have the same viewpoint as them.
Another topic that came up was about gun law and firearm control. Moderator Brian Williams asked if any of the candidates had ever had a gun in their homes. 5 raised their hands. The three that didn't : Clinton, Obama, and Edwards.
Overall the debate was brief. Questions were very pointed and the answers were limited to just 60 seconds. It stayed clean for the most part with very little bickering and slashing. Expect it to become more and more heated as we get closer to the Iowa Caucuses which are about 9 months away.
The only other moderate highlights included a probe into why Edwards spent 400 dollars of donation money for a haircut and didn't pull that money from his own pocket. He apologized for the mistake.
Lastly, Brian Williams asked candidate Joe Biden, known for his "verbosity" if he had the discipline to be on the world wide stage. Biden replied with a simple one word answer, "yes." I doubt any one word answers will be heard again from the panel.
Ranking the Candidates By Performance:
1. Hillary Clinton
2. Barack Obama
3. Joe Biden
4. John Edwards
5. Bill Richardson
OUT!
Thursday, April 26, 2007
A Kiss Heard 'Round The World
By now many of you have probably heard about Richard Gere and the famous kissing incident. It is almost getting as much publicity as the (in)famous rodent in the butt story. However, this story is real and just as annoying.
During an AIDS fundraiser in India Gere swept a co-star off of her feet, planted a long kiss on her, and reenacted a scene from an old movie (Shall We Dance).
The people of India have turned the story into a nightmare claiming that the event was obscene and that the woman's modesty had been tarnished forever.
I know that I am an American. I know that my freedoms are different and my moral scale is harder to tip over. Still, Gere's face is being burned, images of him are being slashed, and the country is ready to throw him in jail for 3 months.
Honestly, is this really the most imporant item on India's agenda. Really? Some old timer plants a little kiss on a chic at a fundraiser and he needs to go to jail? Gere and the actress have both apologized and she has even hit out at the mob saying that India is showing the world that it is a bit regressive.
Gere's generosity towards the country and his belief in the Tibetan cause will now be diminshed. He probably won't be able to step foot back into the country because of the chance he could be heavily fined or be tossed into jail.
The folks of India deserve a big fat helping of WTF.
OUT!
LOST
Ok, a big fat helping of WTF was just served up to us last night om Lost. I love this show and want to write down some of my feelings about what I just saw. I am not a complete junky like some folks so forgive me if I forget to cross a few t's and dot a few i's while I'm at it. I am just a common tv fan trying to make sense of a puzzle without a picture to go by and a ton of missing pieces to boot.
If you haven't seen the episode, then you should quit reading NOW...
Last night was the first time that I actually yelled good things at my tv. Usually during Lost I yell things like "what the fuck are you thinking," "who the hell is that," what the fuck does that mean," or "holy shit I'm Lost."
But in this episode I yelled when Sun got all up in Juliette's face and demanded answers. I was like, "Hells yeah, tell that bitch what's up." I also yelled, "finally someone is asking the right damn questions."
Later in the episode I yelled for Charlie. For the first time since the show began I actually liked the little guy and was rooting for him. I yelled things like "kill that motherfucker!"
As you can see I am passionate about this show...
But in typical Lost fashion the show actually gave more questions than answers. This time it was even more top heavy than usual. The first question comes with Patches. We saw that fool die. Are we to believe that the island's powers are so strong that they can raise the dead? Or did no one check Mikhail's pulse when the big fence zapped him? Either way, he hinted to the camping crew that the island helps people heal faster and parachute girl would be okay in a day or two.
The second question came with the bombshell at the end of the episode. Only a few things can actually be going on here. The producers have sworn that the island is not purgatory. And it would be a total crock of shit it all of the "survivors" were actually dead. So either the plane that was discovered was a fake plane used to cover up the conspiracy or the parachute chic is confused as hell.
Parachute girl's name is listed as Naomi. Naomi obviously knows Desmond and Penny. She speaks many languages and can probably be tied back to the foreign guys in the snow at the end of last season. They were looking for an electromagnetic pulse. And that is why she was looking for Desmond...OR SO WE ARE LED TO BELIEVE.
I doubt that Naomi knows anything about flight 815. Desmond wasn't on that plane and therefore no one is looking into a possible cover-up of the crash.
Basically after watching this episode Justin and I concluded that this string of evidence points even more towards a parallel universe. Somehow the others discovered a rip in the time-space continuum and have figured out a way to travel back and forth.
But this doesn't bode well for Michael and Walt. Remember them? If flight 815 was covered-up then Michael and Walt obviously can't just waltz back into mainstream life announcing that they were on the flight. That would blow the entire lid off of the other's operation.
I am guessing that Michael and Walt are out there somewhere just as lost as they were before.
I don't think that Lost is going to wrap up the show as easily as a Star Trek episode and let the tangent/parallel universe explain everything away. There are bigger mysteries and more mayhem to be solved. We know that there is probably some supernatural element at play. We also know that fertility and experimentation play a huge role. But what role?
From what I'm hearing this show is about to be turned on its head. If that's true then I expect a few major bombshells and a ton more questions.
Gimme your thoughts...
OUT
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
An Amazing Article
Several weeks ago I had the book "10 Things Your Minister Wants To Tell You" featured on the right side of my page. It is a truly eye opening book and I hope that each of you reads it. If you would like to borrow my copy, please let me know and I will happily lend it out.
Oliver "Buzz" Thomas is the author and he recently wrote an opinion piece in the USA TODAY about the current state of political affairs in Israel and their feud with Palestine. Here is that article. He manages to sum up my feelings almost exactly in a much more articulate manner. It's kind of long, but read through it. I swear it's worth it.
The danger of a 'chosen' nation
by Oliver "Buzz" Thomas
Israel holds a sacred place in the words of the Old Testament. But does Christian doctrine give that country a free pass at the expense of peace in the Middle East?
By Oliver "Buzz" Thomas
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was nobody's fool. Born before Darwin and the age of modern science, Wesley was prescient enough to temper church tradition and the teachings of Scripture with reason and experience. Twenty-first century Christians would be wise to do the same.
I say that because some of our religious doctrines may be getting us into trouble. Evangelical Christian Jimmy Carter reminds us of one such doctrine with the publication of his controversial new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. It is the persistent notion (particularly among evangelicals) that because Israel was God's chosen nation in the Old Testament, America should turn a blind eye to her shortcomings today.
(Illustration by Web Bryant, USA TODAY)
Many Americans fear that to be on the wrong side of Israel is to be on the wrong side of God, and nobody wants to do that. Especially if Armageddon is looming. (Some Christians derive this deep-seated, though unwarranted, fear from the Book of Revelation, in which Christ and his heavenly army defeat the Anti-christ and his Satanic forces on the Plain of Megiddo in northern Israel. Israel appears in the book symbolically as the home of God's people in the same way that Babylon appears as the representative of Rome and the enemies of God. Neither reference was meant to be taken literally.)
Christians, of course, lay claim to a new covenant with God. We believe it is one that supplants the old covenant and offers love and forgiveness to all people regardless of politics or national origin. In New Testament theology, the church is the new Israel. It is God's primary vehicle for mediating grace to the world. More important, it is the poor and downtrodden (the "least of these," as Jesus called them) who lay claim to the title of God's chosen people. See the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25.
Carter, arguably America's finest example of Christian citizenship and our only president to enjoy major success in the Middle East, is nudging us away from our obsession with the Iraq war to a more global perspective on the conflict that threatens the entire region.
