Am I missing something or have out politicians completely lost there balls??
I look around after the Violent, and seemingly random shootings downtown Toronto on boxing day and I wonder why the politicians only offer the "register" or "ban them" options as viable solutions. Don't they relaize that "criminals DON'T register their guns"!!!!????
Why does this crap piss me off so much?? It's because I love this Country and more than that I love this City, and the politicians just brush it off and get nothing solved.
Here's what you do;
Cancel the gun registry.
It's a complete boondoggle, appear to do something to appease the masses while not solving anything. The fact that the "million dollar" registry has become the "billion dollar" registry and all you're doing is getting the hunters to register to hunt a black bear solves nothing
Enforce minimum Sentencing;
Why oh WHY does the government take such a lame stand on guns that are used to commit crimes? Make the minimum, 20 years for simple things like robbery, or any B&Es, jump it up to 40 years for murder, and make it LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE for premeditated attempted murder, and capitol punishment should be brought back for "premeditated" murder, DNA must back it up, otherwise LIFE, NO PAROLE.
Write a new Young Offenders Act;
I know, it's called the Youth Criminal Justice Act now, it still doesn't change the light sentences given for crimes committed by "children"
Now, the definition of a "child"
-A person between birth and puberty.
-One who is childish or immature.
-A person below an age specified by law.
I guess it's time to change the definition of "child" in the eyes of the law EH!! Sounds more like an 11 years old than a 17 years old to me
My opinion, lower the age to 13 for all violent/adult crimes,transfer them to adult court, no lawyers jumping, one you hit 13, you're an adult no publishing ban, and Once charged, show their picture, shame might just help them grow up right.
Get rid of the 2x or 3x credit given while in custody after being charged.
Why oh why do the courts offer this?? It'a great way for criminals to play the "get out of jail free" card. So you get 7 year for attempted robbery(knife), the lawyer stalls for 10 months, parole is 1/3 of your sentence, you get 3x credit, GUESS WHAT?? you go home after les than a year in jail ....... SILLY??? you bet it is!
Increase Police presence all over the City
Although I've had very nimimal dealings with the police, I have to say that 90% of them are fantastic. Sure you get the odd Rookie with a "enlarged head" problem, and you also get the veteran with the "I am God" problem, but overall "Cops" get a bad rap for little things when all they do is enforce the law(some of which are silly...jaywalking, speed traps, that type of thing), but some people don't realize they will put there lives on the line if called upon to do so to PROTECT THE PUBLIC!
I remember the crap when somebody was killed and during the funeral 2 guys came in and killed another person. Why was it the cops were the bad guys because they weren'tthere?? If your kids are carrying guns, and running with "bad people" I wouldn't blame what happened on the cops, deal with your kids, or HIRE THE COPS!
Anyways, food for thought, I may edit this later to add other ideas.
Brent
Tuesday, December 27, 2005
Merry Christmas ???
It's beena very strange Christmas season, and I'm still figuring out whether I'm enjoying it or not.
Everything seemed to go alright, Karen did a good job with the chicken. Her forte of being quite headstrong comes in really handy in this situation, andI'm happy she lead.
As is usually the case with Christmas it's allabout the kids, Justin and Jessica are a little old to get all giddy about Santa Claus, and Amber is too young. Kyra was, ofcourse, way over the top and seemed to enjoy all the gifts. Amber was cute as ever and constantly had me laughing by all the silly things she did. The "boot" incident was by far the highlight of the afternoon for me, but it may have been the beer that was helping me out there.
Boxing day??? WELL, it was a little dissapointing(wait, is that 1S and 2Ts ?? ...whatever:)), their were a few very good deals that I talked myself out of, but there were some very good deals on stuff I didn't need, had already, or wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Funny thing is I ended up with a little 7" portable DVD player that has all of its' controls on the remote control. Although annoying, it's what you get for only spending $90 when the everage player goes for $180. I guess I'll live with it.
As always, having a Christmas without your Mother is a sad thing, especially when I look at Amber, a little girl that will never know her GrandMother.
There was a lot of happiness this Christmas, just not the same as seeing your Mom and giving her a big hug on Christmas morning.
I miss you Mom! and and Merry Christmas to everybody else!
Brent
P.s. why did I take the same week off that everybody else did?? What a silly move. Now I'm thinking I should have made it a 2 week vacation in the summer, and driven to Calgary to visit Al and Kim... I think I'll still consider this as a great way to spend 2 weeks. Now I need to look at buying a digital camera, or should I make this the last trip for my much loved 35MM film camera?? HHHmmmm??
Everything seemed to go alright, Karen did a good job with the chicken. Her forte of being quite headstrong comes in really handy in this situation, andI'm happy she lead.
As is usually the case with Christmas it's allabout the kids, Justin and Jessica are a little old to get all giddy about Santa Claus, and Amber is too young. Kyra was, ofcourse, way over the top and seemed to enjoy all the gifts. Amber was cute as ever and constantly had me laughing by all the silly things she did. The "boot" incident was by far the highlight of the afternoon for me, but it may have been the beer that was helping me out there.
Boxing day??? WELL, it was a little dissapointing(wait, is that 1S and 2Ts ?? ...whatever:)), their were a few very good deals that I talked myself out of, but there were some very good deals on stuff I didn't need, had already, or wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. Funny thing is I ended up with a little 7" portable DVD player that has all of its' controls on the remote control. Although annoying, it's what you get for only spending $90 when the everage player goes for $180. I guess I'll live with it.
As always, having a Christmas without your Mother is a sad thing, especially when I look at Amber, a little girl that will never know her GrandMother.
There was a lot of happiness this Christmas, just not the same as seeing your Mom and giving her a big hug on Christmas morning.
I miss you Mom! and and Merry Christmas to everybody else!
Brent
P.s. why did I take the same week off that everybody else did?? What a silly move. Now I'm thinking I should have made it a 2 week vacation in the summer, and driven to Calgary to visit Al and Kim... I think I'll still consider this as a great way to spend 2 weeks. Now I need to look at buying a digital camera, or should I make this the last trip for my much loved 35MM film camera?? HHHmmmm??
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
MOVIES MOVIES MOVIES
I've seen a few in the last month, but not nearly as many I would have if I wasn't spending time around the house.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) .....74%
Daniel Radcliffe
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson
Robbie Coltrane
Ralph Fiennes
Filling, but in a low calorie way.
Well this is number4 in the neverending series of movies based on the books written by
J. K. Rowling . while it was rich in visuals I found it a little weak in storytelling, and the climactic scene wasn't NEARLY as scary as I was hoping for.
The three main characters have done a lot of growing since the last episode, and are not the "cute" little kids from the first couple of movies. I'm finding Harry(Daniel Radcliffe) not quite as endearing a character as he was when the series first began. As for Hermione and Ron they still retain some of the cute awkwardsness that I found endearingand there budding relationship is fun to watch.
Basically this movie is about a "Goblet of Fire" that can be won playing The Quidditch World Cup, and how everything goes awry. There is also a cute Dance, kind of like the grade 9-10 prom that none of us went to.
The effects were top rate, the dragon was very well done and the underwater scene was pretty cool, but it felt like a movie without much holding it together.
Come on J.K give us something a little darker already!!
Worth renting, just don't expect to be blown away.
A History of Violence (2005) ...... 77%
Viggo Mortensen
Maria Bello
William Hurt
Ed Harris
Never heard of this?? well phoeey on you, you missed a good one!
I can't really say a lot about this flick for fear that I'll give away something relevant, so I'll give you a couple of blurbs by professional reviewers
"A ruthless lesson about the power of violence, and the ways in which it's passed down from generation to generation: subtly, insidiously, and quite effectively."-- Scott Weinberg, EFILMCRITIC.COM
"There's not a scene wasted in the 97-minute unspooling, not a detour that doesn't tell, surprise, horrify, delight."-- Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"It's a savage film that questions its savagery every step of the way and asks its audience to consider the costs of Dirty Harry diplomacy writ large. It will hit you like a ton of bricks. Don't miss it."-- Glenn Whipp, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
Just one little warning, there is a mild rape scene that I ALWAYS find disturbing, if you find them difficult you may want to skip this flick. That and excessive violence in the last hour make for a disturbing flick, but one worth seeing.
Saw II (2005) .... 60%
Tobin Bell,
Lyriq Bent,
Donnie Wahlberg
Too grusome to be really enjoyable.
Maybe I'm that guy, the guy with the limits to how much gross, overdone violence he can handle. While I really liked the first Saw flick this one goes too far into violence and away from the mystery of the first flick.
A bunch of people locked in a house with no escape, all with problems "getting along" in society. All of theirdemons are used in an attempt to make them confess and repent for their sins by putting them in situations that forces them to face their demons EG; girl with a drug addiction problem forced to jump into a vat of needle to get a key or else somebody dies. Interesting? sure!! but the payoff is smaller and often much more violentthan I would have liked.
It's like a naked girl, I don't think of how sexy she looks, just how here boobs look. Now put her in a bikini that covers just enough, and let me be intrigued by the thought of what's underneath. That, to me, is MUCH sexier, and that's why this movie fails where the first one succeeds.
This one only rates a free viewing, where the first one rates a rental.
OUT on DVD NOW and worth a rental
Mr and Mrs Smith .... 75% ....lots of fun
March of The Penquins .... 85% .... can you handle a 90 minute documentary?? It's worth a try, I loved it.
Cinderella Man .... 83% .... Love em or hate em, Russell Crowe is great, too bad the box office sucked ... possible Academy Award nomination here,
War of The Worlds .... 67% .... Good flick with a bad ending
Sky High .... 69% .... Great for kids, or adults with an open mind that remember being a kid.
LATER
Brent(Goo) Lowney
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) .....74%
Daniel Radcliffe
Rupert Grint
Emma Watson
Robbie Coltrane
Ralph Fiennes
Filling, but in a low calorie way.
Well this is number4 in the neverending series of movies based on the books written by
J. K. Rowling . while it was rich in visuals I found it a little weak in storytelling, and the climactic scene wasn't NEARLY as scary as I was hoping for.
