The movie Roll Bounce was a movie that sparked my interest when I saw the trailer on the Apple Movie Trailers website. Didn't think much about it untill Chels brought it home.
Roll Bounce is a movie about roller skating in the late 70's. A group of "south side" boys would skate at the local skating rink, but it gets closed and they now have to travel 30 miles to the next closest skating rink. This new skating rink, the Sweetwater, is a nice place where everyone in the rink knows about Sweetness, the best skater at the Sweetwater. There is a skate off competition that takes place, and while most of these feel good movies are easy to predict, Chels and I had differing opinions on how it would end, so it wasn't totally predictable. It had some long parts and there is a lot more going on than skating. Father and son have a blow out where a car gets messed up.
Minus the point where they are trying to transition the story line, and it gets a little boring, the movie is pretty good. I'm not sure that it is one that I'd rush out and get for my collection, but I would gladly watch it again if someone was renting it.
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Movie Review The Poseidon Adventure (2005) TV
Seems all I do these days is watch movies. Anyway, got a new one. I like the storyline for this film, or at least the concept as this is the first I've seen. I would like to see the earlier 1972 verson of The Poseidon Adventure but have not yet. It has a pretty start-studded cast with Gene Hackman, Red Buttons, Shelly Winters, Ernest Borgnine, and Roddy McDowell.
Anyway, the version of The Poseidon Adventure we saw was made for TV and was actually a 2-part movie that did have a few big names in it: Steve Guttenburg, Adam Baldwin, Rutger Hauer, Bryan Brown and C. Thomas Howell. As I said, I do like the storyline and they have made some updates to this version vs. the 1972 version. They have added a couple of characters, deleted a couple of characters, and have updated the ships demise to terrorists. (I'm assuming the 1972 version was something different because terrorism really wasn't big in 1972, as far as I know.)
They have changed a few of the names to pay homage to certain individuals (like the captain's in this version was named after the original writer of the book.)
I thought this was a good story and kept me watching. The visuals were pretty good but were not "big budget" and you can tell that this was made for TV. This is one to definately watch and compare to the 1972 version, (that's my general plan.) I would suggest owning this one if you are a collector of these types of movies (i.e. Titanic or any of the others of similar name.)
They are also coming out with a Special Edition Poseidon Adventure (1972) due out this May. This comes ahead of the 2006 remake entitled Poseidon to be released May 12th.
Good movie, can't wait to see the others and possibly have the entire collection.
Anyway, the version of The Poseidon Adventure we saw was made for TV and was actually a 2-part movie that did have a few big names in it: Steve Guttenburg, Adam Baldwin, Rutger Hauer, Bryan Brown and C. Thomas Howell. As I said, I do like the storyline and they have made some updates to this version vs. the 1972 version. They have added a couple of characters, deleted a couple of characters, and have updated the ships demise to terrorists. (I'm assuming the 1972 version was something different because terrorism really wasn't big in 1972, as far as I know.)
They have changed a few of the names to pay homage to certain individuals (like the captain's in this version was named after the original writer of the book.)
I thought this was a good story and kept me watching. The visuals were pretty good but were not "big budget" and you can tell that this was made for TV. This is one to definately watch and compare to the 1972 version, (that's my general plan.) I would suggest owning this one if you are a collector of these types of movies (i.e. Titanic or any of the others of similar name.)
They are also coming out with a Special Edition Poseidon Adventure (1972) due out this May. This comes ahead of the 2006 remake entitled Poseidon to be released May 12th.
Good movie, can't wait to see the others and possibly have the entire collection.
Tuesday, April 18, 2006
A cold week so far...
Sunday was windy, Monday snowed all day, and this morning it was still snowing. Crappy weather. This weekend is supposed to be really nice though, so I'm looking forward to that. We are going to get some bricks around our flower beds and get them started looking a lot better. I have to call someone to find out how much a dump truck load of dirt, top soil, is. It should be a good rest of the week. And the weekend should be great.
Now for the Song of the Day. Today's song of the day is from a collection of 50's and 60's that I have. B.J. Thomas hit the nail on the head when he said, "I'm never going to stop the rain by complaining, because I'm free, nothings worrying me" in his song Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head.
Now for the Song of the Day. Today's song of the day is from a collection of 50's and 60's that I have. B.J. Thomas hit the nail on the head when he said, "I'm never going to stop the rain by complaining, because I'm free, nothings worrying me" in his song Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head.
Monday, April 17, 2006
Movie Review Time Changer
I made it through all 3 of the movies I picked the other night. I'm glad that I got an opportunity to watch all 3 because they all seem to have some lessons to teach. The last of the 3 I picked last week is called Time Changer. I was impressed with this movie, not because of the acting, but because of the storyline. The acting was, well, I liked the storyline.
Imagine that it is the 1890's. A bible professor at one of the local schools has written a book. It is soon ready to go to print but the publisher would like an endorsement from the school that will help promote the book, the college, and increase sales of the book itself. To get an endorsement, the writer, Dr. Carlisle, needs to get a unanimous vote from the other staff. All but one agrees with the endorsement and the one, Dr. Anderson, tries to convince him that a section of his book needs to be changed. In the book, Dr. Carlisle states that the morals of Jesus Christ can be taught without giving credit. That teaching the morals would be important and would lead people back to Christ by teaching the morals alone.
Dr. Anderson sees it differently and requests that Dr. Carlisle come to his home to prove his theory. Reluctantly, Dr. Carlisle does go to Dr. Anderson's house to find that Dr. Anderson has a machine that can travel back in time. Dr. Anderson sends Dr. Carlisle 100 years into the future. A future where morals are looser, and Christ has been taken out of the teachings.