At the heart of the problem, of course, lies the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians who were displaced in the 1940s to make room for the new Jewish state. Although some land was reserved for the Palestinians, Israel seized most of that during the Six-Day War of 1967. Although most of Gaza has been returned, the majority of the West Bank is still under Israeli administration.
Carter suggests that until we resolve this land dispute, we stand little chance of creating a lasting peace. Even then, we will have a long and difficult struggle against the jihadists of radical Islam, but only then will we have a chance of attracting the moderate Arab support so critical to winning the war on terror.
What must occur
So, how do we do it? First, by pressing Israel to withdraw from most of the West Bank. President Clinton nearly accomplished that by working with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. For reasons that will never be entirely clear, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat blinked and failed to seize upon the best Israeli offer in years. The question for Americans is: How do we now reapply pressure to both sides?
I visited the West Bank City of Ramallah shortly after Israel began building its so-called security fence separating Israel from the Palestinian territories. I had been invited by a group of prominent Israeli and Palestinian women (including several members of the Israeli legislature) who are part of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. Although I had ministered in the roughest parts of New Orleans, what I saw in Ramallah shocked me. It looked like Berlin after World War II. As I listened to the stories of the Palestinian women gathered at our hotel, the pro-Israel lens through which I had always viewed the Middle East grew clouded. There were stories of the houses and olive orchards that had been bulldozed to make room for the new wall and of the hundreds of checkpoints that kept law-abiding Palestinians from getting to their jobs or to and from school. I watched as a young Israeli soldier harassed an elderly man who was trying to get his donkey cart through one checkpoint. I wanted to throw up.
One story in particular stood out, probably because the young woman who told it reminded me of my own daughters. The woman, in her early 20s, had recently graduated from Birzeit University and moved to Ramallah to pursue a career in accounting. Days before my arrival, she had come home to find Israeli soldiers occupying her apartment building. They told her that a suspected terrorist lived in the building and she would not be allowed back inside. Despite her protestations and pleas (finally just to retrieve her personal effects and pictures of her dead father), the four-story building was destroyed. Her furniture, clothing, even her accounting license, were gone.
"I am young," she said, "and I will recover. But for my landlord and his eight children, this building was the only thing they had. Now, they have no choice but to go to the camps."
As I lay in my bed that night, I thought of those eight children and their parents now living in a tent. Even if the Israelis had caught the suspect, someday there very well may be eight young recruits to take his place. Like our ill-fated war in Iraq, Israeli policy seems to create more terrorists than it destroys.
We turned our former Nazi enemies into friends by helping rebuild their war-ravaged nation. Palestinian roads, hospitals and schools have been destroyed. Would we not be wise to try the same strategy with them?
Hopes for a moderate Mideast
The degradation of Palestinian territory is not the biggest challenge facing us. Neither is Israeli intransigence. Even such a fierce advocate for Israel's security as Ariel Sharon saw the folly of permanent occupation of Palestinian lands. Palestinian society itself is in shambles. It has no statesmen. No Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. Steeped in a legacy of kickbacks and corruption, Arafat's Fatah Party is locked in a death struggle with Hamas over who will lead the Palestinian people. Hamas claims to have avoided the stain of corruption but is infected with the cancer of radical Islam — an ideology as hate-filled and anti-Semitic as any on earth. The struggle between these two may be entirely beyond our control, but Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and the institution of a mini-Marshall Plan in its wake are not. Both would strengthen the hand of more moderate elements in the Arab world and bolster our standing in the war on terror.
If God is on anyone's side in this mess, he's on everyone's side. Yes, he is moved to compassion for the jittery Israeli soldier who fears the next person through his checkpoint may be wearing a bomb. But if the New Testament is correct, he is even more heartbroken by the callous treatment of the Palestinians. "In so much as you did it to the least of these," Jesus said, "you did it to me." The wretched poor, squatting in the rocks and refugee camps, are God's chosen people, too. It's time we follow John Wesley's advice and start viewing them as such.
Oliver "Buzz" Thomas is a minister, lawyer and author of an upcoming book, 10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job).
Oliver "Buzz" Thomas is the author and he recently wrote an opinion piece in the USA TODAY about the current state of political affairs in Israel and their feud with Palestine. Here is that article. He manages to sum up my feelings almost exactly in a much more articulate manner. It's kind of long, but read through it. I swear it's worth it.
The danger of a 'chosen' nation
by Oliver "Buzz" Thomas
Israel holds a sacred place in the words of the Old Testament. But does Christian doctrine give that country a free pass at the expense of peace in the Middle East?
By Oliver "Buzz" Thomas
John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, was nobody's fool. Born before Darwin and the age of modern science, Wesley was prescient enough to temper church tradition and the teachings of Scripture with reason and experience. Twenty-first century Christians would be wise to do the same.
I say that because some of our religious doctrines may be getting us into trouble. Evangelical Christian Jimmy Carter reminds us of one such doctrine with the publication of his controversial new book, Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid. It is the persistent notion (particularly among evangelicals) that because Israel was God's chosen nation in the Old Testament, America should turn a blind eye to her shortcomings today.
(Illustration by Web Bryant, USA TODAY)
Many Americans fear that to be on the wrong side of Israel is to be on the wrong side of God, and nobody wants to do that. Especially if Armageddon is looming. (Some Christians derive this deep-seated, though unwarranted, fear from the Book of Revelation, in which Christ and his heavenly army defeat the Anti-christ and his Satanic forces on the Plain of Megiddo in northern Israel. Israel appears in the book symbolically as the home of God's people in the same way that Babylon appears as the representative of Rome and the enemies of God. Neither reference was meant to be taken literally.)
Christians, of course, lay claim to a new covenant with God. We believe it is one that supplants the old covenant and offers love and forgiveness to all people regardless of politics or national origin. In New Testament theology, the church is the new Israel. It is God's primary vehicle for mediating grace to the world. More important, it is the poor and downtrodden (the "least of these," as Jesus called them) who lay claim to the title of God's chosen people. See the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25.
Carter, arguably America's finest example of Christian citizenship and our only president to enjoy major success in the Middle East, is nudging us away from our obsession with the Iraq war to a more global perspective on the conflict that threatens the entire region.
At the heart of the problem, of course, lies the dispute between Israel and the Palestinians who were displaced in the 1940s to make room for the new Jewish state. Although some land was reserved for the Palestinians, Israel seized most of that during the Six-Day War of 1967. Although most of Gaza has been returned, the majority of the West Bank is still under Israeli administration.
Carter suggests that until we resolve this land dispute, we stand little chance of creating a lasting peace. Even then, we will have a long and difficult struggle against the jihadists of radical Islam, but only then will we have a chance of attracting the moderate Arab support so critical to winning the war on terror.
What must occur
So, how do we do it? First, by pressing Israel to withdraw from most of the West Bank. President Clinton nearly accomplished that by working with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak. For reasons that will never be entirely clear, Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat blinked and failed to seize upon the best Israeli offer in years. The question for Americans is: How do we now reapply pressure to both sides?
I visited the West Bank City of Ramallah shortly after Israel began building its so-called security fence separating Israel from the Palestinian territories. I had been invited by a group of prominent Israeli and Palestinian women (including several members of the Israeli legislature) who are part of the Global Peace Initiative of Women. Although I had ministered in the roughest parts of New Orleans, what I saw in Ramallah shocked me. It looked like Berlin after World War II. As I listened to the stories of the Palestinian women gathered at our hotel, the pro-Israel lens through which I had always viewed the Middle East grew clouded. There were stories of the houses and olive orchards that had been bulldozed to make room for the new wall and of the hundreds of checkpoints that kept law-abiding Palestinians from getting to their jobs or to and from school. I watched as a young Israeli soldier harassed an elderly man who was trying to get his donkey cart through one checkpoint. I wanted to throw up.