The three main characters have done a lot of growing since the last episode, and are not the "cute" little kids from the first couple of movies. I'm finding Harry(Daniel Radcliffe) not quite as endearing a character as he was when the series first began. As for Hermione and Ron they still retain some of the cute awkwardsness that I found endearingand there budding relationship is fun to watch.
Basically this movie is about a "Goblet of Fire" that can be won playing The Quidditch World Cup, and how everything goes awry. There is also a cute Dance, kind of like the grade 9-10 prom that none of us went to.
The effects were top rate, the dragon was very well done and the underwater scene was pretty cool, but it felt like a movie without much holding it together.
Come on J.K give us something a little darker already!!
Worth renting, just don't expect to be blown away.
A History of Violence (2005) ...... 77%
Viggo Mortensen
Maria Bello
William Hurt
Ed Harris
Never heard of this?? well phoeey on you, you missed a good one!
I can't really say a lot about this flick for fear that I'll give away something relevant, so I'll give you a couple of blurbs by professional reviewers
"A ruthless lesson about the power of violence, and the ways in which it's passed down from generation to generation: subtly, insidiously, and quite effectively."-- Scott Weinberg, EFILMCRITIC.COM
"There's not a scene wasted in the 97-minute unspooling, not a detour that doesn't tell, surprise, horrify, delight."-- Lisa Schwarzbaum, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
"It's a savage film that questions its savagery every step of the way and asks its audience to consider the costs of Dirty Harry diplomacy writ large. It will hit you like a ton of bricks. Don't miss it."-- Glenn Whipp, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
Just one little warning, there is a mild rape scene that I ALWAYS find disturbing, if you find them difficult you may want to skip this flick. That and excessive violence in the last hour make for a disturbing flick, but one worth seeing.
Saw II (2005) .... 60%
Tobin Bell,
Lyriq Bent,
Donnie Wahlberg
Too grusome to be really enjoyable.
Maybe I'm that guy, the guy with the limits to how much gross, overdone violence he can handle. While I really liked the first Saw flick this one goes too far into violence and away from the mystery of the first flick.
A bunch of people locked in a house with no escape, all with problems "getting along" in society. All of theirdemons are used in an attempt to make them confess and repent for their sins by putting them in situations that forces them to face their demons EG; girl with a drug addiction problem forced to jump into a vat of needle to get a key or else somebody dies. Interesting? sure!! but the payoff is smaller and often much more violentthan I would have liked.
It's like a naked girl, I don't think of how sexy she looks, just how here boobs look. Now put her in a bikini that covers just enough, and let me be intrigued by the thought of what's underneath. That, to me, is MUCH sexier, and that's why this movie fails where the first one succeeds.
This one only rates a free viewing, where the first one rates a rental.
OUT on DVD NOW and worth a rental
Mr and Mrs Smith .... 75% ....lots of fun
March of The Penquins .... 85% .... can you handle a 90 minute documentary?? It's worth a try, I loved it.
Cinderella Man .... 83% .... Love em or hate em, Russell Crowe is great, too bad the box office sucked ... possible Academy Award nomination here,
War of The Worlds .... 67% .... Good flick with a bad ending
Sky High .... 69% .... Great for kids, or adults with an open mind that remember being a kid.
LATER
Brent(Goo) Lowney
It sure has been a while!
Strange how things happen and you forget the "little things". I guess this is one of those little things:)
Well let's start by saying that the move went pretty well. The movers were there on time, and seemed to be a pretty good bunch of guys. I'll say I was suprised how easily a truck gets filled up with all the junk, even after I spend hours and hours getting rid of useless crap. I'll say I am quite happy that nothing of value was damaged in the move, I was pretty worried. It sure was a was a very long day(14 hours ofwork), but that wasn't the most annoying part, Almost all of my stuff(a lot of it labeled "bedroom") was moved to the basement, I guess I should have been organizing the movers too. That's another thing I was responsible for ! UGH!
What has been done since?? OH the stories I could tell ... If I didn't do it, that means it wasn't done. I guess I'm the new wife!
OH, Fred thank you for all your help.
NEXT:)
Well let's start by saying that the move went pretty well. The movers were there on time, and seemed to be a pretty good bunch of guys. I'll say I was suprised how easily a truck gets filled up with all the junk, even after I spend hours and hours getting rid of useless crap. I'll say I am quite happy that nothing of value was damaged in the move, I was pretty worried. It sure was a was a very long day(14 hours ofwork), but that wasn't the most annoying part, Almost all of my stuff(a lot of it labeled "bedroom") was moved to the basement, I guess I should have been organizing the movers too. That's another thing I was responsible for ! UGH!
What has been done since?? OH the stories I could tell ... If I didn't do it, that means it wasn't done. I guess I'm the new wife!
OH, Fred thank you for all your help.
NEXT:)
Thursday, October 27, 2005
The last day ....uh oh!
Strange as it may sound, today is the last full day of living in "Mom's house"
You may wonder why I call it "Mom's house"? This is because everything about this house was my Mom. The paint, the lawn and garden, the life, every little knick knack is my Mom.
I'll be very happy when this is over, my Dad is bugging me about everything, no matter how small ... "should I keep this shirt??", " what should I do with my underwear??" Stupid things like that.
The worst one was last night, 5a.m. I get a call at work "Brent, did you know we don't have ice??" UGH, my Dad thinks we need ice for the 4KM 10 minute move??, and he needs to call me to tell me. Strange, they always load the fridge last??
Anyways, Go see The History of Violence .... great flick.
Back next week with a few real reviews.
Brent
You may wonder why I call it "Mom's house"? This is because everything about this house was my Mom. The paint, the lawn and garden, the life, every little knick knack is my Mom.
I'll be very happy when this is over, my Dad is bugging me about everything, no matter how small ... "should I keep this shirt??", " what should I do with my underwear??" Stupid things like that.
The worst one was last night, 5a.m. I get a call at work "Brent, did you know we don't have ice??" UGH, my Dad thinks we need ice for the 4KM 10 minute move??, and he needs to call me to tell me. Strange, they always load the fridge last??
Anyways, Go see The History of Violence .... great flick.
Back next week with a few real reviews.
Brent
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Monday September 13th 2004 .... 1 year has past
Well it's been one year since I lost my Mother, and what do I say that I haven't said a million times. Everytime I would look at her picture on the fridge I'd say HI! or talk to her like she was still here. I still use her to comfort me when I've had a bad day.
Do I miss her?? YEP, every second of every day. Over the last year I've gone over the scenario of when her cough first started to become more bothersome, and I get pissed off that I didn't think of her cancer coming back, and WHY I didn't drag her to the hospital. But it had been more than 12 years since her first fight, she'd been her happy self ever since, working for hours in the garden and whistling the day away at peace with the world. You'd see how relaxed she was everytime she'd come in from the garden, always a little smile on her face, and if I didn't bug her she'd never stop whistling or singing(going ....dooowwwnnn in a blaze of glory).
What I would do to hear that again!
MOM, I miss you endlessly!
MOM, Thanks for tucking me in and rubbing my back when I was sick
MOM, Thanks for being my biggest cheerleader and being proud of me for whatever I accomplished BIG or small.
MOM, Thanks for spending the days with me skiiing, playing tennis, or just simply getting up early to watch tennis on TV.
MOM, Thank you for being my MOM!
You are always in my thoughts!
Your Son,
Brent
Do I miss her?? YEP, every second of every day. Over the last year I've gone over the scenario of when her cough first started to become more bothersome, and I get pissed off that I didn't think of her cancer coming back, and WHY I didn't drag her to the hospital. But it had been more than 12 years since her first fight, she'd been her happy self ever since, working for hours in the garden and whistling the day away at peace with the world. You'd see how relaxed she was everytime she'd come in from the garden, always a little smile on her face, and if I didn't bug her she'd never stop whistling or singing(going ....dooowwwnnn in a blaze of glory).
What I would do to hear that again!
MOM, I miss you endlessly!
MOM, Thanks for tucking me in and rubbing my back when I was sick
MOM, Thanks for being my biggest cheerleader and being proud of me for whatever I accomplished BIG or small.
MOM, Thanks for spending the days with me skiiing, playing tennis, or just simply getting up early to watch tennis on TV.
MOM, Thank you for being my MOM!
You are always in my thoughts!
Your Son,
Brent
Sunday, September 11, 2005
"it a bird, it's a plane" and it's a damn big plane too
Strange to think it's been only 4 years since once of the worst days in history. The day that the "Twin towers" were destroyed for no reason.
WAIT, did I say no reason?? YEP! it's almost as strong a reason as burning a woman at the stake for being a witch. Sure, religion or any "beliefs" have always been used to justify outrageous events and actions, but the ability to make it a global event is what scares me more.
Look at people fighting "in the name of", and look at the people actually suffering from this religious zealotry. Hey, look at the all of the people that died when the two towers fell. How could you justify killing innocent people?? oh WAIT, they don't have the same beliefs as YOU do, they don't live the way that YOU feel they should??
I've made it quite clear that I'm not the biggest fan of the U.s., they use and waste more natural resources that any other country(per capita), they pollute to an extreme, they also have this "we are the world police" thing going(Irag for freedom HA HA, Iraq for oil), but I don't dislike the people, it's the environment that they grow up in I have a problem with. Do I think it's my right to kill them because I don't beleive in the same things?? HELL NO!! Sure, ask me and I'll tell you what I think is wrong, but I won't tell you my way is definitively the best way, it's just my opinion. My only hope it they can consider the things they do more on a global scale, but it appears they have their own problems dealing with a little flood.
I'm so sorry for the people that were effected by the terrorist actions on September 11, 2001. People that were simply going to work so that their kids have safe place to grow up in. People that work hard so that they can enjoy a beautiful sunset, a nice hot bath, or a night with the one they love. NOBODY has the right to take that away from them, that's what freedom is all about.
"
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge.
Please follow the link at the top of this article for the United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights mandate.
