I like what the Pittsburgh Steelers have done with the first three picks in this year's NFL draft. They have added great talent to the offensive line with their picks in rounds one and two. Could this be a sign new offensive coordinator Todd Haley want to return to a run oriented smash mouth style of football? As a Steelers fan, I can only hope that is the case.
David DeCastro, a guard from Stanford was the team's first round pick at 24th overall. DeCastro was expected to be a top-15 pick and is considered by many NFL analysts to be the best guard prospect since Steve Hutchinson in 2001. But luckily for Pittsburgh, DeCastro fell to them in what will turn out to be one of the steals of the first round. Standing 6'5" and weighing in at 315 pounds, it will be a shock if DeCastro is not the opening day starter at right guard. Coach Tomlin gave Maurkice Pouncey the starting job at center after the first preseason game in 2010 and that, of course, has worked out extremely well.
At the combine, DeCastro had the most bench press reps among guards with 34. He also had the fastest 3-cone drill time among guards. He fell into the middle of the pack with his 40-yard dash time of 5.43 (which for a guy who is 6'5" and 315 pounds, that's pretty damn good), fell .03 seconds shy of the top 20-yard shuttle time and was in the top half in vertical leap. It can't be explained why DeCastro fell to the Steelers at 24, but you can be sure Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, Todd Haley and the Rooneys haven't stopped smiling since Thursday night.
The selection of Mike Adams in the second round shows the organization believes in second chances. Adams tested positive for marijuana at the scouting combine and then proceeded to lie about it. The Steelers removed him from their draft board altogether. The 6'7", 325 pound Adams is a native of Farrell, Pennsylvania and a life-long Steelers fan. After the combine he requested a meeting with Colbert, Tomlin and Art Rooney II to talk about the incident. He agreed to certain conditions, including couseling, to get back into the Steelers good graces. His failed drug test and subsequent lies about the test kept him from being drafted in the first round. Instead, he was drafted 56th overall but possesses the talent to one day be a franchise tackle.
Sean Spence, a 5'11", 231 pound outside linebacker from the University of Miami was selected in the 3rd round at 86th overall. It wouldn't be out of the question for the Steelers to move him inside to add depth to an area where the have none. He will definitely need to add strength leading up to training camp and the preseason but has the raw talent to make some noise in the Steelers defense someday.
The Steelers first two picks of the 2012 NFL draft, in addition to Pouncey and Marcus Gilbert, are rebuilding an offensive line which, for the the past couple seasons, has been a ragtag compilation of mix and match backups being forced into starting roles. Now they have protection for Ben Roethlisberger. Now they have big bodies to create running room for Rashard Mendenhall when he returns from the ACL injury suffered in January. (Running back is another issue you may see me write about in the not-so-distant future.) Hopefully DeCastro ends the days of relying on Ramon Foster and Trai Essex. Hopefully watching Willie Colon end up on injured-reserve every year will be a moot point with the addition of Adams. But most of all, maybe the days of watching Roethlisberger get sacked 40+ times a season will finally come to an end.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JTLovecraft
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Saturday, April 21, 2012
The plan...
I don't want to blog about politics. I know there is a presidential race heating up (and I do hope Obozo loses in November) but right now, I'm not interested. I don't want to write about movies all the time, either. I will begin writing about some of my favorite albums and how they influenced me. I will write about food. I will fill an entire post with words about absolutely nothing. All this will begin next week.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Another look at some upcoming movies
Detention -- This horror-comedy looks like Scream without the clever satire and campy humor. If that doesn't keep you away from this movie, I don't know what will.
GI Joe: Retaliation -- The first one was bad. This one looks worse.
Battleship -- If I hadn't known the title of this movie before watching the trailer, I would have guessed from the big-budget special effects and bad acting it was Transformers 4. That's not a good thing. This all flash and no substance monstrosity stars Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn DDecker, (Yes, the DD is intentional.) Rihanna and Liam Neeson. And shame on Neeson for being part of this.
ATM - Hey! It's "I Know What You Did Last Payday". *SIGH*
Dark Shadows -- Finally...a movie that looks fantastic. Hollywood power-couple Tim Burton and Johnny Depp reunite for this theatrical version of the TV show. Depp plays Barnabas Collins, an 18th century playboy cursed by a heartbroken witch and transformed into a vampire before being buried alive. He is set free in 1972 and must come to the rescue of his dysfunctional family while confronting the witch who cursed him centuries ago. The movie also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Helena Bohnam Carter, Christopher Lee and has a cameo from Alice Cooper. This should be a delightful good time at the movies.
GI Joe: Retaliation -- The first one was bad. This one looks worse.
Battleship -- If I hadn't known the title of this movie before watching the trailer, I would have guessed from the big-budget special effects and bad acting it was Transformers 4. That's not a good thing. This all flash and no substance monstrosity stars Alexander Skarsgard, Brooklyn DDecker, (Yes, the DD is intentional.) Rihanna and Liam Neeson. And shame on Neeson for being part of this.
ATM - Hey! It's "I Know What You Did Last Payday". *SIGH*
Dark Shadows -- Finally...a movie that looks fantastic. Hollywood power-couple Tim Burton and Johnny Depp reunite for this theatrical version of the TV show. Depp plays Barnabas Collins, an 18th century playboy cursed by a heartbroken witch and transformed into a vampire before being buried alive. He is set free in 1972 and must come to the rescue of his dysfunctional family while confronting the witch who cursed him centuries ago. The movie also stars Michelle Pfeiffer, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Helena Bohnam Carter, Christopher Lee and has a cameo from Alice Cooper. This should be a delightful good time at the movies.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Get Your Tattoo: Take a Trip to Redbox and rent The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a dark and disturbing movie. However it is still far less twisted than the Stieg Larsson novel. Removed from the film is the plotline of incestuous rape, but misogyny and militant ethnocentrism remain as the focus of the story.
Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) has the role film’s secondary hero, Mikael Blomkvist, a once respected journalist recently convicted of libeling a prominent Swedish businessman. I do understand the casting of Craig in this role. His name is well known around the world and he has the look fitting the character. He does not however, have the acting range necessary to portray Blomkvist, a character balancing pride, disgrace and uncertainty in his career.
Shortly after his libel conviction, Blomkvist is offered a job by Henrik Vanger (played by the legendary Christopher Plummer), the patriarch of one of Sweden’s most powerful families. On paper, Blomkvist’s job is to write Henrik’s memoir. In reality, and the entire family knows it, he is to investigate the alleged murder of Henrik’s niece, Harriet, nearly forty years ago. At first, it seems a dead end venture for Blomkvist until an casual comment from Blomkvist’s daughter opens the door to the horrible truth behind the Vanger family.
Rooney Mara (great granddaughter of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney) is Lisbeth Salander, the heroine of the story and title character of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. She is a computer hacker extraordinaire with a photographic memory who looks like something straight from a Jane’s Addiction concert. Her antisocial behavior has her labeled as incompetent by the Swedish government and she is a ward of the state with a court appointed guardian. Her kindly old guardian has a stroke and her new guardian, despite the presence of Nazis in the Vanger family, is the most detestable character in the movie.
Yorick van Wageningen is Nils Bjurman, a disgusting pig of a man who forces Lisbeth to perform sexual favors in exchange for money from her own bank account. This escalates into a very brutal rape and subsequent revenge from Lisbeth. The scene is one of the most graphic I have ever seen and is difficult to watch. But I must give credit to Mara and van Wageningen for shooting a scene so frightfully real. Anything less would have weakened the film. Mara was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her role as Lisbeth and rightfully so. Casting her was a bold and risky choice but it was definitely the correct choice.