One story in particular stood out, probably because the young woman who told it reminded me of my own daughters. The woman, in her early 20s, had recently graduated from Birzeit University and moved to Ramallah to pursue a career in accounting. Days before my arrival, she had come home to find Israeli soldiers occupying her apartment building. They told her that a suspected terrorist lived in the building and she would not be allowed back inside. Despite her protestations and pleas (finally just to retrieve her personal effects and pictures of her dead father), the four-story building was destroyed. Her furniture, clothing, even her accounting license, were gone.
"I am young," she said, "and I will recover. But for my landlord and his eight children, this building was the only thing they had. Now, they have no choice but to go to the camps."
As I lay in my bed that night, I thought of those eight children and their parents now living in a tent. Even if the Israelis had caught the suspect, someday there very well may be eight young recruits to take his place. Like our ill-fated war in Iraq, Israeli policy seems to create more terrorists than it destroys.
We turned our former Nazi enemies into friends by helping rebuild their war-ravaged nation. Palestinian roads, hospitals and schools have been destroyed. Would we not be wise to try the same strategy with them?
Hopes for a moderate Mideast
The degradation of Palestinian territory is not the biggest challenge facing us. Neither is Israeli intransigence. Even such a fierce advocate for Israel's security as Ariel Sharon saw the folly of permanent occupation of Palestinian lands. Palestinian society itself is in shambles. It has no statesmen. No Mahatma Gandhi or Nelson Mandela. Steeped in a legacy of kickbacks and corruption, Arafat's Fatah Party is locked in a death struggle with Hamas over who will lead the Palestinian people. Hamas claims to have avoided the stain of corruption but is infected with the cancer of radical Islam — an ideology as hate-filled and anti-Semitic as any on earth. The struggle between these two may be entirely beyond our control, but Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and the institution of a mini-Marshall Plan in its wake are not. Both would strengthen the hand of more moderate elements in the Arab world and bolster our standing in the war on terror.
If God is on anyone's side in this mess, he's on everyone's side. Yes, he is moved to compassion for the jittery Israeli soldier who fears the next person through his checkpoint may be wearing a bomb. But if the New Testament is correct, he is even more heartbroken by the callous treatment of the Palestinians. "In so much as you did it to the least of these," Jesus said, "you did it to me." The wretched poor, squatting in the rocks and refugee camps, are God's chosen people, too. It's time we follow John Wesley's advice and start viewing them as such.
Oliver "Buzz" Thomas is a minister, lawyer and author of an upcoming book, 10 Things Your Minister Wants to Tell You (But Can't Because He Needs the Job).
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Sponge Bob Media War
This past weekend a battle raged between UFC matches in my living room. Is the new Burger King commercial hilariously goofy fun or wildly disturbing adult nudity. One of my friends found the spot disturbing. The commercial which features a bubble-bathing adult male stand up from his tub and asks his wife to guess who he is...with a sponge on top of his head he declares that he is Sponge Bob No Pants, ran at least 10 times during the broadcast.
Two other friends laughed it up every time the spot came on screen and were even quoting it by the end.
I was a bit more torn. Yes, funny indeed, but what exactly are we selling here? And to whom?
I found this article today and thought that I would share it with you...
Burger King's TV Spot: SpongeBob, Square Media
by Wayne Friedman, Friday, Apr 20, 2007 3:00 PM ET
THE BURGER KING'S SPOT THAT riffs off "SpongeBob Square Pants" has many TV critics' knickers in a twist. Here's how the ad goes: A husband emerges from a tub, still lathered with soap in the right areas, with a sponge on his head. He says to his wife: "Hey, honey. Guess who I am. Come on. Who am I? SpongeBob!" Then he gestures downward, below the view of the camera. "No pants."
His wife sarcastically deadpans: "Wow." And walks out of the room.
The commercial may be bathroom humor -- but contrary to some, it isn't directed to children. Few have talked about where the commercial is running. Rev. Donald Wildmon's trio of sites, including onemillionmoms.com, complains that the spot is using "adult nudity" to appeal to children.
But Wildmon kills his own argument by writing this: "During the NCAA Championship game, Burger King's ad featured a dad taking a bubble bath in a family room." And what is the main target demographic for that TV show? Men 18-34 and 18-49 --- not children.
We don't know the full extent of the media plan -- but I'm pretty sure Burger King isn't running the ad during young-skewing Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network programming. (Since "SpongeBob" is a Nick show, we doubt the Cartoon Network is airing the spot).
The commercial isn't directed to kids, but to parents who have kids that like "SpongeBob." The chief concern is if kids are viewing the spot -- not adults who can digest the humor.
So what's the issue? The issue everyone can pick on -- that perhaps some children are watching it. That perhaps the spot ruins the possible innocence "SpongeBob" brings. But the commercial isn't hurtful. If kids are watching, all the humor will go over their heads.
Bob Garfield of Advertising Age writes: "It's not as though this is somehow erotic. It's not as though there is any prurient appeal intended or achieved. It's Dad being goofy, period."
And, again, consider the media plan of the campaign -- where is the spot running? Wildmon calls the spot adult nudity. Yet as far as I can tell, it's really a case of adult goofy.
So what are your thoughts? I would love to know. Good clean (no pun intended) fun or too much for prime time television?
More Lists
Current Guilty Pleasures (Not In Any Order)
1. Adventures in Hollyhood
2. TMZ.COM
3. Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend"
4. UFC's The Ultimate Fighter
5. Purell Hand Sanitizer
The 5 Best Non-Alcoholic Beverages
1. Diet Dr. Pepper- nothing like the real thing, but great all on its own.
2. Southern Style Sweet Tea- 5 parts sugar, 2 parts water, one part tea
3. Fierce Grape Gatorade- I almost like it as much as I used to like grape kool-aid
4. Lipton Citrus Green Tea- Yeah, I actually refused to try this at first.
5. Root Beer- any kind. A&W, Barq's, Diet, etc...
5 Most Immediate Impact Players in 2007 NFL Draft
1. Calvin Johnson
2. JaMarcus Russell
3. Joe Thomas
4. Greg Olsen
5. Patrick Willis
The Best Months of The Year
1. September (football begins, temps begin dropping)
2. November (chill is in the air, Thanksgiving, football going strong)
3. April (great weather, baseball season is underway, NBA/NHL playoffs start)
4. December (Christmas, football, vacation time)
5. October (used to be my favorite, but global warming hurt its status)
1. Adventures in Hollyhood
2. TMZ.COM
3. Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend"
4. UFC's The Ultimate Fighter
5. Purell Hand Sanitizer
The 5 Best Non-Alcoholic Beverages
1. Diet Dr. Pepper- nothing like the real thing, but great all on its own.
2. Southern Style Sweet Tea- 5 parts sugar, 2 parts water, one part tea
3. Fierce Grape Gatorade- I almost like it as much as I used to like grape kool-aid
4. Lipton Citrus Green Tea- Yeah, I actually refused to try this at first.
5. Root Beer- any kind. A&W, Barq's, Diet, etc...
5 Most Immediate Impact Players in 2007 NFL Draft
1. Calvin Johnson
2. JaMarcus Russell
3. Joe Thomas
4. Greg Olsen
5. Patrick Willis
The Best Months of The Year
1. September (football begins, temps begin dropping)
2. November (chill is in the air, Thanksgiving, football going strong)
3. April (great weather, baseball season is underway, NBA/NHL playoffs start)
4. December (Christmas, football, vacation time)
5. October (used to be my favorite, but global warming hurt its status)
Monday, April 23, 2007
The Baldwin Fall Out
If you haven't heard the voice mail that Alec Baldwin left for his daughter last week, then go to TMZ.COM and listen to it. It is shocking, vulgar, disappointing, and totally heartbreaking.