Brent
WAIT, did I say no reason?? YEP! it's almost as strong a reason as burning a woman at the stake for being a witch. Sure, religion or any "beliefs" have always been used to justify outrageous events and actions, but the ability to make it a global event is what scares me more.
Look at people fighting "in the name of", and look at the people actually suffering from this religious zealotry. Hey, look at the all of the people that died when the two towers fell. How could you justify killing innocent people?? oh WAIT, they don't have the same beliefs as YOU do, they don't live the way that YOU feel they should??
I've made it quite clear that I'm not the biggest fan of the U.s., they use and waste more natural resources that any other country(per capita), they pollute to an extreme, they also have this "we are the world police" thing going(Irag for freedom HA HA, Iraq for oil), but I don't dislike the people, it's the environment that they grow up in I have a problem with. Do I think it's my right to kill them because I don't beleive in the same things?? HELL NO!! Sure, ask me and I'll tell you what I think is wrong, but I won't tell you my way is definitively the best way, it's just my opinion. My only hope it they can consider the things they do more on a global scale, but it appears they have their own problems dealing with a little flood.
I'm so sorry for the people that were effected by the terrorist actions on September 11, 2001. People that were simply going to work so that their kids have safe place to grow up in. People that work hard so that they can enjoy a beautiful sunset, a nice hot bath, or a night with the one they love. NOBODY has the right to take that away from them, that's what freedom is all about.
"
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge.
Please follow the link at the top of this article for the United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights mandate.
Brent
Sunday, September 04, 2005
Been almost a month, where have I been?
And does aybody care?
Let's start by saying that it's been a busy month. I've spent hours getting ready for the impending move, played a few round of golf with "the boys, had a very successful garage sale, and now I'm enjoying my first long weekend off all summer YYEE HAA!!
I guess I owe an apology to Brent H and Ray S from work, I was rubbing my long weekend off in their faces all Friday morning, now I find out that Ray may have been pissed off at me.
Whoops!!
I'm allowed to be happy, this is my second weekend off in about 7 months.
I'm always suprised how badly I play golf when I play with "the boys". I routinely fall apart better courses too. We should all be within 5-7 strokes of each other, unless somebody has a great round, but I have the worst rounds of the year when I play with them. It sure is annoying!!
The courses were fantastic, The Rock was tough, with lots of blind shots and tough bunkers, and the private course "Port Carling" was a more open layout with less blind spots, but it played WAY tougher.
At the Rock Fred said "it couldn't get tougher than that", I guess that's another big WHoops!
The garage sale was great, not from the standpoint of getting up at 6:45 A.M., but because I made almost $300. I even sold my old race bike for $80 .... the guy had actually heard of it ... call me suprised!
As it sits, I have about 2 small boxes of crap to sell, worse comes to worse I move with it and sell it at the new place.
Work was fun last week, no Ron. Brent H spent about 4 hours one morning doing nothing, and Chris did the "I work har every night, I'm just going to face the store and watch cash. The problem is that it only takes till about 4 a.m.. He spent the rest of the night hunting for a rat we had in the store. Otherwise it was a great week, I actually got a downnight where I could do a proper relign....YAY!
That's it, time to go and enjoy the rest of long weekend.
Brent
Let's start by saying that it's been a busy month. I've spent hours getting ready for the impending move, played a few round of golf with "the boys, had a very successful garage sale, and now I'm enjoying my first long weekend off all summer YYEE HAA!!
I guess I owe an apology to Brent H and Ray S from work, I was rubbing my long weekend off in their faces all Friday morning, now I find out that Ray may have been pissed off at me.
Whoops!!
I'm allowed to be happy, this is my second weekend off in about 7 months.
I'm always suprised how badly I play golf when I play with "the boys". I routinely fall apart better courses too. We should all be within 5-7 strokes of each other, unless somebody has a great round, but I have the worst rounds of the year when I play with them. It sure is annoying!!
The courses were fantastic, The Rock was tough, with lots of blind shots and tough bunkers, and the private course "Port Carling" was a more open layout with less blind spots, but it played WAY tougher.
At the Rock Fred said "it couldn't get tougher than that", I guess that's another big WHoops!
The garage sale was great, not from the standpoint of getting up at 6:45 A.M., but because I made almost $300. I even sold my old race bike for $80 .... the guy had actually heard of it ... call me suprised!
As it sits, I have about 2 small boxes of crap to sell, worse comes to worse I move with it and sell it at the new place.
Work was fun last week, no Ron. Brent H spent about 4 hours one morning doing nothing, and Chris did the "I work har every night, I'm just going to face the store and watch cash. The problem is that it only takes till about 4 a.m.. He spent the rest of the night hunting for a rat we had in the store. Otherwise it was a great week, I actually got a downnight where I could do a proper relign....YAY!
That's it, time to go and enjoy the rest of long weekend.
Brent
March of The Penquins .... movie review
March of the Penquins
MOTP .... 85%
Quack Quack ..... oh wait that's a duck:)
Tthe few people that read this blog will never have heard of this flick, too bad!
If you are a Tom Cruise fan, or a fan of movies with lots of T&A, maybe you just don't get the reason to pay $10 to see a documentary. I'll tell you I'm more than happy to spend my money on this beautiful film, just don't expect lots of special effects or bad acting, you'll see neither here.
This movie is about the life cycle of penquins in Antarctica. It takes you from the long journey, through the immense cold(-60 plus wind chill at points) of winter, to the birthing of a new baby and all of the journy's in between.
It almost seems that I'm understating how great this film is. Most movies have people talkng, slurping drinks, and young children acting up, I saw none of that in this movie. Everybody was enthralled by the beauty(and harshness) of Antarctica, the grace and elegance of the penquins, and the incredible love they show for their unborn child.
For most people this will either end up being a "renter", or a "I'll wait till it's on satallite, I was more than happy to spend my money and see this "on the big screen", to each there own!
MOTP .... 85%
Quack Quack ..... oh wait that's a duck:)
Tthe few people that read this blog will never have heard of this flick, too bad!
If you are a Tom Cruise fan, or a fan of movies with lots of T&A, maybe you just don't get the reason to pay $10 to see a documentary. I'll tell you I'm more than happy to spend my money on this beautiful film, just don't expect lots of special effects or bad acting, you'll see neither here.
This movie is about the life cycle of penquins in Antarctica. It takes you from the long journey, through the immense cold(-60 plus wind chill at points) of winter, to the birthing of a new baby and all of the journy's in between.
It almost seems that I'm understating how great this film is. Most movies have people talkng, slurping drinks, and young children acting up, I saw none of that in this movie. Everybody was enthralled by the beauty(and harshness) of Antarctica, the grace and elegance of the penquins, and the incredible love they show for their unborn child.
For most people this will either end up being a "renter", or a "I'll wait till it's on satallite, I was more than happy to spend my money and see this "on the big screen", to each there own!
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
A quicky for the boyz at work....yo!
Ok dis be fo' de fine yung dudes at wo'k. Ya' know? Dey ad hoped fo' some T&a secshun, but it felt wrong when de last movie ah' saw wuz Sky High. Lop some boogie. So, high dudes, ah' hope youse havin' fun. 'S coo', bro. ah' know it's hot as hell here, whut's it likes in Scarberia?? Duzn't fo'get dat ah' am de best at everydin', especially when it comes t'wo'k, dig dis:) Sho' man youse Pops is always wo'kin' hard, but at his age he duzn't move too fast, dig dis:-)
later Brent
later Brent
Movie review ... Sky High
Sky High .... 69%
Kurt Russell
Bruce Campbell ... Hail to the king, baby.
Dave Foley
Kelly Preston
Liz Winstead ...ouch!
Lynda Carter ...good for 70
Just like a pizza with extra cheese...
I'd be really suprised if ANYBODY I know will ever see this flick, but if you go into this with the idea that it's a Disney flick and is G rated you'll probably enjoy it .... I know I did!
It's a simple story of a group of "coming of age" kids that are born to a parent or parents that have super powers. That allws the kids entrance into the only school that takes place in the clouds....Sky High
Kurt Russell plays The Commander, and Kelly Preston plays Jetstream, he's really strong and she can fly. In this flick they were a few minutes over the "cameo" thing, but aren't quite leads, that is left to the kids.
Watch out for the parents archenemy to show up, watch out for a cute little love story, a few misfits, and the hilarious Hero/sidekick casting scene.
I like this flick and left with a smile. The one line I remember from the flick was an announcement over the PA ..."effective immediately would all sidekicks please STOP ordering the hero sandwich":-) that's pretty indicitive of the tone of the movie.
Great for kids or adults with an open mind(or remember being a kid).
Kurt Russell
Bruce Campbell ... Hail to the king, baby.
Dave Foley
Kelly Preston
Liz Winstead ...ouch!
Lynda Carter ...good for 70
Just like a pizza with extra cheese...
I'd be really suprised if ANYBODY I know will ever see this flick, but if you go into this with the idea that it's a Disney flick and is G rated you'll probably enjoy it .... I know I did!
It's a simple story of a group of "coming of age" kids that are born to a parent or parents that have super powers. That allws the kids entrance into the only school that takes place in the clouds....Sky High
Kurt Russell plays The Commander, and Kelly Preston plays Jetstream, he's really strong and she can fly. In this flick they were a few minutes over the "cameo" thing, but aren't quite leads, that is left to the kids.
Watch out for the parents archenemy to show up, watch out for a cute little love story, a few misfits, and the hilarious Hero/sidekick casting scene.
I like this flick and left with a smile. The one line I remember from the flick was an announcement over the PA ..."effective immediately would all sidekicks please STOP ordering the hero sandwich":-) that's pretty indicitive of the tone of the movie.
Great for kids or adults with an open mind(or remember being a kid).
Hi Mom!
Since my Mother died I've been keeping a little note to her on my computer. Since I reformatted my computer I haven't found the disc(s) that I put this on, so I'll do on here.
Hey Mom;
It's been a little longer that it should have been, but some strange things have happened.
