SNMR 3.15: "Rock Star"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Rock Star" (2001, R, 104 minutes) starring Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Flemyng, Dominic West, Timothy Olyphant and Timothy Spall. The film was directed by Steven Herek.

The first time I watched this film was about three months ago. The only reason I bought it was because Jennifer Aniston, whom I like, was in it. Other than that, I had no to low expectations going in.

From the DVD's dust case:

By day Chris Cole repairs photocopiers. By night he takes the stage as frontman for a tribute band emulating Steel Dragon, the world's hottest heavy metal band. Then, suddenly, opportunity rocks: Chris is tapped to become Steel Dragon's new lead singer. Just like that, he goes from small-town nobody to megastar. Just like that, he and his manager/ girlfriend Emily enter a world crazier than either imagined.
Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston headline and Stephen Herek (Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, Mr. Holland's Opus) directs this knowing, chord-crunching, hair-whipping look at '80's arena rock and the price of fame. Filled with style, strut and feel of an era, Rock Star gets it right. Long may it shine.

From Martin and Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 956:

A few comic moments can't disguise the unsavory lifestyle of a heavy metal band in the 1980's. Wannabe Mark Wahlberg beings his innocence and idealism to the hardened group he idolizes. The message is clear: "Beware of your desires..." Jennifer Aniston, as Wahlberg's long time love, can only take so much of his new life. Watchable, at times painfully so, and insightful.

I was pleasantly surprised that this movie was as good as it turned out to be. The script is well written and flows well. I gained a new level of respect for Mark Wahlberg as an actor from watching him in this role. The rest of the cast is excellent. Stephen Herek is a very good director and capably handles this crew. This is a film that flew completely under the radar and should not have. It pays tribute to a unique era in American music history with style and class. If you haven't watched this movie before, you should. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Best of all, you can own it for well under $10. I'll give this film five out of five stars.

Catch the (heat) wave... or it'll knock you out

I like hot weather. Really I do, but this humidity is killing me. I've got a massive heat headache that even two Advil hasn't been able to shake... yet.

Yesterday was hot, today is worse.

Today's forecast in my area: High of 92 (feels like 97), with humidity at 47%. Barometric pressure is 29.89 in. and falling. Dew point is 69. The low temp for tonight is supposed to be around 72.

Now we have a severe t-storm warning until 10 PM EDT, but only a 40% chance of precip, according to weather.com. Some people have been getting inundated with rain. I say gimme some o' that!!

17:35 update: aaaaah booming thunder - and RAIN!!! It rained heavily for about 10 minutes and then just as quickly stopped. What we need is the rain to dampen the humidity just a wee-bit. Ain't happenin' so far...

Tomorrow's high is only supposed to be 84, with a 60% chance of rain and t-storms.



Gotta love summer.

more blogger quizzes

67%How Addicted to Blogging Are You?

$4340.00The Cadaver Calculator - Find out how much your body is worth

I Scored a 87%!

42% Geek



This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

death (4x), sexy (3x), hurt (2x) and dangerous (1x)

ME? Rated "R"? Yowsers!!!

Whouda thunkit?????

What have I done?

While recently snooping around Southern Sweetheart's blog archives, I saw this fun little thing and thought it would be neat to answer & share. And since she posted it two years ago on my birthday, I decided to post it today - my 38th birthday. How appropriate.

X = have done

(_) snuck out of the house
(_) gotten lost in your city
(_) seen a shooting star
(X) been to any other countries — Jamaica {2x}, Germany (does just changing planes at the Frankfurt Airport count?), Hungary, Austria (briefly), Israel and Egypt.
(X) had a serious surgery - kidney stone in Oct/Nov 2005.
(X) gone out in public in your pajamas – no, sice I don't wear them.
(_) kissed a stranger
(X) hugged a stranger
(_) been in a fist fight
(_) been arrested
(X) laughed and had milk/coke come out of your nose
(X) pushed all the buttons on an elevator
(X) swore at your parents
(X) been in love
(X) been close to love - many times.
(_) been to a casino
(_) been skydiving
(X) skinny dipped
(X) skipped school
(X) seen a therapist
(_) done the splits
(X) played spin the bottle
(X) gotten stitches
(_) drank a whole gallon of milk in one hour
(_) bitten someone
(_) been to Niagara Falls
(X) gotten the chicken pox
(X) kissed a member of the opposite sex
(_) crashed into a friend’s car
(_) been to Japan
(X) ridden in a taxi
(X) been dumped
(X) shoplifted
(X) been fired - too many times (once is enough).
(_) had a crush on someone of the same sex
(X) had feelings for someone who didn’t have them back
(_) gone on a blind date
(X) lied to a friend
(X) had a crush on a teacher
(_) celebrated Mardi-Gras in New Orleans
(X) been to Europe — Germany, Austria, Hungary
(_) slept with a co-worker
(X) been married - 9 1/2 years. maybe sometime again...
(X) gotten divorced
(X) had children
(_) seen someone die
(_) had a close friend die
(X) been to Africa - Egypt
(X) driven over 400 miles in one day — many times - road trips are fun!
(X) been to US - I certainly hope so, since I live here.
(_) been to Mexico
(_) been to India
(X) been on a plane — many times and love it!
(X) seen the Rocky Horror Picture Show - dumb movie.
(_) thrown up in a bar
(_) purposely set a part of myself on fire
(_) eaten sushi
(_) been skiing/snowboarding
(X) met someone in person from the internet
(_) lost a child
(X) gone to college/university
(X) graduated college/university
(_) fired a gun
(_) purposely hurt yourself
(X) taken painkillers — most recently after my kidney stone surgeries in Oct/Nov 2005