Those of you out of the celeb-gossip loop a quick recap. Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin used to be married. They had a daughter together. When Alec and Kim got divorced things turned ugly and custody was a huge issue.
Well Alec has experienced a career rebirth over the past year and even moved to New York City for his show 30 Rock. He arranged a daily phone time to chat with his daughter. Well last week she didn't answer at their appointed time and he left her a message telling her that she had "humiliated me for the last time," that he wouldn't "play these stupid little games any more," and called her an "immature little pig." To a preteen! His daughter. WTF.
I think that if Kim wanted to revoke all visitation rights to their daughter that she could win that case in court. But, before we jump all over Alec lets look at all the facts.
- Kim has refused every single visitation request from Alec over the past year. Everyone. A judge in their on-going legal battles said that he has "never seen a woman disallow every single request from a father before."
- The arrangement was for Alec to get to talk to his daughter daily.
- Alec apparently adjusted his time to call her numerous times to accommodate both Kim and the daughter.
So, that tells me that Kim is to blame in this too. And that the daughter is being irresponsible. THAT BEING SAID...Alec Baldwin is obviously a giant asshole.
He went as far as to tell his daughter that he would board a plane to L.A. later in the week to come out there and set her straight and put her in her place.
If he is having such a difficult being seperated from his daughter then he should quit his job and move back to L.A. I honestly think that it's as simple as that. He has the means.
And expecting a daughter who is nearly a teenager to want to get a call from her father at the same time each and every night is insane. He really managed to show his ass this time and I don't know that he can keep bouncing back from such terrible reputation busters.
OUT!
Those of you out of the celeb-gossip loop a quick recap. Kim Bassinger and Alec Baldwin used to be married. They had a daughter together. When Alec and Kim got divorced things turned ugly and custody was a huge issue.
Well Alec has experienced a career rebirth over the past year and even moved to New York City for his show 30 Rock. He arranged a daily phone time to chat with his daughter. Well last week she didn't answer at their appointed time and he left her a message telling her that she had "humiliated me for the last time," that he wouldn't "play these stupid little games any more," and called her an "immature little pig." To a preteen! His daughter. WTF.
I think that if Kim wanted to revoke all visitation rights to their daughter that she could win that case in court. But, before we jump all over Alec lets look at all the facts.
- Kim has refused every single visitation request from Alec over the past year. Everyone. A judge in their on-going legal battles said that he has "never seen a woman disallow every single request from a father before."
- The arrangement was for Alec to get to talk to his daughter daily.
- Alec apparently adjusted his time to call her numerous times to accommodate both Kim and the daughter.
So, that tells me that Kim is to blame in this too. And that the daughter is being irresponsible. THAT BEING SAID...Alec Baldwin is obviously a giant asshole.
He went as far as to tell his daughter that he would board a plane to L.A. later in the week to come out there and set her straight and put her in her place.
If he is having such a difficult being seperated from his daughter then he should quit his job and move back to L.A. I honestly think that it's as simple as that. He has the means.
And expecting a daughter who is nearly a teenager to want to get a call from her father at the same time each and every night is insane. He really managed to show his ass this time and I don't know that he can keep bouncing back from such terrible reputation busters.
OUT!
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Diet Update
Things seem to be moving in the right direction. I used two of my three cheat meals this week. One at the Cheesecake Factory...can't turn down the Dulche De Leche cheesecake. The other was a Barnhills. The food there wasn't quite worth wasting my cheater! Those two places bumped me up a pound for a day of two, but it fell back off and I am now exactly 15 pounds lighter than I was on April 1.
I will try to keep up the hard work if you guys will keep encouraging me. Justin has been a big help, even though we have opposite goals. He is trying to bulk up as I am trying to slim down.
I can tell my clothes are a little more comfortable, but I think I need to lose about 10 more pounds before the naked eye can see any difference.
I can do it, I can do it, I can do it!
I figured out I need to drop 1.35 pounds per week for the rest of the year to be at my target weight by December 31.
OUT!
I will try to keep up the hard work if you guys will keep encouraging me. Justin has been a big help, even though we have opposite goals. He is trying to bulk up as I am trying to slim down.
I can tell my clothes are a little more comfortable, but I think I need to lose about 10 more pounds before the naked eye can see any difference.
I can do it, I can do it, I can do it!
I figured out I need to drop 1.35 pounds per week for the rest of the year to be at my target weight by December 31.
OUT!
Actors of Tomorrow
List time. My favorite time.
And today I am listing:
5 young actors that I think will be around for quite some time...
5. Rory Culkin (Mean Creek, The Zodiac, Signs)
4. Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, King Kong, The Chumscrubber)
3. Emile Hirsh (Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys, Girl Next Door, Lords of Dogtown)
2. Shia LaBeouf (I, Robot, Disturbia)
1. Joseph Gordon Levitt (Mysterious Skin, The Lookout, Brick)
May Movies I Can't Wait to See
5. The Flock (May 11)
4. Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End (May 25)
3. Bug (May 25)
2. 28 Days Later (May 11)
1. Spider-Man 3 (May 4)
also releasing in May: Shrek the Third on May 18
I am also mildly intrigued by Captivity on May 18, but that might be because it stars Elisha Cuthbert.
Cities I Would Consider Living In
5. Denver (yep, a mile higher than Memphis)
4. Nashville (close to home, yet a world of difference)
3. Austin (the new mecca of music really)
2. Seattle (I love rain and clouds; My kind of town)
1. Chicago (although there's really nothing to be considered)
And today I am listing:
5 young actors that I think will be around for quite some time...
5. Rory Culkin (Mean Creek, The Zodiac, Signs)
4. Jamie Bell (Billy Elliot, King Kong, The Chumscrubber)
3. Emile Hirsh (Dangerous Lives Of Altar Boys, Girl Next Door, Lords of Dogtown)
2. Shia LaBeouf (I, Robot, Disturbia)
1. Joseph Gordon Levitt (Mysterious Skin, The Lookout, Brick)
May Movies I Can't Wait to See
5. The Flock (May 11)
4. Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End (May 25)
3. Bug (May 25)
2. 28 Days Later (May 11)
1. Spider-Man 3 (May 4)
also releasing in May: Shrek the Third on May 18
I am also mildly intrigued by Captivity on May 18, but that might be because it stars Elisha Cuthbert.
Cities I Would Consider Living In
5. Denver (yep, a mile higher than Memphis)
4. Nashville (close to home, yet a world of difference)
3. Austin (the new mecca of music really)
2. Seattle (I love rain and clouds; My kind of town)
1. Chicago (although there's really nothing to be considered)
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
My Weekend
I don't usually write a recap of my life. It's pretty boring and I can't imagine anyone actually wanting to read it. But since I have a few extra minutes here at work I decided to just do a quick play by play.
Friday night Justin and I hit up a few tattoo shops here in town. We were looking at pricing some ink work that we want done. I did find a dragon at Trilogy that I really want and they are going to charge me much less than the other places that I have been so far. So, maybe a big scary dragon is in my future.