David Fincher’s direction of this film is very similar to that of his breakthrough film Se7en and surprisingly Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun” video, which he also directed. Fincher didn’t rely on graphic violence in Se7en, just images of the aftermath. He uses the same technique in Dragon Tattoo. The dark feeling and the editing techniques of “Janie’s” are very noticeable with this film also.
Stellan Skarsgard (Thor) and Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) also appear in this film as Martin and Anita Vanger.
Fans of the book may be disappointed with how the film wraps up the mystery of the Vanger family and how Erika Berger (Blomkvist’s editor and part-time lover) and Dragan Armansky (played smoothly by Goran Visnjic of ER) are shoved into the category of third tier characters. Even with all its cuts and changes, the film still runs at two and a half hours. It’s a tight, edge-of-your-seat thriller but you will definitely want to rent a comedy to watch afterwards.
Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) has the role film’s secondary hero, Mikael Blomkvist, a once respected journalist recently convicted of libeling a prominent Swedish businessman. I do understand the casting of Craig in this role. His name is well known around the world and he has the look fitting the character. He does not however, have the acting range necessary to portray Blomkvist, a character balancing pride, disgrace and uncertainty in his career.
Shortly after his libel conviction, Blomkvist is offered a job by Henrik Vanger (played by the legendary Christopher Plummer), the patriarch of one of Sweden’s most powerful families. On paper, Blomkvist’s job is to write Henrik’s memoir. In reality, and the entire family knows it, he is to investigate the alleged murder of Henrik’s niece, Harriet, nearly forty years ago. At first, it seems a dead end venture for Blomkvist until an casual comment from Blomkvist’s daughter opens the door to the horrible truth behind the Vanger family.
Rooney Mara (great granddaughter of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney) is Lisbeth Salander, the heroine of the story and title character of Stieg Larsson’s trilogy. She is a computer hacker extraordinaire with a photographic memory who looks like something straight from a Jane’s Addiction concert. Her antisocial behavior has her labeled as incompetent by the Swedish government and she is a ward of the state with a court appointed guardian. Her kindly old guardian has a stroke and her new guardian, despite the presence of Nazis in the Vanger family, is the most detestable character in the movie.
Yorick van Wageningen is Nils Bjurman, a disgusting pig of a man who forces Lisbeth to perform sexual favors in exchange for money from her own bank account. This escalates into a very brutal rape and subsequent revenge from Lisbeth. The scene is one of the most graphic I have ever seen and is difficult to watch. But I must give credit to Mara and van Wageningen for shooting a scene so frightfully real. Anything less would have weakened the film. Mara was nominated for a Golden Globe and an Oscar for her role as Lisbeth and rightfully so. Casting her was a bold and risky choice but it was definitely the correct choice.
David Fincher’s direction of this film is very similar to that of his breakthrough film Se7en and surprisingly Aerosmith’s “Janie’s Got a Gun” video, which he also directed. Fincher didn’t rely on graphic violence in Se7en, just images of the aftermath. He uses the same technique in Dragon Tattoo. The dark feeling and the editing techniques of “Janie’s” are very noticeable with this film also.
Stellan Skarsgard (Thor) and Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) also appear in this film as Martin and Anita Vanger.
Fans of the book may be disappointed with how the film wraps up the mystery of the Vanger family and how Erika Berger (Blomkvist’s editor and part-time lover) and Dragan Armansky (played smoothly by Goran Visnjic of ER) are shoved into the category of third tier characters. Even with all its cuts and changes, the film still runs at two and a half hours. It’s a tight, edge-of-your-seat thriller but you will definitely want to rent a comedy to watch afterwards.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Limbaugh vs. Fluke and the extreme left: A clear winner
Once again the radical left has it all wrong when it comes to Rush Limbaugh. The Sandra Fluke controversy shows the hypocrisy of the left in its full monty.
Rush Limbaugh was been widely criticized by the left wing (and the chickenshit GOP presidential candidates trying to draw undecided/independent/moderate voters) for his comments about Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student claiming she is having so much sex she can’t keep up with the costs of contraceptives. Rush labeled her a “slut” and said since she wants the rest of us to pay for her birth control so she can have all the sex she wants she is also a “prostitute”. Many claim his comments crossed the line. As someone who has listened to Limbaugh on and off for 20 years, I can say those aren’t the worst comments Rush ever made.
Georgetown University is the nation’s oldest Jesuit and Catholic University and birth control is not covered under its health insurance. The Catholic Church has had a very long-standing policy against the use of birth control. And the government mandating policy to any religious organization is a violation of the separation of church and state. Any law student should understand that. But those things only matter to the left when someone want to place a Nativity scene on public property.
After her testimony was over, Fluke and several other closed-minded leftist women, walked out on testimony from Catholic Bishops. So much for wanting to hear the other side of the debate, especially when it could come down to a Constitutional and legal issue, something in which a law student should have interest, you would think.
So if Ms. Fluke is really going through so much money buying contraceptives, she’s obviously not on the pill or shot, because with those options the amount of sex you have does not matter. And plenty of other women in America are using the pill or shot and not drying up their bank account. So let‘s say she is using condoms. It’s come out recently Sandra does have a boyfriend. Does he not contribute to the condom fund? If not, then she shouldn’t be giving him any sex. And there are plenty of places to get free condoms if you need them as well. The bottom line is birth control is not vital for anyone’s daily life. It’s not like insulin for a diabetic.
So riddle me this, why has no one pointed out these women demanding the government get involved in policies regarding medication for women’s bodies are the same women who want the government to stay away from their bodies when it comes to abortion? Just another little something to think about.
On a side note, if Sandra can find time to engage in this abundant amount of sexual intercourse, when is she studying? In 2011, The US News & World Report printed a ranking of the top law schools in America based on a survey from the ABA. Georgetown University is ranked 14th on that list. So Sandra is not a stupid woman, but all this time she’s spending in bed takes away from time she should be spending in the library. Pass the Bar Exam first. Then worry about having sex.
Let’s get to Rush Limbaugh’s apology and advertisers. Many feel the apology was not sincere and done only to appease advertisers. Not likely. The radical left website ThinkProgress has claimed 45% of Limbaugh’s advertisers have pulled their ads from his show. Again not likely. I’m not surprised such a report came from a website which despises everything Rush stands for and wants to see him fail. Limbaugh’s show has a waiting list for advertisers and many will happily jump on board despite the controversy. Think about it. Rating for Limbaugh’s show are going to be even higher right now with all the coverage this story has received. It’s a great time to advertise on his show.
As for the apology, I don’t feel it was 100% sincere. I feel it was a calculated and clever ploy to keep the story at the top of the news. He made the apology over the weekend which would have the weekend shows on networks like CNN and FOX talking about it. And come Monday morning and evening, the big stars on those same networks would have to talk about it on their shows. Finally, come 12PM EST, even more ears would be tuned in to hear the opening monologue of Rush’s show. So once again, Rush oursmarts everyone else.
In what came as no surprise, Sandra and the gang of hypocrites rebuffed Rush’s apology. But what did come as a surprise was extreme leftist and shock comic Bill Maher defended Limbaugh going as far as to say the left looks bad for not accepting his apology. Keep in mind Maher is the same man who called Sarah Palin a “bimbo” and the “c-word”. (And Maher used the vulgar version, not my version.) Now, when any woman is called the c-word, shouldn’t all women be outraged, regardless of politics? I would think they should. But again, just more hypocrisy from the left. I must give credit where it is due, and will likely never do this again for Bill Maher, but he deserves kudos for what he said about the Limbaugh apology and the left wing of American politics.
