Ok, I've had a hard enough time getting into this college basketball season. I was watching Sportscenter the other day, and in between steroid news that nobody cares about and watching pencilneck John Clayton trying to discuss the NFL, I saw a segment with Digger Phelps. By all accounts, he's a brilliant studio guy. He knows more than I'll ever know about basketball, but one thing he fails to realize is how stupid he looks wearing a tie that is the same color as the highlighter in his hand. A couple of things here:
1) If he didn't blatantly show the highlighter to the camera when he talks, I could maybe live with this. But he is clearly making a point to show that he is holding a highlighter that matches his tie. Gay.
2) Who carries a highlighter around all the time?
Anyway, Sportscenter sucks enough as it is. We don't need fashion miscues such as this to drag it down even more. Come on Digger, I know you're not really this lame!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Monday, November 26, 2007
HOLY CRAP!!!
That's the only thing I can think to say right now. I still cannot believe that the Missouri Tigers are #1 in the nation. I am in awe and disbelief all at the same time. I think that they have achieved the perfect storm this year with Daniel, the Rucker/Coffman tandem, Maclin and a very servicable defense. Crazy thing is that they are getting the majority of the starters back next year too. Unbelievable.
Two things still concern me... First, they are Mizzou. I think the reason that I am in disbelief is because they are, after all, Mizzouri. I have a hard time getting too excited because the rug can be pulled out from under us pretty quick by the ol' Sooners. But, I also have to admit that I'm having a really hard time not getting excited too.
My second concern is still our goal-line/short-yardage offense. It still makes me pretty nervous that I'm more comfortable from the 10 than the 1. They've shown a lot more promise recently, even lining Daniel up under center once... Amazing! They'll need to convert these opportunities more often than not to beat Oklahoma.
I can't ever remember being this excited about a team that I didn't play on (or even one that I did for that matter). We'll have to see how far we can go, but regardless of what happens, I'm pretty pleased to be in the national hunt going into the final week. Even if they do decide to pee down their collective leg, it would have been a hell of a ride this year with some promise for the next.
Two things still concern me... First, they are Mizzou. I think the reason that I am in disbelief is because they are, after all, Mizzouri. I have a hard time getting too excited because the rug can be pulled out from under us pretty quick by the ol' Sooners. But, I also have to admit that I'm having a really hard time not getting excited too.
My second concern is still our goal-line/short-yardage offense. It still makes me pretty nervous that I'm more comfortable from the 10 than the 1. They've shown a lot more promise recently, even lining Daniel up under center once... Amazing! They'll need to convert these opportunities more often than not to beat Oklahoma.
I can't ever remember being this excited about a team that I didn't play on (or even one that I did for that matter). We'll have to see how far we can go, but regardless of what happens, I'm pretty pleased to be in the national hunt going into the final week. Even if they do decide to pee down their collective leg, it would have been a hell of a ride this year with some promise for the next.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
R.I.P. - Big Shaky
It pains me to no end to do this, but I think it's time to put him to rest. I hate the fact that our cohort Big Shaky cannot find time in his ever so busy schedule to blog with us anymore. The blog was blocked on at his job because, obviously, this is an extremist site. Now, apparently he does not have the ability to update us from home. Shame, shame, shame...
I will miss the political rants and liberal bashing that became the norm over the past year. Shaky personified the conservative far-right and would have made Uncle Ted very proud. Rest in peace my fine feathered friend... God speed and remember - True North is the only way!
Now that the sap is behind us... What the hell is the problem??? You can't find 10 minutes out of your day to post your controversial thoughts on our precious (and ever so popular) blog??? What a turd. I guess you're too busy reading the recent stories on MoveOn.org or watching the Democratic debates to see which one of your favorites will get the presidential nod. Yeah, I said it... You don't scare me. One block at work and you give up on us! What, do the parental controls at home not allow our extremist site either? No excuses... I'm very disappointed in you.
OK Brent, now it's up to you and me to keep this train on the tracks...
In Nuge WE trust!
I will miss the political rants and liberal bashing that became the norm over the past year. Shaky personified the conservative far-right and would have made Uncle Ted very proud. Rest in peace my fine feathered friend... God speed and remember - True North is the only way!
Now that the sap is behind us... What the hell is the problem??? You can't find 10 minutes out of your day to post your controversial thoughts on our precious (and ever so popular) blog??? What a turd. I guess you're too busy reading the recent stories on MoveOn.org or watching the Democratic debates to see which one of your favorites will get the presidential nod. Yeah, I said it... You don't scare me. One block at work and you give up on us! What, do the parental controls at home not allow our extremist site either? No excuses... I'm very disappointed in you.
OK Brent, now it's up to you and me to keep this train on the tracks...
In Nuge WE trust!
Friday, November 09, 2007
Strikes Suck
In case you've been living under a rock, you know that the Writer's Guild of America is on strike at this very moment. If you don't know what this means, basically all writers in Hollywood are refusing to write any more scripts until they can agree on a new deal with the TV/Movie studios. Basically what's going on is that they are arguing over residual income from DVD sales and online streaming shows, which has been booming in recent years. There is a lot of question as to how the pie should be split up. I don't know all the details, but I assume most or all of this income is currently ending up in the pockets of the networks/studios.
The one thing I do know is that nobody wins with a strike, and certainly not the viewers at home. I was pretty upset by this strike, because shows I really like, such as The Office, are being shut down since they don't have any new scripts to work from. But the last straw came on Wednesday when I read that the next season of 24 was in jeopardy. FOX released a statement that they would not air a partial season. They have only recently began filming, so unless this strike is resolved pronto, there is not going to be any Jack Bauer this year. This really pisses me off.
How greedy can these guys be? You know who's really getting dicked over? Us. The viewer. We pay the price, so these guys can sort out a few bucks here and there. I'm like most working stiffs, I work an 8-5 so I can pay some bills and feed my family. I don't do it because I love doing it. I do it because I HAVE to do it. I can't quit working because I'm not happy about my deal. Well I can, but it would probably take 6 months to find another job. Hollywood pisses me off.
Have we not learned about anything with strikes? Alienating the public can be a very bad thing. Just ask Bud Selig and Gary Bettman. Baseball has taken a beating in the ratings ever since the strike cancelled the '94 World Series. It's made a bit of a comeback, but it's definitely nowhere near the big deal it used to be. The LCS is on TBS for Christ's sake. And the NHL? Granted, this was different, a lockout, but it was the same for viewers. No hockey. They have completely fallen off the face of the planet. They weren't exactly thriving before, but at least they were on ESPN. Now they're on the network formerly knows as "OLN".
Anyway, this strike blows. Losing 24 blows. Hollywood blows. But at least this will give me more time with Call of Duty 4. That game kicks ass.
The one thing I do know is that nobody wins with a strike, and certainly not the viewers at home. I was pretty upset by this strike, because shows I really like, such as The Office, are being shut down since they don't have any new scripts to work from. But the last straw came on Wednesday when I read that the next season of 24 was in jeopardy. FOX released a statement that they would not air a partial season. They have only recently began filming, so unless this strike is resolved pronto, there is not going to be any Jack Bauer this year. This really pisses me off.
How greedy can these guys be? You know who's really getting dicked over? Us. The viewer. We pay the price, so these guys can sort out a few bucks here and there. I'm like most working stiffs, I work an 8-5 so I can pay some bills and feed my family. I don't do it because I love doing it. I do it because I HAVE to do it. I can't quit working because I'm not happy about my deal. Well I can, but it would probably take 6 months to find another job. Hollywood pisses me off.
Have we not learned about anything with strikes? Alienating the public can be a very bad thing. Just ask Bud Selig and Gary Bettman. Baseball has taken a beating in the ratings ever since the strike cancelled the '94 World Series. It's made a bit of a comeback, but it's definitely nowhere near the big deal it used to be. The LCS is on TBS for Christ's sake. And the NHL? Granted, this was different, a lockout, but it was the same for viewers. No hockey. They have completely fallen off the face of the planet. They weren't exactly thriving before, but at least they were on ESPN. Now they're on the network formerly knows as "OLN".
Anyway, this strike blows. Losing 24 blows. Hollywood blows. But at least this will give me more time with Call of Duty 4. That game kicks ass.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Should we pull the plug???
The Big Shaky is currently on blog-land life support. Apparently, he did all of his blogging at work and this site is now blocked by his corporate machine. Bummer. We may need to discuss pulling the plug because I know that he would not want to be a blog vegitable...
Oh, and I am pissed that KU whooped A&M today. Why can't we catch a break with these guys? It would be nice if the other team showed up one of these days when Rock Chalk comes to town. Oh well, I don't know why I am surprised. The one time MU has a BCS-type season, they get overshadowed by another north team that barely fielded a team for the past however-many years. Figures...