Jayroe couldn't find anything so our night of tattoo hunting was done. We went back to my crib and watched 5 episodes of The Shield. For those of you who don't know...you don't fuck with Vic Mackey.
Saturday Justin, Richard and I headed to Nashville. We stopped by Icon Tattoos up there. They have a design that Justin really likes. They couldn't fit him in so he ended up not getting inked this weekend. Very disappointing. But we have decided to go together in a week or two and get our shit done at Trilogy.
Anyway, the weekend continued with a kick ass meal at Cheesecake Factory. I had the chicken and biscuits. A heaping pile of mashed potatoes, covered in country grave, two huge savory chicken breasts, shortcake biscuits, carrots, and peas. YUM. For dessert I had cheesecake, of course. Dulche De leche. To Die For.
Headed to the Opry Mills Mall next. That place, even after almost a decade of being open, is still incredible. It's so big. So nice. And it has managed not to get all ragged out, thugged out, or broke down. Something like that in Memphis would never last. It would either become run down in a couple of years or people would just stop going. Nashville really is a cool place and I would love to live there one day.
We finished our Saturday off at Zanies Comedy Club with Mitch Fatel. He was friggin' hilarious and I encourage you to check him out on Comedy Central this month. You won't regret it.
So that was pretty much my weekend. Sunday we drove home, I rested a bit, and then ended my weekend the way I always do, with a relaxing dinner and some Desperate Housewives with Jason and Katrina. Don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but Housewives is so much better than it used to be. Seriously. Season 2 was so much crap that I actually quit watching for a while. But this season has been great and I think that the show is in for a long run.
OUT!
Friday night Justin and I hit up a few tattoo shops here in town. We were looking at pricing some ink work that we want done. I did find a dragon at Trilogy that I really want and they are going to charge me much less than the other places that I have been so far. So, maybe a big scary dragon is in my future.
Jayroe couldn't find anything so our night of tattoo hunting was done. We went back to my crib and watched 5 episodes of The Shield. For those of you who don't know...you don't fuck with Vic Mackey.
Saturday Justin, Richard and I headed to Nashville. We stopped by Icon Tattoos up there. They have a design that Justin really likes. They couldn't fit him in so he ended up not getting inked this weekend. Very disappointing. But we have decided to go together in a week or two and get our shit done at Trilogy.
Anyway, the weekend continued with a kick ass meal at Cheesecake Factory. I had the chicken and biscuits. A heaping pile of mashed potatoes, covered in country grave, two huge savory chicken breasts, shortcake biscuits, carrots, and peas. YUM. For dessert I had cheesecake, of course. Dulche De leche. To Die For.
Headed to the Opry Mills Mall next. That place, even after almost a decade of being open, is still incredible. It's so big. So nice. And it has managed not to get all ragged out, thugged out, or broke down. Something like that in Memphis would never last. It would either become run down in a couple of years or people would just stop going. Nashville really is a cool place and I would love to live there one day.
We finished our Saturday off at Zanies Comedy Club with Mitch Fatel. He was friggin' hilarious and I encourage you to check him out on Comedy Central this month. You won't regret it.
So that was pretty much my weekend. Sunday we drove home, I rested a bit, and then ended my weekend the way I always do, with a relaxing dinner and some Desperate Housewives with Jason and Katrina. Don't know if I've mentioned this or not, but Housewives is so much better than it used to be. Seriously. Season 2 was so much crap that I actually quit watching for a while. But this season has been great and I think that the show is in for a long run.
OUT!
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Diet...
Ok, so I think that this might be the best way for me to remain strong as I try to lose a few pounds and inches. I have decided to post a weekly report card on myself, telling you how much weight I have lost and how I did with my eating for the week.
The basic rules of MY lifestyle change are:
-Eat breakfast everyday.
-Cut out all unhealthy snacks.
-Eat more green veggies.
-I am allowed 3 cheat meals a week.
-No eating after 8 PM.
-Cut out the whites. No white bread, no white rice, no potatoes...
-Do some sort of exercise or weight lifting every day.
April 4-11
So I started this on April 4. My first report I am happy to say is a good one. I am six pounds lighter than I was this time last week. That's a good start, right. I used two cheat meals last week.
I have a short term goal of 20 pounds by June 1 and a longer term goal that I am not ready to post yet.
Anyway, I am asking friends to help me out. Encourage me. Ask me how I'm doing. Remind me to blog about it. And most importantly, please don't tempt me with El Porton!
OUT!
The basic rules of MY lifestyle change are:
-Eat breakfast everyday.
-Cut out all unhealthy snacks.
-Eat more green veggies.
-I am allowed 3 cheat meals a week.
-No eating after 8 PM.
-Cut out the whites. No white bread, no white rice, no potatoes...
-Do some sort of exercise or weight lifting every day.
April 4-11
So I started this on April 4. My first report I am happy to say is a good one. I am six pounds lighter than I was this time last week. That's a good start, right. I used two cheat meals last week.
I have a short term goal of 20 pounds by June 1 and a longer term goal that I am not ready to post yet.
Anyway, I am asking friends to help me out. Encourage me. Ask me how I'm doing. Remind me to blog about it. And most importantly, please don't tempt me with El Porton!
OUT!
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
More Lists
Artists You Need To Listen To Now!
5. Black Light Burn (Wes Borland's new band, kinda NIN sounding)
4. Silversun Pickups (Like an offbeat Straylight Run)
3. The Mile After (Cartel was embarrassing to like, this is pitiful)
2. The Kooks (Those catchy Brits)
1. Jesse Malin (Fun pop music for those who like Butch Walker)
5 Songs I Can't Get Out Of my Head (even though I kind of want to)
5. Linkin Park...What I've Done
4. Cold War Kids...Hang Me Out To Dry
3. Justin Timberlake...What Goes Around
2. Plain White T's...Hey There Delilah
1. Avril Lavigne...Girlfriend
New Top 5 Power Rankings For Baseball
5. Toronto Bluejays
4. Minnesota Twins
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
2. New York Mets
1. Atlanta Braves
check back next week b/c this will change again
Top 5 Movies I am Anticipating For The Rest Of April
5. The Invisible
4. The Namesake
3. Disturbia
2. Fracture
1. Vacancy
5. Black Light Burn (Wes Borland's new band, kinda NIN sounding)
4. Silversun Pickups (Like an offbeat Straylight Run)
3. The Mile After (Cartel was embarrassing to like, this is pitiful)
2. The Kooks (Those catchy Brits)
1. Jesse Malin (Fun pop music for those who like Butch Walker)
5 Songs I Can't Get Out Of my Head (even though I kind of want to)
5. Linkin Park...What I've Done
4. Cold War Kids...Hang Me Out To Dry
3. Justin Timberlake...What Goes Around
2. Plain White T's...Hey There Delilah
1. Avril Lavigne...Girlfriend
New Top 5 Power Rankings For Baseball
5. Toronto Bluejays
4. Minnesota Twins
3. Arizona Diamondbacks
2. New York Mets
1. Atlanta Braves
check back next week b/c this will change again
Top 5 Movies I am Anticipating For The Rest Of April
5. The Invisible
4. The Namesake
3. Disturbia
2. Fracture
1. Vacancy
Monday, April 09, 2007
24
I was a huge fan of the show 24. One of the biggest. I couldn't wait for the show each week and the hours of talk with friends following the latest cliffhanger. Yet, after 3 seasons I began to detect something very foul. It was the stinch of the worst thing you can have on a television show. The scent of repetition. The show began to repeat itself, its storylines, its characters and it's plot twists. I bitched through season 4 and finally swore off the show in season 5. Now, after all of this time the critics and fans are finally beginning to see what was so clear to me years ago. Why did it take so long?