So there you have it.... a little bit more about me, your humble correspondent.
I'm not going to tag anyone, so feel free to copy and post this and play along yourself.

38 Special

That would be me, in case you're wondering.

Sometimes I feel like this...

but most of the time, lately, I feel like this...

I want my Mummy!!

Even though I have been to Egypt, but not to the Valley of the Kings, I'm still fascinated by these stories. Stay tuned for further developments as the occasion arises.

{CAIRO (AFP) June 22 16:08} - Archaeologists have discovered the 3,000-year-old mummy of a high priest to the god Amun in the southern city of Luxor, antiquities supremo Zahi Hawass told the official MENA news agency on Saturday.

The 18th Dynasty mummy of Sennefer was unearthed in a tomb in the Valley of the Kings -- one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world -- by a team from Britain's Cambridge University.

"The mummy was found in tomb 99 in the Valley of the Kings on the west bank of Luxor," Hawass said.

A high priest was considered to be the most important man after the king, performing duties, religious rituals and offerings on his behalf.

Other mummies were found during the excavation, including one with a brain tumour, a foetus, a female mummy wrapped in plaster and others which appeared to have suffered from arthritis, Hawass said.

The Valley of the Kings was used as a burial site for royalty and nobles to the west of present day Luxor, some 700 kilometres (450 miles) south of Cairo.

Millions of foreign tourists come to see Egypt's pharaonic treasures each year, including hundreds of thousands making the long journey south from the capital to the Valley of the Kings.

Hawass said a report on the findings would be presented to Culture Minister Faruq Hosni, in order to allocate resources for continued excavations in the area.

SNMR 3.14: "The Secret of My Success"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "The Secret of My Success" (1987, PG, 110 minutes), starring Michael J. Fox, Helen Slater, John Pankow, Margaret Whitton, Richard Jordan and Fred Gwynne. The film was directed by Herbert Ross.

This was one of those films that came out in the magical year of 1987 - the summer I worked at the Burlington Mall Cinema. I've seen parts of this film thousands of times and in it's entirety many more times than I can remember. I bought this movie on VHS when it came out and then converted to a DVD when I was able to.

From the DVD's dust case:

Can a kid from Kansas come to New York to conquer the business world and maneuver his way from the mail room to the boardroom in a matter of weeks? Michael J. Fox proves it can be done in this very funny lampoon of corporate business life. Fresh out of college, he's determined to climb New York's corporate ladder in record time by masquerading as as an up and coming executive, even though he's the new mail boy. However, Fox's plans begin to go awry when the boss's wife falls in love with him and he falls in love with a junior executive, who also happens to be the boss's mistress.

From Martin and Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 996:

The secret of this movie's success can be found in it's ingredients - a witty script, vibrant direction, bouncy pop score, ingratiating star and gifted supporting cast. Michael J. Fox is terrifically likable as a wildly ambitious Kansas lad who heads for New York City with plans to conquer the corporate world overnight.

This is one of my many favorite movies, I think, because I saw it so many times while working at the movie theater. It's got all the qualities you want in a film, a well written scrip with witty dialogue and an excellent cast from top to bottom, including Herman Munster!!!! Well, the actor who played him, anyway. This is one of those films that draws you in right away with a snappy music score by David Foster of Chicago fame and an excellent slew of songs from the 80's (obviously, since the film came out in '87) including one of my favorite one hit wonders. This is a great DVD to own and is excellent cinematic fluff. If you haven't seen this movie in a while, then you ought to watch it again. I'll give this film five out of five stars for sentimental reasons.

Summer Solstice 2007

Today at 14:06 EDT marks the official beginning of Summer here in the Eastern United States and at various times today all throughout the Northern Hemisphere.

