Friday, August 31, 2007

The Thirty Greatest

Over the past couple of days I've had a friend who has asked me about boxing. It is no secret that I entertained the notion of being a boxer in my younger days and have always followed the sport.

I'm no Bert Sugar when it comes to history but I'm decent in my own right when it comes to the sport and what is and isn't good. What makes a great fighter and what makes a bad fighter. So I was inspired to look up on You Tube the best boxing match EVER!

Now most people believe that the three greatest rounds were between Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns. Well that was three fast paced, frenetic rounds, three.

The thirty best rounds ever fought, yes thirty, three entire non title fights! Well they were fought between Irish Mickey Ward and Arturo Thunder Gatti. You can find a nice recap on You Tube to see the brutality these men put themselves through.

Thunder is known for taking punishment and dishing out just as much if not more. He bleeds easy to his own detriment since fights tend to be called for blood in his eyes. He swells easy around his eyes as well and looks like a car accident victim at the end of most of his fights. He is a genuine warrior though. He never quits.

Irish Mickey Ward is your typical blue collar guy who has taken fights on very very short notice. He fought mostly on the club level and even hung up his gloves after several defeats at the start of his career. He doesn't have an ounce of flash in him. He isn't pretty and takes tons of damage to land one punch. He is also one of the few boxers who could knock out someone with a body shot. It is hard enough to KO someone with a head shot but read this again my friends, he could knock out opponents with a body shot.

Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti fought three of the most ferocious fights ever. They are great friends now out side of the ring but in the ring they were enemies and gave no quarter and refused to ask any.

Ward retired after the third fight in 2003 I believe and has stood by his word refusing bigger money to come back. Gatti has had great fights since then but his peak was clearly the Ward fights with nothing more at stake than a win.

The ninth round of the first fight might very well be the greatest round ever fought in any era my friends. Both fighters could have quit and if it had been any other two fighters than Ward and Gatti, who's reputations for brawling fights and threshold for punishment had the ref allowing more latitude than normal, would have been stopped at least two times in that round alone. It was allowed to continue though and that turned the fight of the year into the fight of the century!

I still feel deeply honored to watch the battle they put on. It tells me that this is what boxing should be. Honest and respectful, giving your all while your opponent gives his all with the best man coming out on top. Who really won these three fights is immaterial in the overall picture, both fighters earned a spot in boxing immortality with the thirty greatest rounds ever fought.

If I ever get the chance to shake the hand of Mickey Ward and Arturo Gatti it will be with deep reverence and respect.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Lunch Time Problems

Well there I was. Driving to lunch when all of a sudden I heard a thunk and my power steering was gone. Not only that but since I drive a diesel I had no brakes either! So I was in quite a fix while going nearly 50 miles per hour.

I down shifted and started to break the momentum while fighting the steering and keeping it on the road. There was an intersection about a block away and I was still trying to get it slowed down. The brakes were pretty much gone but my foot was on the floor anyway and down shifted one more time to the lowest gear possible and was finally getting it all under control.

I got stopped at the intersection and rolled across to a dirt road at an idle. Pulled over, shut off the engine, and popped the hood.

What do I find? No more belts! They are all a tangled mess strung over the pulleys. The power steering belt had broken which also powers the power brakes. It also took the other two belts with it!

So now it wouldn't cool since there was no water pump belt. So I limp it to a quick shop near my work place and call in that I wouldn't be able to make it back that afternoon. So I very slowly and carefully drive the back roads to a mechanics shop I know works on diesels. I make it there safely and in about two hours there are new belts and two broken brackets.

So for now there is a temporary fix that should last plenty long enough to find a power steering pump bracket and a AC compressor bracket which bolts it to the block.

So now with my afternoon shot and I wasted four hours of leave I really didn't want to waste (I was planning on calling into work and taking Friday off) I decided to watch a recommended movie called The Five Obstructions.

It is a documentary where Lars von Trier challenges his hero, filmmaker Jergen Leth to remake his shot film, The Perfect Human except to remake it five times and with different obstructions that von Trier puts in his way each time. I really have mixed emotions about this documentary.

I guess over all it is about art. Jergen Leth pretty much lives in seclusion in Haiti so Lars von Trier, the founder of the Dogme 95 film edicts, challenges him to make a bad film and is seemingly disappointed each time Leth brings back a good remake. However the end reveals that he wanted his hero to be alive again, to feel young again, and by lovingly chastising him and pushing him he did that.