The only things I know for sure is Limbaugh’s show isn’t going anywhere (Sorry leftists.) and the debate over the government mandating policy to religious employers will continue and may end up before the Supreme Court. It’s clearly a violation of the separation of church and state, but I’m not a lawyer, judge or justice. I’ll let them figure it out. And Sandra, you obviously have brains and passion so get off the talk show circuit and the mattress and into the library.
Rush Limbaugh was been widely criticized by the left wing (and the chickenshit GOP presidential candidates trying to draw undecided/independent/moderate voters) for his comments about Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown law student claiming she is having so much sex she can’t keep up with the costs of contraceptives. Rush labeled her a “slut” and said since she wants the rest of us to pay for her birth control so she can have all the sex she wants she is also a “prostitute”. Many claim his comments crossed the line. As someone who has listened to Limbaugh on and off for 20 years, I can say those aren’t the worst comments Rush ever made.
Georgetown University is the nation’s oldest Jesuit and Catholic University and birth control is not covered under its health insurance. The Catholic Church has had a very long-standing policy against the use of birth control. And the government mandating policy to any religious organization is a violation of the separation of church and state. Any law student should understand that. But those things only matter to the left when someone want to place a Nativity scene on public property.
After her testimony was over, Fluke and several other closed-minded leftist women, walked out on testimony from Catholic Bishops. So much for wanting to hear the other side of the debate, especially when it could come down to a Constitutional and legal issue, something in which a law student should have interest, you would think.
So if Ms. Fluke is really going through so much money buying contraceptives, she’s obviously not on the pill or shot, because with those options the amount of sex you have does not matter. And plenty of other women in America are using the pill or shot and not drying up their bank account. So let‘s say she is using condoms. It’s come out recently Sandra does have a boyfriend. Does he not contribute to the condom fund? If not, then she shouldn’t be giving him any sex. And there are plenty of places to get free condoms if you need them as well. The bottom line is birth control is not vital for anyone’s daily life. It’s not like insulin for a diabetic.
So riddle me this, why has no one pointed out these women demanding the government get involved in policies regarding medication for women’s bodies are the same women who want the government to stay away from their bodies when it comes to abortion? Just another little something to think about.
On a side note, if Sandra can find time to engage in this abundant amount of sexual intercourse, when is she studying? In 2011, The US News & World Report printed a ranking of the top law schools in America based on a survey from the ABA. Georgetown University is ranked 14th on that list. So Sandra is not a stupid woman, but all this time she’s spending in bed takes away from time she should be spending in the library. Pass the Bar Exam first. Then worry about having sex.
Let’s get to Rush Limbaugh’s apology and advertisers. Many feel the apology was not sincere and done only to appease advertisers. Not likely. The radical left website ThinkProgress has claimed 45% of Limbaugh’s advertisers have pulled their ads from his show. Again not likely. I’m not surprised such a report came from a website which despises everything Rush stands for and wants to see him fail. Limbaugh’s show has a waiting list for advertisers and many will happily jump on board despite the controversy. Think about it. Rating for Limbaugh’s show are going to be even higher right now with all the coverage this story has received. It’s a great time to advertise on his show.
As for the apology, I don’t feel it was 100% sincere. I feel it was a calculated and clever ploy to keep the story at the top of the news. He made the apology over the weekend which would have the weekend shows on networks like CNN and FOX talking about it. And come Monday morning and evening, the big stars on those same networks would have to talk about it on their shows. Finally, come 12PM EST, even more ears would be tuned in to hear the opening monologue of Rush’s show. So once again, Rush oursmarts everyone else.
In what came as no surprise, Sandra and the gang of hypocrites rebuffed Rush’s apology. But what did come as a surprise was extreme leftist and shock comic Bill Maher defended Limbaugh going as far as to say the left looks bad for not accepting his apology. Keep in mind Maher is the same man who called Sarah Palin a “bimbo” and the “c-word”. (And Maher used the vulgar version, not my version.) Now, when any woman is called the c-word, shouldn’t all women be outraged, regardless of politics? I would think they should. But again, just more hypocrisy from the left. I must give credit where it is due, and will likely never do this again for Bill Maher, but he deserves kudos for what he said about the Limbaugh apology and the left wing of American politics.
The only things I know for sure is Limbaugh’s show isn’t going anywhere (Sorry leftists.) and the debate over the government mandating policy to religious employers will continue and may end up before the Supreme Court. It’s clearly a violation of the separation of church and state, but I’m not a lawyer, judge or justice. I’ll let them figure it out. And Sandra, you obviously have brains and passion so get off the talk show circuit and the mattress and into the library.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Trailer Watch: A Look at Upcoming Movies
It's getting to be the time of year for big time movie releases. I've watched a handful of trailers from upcoming movies and taken a few notes. And now I will give to you my thoughts on what the upcoming movie season has to offer based upon the trailers. So get a small bag of microwaver popcorn and read on!
Safe -- This action film stars Jason Statham as a former elite agent who goes up against the Russian mob, corrupt NYPD cops and the Chinese Triad to protect a young girl with perfect memorization skills who holds a very important safe combination in her head. OK. I like Jason Statham as an actor. But he cannot carry a movie on his own. He needs to be part of a larger cast as he was in The Italian Job and The Expendables. When he is asked to carry a movie on his own we end up with stuff like Crank, Death Race and The Transporter franchise. The combination of this with director Boaz Yakin's (Uptown Girls and Remember the Titans) first trip into the world of action movies, chances are this will be an epic fail.
American Reunion -- The original cast of American Pie returns as the class of '99 gathers for a high school reunion. Unfortunately they return without the charm and humor of this first film and has cameos from TO and Ochocinco. I'm sure some of the cast members did this strictly for the money (Hello Tara Reid, Mena Suvari and Shannon Elizabeth) and I'm sure some did it because they thought it was a good idea. The American Pie franchise has already spawned two sequels (both of which were moderately funny at best) and spin-offs (which most folks probably don't even know exist) about Jim's dad and Stiffler's brother. Watching the cast who are now supposed to be grown men and women act like doofuses with another high school virginity subplot thorwn in the mix makes for a reunion of the same old jokes. This slice of pie should be thrown in the garbage.
The Cabin in the Woods -- This horror film from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, the writer of Cloverfield, was filmed in 2009 but will not be released until April. Usually, that is a bad sign for any movie. However, this movie appears to have borrowed some elements of the Saw series while adding in the seclusion of the Friday the 13th. Add in some star power with Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), and Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and this could be the horror film of 2012.
Rock of Ages -- The hit Broadway musical come to the big screen with Tom Cruise as 80s rock god Stacee Jaxx and Catherine Zeta-Jones as the sanctimonious bitch Patrica Whitmore. Strangely, this will work. Also starring Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough and Alec Baldwin and directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray, The Wedding Planner) Rock of Ages will no doubt rock the box office as well as having one the year's best soundtracks.