This is my absolute favorite season of the year. I love the heat and all of the outdoor activities that go with it. Cooking on the grill, eating outside, campfires, toasted marshmallows, going to baseball games, swimming or just sitting on the deck by the pool (as I am now) and even sitting on the beach by the lake or ocean.

It's all good in my opinion.

Even thumbles of runder and lashes of frightening.

Except for the skeeters. Hate them lousy skeeters.

Happy First Day of Summer everyone!!!!

Woo-hoo!!!!!!

Who is the Sexiest Female Sports Reporter?

Just before I went to bed last night I turned on ESPN to catch some Sportscenter highlights (did you see Coco's catch!!!) and ended up watching "NFL Live" afterwards. Bonnie Bernstein was hosting the 30 minute show last night and I said to myself as I watched, "Is there a sexier female sports reporter other than Bonnie Bernstein?"

The answer to my question was simple: "If there is, I don't know who it could be."

Which got me to thinking about who the sexiest female sports reporter is in the biz today. I realized, in coming up with this list, that sports reporting is no longer just a male dominated profession. Thank God for that!

Here's my list of favorite female sports reporters (in no particular order after #1):

1) Bonnie Bernstein, ABC/ESPN
2) Kara Henderson, NFL Network
3) Rachel Nichols, ESPN (not to be confused with equally as sexy actress of the same name)
4) Tina Cervasio, NESN
5) Melissa Stark, formerly of ABC
6) Hazel Mae, NESN
7) Kathryn Tappan, NESN
8) Jeanne Zelasco, Fox Sports
9) Erin Andrews, ESPN
10) Suzy Kolber, ESPN
11) Dana Jacobsen, ESPN
12) Michelle Tafoya, ABC

So now I'm curious how you would rate these sexy and highly talented female sports reporters? Do you know of some that I missed?

How do I define myself?

In the comments to my last post, Priscilla asked me what my deal is - how I see myself or how I define myself. She wanted me to sum up in a short paragraph what I'm all about.

I'm not sure what her motivation is for asking or wanting to know, but I think it's rather obvious if you've read any part of my blog over the last two years. I think you can tell a lot about a person by how they write. I really can't sum myself up in just one paragraph and don't think I could if I tried.

First and foremost, I am a Bible-believing Christian. I hold to a literal interpretation of the Bible, relying on the basic principals of exegesis and hermeneutics when I read and study it. I do not just consider it a collection of allegorical stories and think you do yourself a great disservice if you do. I am a Protestant Christian and affiliate myself with a Baptist church, if religious denomination means anything to you. Over the last seven or so years, my faith has become more important to me than it ever has in the past, and is the foundation on which my life is built. Of course there's much more depth to my faith than what can possibly be described here. Let's just say I'm an unfinished and imperfect work in progress. For more on this, you can read what I wrote last year.

With me, what you see is what you get. I'm not politically correct and never will be. If I think you're wrong, I'm going to tell you so, even if my opinion is not asked for. If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, sounds like a duck and flies like a duck, I'm going to call it a duck. I'm not going to blow sunshine where it doesn't belong just to make you feel good. I know I'm not going to be able to please every one, all of the time, so I don't try to. Either you like me for what I am or you don't. Some people take my attitude as arrogance and that's fine. If you do though then you don't really know me at all.

Since my faith is such an important part of my life, I've become curious about the faiths of others and why you believe the way that you do. Even if you are never asked to defend your beliefs publicly, I believe you should know why you believe the way that you do and at least be able to defend it to yourself. If you didn't believe what you believe was correct, would you still believe it?

I'm a father of two wonderful kids and I think that they are a partial reflection of who I am. I'm very proud of and fiercely loyal to them. I love them more than I can possibly tell you, and they know it. My family is a very important part of who I am.

I love sports and games, which I think shows that I have a competetive side. However, as I always tell V amd M, it doesn't matter if you win or lose. What matters is that you had fun playing. Sports and games are meant to be fun and entertaining and should be enjoyed as such.

I'm a great person to have on your side. If I consider you a friend, then you're pretty much stuck with me for life. Most of the friends I have I have known for a long time. I consider myself to be a compassionate person, always ready to give you the benefit of the doubt. I also consider myself to be a very good listener and am very laid back in my personality. I also can be a bit of a goofball. I like to fool around and am always trying to find the humor in things. My kids, perceptive as they are, recognize what they call my "silly voice."

At work, I'm very organized but in the privacy of home, not so much. Some things more than others, though.

I'm a saver when it comes to possessions. I know that material possessions are not the measure of a person or the key to happiness. That being said, I definitely keep more stuff than I should. My ex would call it clutter. My philosophy is as soon as you throw something away, you're going to need it and if you don't need it now then it's better to be safe than sorry. I love going into Sam's Club, Costco or BJ's and buying in bulk.