The methods used are debatable though, for instance the most memorable scene to me was the one filmed in the slums of Bombay, the most miserable place on Earth is how von Trier presented it. A full meal is consumed in front of a clear plastic backdrop in front of dozens of hungry street people.

I am not 100% for sure how I feel about this movie. It has good points and then disturbing points such as the meal. I do like the premise and how von Trier was more or less playing a role to challenge his hero to become his hero again but at what cost? When is art for the sake of art a bad thing?

It is subjective I guess.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Wednesday!

That means that after today I'm just two days away from a week off!
I planned it so that I would still have just over 100 hours of leave upon returning back to work. I like to keep my vacation around that level. It lets you have time off while still maintaining a comfortable margin in buildup.

In a pinch I could take a full two weeks off and still have half a week left over. So 100 hours is a nice place to be.

Over the past two weeks I've had some very very vivid dreams. I usually don't remember much of the content other than I have enjoyed them and there is lots of detail. I like this trend!

I've got two more people lined up for the Chiller TV contest and I'm working on a hospital or nursing home room! I will need it for less than a half hour. The scene has two doctors and the main character and that is really the only dialog in the whole short. Everything else is action.

It should be very easy to shoot and edit!

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

An Outline

I've got an outline of the short horror film project for Chiller. It should be simple enough to shoot and has a nice Twilight Zone twist at the end.

I've also digitized two more tapes for the documentary project. It is very time consuming since the tapes are an hour and a half apiece. I'm making progress though!

Work should be fairly easy today, I got most everything done yesterday. Since I'm taking off next week I have a feeling that once I return there will be a lot for me to do. Happens that way!

Michael Vick plead guilty yesterday to dog fighting charges and will be sentenced in December. The Falcons also played last night and knocked off one of the favorites to head to the Super Bowl this year in the Bengals. Joey Harrington is a good QB. He has played for two of the worst teams over the past few years and really didn't have a lot of help to show what he really can do. Now he is playing for a team that has a lot of talent and a pretty good albeit rookie head coach and should be able to put up good numbers.

Vick is gone from the NFL now and Barry Bonds can go back to being one of the most miserable people on the face of the planet.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Chiller TV Contest

I've got an idea in mind for a 5-8 minutes short for a contest on Chiller!

The prize is 5K plus your short gets shown on Halloween night!

I'm putting things together now so I'll write more when I have more in shape to do it! I'm off work next week and will be able to devote more resources to the project. I have contacted several people who have expressed interest already!

Oh and this didn't publish this morning and I didn't have time to correct the error so I'm home from work now and republishing it!

Sunday, August 26, 2007

If Everything Goes Right

I'll have DirecTV installed today! My dad does installs on the side for them and has an extra set up!

I'm excited about getting satellite as my cable service refuses to get The NFL Network. I've tried with several emails and phone calls but they are NOT going to add it to their service. I'm not the only one who has tried by calling and emailing them either. They are just rock solid in their answer of NO! NO NFL NETWORK FOR YOU!!!!

I do plan on keeping my cable internet service though! I have no complaints about that at all. It is fast and reliable.

I am also considering the NFL Sunday Ticket package. I believe this would be an absolute blast to have! So I'll keep you informed and if I get the Ticket then I know there will be several get togethers at my house!

Saturday, August 25, 2007

My 2007 Fantasy Football Team

I had a great time of course!

Second of all it was a tough draft with thirteen teams. Anything over twelve is tough!
I feel pretty good about my team! My strategy was to fill up the crucial positions first like RB and WR before getting a QB or the lesser positions.