First, guess what?? the house is sold, and Dad bought another already. Somebody left a note on the garage door saying they were interesting, I thought it was a joke, or maybe a speculator. NOPE, it's sold, and we move at the end of October. We've already started to get ready for a garage sale on Labour Day, Allison and the kids and Karen and the kids came by on Sunday. YEP, you heard it right, Karen came by, problem is that Jessica still doesn't say much to Dad, and Karen complained about the overgrown garden.
Oh yeah, the garden, it's been so hot I haven't spent a lot of time outside working on it. Most of the baskets look good, but I can't quite figure out the water regimen.
Amber is still the sweetest baby in the world, she's nearly able to walk, but not quite. Actually the whole group just got back from Newfie land, and Allison said she had a good time. Kyra was up with the sunrise to help feed the dogs(Daryns Dad owns a kennel), and really enjoyed her 2 weeks.
Dad is still driving me nuts, for some reason he feels he needs to tell me where he's going and what he's doing. I tell him I don't care if he's going to Zehrs to get milk, I don't care if he "talked to Bill today", and when I tell him such he thinks I'm in a bad mood. I just jhate when he acts like a child.
Well Mom it finally happened, Grandma is finally going to a home. She's been cooking very little and hasn't been eating much or taking her pills, so I guess it's the best thing.
One last thing, you remember Donna?? her Mom passed away a few weeks ago from Kidney Cancer that ended up being all over the place. It sure wasn't a good reason to see Donna again. She seemed to be handling it well, but she says she enjoyed the drugs she was taking ...small things I guess.
I miss you and I'll always love you!
Brent
Hey Mom;
It's been a little longer that it should have been, but some strange things have happened.
First, guess what?? the house is sold, and Dad bought another already. Somebody left a note on the garage door saying they were interesting, I thought it was a joke, or maybe a speculator. NOPE, it's sold, and we move at the end of October. We've already started to get ready for a garage sale on Labour Day, Allison and the kids and Karen and the kids came by on Sunday. YEP, you heard it right, Karen came by, problem is that Jessica still doesn't say much to Dad, and Karen complained about the overgrown garden.
Oh yeah, the garden, it's been so hot I haven't spent a lot of time outside working on it. Most of the baskets look good, but I can't quite figure out the water regimen.
Amber is still the sweetest baby in the world, she's nearly able to walk, but not quite. Actually the whole group just got back from Newfie land, and Allison said she had a good time. Kyra was up with the sunrise to help feed the dogs(Daryns Dad owns a kennel), and really enjoyed her 2 weeks.
Dad is still driving me nuts, for some reason he feels he needs to tell me where he's going and what he's doing. I tell him I don't care if he's going to Zehrs to get milk, I don't care if he "talked to Bill today", and when I tell him such he thinks I'm in a bad mood. I just jhate when he acts like a child.
Well Mom it finally happened, Grandma is finally going to a home. She's been cooking very little and hasn't been eating much or taking her pills, so I guess it's the best thing.
One last thing, you remember Donna?? her Mom passed away a few weeks ago from Kidney Cancer that ended up being all over the place. It sure wasn't a good reason to see Donna again. She seemed to be handling it well, but she says she enjoyed the drugs she was taking ...small things I guess.
I miss you and I'll always love you!
Brent
Thursday, July 28, 2005
Movie Review .... The Island
The Island ..... 69%
Scarlett Johansson, she looks FANTASTIC in this flick!
Ewan McGregor,
Steve Buscemi
I wouldn't be suprised if you never heard of this flick, it had zero buzz, but it's worth a look none the less
It's an interesting story about human cloning and what happens when things go wrong. I find the 2 leads and Steve Buscemi have great roles in this flick, they also seem "fresh" to me, not overused like so many top actors are today.
In this new world of "The Island" Human clones are basically test tube babies that never make it to womans uterus, they are grown in what amounts to a petrie dish. They are kept in the little comunity, educated to a 15 year old level, and basically lead a very sterile lifestyle till there body parts are harvested for the "insurance policy holder". The policy holder is actually the real version of the clone. Pretty interesting idea I think, and I love to see how people see the future . Me personally, I think we are heading quickly towards an Orwellian future, but we'll see.
The second half of this play it pretty much all action, and falls apart because of it. They would have been better off keeping us in suspense, and not just blowing things up for cheap OOohhs and Aaahhs!
I Went to this flick with Fred and both of us could have torn this flick a "new one" if we wanted to. SSSOooo many problems with the logic EG; they use nanobots to check for imbalances in the body by letting them wander in through the eyes, but they couldn't track the clones in the real world even though they wore their identifying braclets HUH! Nanobots but no tracking of the clones!! Stairs instead of ramps?? Manually opening doors!! It goes on and on.
Now the question arises about human cloning over the possible use of Stem cells for organ replacement. That's an area I have very little knowledge about so I'll leave it lie.
Michael Bay has directed a couple of good flicks over the years .... The Rock, Bad Boys, but he's also directed messes like Armageddon and Pearl Harbour. I'd say this one falls right in the middle.
2 more things, cut the film by 20 minutes and stop it with all the product placement. Hey if you want Puma shoes on your feet, an new Xbox in your living room and a new cadillac in the driveway this flick is for you but they basically hold the product up to the camera and say "LOOK, these guys paid us lot's of money, so buy this stuff look look!! UGH!
Scarlett Johansson, she looks FANTASTIC in this flick!
Ewan McGregor,
Steve Buscemi
I wouldn't be suprised if you never heard of this flick, it had zero buzz, but it's worth a look none the less
It's an interesting story about human cloning and what happens when things go wrong. I find the 2 leads and Steve Buscemi have great roles in this flick, they also seem "fresh" to me, not overused like so many top actors are today.
In this new world of "The Island" Human clones are basically test tube babies that never make it to womans uterus, they are grown in what amounts to a petrie dish. They are kept in the little comunity, educated to a 15 year old level, and basically lead a very sterile lifestyle till there body parts are harvested for the "insurance policy holder". The policy holder is actually the real version of the clone. Pretty interesting idea I think, and I love to see how people see the future . Me personally, I think we are heading quickly towards an Orwellian future, but we'll see.
The second half of this play it pretty much all action, and falls apart because of it. They would have been better off keeping us in suspense, and not just blowing things up for cheap OOohhs and Aaahhs!
I Went to this flick with Fred and both of us could have torn this flick a "new one" if we wanted to. SSSOooo many problems with the logic EG; they use nanobots to check for imbalances in the body by letting them wander in through the eyes, but they couldn't track the clones in the real world even though they wore their identifying braclets HUH! Nanobots but no tracking of the clones!! Stairs instead of ramps?? Manually opening doors!! It goes on and on.
Now the question arises about human cloning over the possible use of Stem cells for organ replacement. That's an area I have very little knowledge about so I'll leave it lie.
Michael Bay has directed a couple of good flicks over the years .... The Rock, Bad Boys, but he's also directed messes like Armageddon and Pearl Harbour. I'd say this one falls right in the middle.
2 more things, cut the film by 20 minutes and stop it with all the product placement. Hey if you want Puma shoes on your feet, an new Xbox in your living room and a new cadillac in the driveway this flick is for you but they basically hold the product up to the camera and say "LOOK, these guys paid us lot's of money, so buy this stuff look look!! UGH!
Monday, July 25, 2005
What a week....and a half:)
So things are getting interesting here and there, I
-found a site that give great rates on golf .... that was wonderful!
-found out my Dad's house is sold.... kind of a good AND bad thing!
-Went to a 40th Anniversary for Greg and Todd's parents.
-Went camping for a couple of days with Fred/Michelle/Dylan, and Stew/Jennifer/Sydney/Kelsey.
-Went to a viewing for a good friend that lost here Mother .... NOT good!
AND
-I keep putting up with more bullshit from work....Ron, the guy that talks a good game hasn't worked a weekend ALL summer, I, have worked every weekend but 1, and I do WAY more work....Where is the justice??
Let's just say I like the rest of the crew otherwise it would be depressing going into work every night.
Lot's more, but let's talk a little bit about camping.
It was a nice short drive to Arrowhead Provincial Park(look it up if you're interested!), Davis Drive to durham 23, to 169 North, to 11 North. Took about 2 hours including a stop for a pee(piss ?). Nice drive both ways, things moved really well when you hit 11 North, 12/48 was a little slow but it was bearable.
The park itself was pretty nice, big sites with 2 cars per site, clean grounds and good bathrooms, and about 5 minutes to Hunstville.
The only problem I reall had was the beach was pretty shitty, although the rest of the campgrounds is on par with a park like Sandbanks Provincial Park(Umm you know), the beach was a sad excuse. If you are looking at having any kite fights or lots of people, go to Sandbanks. If you prefer smaller crowds try Arrowhead, you also close enough to some VERY good golf courses!!
Please remember it's not the site that make the experience worthwhile, it's the people you're with that do that. Good friends can make a shithole look like a palace!!
Can you feel the love Ha Ha!!
Later
Goo
P.s. I'll be updating my "top 10-15-20" list of music, I've decided the remove India.Arie from it, she's not quite there, and add Meatloaf "Bat out of Hell", how could I have forgotten that album??? Oh the shame!
-found a site that give great rates on golf .... that was wonderful!
-found out my Dad's house is sold.... kind of a good AND bad thing!
-Went to a 40th Anniversary for Greg and Todd's parents.
-Went camping for a couple of days with Fred/Michelle/Dylan, and Stew/Jennifer/Sydney/Kelsey.
-Went to a viewing for a good friend that lost here Mother .... NOT good!
AND
-I keep putting up with more bullshit from work....Ron, the guy that talks a good game hasn't worked a weekend ALL summer, I, have worked every weekend but 1, and I do WAY more work....Where is the justice??
Let's just say I like the rest of the crew otherwise it would be depressing going into work every night.
Lot's more, but let's talk a little bit about camping.