I'm a bit of a greenie in that I am very passionate about recycling. Plastic, glass, paper, whatever can be recycled gets recycled. I even have one of those soap molds. When I accumulate enough soap slivers, I'll mold them into new bars of soap.

So there you have it. The basics of me summarized as succinctly as I can manage.


Let me turn the question back on you now. How do you define yourself? Can you summarize yourself as I have tried to do? I'd love to see each of you who read this to take up the challenge yourself and post it on your blogs. And don't forget to tell me that you've done it, so I can come and learn more about YOU.

L-a-n-d-s-c-a-p-i-n-g

Today I was reminded that the only land that is fun to 'scape is my own.

And since I don't currently have a lawn to call my own... well you get the idea.

This morning I worked for my brother, who owns his own landscaping company. After butchering a large bush at the end of my parent's driveway, I went with him and his buddy to the house of one of his original customers. A had me trim the bushes there, in the front and in the back yard. Not knowing how these people like their bushes, or how A normally does them, I either a) trimmed too much, leaving bare spots or b) didn't trim enough, so that A went back over what I had done.

Once we were finished cleaning up it was 13:30 and time for lunch. A wanted me to trim more bushes for him by myself this afternoon while he and his buddy went to mow some lawns.

I frankly told him that I'd rather not, since I didn't want to ruin someone else's bushes and garner complaints. Plus, when it comes to certain things, I'm a perfectionist and when I can't do them as good as I'd like I get frustrated and (probably) way too critical of myself and my performance.

Raking I can do. Picking up leaves and lawn debris I can do. Spreading mulch - I can do that, too. Cutting a lawn? Well I could handle that with a standard lawn mower and have done so, though I've never used either of his big commercial mowers.

It just doesn't do anything for me to take care of someone else's property. Sure I like the finished product but getting to that point is no fun.

Unless the 'scaping is mine.

Plus, I'm outta shape for a thin guy and my arms are tired...

Rant and whine o-v-e-r.

Father's Day

Father's Day is really no big deal to me, even though this is my 10th year as a dad. It's one of those "holidays" that I could just do without. I don't quite know why I'm so ambivalent about this day, but I am. Being a dad is one of the greatest gifts and responsibilities a man can have. I'm thankful to be a father and have two wonderful kids, of whom I would not trade a day to be without.

I'm also thankful for my dad, even though I don't always show it.

My parents took us to the Rainforest Cafe yesterday for Father's Day. My kids got me some movie passes, M gave me a booklet that he made in school this year - one page of printing samples for each month of the school year and V made me a hand drawn card that she made in school too. I think those handmade gifts are better than anything you could buy at a store, because they are made with love.

SNMR 3.13: "What About Bob?"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "What About Bob?" (1991, PG, 99 minutes), starring Bill Murray, Richard Dreyfuss, Julie Hagerty, Charlie Korsmo and Kathryn Erbe. The film was directed by Frank Oz.

I can't remember when the first time I watched this movie was, but I've seen it dozens of times since. People seem to be split in their opinions about this movie - they either love it or hate it. There seems to be no middle ground.

From the DVD's dust case:

Comic wizard Bill Murray (Cradle Will Rock, Rushmore) teams up with Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss (Mr. Holland's Opus, The American President) in an outrageously wild comedy that's sure to drive you off the deep end! Murray plays Bob Wiley, a troubled but lovable therapy patient who fears everything! After seeking help from noted psychiatrist Dr. Leo Marvin (Dreyfuss), Bob feels revived. But when the good doctor skips town to go on a quiet family vacation, Bob, afraid of being alone, follows - showing up unexpectedly at the therapist's lakeside retreat. That's when the fun really begins! Bob innocently becomes the house guest who just won't leave - endearing himself to the other family members and, in the end, driving the stressed-out shrink absolutely crazy!

From Martin and Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 1241:

Fitfully hilarious tale of a deranged but lovable neurotic (Bill Murray), who attaches himself to the family of a high profile psychiatrist (Richard Dreyfuss) while they're on vacation.Murray is typically goofy but Dreyfuss gives a masterfully comic performance.

This is a great movie. The script is witty and fast paced and very well written. The supporting cast does their part but this film rises and falls on the performances of the two leads. Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss play off of each other wonderfully and both are extremely funny. My only minor disappointment with this film is that the lake scenes are supposed to take place at Lake Winnepesaukee in New Hampshire, but were actually filmed on some lake in Virginia. Still, that is not enough to derail my enjoyment of this film. This movie should be a part of any one's DVD collection and can be had for under $10. I'll give this movie four and a half out of five stars.

Opening Day

A long awaited day to be sure. A day that is looked forward to all year.