Oh, and I am pissed that KU whooped A&M today. Why can't we catch a break with these guys? It would be nice if the other team showed up one of these days when Rock Chalk comes to town. Oh well, I don't know why I am surprised. The one time MU has a BCS-type season, they get overshadowed by another north team that barely fielded a team for the past however-many years. Figures...
Monday, October 22, 2007
I'm Starting to Get Worried
I love college football. More than the NFL, NBA, NCAA hoops and every other sport combined. I'm not sure why I feel this way, but it's probably because my formative sports years (6th grade-beginning of my sophomore HS year) were spent just outside Columbia, MO. Sure, there was Chiefs, Cardinals and Royals coverage, but the biggest deal in town was the Missouri Tigers. At the time, I was more of a basketball fan, mainly because watching Jeff Handy try to throw it to receivers stumbling all over Omni-turf just wasn't much fun.
Let's fast forward to 2007. This is supposed to be our year. This is the year that we finally take the next step forward and capture the Big 12 north. This is our best chance for a BCS bid ever. It might be the last time in my lifetime that this happens. Sure you might laugh, but consider the fact that the last time Missouri won a conference title in football, Nixon was President and we were just landing guys on the moon for the first time. It was a LONG time ago.
Now, I knew we would have some stiff competition this year. It's never easy, even when the conference is having a down year. But I sure as hell wouldn't have picked Kansas to be the team to beat. Seriously, Kansas?!? Aside from a few good years with Glen Mason, the KU football team has sucked balls for years. Even when they've been "good" they've been mediocre. Bill Whittemore? John Cornish? Give me a break. They've had some decent players, but never a solid team. Mangina had only won 2 Big 12 road games in his tenure at KU until this season. Now they're undefeated and are 9th in the latest BCS standings. The game at Arrowhead later this season looms large.
With the way the schedule shakes out, KU misses both OU and Texas this year, with only games at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State as challenges the rest of the way. They have Iowa State and Nebraska at home, and they're both terrible. Upsets happen, but it's totally conceivable that KU shows up on 11/24 at 11-0. With our loss at OU, we really can't afford to stumble the rest of the way. It won't be easy. Kansas State on the road will be tough. We never play well there. We also have to go to Colorado which is, again, a place where we don't normally play well.
To get to my point, I'm worried that the best Mizzou season in 40 years has a good chance of being overshadowed by the greatest KU season of all time. The thought of KU playing in the Fiesta Bowl makes me sick to my stomach. The thought of their being conference champions makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. I think it's unlikely that they run the table, but it sure seems like a reasonable possibility. And that scares the hell out of me.
In Bauer we trust
Let's fast forward to 2007. This is supposed to be our year. This is the year that we finally take the next step forward and capture the Big 12 north. This is our best chance for a BCS bid ever. It might be the last time in my lifetime that this happens. Sure you might laugh, but consider the fact that the last time Missouri won a conference title in football, Nixon was President and we were just landing guys on the moon for the first time. It was a LONG time ago.
Now, I knew we would have some stiff competition this year. It's never easy, even when the conference is having a down year. But I sure as hell wouldn't have picked Kansas to be the team to beat. Seriously, Kansas?!? Aside from a few good years with Glen Mason, the KU football team has sucked balls for years. Even when they've been "good" they've been mediocre. Bill Whittemore? John Cornish? Give me a break. They've had some decent players, but never a solid team. Mangina had only won 2 Big 12 road games in his tenure at KU until this season. Now they're undefeated and are 9th in the latest BCS standings. The game at Arrowhead later this season looms large.
With the way the schedule shakes out, KU misses both OU and Texas this year, with only games at Texas A&M and Oklahoma State as challenges the rest of the way. They have Iowa State and Nebraska at home, and they're both terrible. Upsets happen, but it's totally conceivable that KU shows up on 11/24 at 11-0. With our loss at OU, we really can't afford to stumble the rest of the way. It won't be easy. Kansas State on the road will be tough. We never play well there. We also have to go to Colorado which is, again, a place where we don't normally play well.
To get to my point, I'm worried that the best Mizzou season in 40 years has a good chance of being overshadowed by the greatest KU season of all time. The thought of KU playing in the Fiesta Bowl makes me sick to my stomach. The thought of their being conference champions makes me throw up in my mouth a little bit. I think it's unlikely that they run the table, but it sure seems like a reasonable possibility. And that scares the hell out of me.
In Bauer we trust
Friday, October 19, 2007
Too Much of a Good Thing
Without a doubt, the funniest half hour on TV each week is The Office. Notice I said the funniest HALF hour. At the beginning of this season, NBC decided to supersize each of the first four episodes into one hour instead of the normal 30 minute episodes that we are accustomed to. At first, I was really excited. The more I could get of the Dunder Mifflin crew, the better. But now after seeing the first four episodes, I'm just as excited to see it go back to the 30 minute format, starting next week.
As it turned out, 60 minute episodes were a bad idea. It was a little outside the box to begin with, because there isn't a single comedy on TV that runs for an hour each week. Every now and again, you'll see "special" episodes that end up being an hour, like a season finale or something, but it's hardly the norm. Even Seinfeld, one of the all time greats, only have a few hour long episodes, much less 4 straight to start a season.
I've found each episode to be very funny in parts, but then have lots and lots of downtime, which is a big buzzkill for any comedy. Keep me laughing for 30 minutes and leave me wanting more next week. I think that's the ideal formula. It's like the episode of Seinfeld where George tried to always end on a high note. We need to get back to this idea with The Office. Next week cannot come soon enough.
As it turned out, 60 minute episodes were a bad idea. It was a little outside the box to begin with, because there isn't a single comedy on TV that runs for an hour each week. Every now and again, you'll see "special" episodes that end up being an hour, like a season finale or something, but it's hardly the norm. Even Seinfeld, one of the all time greats, only have a few hour long episodes, much less 4 straight to start a season.
I've found each episode to be very funny in parts, but then have lots and lots of downtime, which is a big buzzkill for any comedy. Keep me laughing for 30 minutes and leave me wanting more next week. I think that's the ideal formula. It's like the episode of Seinfeld where George tried to always end on a high note. We need to get back to this idea with The Office. Next week cannot come soon enough.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
M - I - Z ... Z - Oh no!
Well, since my blog mates are a couple of no-typing hosers, I guess I'll just have to carry this thing myself. Go ahead and jump on my back, boys!!!
I enjoyed watching the Tigers play Saturday night in a prime time game with some meaning. I knew it was a long shot, to say the least, to get a victory at OU, but I was still excited that there was actually a chance at all. The tigers came out swinging and had some early success on offense, mainly because of Maclin. That guy is a man-child and will probably not stay for his 3 years of remaining eligibility. He is literally a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
My excitement peaked in the 3rd quarter when Mizzou went up 25-24. Are you kidding me??? The Tigers actually have a chance to beat a ranked team on the road??? As it turns out, the answer to that was a resounding NO. They folded at the end of the game with crutial turnovers, one for a touchdown. And that was that. They added a meaningless touchdown at the end, but the Sooners were able to control the game and come up with a home win that they needed and earned.
It is really nice to be able to root for a team that is actually playing well and fun to watch. Unfortunately, it looks like they'll have to run the table to have a shot at winning the north, especially with Gay-U actually coming out of nowhere and winning ballgames. Against the Little Sisters of the Poor, albeit. And this week should be really cool with MU playing Texas Tech. I don't even think either team will even dress a running back... They are just not necessary anymore.
I enjoyed watching the Tigers play Saturday night in a prime time game with some meaning. I knew it was a long shot, to say the least, to get a victory at OU, but I was still excited that there was actually a chance at all. The tigers came out swinging and had some early success on offense, mainly because of Maclin. That guy is a man-child and will probably not stay for his 3 years of remaining eligibility. He is literally a threat to score every time he touches the ball.
My excitement peaked in the 3rd quarter when Mizzou went up 25-24. Are you kidding me??? The Tigers actually have a chance to beat a ranked team on the road??? As it turns out, the answer to that was a resounding NO. They folded at the end of the game with crutial turnovers, one for a touchdown. And that was that. They added a meaningless touchdown at the end, but the Sooners were able to control the game and come up with a home win that they needed and earned.
It is really nice to be able to root for a team that is actually playing well and fun to watch. Unfortunately, it looks like they'll have to run the table to have a shot at winning the north, especially with Gay-U actually coming out of nowhere and winning ballgames. Against the Little Sisters of the Poor, albeit. And this week should be really cool with MU playing Texas Tech. I don't even think either team will even dress a running back... They are just not necessary anymore.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
The New Me...
Hey, remember me? How about this blog??? Ok, we've been on sabatical for a while, but I've decided to start posing again, so here goes. I just hope my cohorts follow suit...
I have made a personal decision to be a less negative person, a more kinder, gentler me, if you will. My job has been driving me nuts lately and I've been taking it home with me lately, so I've decided to be more like Chaz Michael Michaels on queludes. Just go with the flow. Don't get so worked up. REEEELLLLAAAAAXXXX! That's my new personal motto. Well, what do you think? Oh really, I don't care...