He learns quickly that once credit for the teachings of Christ are not given proper credit, they become open to interpretation. He is shocked and dismayed at the way people are in the 21st century. He eventually comes to realize that to teach morals, you have to make sure that the authority is given to them so that people know they are absolute and not open to interpretation.
Anyway, good story. Really enjoyed watching it and the testimony he bears at the futuristic church is an eye opener. You realize how desensitized we have become and how we have spiraled away from proper teachings.
I give this a high rating because it has a strong message. If you are a collector of Christian films, I would recommend this one for the collection but otherwise, get it from the video store and watch it at least once.
Imagine that it is the 1890's. A bible professor at one of the local schools has written a book. It is soon ready to go to print but the publisher would like an endorsement from the school that will help promote the book, the college, and increase sales of the book itself. To get an endorsement, the writer, Dr. Carlisle, needs to get a unanimous vote from the other staff. All but one agrees with the endorsement and the one, Dr. Anderson, tries to convince him that a section of his book needs to be changed. In the book, Dr. Carlisle states that the morals of Jesus Christ can be taught without giving credit. That teaching the morals would be important and would lead people back to Christ by teaching the morals alone.
Dr. Anderson sees it differently and requests that Dr. Carlisle come to his home to prove his theory. Reluctantly, Dr. Carlisle does go to Dr. Anderson's house to find that Dr. Anderson has a machine that can travel back in time. Dr. Anderson sends Dr. Carlisle 100 years into the future. A future where morals are looser, and Christ has been taken out of the teachings.
He learns quickly that once credit for the teachings of Christ are not given proper credit, they become open to interpretation. He is shocked and dismayed at the way people are in the 21st century. He eventually comes to realize that to teach morals, you have to make sure that the authority is given to them so that people know they are absolute and not open to interpretation.
Anyway, good story. Really enjoyed watching it and the testimony he bears at the futuristic church is an eye opener. You realize how desensitized we have become and how we have spiraled away from proper teachings.
I give this a high rating because it has a strong message. If you are a collector of Christian films, I would recommend this one for the collection but otherwise, get it from the video store and watch it at least once.
Friday, April 14, 2006
Movie Review Good Night and Good Luck
I know its late at night and I should probably be in bed. When I went to the video store the other night, I went by myself allowing me to get 3 movies on MVP without having anyone else question my picks. Given that opportunity, I thought of shows that I wanted to see and, as a result, am quite happy with my picks. The first being Fahrenheit 451 previously reviewed and tonights show, Good Night and Good Luck.
Good Night and Good Luck is a show about the famed McCarthy hearings of the 1950's and Edward R. Murrow, the reporter that put a stop to it. Written and directed by George Clooney (who also stars as Fred Friendly), this show is a dramatization of the events that unfolded in the early 1950's during what has been refered to as "McCarthyism".
After World War II, things have settled down at home but a new fear starts to dominate society, that of the communists and their "take over" of America. Once allied with communists, the US now, at the beginning of the Cold War, watches their neighbors with a watchful eye and suspision. Senetor Joseph McCarthy plays on those fears and creates a panic reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials where only an accusation becomes good enough to condemn a person to the fate of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Edward R. Murrow takes a stance, not questioning whether the individuals are, in fact, communists, but instead questions the antics and procedures being used to accuse and condemn these individuals.
This film captures the fear of the time created by this junior senator from Wisconsin and the boldness of Edward Murrow, Fred Friendly, and the reporters helping to support this weekly broadcast and expose the illigitimate accusations. Filmed in black and white, it gives it an air of authenticity. Senator Joseph McCarthy is played by none other than himself as film footage of the hearings, Senator McCarthy's broadcasts, and other CBS broadcasts of the times help to give additional authenticity to this film.
I, myself, am somewhat of a history fan. I enjoy seeing or reading things that happened within the past. This film helped to shed some light on the problems of the times. While this film has very little special effects, I would not recommend the theatre for this one but would in fact state that this would definately be worth renting. This is a show to watch when the kids are in bed and quiet so attenion can be paid to the dialogs and reproduction of the broadcasts. History buffs will want this one for their collection. While the broadcasts themselves are authentic, the rest may be from the mind of the writer but is very respectful and well presented.
One thing, as you know I love controversy, is to pay attention to the speech given by Murrow at the beginning and the end of the show. Think to what television is today and how prophetic his words really are as to the direction of television. In its infancy, television had so much potential and while some is retained, a lot has been forsaken for the power to entertain vs the power to educate. Even the education has an air of entertain that sometimes, most of the time, overshadows the educational benefits of this medium.
Good Night and Good Luck is a show about the famed McCarthy hearings of the 1950's and Edward R. Murrow, the reporter that put a stop to it. Written and directed by George Clooney (who also stars as Fred Friendly), this show is a dramatization of the events that unfolded in the early 1950's during what has been refered to as "McCarthyism".
After World War II, things have settled down at home but a new fear starts to dominate society, that of the communists and their "take over" of America. Once allied with communists, the US now, at the beginning of the Cold War, watches their neighbors with a watchful eye and suspision. Senetor Joseph McCarthy plays on those fears and creates a panic reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials where only an accusation becomes good enough to condemn a person to the fate of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Edward R. Murrow takes a stance, not questioning whether the individuals are, in fact, communists, but instead questions the antics and procedures being used to accuse and condemn these individuals.
This film captures the fear of the time created by this junior senator from Wisconsin and the boldness of Edward Murrow, Fred Friendly, and the reporters helping to support this weekly broadcast and expose the illigitimate accusations. Filmed in black and white, it gives it an air of authenticity. Senator Joseph McCarthy is played by none other than himself as film footage of the hearings, Senator McCarthy's broadcasts, and other CBS broadcasts of the times help to give additional authenticity to this film.