The following is from TV Guide.
Question: As a devoted fan of 24 since it premiered, I have been sadly watching it quickly become a shadow of its former self. If this season has shown us anything, it's that there are few scenarios left for the show that haven't been done before. (Coup against the president? Jack invading an embassy? Check and check. Even Wayne Palmer's adrenaline-fueled missile launch is a repeat of Teri's amnesia from Season 1.) About the only thing that was new and potentially interesting was the introduction of Jack's family, but even that story line fizzled out. To top it all off, Kiefer Sutherland has had so little screen time these past few episodes that one can barely register that he's gone through two years of torture, the killing of Curtis, the treason of his family and the (presumed) death of his beloved Audrey. It certainly isn't registering in Jack's face or actions; he's more than ever a stock, emotionless action figure in each of his now-fleeting appearances. Nevertheless, I'm not going to give up on the show just yet, even if this season is beyond salvaging. I'll keep watching to see if the show can set up next season in a satisfying way, and the only way I can see that happening is if it reboots itself almost entirely. No L.A., no CTU... hell, even no Chloe if it means the show will stop repeating itself. What do you think?— Andrew W.
The following is from TV Guide.
Question: As a devoted fan of 24 since it premiered, I have been sadly watching it quickly become a shadow of its former self. If this season has shown us anything, it's that there are few scenarios left for the show that haven't been done before. (Coup against the president? Jack invading an embassy? Check and check. Even Wayne Palmer's adrenaline-fueled missile launch is a repeat of Teri's amnesia from Season 1.) About the only thing that was new and potentially interesting was the introduction of Jack's family, but even that story line fizzled out. To top it all off, Kiefer Sutherland has had so little screen time these past few episodes that one can barely register that he's gone through two years of torture, the killing of Curtis, the treason of his family and the (presumed) death of his beloved Audrey. It certainly isn't registering in Jack's face or actions; he's more than ever a stock, emotionless action figure in each of his now-fleeting appearances. Nevertheless, I'm not going to give up on the show just yet, even if this season is beyond salvaging. I'll keep watching to see if the show can set up next season in a satisfying way, and the only way I can see that happening is if it reboots itself almost entirely. No L.A., no CTU... hell, even no Chloe if it means the show will stop repeating itself. What do you think?— Andrew W.
Matt Roush: I've come to that conclusion myself over the last few weeks, especially after they dropped the Logans so abruptly — and just when Martha, Aaron Pierce and the ill-fated Charles had begun to pique my interest again. So irritating to have Jean Smart back for only one episode. As Simon recently said about Sanjaya: "Incredible." And not in a good way. I've been reading a lot of gripes about 24 in my mailbag, but this one tied it all together as well as any. I agree that on the evidence of this season, it's hard to imagine the show recovering unless it sends Jack out as a lone wolf, or at least minus all of the current trappings that are either dragging him down this season or reducing his screen time, which has been the newest major complaint.
Here's an e-mail from Mark H. that made me laugh: "Remember when Kiefer Sutherland used to be on 24? I remember him portraying an extremely interesting character, one whose decisions and actions would leave your heart pounding every week. Do you know what happened to him? Is there a chance the producers would ever bring him back? If they could also bring back another character named Chloe, who provided terrific comic relief, I think that would really help the show as well. What do you think?"
Mark, I think you're funny enough to write for Prison Break. But seriously, I miss them, too.
Bottom line: A change of scenery, a change of personnel, something, anything to rouse 24 from the dead-end torpor it has found itself in this season. If next season is just more of Jack and Co. running around Los Angeles and letting conspirators slip through their fingers, it won't be enough.Nappy Headed Hos
Have you heard the one about the morning radio shock jock that called a group of black women basketball players "nappy headed hos?" No, it was not Howard Stern. It was Don Imus.
I am still in shock that the man has a job.
Here is my take...Imus is one of a dozen or so shock jocks filling the airwaves each morning around the country. These guys push the envelope, cross the line, break the barrier, whatever you want to call it, everytime they sit behind the mic. I love them for it.
I think that it is insane that our government bans certain words, topics, discussions, and demonstrations from being used on the air. It is a direct violation of the first amendment, but as we all know from recent events that the constitution is only pulled out, dusted off, and recited when it is useful to our elected leaders.
I hate Don Imus and never listen to him, but I love what he stands for. I love that he tries to push the line so that others have more freedom of speech. That in no way means that I condone what he said. It is a horrible thing to say and it makes me even less likely to listen to him than before. BUT...and I tread carefully here...the man is paid to speak his mind, share his ideas on topics, and stir up the audience enough to keep them coming back day after day.
So, I sound like I am using some double speak here, right. Well, not really. Imus should be allowed to say what he wants, it's his American right. NBC, who signs his paychecks, should be the ones who are in hot water. Imus was just doing his job.
Most listeners know that Imus' views do not represent NBC's views. I certainly know that. But NBC should never stand for their brand to be tied to something like this. Most stations would have suspended him immediately and ultimately fired him.
I know of several broadcasters suspended and fired for much less. A couple of incidents come to mind. One morning guy referred to black athletes as monkeys. Another made up a scientific fact about African-Amercians having more ligaments and tendons making them better at sports. Both were fired. Both were wrong and deserved to get into trouble. Imus' statement was even worse. It was meant to be both hurtful and hateful.
NBC should take responsibility and do what is right here. Until then it seems as if they stand behind being racist, just as ABC stands behind gay-bashing.
OUT!
I am still in shock that the man has a job.
Here is my take...Imus is one of a dozen or so shock jocks filling the airwaves each morning around the country. These guys push the envelope, cross the line, break the barrier, whatever you want to call it, everytime they sit behind the mic. I love them for it.
I think that it is insane that our government bans certain words, topics, discussions, and demonstrations from being used on the air. It is a direct violation of the first amendment, but as we all know from recent events that the constitution is only pulled out, dusted off, and recited when it is useful to our elected leaders.
I hate Don Imus and never listen to him, but I love what he stands for. I love that he tries to push the line so that others have more freedom of speech. That in no way means that I condone what he said. It is a horrible thing to say and it makes me even less likely to listen to him than before. BUT...and I tread carefully here...the man is paid to speak his mind, share his ideas on topics, and stir up the audience enough to keep them coming back day after day.
So, I sound like I am using some double speak here, right. Well, not really. Imus should be allowed to say what he wants, it's his American right. NBC, who signs his paychecks, should be the ones who are in hot water. Imus was just doing his job.
Most listeners know that Imus' views do not represent NBC's views. I certainly know that. But NBC should never stand for their brand to be tied to something like this. Most stations would have suspended him immediately and ultimately fired him.
I know of several broadcasters suspended and fired for much less. A couple of incidents come to mind. One morning guy referred to black athletes as monkeys. Another made up a scientific fact about African-Amercians having more ligaments and tendons making them better at sports. Both were fired. Both were wrong and deserved to get into trouble. Imus' statement was even worse. It was meant to be both hurtful and hateful.
NBC should take responsibility and do what is right here. Until then it seems as if they stand behind being racist, just as ABC stands behind gay-bashing.
OUT!
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Movie Review
Grindhouse
Blood, guts, glory, and guns. That pretty much sums up the first half of the double feature extravaganza that is Grindhouse.