The Amazing Spider-Man -- The first - and most important - quality this reboot of the franchise has on its predecessors is a better cast. Gone are Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and in are Golden Globe nominees Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Emma Stone (Easy A) and Denis Leary (Rescue Me, which also earned him an Emmy nomination) as well as Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Martin Sheen (The West Wing) and Oscar winner Sally Field (Norma Rae, Places in the Heart). Second on the list of important qualities is the writing. Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the eight Harry Potter films as well as Wonder Boys (which earned him an Oscar nomination) and Fabulous Baker Boys, helped write the screenplay for this movie with Alvin Sargent, a writer from the first three films. The addition of Kloves will without a doubt make an improvment on the drivel which were the first three screenplays. The only question mark in the new start to this franchise is director Marc Webb, who up until this point had made his name directing music documetaries, most notably for No Doubt and 3 Doors Down. Let's hope the lack of a big name director doesn't end up being a mistake. Overall, the new look to the Spider-Man franchise looks amazing.
MiB3 -- We have been waiting a long time for the third installment in the adventures of the intergalactic peace keepers known as the Men in Black. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith played well off each others strengths in the first two movies and fans will be hoping for more of the same in this one. The antics however, appear forced and clumsy judging by the trailer. In this installment, Agent J must travel back in time to prevent changes in history due to an alien assination of a young Agent K. Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensability, Howards End) joins the cast as Agent Oh, Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Milk) will play young Agent K and SNL's Bill Hader will appear as Andy Warhol. Making cameos in the movie will be Nicole Scherzinger and Lady Gaga. I'm sure this movie will rake in the bucks at the box office given its USDA prime opening of Memorial Day weekend, but I wouldn't expect the same quality of the first two movies.
The Dark Knight Rises -- The movie which will close the curtain on the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale chapter in the Batman saga. There is no question this will be 2012's highest grossing film. And for good resason: there is nothing bad to say about it. Like the two films before it, this movie will be well acted (despite the silly "Batman voice" from Bale) and directed. It was a surprise when Bane was announced as the villian for the final film in this Batman era (I'm sure another set of films will pop up sometime down the road) but it was a good choice. Many fans (myself among them) were hoping for The Riddler. However, in a movie which is to end this trilogy a violent criminal such as Bane is the best choice over a more methodical villian like The Riddler. I must say I am also interested to see what Ra's Al Ghul's role in the final film will be. The Dark Knight Rises will own the 2012 box office.
Safe -- This action film stars Jason Statham as a former elite agent who goes up against the Russian mob, corrupt NYPD cops and the Chinese Triad to protect a young girl with perfect memorization skills who holds a very important safe combination in her head. OK. I like Jason Statham as an actor. But he cannot carry a movie on his own. He needs to be part of a larger cast as he was in The Italian Job and The Expendables. When he is asked to carry a movie on his own we end up with stuff like Crank, Death Race and The Transporter franchise. The combination of this with director Boaz Yakin's (Uptown Girls and Remember the Titans) first trip into the world of action movies, chances are this will be an epic fail.
American Reunion -- The original cast of American Pie returns as the class of '99 gathers for a high school reunion. Unfortunately they return without the charm and humor of this first film and has cameos from TO and Ochocinco. I'm sure some of the cast members did this strictly for the money (Hello Tara Reid, Mena Suvari and Shannon Elizabeth) and I'm sure some did it because they thought it was a good idea. The American Pie franchise has already spawned two sequels (both of which were moderately funny at best) and spin-offs (which most folks probably don't even know exist) about Jim's dad and Stiffler's brother. Watching the cast who are now supposed to be grown men and women act like doofuses with another high school virginity subplot thorwn in the mix makes for a reunion of the same old jokes. This slice of pie should be thrown in the garbage.
The Cabin in the Woods -- This horror film from Joss Whedon and Drew Goddard, the writer of Cloverfield, was filmed in 2009 but will not be released until April. Usually, that is a bad sign for any movie. However, this movie appears to have borrowed some elements of the Saw series while adding in the seclusion of the Friday the 13th. Add in some star power with Bradley Whitford (The West Wing), Amy Acker (Angel, Dollhouse), Chris Hemsworth (Thor, The Avengers), and Oscar nominee Richard Jenkins (The Visitor) and this could be the horror film of 2012.
Rock of Ages -- The hit Broadway musical come to the big screen with Tom Cruise as 80s rock god Stacee Jaxx and Catherine Zeta-Jones as the sanctimonious bitch Patrica Whitmore. Strangely, this will work. Also starring Russell Brand, Paul Giamatti, Julianne Hough and Alec Baldwin and directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray, The Wedding Planner) Rock of Ages will no doubt rock the box office as well as having one the year's best soundtracks.
The Amazing Spider-Man -- The first - and most important - quality this reboot of the franchise has on its predecessors is a better cast. Gone are Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst and in are Golden Globe nominees Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Emma Stone (Easy A) and Denis Leary (Rescue Me, which also earned him an Emmy nomination) as well as Golden Globe winner and Emmy nominee Martin Sheen (The West Wing) and Oscar winner Sally Field (Norma Rae, Places in the Heart). Second on the list of important qualities is the writing. Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the eight Harry Potter films as well as Wonder Boys (which earned him an Oscar nomination) and Fabulous Baker Boys, helped write the screenplay for this movie with Alvin Sargent, a writer from the first three films. The addition of Kloves will without a doubt make an improvment on the drivel which were the first three screenplays. The only question mark in the new start to this franchise is director Marc Webb, who up until this point had made his name directing music documetaries, most notably for No Doubt and 3 Doors Down. Let's hope the lack of a big name director doesn't end up being a mistake. Overall, the new look to the Spider-Man franchise looks amazing.
MiB3 -- We have been waiting a long time for the third installment in the adventures of the intergalactic peace keepers known as the Men in Black. Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith played well off each others strengths in the first two movies and fans will be hoping for more of the same in this one. The antics however, appear forced and clumsy judging by the trailer. In this installment, Agent J must travel back in time to prevent changes in history due to an alien assination of a young Agent K. Oscar winner Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensability, Howards End) joins the cast as Agent Oh, Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Milk) will play young Agent K and SNL's Bill Hader will appear as Andy Warhol. Making cameos in the movie will be Nicole Scherzinger and Lady Gaga. I'm sure this movie will rake in the bucks at the box office given its USDA prime opening of Memorial Day weekend, but I wouldn't expect the same quality of the first two movies.
The Dark Knight Rises -- The movie which will close the curtain on the Christopher Nolan/Christian Bale chapter in the Batman saga. There is no question this will be 2012's highest grossing film. And for good resason: there is nothing bad to say about it. Like the two films before it, this movie will be well acted (despite the silly "Batman voice" from Bale) and directed. It was a surprise when Bane was announced as the villian for the final film in this Batman era (I'm sure another set of films will pop up sometime down the road) but it was a good choice. Many fans (myself among them) were hoping for The Riddler. However, in a movie which is to end this trilogy a violent criminal such as Bane is the best choice over a more methodical villian like The Riddler. I must say I am also interested to see what Ra's Al Ghul's role in the final film will be. The Dark Knight Rises will own the 2012 box office.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Transition from Kitchen to Cubicle Part One
On September 16th, 2011, I lost my job at Green Oaks Country Club where I had been for three years.\ So when my brother first suggested I apply to be and Order Processing Specialist where he works, I was skeptical. I had been in the food and beverage industry full-time since 2001 and honestly I was scared to make a change. I was two months shy of my 35th birthday when I applied for the job. And in almost perfect irony, I started training one day shy of exactly two months to the day of losing my country club job. (So on a side note, finding a good, well paying job right now is possible with some motivation and effort.)