I, myself, am somewhat of a history fan. I enjoy seeing or reading things that happened within the past. This film helped to shed some light on the problems of the times. While this film has very little special effects, I would not recommend the theatre for this one but would in fact state that this would definately be worth renting. This is a show to watch when the kids are in bed and quiet so attenion can be paid to the dialogs and reproduction of the broadcasts. History buffs will want this one for their collection. While the broadcasts themselves are authentic, the rest may be from the mind of the writer but is very respectful and well presented.
One thing, as you know I love controversy, is to pay attention to the speech given by Murrow at the beginning and the end of the show. Think to what television is today and how prophetic his words really are as to the direction of television. In its infancy, television had so much potential and while some is retained, a lot has been forsaken for the power to entertain vs the power to educate. Even the education has an air of entertain that sometimes, most of the time, overshadows the educational benefits of this medium.
Friday
So today is Good Friday, and that means that Easter is only a couple days away. I'd like to say Happy Easter to everyone and hope that we can all reflect on why Easter is a holiday. I got a cool quote today, it's by Jeffery R. Holland, one of the 12 Apostles on the earth today. Here's his quote...
In the spirit of Easter, the Song of the Day is I Know That My Redeemer Lives from the new Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra At Temple Square CD, Then Sings My Soul. HAPPY EASTER!
Surely the most majestic moment of that fateful Friday, when nature
convulsed and the veil of the temple was rent, was that unspeakably
merciful moment when Christ said, 'Father, forgive them; for they know
not what they do.' As our advocate with the Father, He is still making
that same plea today--in your behalf and in
mine. (Jeffery Ro Holland, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom", Ensign, Nov. 1996, 83)
In the spirit of Easter, the Song of the Day is I Know That My Redeemer Lives from the new Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra At Temple Square CD, Then Sings My Soul. HAPPY EASTER!
Movie Review - Fahrenheit 451
Most of you know that I like the conspiracy theories and movies based on the "possibilities" of government going to far. Mostly because, well, its an interesting subject. Anyway, there is a movie that I've been wanting to see for years and finally took an opportunity to do so.
The movie is Fahrenheit 451. This is based on the novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury. Basically, in the future, all books and written material has been banned. Information is disemenated through television and newspapers that look basically like comics without words. (TV in print, if you will.) Firemen no longer put out fires but are actually employed to burn books hidden by those pesky citizens that just don't get the idea that books are "bad for you." The books are burned and the individuals that are caught are sent to "re-education" camps.
This story follows such a fireman by the name of Montag (played by Oskar Werner.) As Montag goes about his daily life, he meets Clarisse who asks him about his job and her final question to him is, "Do you ever read the books that you burn?" Well, this gets Montag thinking about what is the big deal? Why would people risk their lives for contraband? So, he begins to read, and read, and read until he is hooked. One thing not answered, which is very interesting, is how Montag knows how to read. In a society where print is outlawed, reading would not be necessary so it would not be taught. So, how does he know how to read? Good question. I wish our illiterates were as literate.
This is a very good story. I would like to one day read the book and may get to it.... eventually. There is also talk of a remake to be released in 2007 but no cast has been contracted yet. Anway, digressing again.. (I do that a lot these days.)
This movie was released in 1966 and you can tell that it was. It was produced and directed in England and we all know how stiff they can be. Anyway, I would recommend this movie simply because of the storyline. It has an interesting plot and is quite sad. Makes you wonder which side of the coin you would be on.
Since the original was released in 1966, I don't think that a theater will be playing the original anytime soon. Not sure on what special effects the new movie will have but will withhold judgement on the theatre vs home video for the new one. I would recommend that if you can get ahold of a copy of this movie, it is worth the watch. Ignore the 1960's look and acting. The story is the important part. Rent it if no one you know has it. Wouldn't recommend for the video library unless it will round out your "conspiracy" collection. (again, withholding judgement on the 2007 version.)
The movie is Fahrenheit 451. This is based on the novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury. Basically, in the future, all books and written material has been banned. Information is disemenated through television and newspapers that look basically like comics without words. (TV in print, if you will.) Firemen no longer put out fires but are actually employed to burn books hidden by those pesky citizens that just don't get the idea that books are "bad for you." The books are burned and the individuals that are caught are sent to "re-education" camps.
This story follows such a fireman by the name of Montag (played by Oskar Werner.) As Montag goes about his daily life, he meets Clarisse who asks him about his job and her final question to him is, "Do you ever read the books that you burn?" Well, this gets Montag thinking about what is the big deal? Why would people risk their lives for contraband? So, he begins to read, and read, and read until he is hooked. One thing not answered, which is very interesting, is how Montag knows how to read. In a society where print is outlawed, reading would not be necessary so it would not be taught. So, how does he know how to read? Good question. I wish our illiterates were as literate.
This is a very good story. I would like to one day read the book and may get to it.... eventually. There is also talk of a remake to be released in 2007 but no cast has been contracted yet. Anway, digressing again.. (I do that a lot these days.)
This movie was released in 1966 and you can tell that it was. It was produced and directed in England and we all know how stiff they can be. Anyway, I would recommend this movie simply because of the storyline. It has an interesting plot and is quite sad. Makes you wonder which side of the coin you would be on.
Since the original was released in 1966, I don't think that a theater will be playing the original anytime soon. Not sure on what special effects the new movie will have but will withhold judgement on the theatre vs home video for the new one. I would recommend that if you can get ahold of a copy of this movie, it is worth the watch. Ignore the 1960's look and acting. The story is the important part. Rent it if no one you know has it. Wouldn't recommend for the video library unless it will round out your "conspiracy" collection. (again, withholding judgement on the 2007 version.)