It was a nice short drive to Arrowhead Provincial Park(look it up if you're interested!), Davis Drive to durham 23, to 169 North, to 11 North. Took about 2 hours including a stop for a pee(piss ?). Nice drive both ways, things moved really well when you hit 11 North, 12/48 was a little slow but it was bearable.
The park itself was pretty nice, big sites with 2 cars per site, clean grounds and good bathrooms, and about 5 minutes to Hunstville.
The only problem I reall had was the beach was pretty shitty, although the rest of the campgrounds is on par with a park like Sandbanks Provincial Park(Umm you know), the beach was a sad excuse. If you are looking at having any kite fights or lots of people, go to Sandbanks. If you prefer smaller crowds try Arrowhead, you also close enough to some VERY good golf courses!!
Please remember it's not the site that make the experience worthwhile, it's the people you're with that do that. Good friends can make a shithole look like a palace!!
Can you feel the love Ha Ha!!
Later
Goo
P.s. I'll be updating my "top 10-15-20" list of music, I've decided the remove India.Arie from it, she's not quite there, and add Meatloaf "Bat out of Hell", how could I have forgotten that album??? Oh the shame!
Saturday, July 09, 2005
The definitive music list
It recently came to mind that I never made a definitive list of my favourite music. You see I've been trying to get back into the music thing, and when I found I started to enjoy the new White Stripes and Foo fighters albums I thought about doing a top 10-15-20 albums list.
I'd like to see a few people try the albums I list as my top albums, but I don't really see people jumping all over the idea. Just try one of the albums on the list that you haven't heard, and give it a chance. You see I've had more than a few people say how diversified my taste in music is, everything from Hard Rock to Jazz to Classical and Soul.
In no specific order ....................................................
India.Arie ....Acoustic Soul .... 2001
Music for the soul!
Fred and Stew laughed at me when I pulled up to the first baseball practice with this album playing in the summer of 2001, mostly when I said it was a great album HHmm !
when the 2002 Grammy nominations were announced on January 4th 2002. That morning, India.Arie astonished the record industry by drawing nominations in seven categories, including Best New Artist, and Record, Song and Album of the Year -- the most of any solo artist, and one less than the most-nominated act, U2.
Was(Not Was) .... Are you OK? .... 1990
Funky Stuff !!
This is probably one of my favourite albums and has a place in "Stew's Civic" as my most listened to Cd in that car. By todays music it's pretty dated, but it has a combination of fun music(Are you ok?, K-mart wardrobe), to socially relevent stuff(Maria Navarro, I blew up The United States). Guests include Leonard Cohen, Syd Straw, Iggy Pop, the Roches and rapper G Love E, who puts his stamp on an otherwise straight (albeit updated) cover of the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." The older albums are just as much fun, if less up tempo, and for the lack of a better word would be considered "different" by most people .... Nothing worng with being different though:-)
Billy Joel .... The Stranger .... 1977
Not much to say here, quite possibly the BEST solo male rock/pop artist ever. I KNOW I know, he ain't no Elton John, but Billy Joel writes all of his songs, and trys a different genre with each album. Good ole Rock and Roll from albums like Glass Houses to 50's based Innocent Man, even trying classical music with Fantasies and Delusions. Now let's see Elton John do that!!
Billy Joel and Stuart Malina won the Best Orchestrations trophy for "Movin' Out" at the 57th Annual Tony Awards. "Movin' Out" is a new musical conceived, choreographed, and directed by Twyla Tharp. It is based on the songs and music of Billy Joel.
Billy Joel .... An Innocent Man ....1983
50's style, doo-wop mostly
See above ...
To be completely honest I could include at least 3 other Billy Joel albums on this list, Piano Man, 52 Street(not including the craptacular "My Life"), and Storm Front, but I figure you may have heard of Billy Joel already.
Melissa Etheridge .... (Self Titled) .... 1988
Hillbilly rock ... BABY!
This was a great debut album. With her raspy voice and strong stange presence I couldn't wait to see this girl live even WAAAAYY back then. Lierally every song on this album is strong, "don't you need? don't you feel? sometimes I wonder if you are real!!" . I haven't pulled this out in a while, I think it's about time for an extended listen.
Check out Brave and Crazy, her second album, for some tracks that are great live and loud.
Pink Floyd .... The Dark Side of the Moon.... 1973
Rock and Roll with a side of really strong weed!
If you haven't heard this album, it's time to come out from under the rock where you live. I've probably listened to this album with headphones on 30 times over the years, just sit back and enjoy.
They recently released this on SACD with a new 5.1 surround mix, looks like I'll be getting that soon. Too bad I can't use the headphones anymore.
I could also include The Wall in this list, it's a fantastic album, I just felt this was a little stronger.
I also couldn't bring myself to watch the movie "The Wall", the eye brow shaving thing was a little much for me.
Fairground Attraction .... First of a Million Kisses .... 1988
I'll bet you that you've never heard of this album!
It's soft and poetic, it doesn't overrun you, it's perfect for that dinner party with the yuppies next door, I love it! FoaMK is a beautifully put together album where the songs fade in and out almost seamlessly, almost begging you to listen a little longer.
Don't expect to fall in love quickly, give it a chance, think of it as a hot bath on a cold day!
Jim Croce .... Photographs And Memories (His Greatest Hits) .... 1984
A folk/blues/rock singer with a penchant for stroy telling
If you buy only on Jim Croce album, make it this one. Songs like Operator, One Less Set Of Footsteps, and Time in a bottle make this a great album
Jim died in September 1973, who knows how big his career would might have been.
Oh, and I told myself I'd never include a greatest hit/live album, I'm sorry!
Rush .... Exit Stage Left(live) .... 1981
underrated live album form the Rock and Roll Kings of Canada.
Not recorded too well, tough to hear all of the instruments, but WOW what a show.
I don't know when I got this album since I was only 13 when it came out, but I know I listened to it many MANY times on the turntable of my Yorx stereo system. Neil Pearts drum solo on this album kicks serious ass and Geddy Lee goin high on ANY song was always a treat.
I really think I jumped ship after Signals was released in 1982 and the band lost some of it's direction.
Sinead O'connor .... The Lion and The Cobra ....1987
Pop/Rock glory.
Released in 1987 when I was 19 this is quite possibly the best debut by a solo female artist I've heard. Words in music have always meant a lot to me, The Lion and The Cobra delivers. I'm always amazed when she lets go and you feel the emotion, and the hurt in her voice. Listen to Troy for an incredible song, or pull out her next album "I do not Want what I haven't Got" and listen to the Prince cover of "Nothing Compares to you" for some vintage Sinead. I remember staring at the video of this song every time it played for a month. It's a really simple video of just her face looking at the camera .... fantastic.
Tracy Chapman .... (Self Titled) .... 1988
Folk music with social relevance.
Talking about hate, love, poverty, and abuse this albums strong points are the both the lyrics and Tracy Chapmans interesting voice. Her song about abuse "Behind The Wall" will shake you to the core, even stronger when you hear that it's done a cappela. Don't expect a light, flaky album, be ready to be hit with the issues.
Barenaked Ladies .... Gordon .... 1992
Fun pop music with a hook.
When my buddy Stew told me about the new group(that only had an EP out at the time) the Barenaked Ladies I almost laughed just because of the silly name. Now I look back and wish I'd have gone with Stew when he went to see them play at the Ontario Place way back then.
If you aren't tapping your toes after hearing this album... well you don't have any toes!
Highlights include "Box Set", "Brian Wilson", and " The King of Bedside Manor ", your choices may vary.
Back later !!!!!!!!
I'd like to see a few people try the albums I list as my top albums, but I don't really see people jumping all over the idea. Just try one of the albums on the list that you haven't heard, and give it a chance. You see I've had more than a few people say how diversified my taste in music is, everything from Hard Rock to Jazz to Classical and Soul.
In no specific order ....................................................
India.Arie ....Acoustic Soul .... 2001
Music for the soul!
Fred and Stew laughed at me when I pulled up to the first baseball practice with this album playing in the summer of 2001, mostly when I said it was a great album HHmm !
when the 2002 Grammy nominations were announced on January 4th 2002. That morning, India.Arie astonished the record industry by drawing nominations in seven categories, including Best New Artist, and Record, Song and Album of the Year -- the most of any solo artist, and one less than the most-nominated act, U2.
Was(Not Was) .... Are you OK? .... 1990
Funky Stuff !!
This is probably one of my favourite albums and has a place in "Stew's Civic" as my most listened to Cd in that car. By todays music it's pretty dated, but it has a combination of fun music(Are you ok?, K-mart wardrobe), to socially relevent stuff(Maria Navarro, I blew up The United States). Guests include Leonard Cohen, Syd Straw, Iggy Pop, the Roches and rapper G Love E, who puts his stamp on an otherwise straight (albeit updated) cover of the Temptations' "Papa Was a Rolling Stone." The older albums are just as much fun, if less up tempo, and for the lack of a better word would be considered "different" by most people .... Nothing worng with being different though:-)
Billy Joel .... The Stranger .... 1977
Not much to say here, quite possibly the BEST solo male rock/pop artist ever. I KNOW I know, he ain't no Elton John, but Billy Joel writes all of his songs, and trys a different genre with each album. Good ole Rock and Roll from albums like Glass Houses to 50's based Innocent Man, even trying classical music with Fantasies and Delusions. Now let's see Elton John do that!!
Billy Joel and Stuart Malina won the Best Orchestrations trophy for "Movin' Out" at the 57th Annual Tony Awards. "Movin' Out" is a new musical conceived, choreographed, and directed by Twyla Tharp. It is based on the songs and music of Billy Joel.
Billy Joel .... An Innocent Man ....1983
50's style, doo-wop mostly
See above ...
To be completely honest I could include at least 3 other Billy Joel albums on this list, Piano Man, 52 Street(not including the craptacular "My Life"), and Storm Front, but I figure you may have heard of Billy Joel already.
Melissa Etheridge .... (Self Titled) .... 1988
Hillbilly rock ... BABY!