Training wasn't anything like what I expected. It was long - three months to be exact - and difficult. Even the training I had at the country club, working in fine dining for the first time, was less difficult than what I had to learn going into this job. And depending on how you look at it, the severity of mistakes are much different. At the country club a mistake could mean someone gets food poisoning. At my new job, a mistake could mean we have to credit the customer $5000. And on top of this, I was chosen for what is considered the most difficult pod on the floor: Embroidery Order Processing Specialist. (I will post more on that in another blog.)
The title "Order Processing Specialist" is misleading. Yes some data entry is involved but that is about 20% of what I now spend my day doing. Some of my other responsibilities include evaluating artwork, talking to distributors, coordinating with the production department, art department and the order editing team as well as responding to the constant flow of email I receive daily.
So I went from standing all day in a 90+ degree kitchen chopping veggies, cleaning chicken breasts, making display mirrors and orders for members to sitting in a cubicle in front of a computer with a mouse as my main tool instead of a knife. The pay's significantly better too, but that will also be discussed in another blog. It's been an interesting road and there will be many more stories to come. So stay tuned.
Training wasn't anything like what I expected. It was long - three months to be exact - and difficult. Even the training I had at the country club, working in fine dining for the first time, was less difficult than what I had to learn going into this job. And depending on how you look at it, the severity of mistakes are much different. At the country club a mistake could mean someone gets food poisoning. At my new job, a mistake could mean we have to credit the customer $5000. And on top of this, I was chosen for what is considered the most difficult pod on the floor: Embroidery Order Processing Specialist. (I will post more on that in another blog.)
The title "Order Processing Specialist" is misleading. Yes some data entry is involved but that is about 20% of what I now spend my day doing. Some of my other responsibilities include evaluating artwork, talking to distributors, coordinating with the production department, art department and the order editing team as well as responding to the constant flow of email I receive daily.
So I went from standing all day in a 90+ degree kitchen chopping veggies, cleaning chicken breasts, making display mirrors and orders for members to sitting in a cubicle in front of a computer with a mouse as my main tool instead of a knife. The pay's significantly better too, but that will also be discussed in another blog. It's been an interesting road and there will be many more stories to come. So stay tuned.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Thoughts From and iPod
How can Andrew W. K.'s songs be both so blatantly stupid but also so very catchy?
Ugly Kid Joe is a band who deserved a much higher level of success than they had. Most of us know their mega-hit "Everything About You" and their cover of "Cats in the Cradle". But songs like "Milkman's Son" and Goddamn Devil" showed a quirky sense of humor and the influence Ozzy Osbourne had on their music.
Shakira has two times as many songs as Slaughter on my iPod.
I still don't have any Foreigner on the iPod.
Halestorm is a fantastic band. Lzzy Hale can channel both Joan Jett and Lita Ford with her vocals.
Keep the music loud, folks!
Ugly Kid Joe is a band who deserved a much higher level of success than they had. Most of us know their mega-hit "Everything About You" and their cover of "Cats in the Cradle". But songs like "Milkman's Son" and Goddamn Devil" showed a quirky sense of humor and the influence Ozzy Osbourne had on their music.
Shakira has two times as many songs as Slaughter on my iPod.
I still don't have any Foreigner on the iPod.
Halestorm is a fantastic band. Lzzy Hale can channel both Joan Jett and Lita Ford with her vocals.
Keep the music loud, folks!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
PICKING THE GRAMMYS
BEST NEW ARTIST:
This category include The Band Perry, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex and J. Cole. Last year this award went to Esperanza-something-rather. Again I see a less popular artist winning this award. I'm going with Bon Iver.
BEST HARD ROCK/METAL SONG:
The two categories were combined into one by the Grammy doofuses, which is why the Foo Fighters appear with Megadeth and Mastodon, along with Dream Theater and Sum 41. The sexy pick here would be the Foo Fighters. But I have to go with thrash-metal gods Megadeth.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Adele will walk away with this award easily. I'm don't want to take anything away from Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters or Rihanna, but this will be the one of many for Adele tonight.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
It's cute to see Katy Perry nominated here with much more talented artists. Bruno Mars has the only chance of upsetting Adele but it's not going to happen. "Rolling in the Deep" wins the award. Sorry Mumford & Son and Bon Iver also.
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
This is where the voters may let someone other than Adele win. I think Bruno Mars take this award over Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and P!nk.
SOME QUICK PICKS IN OTHER CATEGORIES
Country solo performance: Jason Aldean
Comedy Performance: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Best Rap Collaboration: Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey
Best Rap Performance: As long as Wiz Khalifa loses, I don't care who wins.
Best Alternative Album: Radiohead
This category include The Band Perry, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj, Skrillex and J. Cole. Last year this award went to Esperanza-something-rather. Again I see a less popular artist winning this award. I'm going with Bon Iver.
BEST HARD ROCK/METAL SONG:
The two categories were combined into one by the Grammy doofuses, which is why the Foo Fighters appear with Megadeth and Mastodon, along with Dream Theater and Sum 41. The sexy pick here would be the Foo Fighters. But I have to go with thrash-metal gods Megadeth.
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Adele will walk away with this award easily. I'm don't want to take anything away from Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters or Rihanna, but this will be the one of many for Adele tonight.
RECORD OF THE YEAR
It's cute to see Katy Perry nominated here with much more talented artists. Bruno Mars has the only chance of upsetting Adele but it's not going to happen. "Rolling in the Deep" wins the award. Sorry Mumford & Son and Bon Iver also.
BEST POP SOLO PERFORMANCE
This is where the voters may let someone other than Adele win. I think Bruno Mars take this award over Adele, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and P!nk.
SOME QUICK PICKS IN OTHER CATEGORIES
Country solo performance: Jason Aldean
Comedy Performance: "Weird Al" Yankovic
Best Rap Collaboration: Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey
Best Rap Performance: As long as Wiz Khalifa loses, I don't care who wins.
Best Alternative Album: Radiohead
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Screw Your Illusion: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Still Getting it Wrong
Guns N' Roses was recently elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. My reaction to this is "why"? Don't get me wrong, GnR was a great band for about five years. They are not in any way R&RHOF worthy however. Especially when better bands, with bigger contributions to music and more talent are left waiting to get in.
Guns N' Roses had two great albums: Appetite for Destruction and Lies. After that they had two good albums: Use You Illusion 1 & 2. They also had two awful albums: The Spaghetti Incident? and Chinese Democracy. They also had a live album and a greatest hits album in there as well but neither really counts because those are just fan fodder to keep people happy until the new studio album is ready. Every artist does it.
Before I continue my case against GnR, let me remind you all of some artists (in rock and other genres) who are not yet in the R&RHOF. (Keep in mind eligibility begins 25 years after the release of the first album.) The list includes Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Rush, Queensryche, Bon Jovi, Pantera, Billy Idol, Megadeth, Motley Crue, The Cure, Dio, Judas Priest, Janet Jackson, Ice-T, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Depeche Mode, Bad Religion, Ozzy Osbourne (as a solo artist), Dead Kennedys, Poison, The Misfits, Motorhead, KISS, Peter Gabriel, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Slayer and George Clinton. That is a list of artists who are not only more talented than Guns N Roses, but have all contributed more to the growth of music around the world.
Guns N' Roses made a loud, obnoxious and in-your-face debut with Appetite. The lead single "Welcome to the Jungle", with its allusions to rape and drug use, was much bolder than anything Poison or Def Leppard had out at the time. That was a good thing, but not enough to push them to the status of R&RHOF members. The controversy surrounding Lies with the tracks "Used to Love Her" and "One in a Million" was unwarranted but nevertheless entertaining. Again, that was a nice star on their bulletin board of life, but that's about it.
