Ok, its been forever since I have updated on here. Not that its a blog hot spot or anything. As a matter of fact, the only comment I have received about this blog was during a recent twitter battle. It was called queer and gay!! SO... I will try to make my new post as gay as possible as to hold up to the lofty expectations.
Seeing this is an update with really no theme, I will just ramble a few things that are on my mind.
ME:
Not a whole lot going on with me. My job is going well and my personal life is abysmal. But hey, why complain? Its difficult dealing with a loved one who has terrible taste in the opposite sex. It causes strain, especially this close to the holidays. Dealing with someone who is 1 to 2 IQ points away from being declared mentally retarded is tons of fun. This is the guy who gives all guys a bad name, yet always seems to end up with the girl, a place to live and the ability to say and do whatever he wants with zero repercussions. Its very aggravating.
Florida Gators:
#1 in the nation. #1 in the BCS poll. The odds on favorite to repeat for the National Championship. A possible 2 time Heisman Trophy winning QB. Top rated defense. Yet, they give me a heart attack week in and week out. Its been a struggle this year watching my beloved Gators. We have 4 games left including the SEC Championship game against the #2 team in the Nation to determine if we will play for the big prize. I am not sure my heart can take it.
Orlando Magic:
The season is new, and we have a revamped roster. One of which I am very excited about. Its still very early to get a read on them. Probably wont get a solid one until the return of Rashard Lewis and Ryan Anderson returns from his ankle injury. In the 9 games we have played so far, we have shown signs of complete dominance that few teams will be able to match. We have also shown signs of being mediocre, foul prone, bad defensively, getting out rebounded etc. We have the pieces to win it all this year. I do think we will compete for the best record in the league once we get healthy and begin to get the rotations down.
Well, that's the only 3 things on my mind. Most people that read this are my good twitter friends. Funny, sometimes it feels like my twitter friends are better than most the friends I have had for years. Although I hope that doesn't sound too queer and gay.
How To Be A Gator Part 1 - Rivals
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
In a few short months, the greatest sports team in history will be taking the field to defend their national championship. Yes, i am talking about the one and only Florida Gators football team. Every year Gator Nation grows larger from the fans who abandon their inferior teams to jump on the Gators rocket ship of success. So i have decided to take the hands of these lost souls and welcome them into the Gator family. But they need to be schooled. Its not about throwing on an orange shirt and doing Gator Jaws. Its more.
This is part one in a continuing series of blogs dedicated to introducing new fans to the team and teach them the glory and honor of being a Gator Fan.
Part 1 - Your Rivals
You can not root for a team without first knowing who to hate, and there are plenty of teams to despise as a Gator fan. You must know, through jealousy and lack of success, other people tend to really HATE the Gators. So you must be well equipped to do battle with these confused and lost people. The Gators play in the toughest conference in the nation, The Southeastern Conference, or as you will more than likely hear it called, the SEC. Most of the rivalries come from the SEC.
Tennessee Volunteers - This team has arguably become our biggest in conference rival. Some may say the Bulldogs, who i will discuss soon, but in my opinion, the Volunteers have truly become the most bitter rival. I say this because, the Vols SUCK. We have owned this series over the past decade and longer. They have ugly Popsicle colored uniforms, they play "Rocky Top" over and over again, their fans are more inbred than actually human. I believe there is a 2 tooth minimum to purchase season tickets. We usually play them the 3rd game of the season, and is the Gators first big game, and first test on how well they will play in conference... which usually means we beat them..... because like i said, they are out little bitch.
Georgia Bulldogs - A close second, and for many years, our numero uno rival is this bunch of hicks from that state to the north. They like to think of themselves as elite, yet have not mastered the English language yet. Their fans grunt like a dog and howl like idiots, they drink Pabst Blue Ribbon and eat corn dogs all day. Most drive trucks with gun racks and fancy the confederate flag as a license plate. This is the only team to hold the series lead in victories. Because of the hatred between the two, the game is played on a neutral site in Jacksonville, and titled the "Worlds Largest Cocktail Party". Although we have pretty much owned them over the past decade, this is still a hotly contested rivalry dating back 1914. You MUST HATE this team to be a true Gator.
Florida State Semenholes - Our biggest out of conference rival is FSU. They were once an all girls school and then were allowed to play football. Most of the players are still girls. Florida State was actually the dominate team in the nation during the 90's. That is when the rivalry really heated up. We end the regular season with them, so every year one team usually can act as a spoiler for the others title hopes. Although there has been ZERO title hopes for the Semenholes for a long time. They have the most annoying cheer ever. The Chop, it drones on and on. Turning the fans into robotic javelin throwers. Their fans are very fair weathered. You only see them out of their huts when they win. They lose, and they run back under ground.