This was a great debut album. With her raspy voice and strong stange presence I couldn't wait to see this girl live even WAAAAYY back then. Lierally every song on this album is strong, "don't you need? don't you feel? sometimes I wonder if you are real!!" . I haven't pulled this out in a while, I think it's about time for an extended listen.
Check out Brave and Crazy, her second album, for some tracks that are great live and loud.
Pink Floyd .... The Dark Side of the Moon.... 1973
Rock and Roll with a side of really strong weed!
If you haven't heard this album, it's time to come out from under the rock where you live. I've probably listened to this album with headphones on 30 times over the years, just sit back and enjoy.
They recently released this on SACD with a new 5.1 surround mix, looks like I'll be getting that soon. Too bad I can't use the headphones anymore.
I could also include The Wall in this list, it's a fantastic album, I just felt this was a little stronger.
I also couldn't bring myself to watch the movie "The Wall", the eye brow shaving thing was a little much for me.
Fairground Attraction .... First of a Million Kisses .... 1988
I'll bet you that you've never heard of this album!
It's soft and poetic, it doesn't overrun you, it's perfect for that dinner party with the yuppies next door, I love it! FoaMK is a beautifully put together album where the songs fade in and out almost seamlessly, almost begging you to listen a little longer.
Don't expect to fall in love quickly, give it a chance, think of it as a hot bath on a cold day!
Jim Croce .... Photographs And Memories (His Greatest Hits) .... 1984
A folk/blues/rock singer with a penchant for stroy telling
If you buy only on Jim Croce album, make it this one. Songs like Operator, One Less Set Of Footsteps, and Time in a bottle make this a great album
Jim died in September 1973, who knows how big his career would might have been.
Oh, and I told myself I'd never include a greatest hit/live album, I'm sorry!
Rush .... Exit Stage Left(live) .... 1981
underrated live album form the Rock and Roll Kings of Canada.
Not recorded too well, tough to hear all of the instruments, but WOW what a show.
I don't know when I got this album since I was only 13 when it came out, but I know I listened to it many MANY times on the turntable of my Yorx stereo system. Neil Pearts drum solo on this album kicks serious ass and Geddy Lee goin high on ANY song was always a treat.
I really think I jumped ship after Signals was released in 1982 and the band lost some of it's direction.
Sinead O'connor .... The Lion and The Cobra ....1987
Pop/Rock glory.
Released in 1987 when I was 19 this is quite possibly the best debut by a solo female artist I've heard. Words in music have always meant a lot to me, The Lion and The Cobra delivers. I'm always amazed when she lets go and you feel the emotion, and the hurt in her voice. Listen to Troy for an incredible song, or pull out her next album "I do not Want what I haven't Got" and listen to the Prince cover of "Nothing Compares to you" for some vintage Sinead. I remember staring at the video of this song every time it played for a month. It's a really simple video of just her face looking at the camera .... fantastic.
Tracy Chapman .... (Self Titled) .... 1988
Folk music with social relevance.
Talking about hate, love, poverty, and abuse this albums strong points are the both the lyrics and Tracy Chapmans interesting voice. Her song about abuse "Behind The Wall" will shake you to the core, even stronger when you hear that it's done a cappela. Don't expect a light, flaky album, be ready to be hit with the issues.
Barenaked Ladies .... Gordon .... 1992
Fun pop music with a hook.
When my buddy Stew told me about the new group(that only had an EP out at the time) the Barenaked Ladies I almost laughed just because of the silly name. Now I look back and wish I'd have gone with Stew when he went to see them play at the Ontario Place way back then.
If you aren't tapping your toes after hearing this album... well you don't have any toes!
Highlights include "Box Set", "Brian Wilson", and " The King of Bedside Manor ", your choices may vary.
Back later !!!!!!!!
The definition of a "blog"
"
A short form for weblog, a personal journal published on the Web. Blogs frequently include philosophical reflections, opinions on the Internet and social issues, and provide a "log" of the author's favorite web links. Blogs are usually presented in journal style with a new entry each day.
"
To be completely honest, I don't know what this "blog" is. Is it a personal journal? doesn't seem to be heading in that direction, and being posted on the web doesn't exactly make it like a diary. will I be including my thoughts on the news? Probably, if anybody cares. WIll it have web links?? you betcha, just wait till I do my "Home theater" entry.
What I hope this "blog" ends up being is a place where I can put some thoughts, and maybe, just maybe, some people will realize I'm not always goofy, I think about more than "what movie am I seeing next week", I take work(even being quite menial in nature) very seriously, and where people will realize I'm more than the sum of my parts.
Brent
Being wealthy doesn't make you succesful, being happy does! I guarantee you that I'm much happier than lots of "wealthy" people, if only because my life is simpler, and I can enjoy life.
Remember "Life's a journey, not a destination", and how high can you fly when you're constantly being weighed down by all the little stuff that happens?
A short form for weblog, a personal journal published on the Web. Blogs frequently include philosophical reflections, opinions on the Internet and social issues, and provide a "log" of the author's favorite web links. Blogs are usually presented in journal style with a new entry each day.
"
To be completely honest, I don't know what this "blog" is. Is it a personal journal? doesn't seem to be heading in that direction, and being posted on the web doesn't exactly make it like a diary. will I be including my thoughts on the news? Probably, if anybody cares. WIll it have web links?? you betcha, just wait till I do my "Home theater" entry.
What I hope this "blog" ends up being is a place where I can put some thoughts, and maybe, just maybe, some people will realize I'm not always goofy, I think about more than "what movie am I seeing next week", I take work(even being quite menial in nature) very seriously, and where people will realize I'm more than the sum of my parts.
Brent
Being wealthy doesn't make you succesful, being happy does! I guarantee you that I'm much happier than lots of "wealthy" people, if only because my life is simpler, and I can enjoy life.
Remember "Life's a journey, not a destination", and how high can you fly when you're constantly being weighed down by all the little stuff that happens?
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
A conscience clearing thing!
There's one sad truth in life I've found
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I'm sure that during the "Donna" years I must have saved 25-30 different poems, some about love and some about life, but this is one of my favourites.
I remember writing poems in those days, even though I'm not sure why. The love poems seemed to be my way to stay close to Donna even though I didn't see her much. While the "other" poems were more just ramblings than a poem about something specific.
Sometimes I wonder where I'm going when I start these things, and this one doesn't seem to be going anywhere so I'll make a statment that none of my EXgirlfriends will ever read(and I'm leaving out less important girlfriends that I don't feel I need to say sorry to).
I'm sorry for what happened, I hold no ill will and I hope you don't either.
Now to 4 specific people
Jennifer R .... Sorry, posting the "girl next door" picture and article was a little bit much I agree, but DAMN you had an attitude problem. Sure you were good looking, I got more than a few people giving me high fives when you and I went to Kellingtons, but ordering me to "change the radio station, I don't like what you're listening too" in my own car was going TOO FAR. That's why I posted the picture, strange that I was the one that got you IN the paper. I hope you learned a little about humility.
Christie A.G. ....I think I finally figured out why we broke up, I missed your birthday, Whoops! It was either that or you screwed around and tried to make me feel guilty. I was completely into the relationship, but was told afterwards that my friends didn't really like you too much, so It all worked out well in the end anyways.
Donna.L.B .... HHmm, you were my first love, even though It was more of a long distance thing, and I can NEVER think ill of you. I'm very happy to see you with a few kids, you sssoooo looked forward to having some. I loved the long talks we had, spending hours on the phone hearing each other breath, and talking about our dreams always left me smiling. Neither of us seemed to go the distance though, it seemed we were both content with "love from afar". I really think we connected more as friends that loved each other, but in the end that wasn't a bad thing.
Thanks for ALL of the talks, I never had a hard time hanging up on anyone but you .... "are you still there?", "no you hang up first", "are you still there?"
Oh kids:-)
Allison B .... You were the love of my life and my best friend and I regret everyday not telling you how I felt in Cancun. I don't think I'll ever be over you. Everytime we held hands I felt like the world could end and I'd be happy because you were at my side. You inspired confidence in the way you touched me, and everytime you smiled at me my heart skipped a beat. I could talk to you about anything, silly or serious, and you'd know what to say.
I can't hope for forgivness in this world, but when we meet in the next world maybe we can go and see a Steven Segal movie for old times sake!
Let's just hope his movies are better than they are here:-)
SSooo folks I guess this was a conscience clearing event for me, nothing too interesting for other people, but makes me feel a little better.
Later
Brent
While journeying east and west -
The only folks we really wound
Are those we love the best.
We flatter those we scarcely know,
We please the fleeting guest,
And deal full many a thoughtless blow
To those who love us best.
~Ella Wheeler Wilcox
I'm sure that during the "Donna" years I must have saved 25-30 different poems, some about love and some about life, but this is one of my favourites.
I remember writing poems in those days, even though I'm not sure why. The love poems seemed to be my way to stay close to Donna even though I didn't see her much. While the "other" poems were more just ramblings than a poem about something specific.
Sometimes I wonder where I'm going when I start these things, and this one doesn't seem to be going anywhere so I'll make a statment that none of my EXgirlfriends will ever read(and I'm leaving out less important girlfriends that I don't feel I need to say sorry to).
I'm sorry for what happened, I hold no ill will and I hope you don't either.
Now to 4 specific people
Jennifer R .... Sorry, posting the "girl next door" picture and article was a little bit much I agree, but DAMN you had an attitude problem. Sure you were good looking, I got more than a few people giving me high fives when you and I went to Kellingtons, but ordering me to "change the radio station, I don't like what you're listening too" in my own car was going TOO FAR. That's why I posted the picture, strange that I was the one that got you IN the paper. I hope you learned a little about humility.
Christie A.G. ....I think I finally figured out why we broke up, I missed your birthday, Whoops! It was either that or you screwed around and tried to make me feel guilty. I was completely into the relationship, but was told afterwards that my friends didn't really like you too much, so It all worked out well in the end anyways.