No, I'm not talking about baseball's opening day which takes place at the beginning of April. I'm talking about opening day as in opening the swimming pool at my parents' house.

Once we took the pool cover off, we saw what we'd hoped to see - nice clear, clean water. V hosed off all of the loose debris and pollen that had remained on the cover. After 15 minutes in the sun, the cover was dry enough to fold up. Dad and I filled the filter halfway with water and added 100 pounds of sand. We took out the chemical jug suspended across the water over the winter and removed the three air pillows strung out across the pool, two of which were deflated and partially filled with water.

While we went to lunch, we left the garden hose on to fill up the pool to the proper water level. Once we got back, we added the proper chemicals and now all we have to do is wait 24-48 hours, I think.

That the pool is open now is good, because the temp is supposed to reach into the 90's this week.

Speaking of lunch, my parents took V, M and I to the Rainforest Cafe at the Burlington Mall. My kids and I had never been there before. The atmosphere was cool for the kids and the food was okay because none of us has gotten sick yet. The quality of food at that restaurant has been known to be questionable, as Rebecca from I'm Just a Girl can attest.

Next, it'll be ice cream sundaes at 18:00.

So far it's turning out to be a wonderful weekend.

I'm not a poet and don't play one on tv, either.

Unsatisfied

So much potential do I have
Sometimes too blind to see
What others apparently notice
So clearly about me.

Why do I look and wonder
At all the things that must get done
And wonder why at the end of the day
It seems like I've accomplished none.

Though I'm tired and want to rest
The list goes on and on in every season
I can't help but think that something I've forgotten
Procrastination is always a handy reason.

Can I be satisfied with where I'm headed
Not knowing for sure which turns to take
Provided a map I was not and now I wonder
If I missed the directions while wide awake.

Which roads my life will travel
Before it ends I cannot say.
Pieces are missing, this I know
Find them soon I will, I hope and pray.

(c) MMVII Court Jester Productions

Monday

I've never been a big fan of Mondays.

Dopey old me wanted to get to bed reasonably early Sunday night but oooooh-no.

I put in a load of laundry at 20:15 or so, just after V and M went to bed. The load included their clothes that they wore this weekend, so they could go back to their mom's with a clean suitcase of clothes. The wash cycle takes about 30 minutes. What time did I manage to put those clothes in the dryer? After 23:00!

Duh!

The result of course is that I had to wait for the clothes to dry and then separate their clothes from mine, fold them and repack their suitcase before I went to bed myself.

I know the routine. Every Monday morning, V, M and I get up at 05:30, dress, eat breakfast and are out the door by 06:15 so that I can deliver them up to their mother just as she's getting out of work at 07:00.

I didn't get to bed until around 00:30. That's not so unusual for me, but when you have to get up five hours later it is.

What was I doing? As usual, writing a blog post and chatting online. Totally forgetting about the "domestic duties" of my own that I needed to get done. Oh, well, I had fun and who needs a full eight every night?

Of course it didn't help matters that I had an appointment at 08:00 Monday morning and needed that full hour to get there, due to the daily morning commuter traffic on Route 3 South coming out of New Hampshire.

I ended up being ten minutes late for my appointment; which as it turned out wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be, thankfully. Still, I prefer to be on time for these things.

Because I'm so tired you'd think I'd probably go to bed early on Monday night, right?

Nope.

Knowing me the way I do, I probably won't get to bed any earlier tonight.

Speaking of that Monday appointment I had - this really irked me. I had to fill out all kinds of forms and one of the forms in the stack was an authorization form for the company to do a credit/criminal background check on me.

WTF??

What does looking at my credit report and who I owe what to have to do with how well I can perform a particular job?? NOTHING is what. The only thing it does is pull down my credit rating - which happens every time someone pulls your credit bureau report. Those credit reports aren't meant to convey some one's criminal background anyway and give negligible information. So much for innocent until proven guilty!

Yes, I know I look like a terrorist (NOT!) or something like that. Except for a speeding ticket here and there, I have no criminal record and plan to keep it that way.

So I left it blank and decided that if my not filling out that form would prevent me from getting that job, then so be it.

Apparently it did not though, as I called over there today and I'm still under consideration.

Good luck to me.

There's another job I've applied for which I learned about a several weeks ago. My contact said that this company was anxious to bring someone in right away and she wanted to submit my information to them. However, it took the company a week to find the time to schedule an interview. Now I've been waiting 2 1/2 weeks for them to make a decision. I call my contact every single day to see where I stand. They (my contact and her boss) are frustrated too as to what the hold-up is for that company to make a decision. They apparently have told the client that it is so unprofessional to keep me (and two others apparently) strung out waiting for a decision.

More about me questions...