1-13 Laurence Maroney (Solid RB with a high powered offense)
2-1 Terrel Owens (Primed for a huge year)
3-9 Brandon Jacobs (A giant of a RB who is unstoppable on the goal line)
4-5 Lee Evans (A WR with world class speed who breaks long TDs)
5-4 Isaac Bruce (Always a solid choice especially in this round, great value)
6-10 Calvin Johnson (Randy Moss in his rookie year here, should catch everything that comes his way and put up double digit TDs!)
7-6 Tatum Bell (just filling up my RB slots, a good pick in this round but not great)
8-8 Big Ben Roethlisberger (A solid QB who should be fully recovered after coming back way too soon last season from injury)
9-8 Denver's D and Special Teams (always solid, will put up decent D numbers)
10-6 Jason Elam (reliable and solid)
11-9 Chad Pennington (Has talent but has problems staying on the field due to injury)
12-5 Sebastian Janikowski (He kicks the ball)
13-10 Tampa Bay's D and ST (Always middle of the pack but not a lot left to choose from)

So as you can see the team has potential to score big every week as long as my blue chippers kick in with the production they should instead of last year when my first rounder (Tiki Barber) was horrible and just killed my team all year!

DRAFT DAY!!!!

Yes my friends the day is here that we all know and love, DRAFT DAY!!!!

I'll be drafting two teams today. One of my oldest friends from high school and FFL veteran in our league for 8 years now is going to be out of town and called last night to ask me to draft for him. I told him I'd draft his team as if it were my own. He got into the end of the season money last year so he is a good player and knows what he is doing.

So we went over some players he would like or not like, which team situations he wanted to stay away from, and basic early round strategies. I have a good idea of what he wants but he left all decisions up to my judgment.

I'll post my team after the draft is over this evening!

Friday, August 24, 2007

Just Over Twenty Fours Left

Until the draft starts!

I've done my final preparations and have a pen ready to go in and clean up on a championship team tomorrow! I'm excited and as ready as I can be!

Last night was fun, hung out with my traditional weekly friends and there was talk of joining a bowling league....hhhmmmmmm, it has been a long long time since I have bowled (even though I have one very interesting story of one of my longest and dearest friends and a bowling alley) and I think I can do it again.

It is being checked into over the next few days:) It could be a lot of fun!

Anyway last night was fun as usual and we all enjoyed each other's company very much!

Thursday, August 23, 2007

T Minus Two Days And Counting

Down to the fantasy football draft!

My cheat sheets are in order, my sleepers securely tucked away until late in the draft, and I've studied trends, injury reports, and stats, stats, and even more stats! There is no name that is not known to me and how they will effect their team this season!

Tonight I am meeting my weekly hanging out friends at the pub for a drink or two and while football won't be part of the conversation it will be on my mind:) I love these hang out sessions!

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

The Myth That Is Megyn Kelly

I did a Kari Byron post quite a while back but now I might have a new favorite TV hottie. I've watched Megyn Kelly (formerly Kendall) for quite a while now and I have to say that she has to be Kari Byron's match!

Now she doesn't provide the traditional geek blowing things up fantasies that Kari provides but she provides more of the Law and Order intern making out with the hot lonely lawyer chick fantasies. I have noticed lately that she has taken to wearing some very becoming glasses.

She just exudes hot like Grace Kelly did. A combination of out and out hot with the sophistication and grace that makes the hot just frosting on a well educated cake.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not replacing Kari Byron as my favorite TV hottie, I'd say this is probably more of a happy tie. I'm just saying that if it was a desert island situation I'd want both with me.

Kari could do all of the Gilligan's Island Professor stuff while Megyn could negotiate with the natives and sue them into submission with her dazzling briefs and then on those special occasions I am thinking island mud wrestling....

I do believe that Kari would easily win, it looks like Megyn is too lithe to make it a fair contest however the real winner would be me of course!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Coffee With April

April, what can I say about April?
She has got to be the most innocent person in the world. A talented actor who is going to college in the next couple of days with a double major.

She is one example I can point to and hold up as the youth of tomorrow, that the world is going to be in good hands. Even when she does something bad it is something like chalking cows. You'd have to see them to understand.

She is someone I'm proud to know, she embodies the youthful enthusiasm we all once had and some of us remember and try to hang on to. She is responsible, intelligent, and an all around genuinely good person. I have a lot of memories of her and I'm looking forward to a whole lot more!

Last night a handful of us went out for coffee to send April off to college. Good Luck April!

Monday, August 20, 2007

A Good Weekend

I practiced painting by doing four paintings. They all suck but I was trying a different type than what I've done before. I've got some killer ideas to make some custom paintings for friends but I need to practice up first!

Tonight I've got going away coffee to go to, a sweetheart of a friend is going away to college this week and after a going away party yesterday a handful of us are going to a local coffee shop and saying good luck and have a safe trip again!