Donna.L.B .... HHmm, you were my first love, even though It was more of a long distance thing, and I can NEVER think ill of you. I'm very happy to see you with a few kids, you sssoooo looked forward to having some. I loved the long talks we had, spending hours on the phone hearing each other breath, and talking about our dreams always left me smiling. Neither of us seemed to go the distance though, it seemed we were both content with "love from afar". I really think we connected more as friends that loved each other, but in the end that wasn't a bad thing.
Thanks for ALL of the talks, I never had a hard time hanging up on anyone but you .... "are you still there?", "no you hang up first", "are you still there?"
Oh kids:-)
Allison B .... You were the love of my life and my best friend and I regret everyday not telling you how I felt in Cancun. I don't think I'll ever be over you. Everytime we held hands I felt like the world could end and I'd be happy because you were at my side. You inspired confidence in the way you touched me, and everytime you smiled at me my heart skipped a beat. I could talk to you about anything, silly or serious, and you'd know what to say.
I can't hope for forgivness in this world, but when we meet in the next world maybe we can go and see a Steven Segal movie for old times sake!
Let's just hope his movies are better than they are here:-)
SSooo folks I guess this was a conscience clearing event for me, nothing too interesting for other people, but makes me feel a little better.
Later
Brent
Thursday, June 30, 2005
War of the Worlds review
War of the Worlds ....67%
Tom Cruise,
Miranda Otto,
Dakota Fanning
What to say about this flick... HHHmmm! OK, I liked it, sure there were lots of problems but if you can see past them you'll probably like this film.
The good
-The first 100 minutes (the movie is 117 minutes long).
-Dakota Fanning... if she can get rolls that don't require her to spend most of the time crying, she may turn out to be a great actor. She already has the ability to express emotion through the eyes and small jestures(SP) and movement, something most actors can't do well.
-the CG was very well done. I loved the forced perspective when you first see the "tripod"from behind the tree, it was probably pretty easy to do(similiar to layering photos I'd guess) but it really added to the beginning.
-The "tripods" were pretty cool and were very destructive.The "walkers" reminded me of the aliens from ID4, the fact that they had 3 legs made the design of the "tripods" make more sense .....smart move!
_Steven Speilberg is a fantastic director. He had Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning do things I wouldn't have expected, and his smart use of comedy was a rather nice tension breaker early in the film.
- The action just never stops.
The bad
- OK, after the EMP hits and everything stops working(watches,lights,cars) why did we see a guy photographing the scene, another guy videotape the scene, and after a replacing a simple starter solonoid how can Tom Cruise and his family simply drive away in a van??? I guess this is what's called a selective EMP, make sure you take out the enemies watches and window fans first!
- Even if I was entralled by the lightning and the ground opening up, my first line would have been "oh shit, my kids" and I would have run back to get them out of there.
- Follow the masses, it's a sure way to "hide in plain site". Does it work? uhmm NOPE!
- The "water tenticle" from The Abyss was a great scene by James Cameron, but doing a similar type of thing in this flick wasn't as cool, and what with the "tenticle" not having any infrared or ultra violet or heat sensing radar???
--Oh Stephen you BAD BAD boy, WHY couldn't you make the ending a little less fluffy?? First you have the son make it to Boston ahead of Tom and Dakota ....Damnit the son should be dead, how did he survive?? Then you make sure the house in Boston is in perfect condition and the street nearly untouched.
- In my opinion they should have ended it with the the people looking as the space hatch opens and a dead Aliens hand comes falling out. Fade to black and have a voiceover talk about the aliens inability to handle germs THE END
I might have raised the score a little higher if the ending wasn't so sweet(71-73%). I can get over the small problems, but the son making it to Boston was an actual LOL moment!
Brent
Tom Cruise,
Miranda Otto,
Dakota Fanning
What to say about this flick... HHHmmm! OK, I liked it, sure there were lots of problems but if you can see past them you'll probably like this film.
The good
-The first 100 minutes (the movie is 117 minutes long).
-Dakota Fanning... if she can get rolls that don't require her to spend most of the time crying, she may turn out to be a great actor. She already has the ability to express emotion through the eyes and small jestures(SP) and movement, something most actors can't do well.
-the CG was very well done. I loved the forced perspective when you first see the "tripod"from behind the tree, it was probably pretty easy to do(similiar to layering photos I'd guess) but it really added to the beginning.
-The "tripods" were pretty cool and were very destructive.The "walkers" reminded me of the aliens from ID4, the fact that they had 3 legs made the design of the "tripods" make more sense .....smart move!
_Steven Speilberg is a fantastic director. He had Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning do things I wouldn't have expected, and his smart use of comedy was a rather nice tension breaker early in the film.
- The action just never stops.
The bad
- OK, after the EMP hits and everything stops working(watches,lights,cars) why did we see a guy photographing the scene, another guy videotape the scene, and after a replacing a simple starter solonoid how can Tom Cruise and his family simply drive away in a van??? I guess this is what's called a selective EMP, make sure you take out the enemies watches and window fans first!
- Even if I was entralled by the lightning and the ground opening up, my first line would have been "oh shit, my kids" and I would have run back to get them out of there.
- Follow the masses, it's a sure way to "hide in plain site". Does it work? uhmm NOPE!
- The "water tenticle" from The Abyss was a great scene by James Cameron, but doing a similar type of thing in this flick wasn't as cool, and what with the "tenticle" not having any infrared or ultra violet or heat sensing radar???
--Oh Stephen you BAD BAD boy, WHY couldn't you make the ending a little less fluffy?? First you have the son make it to Boston ahead of Tom and Dakota ....Damnit the son should be dead, how did he survive?? Then you make sure the house in Boston is in perfect condition and the street nearly untouched.
- In my opinion they should have ended it with the the people looking as the space hatch opens and a dead Aliens hand comes falling out. Fade to black and have a voiceover talk about the aliens inability to handle germs THE END
I might have raised the score a little higher if the ending wasn't so sweet(71-73%). I can get over the small problems, but the son making it to Boston was an actual LOL moment!
Brent
Tuesday, June 28, 2005
What's with this damn heat
You know it's getting pretty annoying to look outside and see all the weeds growing, but it's too damn hot to do anything about it.
What's worse is the rabbits found the little hole I left and completely devoured all of the strawberries.
So anyways it looks like I'll have to go out in this heat for at least a couple of hours, and try to figure out which is a plant and which is a weed.
Later
Brent
What's worse is the rabbits found the little hole I left and completely devoured all of the strawberries.
So anyways it looks like I'll have to go out in this heat for at least a couple of hours, and try to figure out which is a plant and which is a weed.
Later
Brent
Monday, June 27, 2005
Short Movie reviews
http://www.kingdomofheavenmovie.com/
http://sisterhoodofthetravelingpants.warnerbros.com/
http://www.cinderellamanmovie.com/
http://www.mrandmrssmithmovie.com/
http://batmanbegins.warnerbros.com/
http://www.landofthedeadmovie.net/
Sorry to start this way, but I haven't figured out how to enbed a link yet. So until I do I'll post relevant links at the beginning of my posts.
As a movie reviewer I tend to believe that Roger Ebert is one of the best. I rarely disagree with his reviews, but you'll find that with my first review I don't agree with him all the time.
These will be quick reviews, and are not meant to steer you towards a bad flick or push you away from a good flick, make up your own mind. I will also not offer a synopsis for people wondering about the movies I review. I give you the links, and you follow them.
Kingdom of Heaven .....55%
Orlando Bloom
Eva Green
Jeremy Irons
This was the last flick in a day that had me seeing 3 movies. It was my birthday and I needed to fill my day, so I added this flick and boy was I dissapointed.
I was hoping that Orlando Bloom would be a strong lead in this movie, but I think he lacks the presence of a Russell Crowe in Gladiator or even a Brad Pitt in Troy. I also wonder whether he's a good actor or just got lucky acting with VERY good actors, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean, or in great movies like the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Needless to say this isn't even a renter for me, and should be watched only when free.
Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants .....80%
Amber Tamblyn
America Ferrera
Alexis Bledel
Blake Lively
I know what you're saying "Brent, I thought this was a chic flick", well you're right, but I loved it anyways.
4 teenage girls find a pair of pants fits them all perfectly, they spend the summer in different places learning, growing, and sending the pants to the next "sister".
I knew I wouldn't last long on my "no synopsis" thing .... oh well!
Of the 4 girls and their stories the toughest story to enjoy was the story of Bridget (BLAKE LIVELY) the supersexy soccer star. while being very easy on the eyes her acting abilites are a little suspect and her soccer abilities are too. The fact that she's a little promiscous in the movie is kind of a turnoff, but without that she wouldn't have a reason to grow as a person, or a have a storline
Well worth a rental, even for the men in the audience.
Cinderella Man .....83%
Russell Crowe,
Renee Zellweger,
Paul Giamatti
Very solid flick about an over the hill/has been boxer( James J. Braddock) that gets another chance to box during the great depression.
Both Russell and Renee are very good actors and we see why in this movie. Russell seems to have the ability to completely transform himself, and was pretty good at playing a boxer. I just wondered when he was going to throw a phone at somebodies head ... Sorry, I had to! Rene is strong AGAIN in this flick but I fear she may be slowly typecasting herself in this type of movie.
Based on a true story with a very good cast and a strong director(Ron Howard) makes this flick a rental even if you aren't a fan of boxing.
Mr and Mrs Smith .....75%
Brad Pitt,
Angelina Jolie
Not exactly Academy Award stuff but fun and sexy all the same.
Husband and wife, both hired killers get hired to kill each other. Great plot EH? Doesn't sound to good till you see it onscreen.
These 2 are very good together. Regardless of whether they really are having affair, they sure sizzle on screen. Angelina is possibly the sexiest woman EVER, but I figured this out after watching GIA on Satellite at Fred's cottage 10 years ago. Brad Pitt on the other hand, is a hunk, pure and simple and I can almost understand why woman fawn all over him. Together they look like they had loads of fun making this flick because what you see on screen sure looks like a lot of fun. Some interesting gadgets and lots of explosions add to the mix and are fun to watch being used even though I am ANTI gun.