Auburn Tigers - Another SEC rival. This team has a serious identity crisis. Although they are the Tigers, they fancy calling themselves the War Eagles. Who knows why. I never really bothered to find out why, mainly because i don't care. The Gators have been handed several heart breaking loses to this team. Their fans are rather arrogant for some odd reason. Rude, snobby, unclean. They have anger issues because they play second fiddle to the Alabama Crimson Tide in the state. Alabama sucks too, but have a storied history, unlike the War Tiger Eagles, or what ever the hell they call themselves.
Louisiana State Tigers - I actually like LSU fans. If you ever travel to a game in Baton Rouge, they are always cooking and friendly, offering you food getting into good natured fan jabber. The problem is, their team sucks. They think they have the loudest stadium in the country, until they play in The Swamp (the nickname of Florida Field.) They have gained on the rival list over the last several years. There gain on the national scene is short lived however, and will soon go back to being a good but second tier team compared to the Gators.
Those 5 are big ones during the year. That is not to say other teams are not equally as hated. Ole Miss has slowly creeped into my sights. They have beaten us several times even though we have been heavily favored. Alabama is a big one, but we dont play them every year. We meet them in the Conference Championship games at times, and will have a home and home series every few years. Alabama fans are pretty much douche bags with there toilet paper on a stick roll tide things. Miami used to be near the top. No matter what you hear from Miami fans, Florida did not drop them off the schedule because of the competition. The SEC broke into 2 divisions, and we had to drop an out of conference opponent to accommodate an 8th SEC game. I wish we did play them every year. Miami actually chickened out of joining the SEC in favor of the weaker ACC conference. They are thugs and their fans are mostly out on parole.
Always remember... the only time you root for another team is if it benefits the Gators in the polls. Its ok to root for SEC teams during the bowls, but i have been known to root against Tennessee at times because i hate them so much. Hone your skills at bars during game day. Even if you have no idea what you are talking about, just yell loud and tell the other fan how much their team sucks. Its important to remain dignified in the heat of battle.
Next time i will dive more into what being a Gator means. Give you names and facts to help you understand the history of the Gators.. in the mean time learn this small phrase... If You're Not A Gator, You're GATOR BAIT!!!!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Star Trek (2009)I remember first hearing about the re imagining of Star Trek a few years ago. My first thought was a big fat "Oh Brother", why on earth are they attempting to do that. After all, not only will the movie be facing the fickle public, who seem to be getting slightly tired of the wave of remakes, but also the dreaded trekkie. The insane fan base who hold the gauntlet of the Star Trek mythos like no other.
Now, I am not a trekkie. I am a fan of Star Trek, having grown up watching the show in syndication like everyone else did. Never watched The New Generation, or Enterprise, or Deep Space Nine yada yada. I also feel the Holy Gail of Star Trek movies is the Wrath of Khan. For years i felt there is no way Khan could be topped in the world of Star Trek. I held that belief all the way up until today.
JJ Abrams Star Trek is truly a masterpiece of science fiction story telling. The movie grabs you right from the beginning and never lets you go. Its fast, sharp, witty and beautiful. The cinematography is fantastic, the special effects are spot on and the actors, well i will get into that in a minute. This isn't a movie to appease the die hard Trek fans, this is just a lot of fun for any movie fan. It should be this years Dark Knight, unless there is something really mind blowing coming out.
Myself like a lot of people felt the most difficult part of retooling this franchise would be to make the audience not make a comparison with the cast of the original and the new cast. This is what surprises me the most about the movie. The cast is perfect. Instead of replacements, they are more like an extension of the original cast Chris Pine's portrayal of James T Kirk is amazing simply because of the shoes he had to fill. He does not make you miss William Shatner one bit, nor do you forget about him. Pine makes it his own, all the while paying tribute to Shatner. That is to be said for the rest of the cast as well. Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), Anton Yelcin (Chekov) are all perfectly cast. I was curious on how they worked Leonard Nimoy in, and was very happy with the results. He has a larger part than I expected, and has one of the biggest knot in the throat moments when he utters the famous, "I am and shall always be, your friend" line.
Its not 100% perfect. The plot takes a bit to get ahold of and there is a "love interest" that took me by surprise (and no not the green woman.) The Romulan bad guy Nero is played well by Eric Bana. My only problem was, except for the opening, there wasn't a lot of moments with him to really get your blood boiling with hate. You hate him, but i really wanted to hate him. These are just small things compared to the over all experience of the movie.