Thursday, April 13, 2006
Twix and a DP
So I kind of skipped lunch today because of a couple things. 1. I didn't bring anything, big reason. 2. I had some meetings that took up the lunch, plus I've been working on some stuff that needs to get done. Now when I say kind of missed lunch, that means I did eat something, I had some ramen...dry. Didn't take time to make it properly, I just smashed the noodles and ate them dry. It's a pretty good snack. So I'm sitting here realizing that my snack of a lunch didn't last very long, so I went and got a Twix and a DP. For someone who is trying, albeit not very hard, to lose weight a Twix and a DP isn't going to help me knock off those pounds. But I'm going to eat it anyway and see how things go.
Now it's time for the Song of the Day. I'm having a bad music today where nothing is really striking my mood. The kind of tired, kind of grumpy, kind of hungry, and ready for a weekend so I'm being extra picky today. So I'll give it a couple skips forward to figure it out. Ok, after having to look through the list I think I found it. It's by country star Blake Shelton. The song is called Some Beach. Basically it's about dreaming about being on some beach somewhere because of "some beach". One of the verses and the chorus in the song are...
I sure would like to be on a beach somewhere.
Now it's time for the Song of the Day. I'm having a bad music today where nothing is really striking my mood. The kind of tired, kind of grumpy, kind of hungry, and ready for a weekend so I'm being extra picky today. So I'll give it a couple skips forward to figure it out. Ok, after having to look through the list I think I found it. It's by country star Blake Shelton. The song is called Some Beach. Basically it's about dreaming about being on some beach somewhere because of "some beach". One of the verses and the chorus in the song are...
I sat in that waiting room
It seemed like all afternoon
The nurse finally said doc's ready for you
you're not gonna feel a thing we'll give you some novocain
That tooth will be fine in a minute or two
But he stuck that needle down deep in my gum
And he started drilling before I was numb
Some beach
Somewhere
There's a beautiful sunset burning up the atmosphere
There's music and dancing and lovers romancing
In the salty evening air
On some beach
Somewhere
On some beach, somewhere
I sure would like to be on a beach somewhere.
Movie Review Standards
Ok, so I've started thinking about our movie review rating system and procedures. I think that is important to cover a couple of different areas. First, we should include some sort of synopsis as to what the story is about without giving away the good parts.
We should then give our assessment of the movie in our own like/didn't like, good/bad, and why type situation. As far as ratings, I think there are 2 main categories:
1. Video/Theatre - is the theatre going to make a difference in the viewing experience? In other words, what are the special effect liks and is it better to hear them on the surround sound of the theatre. Are the visuals something you HAVE to see in a theatre or is home viewing going to be enough of an experience, in other words, is it mostly the story that is entertaining vs the special effects.
2. Rent, Borrow, Own - Next would be quality of show itself. Is it a one-time view or is it something that is going to be repeatedly watched? Is it worth spending the money on or wait for some other schmuk to waste their money on it? In other words, "view it if you get an opportunity but don't waste money on it" or "good for a one time rental but not good enough to own", or lastly, "a must have for the entertainment collection."
I guess if the movie is aweful enough, it wouldn't fall into any of these categories and therefore the rating would be a "stay away because its a waste of time, money, energy, film and should be banned from existance and the writers/director should be drug out in the street and flocked." I've heard that Gigli measures up to that standard but haven't had a desire to check it out.
So, there's my ideas. We can refine if you think it might be necessary but here again are the basics:
1. Brief synopsis
2. Personal evaluation
3. Rating of home vs. theatre
4. Rating of own, rent, or borrow.
Let me know what you think.
We should then give our assessment of the movie in our own like/didn't like, good/bad, and why type situation. As far as ratings, I think there are 2 main categories:
1. Video/Theatre - is the theatre going to make a difference in the viewing experience? In other words, what are the special effect liks and is it better to hear them on the surround sound of the theatre. Are the visuals something you HAVE to see in a theatre or is home viewing going to be enough of an experience, in other words, is it mostly the story that is entertaining vs the special effects.
2. Rent, Borrow, Own - Next would be quality of show itself. Is it a one-time view or is it something that is going to be repeatedly watched? Is it worth spending the money on or wait for some other schmuk to waste their money on it? In other words, "view it if you get an opportunity but don't waste money on it" or "good for a one time rental but not good enough to own", or lastly, "a must have for the entertainment collection."
I guess if the movie is aweful enough, it wouldn't fall into any of these categories and therefore the rating would be a "stay away because its a waste of time, money, energy, film and should be banned from existance and the writers/director should be drug out in the street and flocked." I've heard that Gigli measures up to that standard but haven't had a desire to check it out.
So, there's my ideas. We can refine if you think it might be necessary but here again are the basics:
1. Brief synopsis
2. Personal evaluation
3. Rating of home vs. theatre
4. Rating of own, rent, or borrow.
Let me know what you think.
6th North Overpass
As I was driving to work today, I remembered a story that I wanted to put in my "The Life and Times of Brandon McGee" which is basically a book of all the stupid crap I did when I was a kid. The second half will be for all the stupid stuff I'll do in the future. Here's a story I remembered and wanted to write it down somewhere in case I forgot.
When I was 17/18ish, I had a 1981 blue mustang. It was my pride and joy back then. It had its problems but it sure was a good car. I loved that car but ended up having to sell it and having my friend destroy it within a month of owning it. But I digress.....
One story in particular involved me, my brother, my middle finger, and the 6th North Overpass. (Tracy remembers and is probably laughing right now.)
Anyway, Tracy and I were headed home. We were on northbound 3rd west and were in the left hand turn lane to turn west on 6th North. For those of you that don't know, 6th North has an overpass that goes over I-15. There was another car headed our direction and at the moment we got into the turn lane, it looked like I should wait for it. Then it slowed and didn't seem to know where it was going.