Seriously, she is the nicest, most innocent person in the world.

As for my weekly hang out evening with friends, this week it might include bowling and it might not. I feel like we are the cast from The Station Agent. The similarities are striking! Except none of us is a midget.

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Just Under One Week Now!!!!

Yes my friends, one week from yesterday I will have my full fantasy football team drafted and ready to dominate the league this season!

This is one of the highlights of the year for me! All of the preparation, all of the draft strategies I read over, all of the expert's picks I evaluate. I have noticed one thing though, this marks eleven years now for me in this league and a lot of "experts" I have read have less years under their belt.

I feel that sometimes the "expert" title is used a bit too freely. The fact of the matter is that no one knows what is going to happen during the long and brutal season. I remember Jamal Anderson after his breakout season, he set the league record with 400+ carries, I can't recall the exact number at the moment. What happens next season after all of the experts had him as a top 3 lock to be the best RB that season? He blows out his knee which effectively ends his career.

That right there makes me very leery of Larry Johnson this season. He had 420 carries last season, he is holding out right now so it might be a moot point but he has a lot of wear and tear on him which makes him a high risk pick. KC has back up RBs who are looking to step up and show what they can do. They even drafted a rookie RB who could eventually take the reigns as the lead RB!

So now I give you my FFL Commandments:
I. Though shall draft the best RB available in the first round.

II. Though shall draft the best available player for your scoring format in the consecutive rounds.

III. Though shalt not buy the hype of rookies in the first round.

IV. Though shall pay attention to who has been drafted before your pick and not pick the same player. This annoyeth me.

V. Though shalt not pick your secret, sure fire, heavy hitter sleeper in the first round. This is NOT a sleeper, it is an overreach and should show everyone in the room you areth an idiot.

VI. Though shalt not get sucked into position runs. Excluding the RBs in the first round, buck the trend. When owners are picking the same position in a long run, that leaves other high value players available for your drafting pleasure.

VII. Your season is madeth or brokeneth in rounds 3 through 6. Your first and second rounders should be your guaranteed blue chipper studs who you can count on to produce points. The three through six pick are when owners are separated from the rest of the pack and shows your drafting expertise.

VIII. If though shall be able to draft more players with the same bye week the better! Chalk up one loss for that week and dominate the league with a full lineup when everyone else is less than 100%.

IX. Though shalt not be a homer fan. Don't draft more than one player from your favorite team.

X. Have fun with your fellow owners and enjoyeth the day!

Get in a league, they are easy to find even if it is a free for fun league. Have fun with the draft, if your team tanks early learn from your draft and what you can do differently next season. Have a blast!

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Good Night, Good Friends!!!!

Last night Wendy, Bob, and I met at the Pub and just enjoyed the evening.

The conversation was good, life was kicked around and discussed to the nth degree. We all talked about our week, our loves, and our fears. This is starting to become a tradition over the past few months that I've really enjoyed and come to look forward to.

In other news Barry Bonds is still happy he isn't Michael Vick as there are now seven people who have agreed to testify against him. The feds are starting to toss around the term RICO which could lead to serious jail time if Vick is convicted or if he pleas down.

How stupid can you possibly be? Look no further than exhibit V.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Its Friday!

Just a short update post here. I am lead to believe that the weather will be cooling off this weekend and as such I might have the opportunity to practice painting!

I'm in a bit of a rush this morning, since it is payday I am also paying my bills this morning so I don't have a lot of blog time. So enjoy your weekends! Look me up if you are bored! Have a wonderful day!

Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Macallan

Last night on my way home from work I decided to purchase my next phase in my scotch experiment, a bottle of The Macallan, a twelve year old single malt.

First impressions are that it is far more complex than The Glenlivet and The Glenmorangie, which I found to be the easiest, lightest, almost fruity of all I've tasted so far. The Macallan is heavier, not nearly as sweet, has some smoke and more peat in the taste.

I was going to buy a bottle of from the Islay region but I'm glad I didn't, I know I'm not ready for that taste yet. Lots of smoke and peat and probably the hardest or most complex taste to drink for beginners.

So I feel I've accomplished my goal thus far. I've not sampled all that Scotland has to offer but I've read about each region and know what sounds good to me. Perhaps if I could find a small bottle from an Islay distillery I'd sample it but at this point I really like The Glens much better than The Macallan which comes from The Speyside. You can look up Speyside distilleries and find the characteristics of such fairly easily from this link. It is very helpful!