The true test of the new me will come this weekend when Mizzou and the Chiefs play. I must admit that I got pretty worked up last weekend. The joy of seeing the Tigers hand Nebraska their asses on a silver platter cannot be described. When was the last time we could claim a victory of that magnitude? When was the last time we were #11 in the nation? It will be an even bigger test this weekend against OU in Norman. We'll see if I can hold it together...
Then on Sunday, the Chefs (no misspelled) will be at home vs. the Bengals. I was worked up in an exact polar opposite way during last week's goat rodeo. I can't believe that an NFL team can gain a total of 10 yards rushing in a full game. Inexcusable! And when Page was trying to run down Jones-Drew, he looked more like a retard trying to hump a doorknob. Sidebar: I still hate men with hyphenated names. I think we did a post on this before. Anyway, if anything can get the ol' blood to boilin', it would be the Chiefs.
At any rate, I think we all should sit back and listen to some Clay Aiken or Nickelback (whichever is your preference Kivett). Hang out and enjoy life! And hope that your home teams don't pee down their collective legs so you don't have to make the opposite life change of being talked down off the ledge.
Come on boys - we're back!!!
I have made a personal decision to be a less negative person, a more kinder, gentler me, if you will. My job has been driving me nuts lately and I've been taking it home with me lately, so I've decided to be more like Chaz Michael Michaels on queludes. Just go with the flow. Don't get so worked up. REEEELLLLAAAAAXXXX! That's my new personal motto. Well, what do you think? Oh really, I don't care...
The true test of the new me will come this weekend when Mizzou and the Chiefs play. I must admit that I got pretty worked up last weekend. The joy of seeing the Tigers hand Nebraska their asses on a silver platter cannot be described. When was the last time we could claim a victory of that magnitude? When was the last time we were #11 in the nation? It will be an even bigger test this weekend against OU in Norman. We'll see if I can hold it together...
Then on Sunday, the Chefs (no misspelled) will be at home vs. the Bengals. I was worked up in an exact polar opposite way during last week's goat rodeo. I can't believe that an NFL team can gain a total of 10 yards rushing in a full game. Inexcusable! And when Page was trying to run down Jones-Drew, he looked more like a retard trying to hump a doorknob. Sidebar: I still hate men with hyphenated names. I think we did a post on this before. Anyway, if anything can get the ol' blood to boilin', it would be the Chiefs.
At any rate, I think we all should sit back and listen to some Clay Aiken or Nickelback (whichever is your preference Kivett). Hang out and enjoy life! And hope that your home teams don't pee down their collective legs so you don't have to make the opposite life change of being talked down off the ledge.
Come on boys - we're back!!!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Sportscenter Sucks
I can't believe I just wrote that. Really, I can't. When I first discovered Sportscenter when I was a little kid (and coming into my own as a sports fan), it was pretty much the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I had always liked watching the sports on my local news, but this was like the nightly sports report on steroids. More highlights...longer highlights...everything a sports fan needs to be a sports fan.
Fast forward 20 years.
I can't even watch Sportscenter anymore. Gone are the days of Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann on "The Big Show." Enter the days of Barry Bonds, TO, Who Is Now, and literally a dead horse (Barbaro). Sportscenter has become overbearing. It's almost like a news magazine, without any of the appeal of 60 minutes.
I know it's for a good cause and all, but I don't watch Sportscenter to see the My Dream, or whatever that segment was called a few weeks ago, where they fulfill a kids sports dream. Don't get me wrong, it's a great thing. But it's not what I want to see when I turn on Sportscenter in the morning. Give me stats, give me highlights, don't give me Keyshawn Johnson and Mike Wilbon arguing over who is more relevant in pop culture.
Who gives a flip? When did my favorite show turn into something so blah, for lack of a better word?
Why are we constantly subjected to endless discussions of Barry Bonds, when I don't even know of a single person who isn't 100% sick of hearing about the guy. Same thing goes for Terrell Owens. I don't care if TO can coexist with Tony Romo. I don't care if he's doing situps in his driveway. I don't care about HIM. Yet I am endlessly subjected to him during the NFL season. As if the viewing public can't get enough.
I don't really have any answers, but I would really like to start a discussion. I've seen a lot of people complain about ESPN in general lately, so surely I'm not the only one who has any insight into this.
Fast forward 20 years.
I can't even watch Sportscenter anymore. Gone are the days of Dan Patrick and Keith Olbermann on "The Big Show." Enter the days of Barry Bonds, TO, Who Is Now, and literally a dead horse (Barbaro). Sportscenter has become overbearing. It's almost like a news magazine, without any of the appeal of 60 minutes.
I know it's for a good cause and all, but I don't watch Sportscenter to see the My Dream, or whatever that segment was called a few weeks ago, where they fulfill a kids sports dream. Don't get me wrong, it's a great thing. But it's not what I want to see when I turn on Sportscenter in the morning. Give me stats, give me highlights, don't give me Keyshawn Johnson and Mike Wilbon arguing over who is more relevant in pop culture.
Who gives a flip? When did my favorite show turn into something so blah, for lack of a better word?
Why are we constantly subjected to endless discussions of Barry Bonds, when I don't even know of a single person who isn't 100% sick of hearing about the guy. Same thing goes for Terrell Owens. I don't care if TO can coexist with Tony Romo. I don't care if he's doing situps in his driveway. I don't care about HIM. Yet I am endlessly subjected to him during the NFL season. As if the viewing public can't get enough.
I don't really have any answers, but I would really like to start a discussion. I've seen a lot of people complain about ESPN in general lately, so surely I'm not the only one who has any insight into this.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
More Than Meets The Eye
Obviously the new Transformers movie has gotten a ton of press. I finally got a chance to see it last week, but had managed to avoid basically all information pertaining to the movie. All I really knew is that a lot of the movie was live action, and all the transformers would be CGI. When I finally sat down in the theater, I had no idea what I was about to see. I didn't really have any expectations. I definitely wasn't expecting greatness, but I wasn't expecting a bomb either. I expected to not be bored, and that's about it.
About 5 minutes into the movie, during a scene when a military post in the Middle East is attacked by a Decepticon, I couldn't help but wonder "Why on earth did it take so long for someone to make this movie?" From the second that I heard the transform sound, I knew I was going to be in for one heck of a thrill ride. I really liked it. I don't think I've ever been so geeked up after seeing a movie. Ever.
The storyline was kind of cheesy at times, sure, but any points lost were more than made up for in other places during the movie. I'll try to highlight all the things I liked about the movie. I'm going off the top of my head here, so nothing is in order:
1) I really liked the shoutout to the old VW version of Bumblebee. During the scene where Witwicky is picking out the yellow camaro (the present day Bumblebee), the yellow camaro breaks the windows in the old beetle. Nice touch that they acknowledged this change from the original cartoon.
2) Man, the chick who played LeBouf's love interest (whatever his name is) is smoking! During the movie, I was fairly certain that they had gotten someone who was in her late 20's to play a high schooler, but actually this girl, whatever her name is, is something like 21 according to IMDB. I can live with that. Lots of innuendos, which was nice to see. I thought the turn towards the end of the movie where they revealed that her dad stole cars, and that she had a prior criminal record was pretty dumb and completely unnecessary. But like I said, the movie as a whole is good enough to overlook some of these minor flaws.
3) I absolutely loved the parts where Optimus Prime and his cohorts came down from space and became vehicles. That's the best way I can describe what happened. I got chills. And hearing Prime talk for the first time was awesome too. They actually hired the guy who originally did his voice in the cartoon to come back for the movie. VERY nice touch. I knew that he would be doing the voice beforehand, but I had no idea how much it would add to the overall experience of seeing this movie.
4) One of my only complaints is that other than Prime, the rest of the Transformers looked a little similar. The only other one that you could really pick out during one of the many fight scenes was Bumblebee. Not too big of a deal, but some distinction within the individual robots would have been nice.
5) I'm going to buy this on DVD as soon as it comes out, as long as they have some extra features that are worthwhile. I'd say there's about a 100% chance that a DVD will be released, and then followed up with a "collector's edition" a "special edition" and a "special collector's edition." Ridiculous. Just release one version of the DVD. There's no reason to nickel and dime us to death.
6) I'm jacked that the door is completely left open for a sequel. Obviously Megatron will not be involved, but I think that will be ok, since Starscream will be leading up the Decepticons. I think this actually happened in the cartoons anyway, if I remember correctly. Megatron didn't have much of a role in this one anyway, so who cares. As long as they bring back Prime and his voice, I'm on board for a second movie. And a third.
Basically, anyone who ever watched the cartoon as a kid needs to go out and see this on the big screen. If you sit around and wait for a DVD release, you're cheating yourself.
Big "thumbs up" for Transformers.