1. What kind of shirt are you wearing?
I'm actually wearing a sweater. But it's so thin it could pass for a shirt. It has the printed words "Hebrew University JERUSALEM" on it. Can you guess why?

2. Would you kiss anyone on your blogroll?
Yes. In a heartbeat.

3. Do you have a “thing” for anyone on your blogroll?
Yes, if "thing" is the same as a "crush", otherwise, no.

4. How many people on your blogger friends list do you know in real life?
One.

5. How many kids do you want to have?
Have two already and would be open to more if the right woman came along.

6. Do you have a good relationship with your parents?
Yes.

7. What name would you want besides the one you have?
My names are my names, and though my middle name is not my favorite, I'm satisfied.

8. What did you do for your last birthday?
I probably blogged about it, so go read my archives and figure out when it is. The question is what am I gonna do THIS year???

9. What’s your current ring tone on your phone?
Star Wars theme for calls - some unknown factory set tone for voice mail and text messages.

10. What do you think when you get meme’s with missing questions?
How would I know if there are missing questions if they are missing?

11. What were you doing at midnight last night?
Watching the Red Sox beat the Diamondbacks in inter-league baseball.

12. Where is the furthest place you’ve ever called to talk to someone?
Massachusetts (when I was on a mission trip to Hungary in 1991.)

13. Do you like having your hair pulled?
No. Do you?

14. Name something you CANNOT wait to do every morning?
Check my email and eHarmony.

15. Last time you saw your dad?
Today.

16. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life?
Nothing really. Good experiences and bad have shaped me into who I am today.

17. What is your favorite board game?
Monopoly. (Cuz I'm good, real good!!)

18. Do you have a pimp name?
No. Do you? Wait - if you do, I don't wanna know about it...

19. Have you ever talked to Tom (from MySpace)?
Nope. I don't use MySpace. EVER!

20. What’s the last thing you ate?
A bowl of Cheerios before bed.

21. Favorite month?
My birth month… I told you you'd have to go into the blog archives and figure it out - so keep guessing!

22. Least favorite month?
Any month that it snows before or after Christmas. Snow ON Christmas is ok. That's it.

23. What’s the last piece of clothing you borrowed from anyone?
I don't borrow clothes. Or lend them. Ewwwww.... Though a good-looking woman wearing one of my collared dress shirts is very sexy. Only the shirt, nothing else!! (Think Van Heusen commercials of many years ago and that one scene in "The American President"....

24. Who’s getting on your nerves right now?
No one. I'm the last one up - as usual.

25. Most visited Web page?
A tie- Yahoo Mail, eHarmony and my blog(s).

26. Do you ever sleep in the nude?
No. I need support.... I'll leave the rest to your imagination.

27. What is the strangest thing you have in your purse or wallet?
I haven't cleaned out my wallet in a while so I have no clue what's in there.

28. Last person to make you sad?
I try not to dwell on such things for long.

29. Would you help your best friend fight if he/she is losing?
That depends on if the person they are fighting could kick my butt also and why they were fighting in the first place. I'm just not the kind of person who enters a situation with fists first and questions later.

30. Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi if I must. Mountain Dew is a necessity.

31. Have you ever played 'Spin the Bottle'? While drunk or sober?
Yes, while sober. I don't allow myself to get drunk. I want to be in control.

32. Would you ever engage in a high-stakes game of strip-poker?
Depends on who's playing. There are some people who you just don't wanna see nekkid.

33. Do you have a crush?
Always.

34. Have you kissed or been kissed by anyone in the past week?
Guilty as charged on both counts. Remember, I have kids.

35. When you replace the roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, how does the paper come off the roll (over the top, underneath OR it doesn't matter as long as there is some to use)?
Over the top

Play along if you want. I stole this from someone and you can steal it too...

SNMR 3.12: "Pleasantville"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Pleasantville" (1998, PG-13, 124 minutes), starring Tobey McGuire, Reese Witherspoon, William H. Macy, Joan Allen, Jeff Daniels, JT Walsh and Don Knotts. The film was written and directed by Gary Ross.

I've seen this film a dozen or two times in my life, and will probably see it a dozen more just 'cuz I can.

From the DVD's dust jacket:

When 90's teens David (Tobey Maguire, The Ice Storm) and Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon, Freeway) get zapped into the perfect suburbia of the black & white '50's sitcom, Pleasantville, what results is a "visionary adventure" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone) that Siskel and Ebert give "Two big thumbs-up!" Pleasantville's perfect people include a mild mannered soda-jerk (Jeff Daniels, Dumb and Dumber), a socially repressed mom (Joan Allen, Face/Off), and a father who always knows best (William H. Macy, Fargo). But when '90's pop culture clashes with 50's family values, chaos ensues, turning the town of Pleasantville upside down and black and white into color.