So that is my scotch report and next time I believe I'm going with an older but not cask strength Glenlivet region whiskey!

So if anyone is out there and would like to head by for a drink of The Glenlivet, The Macallan, or Johnnie Walker Black, please do! You know you are all more than welcome!

I don't recommend the Johnnie Walker though once you have tried a single malt.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Aqua Teen Movie

Yep it finally arrived on DVD yesterday and I picked it up along with the latest from David Lynch, Inland Empire.

I watched all of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force Movie with mixed emotions. I had to wonder if they were using the same writers that they used during the regular show. The wit wasn't there. The jokes were lame. There were no real laughing out loud moments that I have while watching the TV show.

I'm a big fan of the TV show but maybe this show works better in smaller segments instead of ninety minutes.

After the Aqua Teens I put in the new Lynch epic. All you know is that it is about a "Woman in trouble" and that is it. There are no descriptions anywhere to be read on the package. I watched the first couple of scenes and it is Lynch. Odd slices of life that only make sense in a much more abstract way or when viewed as a whole.

While being a lover of challenging movies is a good thing to be I also need to be in the mood for it and last night I just wasn't. I wanted to laugh and enjoy everything. Diving head first into a abstract three hour epic just wouldn't be as much fun at the time. Maybe tonight.

In other news my AC works wonders! It was incredibly cold when I got home while it was 103F outside!!!! I even turned it off around 8ish since it was getting uncomfortably cold!!!!

I hope you all have twice as good of a day as me and I plan on having a pretty good day!!!!

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

A/C Blues

Well my A/C at home has been threatening to go out for the past couple of weeks by making a really loud squealing noise that reminds me of nails on a chalk board. SO since I usually don't fix something until it is actually broke I decided to break the trend this time and replace it before it went out!

I have a friend with a truck meet me at Lowe's to haul home a nice unit I picked out the Saturday before. Yep I was planning ahead! I purchase the brand new and more powerful air conditioner and we load it up and head home!

What do I find when I get home? My installed unit had decided that enough was enough and had quit sometime during the day. Talk about perfect timing!!!!

I know that this week and maybe for the foreseeable future it is going to be triple digit hot so the brand new AC will fix all that and keep me the happy person I am:)

I know I should just start saving up and have my central unit replaced but this one is one tenth the price and does an incredible job! I had to turn it down last night because it was getting too cold in here! I'm anxious to see how good it feels when I get home this afternoon and it is North of 100!!!!

Monday, August 13, 2007

Sunday Was Nice!

First of all I went to a pretty nice pool party in the afternoon! Around forty people were there and I knew most of them. It was just a really cool time! The reason was because of the court date a couple of days before as I blogged about earlier.

Then it was back home for trashy VH1 celebreality. Rock of Love was just a typical mud football episode with Bret trying to get into the pants of one of the contenders. One of the nutso women wrote Bret a letter telling him about all of the motivations of the other women and only SHE was really here for him. Like he hasn't heard that line before.....

I hope these women are getting the medication they need.

I was flipping back and forth between that and Ice Road Truckers. Spring is just around the corner and the road is becoming treacherous. One trailer broke through the ice already. Three truckers got lost in a blizzard but made their destination after the storm passed. Next week is the finale.

The NFL pre season is in full swing now and every team has kicked the ball around. Very few of the stars have played more than a couple of drives and some haven't played a down yet. Typical as the coaching staffs sift through all of their coal to find the diamond that will help the team deep into the playoffs.

All in all a really good day my friends!

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Awards NIght

It was really a lot of fun. I stayed up in the booth for the show and helped out when I could which wasn't much at all.

The food was good, the company was good, the evening was good! Cover of Life won best show, best supporting actress, and one other award that I can't think of while Red Hot Mamas won best actor, best cameo, male and female. Between these two shows they won the majority of the awards! Both shows were also shows I had personal involvement in so I felt pretty good:)

Today is another party to attend and I just have to ponder how good everything really is for me:)
My life rocks, my friends rock:)

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Pretty Cool Evening!!!!

Well until we filmed Drinkbusters. It wasn't good, we had the worst drinks ever and the energy was scattered and flat. Everyone wasn't feeling it so I probably won't even edit and post it. I know they wouldn't appreciate it and I like keeping them as my friends.