Its the best Star Trek movie of all time. I say that with great reverence to Wrath of Khan (which is still incredible.) This is finally a re imagining done right. My hats off to Mr. Abrams for giving a new generation a Star Trek to be proud of. I cant wait for the next installment.
I am Magically Disgusted
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
@ColleenBurns @jabberjim i woke up happy and then remembered why i cried myself to sleep last night #orlandomagic #fail
As perfectly tweeted by my fellow Magic friend Colleen this morning, the Magic made every fan cry last night. In an act usually reserved for college football season, i threw my Magic hat across the room in disgust. It truly was one of the most frustrating sports viewing expieriences in recent memory.
The Magic basically shut down with 5 minutes to go in a game they had well in hand. Why? I have to blame coaching. Simple as that. It literally seemed like the coaching staff just told the guys to wing it in the closing minutes. Don't worry about the fact they are facing the defending NBA champions who, despite missing Kevin Garnett, are still an expierienced, potent team.
The coaching staff also seems to forget they have an all-star center, who should be touching the ball. Even Dwight himself is scratching his head at the lack of touches he gets in the clutch. As Howard states in that article, a player needs the ball to get into an offensive rythmn. Case in point, Ray Allen, cold for most of the series, yet Doc Rivers still gets him the ball. Ray came through at a crucial point in the game, hitting a big 3. You HAVE to give your superstar time to shine. Yes they defended Howard well. Yes Howard missed some shots and is a liability on the foul line. But he has to have the ball. He is a good enough player to make something happen. Inexcusable you have the cornerstone of your franchise on the floor and he is relegated to a spectator. If Dwight Howard is to reach the levels of Lebron and Kobe, he needs the ball enough times during the game to work on his defender, to find a weakness and exploit it.
I will be watching game 6. But I will be nervous. Even if the Magic build a 30 point lead in the 3rd period, i will still not feel confident. They must learn to shut the door. This must happen with your superstars. The Magic had a legitimate shot at winning this series 4-1. Establishing themselves as a contender. The only thing they seem to have accomplished in this post season is establishing a reputation as a team who do not know how to close out games. That is a bad position to be in. They have the players, they have the superstar. Game 6 will show what kind of metal this team is made of.
I love the Magic... but man they piss me off.
As perfectly tweeted by my fellow Magic friend Colleen this morning, the Magic made every fan cry last night. In an act usually reserved for college football season, i threw my Magic hat across the room in disgust. It truly was one of the most frustrating sports viewing expieriences in recent memory.
The Magic basically shut down with 5 minutes to go in a game they had well in hand. Why? I have to blame coaching. Simple as that. It literally seemed like the coaching staff just told the guys to wing it in the closing minutes. Don't worry about the fact they are facing the defending NBA champions who, despite missing Kevin Garnett, are still an expierienced, potent team.
The coaching staff also seems to forget they have an all-star center, who should be touching the ball. Even Dwight himself is scratching his head at the lack of touches he gets in the clutch. As Howard states in that article, a player needs the ball to get into an offensive rythmn. Case in point, Ray Allen, cold for most of the series, yet Doc Rivers still gets him the ball. Ray came through at a crucial point in the game, hitting a big 3. You HAVE to give your superstar time to shine. Yes they defended Howard well. Yes Howard missed some shots and is a liability on the foul line. But he has to have the ball. He is a good enough player to make something happen. Inexcusable you have the cornerstone of your franchise on the floor and he is relegated to a spectator. If Dwight Howard is to reach the levels of Lebron and Kobe, he needs the ball enough times during the game to work on his defender, to find a weakness and exploit it.
I will be watching game 6. But I will be nervous. Even if the Magic build a 30 point lead in the 3rd period, i will still not feel confident. They must learn to shut the door. This must happen with your superstars. The Magic had a legitimate shot at winning this series 4-1. Establishing themselves as a contender. The only thing they seem to have accomplished in this post season is establishing a reputation as a team who do not know how to close out games. That is a bad position to be in. They have the players, they have the superstar. Game 6 will show what kind of metal this team is made of.
I love the Magic... but man they piss me off.
Late night contact
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
You came in a surprise, almost ghost like. With kind words out of nowhere. My heart stood no chance despite the wall i was trying to build.
It seemed so mutual. Time together, shared laughter and song. Music filled my world like never before. I fell quickly. My wall was gone.
The months went fast, like a minute. The fear began to build. Like trying to stop the water, its impossible.
Last words were not spoken. You were gone like a surprise, almost ghost like. With words of distance. Heart was broken.
Now there are still kind words out of nowhere. Reminding me of the music. Not sure of the meaning. Trying to build my wall.
My heart stands no chance.
It seemed so mutual. Time together, shared laughter and song. Music filled my world like never before. I fell quickly. My wall was gone.