From Martin and Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 880:

This sly, provocative allegory reveals the shortcomings of 1950's style sitcom "utopias" in a manner that is subversive as the ingenious storyline. During the film's first half, you'll giggle and gasp at the execution of the witty premise: two modern day teens get zapped back into the black-and-white universe of a vintage television situation comedy where they're unable to resist "meddling" with the quaintly idealistic values found within the picture perfect setting. The film initially exaggerates these old-fashioned conventions - and it's hard not to laugh... until we see what happens when any establishment grows uneasy about change.

This is an excellent film all the way around. It's got a super cast (led by Tobey Maguire and Reese Witherspoon with a great cameo by Don Knotts), a witty and engrossing script and is technically brilliant in it's execution. This is the last film appearance of superb character actor JT Walsh, released posthumously eight months after his death from a heart attack. This is definitely a great film to add to your collection for under $8, if you are into such things and a must rent if you're not. I'll give this movie five out of five stars.

Anniversaries, Milestones and the Belmont Stakes

Today marks the beginning of year three of this here blog. You ought to go back in my archives and see what you missed. Go ahead, you can do it.... but you need to come back when you're done.

Sometime towards the beginning of May marked my 600th post. It was a milestone that went unnoticed until recently. I couldn't even tell you which post that was, but is realistic considering how often I post.

I don't think I've been this remarkably consistent with anything I've done in a very long time.

I write this blog primarily for myself, in case you haven't noticed. If you happen to enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it then that's a plus for me. As always, I'm honored to have you along for the ride, no matter where it takes me.

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Maybe some of you haven't noticed, but Sir Scribe-o-rama and I have a great new blog (linked over there in the sidebar) where we challenge each other to watch and review movies, which are then posted for your enjoyment. I bring this to your attention, not only becasue you're apparently not as observant as I'd hoped you'd be but, as with all bloggers - WE WANT COMMENTERS [besides Scribe and myself]!!! Oh, and btw, please don't neglect leaving comments on this blog.

So, please indulge yourselves in the fun, and make me happy. Over and out. Now back to our regularly scheduled programing.


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The last horse race in the Triple Crown series is today. There will be no Triple Crown winner again and this years Derby winner, Street Sense, isn't even running. I'll still watch the race and when it's done, so will my interest in horse racing be - until Derby weekend next year.

*** 139th Running of the Belmont Stakes ***

Belmont Park, Elmont, New York
Saturday, June 9
Distance: 1 1/2 Miles
Post Time: 6:25 p.m. (ET)
Purse: $1 million

Post Horse
1 Imawildandcrazyguy
2 Tiago
3 Curlin
4 C P West
5 Slew's Tizzy
6 Hard Spun
7 Rags to Riches

Rags to Riches carries 121 pounds; others carry 126 pounds.

19:00 update: And what a race it was!!! The day belonged to the lady (pictured above, courtesy of AP), who won by a nose over Curlin. Curlin, if you'll recall, defeated Street Sense (who won the Derby) by the same narrow margin in the Preakness.

Rags to Riches was the first filly to run the Belmont since Silverbulletday in 1999 (finishing 7th). She's the first filly to win it in 102 years, since Tanya in 1905. She is the third filly to win the race overall, joining Ruthless in 1867 - the very first Belmont Stakes race...

Here's espn.com's summary.

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Happy 24th birthday to my little sister C.

Unexpected, this was...

I have a long list of blogs over there on my sidebar that I visit often, some admittedly more than others. One particular blog I linked to a while ago and had been reading occasionally but had never left a comment. That is most unusual for me. Usually I'll leave a comment that at minimum lets the blog owner know I've been there. (Commenters are good and always welcome.) Yesterday I did leave a few comments on that blog. What was different was that that person responded back, not by leaving another comment, as is usually the case, but by actually sending me an honest to goodness email.

Amazing, isn't it?

I was shocked! Pleased but shocked. Definitely.

As it turned out, we exchanged a few more emails last night and chatted on Yahoo Instant Messenger for about an hour or so this morning.

And I'm looking forward to more pleasant conversations in the days to come. I hope you are too.

So I just wanted to say thank you. You helped put a nice finishing touch to my day yesterday and brightened my morning considerably. But I must confess, when I logged into YIM this morning I was hoping you'd be there but had little expectation of it. I figured that you, like most people, would be unavailable during the work day for personal chats for obvious reasons. Glad am I that I was wrong.

And thanks for another great conversation tonight.

STRESS...

This week, mine is made out of rubber.

What's your stress made out of?

SNMR 3.11: "Real Genius"

Tonight's SNMR feature is "Real Genius" (1985, PG, 105 minutes), starring Val Kilmer, Gabe Jarret, Michelle Meyrink, Jon Gries, Robert Prescott and William Atherton. The film was directed by Martha Coolidge.