It was wonderful to see Weezy and have some time to talk with her! She looked great and had a great time at the party. It was a pretty typical, very wild party.

I had a bad tire. It was going bad over the past week and finally gave out before I drove home last night, so this morning I was up early putting on the spare and buying two new front tires. I ran out to Lowe's after that and purchased some templates for the spray painting.

Well templates isn't entirely accurate but they are in a general sense. They are the clay discs that potted plants sit in. I got several sizes for covering planets up. They are heavy enough where the spray won't move them and thin enough to leave a sharp edge on the outside. I also got a long straight edge for water lines and horizons. My painting tools are pretty much complete now!

I just need to get out there and practice.

Friday, August 10, 2007

Camera Is Ready

Batteries are charged, tapes are at hand.

I can't spoil this morning but I can tell you that I'm going to court for the climactic happy ending to the documentary and then tonight guess what?

DRINKBUSTERS RETURNS!!!! We film tonight in front of a live audience!

That's right Weezy, Beersnob, and Chianti are all back in the saddle and ready to test the drinks you want to see! Well in this case the drinks Weezy wants to try, this is our reunion show since she is in from LA this week and taking a short vacation from the many TV shows and movies she has been in. And there are many!

Pre Season football started last night with Dallas romping over Indy. The game wasn't that good but it was football and enjoyed anyway!

So now I've got to get all showered up and ready for the courtroom, it's going to be a long day but a great day!!!!

Thursday, August 09, 2007

A Really Good Night!!!!

Well two friends and I continued a tradition last night and sat outside the Pub and had about three hours of great conversation and a few drinks! It was windy but it was very comfortable and felt great out!

I had a single malt scotch, Glenmorangie, which was very easy to drink and had a very light and fruity flavor. I say that in a relative sense since I'm not talking about schnapps or a very heavy fruity based flavor.

I got in around midnight and had a very good night of rest. I feel pretty good this morning!

It looks like it is going to rain outside, I can see lightning in the distance! It is shaping up to be a great day my friends:)

Tomorrow I should be getting the final footage for the documentary project that was started way back in the early part of this year! It'll be a very happy ending and it shouldn't take long to edit together.

It'll be good though:)

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Scotch Experiment Update

Last night was the first night that I actually tasted a sweet flavor in the Glenlivet. I believe I'm going to keep to the single malts.

Far be it from me to say I'm anything but a newbie at scotch however I can tell a big difference in blends and single malts now after a few days. The malts have unique flavors and are smoother. Now I'm sure that if you got good quality blends like Johnnie Walker Gold, Green, or Blue label you could tell a difference but right now The Glenlivet is very good and I've read about two others that are a step above it in smoothness and easily affordable as well.

Single malts offer flavors that are unique to particular areas of Scotland. One area offers more smoky flavors while another offers lighter and fruiter tastes. There are plenty of guides online for what areas offer what tastes and if you are interested.

Going to the Pub tonight to meet with friends! I'm really starting to love this tradition! My friends rock!!!!

We have three recipes for Friday's Drinkbusters episode to do and I can't wait! The crew is together again! Beersnob, Weezy, and Chianti! Wooohoooo!!!!
We'll be shooting it with an audience late Friday evening so I'll have it edited by sometime Saturday for sure!

Have a great day my friends!

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

300

I've finally been able to watch 300!!!!

What an incredible movie it is too! It takes the style of filmmaking in Sin City and expands upon it. Mostly green screen, lots of animated environments, and lots of action! This is a testosterone filled romp in the vein of Gladiator or Kingdom of Heaven.

More drama than historical but a fun ride despite the inaccuracies. The visuals are stunning! Someday I can't wait to see it on a HD system but only after one format wins, either Blu Ray or HD DVD.

One or the other will win and become dominate and then I jump on to the train.

That is beside the point though, the real point is this is an incredible movie and should be watched repeatedly. Again as per many of my reviews, I leave a lot out so you, my friends, can experience it fresh for yourselves:)

It has a substantial amount of blood but it is animated blood, like a dark Pixar movie. I remember claims while it was running in theaters that it was a right wing propaganda movie, well if right wing means brave men fighting for honor, freedom, and against slavery and tyranny against impossible odds then I agree otherwise it was just reviewers who didn't like it.