The months went fast, like a minute. The fear began to build. Like trying to stop the water, its impossible.
Last words were not spoken. You were gone like a surprise, almost ghost like. With words of distance. Heart was broken.
Now there are still kind words out of nowhere. Reminding me of the music. Not sure of the meaning. Trying to build my wall.
My heart stands no chance.
The NBA Suspention rule...............................sux
Friday, May 8, 2009
Gearing up for Magic/Celtics game 3
Its going to be an interesting game. If the Magic play with the same intensity shown in the first half of game 1, the Celtics will find themselves in trouble. However, the Magic are without their interim starting point guard Rafer Alston for slapping Eddie House in the back of the head after a House 3 pointer. Yeah, Eddie was doing some jawing and may have gotten an elbow in, but that doesn't excuse Alston's behavior. The slap was actually kind of funny, my sister used to slap me like that when i was 8 for acting like an ass. Upon reviewing the play, Stu Jackson suspended Alston for 1 game. Of course he didn't see House's giving Alston an elbow when he ran by.
Switch channels to the hotly contested Lakers/Rockets.
Now call me crazy, but Kobe blatantly, yes blatantly, gave Ron Artest an elbow to the throat. Video replay clearly shows the elbow, and Artest, rightfully so, gets irate. What happens to Kobe? Nothing, nada, ziltch, ZEROOOO. Why? Simply because its Kobe. Now Artest is certainly not the most beloved player in the NBA, but a shot to the throat like that can do some serious damage if connected right... a lot more than a little slap to the back of the head.
I'm sorry, but Kobe deserved to be suspended for his actions. If Jackson can honestly say that elbow was not intentional, well, he is burying his head in the sand.
Kobe is a great player, but he should be treated like anyone else in the league when it comes to flagrant actions like that.
The NBA.... Where Amazing Hypocrisy Happens
Its going to be an interesting game. If the Magic play with the same intensity shown in the first half of game 1, the Celtics will find themselves in trouble. However, the Magic are without their interim starting point guard Rafer Alston for slapping Eddie House in the back of the head after a House 3 pointer. Yeah, Eddie was doing some jawing and may have gotten an elbow in, but that doesn't excuse Alston's behavior. The slap was actually kind of funny, my sister used to slap me like that when i was 8 for acting like an ass. Upon reviewing the play, Stu Jackson suspended Alston for 1 game. Of course he didn't see House's giving Alston an elbow when he ran by.
Switch channels to the hotly contested Lakers/Rockets.
Now call me crazy, but Kobe blatantly, yes blatantly, gave Ron Artest an elbow to the throat. Video replay clearly shows the elbow, and Artest, rightfully so, gets irate. What happens to Kobe? Nothing, nada, ziltch, ZEROOOO. Why? Simply because its Kobe. Now Artest is certainly not the most beloved player in the NBA, but a shot to the throat like that can do some serious damage if connected right... a lot more than a little slap to the back of the head.
I'm sorry, but Kobe deserved to be suspended for his actions. If Jackson can honestly say that elbow was not intentional, well, he is burying his head in the sand.
Kobe is a great player, but he should be treated like anyone else in the league when it comes to flagrant actions like that.
The NBA.... Where Amazing Hypocrisy Happens
Martyrs (2008)
I cant quite figure out how I feel about this movie. It's classified as a Horror, and there are Horror elements, but it certainly is not a Horror movie in the classic sense.
It centers around Lucie and Anna. Lucie escapes from a captivity in which she endures unspeakable levels of torture and isolation. After being placed in a home for troubled youth, she meets Anna, and the two form a strong bond. Lucie is a tormented soul and grows up seeing horrific visions and haunted by an unknown spectre. It then veers into a revenge movie, in which Lucie seeks to exact revenge on a family she is convinced are responsible for he captivity and torture. This is the point of the movie it shifts gears, and focus's on Anna, who finds herself the victim of the same captivity endured by Lucie. It moves with brutal efficiency, yet can be repetitive.
There is no doubt this movie is brutal. Many reviews have called it "torture porn." I honestly would not go as far to call it that. The 2nd half has many cringe inducing moments, and as the plot unfolds you begin to find the reasoning behind the brutal torture that is inflicted. But there are no rape scenes, and the torture is not sexual in nature.
It is a movie that sticks with you. Some people may not be able to handle the subject matter, but for those who can, will find it a powerful but flawed movie. The only problem I have with it, is it just doesn't know what kind of movie it wants to be. You think you are watching one kind of movie, and then it quickly switches gears, not once, but twice. That being said, i recommend it. Turn the lights off and get ready to be freaked out a little.