In Bauer We Trust
About 5 minutes into the movie, during a scene when a military post in the Middle East is attacked by a Decepticon, I couldn't help but wonder "Why on earth did it take so long for someone to make this movie?" From the second that I heard the transform sound, I knew I was going to be in for one heck of a thrill ride. I really liked it. I don't think I've ever been so geeked up after seeing a movie. Ever.
The storyline was kind of cheesy at times, sure, but any points lost were more than made up for in other places during the movie. I'll try to highlight all the things I liked about the movie. I'm going off the top of my head here, so nothing is in order:
1) I really liked the shoutout to the old VW version of Bumblebee. During the scene where Witwicky is picking out the yellow camaro (the present day Bumblebee), the yellow camaro breaks the windows in the old beetle. Nice touch that they acknowledged this change from the original cartoon.
2) Man, the chick who played LeBouf's love interest (whatever his name is) is smoking! During the movie, I was fairly certain that they had gotten someone who was in her late 20's to play a high schooler, but actually this girl, whatever her name is, is something like 21 according to IMDB. I can live with that. Lots of innuendos, which was nice to see. I thought the turn towards the end of the movie where they revealed that her dad stole cars, and that she had a prior criminal record was pretty dumb and completely unnecessary. But like I said, the movie as a whole is good enough to overlook some of these minor flaws.
3) I absolutely loved the parts where Optimus Prime and his cohorts came down from space and became vehicles. That's the best way I can describe what happened. I got chills. And hearing Prime talk for the first time was awesome too. They actually hired the guy who originally did his voice in the cartoon to come back for the movie. VERY nice touch. I knew that he would be doing the voice beforehand, but I had no idea how much it would add to the overall experience of seeing this movie.
4) One of my only complaints is that other than Prime, the rest of the Transformers looked a little similar. The only other one that you could really pick out during one of the many fight scenes was Bumblebee. Not too big of a deal, but some distinction within the individual robots would have been nice.
5) I'm going to buy this on DVD as soon as it comes out, as long as they have some extra features that are worthwhile. I'd say there's about a 100% chance that a DVD will be released, and then followed up with a "collector's edition" a "special edition" and a "special collector's edition." Ridiculous. Just release one version of the DVD. There's no reason to nickel and dime us to death.
6) I'm jacked that the door is completely left open for a sequel. Obviously Megatron will not be involved, but I think that will be ok, since Starscream will be leading up the Decepticons. I think this actually happened in the cartoons anyway, if I remember correctly. Megatron didn't have much of a role in this one anyway, so who cares. As long as they bring back Prime and his voice, I'm on board for a second movie. And a third.
Basically, anyone who ever watched the cartoon as a kid needs to go out and see this on the big screen. If you sit around and wait for a DVD release, you're cheating yourself.
Big "thumbs up" for Transformers.
In Bauer We Trust
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Ramblings
Is this Really a Sport?
Over the last couple of weeks, we've been subjected to a competitive eating coverage on ESPN. I finally decided that this morning was the last straw, when people like Dick Vitale starting throwing in their two cents. At first I thought the whole bit was tongue in cheek, but they never really made it clear if the whole piece was supposed to be funny. At any rate, why is this crap even on Sportscenter to begin with? Even if it's on ESPN, it's not a sport. I've actually heard these guys referred to as "athletes" before. Are you kidding me? Have you actually SEEN a picture of Badlands Booker, or some of these other clowns. If you're over 400 lbs and not playing in the NFL, then you're not an athlete. I don't care what your talent is. Same thing goes for Poker.
Anyway, apparently Takeru Kobiyashi is not going to appear in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest on the 4th of July, paving the way for Joey Chestnut (more on this in a second) to take the title this year. Apparently Kobiyashi has a sore jaw and won't be able to compete. Basically Kobiyashi kills everyone in this contest every year. He's like the Babe Ruth of competitive eating.
Joey Chestnut cracks me up on a number of levels. First of all, his name is Joey freaking Chestnut. Isn't this name already taken by someone in the adult film industry? Wouldn't Ron Jeremy have been more successful if his name was Joey Chestnut? Also, I saw JC put down a ton of hot dogs last year, and he nearly beat Kobiyashi. You should see the way he eats. His whole body rocks back and forth, much like Leo Mazzone, formerly the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves. But I digress. I can't devote any more time to this. But you can bet on my watching this contest on the 4th of July. I'm a loser.
I'm a Little Kid
NCAA Football 2008 comes out in a few weeks, and I am totally geeked. I look forward to the release of this game every year. I even have a $30 Target gift card burning a hole in my pocket for this. I figure it's ok for me to drop $30 on a game I don't need, but $60 is just too much. This year's list of enhancements includes a better frame rate, enhanced dynasty mode, and an all new player motivation system. Basically if you have a leader type guy on the team, he can influence the play of his teammates. They have (thankfully) ditched the momentum system that was used last year. Having team momentum led to one team getting annihilated every time. You could run for 6-7 yards a pop right down the field with no problem. I hated it. I feel like I'm 12 for writing a paragraph on this. I think I just need to move on.
My TV Recommendation
Since summer TV sucks (well, until Big Brother comes back July 5th) I have been basically been stuck without anything to watch recently. I have to recommend The Shield. You should definitely watch the episodes in order, so head down to Blockbuster and pick it up immediately. The show features Vic Mackey, played by the guy who used to be the Commish. He's the leader of a police force strike team in the Los Angeles district of Farmington. The strike team is specifically assigned to combat the gang violence that is overrunning Farmington. Vic basically bends the law to suit his needs, and is constantly going behind his boss's back to get results on the streets. It's a great show, with an enthusiastic "thumbs up" from me. I would recommend catching up on this over the summer. Or watching Hell's Kitchen.
NBA Draft
This is on Thursday night on ESPN. Everyone is talking about how deep the draft is this year, and I guess I agree with that assessment, but let's face it. Everyone KNOWS the players that are in the draft this year. Would you have cared about Greg Oden and Kevin Durant if they had skipped college and headed straight into the draft? No. The age limit is the greatest thing David Stern has ever done for the NBA, because it's also improving the collegiate game at the same time. Even if you want to argue that there's no point for a guy like Oden to stick around for a year of college, for every Oden, there are probably 5 guys who would try to jump straight to the league and end up flopping, a la Sebastian Telfair. What's so bad about forcing someone to play at the collegiate level anyway? Their game gets refined there, and they also have the experience of being in college, which was probably the most fun I ever had in my entire life. And they get to go for free anyway, so it's not like they're really out of any money. If they're concerned about getting injured, take out an insurance policy. Isn't that what LeBron did?
In Bauer We Trust
Over the last couple of weeks, we've been subjected to a competitive eating coverage on ESPN. I finally decided that this morning was the last straw, when people like Dick Vitale starting throwing in their two cents. At first I thought the whole bit was tongue in cheek, but they never really made it clear if the whole piece was supposed to be funny. At any rate, why is this crap even on Sportscenter to begin with? Even if it's on ESPN, it's not a sport. I've actually heard these guys referred to as "athletes" before. Are you kidding me? Have you actually SEEN a picture of Badlands Booker, or some of these other clowns. If you're over 400 lbs and not playing in the NFL, then you're not an athlete. I don't care what your talent is. Same thing goes for Poker.
Anyway, apparently Takeru Kobiyashi is not going to appear in the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest on the 4th of July, paving the way for Joey Chestnut (more on this in a second) to take the title this year. Apparently Kobiyashi has a sore jaw and won't be able to compete. Basically Kobiyashi kills everyone in this contest every year. He's like the Babe Ruth of competitive eating.
Joey Chestnut cracks me up on a number of levels. First of all, his name is Joey freaking Chestnut. Isn't this name already taken by someone in the adult film industry? Wouldn't Ron Jeremy have been more successful if his name was Joey Chestnut? Also, I saw JC put down a ton of hot dogs last year, and he nearly beat Kobiyashi. You should see the way he eats. His whole body rocks back and forth, much like Leo Mazzone, formerly the pitching coach of the Atlanta Braves. But I digress. I can't devote any more time to this. But you can bet on my watching this contest on the 4th of July. I'm a loser.
I'm a Little Kid
NCAA Football 2008 comes out in a few weeks, and I am totally geeked. I look forward to the release of this game every year. I even have a $30 Target gift card burning a hole in my pocket for this. I figure it's ok for me to drop $30 on a game I don't need, but $60 is just too much. This year's list of enhancements includes a better frame rate, enhanced dynasty mode, and an all new player motivation system. Basically if you have a leader type guy on the team, he can influence the play of his teammates. They have (thankfully) ditched the momentum system that was used last year. Having team momentum led to one team getting annihilated every time. You could run for 6-7 yards a pop right down the field with no problem. I hated it. I feel like I'm 12 for writing a paragraph on this. I think I just need to move on.