The dual release of Use You Illusion 1 & 2 was really nothing more than arrogance on the band's part. It's great they had so many songs to choose from and wanted fans to get them all. But why release both albums simultaneously? In the long run, that decision may have been the bands downfall as that lineup did not release another album together. It was too much at one time when one album of the best songs from both Illusions would have done the trick.
On a side note, the video for the opus "November Rain" from Use Your Illusion 1, was the first $1 million video ever.
Let's all just pretend the Guns N' Roses collection of covers, The Spaghetti Incident? never happened. It's one of the worst albums ever recorded.
In 1999, Guns N Roses had an industrial metal style song on the End of Days soundtrack which Axl claimed was the direction the band was going. That turned out to not be the case as Democracy was loaded with a mellow boring style of music, at least by GnR standards.
That brings us to Chinese Democracy. The Guns N' Roses album which took nearly a decade to write, record and release. The fact of the matter is it was all Axl Rose's fault. The frequent hiring and firing of musicians or musicians outright quitting because Axl is a douchebag really started to get ridiculous after the first few years. Re-recording, remixing and other production costs ballooned the total cost of making the album to $13 million.
The album was originally to be released in 2000 but The album was finally released in 2008 exclusively at Best Buy. It was a critical and commercial flop despite being certified platinum in 2009.
Guns N' Roses was a fun band when they debuted in the late 1980s. The were like Motley Crue ampped up a few more levels. However, the lack of longevity and the frequent lineup changes and the childish behavior of Axl Rose definitely detracts from any worthiness for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their election is undeserved and frankly, mind-boggling. I could make a strong case for every artist I mentioned a few paragraphs above for inclusion before GnR. I hope that many of those artists are one day enshrined in the R&RHOF because all are deserving the just need a little patience.
Guns N' Roses had two great albums: Appetite for Destruction and Lies. After that they had two good albums: Use You Illusion 1 & 2. They also had two awful albums: The Spaghetti Incident? and Chinese Democracy. They also had a live album and a greatest hits album in there as well but neither really counts because those are just fan fodder to keep people happy until the new studio album is ready. Every artist does it.
Before I continue my case against GnR, let me remind you all of some artists (in rock and other genres) who are not yet in the R&RHOF. (Keep in mind eligibility begins 25 years after the release of the first album.) The list includes Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Rush, Queensryche, Bon Jovi, Pantera, Billy Idol, Megadeth, Motley Crue, The Cure, Dio, Judas Priest, Janet Jackson, Ice-T, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Depeche Mode, Bad Religion, Ozzy Osbourne (as a solo artist), Dead Kennedys, Poison, The Misfits, Motorhead, KISS, Peter Gabriel, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Slayer and George Clinton. That is a list of artists who are not only more talented than Guns N Roses, but have all contributed more to the growth of music around the world.
Guns N' Roses made a loud, obnoxious and in-your-face debut with Appetite. The lead single "Welcome to the Jungle", with its allusions to rape and drug use, was much bolder than anything Poison or Def Leppard had out at the time. That was a good thing, but not enough to push them to the status of R&RHOF members. The controversy surrounding Lies with the tracks "Used to Love Her" and "One in a Million" was unwarranted but nevertheless entertaining. Again, that was a nice star on their bulletin board of life, but that's about it.
The dual release of Use You Illusion 1 & 2 was really nothing more than arrogance on the band's part. It's great they had so many songs to choose from and wanted fans to get them all. But why release both albums simultaneously? In the long run, that decision may have been the bands downfall as that lineup did not release another album together. It was too much at one time when one album of the best songs from both Illusions would have done the trick.
On a side note, the video for the opus "November Rain" from Use Your Illusion 1, was the first $1 million video ever.
Let's all just pretend the Guns N' Roses collection of covers, The Spaghetti Incident? never happened. It's one of the worst albums ever recorded.
In 1999, Guns N Roses had an industrial metal style song on the End of Days soundtrack which Axl claimed was the direction the band was going. That turned out to not be the case as Democracy was loaded with a mellow boring style of music, at least by GnR standards.
That brings us to Chinese Democracy. The Guns N' Roses album which took nearly a decade to write, record and release. The fact of the matter is it was all Axl Rose's fault. The frequent hiring and firing of musicians or musicians outright quitting because Axl is a douchebag really started to get ridiculous after the first few years. Re-recording, remixing and other production costs ballooned the total cost of making the album to $13 million.
The album was originally to be released in 2000 but The album was finally released in 2008 exclusively at Best Buy. It was a critical and commercial flop despite being certified platinum in 2009.
Guns N' Roses was a fun band when they debuted in the late 1980s. The were like Motley Crue ampped up a few more levels. However, the lack of longevity and the frequent lineup changes and the childish behavior of Axl Rose definitely detracts from any worthiness for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their election is undeserved and frankly, mind-boggling. I could make a strong case for every artist I mentioned a few paragraphs above for inclusion before GnR. I hope that many of those artists are one day enshrined in the R&RHOF because all are deserving the just need a little patience.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Sweet Home Indiana...Why I Will Never...EVER, Join A Union Again
I was in a union for three years. This was from 2001-2004 during my time working at an assisted care facility in Pittsburgh. My union was the SEIU 1199P. And it sucked. Hard. It had nothing to do with the job. I liked my co-workers and being in the kitchen. There were bigger issues which irked me.
The biggest was the same pay raises across the board every six months for all cooks. That's bullshit, plain and simple. Why should I receive the same raise as the person who shows up late once a week with a hangover? Is it fair that the competent cooks get the same raise as the one who can't thicken soup, undercooks chicken and burns meatloaf? No, it's not.
Let me make this as clear as possible: IF I AM BETTER AT MY JOB THAN YOU ARE, YOU DAMN WELL BETTER BELIEVE I WILL BE PAID MORE MONEY!
The second issue was the union did everything they could to make sure the most unreliable and incompetent employees didn't lose their jobs. Let me tell you all something about the kitchen: one incompetent cook screws the entire staff. It's a fact of life that some people aren't cut out for certain jobs. It's another fact of life that firing these people is the best thing to do for everyone, including the one being fired. It doesn't do any good to allow people to continue believing they have skills which aren't there.
The union also took it's good ol' time responding to grievances. I filed one against a supervisor over the way I was spoken to and six months later a union representative finally came to the workplace to ask about it. By then I had forgotten what was said to me. Maybe not all unions act so slowly but mine did and that also was bullshit.
I think it should be required by law for unions to report to members down to the penny for what their dues are being used. Maybe some places are now doing that, but I never knew where my dues were going. I have a suspicion a large percentage of the dues collected were funding the campaigns of politicians with a (D) next to their name. And as many of you know, those politicians have as much chance of getting my vote as Ben Roethlisberger does of speaking at a NOW rally.
And no-one should be forced into union membership. It should be voluntary. This is America, after all.
I haven't worked a union job since then and I never again will. Pay raises should be determined by job performance, punctuality, reliability, cooperation and dedication. Pay raises should not be determined by some stupid contract. I like the idea of being able to receive a merit raise. I never heard those words while in a union. I don't need union thugs to speak for me. My job performance will do just fine on its own.
The biggest was the same pay raises across the board every six months for all cooks. That's bullshit, plain and simple. Why should I receive the same raise as the person who shows up late once a week with a hangover? Is it fair that the competent cooks get the same raise as the one who can't thicken soup, undercooks chicken and burns meatloaf? No, it's not.