I've seen this film many times since high school and it still ranks in my book as one of the funniest films of the last 25 years. "I guess you'll just have to hammer later."

From the DVD's dust case:

When a group of crazy college geniuses put their heads together, almost anything can happen. Hold on for a freewheeling, uproarious look at just how much mischief a bunch of high IQ-ers can concoct.
Chris (Val Kilmer) is the top brain who just wants to party, Mitch (Gabe Jarret) is the 15 year old wiz kid, and Lazlo (Jonathan Gries), America's number one brain, literally lives in a world of his own... Chris' closet. Supposedly hard at work on a lab project, they still find time to turn the dorm into an ice skating rink, dismantle a nerd's car and reassemble it in his room, and throw a beach party in the auditorium complete with a lagoon and bikini-clad beauties. When the geniuses discover that their unscrupulous mentor Professor Hathaway (William Atherton) has had them work on a secret weapon for the military, they plot an elaborate revenge. Their plan culminates in an incredible scheme that outsmarts the military and convinces the professor that it doesn't pay to fool with a REAL GENIUS!

From Martin and Porter's DVD & Video Guide 2007, p. 924:

This is a mildly amusing comedy about a group of science prodigies (led by Val Kilmer) who decide to thwart the plans of their ego maniacal mentor (William Atherton). Director Martha Coolidge does her best to keep things interesting, but she can't overcome the predictability of the climax.

I love to pull this film out every once in a while and enjoy the fun. Val Kilmer and a cast of "who the heck are these people" have come up with a cult classic. If you haven't seen this film yet, where have you been? Do try and rent it. You'll be glad you did. This film gets 4 3/4 out of five stars.

Books of the Month - June 2007

Both offerings in my Book of the Month feature for June deal directly with the myths floating around about Jesus and evidence for the Christian faith.

The first selection this month was written by Ben Witherington, a professor of New Testament at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky.



"With all the talk these days about a diversity of Christian beliefs in the first century, here's a book designed to smack some sense into the dialogue. Traditional sense, that is. Witherington, professor of New Testament interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary, creates well-researched profiles of people in Jesus' inner circle—profiles that stand up to the most rigorous biblical criticism. No flights of fancy—just the historical understandings as they can be agreed upon by the best and brightest evangelical biblical scholars. At times, there is a strong whiff of defensiveness about the orthodoxy of the canon as Witherington skewers views on early Christian beliefs made popular by Gnosticism scholars Elaine Pagels and Karen King (they being among the purveyors of the "strange theories and bad history" in the title). Readers seeking a uniform and conservative view of early Christianity will find a wealth of information about Jesus and his early followers, which offers an ardent corrective to recent popular works by Bart Ehrman and others."
Order a copy for yourself at amazon.com or cbd.com.

The second selection this month was written by Josh McDowell, a former skeptic and atheist who set out to refute Christianity to some college friends but instead came to believe in the exact thing he was trying so hard to discredit.



"Whether debating Marxists, college professors, or Islamic apologists, Josh McDowell's hallmark has always been to walk boldly into enemy territory and speak truth. This book is based on the expectation that, with a growing number of adults becoming increasingly skeptical toward Christianity, there is a need for a solid body of persuasive evidence to be presented to them. This is a source book for doubting seekers as well as current believers who need persuasive information to share with friends. Evidence for Christianity is McDowell's compelling answer to the hard questions so many Christians are afraid to discuss."
Order a copy for yourself at amazon.com or cbd.com.

Yankees @ Red Sox

The Yankees once again invade Fenway for the weekend, starting tonight. After this weekend, the Sox and Yankees don't meet again until the last week in August.

The Red Sox lead the season series 6-3 and are 13 1/2 games ahead of the Yankees in the standings, which is truly amazing to me.

Here are the pitching matchups for the series, with links added for game summaries upon completion of each game.

June 1: New York 9, @ Red Sox 5
Wang (3-4) v. Wakefield (5-5) [WP=Wang (4-4), LP=Wakefield (5-6)]

Ok, here's what's wrong with the Yankees - their starter, Wang, gave up three runs early but since had settled down and he had a six run lead - yet they took him out after 5 2/3 innings and went to an already over-used bullpen. I don't get it. Fortunately for the Yankees, the Red Sox starter had no command or control over his knuckleball.

June 2: @ Red Sox 11, New York 6
Mussina (2-3) v. Schilling (5-2) [WP=Okajima (1-0), LP=Proctor (0-3)]

June 3: New York 6, @ Red Sox 5
Pettite (3-4) v. Beckett (8-0) [WP=Bruney (2-1), LP=Papelbon (0-1)]