End of the Line (2007)
I saw the boys over at Aint it Cool News do a write up on this movie. It got me pumped to see it. Boy was i disappointed.
It centers around a small group of strangers who band together after the subway they are traveling home in shuts down, and they are then faced with a group of religious nuts armed with daggers in the shape of a cross running around killing people screaming about saving their souls. There is ZERO believability in that the slow moving fanatics really are not that intimidating.. some kids, an old woman, a few nerds... they are not scary at all.
The movie starts out promising, but just falls apart. You keep expecting the hero's to be doing battle with the so called demons or something sinister rather than a cool aid drinking cult.
There are some ok scenes, its just not a very scary or interesting film... I updated my iPhone apps in the middle of it.
New age Sports interactive tweet fighting
Friday, May 1, 2009
Sports viewing checklist several years ago:
Sports viewing checklist today:
Watching sports has really become an interactive orgasm of fun. No longer do you have to go to a bar to get into a testosterone filled rant with someone.. you can have that right on twitter. As we all know, behind the anonymity of the Internet, people can be enormous assholes. Combined with google, that same enormous asshole can instantly look up some stat from 34 years ago to gain credence to his soft argument. Confronting a drunken fan of the enemy team is bad enough out in public, but when armed with technology and instant facts, well it can cause quite a ruckus.
Now personally, I have had my best fights surrounding College Football and my beloved Florida Gators. The new season is slowly approaching, and I find myself looking forward to the battles that I am sure will come on twitter.
I will be ready. Armed with my laptop and tweetdeck, I will be ready to lay down the smack on the poor souls who so foolishly feel their pathetic team can possibly come close to the splendor of the Florida Gators... Bring it on.... bitches.
- Beer
- Chips
- Lucky Jersey/Hat
- remote
Sports viewing checklist today:
- Beer
- Chips
- Lucky Jersey/Hat
- Remote
- iPhone
- Laptop
- Tweetdeck open
- Live Chat/Blog active
- take notes for tomorrows personal blog post
- More Beer
Watching sports has really become an interactive orgasm of fun. No longer do you have to go to a bar to get into a testosterone filled rant with someone.. you can have that right on twitter. As we all know, behind the anonymity of the Internet, people can be enormous assholes. Combined with google, that same enormous asshole can instantly look up some stat from 34 years ago to gain credence to his soft argument. Confronting a drunken fan of the enemy team is bad enough out in public, but when armed with technology and instant facts, well it can cause quite a ruckus.
Now personally, I have had my best fights surrounding College Football and my beloved Florida Gators. The new season is slowly approaching, and I find myself looking forward to the battles that I am sure will come on twitter.
I will be ready. Armed with my laptop and tweetdeck, I will be ready to lay down the smack on the poor souls who so foolishly feel their pathetic team can possibly come close to the splendor of the Florida Gators... Bring it on.... bitches.
Spelling Boob
Thursday, April 23, 2009
The following post is about words I have historically had a problem spelling.
Squirrel:
I have always had trouble with this one. Various errors I make are, squirell, squrriel, squerril, squiril etc....
Spaghetti:
Another bad one for me. Spagetti, spegheti, speghetti, spahgetti. Sometimes I just break down and and write Sgetti. Very aggrivating, thank god I am not Italian.
Cigarette:
I always attribute the difficulty I have with this one because I do not smoke. Cigarete, Cigerette, Ciggarette, ugh the list goes on and on.
There are others, but they are words that are not stuck in my mind as ones I always spell wrong. The 3 above are my nemesis.
Another thought... Does anyone else recite the Alphabet Song when thumbing through a phone book or anything listed in alphabetical order? Its such a catchy song... Oh that reminds me, the only way I was able to memorize the Preamble of the constitution was School House Rock... loved that show.
Oh well... thats all I have.
Squirrel:
I have always had trouble with this one. Various errors I make are, squirell, squrriel, squerril, squiril etc....
Spaghetti:
Another bad one for me. Spagetti, spegheti, speghetti, spahgetti. Sometimes I just break down and and write Sgetti. Very aggrivating, thank god I am not Italian.
Cigarette:
I always attribute the difficulty I have with this one because I do not smoke. Cigarete, Cigerette, Ciggarette, ugh the list goes on and on.
There are others, but they are words that are not stuck in my mind as ones I always spell wrong. The 3 above are my nemesis.
Another thought... Does anyone else recite the Alphabet Song when thumbing through a phone book or anything listed in alphabetical order? Its such a catchy song... Oh that reminds me, the only way I was able to memorize the Preamble of the constitution was School House Rock... loved that show.
Oh well... thats all I have.