Hot Chics, Hot Cars, Bad Intentions would be the theme of the second half.
For those of you unfamiliar with the premise behind the 3-Hour Plus festival here is a brief and simple explanation. Two of the most Popular directors of our times, Robert Rodriguez (Desperado, Sin City) and Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill) decided to team up and create a double feature experience that would pay homage to the exploitation flicks that they inspired them both to become directors.
Rodriguez directs the first movie (85 minutes) called Planet Terror. It's basically a zombie flick packed full of intentional bad acting, terrible dialogue, lots of explosions, and plenty of gore. The pace is quick and the action is nearly non-stop. Rose McGowan plays one of the main characters. She does so with a sexyness and sassyness you would normally find in a Tarantino leading lady.
The story is outlandish, no question about it. Planet Terror thrives on killing as many people as possible including men, women, children, and pets. No one is exempt.
By the time the film ends you will be checking your own face making sure you aren't infected with the zombie-creating plague and sprouting disgusting boils.
If you have a weak tummy, you aren't going to like this too much.
The second film, helmed by Tarantino is a much different beast. In famous Q.T. fashion the movie builds on tight dialogue and tighter shorts. It then boils over into mad action. Death Proof is sure to be remembered as one of Tarantino's weakest offerings. Does that mean it's bad? Not at all. Quite the opposite actually. I think it just shows the depth of Tarantino's mind and how it hurt him by now being able to see his vision in full 2 and a half hour form. Limited to just 85 minutes his half of the flick feels a bit incomplete.
Death Proof follows Stuntman Mike, a local mad man who uses his 'death-proof' stunt car to murder unsuspecting passengers. It begins very slowly and builds to an amazing scene halfway through. Then the movie shifts gears and has to regain momentum before finally going airborne into an awesome ending.
The problem...The movie lacks a middle. It has a clear beginning, a clear ending, but nothing to hold the two together.
The movie is full of grindhouse style film. Grindhouse is a term used to describe some theaters in the 70's that would show these types of exploitation flicks over and over and over again. The movie would grind through the projector so many times that it would become scratched or would be missing complete reels of films. Both Rodriguez and Tarantino spliced scenes from their movies and scrated up other ones to give it an older feel. The effect was successful, casuing the crowd to actually burst into applause, shouts, and boos at different times.
The directors even solicited the help of some director friends to direct some fake trailers for the intermission of the movie. Both Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel) and Rob Zombie (House of 1000 Corpses, Halloween) gave faux trailers that were every bit as entertaining as the movies themselves.
These movies can't help but be compared to one another. So as I prepare to grade each of them and then the movie as a whole experience I have to remember what the directors were trying to accomplish; A wild thrill ride into a make-believe world while honoring films that made them the directors they are today. We should all be heading out to see Grindhouse and thanking the exploitation flicks of yesteryear because I for one can't imagine a world where these guys are making movies.
Planet Terror: A
Death Proof: B-
Grindhouse: A+
Friday, April 06, 2007
Good Ol' Days
Does anyone remember the show Bumper Stumpers. I used to love that game. For those of you not familiar with it, basically the host shows you a personalized license plate and says this might belong to someone at a country club. And he would show a plate that looks like this... 10SNE1
And the contestants would try to figure out what it says. That one says Tennis Anyone.
Here are a couple of others...
B10NOO
and
RUNVS
The first one says Button Nose. The second is Are You Envious.
I remember one night Paymon and I were driving downtown to see Hootie and The Blowfish. We pulled up next to a VW Bug (an old one) with a plate that looked like this...MDYBLS. We couldn't figure it out...Paymon's hysterical guess was Mighty Balls. But after some careful deliberation I corrected him. The bug was blue and I deduced that the plate said Moody Blues.
But I will never forget mighty balls.
Speaking of Hootie and The Blowfish, I remember writing a email a long time ago and telling someone that i liked Hottie and The Blowfish. Don't get me wrong, Darius Rucker is a good looking dude, but hottie. I don't think so.
I love typos. Like when I try to write my friend Bobby, but my brain works faster than my fingers and I end up writing my friend Booby.
Happy Friday!
OUT
And the contestants would try to figure out what it says. That one says Tennis Anyone.
Here are a couple of others...
B10NOO
and
RUNVS
The first one says Button Nose. The second is Are You Envious.
I remember one night Paymon and I were driving downtown to see Hootie and The Blowfish. We pulled up next to a VW Bug (an old one) with a plate that looked like this...MDYBLS. We couldn't figure it out...Paymon's hysterical guess was Mighty Balls. But after some careful deliberation I corrected him. The bug was blue and I deduced that the plate said Moody Blues.
But I will never forget mighty balls.
Speaking of Hootie and The Blowfish, I remember writing a email a long time ago and telling someone that i liked Hottie and The Blowfish. Don't get me wrong, Darius Rucker is a good looking dude, but hottie. I don't think so.
I love typos. Like when I try to write my friend Bobby, but my brain works faster than my fingers and I end up writing my friend Booby.
Happy Friday!
OUT
Thursday, April 05, 2007
Time For Another List
I haven't made any lists lately and my blog seems to be suffering for it. So here are a couple of shorts lists.
My Prediciton For Top 5 College Basketball Teams To Begin 2007-2008
1. Kansas
2. North Carolina
3. UCLA
4. Memphis
5. Ohio State/Georgetown
(If Connelly comes back for OSU then they are 5. If Oden comes back they are number 1)
Baseball Power Rankings Based On The First 4 Days Of The Season
1. New York Mets
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Los Angeles Angels of Whatever
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (Yep, 3-0)
Check back tomorrow to most likey find 4 different teams on this list...Ha
5 Shows That Will Get Canned But Shouldn't
1. Veronica Mars
2. Friday Night Lights
3. The Class
4. Medium
5. Jericho
5 Shows That Should Get Canned But Won't
1. Rules of Engagement
2. Cold Case
3. Men In Trees
4. 30 Rock
5. The Hills
Ok, and by the way...I updated my "favorite shows on TV list." Check it out to the right.
OUT
My Prediciton For Top 5 College Basketball Teams To Begin 2007-2008
1. Kansas
2. North Carolina
3. UCLA
4. Memphis
5. Ohio State/Georgetown
(If Connelly comes back for OSU then they are 5. If Oden comes back they are number 1)
Baseball Power Rankings Based On The First 4 Days Of The Season
1. New York Mets
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Minnesota Twins
4. Los Angeles Angels of Whatever
5. Pittsburgh Pirates (Yep, 3-0)
Check back tomorrow to most likey find 4 different teams on this list...Ha
5 Shows That Will Get Canned But Shouldn't
1. Veronica Mars
2. Friday Night Lights
3. The Class
4. Medium
5. Jericho
5 Shows That Should Get Canned But Won't
1. Rules of Engagement
2. Cold Case
3. Men In Trees
4. 30 Rock
5. The Hills
Ok, and by the way...I updated my "favorite shows on TV list." Check it out to the right.
OUT
Great Lyrics
With each new Bright Eyes album comes another set of inspiring, heart breaking, or emotionally charged lyrics. Here is a sampling from the new album Cassadaga.