My TV Recommendation
Since summer TV sucks (well, until Big Brother comes back July 5th) I have been basically been stuck without anything to watch recently. I have to recommend The Shield. You should definitely watch the episodes in order, so head down to Blockbuster and pick it up immediately. The show features Vic Mackey, played by the guy who used to be the Commish. He's the leader of a police force strike team in the Los Angeles district of Farmington. The strike team is specifically assigned to combat the gang violence that is overrunning Farmington. Vic basically bends the law to suit his needs, and is constantly going behind his boss's back to get results on the streets. It's a great show, with an enthusiastic "thumbs up" from me. I would recommend catching up on this over the summer. Or watching Hell's Kitchen.
NBA Draft
This is on Thursday night on ESPN. Everyone is talking about how deep the draft is this year, and I guess I agree with that assessment, but let's face it. Everyone KNOWS the players that are in the draft this year. Would you have cared about Greg Oden and Kevin Durant if they had skipped college and headed straight into the draft? No. The age limit is the greatest thing David Stern has ever done for the NBA, because it's also improving the collegiate game at the same time. Even if you want to argue that there's no point for a guy like Oden to stick around for a year of college, for every Oden, there are probably 5 guys who would try to jump straight to the league and end up flopping, a la Sebastian Telfair. What's so bad about forcing someone to play at the collegiate level anyway? Their game gets refined there, and they also have the experience of being in college, which was probably the most fun I ever had in my entire life. And they get to go for free anyway, so it's not like they're really out of any money. If they're concerned about getting injured, take out an insurance policy. Isn't that what LeBron did?
In Bauer We Trust
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
MAKE IT RAIN!!!
I have to talk about this now, OK? Enough is enough! I am really tired of PacMan Jones showing up on my TV for ANOTHER run-in with the law. What is wrong with this guy??? How can you not stay out of "altercations" at the titty bar? I don't understand it...
The guy has been in the league now for about 3 years and he has already been arrested/indicted/questioned/named as a "party of interest" 16 times. Yes, that is right - SIXTEEN! One - Six, the number after fifteen... I can't understand it. There is no possible excuse. Somebody needs to tell him and Vick that it's OK to stay home. It's OK to leave the hood rats in the hood. It's OK to let the hood rats come over and play PlayStation. They are scared to death to lose their street cred, and maybe have to get normal friends. I wouldn't care what those douche bags thought of me. The only reason an entourage hangs around anyway is for a shot at driving the Bentley or a chance to stick their hands in your pocket.
Instead they are fighting dogs, involved in shootings at strip joints and other ghetto - related chicanery. The funniest part to me is that they have the balls to complain that they're being picked on because of their celebrity status. Ridiculous. Once again, if you plant your butt at home or a nice restaurant instead of a juice bar, problem solved. I think that repeat offenders should be banned for life. Period. If you are arrested more than 2 times during your career - you're done. If you are convicted one time of a felony of any kind - sianara. Why is this not OK? Why shouldn't we expect men who make ungodly amounts of money to play a game for our enjoyment to use a particle of common sense? They build themselves $20 million mansions, then can't stay home to watch their 100 inch TV's.
I am really at a loss on this one. I can't think of anything else to say. I think the immortal Jim Carey said it best in his film Liar, Liar - STOP BREAKING THE LAW ASSHOLE! Oh well, it's a pipe dream to expect these guys to behave. You can take the boy out of the hood...
The guy has been in the league now for about 3 years and he has already been arrested/indicted/questioned/named as a "party of interest" 16 times. Yes, that is right - SIXTEEN! One - Six, the number after fifteen... I can't understand it. There is no possible excuse. Somebody needs to tell him and Vick that it's OK to stay home. It's OK to leave the hood rats in the hood. It's OK to let the hood rats come over and play PlayStation. They are scared to death to lose their street cred, and maybe have to get normal friends. I wouldn't care what those douche bags thought of me. The only reason an entourage hangs around anyway is for a shot at driving the Bentley or a chance to stick their hands in your pocket.
Instead they are fighting dogs, involved in shootings at strip joints and other ghetto - related chicanery. The funniest part to me is that they have the balls to complain that they're being picked on because of their celebrity status. Ridiculous. Once again, if you plant your butt at home or a nice restaurant instead of a juice bar, problem solved. I think that repeat offenders should be banned for life. Period. If you are arrested more than 2 times during your career - you're done. If you are convicted one time of a felony of any kind - sianara. Why is this not OK? Why shouldn't we expect men who make ungodly amounts of money to play a game for our enjoyment to use a particle of common sense? They build themselves $20 million mansions, then can't stay home to watch their 100 inch TV's.
I am really at a loss on this one. I can't think of anything else to say. I think the immortal Jim Carey said it best in his film Liar, Liar - STOP BREAKING THE LAW ASSHOLE! Oh well, it's a pipe dream to expect these guys to behave. You can take the boy out of the hood...
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Am I a Pompous Ass?
Earlier in the week, I was trying to figure out what I wanted for father's day, since it's my first. Anyway, I was trying to find something in the $40 range, that way I'm not shortchanging myself, but I'm not spending an arm and a leg either. I talked myself into a bluetooth headset for my cell phone, only to see an article in the KC Star the very next day basically labeling anyone with the audacity to wear one of those things in public as a pompous ass.
So I started to have second thoughts. Did I really want to turn into "that guy"? Honestly, my intentions are good. My new phone is almost impossible to hold when it's charging, which is a real pain because 99% of the time, I charge it in the car. Having a hands-free headset eliminates this hassle. Also, not having to hold my phone frees me up to do other dangerous things in my car, like dig through my glove compartment for missing CD's, adjust my mirrors and yell at the hippies at 63rd and Ward Parkway every Tuesday evening.
Besides, these things are cutting edge, right? Everybody used to hate computers, and now the only people I know who function without them are my grandparents. Maybe bluetooth headsets are the wave of the future.
Anyway, tonight I finally gave in and purchased one. You can see it here: http://http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-510-Bluetooth-Multipoint-Technology/dp/B0009B0IX4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0404031-4866436?ie=UTF8&s=wireless&qid=1181873063&sr=8-1
What do you guys think? Am I just wasting my time with this? I don't think this will generate as much discussion as Josh's Tim Duncan diatribe.
So I started to have second thoughts. Did I really want to turn into "that guy"? Honestly, my intentions are good. My new phone is almost impossible to hold when it's charging, which is a real pain because 99% of the time, I charge it in the car. Having a hands-free headset eliminates this hassle. Also, not having to hold my phone frees me up to do other dangerous things in my car, like dig through my glove compartment for missing CD's, adjust my mirrors and yell at the hippies at 63rd and Ward Parkway every Tuesday evening.
Besides, these things are cutting edge, right? Everybody used to hate computers, and now the only people I know who function without them are my grandparents. Maybe bluetooth headsets are the wave of the future.
Anyway, tonight I finally gave in and purchased one. You can see it here: http://http://www.amazon.com/Plantronics-510-Bluetooth-Multipoint-Technology/dp/B0009B0IX4/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-0404031-4866436?ie=UTF8&s=wireless&qid=1181873063&sr=8-1
What do you guys think? Am I just wasting my time with this? I don't think this will generate as much discussion as Josh's Tim Duncan diatribe.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tim Duncan, the G.O.A.T.???
I was reading the Bill Simmons chat yesterday and came upon a quote saying that Tim Duncan is the greatest power forward of all time... What? Does anyone else think that Bill was jumping the gun a bit? Granted, Duncan is a great player and one of the best big men in the game today, but of all time? I just can't agree with this for the following reasons:
1) Is Duncan really a power forward? He's a 7 footer that plays either position depending on match-ups and/or injuries. Many times he's on the roster as forward, but matched-up with the other team's center. I saw a lot of Mavericks games this year and not once when they played the Spurs was Duncan matched up with Dirk. I would argue that Duncan's more of a center than a power forward for this reason. Then the argument ends because he's not even the best center in the league today.
2) OK, for arguments sake, let's call Duncan a forward. Even then, you cannot convince me that Duncan is a better player than Charles Barkley. Barkley was a force in the league and led both the Sixers and the Suns to the championship series with no help (sorry to all the Hornacek fans out there). He was great offensively and defensively and had the ability to intimidate his opponents. Duncan is a well rounded player, but far from intimidating. Another better forward was Kevin McHale. He did have a lot of help (Parrish and Bird), but he was a defensive and rebounding presence who was still deadly from 15 feet. Thirdly, everyone forgets about Maurice Lucas from the Blazers. He was overshadowed by Bill Walton's personality, but he also was an intimidator that averaged 15 points and 8 boards over a 14 year career.
3) What about Kevin Garnett??? Garnet is an amazing player that is stuck in Minnesota with no supporting cast and a GM that refuses to help him (sorry McHale, great player, terrible GM). If you flip-flop those players for those teams, Garnett would be the one with all the rings and we'd be having this discussion about him. Garnett is more athletic and has better range than Duncan, too. I don't know, am I missing something?