Let me make this as clear as possible: IF I AM BETTER AT MY JOB THAN YOU ARE, YOU DAMN WELL BETTER BELIEVE I WILL BE PAID MORE MONEY!
The second issue was the union did everything they could to make sure the most unreliable and incompetent employees didn't lose their jobs. Let me tell you all something about the kitchen: one incompetent cook screws the entire staff. It's a fact of life that some people aren't cut out for certain jobs. It's another fact of life that firing these people is the best thing to do for everyone, including the one being fired. It doesn't do any good to allow people to continue believing they have skills which aren't there.
The union also took it's good ol' time responding to grievances. I filed one against a supervisor over the way I was spoken to and six months later a union representative finally came to the workplace to ask about it. By then I had forgotten what was said to me. Maybe not all unions act so slowly but mine did and that also was bullshit.
I think it should be required by law for unions to report to members down to the penny for what their dues are being used. Maybe some places are now doing that, but I never knew where my dues were going. I have a suspicion a large percentage of the dues collected were funding the campaigns of politicians with a (D) next to their name. And as many of you know, those politicians have as much chance of getting my vote as Ben Roethlisberger does of speaking at a NOW rally.
And no-one should be forced into union membership. It should be voluntary. This is America, after all.
I haven't worked a union job since then and I never again will. Pay raises should be determined by job performance, punctuality, reliability, cooperation and dedication. Pay raises should not be determined by some stupid contract. I like the idea of being able to receive a merit raise. I never heard those words while in a union. I don't need union thugs to speak for me. My job performance will do just fine on its own.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Huff-N-Puffs, Tom Cruise, Football and More
America would be better off without the Huffington Post. I mean if a website makes FOX News appear straight forward and unbiased, you know how extreme that website must be. It's time we get rid of the libeling, hate-mongering, ignorant Huff-N-Puffs.
OK, the first three Mission: Impossible movies weren't very good. So why has the fourth film made nearly $200 million while a well-reviewed film such as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo struggles to hit $100 million. Listen America, Tom Cruise sucks. There is no debating that fact. And the longer you all keep going to see his crappy movies, the longer we have to put up with him. So please stop. Thank you.
Peyton Manning is the real MVP of the NFL. The Colts went 2-14 without him in 2011 after being 10-6 in 2010. He threw 33 touchdown passes in 2010. All three Colts quarterbacks combined to throw 14 touchdown passes in 2011. Peyton threw for 4700 yards in 2010. The three men who played quarterback for Indianapolis in 2011 combined for a total of 3223 yards passing. Yes, Peyton is the MVP.
Prediction the first: Baltimore 27 New England 24
Prediction the second: New York 24 San Francisco 23
Chris Matthews is still a hack and a moron.
The Occupy doofuses needed to go away. Seriously. It's one thing to gather like mature adults and protest. But blocking building entrances and intersections (San Francisco) or refusing to leave privately owned property (Pittsburgh) or starting riots (Oakland) is not the way to get your message (as misguided, ignorant and envy-driven as it may be) across.
Starting February 1, I will be occupying a cubicle every day as I finish the final two weeks of my 12 -week training period at my new job. Hopefully I don't turn into Dilbert.
I have started my person boycott of the criminal enterprise known as the LCB and their state controlled monopoly of retail liquor sales. I will buy beer instead. I like competition for prices.
Have I mentioned Tom Cruise sucks?
Thank you all for reading. Catch you again soon.
OK, the first three Mission: Impossible movies weren't very good. So why has the fourth film made nearly $200 million while a well-reviewed film such as The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo struggles to hit $100 million. Listen America, Tom Cruise sucks. There is no debating that fact. And the longer you all keep going to see his crappy movies, the longer we have to put up with him. So please stop. Thank you.
Peyton Manning is the real MVP of the NFL. The Colts went 2-14 without him in 2011 after being 10-6 in 2010. He threw 33 touchdown passes in 2010. All three Colts quarterbacks combined to throw 14 touchdown passes in 2011. Peyton threw for 4700 yards in 2010. The three men who played quarterback for Indianapolis in 2011 combined for a total of 3223 yards passing. Yes, Peyton is the MVP.
Prediction the first: Baltimore 27 New England 24
Prediction the second: New York 24 San Francisco 23
Chris Matthews is still a hack and a moron.
The Occupy doofuses needed to go away. Seriously. It's one thing to gather like mature adults and protest. But blocking building entrances and intersections (San Francisco) or refusing to leave privately owned property (Pittsburgh) or starting riots (Oakland) is not the way to get your message (as misguided, ignorant and envy-driven as it may be) across.
Starting February 1, I will be occupying a cubicle every day as I finish the final two weeks of my 12 -week training period at my new job. Hopefully I don't turn into Dilbert.
I have started my person boycott of the criminal enterprise known as the LCB and their state controlled monopoly of retail liquor sales. I will buy beer instead. I like competition for prices.
Have I mentioned Tom Cruise sucks?
Thank you all for reading. Catch you again soon.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Album Which Changed My Life
I was in the 4th grade when I bought my first rock album. The moment which influenced me to do it was during a car ride to one of my little league baseball games. My brother Bob was providing me the transportation on this occasion and he was playing Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet. It was on this trip I first heard “You Give Love a Bad Name” and “Living On a Prayer”. Just days later a childhood friend heard me talking about how much I liked those songs and made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The next day I gave him $1.01 for his cassette tape of Slippery When Wet.
This album started a trend for me. I began listening to more of the glam bands. I started to enjoy the music of Poison, Scorpions and Cinderella. Bon Jovi and the Scorpions quickly became my two favorite bands on the planet. (My first concert was the Scorpions, but that is a story for another time.) I had the posters on my wall courtesy of the late, legendary Metal Edge magazine. I had a nice collection of cassettes accumulating on my bookshelf. Included in these were Look What the Cat Dragged In, Lovedrive and To Hell With the Devil. Also included here was New Jersey, Bon Jovi’s follow-up to Slippery When Wet, a birthday gift from the same friend who sold me his cassette tape a couple years earlier. And this collection also included one I had to keep hidden due to its explicit content: Appetite for Destruction, an album which has remained one of my all-time favorites to this very day.
My love of rock music continued into junior high school but was taken to a new level with the help of a newly found friend, Loren. I had already begun listening to artist such as Queensryche and Ozzy Osbourne but she introduced me to the music of Motley Crue and Faith No More, two bands which turned me towards heavier music, but more on that later. By this time, compact discs had come around so for us to copy music onto cassettes for each other was not a difficult process. I received Dr. Feelgood and The Real Thing and in return provided Crazy World and Stick It To Ya for her. More of this happened over the next couple years, with Cherry Pie, Face the Heat, Flesh & Blood, Adrenalize and Angel Dust all going one direction or another.
Now the same friend who had sold me Slippery When Wet made me a similar deal for Metallica’s …And Justice For All, by far the heaviest album in my collection. Needless to say, the trend continued with the addition of albums such as the “Black Album” and Facelift, which is far more metal than grunge. Then along came albums from White Zombie, Type O Negative and Pantera. My musical path was secure now. It was rock or nothing.
Today not much has changed. I still love the bands I grew up listening to like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Poison. I have come to love other bands who emerged over the years as well. I everything from P.O.D. to Lordi to Godsmack to Rammstein in my collection now. It’s amazing to me all this started with a short car ride to a little league game. But you know what? I’m glad as hell it did. And I’ll be the one in the nursing home someday rocking out to “Enter Sandman”, “Du Hast” or “”Shelter Me”.