About that time, another vehicle came up behind us honking its horn. I looked in my rearview mirror and see a lady in her 40's who seemed very agitated driving and an old man sitting in the passenger seat very docile. I asked my brother, "Think I should flip her off?" He said, "Sure". So, as we made the left hand turn, I stuck out my hand and flipped her off. Tracy, not seeing the gesture, looked back and apparently the lady had become extremely upset.
Tracy asked if I did flip her off and I told him I did. He told me that the lady was very upset and was coming after us. I looked in my rearview again to see a very angry lady trying to chase me down. So, I did what every other red-blooded teen male in a sports car does, I gunned it.
We sped over 6th North coming down to 9th West and a red light. I signaled and moved into the right turn lane with my very agitated persuer behind me. As I got to the turn, the light turned green, I signaled left hit the gas and went straight leaving her in the right turn lane with a slew of cars now between me and her with no immediate prospects of getting left to go straight.
So, we made our escape. It was a nice sunny afternoon and I enjoyed the excitement. Its fun to look back and remember all the stupid stuff we did as kids.
When I was 17/18ish, I had a 1981 blue mustang. It was my pride and joy back then. It had its problems but it sure was a good car. I loved that car but ended up having to sell it and having my friend destroy it within a month of owning it. But I digress.....
One story in particular involved me, my brother, my middle finger, and the 6th North Overpass. (Tracy remembers and is probably laughing right now.)
Anyway, Tracy and I were headed home. We were on northbound 3rd west and were in the left hand turn lane to turn west on 6th North. For those of you that don't know, 6th North has an overpass that goes over I-15. There was another car headed our direction and at the moment we got into the turn lane, it looked like I should wait for it. Then it slowed and didn't seem to know where it was going.
About that time, another vehicle came up behind us honking its horn. I looked in my rearview mirror and see a lady in her 40's who seemed very agitated driving and an old man sitting in the passenger seat very docile. I asked my brother, "Think I should flip her off?" He said, "Sure". So, as we made the left hand turn, I stuck out my hand and flipped her off. Tracy, not seeing the gesture, looked back and apparently the lady had become extremely upset.
Tracy asked if I did flip her off and I told him I did. He told me that the lady was very upset and was coming after us. I looked in my rearview again to see a very angry lady trying to chase me down. So, I did what every other red-blooded teen male in a sports car does, I gunned it.
We sped over 6th North coming down to 9th West and a red light. I signaled and moved into the right turn lane with my very agitated persuer behind me. As I got to the turn, the light turned green, I signaled left hit the gas and went straight leaving her in the right turn lane with a slew of cars now between me and her with no immediate prospects of getting left to go straight.
So, we made our escape. It was a nice sunny afternoon and I enjoyed the excitement. Its fun to look back and remember all the stupid stuff we did as kids.
Wednesday, April 12, 2006
Life is interesting.
What's up to everyone? Nice blog. Great movie reviews. Tracy I liked the movies I have seen with ya. My review would have to be for Ice Age 2 The Meltdown. Definitely worth going too. Well I think so I have been twice. Good movie. Loved it. Will buy it. Go see it. haha.
Life is good on the home front. Just waiting for the hubby to get home. We miss him tons. Its true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Definitely can't wait to see him.
He is working hard well I guess you could say that. 4-7 hours a night and then sits at his temporary place of residence and well plays games. He has it so easy I am very jealous. He is good though and wants to get home.
Life, I have decided is interesting. It throws you all different kind of blows and well 99% of the time you are supposed to just "take it up the tail pipe"-jim carry, liar liar.
Well lets just say my tail pipe is stuffed until we have some kind of clearance *or really good bm* we are just gonna have to suffer.
Ah well life would suck if it wasn't interesting right.
Life is good on the home front. Just waiting for the hubby to get home. We miss him tons. Its true that distance makes the heart grow fonder. Definitely can't wait to see him.
He is working hard well I guess you could say that. 4-7 hours a night and then sits at his temporary place of residence and well plays games. He has it so easy I am very jealous. He is good though and wants to get home.
Life, I have decided is interesting. It throws you all different kind of blows and well 99% of the time you are supposed to just "take it up the tail pipe"-jim carry, liar liar.
Well lets just say my tail pipe is stuffed until we have some kind of clearance *or really good bm* we are just gonna have to suffer.
Ah well life would suck if it wasn't interesting right.
Early Morning Basketball
I've decided that I need to do something that helps me to exercise a little. Get rid of the tire that is currently hanging around my mid section. I'm not a big exercise freak, as a matter of fact the only times I like to run, or that I run usually is if I'm chasing something, like playing b-ball or one of my kids is running around, or if I'm being chased, like by a big dog, and even then I'd have to really think about a couple things. If I'm running with anyone, I only have to outrun that person. If I'm running alone, then I might just have to let the dog catch up and do it's damage. Anyway, the idea of me and exercise is almost laughable. This morning however, with a couple of other guys in the neighborhood. Talk about kicking my butt. I ran for all of 1 minute before I was ready to head home and crawl back into bed. I stayed and tortured myself a while longer and had a good time. I'll pay for it tomorrow. We'll see if I can keep up some sort of exercise though, wish me luck.
Now for the Song of the Day. I know I missed it yesterday, it was a pretty hectic day. Today has kind of been that way too, only about 30 minutes of desk time so far today. So not many songs listened too. So here we go, let's get one. I should keep track of past songs of the day so I don't repeat too often. Today's Song of the Day is...Tell Me Why (Featuring Mary J. Blige) by Will Smith on his newest album Lost And Found. It's a really good song and basically asks the question 'Why?'. It starts out by talking about the morning of Sept. 11th and his son asking him about what happened and why it happened. He goes on to ask questions like, 'Why is human life always denided for loot', 'Why the can't love seem to defeat hate'. Anyway, if you haven't heard it, have a listen. Great song.