Monday Randomness
Monday, April 20, 2009
Just a few thoughts on this fine Monday
NBA Playoffs:
I love this game...... sometimes. A few good moments in the first round. But all in all a typical opening round. Derrick Rose was the big surprise. Tying Kareem Abdul Jabbar's rookie scoring record for first playoff game played. Rose was phenomenal to say the least, and made the Bulls/Celtics game 1 the best of the weekend. I still miss not seeing Kevin Garnett, I love watching him play. I was also happy the Mavs beat the Spurs. I am sick of the Spurs, its enough already.
My Magic found a new way to disappoint me by blowing an 18 point lead to lose by 2 points to the Sixers. I still think they will win the series... but confidence in my team is faltering. They seemed to have lost all momentum after Howard went to the locker room from an eye poke. Hedo starting hitting his shots late in the 4th, but by then the writing was on the wall... Great shot by Iggy at the end sealed it. No fault on the Magic, he was defended well, just hit a great shot.... bastard.
I have determined that if the finals are a match up between the Lakers and the Cavs, i will for the first time ever, root for Kobe and the Lakers. I hate Lebron. Great player, but i can not take his arrogance. During a halftime interview, King James listed HIMSELF in the top 5 players he admired while growing up. He comes off as such an arrogant moron at times... Everyone knows you are great Lebron, just have a little friggin' humility. Both Kobe, and Lebron have a tendency to speak of themselves in the 3rd person, which i feel should be grounds for immediate imprisonment.
Twitter:
This thing has turned into quite an obsession for me as of late. Its great fun. Although it can be a bit like high school in that at times you can get lost in the shuffle and ignored. Its cool interacting with people on the thing, and it is really becoming huge... which is good and bad. Oprah is now on twitter, which i believe is a sign of the impending Apocalypse. Ashton Kutcher and that whole 1,000,000 followers is just ridiculous. He follows like 70 people. He beat out CNN breaking news, which i follow. At least they give me news. I was always a huge Demi Moore fan, she is just kind of a shill for Ashton on twitter... which is wierd.. i mean she was GI Jane! And in A Few Good Men for christ sakes. Ashton had punk'd. They have enough fame... dont try and take over twitter now. There are far more deserving people on twitter that should have a million followers over that hump Kutcher.
Susan Boyle
This woman is EVERYWHERE now.. and you know what. Good for her. Its rare a reality show now a days will actually give a nobody a shot at fame. Idol certainly wouldn't put someone like her on the stage, god forbid. I would watch Britain's Got Talent, they do it right.
Hmm... thats about all that is on my mind at the moment... i need more coffee.
NBA Playoffs:
I love this game...... sometimes. A few good moments in the first round. But all in all a typical opening round. Derrick Rose was the big surprise. Tying Kareem Abdul Jabbar's rookie scoring record for first playoff game played. Rose was phenomenal to say the least, and made the Bulls/Celtics game 1 the best of the weekend. I still miss not seeing Kevin Garnett, I love watching him play. I was also happy the Mavs beat the Spurs. I am sick of the Spurs, its enough already.
My Magic found a new way to disappoint me by blowing an 18 point lead to lose by 2 points to the Sixers. I still think they will win the series... but confidence in my team is faltering. They seemed to have lost all momentum after Howard went to the locker room from an eye poke. Hedo starting hitting his shots late in the 4th, but by then the writing was on the wall... Great shot by Iggy at the end sealed it. No fault on the Magic, he was defended well, just hit a great shot.... bastard.
I have determined that if the finals are a match up between the Lakers and the Cavs, i will for the first time ever, root for Kobe and the Lakers. I hate Lebron. Great player, but i can not take his arrogance. During a halftime interview, King James listed HIMSELF in the top 5 players he admired while growing up. He comes off as such an arrogant moron at times... Everyone knows you are great Lebron, just have a little friggin' humility. Both Kobe, and Lebron have a tendency to speak of themselves in the 3rd person, which i feel should be grounds for immediate imprisonment.
Twitter:
This thing has turned into quite an obsession for me as of late. Its great fun. Although it can be a bit like high school in that at times you can get lost in the shuffle and ignored. Its cool interacting with people on the thing, and it is really becoming huge... which is good and bad. Oprah is now on twitter, which i believe is a sign of the impending Apocalypse. Ashton Kutcher and that whole 1,000,000 followers is just ridiculous. He follows like 70 people. He beat out CNN breaking news, which i follow. At least they give me news. I was always a huge Demi Moore fan, she is just kind of a shill for Ashton on twitter... which is wierd.. i mean she was GI Jane! And in A Few Good Men for christ sakes. Ashton had punk'd. They have enough fame... dont try and take over twitter now. There are far more deserving people on twitter that should have a million followers over that hump Kutcher.