The scotch experiment is getting much easier. I purchased a bottle of The Glenlivet 12 year old after work and enjoyed that more than the blended Johnnie Walker Black Label. It just tastes different than a blended scotch. Well it should since it is a single malt.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Maybe A New Favorite "Has Been" Show!!!!

I know I've really been digging Rock Of Love for the past couple of weeks now but this past weekend I decided to check out another Has Been show, well with two Has Beens, The Two Coreys.

The Coreys are some of the best Has Beens this side of Gary Coleman! They are hilarious in their own clueless way. Haim seems to shift from event to event without a real direction other than being self absorbed. Feldman is trying very hard to grab onto married life and transferring from party boy into domestic man.

The first episode I watched was where the Feldmans invited this PETA chick over to have supper with them. Haim has pizza delivered and does a lot to bring all of the attention back to himself. Meanwhile the PETA chick goes on this rant about how you absorb all of the karma and pain the animal feels when they are made into tasty meat for consumption....yeah.....

Feldman's wife Susie, I think, has a meltdown because of Haim's constant crossing the lines. Whatever.

Anyway this is a decent show and kind of shows how people deal with not being celebrities anymore. Haim is really more about "The Coreys" than Feldman is who is just trying to move on into a new part of life. Haim is more of the guy who never evolves and is probably a lot like he was when he was two years old. He is really clinging on to any strand of fame he used to have.

It is funny and it is sad.

Even though I took one night off of the scotch experiment I resumed the experiment last night with the Johnnie Walker black label. It is early yet but I'm starting to be able to tell a difference.
Freaky huh?

Sunday, August 05, 2007

One Fine Day!

So Friday Chianti asks me to help her move. I can never refuse anything a friend of mine needs if I can actually help or do what they ask of me. So I figured it would be a fun day since most of the people she invited I know and enjoy!

Around 8:30 I head over to her place and we start to load up! We finish around 2:00ish and Chianti treats us to a wonderful dinner and frozen margaritas!!!! She always knows how to treat her friends!!!!

I'm exhausted at this point and instead of planning on going out I decide to stay in for the evening when Beersnob calls and asks a favor, again which I won't turn down and it is for Beersnob afterall!!!! So I agree to film the theater's performance of Four Women West, a play written locally so Beersnob can create DVDs for the cast without copyright infringements.

I head up to the theater around 7 and start to set up and chat with the cast before the performance begins. The show starts and I get all of it on film except the last three minutes or so. Just ran out of tape. I thought the show was less than ninety minutes but it wasn't. Weezy showed up from LA on vacation and we hugged!!!!

After the show we headed to Panevino for a wrap up and chill out session. I get some food and a tequila sunrise (I decided three nights in a row of scotch is good) and they messed up the Sunrise. So after eating and a drink Bob and I decide to head over to the Pub and have another drink. I ask Weezy when she would like to do Drinkbusters and since Beersnob was there we had 2/3rds of the Busters present. It looks like we will be filming around Friday night. It is around midnight at this point so we chill and have some better drinks.

Finally around 1 I decide to head back home and get some much needed sleep. It has been a long day but a darn fine day with darn fine people!

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Scotch Experiment Part 3

Last night's selection was Glenlivet twelve year old scotch. It was a smooth single malt. I'm starting to distinguish flavors while sipping.

Which after just three days is not bad in my humble opinion:)

We hung out at a local establishment last night, not the regular pub but one close to it. Feeling Groovy, Beersnob and his family and Bob. It was a good time and much fun was had:)

Have I told you all lately that my life rocks?

Friday, August 03, 2007

Modern Dreams, Treadmills, and Norman Rockwell

So there I was yesterday turning over calendar to a new month and what was there? A painting that hit me very hard. It accurately depicted what I was feeling at the time and what has been rolling around in my head since last Friday night.

It is a Norman Rockwell painting called Boyhood Dreams. Now anyone who knows me knows I love Norman Rockwell's work. It is Americana and timeless.

It features a young farm boy who is sitting on a rail fence that surrounds a garden in which he was working the ground with a hoe. His dog is at his side. They are watching a train go by in the distance. Since it is a painting you are left to ponder what he is thinking about.