Now for the Song of the Day. I know I missed it yesterday, it was a pretty hectic day. Today has kind of been that way too, only about 30 minutes of desk time so far today. So not many songs listened too. So here we go, let's get one. I should keep track of past songs of the day so I don't repeat too often. Today's Song of the Day is...Tell Me Why (Featuring Mary J. Blige) by Will Smith on his newest album Lost And Found. It's a really good song and basically asks the question 'Why?'. It starts out by talking about the morning of Sept. 11th and his son asking him about what happened and why it happened. He goes on to ask questions like, 'Why is human life always denided for loot', 'Why the
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Movie Review Nanny McPhee
Each Monday at the dollar Cinemark Theatres, they have $0.50 family night. Each member of the family gets in for just 50 cents. So, to take a family of 6 to the dollar theatre actually costs us $3.00.
Last night, being a Monday night, we went to see Nanny McPhee. Staring Emma Thompson as Nanny McPhee and Colin Firth as the father in dire need of help with his 7 unruly children, Nanny McPhee shows up to help. While it shares similarities to Mary Poppins in that the nanny uses "unusual" means to complete their jobs, Nanny McPhee has by far a tougher job with the Brown children than Mary Poppins has with the Banks children.
Very hilarious and is definately a MUST SEE. Theatre vs. home video doesn't matter much as there are not a lot of special effects where a theatre would be beneficial but this is definately a must own for the video collection.
Based on the collection of books entitled Nurse Matilda, this may definately be a collection worth looking into owning.
Last night, being a Monday night, we went to see Nanny McPhee. Staring Emma Thompson as Nanny McPhee and Colin Firth as the father in dire need of help with his 7 unruly children, Nanny McPhee shows up to help. While it shares similarities to Mary Poppins in that the nanny uses "unusual" means to complete their jobs, Nanny McPhee has by far a tougher job with the Brown children than Mary Poppins has with the Banks children.
Very hilarious and is definately a MUST SEE. Theatre vs. home video doesn't matter much as there are not a lot of special effects where a theatre would be beneficial but this is definately a must own for the video collection.
Based on the collection of books entitled Nurse Matilda, this may definately be a collection worth looking into owning.
Monday, April 10, 2006
School Pictures
Recently, the school took pictures of the kids. Since we get our pictures done at Walmart, we usually don't get the school pictures. Mostly because we don't have control over the pictures since the school does them.
Anyway, one of the things they do to "entice" you to buy the pictures is to send them home. Maybe they think this will make you think you ordered them and just need to pay for them or that you may like them and you will pay for them OR they send them with the kids and if they get lost, you pay for them. Whatever their reasoning, they send them home with a full packet of pictures.
The pictures were not too bad so we have scanned them and they are shown below.
Anyway, one of the things they do to "entice" you to buy the pictures is to send them home. Maybe they think this will make you think you ordered them and just need to pay for them or that you may like them and you will pay for them OR they send them with the kids and if they get lost, you pay for them. Whatever their reasoning, they send them home with a full packet of pictures.
The pictures were not too bad so we have scanned them and they are shown below.
Movie Reviews...
So I have 3 movies that I want to review. Hopefully I can remember them all...
The first one is The Greatest Game Ever Played with Shia LaBeouf and directed by Bill Paxton. This was a really good movie. Of the three I'm going to review today, this is the best one. LaBeouf's character is a kid that has grown up right across the street from a golf course. He grew up caddying and playing where he could. You see him as a little kid putting a golf ball in his bedroom late at night. He grows up to be pretty good. The other half of the story is about an english golfer by the name of Harry Vardon, who since as a little kid, was also a big fan of golf, and very good at it. With this being based on a true story, I was expecting the "feel good" movie that most are when inspired by or based on true events. They did a great job. There were a couple scenes that I think should have hit the cutting room floor, but for the most part they did a great job. This movie had some serious parts and some pretty funny parts. I'd say it is one that I'm going to eventually add to my collection.
Second is An Unfinished Life with Morgan Freeman, Robert Redford, and Jennifer Lopez. This movie was pretty good. I could sit through it again but I don't think I'd be running out to buy or rent this movie again. The thing that is hard for this movie is that they have 3 stories, maybe 4, that eventually tie in together. Well kind of. This movie follows a battered Jennifer Lopez to a little podunk town in Wyoming as she gets away from a loser of a boyfriend. She heads to the farm of her deceased husbands father, so her father-in-law. He's not happy to see her, she has a kid, and the storylines all affect this little girl. Well she's supposed to be 11 or 12 I think. This story had a few holes in it that I feel that they could have filled a little better, and tried to tie some of them off at the end, but still left you wondering about a few things. Good movie, like I said though, it's a one-time-renter, but you could watch it more than once if someone else rented it.
Third is Theif Lord. Chels picked this one up mainly for the kids. And after watching it, with the kids, I can see why. It is a good family movie where the kids will be really entertained and if the adults can stay focused on it long enough it will start to make sense and turn out to be a pretty good movie. This movie starts out with Prosper, the older brother, kiddnapping his little brother, Bo, from a mean aunt and uncle that want to adopt Bo since their mother has passed away. They run away to Venice where they make friends with the Theif Lord and become part of his gang. The Theif Lord is given a job to steal a wooden wing for this count. The wooden wing goes to this magical merry-go-round. I'm not going to say much more because I don't want to give anything away. This movie is multiple renter, espically for the kids. I'd watch it again. If you rent it remember that you have to hang in there for a bit to have it catch your attention. I almost turned it off for something else but stayed with it and was pleasantly suprised by the end.