Susan Boyle
This woman is EVERYWHERE now.. and you know what. Good for her. Its rare a reality show now a days will actually give a nobody a shot at fame. Idol certainly wouldn't put someone like her on the stage, god forbid. I would watch Britain's Got Talent, they do it right.
Hmm... thats about all that is on my mind at the moment... i need more coffee.
Thrilla in Manila - Review (HBO)
Monday, April 13, 2009
I used to be a huge boxing fan. Not so much anymore. Now a days, it lacks the spectacle and the magic it once held. My love for the sport began while watching the Larry Holmes/Gerry Cooney fight in the early 80's. Holmes dominated, pummeling Cooney without mercy. I was hooked.
I was too young to have seen the great matches of the 70's. But thanks to documentaries like "Thrilla in Manila", they come to life in a fantastic way.
Thrilla in Manila, currently playing on HBO, documents the brutal 3rd installment of the fabled Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier fights that defined an era. What is so intriguing about the documentary,is that it plays as a testament to what being humiliated on a world wide scale by (at the time) the worlds most famous man, can do to a proud strong man. Ali was known for antagonizing his opponents. But in Frazier's case, it became a practice in humiliation and racism.
There has been so much written about Ali through the years that it is difficult to come up with anything new. This documentary does a great job of painting a slightly different picture of the boxing icon. It also shows how Frazier's life was forever changed by the bitter rivalry.
I highly recommend this film. Especially if you are a fan of boxing history.
I was too young to have seen the great matches of the 70's. But thanks to documentaries like "Thrilla in Manila", they come to life in a fantastic way.
Thrilla in Manila, currently playing on HBO, documents the brutal 3rd installment of the fabled Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier fights that defined an era. What is so intriguing about the documentary,is that it plays as a testament to what being humiliated on a world wide scale by (at the time) the worlds most famous man, can do to a proud strong man. Ali was known for antagonizing his opponents. But in Frazier's case, it became a practice in humiliation and racism.
There has been so much written about Ali through the years that it is difficult to come up with anything new. This documentary does a great job of painting a slightly different picture of the boxing icon. It also shows how Frazier's life was forever changed by the bitter rivalry.
I highly recommend this film. Especially if you are a fan of boxing history.
Music & Me
Sunday, March 29, 2009
I am an admitted band geek. My high school years were spent playing the trombone and hanging out in the band room avoiding class. At the age of 15, I saw a clip from the documentary called "The Complete Beatles." It was a clip of Paul McCartney singing "Hey Jude." I was hooked, the way it made me feel when I heard it and how the piano mixed with the singing had a major impact on me. I immediately wanted to play the piano and sing.
My first keyboard was a cheapy little casio, with those cheesy sound modules. But for me it was all I needed. I began teaching myself how to play. Being in the band, I could read music, but not treble clef. So it was like starting from scratch. After learning a few chords, I wrote my first song. Possibly the worse song ever written. But i was proud of it. I then decided to learn a difficult song to make my playing better. I chose "Tiny Dancer". It took me months just to get the intro down pat, but i did it. Eventually i was able to play the entire song. By then i had written more songs and was quickly picking things up. I loved to sing and still do.
When my confidence grew, I began playing open mic nights here locally... I was terrified, but I got awesome reactions from the people. I was hooked. Every friday I was playing, and hanging out with other musicians. Met the best people ever during those years. Some are still my best friends. Myself and 3 other friends formed a bar band. We called ourselves "The Impostorz" It was too much fun. We played all over the place, and eventually became quite a tight little unit. Granted we were mostly a cover band, but it was still fun. We eventually broke the group up after our bass player shattered his wrist in a motorcycle accident. We still get together and jam ever once in awhile.
As for me, I still play when I can. But not as often as I used to. I write the occasional song when i get a wave of inspiration, and go to parties and play with my friends. It is a great love of my life.
My first keyboard was a cheapy little casio, with those cheesy sound modules. But for me it was all I needed. I began teaching myself how to play. Being in the band, I could read music, but not treble clef. So it was like starting from scratch. After learning a few chords, I wrote my first song. Possibly the worse song ever written. But i was proud of it. I then decided to learn a difficult song to make my playing better. I chose "Tiny Dancer". It took me months just to get the intro down pat, but i did it. Eventually i was able to play the entire song. By then i had written more songs and was quickly picking things up. I loved to sing and still do.