This album started a trend for me. I began listening to more of the glam bands. I started to enjoy the music of Poison, Scorpions and Cinderella. Bon Jovi and the Scorpions quickly became my two favorite bands on the planet. (My first concert was the Scorpions, but that is a story for another time.) I had the posters on my wall courtesy of the late, legendary Metal Edge magazine. I had a nice collection of cassettes accumulating on my bookshelf. Included in these were Look What the Cat Dragged In, Lovedrive and To Hell With the Devil. Also included here was New Jersey, Bon Jovi’s follow-up to Slippery When Wet, a birthday gift from the same friend who sold me his cassette tape a couple years earlier. And this collection also included one I had to keep hidden due to its explicit content: Appetite for Destruction, an album which has remained one of my all-time favorites to this very day.
My love of rock music continued into junior high school but was taken to a new level with the help of a newly found friend, Loren. I had already begun listening to artist such as Queensryche and Ozzy Osbourne but she introduced me to the music of Motley Crue and Faith No More, two bands which turned me towards heavier music, but more on that later. By this time, compact discs had come around so for us to copy music onto cassettes for each other was not a difficult process. I received Dr. Feelgood and The Real Thing and in return provided Crazy World and Stick It To Ya for her. More of this happened over the next couple years, with Cherry Pie, Face the Heat, Flesh & Blood, Adrenalize and Angel Dust all going one direction or another.
Now the same friend who had sold me Slippery When Wet made me a similar deal for Metallica’s …And Justice For All, by far the heaviest album in my collection. Needless to say, the trend continued with the addition of albums such as the “Black Album” and Facelift, which is far more metal than grunge. Then along came albums from White Zombie, Type O Negative and Pantera. My musical path was secure now. It was rock or nothing.
Today not much has changed. I still love the bands I grew up listening to like Bon Jovi, Motley Crue and Poison. I have come to love other bands who emerged over the years as well. I everything from P.O.D. to Lordi to Godsmack to Rammstein in my collection now. It’s amazing to me all this started with a short car ride to a little league game. But you know what? I’m glad as hell it did. And I’ll be the one in the nursing home someday rocking out to “Enter Sandman”, “Du Hast” or “”Shelter Me”.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
It's Been Awhile & I Am Sorry
I know it's been a very long time since I posted a blog entry. I apologize for that. It's not that I haven't wanted to write. It's I didn't know what to write about. I'm disgusted with politics so it's unlikely I will write anything at length about that subject. I might make a comment or two here and there about it but that's it. I will write occasionally about my journey into the world of working in an office for the first time. I will write about some of my favorite albums and movies. I will write about sports (But nothing about Sandusky until the trial is over. My current thoughts can be wrapped up in one sentence.) I will write about nothing and everything. I do promise I will never ever be away this long again. So pay attention. The most entertaining blog on the web is about to blow up!
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Making Excess Chic
Let me get this straight. All across America, Occupy groups are protesting the large profits taken in by those evil corporations and banks. But when a family like the Kardashians gets rich without any marketable skills or talents (not including the talents on display in Kim’s home video with Ray J, of course) Americans can‘t get enough. The K-dash Klan is adored and idolized. Yeah, makes sense to me because that’s the new American way.
In 2010 the Kardashian family had an estimated income of $65 million. And I defy any one of you to tell me something significant or worthwhile any of them did. Kim threw herself a 30th birthday party. Kourtney and Khloe did nothing; like they usually do. We’ve come to expect Kim to be the face of the sisters. She’s had high-profile romances with football players Reggie Bush and Miles Austin as well as a brief marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries (and I’ll get back to that later). She’s posed in Playboy. Khloe is married to Lamar Odom. You all just said, “who?!”, didn’t you?
Unlike people who have gone to college and worked their way through the corporate rat race the Kardashian family has never lived on Ramen or Hamburger Helper. They have never had to juggle bills or sell things on eBay to have money for Christmas presents. But their greed is not protested. And the force behind it is Kris Jenner, the mother.
Kris Jenner manages the girls’ enterprises. Do you want Kim to appear at a grand opening or party? Be ready to drop $100,000; if you are in the United States. Having Kim appear at a foreign venue could cost you a cool one million American dollars. And if that weren’t enough, Kris found a way to cash in on the Twitter craze. If you want Kim to endorse your product or service via Twitter, write a check for $25,000. Kris Jenner personifies greed. She won't even consider something unless it comes with a five-figure payment.
Now back to the biggest farce America has seen since Oliver Stone’s W.. Most people have to spend money on their wedding. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries earned $15 million (and how much of that do you think KH actually saw?). After the big production and the showboating for the cameras, the marriage lasted 72 days. They should have to return every single gift they received.
The Kardashian family got rich from promoting excess. Excess is what rich republicans are accused of every day and is something the Occupy crowd claims to be rallying against. Maybe it’s time for a new approach.
I hereby call on all Americans to begin a new Occupy movement: Occupy Kardashian. It’s time we picket and camp out across the street from the homes of the Kardashian sisters and their parents. We need to gather outside the Dash stores and yell at people going in and out. Let’s show the Kardashians how much we resent their lives of excess while the rest of us actually have to use real skills and talent to earn a living.
I mean, if you can’t get rich for being a no-talent attention whore in America, what do we have left?
In 2010 the Kardashian family had an estimated income of $65 million. And I defy any one of you to tell me something significant or worthwhile any of them did. Kim threw herself a 30th birthday party. Kourtney and Khloe did nothing; like they usually do. We’ve come to expect Kim to be the face of the sisters. She’s had high-profile romances with football players Reggie Bush and Miles Austin as well as a brief marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries (and I’ll get back to that later). She’s posed in Playboy. Khloe is married to Lamar Odom. You all just said, “who?!”, didn’t you?
Unlike people who have gone to college and worked their way through the corporate rat race the Kardashian family has never lived on Ramen or Hamburger Helper. They have never had to juggle bills or sell things on eBay to have money for Christmas presents. But their greed is not protested. And the force behind it is Kris Jenner, the mother.
Kris Jenner manages the girls’ enterprises. Do you want Kim to appear at a grand opening or party? Be ready to drop $100,000; if you are in the United States. Having Kim appear at a foreign venue could cost you a cool one million American dollars. And if that weren’t enough, Kris found a way to cash in on the Twitter craze. If you want Kim to endorse your product or service via Twitter, write a check for $25,000. Kris Jenner personifies greed. She won't even consider something unless it comes with a five-figure payment.
Now back to the biggest farce America has seen since Oliver Stone’s W.. Most people have to spend money on their wedding. Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries earned $15 million (and how much of that do you think KH actually saw?). After the big production and the showboating for the cameras, the marriage lasted 72 days. They should have to return every single gift they received.
The Kardashian family got rich from promoting excess. Excess is what rich republicans are accused of every day and is something the Occupy crowd claims to be rallying against. Maybe it’s time for a new approach.
I hereby call on all Americans to begin a new Occupy movement: Occupy Kardashian. It’s time we picket and camp out across the street from the homes of the Kardashian sisters and their parents. We need to gather outside the Dash stores and yell at people going in and out. Let’s show the Kardashians how much we resent their lives of excess while the rest of us actually have to use real skills and talent to earn a living.
I mean, if you can’t get rich for being a no-talent attention whore in America, what do we have left?
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