Those are the three movies that I wanted to review. Good luck in your renting...
PS B, we need to really figure out what our rating scale should be...
The first one is The Greatest Game Ever Played with Shia LaBeouf and directed by Bill Paxton. This was a really good movie. Of the three I'm going to review today, this is the best one. LaBeouf's character is a kid that has grown up right across the street from a golf course. He grew up caddying and playing where he could. You see him as a little kid putting a golf ball in his bedroom late at night. He grows up to be pretty good. The other half of the story is about an english golfer by the name of Harry Vardon, who since as a little kid, was also a big fan of golf, and very good at it. With this being based on a true story, I was expecting the "feel good" movie that most are when inspired by or based on true events. They did a great job. There were a couple scenes that I think should have hit the cutting room floor, but for the most part they did a great job. This movie had some serious parts and some pretty funny parts. I'd say it is one that I'm going to eventually add to my collection.
Second is An Unfinished Life with Morgan Freeman, Robert Redford, and Jennifer Lopez. This movie was pretty good. I could sit through it again but I don't think I'd be running out to buy or rent this movie again. The thing that is hard for this movie is that they have 3 stories, maybe 4, that eventually tie in together. Well kind of. This movie follows a battered Jennifer Lopez to a little podunk town in Wyoming as she gets away from a loser of a boyfriend. She heads to the farm of her deceased husbands father, so her father-in-law. He's not happy to see her, she has a kid, and the storylines all affect this little girl. Well she's supposed to be 11 or 12 I think. This story had a few holes in it that I feel that they could have filled a little better, and tried to tie some of them off at the end, but still left you wondering about a few things. Good movie, like I said though, it's a one-time-renter, but you could watch it more than once if someone else rented it.
Third is Theif Lord. Chels picked this one up mainly for the kids. And after watching it, with the kids, I can see why. It is a good family movie where the kids will be really entertained and if the adults can stay focused on it long enough it will start to make sense and turn out to be a pretty good movie. This movie starts out with Prosper, the older brother, kiddnapping his little brother, Bo, from a mean aunt and uncle that want to adopt Bo since their mother has passed away. They run away to Venice where they make friends with the Theif Lord and become part of his gang. The Theif Lord is given a job to steal a wooden wing for this count. The wooden wing goes to this magical merry-go-round. I'm not going to say much more because I don't want to give anything away. This movie is multiple renter, espically for the kids. I'd watch it again. If you rent it remember that you have to hang in there for a bit to have it catch your attention. I almost turned it off for something else but stayed with it and was pleasantly suprised by the end.
Those are the three movies that I wanted to review. Good luck in your renting...
PS B, we need to really figure out what our rating scale should be...
Weekend Recap
I'll have to agree with Tracy on it being a wonderful weekend. This weekend was Lagoon's opening weekend. Although Aly didn't get to go this weekend (she was training at the zoo this weekend), we did have a good time. I took the kids and went with Kara and her two kids as well. It was a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed it.
One ride they really liked was the Merry-Go-Round. The kids went on that ride 4 times in a row. It was a lot of fun.
We then spent some time geocaching this weekend. It was great. Found a couple of regular caches and a few micro caches. When we went to pick up Aly, I noticed one that I always wanted to go find. It's up by "This Is The Place" monument. Come to find out, after a bit of research, that it is a multi cache and I didn't have all the info to complete it. So, will be better prepared next time.
One ride they really liked was the Merry-Go-Round. The kids went on that ride 4 times in a row. It was a lot of fun.
We then spent some time geocaching this weekend. It was great. Found a couple of regular caches and a few micro caches. When we went to pick up Aly, I noticed one that I always wanted to go find. It's up by "This Is The Place" monument. Come to find out, after a bit of research, that it is a multi cache and I didn't have all the info to complete it. So, will be better prepared next time.
Couple of Things...
It was a beautiful weekend and I feel like I got quite a bit done. We are getting the front yard ready to put in some new flower beds with some trees and stuff like that. There seems to be a lot of stuff to do. I like doing yard work, so hopefully I'll continued to enjoy it. On Saturday we went to Lowe's and spent 2 hours there. It was crazy, we were looking for a certain size of shed and they didn't carry it in the store. We did get a new microwave though, which is one of those over-the-stove ones, now I need to install it which could be a laughing matter. I think I'll be rolling tape on the old camcorder when I do it. We'll see what happens.
Last night on the ride home from the in-laws, the kids wanted a story. So I told them that Chels and I would tell them a story taking turns. It actually turned out to be a pretty good story and the kids liked it. It was cool, maybe I'll try to rewrite it on here sometime.
Well it's still early, before 8:00am, but I think it is time to do the Song of the Day Though I've only listened to 3 songs this morning I think I have one. It's a fun one from one of my daughter's favorite movies. Which I borrowed from my brother about a year ago probably. The song is from the movie Annie. The song is called It's the Hard-Knock Life. It's cute to hear my 2 year old sing it.
That's all for this post, but I know have a couple movie review to write so I'll work on it later.
Last night on the ride home from the in-laws, the kids wanted a story. So I told them that Chels and I would tell them a story taking turns. It actually turned out to be a pretty good story and the kids liked it. It was cool, maybe I'll try to rewrite it on here sometime.
Well it's still early, before 8:00am, but I think it is time to do the Song of the Day Though I've only listened to 3 songs this morning I think I have one. It's a fun one from one of my daughter's favorite movies. Which I borrowed from my brother about a year ago probably. The song is from the movie Annie. The song is called It's the Hard-Knock Life. It's cute to hear my 2 year old sing it.