When my confidence grew, I began playing open mic nights here locally... I was terrified, but I got awesome reactions from the people. I was hooked. Every friday I was playing, and hanging out with other musicians. Met the best people ever during those years. Some are still my best friends. Myself and 3 other friends formed a bar band. We called ourselves "The Impostorz" It was too much fun. We played all over the place, and eventually became quite a tight little unit. Granted we were mostly a cover band, but it was still fun. We eventually broke the group up after our bass player shattered his wrist in a motorcycle accident. We still get together and jam ever once in awhile.
As for me, I still play when I can. But not as often as I used to. I write the occasional song when i get a wave of inspiration, and go to parties and play with my friends. It is a great love of my life.
A few quick movie reviews
Sunday, March 22, 2009
I love movies, and will occasionally write some reviews. Here are few quick ones.
Gran Torino:
Eastwood seems to be getting better as he ages. Unlike many aging action hero's, Clint has managed to redefine the roles he plays. This is one of his best in a long time. He is completely believable as a grumpy, racist, recently widowed ex-Korean war veteran who begins an unlikely friendship with his Vietnamese neighbors. In particular the young boy who is being harrassed by a gang. I highly recommend this movie.
The Wrestler:
The role of Randy "The Ram" Robinson almost went to Nic Cage, but luckily Darren Aronofsky stuck to his guns and was able to convince the studio heads his original choice of Mickey Rourke was the way to go. If you have not seen this movie yet... please do. It is a brilliant character piece of a struggling washed up wrestler.
Let the Right One In:
This little gem comes to us from Sweden. Its the story of 12 year old Oskar. The shy, withdrawn victim of school yard bullies. Oskar has a new neighbor. A 12 year old girl named Eli, who just so happens to be a Vampire. This is NOT your typical vampire movie. It has a warmth that has rarely been explored in this genre. Its a beautifully shot movie. You feel the cold, and you feel how lonely Oskar is, and so does Eli. This is one of the better movies i have seen a long time. I recommend watching to original, non-dubbed version. Not a lot of dialogue, so the sub-titles are minimal.
Gran Torino:
Eastwood seems to be getting better as he ages. Unlike many aging action hero's, Clint has managed to redefine the roles he plays. This is one of his best in a long time. He is completely believable as a grumpy, racist, recently widowed ex-Korean war veteran who begins an unlikely friendship with his Vietnamese neighbors. In particular the young boy who is being harrassed by a gang. I highly recommend this movie.
The Wrestler:
The role of Randy "The Ram" Robinson almost went to Nic Cage, but luckily Darren Aronofsky stuck to his guns and was able to convince the studio heads his original choice of Mickey Rourke was the way to go. If you have not seen this movie yet... please do. It is a brilliant character piece of a struggling washed up wrestler.
Let the Right One In:
This little gem comes to us from Sweden. Its the story of 12 year old Oskar. The shy, withdrawn victim of school yard bullies. Oskar has a new neighbor. A 12 year old girl named Eli, who just so happens to be a Vampire. This is NOT your typical vampire movie. It has a warmth that has rarely been explored in this genre. Its a beautifully shot movie. You feel the cold, and you feel how lonely Oskar is, and so does Eli. This is one of the better movies i have seen a long time. I recommend watching to original, non-dubbed version. Not a lot of dialogue, so the sub-titles are minimal.
Bad Ass Croc!!
No wonder these things have survived millions of years!! Crushed head? No Problem, add about 41 screws, some metal plates... good as friggin' new!! I can't believe I missed this story originally. Robo-Croc lives right here in sunny Florida!
This thing they call blogging
So this is my first official blog.... at the moment I am the only person who will read it. I am not too fond of the layout. I know there are customized layouts out there, but in my search, I haven't been too fond of the ones I have found. I am not too fond of the picture I posted. I took it with my iPhone looking into a mirror and used some random photo app to crop and play with it. If anyone has an iPhone (which half the eastern seaboard does) the camera on the thing is very tricky and difficult to get a good pic. The only way is to nail your feet to the floor and basically encase the rest of your body in concrete so it doesn't move... try taking pics of fast moving pets and stuff, you have to bribe them with snacky things and cookies to get them to keep still... but i digress. Daily, I have, what I feel, are brilliant thoughts about life, movies, music, politics, movies, video games, movies, my dog, and sometimes movies and music......... and as I sit here, i can not think of one of them. Does everyone else have that issue? Great thoughts in the car, but it disappears when it really matters. Anyway, I am sure something will come to mind.
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About Me
- Jim Harris
- Orlando, FL
- Friends and Family often lie to me by saying I am funny. So here I am. A few things that distract me from complete boredom are: Music (Beatles are still the greatest band of al time), Sports (Go Gators!!), I Play the piano and Sing, BIG Movie buff, Howard Stern, Video Games, Gadgets and Technology etc...
Mitzie
My Basset Hound Mitzie Mae