4) OK Brent, I gotta bring it up - Duncan has turned into a whiny little girl! Maybe Ginobili is rubbing off on him, but he bitches constantly. I just don't think that the greatest forward of all time would need to piss and moan after every whistle. He loses a lot of credibility with me for this reason. In this the sissified version of the NBA, he fits right in, but I'm pretty sure that Laimbeer would have knocked him out in the early '90's for crying so much.
Tim Duncan is a good player and a good person, from what I hear. But I think crowning him the greatest is over the top. There are a lot of great players out there that played in the hay-day era of the NBA that can be, or possibly should be, ranked higher. Obviously, I'm always up for debate on this...
Sidebar - Simmons also said that Robert Horry can be considered for the Hall of Fame. WHAT??? Yes he has 7 rings (after they beat Cleveland), but his career averages are 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. If this happens, they should burn the HOF down. That's like giving me a Super Bowl ring because I watched the Patriots win 3 of them on TV. Ridiculous.
1) Is Duncan really a power forward? He's a 7 footer that plays either position depending on match-ups and/or injuries. Many times he's on the roster as forward, but matched-up with the other team's center. I saw a lot of Mavericks games this year and not once when they played the Spurs was Duncan matched up with Dirk. I would argue that Duncan's more of a center than a power forward for this reason. Then the argument ends because he's not even the best center in the league today.
2) OK, for arguments sake, let's call Duncan a forward. Even then, you cannot convince me that Duncan is a better player than Charles Barkley. Barkley was a force in the league and led both the Sixers and the Suns to the championship series with no help (sorry to all the Hornacek fans out there). He was great offensively and defensively and had the ability to intimidate his opponents. Duncan is a well rounded player, but far from intimidating. Another better forward was Kevin McHale. He did have a lot of help (Parrish and Bird), but he was a defensive and rebounding presence who was still deadly from 15 feet. Thirdly, everyone forgets about Maurice Lucas from the Blazers. He was overshadowed by Bill Walton's personality, but he also was an intimidator that averaged 15 points and 8 boards over a 14 year career.
3) What about Kevin Garnett??? Garnet is an amazing player that is stuck in Minnesota with no supporting cast and a GM that refuses to help him (sorry McHale, great player, terrible GM). If you flip-flop those players for those teams, Garnett would be the one with all the rings and we'd be having this discussion about him. Garnett is more athletic and has better range than Duncan, too. I don't know, am I missing something?
4) OK Brent, I gotta bring it up - Duncan has turned into a whiny little girl! Maybe Ginobili is rubbing off on him, but he bitches constantly. I just don't think that the greatest forward of all time would need to piss and moan after every whistle. He loses a lot of credibility with me for this reason. In this the sissified version of the NBA, he fits right in, but I'm pretty sure that Laimbeer would have knocked him out in the early '90's for crying so much.
Tim Duncan is a good player and a good person, from what I hear. But I think crowning him the greatest is over the top. There are a lot of great players out there that played in the hay-day era of the NBA that can be, or possibly should be, ranked higher. Obviously, I'm always up for debate on this...
Sidebar - Simmons also said that Robert Horry can be considered for the Hall of Fame. WHAT??? Yes he has 7 rings (after they beat Cleveland), but his career averages are 7 points and 4 rebounds per game. If this happens, they should burn the HOF down. That's like giving me a Super Bowl ring because I watched the Patriots win 3 of them on TV. Ridiculous.
Monday, June 11, 2007
I will not go quietly into the night!!
Let me tell you a little story. This will just go to show you how ridiculous this world has become. I'll be very general in case a certain reader is still reading this blog.
A couple of months ago, I got into some trouble for some comments I made at work. They were in jest and everyone knew this......well, almost everyone. So this all went to the Corporate machine. Long story short, HR was here the following week doing a campfire while we all held hands and sang Kumbaya.
Wait, it gets way better. This corporate HR lady comes up to me later and wants to search my vehicle because it has been reported that I was packing heat on company property. I know, I was livid. I told her I know she had ZERO rights, by law, to search my vehicle, and furthermore, that it is legal in this state for me to carry, even without a permit. She went on to tell me that the law stopped when I crossed company property. BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! Anyway, she didn't find anything, I still have a job, and I've lost even MORE faith in people as a whole. She then wanted to know about the extremeist website that I was posting on! I know, I couldn't believe it! Extremeist?! Man I've been pretty mellow, I thought. She said she heard that I said in my blog that I had a piece in the car, that part of the reason she had to search it. What a crock! I'm telling you, this world is nothing but a giant powderpuff game.
Needless to say, my spirits were a bit rattled, but not broken. After much thought, I have decided to continue in my blogging, but I will have to make some changes. I guess there are certain subjects in which my passion flows deep that I may have to steer clear of for now. As for TV, celebrity, and sports items? Still fair game!
I will do the best I can to continue in our endeavor to bring the world joy by the power of the blog! I have a dream!......That we can all.......oh forget it, lighten up A-holes!
A couple of months ago, I got into some trouble for some comments I made at work. They were in jest and everyone knew this......well, almost everyone. So this all went to the Corporate machine. Long story short, HR was here the following week doing a campfire while we all held hands and sang Kumbaya.
Wait, it gets way better. This corporate HR lady comes up to me later and wants to search my vehicle because it has been reported that I was packing heat on company property. I know, I was livid. I told her I know she had ZERO rights, by law, to search my vehicle, and furthermore, that it is legal in this state for me to carry, even without a permit. She went on to tell me that the law stopped when I crossed company property. BLAH! BLAH! BLAH! Anyway, she didn't find anything, I still have a job, and I've lost even MORE faith in people as a whole. She then wanted to know about the extremeist website that I was posting on! I know, I couldn't believe it! Extremeist?! Man I've been pretty mellow, I thought. She said she heard that I said in my blog that I had a piece in the car, that part of the reason she had to search it. What a crock! I'm telling you, this world is nothing but a giant powderpuff game.
Needless to say, my spirits were a bit rattled, but not broken. After much thought, I have decided to continue in my blogging, but I will have to make some changes. I guess there are certain subjects in which my passion flows deep that I may have to steer clear of for now. As for TV, celebrity, and sports items? Still fair game!
I will do the best I can to continue in our endeavor to bring the world joy by the power of the blog! I have a dream!......That we can all.......oh forget it, lighten up A-holes!
Weekend at the Movies
I'll keep this brief, but I saw two movies over the weekend. I was really excited to see The Good Shepherd, and not so excited to see Night at the Museum. Before I get too far into this, I'm revising my scoring system. From now on, every movie is going to get a "thumbs up" a "thumbs down" or a "whatever" rating. I think it's pretty self explanatory.
First up was Night at the Museum. Am I the only one to notice that Ben Stiller can only play one role in a movie? He's usually a bumbling kind of guy who deadpans some funny stuff at various points throughout the movie. Of course, he deviates from this sometimes, like with Dodgeball, but for the most part, his role here is the same that we saw in Meet the Parents. Anyway, he's playing the role of a divorced, down on his luck, out of work dude who ends up netting a job as a night-shift security guard at a museum.
Anyway, at night time, the musuem exhibits come to life, and there are quite a few laugh out loud moments to be found. I personally enjoyed Owen Wilson as the miniature cowboy who feuds with the miniature Roman exhibit that is nearby. Attilla the Hun was pretty entertaining too. All in all, it's a funny movie that the entire family can enjoy. A very solid "thumbs up."
Unfortunately, The Good Shepherd was quite a letdown. I was stoked to see this movie. It has all the things I like...CIA, Robert DeNiro, Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon (ok, that might be a stretch, but he's done some good movies). Yet, at almost three hours in running time, it wasn't exciting enough to warrant the time investment. The main problem I had is that Matt Damon's character was so boring. I guess they were trying to play him off as the super-spy that hides all his feelings or whatever, but they overdid it. Even the twists at the end of the movie weren't worth the time it took to get that far.
If you're going to make a 3 hour movie, there better be a lot of twists and turns along the way, or at least some explosions or boobs. There was nothing like that going on here. It ended up feeling like they didn't know where they wanted to go with the storyline. It starts up with the bungled Bay of Pigs invasion, then they flashback to Matt Damon's college years, some work with the FBI, which gets him invited into the CIA. Then he's doing WW2 work, then spying on the Russians...just too much going on. You almost lose sight of what you need to concentrate on, and by the end of it, you just want it to end. An extremely disappointing "thumbs down" for The Good Shepherd.
In Bauer We Trust
First up was Night at the Museum. Am I the only one to notice that Ben Stiller can only play one role in a movie? He's usually a bumbling kind of guy who deadpans some funny stuff at various points throughout the movie. Of course, he deviates from this sometimes, like with Dodgeball, but for the most part, his role here is the same that we saw in Meet the Parents. Anyway, he's playing the role of a divorced, down on his luck, out of work dude who ends up netting a job as a night-shift security guard at a museum.