For me he is thinking about all of the great things he can do if he wasnt doing what he was doing. Running away and living an exciting life. He has experienced farm life and yearns for more and different experiences. He longs to see what the world has to offer him. He craves something different, something exciting, and yet there he is, stuck where he is while he feels life is passing him by. He feels like he is missing out on so many things.

The fact that the train is so far away from where he is seated symbolizes, to me, how far he feels he is away from what he would like to experience. The train is moving away from him, as if leaving him stuck where he is at.

This painting really speaks to me, especially lately. Im starting to wonder exactly how much of a treadmill Im on. Im starting to wonder if it is possible to get off of the treadmill. Im starting to wonder even if it was possible and I could jump off the treadmill, then what? Im starting to think Id like to experience much more than what I am currently.

What is out there to experience? What is new under the Sun, so to speak?

Alright say that you are Bill Gates or at least you have his resources. Nothing is impossible to you. If you wanted to buy every team in the NFL, it was all yours with millions to spare. What is there for you to do then? Say you love traveling! Alright, how long would it take you to see every single nook and cranny in the world? Five years tops? Yeah, probably. Then what do you do. What is left to experience then? What exactly do you have to look forward to at that point after you have become Charles Foster Kane at Xanadu.

Do you become unhappy after you have experienced everything and realize there is nothing left OR are you internally unhappy to start which causes you to start looking for new experiences to dull the empty ache you feel inside? Nearly a chicken or the egg problem huh?

Chianti and I were sort of mulling this over last Friday night. We started talking about how much Oprah makes per year and how it is hard to fathom having that kind of money and what to do with it all. It was just polite drinking conversation but the topic stuck with me until seeing the painting today on the calendar. It kind of made me put one and one together and jump started the idea process.

Im one step ahead of the game in that regard. I know what my passion is. Im pretty clear on that. Ive had a tremendous creative streak lately so that is pretty cool as well.

All of that tells me that if I'm on a treadmill it is slowing down if not stopping. If it is stopping then it is possible to get off and if that is possible then anything is possible!!!!

Thanks to Norman Rockwell, Chianti, and a metaphor of a treadmill my dreams are in the process of happening!

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Scotch Experiment Part 2

Well it went a lot better tonight. I used a higher quality of scotch and less water.

I held the drink in my mouth longer and tried to distinguish the flavors.
Much easier tonight than last night's experiment.

Day 1

My friends I am a seasoned drinker. I don't drink often but I'm not a stranger to it either. I can handle tequila well. I can distinguish the flavors and good from bad.

Scotch on the other hand was rough. Day 1 was....a struggle to say the least.
I had one drink at the pub hanging with some fine company and having a great time and it took more water being added to the scotch and rocks to finally get it down.

It is a sipping drink for sure. The more diluted it got the more flavors I could taste. I was planning a whole month to learn how to drink scotch but I reserve the right to pull the plug early if I choose to. It was rough, I'm not going to lie to you my friends.

I don't know if I'm going to make the entire month, I don't even know if I'm going to make the remainder of the week if it is as rough as that was last night!

I can tell that drinking scotch is definitely an acquired taste, my friends drink beer and I feel no need what so ever to develop a taste for that. I might just wind up not expanding my horizons and stick to tequila and drinks I'm more comfortable with.

So everyone out there have a great day!!!!

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

I Saw This Woman

On TV a few days ago and did some research into her.
She is simply amazing.

What she does is hug people. She goes on tours and hugs people. She happens to believe, as do I, that most of the problems in the world can be solved by compassion.

I don't think hugging terrorists would really change their minds much about hating us but for reasonable people who aren't barbarians, yes.

She raises millions of dollars for diasters, thousands wait in line for her to hug them and give them encouragement. She is an incredible person. I'm not Hindu but I'd go see her.

Now for something a little less spiritual and a little more sinful. Tonight I plan on starting a new project. I have some incredible friends as I've written many times and at least two of them have a taste for scotch. I've tried it and didn't really see what it was about.

I understand that it takes a bit of time to develop a taste and start to understand the flavors that go into scotch so during the month of August I'm making a conscious effort to develop a taste for scotch whiskey. Tonight will be the first entry into the experiment.

I hope it goes better than my watching MTV for a whole day experiment that I blogged about a long time ago. I'm sure it is in the archives and a quick search would bring it up.

Wow that was a tough one.