That's all for this post, but I know have a couple movie review to write so I'll work on it later.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Upon a Snowy Thursday in April
Snow sucks...have I said that before. Let spring come, please. Now I'm pleading for it. Anyway, I want to do a movie review today and I'm trying to decide if I just add it here or write a whole new blog for it. See the decisions I have to make in a day. HAHA. I think I'll write another one for the movie review and just do the Song of the Day here. I also want to talk about a cool extension I found by on Firefox for checking RSS feeds. It is called InfoRSS. If you are using this extension, shame on you for not sharing. If you don't know how to set up to get an RSS feed, let me know, I'll help where I can. Hobbes wrote about RSS in his blog a while back. Anyway, the way it works is you can set it up to automatically check on your favorite feeds to make sure you catch all the latest from you favorite RSS authors. InfoRSS takes a couple days to catch up and figure out what it is supposed to be pulling but for the most part, it's a pretty easy tool to play with. Firefox Extensions can be found here.
Now for the Song of the Day. So today I've listened to all of 5 songs with the meetings and whatnot I've had this morning, none of which have hit that status of Song of the Day. Let's play the skip till we find it. The song of the day is one that will usually point itself out within a couple of seconds of the playing of the song. So let's see how many skips it takes... Ok, I think I found it. A easy to listen to song that I think is a favorite of a lot of people. The live version, which is the actual one we are going to use, has a cool introduction. The song is by The Eagles and the song is Hotel California(Live) from the Hell Freezes Over cd. Time to chill and listen to the good music.
Now for the Song of the Day. So today I've listened to all of 5 songs with the meetings and whatnot I've had this morning, none of which have hit that status of Song of the Day. Let's play the skip till we find it. The song of the day is one that will usually point itself out within a couple of seconds of the playing of the song. So let's see how many skips it takes... Ok, I think I found it. A easy to listen to song that I think is a favorite of a lot of people. The live version, which is the actual one we are going to use, has a cool introduction. The song is by The Eagles and the song is Hotel California(Live) from the Hell Freezes Over cd. Time to chill and listen to the good music.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
What a day...so far
Ok, so this has been one of those dragging days. I seem to be doing a little better now and I'm trying to put my finger on what it was. There is a break in the clouds and the sun is out, or was out for a few minutes. But since I don't really mind rain, after living in Ireland for a couple years, I don't think that really changed my mood. We just had a 10 minute visit with the baby doctor. I think that is a record, I'm contacting Guinness to see if it is a world record. The nice thing about the visit is that the doctor mentioned the change of due dates. Although most of the time you don't want a due date to change, I was excited because it put it due on my birthday. So if I hope enough, maybe it'll happen. Then I can forget my birthday, haha. That may have helped a little bit. We took a couple minutes and grabbed Chels a bite to eat and stoped for some soda's at Maverick. I got a Full Throttle Fury. Never had one of this kind before so I didn't know what to expect. But it is good. Kind of a catchy taste. I'm sure I'll have more of these. So I think it was a combination of the due date excitement, the Full Thorttle, and possibly the sun for a minute.
Now for the Song of the Day, I have had a hard time today because nothing has really struck me as being important enough or put me in a mood good enough for the Song of the Day. When Chels dropped me off I mentioned that I was listening to Avril Lavigne most of the day because she was better than what was playing on random, but nothing really struck me from that as Song of the Day material. Then right before I got out of the car, Gun's N Rose's was playing on the iPod, and I thought, 'That would be a good song for the Song of the Day'. Well when I came in I hit random again on the iTunes library and started looking for a good song. It took 3 skips to get today's Song of the Day. It is by Jack Johnson from the Curious George cd. It's called Upside Down. Probably my favorite song on that cd, even though the cd is good all the way through and has some good songs for kids. It also kind of defines the way today has felt...upside down. Got me in a good mood as I rocked out to it sitting in my cubicle. Thanks for listening.
Now for the Song of the Day, I have had a hard time today because nothing has really struck me as being important enough or put me in a mood good enough for the Song of the Day. When Chels dropped me off I mentioned that I was listening to Avril Lavigne most of the day because she was better than what was playing on random, but nothing really struck me from that as Song of the Day material. Then right before I got out of the car, Gun's N Rose's was playing on the iPod, and I thought, 'That would be a good song for the Song of the Day'. Well when I came in I hit random again on the iTunes library and started looking for a good song. It took 3 skips to get today's Song of the Day. It is by Jack Johnson from the Curious George cd. It's called Upside Down. Probably my favorite song on that cd, even though the cd is good all the way through and has some good songs for kids. It also kind of defines the way today has felt...upside down. Got me in a good mood as I rocked out to it sitting in my cubicle. Thanks for listening.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday...
I feel crappy today. Well I have a stomach that is on fire. Fire I say. The Sprite I'm drinking is helping a lot. Other than that, today has been a pretty good day. I rode the bus into work and read like 50 pages in the first Harry Potter book. I've decided to start reading them again, just for the heck of it. So it will be fun to read it. Nothing else to report, except the Song of the Day.
Today's Song of the Day comes from a new cd that I got today. Well I got it on iTunes so technically it's not really a cd. Anyway, it's by the country group called Rascal Flatts and the song is called Backwards. So you may have heard the joke, what do you get when you play a country song backwards. Well this song explains it all, even down to the dog. It's about time a country group realized that country songs are all about losing stuff.
Today's Song of the Day comes from a new cd that I got today. Well I got it on iTunes so technically it's not really a cd. Anyway, it's by the country group called Rascal Flatts and the song is called Backwards. So you may have heard the joke, what do you get when you play a country song backwards. Well this song explains it all, even down to the dog. It's about time a country group realized that country songs are all about losing stuff.
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