Anyway, at night time, the musuem exhibits come to life, and there are quite a few laugh out loud moments to be found. I personally enjoyed Owen Wilson as the miniature cowboy who feuds with the miniature Roman exhibit that is nearby. Attilla the Hun was pretty entertaining too. All in all, it's a funny movie that the entire family can enjoy. A very solid "thumbs up."
Unfortunately, The Good Shepherd was quite a letdown. I was stoked to see this movie. It has all the things I like...CIA, Robert DeNiro, Angelina Jolie and Matt Damon (ok, that might be a stretch, but he's done some good movies). Yet, at almost three hours in running time, it wasn't exciting enough to warrant the time investment. The main problem I had is that Matt Damon's character was so boring. I guess they were trying to play him off as the super-spy that hides all his feelings or whatever, but they overdid it. Even the twists at the end of the movie weren't worth the time it took to get that far.
If you're going to make a 3 hour movie, there better be a lot of twists and turns along the way, or at least some explosions or boobs. There was nothing like that going on here. It ended up feeling like they didn't know where they wanted to go with the storyline. It starts up with the bungled Bay of Pigs invasion, then they flashback to Matt Damon's college years, some work with the FBI, which gets him invited into the CIA. Then he's doing WW2 work, then spying on the Russians...just too much going on. You almost lose sight of what you need to concentrate on, and by the end of it, you just want it to end. An extremely disappointing "thumbs down" for The Good Shepherd.
In Bauer We Trust
Saturday, June 09, 2007
I'm Sick and Tired
Normally I rant about TV, but I'm going to touch on two particularly annoying sports subjects that I am repeatedly subjected to, but have never cared about.
I am a religious watcher of Pardon The Interruption, with Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. I know, I know, Kornheiser isn't very good on Monday Night Football, and he's basically a blowhard, but bear with me. He's actually pretty decent on PTI. Anyway, there are two subjects that come up on this show all the time, and on SportsCenter. Here they are.
Michelle Wie - If you're not familiar with her, she's some women's golf phenom, who has actually received a couple of sponsor exemptions to play in a couple of PGA events in addition to the LPGA tour. To make a long story short, Michelle has never won anything, and she's a women's golfer, so why are we constantly hearing about her? Who cares about women's golf anyway? It's not a sexist thing to say. Ask a guy if they watch women's golf. Ask a woman if they watch women's golf. Nobody watches it, nobody cares. Wie can't even win an event on the woman's tour, so why is she even bothering with lingering in some of the men's events? I can't figure it out either. It's almost like the female equivalent of Tiger Woods, only if Tiger Woods would have flamed out immediately.
Danica Patrick - Danica is in pretty much the same boat as Wie. She's famous for being a woman in a man's sport. And before we get too in-depth with this, let's not forget that IRL is like the 4th most popular form of racing in America, behind NASCAR, roller derby, and lawn mowers. Nobody cares about the IRL. But at least they have one big event, the Indy 500. All we hear about heading into the Indy 500 is Danica Patrick related. Never mind the fact that she's never won a single race. Then she shoves some guy after the race was over last week, and now they're making it into some kind of feud. Sportscenter actually showed a comparison of the two racers (this guy's name escapes me at the moment, and I don't care enough about this subject to actually look it up), and this guy led more laps of the Indy 500 this year than Danica has ever led in her life.
What I'm trying to get at here is that we see an awful lot of women's coverage, when the majority of the people watching this programming (men) don't care, so why do you bother shoving this down our throats? Can't we just forget about Danica Patrick and Michelle Wie? I'd rather have an extra 15 minutes of NBA finals or MLB coverage.
I can't take it anymore!
In Bauer We Trust
PS: This season of 24 sucked, with the exception of a few episodes. You guys HAVE to go out and buy Season 1 at Target. It's less than $20, and there's nothing on TV during the summer anyway (well, until Big Brother starts).
I am a religious watcher of Pardon The Interruption, with Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon. I know, I know, Kornheiser isn't very good on Monday Night Football, and he's basically a blowhard, but bear with me. He's actually pretty decent on PTI. Anyway, there are two subjects that come up on this show all the time, and on SportsCenter. Here they are.
Michelle Wie - If you're not familiar with her, she's some women's golf phenom, who has actually received a couple of sponsor exemptions to play in a couple of PGA events in addition to the LPGA tour. To make a long story short, Michelle has never won anything, and she's a women's golfer, so why are we constantly hearing about her? Who cares about women's golf anyway? It's not a sexist thing to say. Ask a guy if they watch women's golf. Ask a woman if they watch women's golf. Nobody watches it, nobody cares. Wie can't even win an event on the woman's tour, so why is she even bothering with lingering in some of the men's events? I can't figure it out either. It's almost like the female equivalent of Tiger Woods, only if Tiger Woods would have flamed out immediately.
Danica Patrick - Danica is in pretty much the same boat as Wie. She's famous for being a woman in a man's sport. And before we get too in-depth with this, let's not forget that IRL is like the 4th most popular form of racing in America, behind NASCAR, roller derby, and lawn mowers. Nobody cares about the IRL. But at least they have one big event, the Indy 500. All we hear about heading into the Indy 500 is Danica Patrick related. Never mind the fact that she's never won a single race. Then she shoves some guy after the race was over last week, and now they're making it into some kind of feud. Sportscenter actually showed a comparison of the two racers (this guy's name escapes me at the moment, and I don't care enough about this subject to actually look it up), and this guy led more laps of the Indy 500 this year than Danica has ever led in her life.
What I'm trying to get at here is that we see an awful lot of women's coverage, when the majority of the people watching this programming (men) don't care, so why do you bother shoving this down our throats? Can't we just forget about Danica Patrick and Michelle Wie? I'd rather have an extra 15 minutes of NBA finals or MLB coverage.
I can't take it anymore!
In Bauer We Trust
PS: This season of 24 sucked, with the exception of a few episodes. You guys HAVE to go out and buy Season 1 at Target. It's less than $20, and there's nothing on TV during the summer anyway (well, until Big Brother starts).
Thursday, June 07, 2007
We're Back Baby!!!
After a far-too-long hiatus, I have decided to restart the GRS blog (please, hold your applause until the end of the post). With new babies, a new city and many other lame excuses, I, and my cohorts, allowed the blog to fall into obscurity. But now, it is revived and, once again, a living breathing spectacle of knowledge and wit. With that being said, I have a few items to touch on to get the ball rolling again.
Moving back to KC: I'm coming back to the land of empty arenas and sub-standard professional sports! I'm pretty excited about being back up there, but Texas was a pretty cool place to be for a while. The people down here are pretty cool, but the overuse of the word "y'all" has become nauseating. When it is used multiple times in emails, it's just too much.
Sheff's racism rant: This is what really made me want to blog again. Gary Sheffield has about as much right to talk about racism as Oprah. He says that black player numbers are diminishing because latin players are more controllable. What a load of crap! Numbers are diminishing because black kids don't play baseball, period. I wonder when Freddy Adu is going to pipe up about the lack of blacks in soccer. When will Steve Nash complain about the white minority in basketball? Ridiculous.
Also, I hate to break this to Sheff, but ALL professional athletes are controllable. Owners have them under contract and are able to cut them or trade them on a whim. In return, they pay them (yes, you too Sheff) ungodly amounts of money to play a game. I'll make that trade any day.
NBA Finals: Brent and I agree that it was a good thing when Cleveland beat Detroit. Another Pistons - Spurs series would have been utterly unwatchable. It's hard enough to watch Bowens' groin shots and Ginobili's flops, but throw in Rasheed Wallace - train wreck. I have a really hard time watching the Spurs anymore because of the constant bitching and flopping. As Bill Simmons said, it's starting to look like a European soccer match. I think Stern is going to talk to the refs and tell them to crack down on the acting so Bowen will foul out and Ginobili will get technicals just for acting like a 3-year-old girl (yeah I know, fat chance). But, since I'm living in that dream world now, I'm calling the Cavs in 6. Bron Bron will take control and have a Jordan-esque series. Shock the world, baby!!!!!!
The Chiefs off-season: I am really disappointed with what they did in the draft. Getting 2 D-tackles back-to-back when they need offensive linemen is inexcusable. They did finally deal Green and got something for him (5th rounder), which I think is a good thing. He's a fragile head-case that will be a liability. Now, watch him throw for 4,000 yards and start in the pro bowl. Whatever.
Well, that's all I have for now. I'm giddy about getting the blog started again. Our style is impetuous, our defense is impregnable, and, just like King James, we're going for "global icon" status.
Moving back to KC: I'm coming back to the land of empty arenas and sub-standard professional sports! I'm pretty excited about being back up there, but Texas was a pretty cool place to be for a while. The people down here are pretty cool, but the overuse of the word "y'all" has become nauseating. When it is used multiple times in emails, it's just too much.