Raven thoughts blacken your mind until you're breathing in reverse
All your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse
Every reassurance just magnifies the doubt
Better find yourself a place to level out
from If The Brakeman Turns My Way
Headlights or Taillights it's a flip of a coin
I have been coming and going since the day I was born
And I followed the breadcrumbs but I never got home
I grew old in an instant now I am all on my own
from Soul Singer In A Session Band
And I keep looking for that blindfold faith
Lighting candles to a cynical saint
Who wants the last laugh at the fly trapped in the windowsill tape
You can go right out of your mind trying to escape
From the panicked paradox of day to day
If you can’t understand something then it’s best to be afraid
The whole world it loves you if you are a chic chameleon
Intersecting circles she could hang with anyone
But when conducting business she would lie about where she’s from
Saying, "Life is how it is not how it was"
from Classic Cars
See the new pyramids down in old Manhattan
From the roof of a friend's I watched an empire ending
Heard it loud and long the river's Om
Time marching on to a madman's drum
from Cleanse Song
Leave the restless ghost in his old hotel
Leave the homeless man in that cardboard cell
Let the painted horse on the carousel remain
Everything it must belong somewhere
Just like the gold around her finger or the silver in his hair
Everything it must belong somewhere
I know that now, that's why I'm staying here
from I Must Belong Somewhere
Now everything is imaginary, especially what you love
from Lime Tree
Raven thoughts blacken your mind until you're breathing in reverse
All your friends and sedatives mean well but make it worse
Every reassurance just magnifies the doubt
Better find yourself a place to level out
from If The Brakeman Turns My Way
Headlights or Taillights it's a flip of a coin
I have been coming and going since the day I was born
And I followed the breadcrumbs but I never got home
I grew old in an instant now I am all on my own
from Soul Singer In A Session Band
And I keep looking for that blindfold faith
Lighting candles to a cynical saint
Who wants the last laugh at the fly trapped in the windowsill tape
You can go right out of your mind trying to escape
From the panicked paradox of day to day
If you can’t understand something then it’s best to be afraid
The whole world it loves you if you are a chic chameleon
Intersecting circles she could hang with anyone
But when conducting business she would lie about where she’s from
Saying, "Life is how it is not how it was"
from Classic Cars
See the new pyramids down in old Manhattan
From the roof of a friend's I watched an empire ending
Heard it loud and long the river's Om
Time marching on to a madman's drum
from Cleanse Song
Leave the restless ghost in his old hotel
Leave the homeless man in that cardboard cell
Let the painted horse on the carousel remain
Everything it must belong somewhere
Just like the gold around her finger or the silver in his hair
Everything it must belong somewhere
I know that now, that's why I'm staying here
from I Must Belong Somewhere
Now everything is imaginary, especially what you love
from Lime Tree
Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Quick Hits
The Lookout:
Joseph Gordon Levitt plays Chris Pratt, a popular teenager whose world is turned upside down after a tragic car accident. The acting is superb even when the movie is a little too deliberate as it swims its way upstream to the action.
Part drama, part crime caper it never lacks heart and never holds any punches in dealing with tough issues like head trauma, physical disabilities, and blindness.
Jeff Daniels plays Lewis, Chris' only real friend. He begins as mostly comic relief, but ultimately teaches the movie's most valuable lessons.
A-
Casino Royale:
I liked this movie better than the last three Bond flicks combined. But, I think critics and fans made a mistake here. Because Casino Royale was so much better than The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day the line became blurred between good movies and bad one. Casino Royale has its moments, but I didn't think for one second that this movie was great. Good, yes. Entertaining, yes. Ridiculous, yes.
The action scenes at the beginning are engaging and definitely get the adrenaline pumping. But once the movie settles in for the long haul is both tedious and at times dare I say boring. The poker scenes were about as exciting as watching your friends play at home. You can usually count on Bond having sexy moments with sexy ladies. Well, the ladies were sexy, their encounters...not so much.
At least Daniel Craig is a good Bond and that will keep me coming back the next time. I liked that this installment was much more gritty and not nearly as flashy.
C+
Joseph Gordon Levitt plays Chris Pratt, a popular teenager whose world is turned upside down after a tragic car accident. The acting is superb even when the movie is a little too deliberate as it swims its way upstream to the action.
Part drama, part crime caper it never lacks heart and never holds any punches in dealing with tough issues like head trauma, physical disabilities, and blindness.
Jeff Daniels plays Lewis, Chris' only real friend. He begins as mostly comic relief, but ultimately teaches the movie's most valuable lessons.
A-
Casino Royale:
I liked this movie better than the last three Bond flicks combined. But, I think critics and fans made a mistake here. Because Casino Royale was so much better than The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day the line became blurred between good movies and bad one. Casino Royale has its moments, but I didn't think for one second that this movie was great. Good, yes. Entertaining, yes. Ridiculous, yes.
The action scenes at the beginning are engaging and definitely get the adrenaline pumping. But once the movie settles in for the long haul is both tedious and at times dare I say boring. The poker scenes were about as exciting as watching your friends play at home. You can usually count on Bond having sexy moments with sexy ladies. Well, the ladies were sexy, their encounters...not so much.
At least Daniel Craig is a good Bond and that will keep me coming back the next time. I liked that this installment was much more gritty and not nearly as flashy.
C+
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
My Humps
Alanis has finally made a song with her tongue planted firmly in cheek again. Not since Jagged Little Pill has she released a tune that had any real passion. Well here she is with her new hit, a cover of the Black Eyed Peas tune.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g&eurl=
OUT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W91sqAs-_-g&eurl=
OUT!
Holy Toledo!
I just read an article about the FBI investigating a points shaving scheme in college football and basketball. Apparently (allegedly) a running back for University of Toledo accepted upwards of 10,000 dollars to sit out a game...or several games. It is also assumed that the player intentionally kept his team from scoring in order for the game to remain within the points spread. However, the player did not cause his team to lose.
This just pisses me off beyond all belief. I think that this sort of scandal is worse than the steroids issue. I think this is worse than having a string of horrible off-field incidents like Pac-Man Jones. I think that this is worse than using a corked bat.
Yes, those things are bad...but they are intended to make you better and your team better. When you intentionally do something to harm your team and to break the integrity of the game you are being more selfish than can be put into words.
This guy should be given a minimum of 5 years in jail for conspiracy and should never be allowed to play college or professional sports again. It makes me gag.
OUT!
This just pisses me off beyond all belief. I think that this sort of scandal is worse than the steroids issue. I think this is worse than having a string of horrible off-field incidents like Pac-Man Jones. I think that this is worse than using a corked bat.
Yes, those things are bad...but they are intended to make you better and your team better. When you intentionally do something to harm your team and to break the integrity of the game you are being more selfish than can be put into words.
This guy should be given a minimum of 5 years in jail for conspiracy and should never be allowed to play college or professional sports again. It makes me gag.
OUT!
And Brutus Was His Name - O
Just wanted to let everyone know that the newest member of the Carwile family has in fact been named Brutus. I appreciate everyone who voted. In a close second was Sanjaya, followed by Rufus, Kane, and Kong.
I decided on Brutus for several reasons, but in all fairness Jason's vote counted twice since he is the one who hooked me up with him.
Why name my dog Brutus after the second most famous traitor in the history of the world?(Judas being number one)
Well Brutus did kill his closest friend, but it was because he was standing up for what he believed and he was fighting against a dictatorship. It is this kind of loyalty that I want to get from my Brutus.
OUT!
I decided on Brutus for several reasons, but in all fairness Jason's vote counted twice since he is the one who hooked me up with him.
Why name my dog Brutus after the second most famous traitor in the history of the world?(Judas being number one)
Well Brutus did kill his closest friend, but it was because he was standing up for what he believed and he was fighting against a dictatorship. It is this kind of loyalty that I want to get from my Brutus.
OUT!
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