Sheff's racism rant: This is what really made me want to blog again. Gary Sheffield has about as much right to talk about racism as Oprah. He says that black player numbers are diminishing because latin players are more controllable. What a load of crap! Numbers are diminishing because black kids don't play baseball, period. I wonder when Freddy Adu is going to pipe up about the lack of blacks in soccer. When will Steve Nash complain about the white minority in basketball? Ridiculous.
Also, I hate to break this to Sheff, but ALL professional athletes are controllable. Owners have them under contract and are able to cut them or trade them on a whim. In return, they pay them (yes, you too Sheff) ungodly amounts of money to play a game. I'll make that trade any day.
NBA Finals: Brent and I agree that it was a good thing when Cleveland beat Detroit. Another Pistons - Spurs series would have been utterly unwatchable. It's hard enough to watch Bowens' groin shots and Ginobili's flops, but throw in Rasheed Wallace - train wreck. I have a really hard time watching the Spurs anymore because of the constant bitching and flopping. As Bill Simmons said, it's starting to look like a European soccer match. I think Stern is going to talk to the refs and tell them to crack down on the acting so Bowen will foul out and Ginobili will get technicals just for acting like a 3-year-old girl (yeah I know, fat chance). But, since I'm living in that dream world now, I'm calling the Cavs in 6. Bron Bron will take control and have a Jordan-esque series. Shock the world, baby!!!!!!
The Chiefs off-season: I am really disappointed with what they did in the draft. Getting 2 D-tackles back-to-back when they need offensive linemen is inexcusable. They did finally deal Green and got something for him (5th rounder), which I think is a good thing. He's a fragile head-case that will be a liability. Now, watch him throw for 4,000 yards and start in the pro bowl. Whatever.
Well, that's all I have for now. I'm giddy about getting the blog started again. Our style is impetuous, our defense is impregnable, and, just like King James, we're going for "global icon" status.
Monday, April 16, 2007
24 Recap for Josh
This was the one episode of the season that you absolutely could not afford to miss. I would highly recommend that you buck up for the Itunes copy of the show. There was a LOT that happened, and I will try to recap it here as best I can.
At the end of the last episode, CTU had taken Abu Fayed into custody and Wayne Palmer was ordering a nuclear strike. I'll cover the Palmer storyline first. He puts the screws to the ambassador demanding that they give information on the suitcase nukes. Finally, the ambassador caves and gives up a guy named General Habib. Apparently General Habib has been working with Fayed. CTU scrambles to find out everything they can about him and his ties.
Meanwhile, Jack and Doyle are interrogating Fayed to no avail. He absolutely will not talk. So they decide to take him back to CTU, where they plan on using chemicals to get him talking. Nothing like a little truth serum to brighten your day. On the way back to CTU, the transport vehicle is ambushed by Fayed's men. They shoot down Jack and Doyle and take off with Fayed. But after the vehicle speeds away, Jack and Doyle get up and are apparently alive and well. As it turns out, CTU staged the whole event in an attempt to get Fayed to talk. So Fayed is in a van full of CTU operatives. They tell him that they are affiliated with the aforementioned General Habib of the unnamed country and they are here to do whatever Fayed needs them to do. Fayed, understandably, is skeptical and demands to speak to General Habib.
Meanwhile, General Habib is being interrogated. Palmer threatens the general's family and eventually he becomes complicit. He receives a call from Fayed and assures Fayed that the men in the van are working with him and that he can trust them. Only as it turns out, he gave Fayed a distress code during their conversation. The van containing Fayed heads into a tunnel and the CTU comm channel goes dark. The van fails to emerge from the tunnel after several minutes. Jack and Doyle are sent in after the van to see what happens.
When they arrive on the scene, Jack and Doyle find that all the CTU men have been killed and Fayed is on the run. Jack tracks down Fayed as he is stealing a garbage truck. Jack latches onto the undercarriage of the truck, but is unable to communicate with anyone due to the noise. So the truck pulls into Fayed's safehouse where there are like 3 or 4 of his men there, along with the suitcase nukes. Jack apparently never got a chance to call into CTU, so nobody really knows where he is. Jack sneaks around the hideout and snaps a guy's neck. He then opens fire on another guy. A shootout ensues, and it ends with Jack and Fayed remaining.
Fayed and Jack exchange blows, and it looks like Fayed gets the upper hand. I was convinced that he was going to get away with the nukes. Anyway, Jack recovers and delivers a heck of a blow to Fayed. He manages to wrap a chain around his neck. The chain is connected to some kind of machine...Jack pulls a lever, and Fayed is lifted off the ground while the chain tightens around his neck. Meanwhile, CTU shows up on the scene, apparently able to track the stolen truck on satellite. Doyle, upon seeing the carnage, delivers the line of the season. "Jesus, Jack." My sentiments exactly. So the suitcase nukes are secured by CTU and Fayed is out of commission. That's the end of Jack's problems, right?
Not so fast my friend.
Jack gets a call from the CTU switchboard. On the other end is Audrey Raines, Jack's woman from season 4 and 5. A few episodes ago, Jack learned that she was dead. But as you can see, she is most definitely alive. After Audrey speaks for a couple seconds, the Chinese guy from the very beginning of this season (and also seen at the ends of seasons 4 and 5) tells Jack to call him back on a secure line, and not to alert anyone if he ever wants to see Audrey alive. We're left with a shot of Jack in distress as we fade to the ticking clock.
Needless to say, I cannot wait for tonight.
BEEP...beep...BEEP...beep.
At the end of the last episode, CTU had taken Abu Fayed into custody and Wayne Palmer was ordering a nuclear strike. I'll cover the Palmer storyline first. He puts the screws to the ambassador demanding that they give information on the suitcase nukes. Finally, the ambassador caves and gives up a guy named General Habib. Apparently General Habib has been working with Fayed. CTU scrambles to find out everything they can about him and his ties.
Meanwhile, Jack and Doyle are interrogating Fayed to no avail. He absolutely will not talk. So they decide to take him back to CTU, where they plan on using chemicals to get him talking. Nothing like a little truth serum to brighten your day. On the way back to CTU, the transport vehicle is ambushed by Fayed's men. They shoot down Jack and Doyle and take off with Fayed. But after the vehicle speeds away, Jack and Doyle get up and are apparently alive and well. As it turns out, CTU staged the whole event in an attempt to get Fayed to talk. So Fayed is in a van full of CTU operatives. They tell him that they are affiliated with the aforementioned General Habib of the unnamed country and they are here to do whatever Fayed needs them to do. Fayed, understandably, is skeptical and demands to speak to General Habib.
Meanwhile, General Habib is being interrogated. Palmer threatens the general's family and eventually he becomes complicit. He receives a call from Fayed and assures Fayed that the men in the van are working with him and that he can trust them. Only as it turns out, he gave Fayed a distress code during their conversation. The van containing Fayed heads into a tunnel and the CTU comm channel goes dark. The van fails to emerge from the tunnel after several minutes. Jack and Doyle are sent in after the van to see what happens.
When they arrive on the scene, Jack and Doyle find that all the CTU men have been killed and Fayed is on the run. Jack tracks down Fayed as he is stealing a garbage truck. Jack latches onto the undercarriage of the truck, but is unable to communicate with anyone due to the noise. So the truck pulls into Fayed's safehouse where there are like 3 or 4 of his men there, along with the suitcase nukes. Jack apparently never got a chance to call into CTU, so nobody really knows where he is. Jack sneaks around the hideout and snaps a guy's neck. He then opens fire on another guy. A shootout ensues, and it ends with Jack and Fayed remaining.
Fayed and Jack exchange blows, and it looks like Fayed gets the upper hand. I was convinced that he was going to get away with the nukes. Anyway, Jack recovers and delivers a heck of a blow to Fayed. He manages to wrap a chain around his neck. The chain is connected to some kind of machine...Jack pulls a lever, and Fayed is lifted off the ground while the chain tightens around his neck. Meanwhile, CTU shows up on the scene, apparently able to track the stolen truck on satellite. Doyle, upon seeing the carnage, delivers the line of the season. "Jesus, Jack." My sentiments exactly. So the suitcase nukes are secured by CTU and Fayed is out of commission. That's the end of Jack's problems, right?
Not so fast my friend.
Jack gets a call from the CTU switchboard. On the other end is Audrey Raines, Jack's woman from season 4 and 5. A few episodes ago, Jack learned that she was dead. But as you can see, she is most definitely alive. After Audrey speaks for a couple seconds, the Chinese guy from the very beginning of this season (and also seen at the ends of seasons 4 and 5) tells Jack to call him back on a secure line, and not to alert anyone if he ever wants to see Audrey alive. We're left with a shot of Jack in distress as we fade to the ticking clock.
Needless to say, I cannot wait for tonight.
BEEP...beep...BEEP...beep.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)