I'll be buying this, I can't wait to hear this flick at home.
Batman Begins ......%85
Christian Bale,
Michael Caine,
Katie Holmes
Liam Neeson
So you think the Batman Franchise is dead EH? ....WRONG! In 1 movie this franchise is back in full force and looks to have the strongest Batman yet.
Christian Bale plays the "man in black" and seems to have figured out the role first time round. Michael Caine is solid as Alfred the Butler, Liam Neeson is good as the bad guy, the only miscasting was Katie Holmes. Miss Holmes doesn't have the Ummph to play the female lead/love interest, and when she's onscreen she pretty much drags the film down. It's good to hear that she may not be back for the next flick. I also liked the scarecrow as the villian, but I'm really looking forward to the next flick when one of Batmans greatest foes returns to reek havoc ....I can't wait!
Loved it, although I'll need to see the extras on the DVD before I decide whether to add it to my collection.
Land of the Dead .....%65
John Leguizamo
Dennis Hopper
Simon Baker
Land, Zombies, get it?
Pretty simple premise about Zombies taking over and a group of militia trying to keep them away form the rich people of "the green". Oh, the green is the name of the city that Dennis's character saves from the zombies
Dennis Hopper was fun in this flick, played it a little over the top as the pseudo president of The Green, but he's good at that. John L is pretty good as one of the militia that decides he wants to get his from the rich folks, starting with Dennis Hoppers character. Simon Baker is the real lead of this flick, but does it really matter?? all I was there for was to see zombies tearing limbs off of people, and to watch blood splurt all over, and I left satisfied.
Worth a look on Halloween, and good for a laugh, but there are other flicks that are better, including 2004's remake of Dawn of the Dead with Canada's own Sarah Polley in the lead.
That's it for tonight, since most of these updates were done at once I've spent nearly 4 hours here and it's time for a nap.
See ya!
Brent
http://sisterhoodofthetravelingpants.warnerbros.com/
http://www.cinderellamanmovie.com/
http://www.mrandmrssmithmovie.com/
http://batmanbegins.warnerbros.com/
http://www.landofthedeadmovie.net/
Sorry to start this way, but I haven't figured out how to enbed a link yet. So until I do I'll post relevant links at the beginning of my posts.
As a movie reviewer I tend to believe that Roger Ebert is one of the best. I rarely disagree with his reviews, but you'll find that with my first review I don't agree with him all the time.
These will be quick reviews, and are not meant to steer you towards a bad flick or push you away from a good flick, make up your own mind. I will also not offer a synopsis for people wondering about the movies I review. I give you the links, and you follow them.
Kingdom of Heaven .....55%
Orlando Bloom
Eva Green
Jeremy Irons
This was the last flick in a day that had me seeing 3 movies. It was my birthday and I needed to fill my day, so I added this flick and boy was I dissapointed.
I was hoping that Orlando Bloom would be a strong lead in this movie, but I think he lacks the presence of a Russell Crowe in Gladiator or even a Brad Pitt in Troy. I also wonder whether he's a good actor or just got lucky acting with VERY good actors, Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Carribean, or in great movies like the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Needless to say this isn't even a renter for me, and should be watched only when free.
Sisterhood of The Travelling Pants .....80%
Amber Tamblyn
America Ferrera
Alexis Bledel
Blake Lively
I know what you're saying "Brent, I thought this was a chic flick", well you're right, but I loved it anyways.
4 teenage girls find a pair of pants fits them all perfectly, they spend the summer in different places learning, growing, and sending the pants to the next "sister".
I knew I wouldn't last long on my "no synopsis" thing .... oh well!
Of the 4 girls and their stories the toughest story to enjoy was the story of Bridget (BLAKE LIVELY) the supersexy soccer star. while being very easy on the eyes her acting abilites are a little suspect and her soccer abilities are too. The fact that she's a little promiscous in the movie is kind of a turnoff, but without that she wouldn't have a reason to grow as a person, or a have a storline
Well worth a rental, even for the men in the audience.
Cinderella Man .....83%
Russell Crowe,
Renee Zellweger,
Paul Giamatti
Very solid flick about an over the hill/has been boxer( James J. Braddock) that gets another chance to box during the great depression.
Both Russell and Renee are very good actors and we see why in this movie. Russell seems to have the ability to completely transform himself, and was pretty good at playing a boxer. I just wondered when he was going to throw a phone at somebodies head ... Sorry, I had to! Rene is strong AGAIN in this flick but I fear she may be slowly typecasting herself in this type of movie.
Based on a true story with a very good cast and a strong director(Ron Howard) makes this flick a rental even if you aren't a fan of boxing.
Mr and Mrs Smith .....75%
Brad Pitt,
Angelina Jolie
Not exactly Academy Award stuff but fun and sexy all the same.
Husband and wife, both hired killers get hired to kill each other. Great plot EH? Doesn't sound to good till you see it onscreen.
These 2 are very good together. Regardless of whether they really are having affair, they sure sizzle on screen. Angelina is possibly the sexiest woman EVER, but I figured this out after watching GIA on Satellite at Fred's cottage 10 years ago. Brad Pitt on the other hand, is a hunk, pure and simple and I can almost understand why woman fawn all over him. Together they look like they had loads of fun making this flick because what you see on screen sure looks like a lot of fun. Some interesting gadgets and lots of explosions add to the mix and are fun to watch being used even though I am ANTI gun.
I'll be buying this, I can't wait to hear this flick at home.
Batman Begins ......%85
Christian Bale,
Michael Caine,
Katie Holmes
Liam Neeson
So you think the Batman Franchise is dead EH? ....WRONG! In 1 movie this franchise is back in full force and looks to have the strongest Batman yet.
Christian Bale plays the "man in black" and seems to have figured out the role first time round. Michael Caine is solid as Alfred the Butler, Liam Neeson is good as the bad guy, the only miscasting was Katie Holmes. Miss Holmes doesn't have the Ummph to play the female lead/love interest, and when she's onscreen she pretty much drags the film down. It's good to hear that she may not be back for the next flick. I also liked the scarecrow as the villian, but I'm really looking forward to the next flick when one of Batmans greatest foes returns to reek havoc ....I can't wait!
Loved it, although I'll need to see the extras on the DVD before I decide whether to add it to my collection.
Land of the Dead .....%65
John Leguizamo
Dennis Hopper
Simon Baker
Land, Zombies, get it?
Pretty simple premise about Zombies taking over and a group of militia trying to keep them away form the rich people of "the green". Oh, the green is the name of the city that Dennis's character saves from the zombies
Dennis Hopper was fun in this flick, played it a little over the top as the pseudo president of The Green, but he's good at that. John L is pretty good as one of the militia that decides he wants to get his from the rich folks, starting with Dennis Hoppers character. Simon Baker is the real lead of this flick, but does it really matter?? all I was there for was to see zombies tearing limbs off of people, and to watch blood splurt all over, and I left satisfied.
Worth a look on Halloween, and good for a laugh, but there are other flicks that are better, including 2004's remake of Dawn of the Dead with Canada's own Sarah Polley in the lead.
That's it for tonight, since most of these updates were done at once I've spent nearly 4 hours here and it's time for a nap.
See ya!
Brent
Tom Cruise .... HUH?
I've been sitting here for more than an hour and getting more and more upset as I go on. Initially I couldn't think about what to write in my first actual Blog post. Should I make it funny? maybe it should be socially relevant?? or how about making it about something that bugs me??? YEP, that's it, Tom Cruise and his recent antics, they REALLY bug me.
Let's get this straight, I'm not big fan of Tom Cruise(TC for short), I don't think he's a very good actor, although he did suprise in The Last Samarai, and sometimes I wonder how he made it as an actor. Sure he's got a few things going for him. He's good looking(that always helps), he's got lots of Charisma(or is that the "I'm fantastic look at me" thing?), and he can memorize lines and take direction. What I think he lacks is an ability to go beyond his rolaes and try to improve his ability. Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DeCaprio(among others) have the ability to tranform themselves, bringing them rolls and accolades that TC may never earn. It's good to know that TC has the ability to read, but that's the next paragraph:)
So have we seen enough of Tom Cruise lately? Between the impending release of War of the Worlds in which he stars, the Oprah brain fart, the Today show fiasco, and the Katie Holmes thing(related to the Oprah thing) he has been all over the entertainment news recently. The Oprah show thing is kind of interesting http://waxy.org/random/video/Tom_Cruise_Kills_Oprah.mov , maybe not THAT interesting but silly none the less. Tom Expressed his love for Katie and was seen jumping on the couch explaining that he just can't control himself. I see it as more of a marketing/promotion thing for both TC and KH. You see that any publicity is good, and with both KH and TC having new releases on the market, Tom with War and Katie with Batman, you'll understand the reason for all of this. Now the TODAY SHOW interview was funny http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8343367/ , it was also quite absurd. You see that Tom is into a religion/cult called Scientology and has been pushing it pretty heavily recently, going even so far as having a booth on set while filming his movies. I won't try to explain Scientology, but suffice to say it's pretty much a list of do's and don'ts that is supposed to help you with your life. If that were true though why would KH give up all of her friends and be seen with a Scientology advisor on a regular basis lately? Tom also seems to be trying to debunk Physciatry lately, explaining that he has read up on things and knows more than Matt Lauer, and that Broooke Shields was wrong for taking drugs for post partum depression. Going so far as to say Brooke could have taken Vitamins or done exercises to deal with the depression ..... OK!! you go Tom!
We'll end this by saying ...Katie Holmes said that when she was young her dream guy was Tom Cruise. What would you do to be with your dream guy or girl?? even if they are CRAZZZY!
Let's get this straight, I'm not big fan of Tom Cruise(TC for short), I don't think he's a very good actor, although he did suprise in The Last Samarai, and sometimes I wonder how he made it as an actor. Sure he's got a few things going for him. He's good looking(that always helps), he's got lots of Charisma(or is that the "I'm fantastic look at me" thing?), and he can memorize lines and take direction. What I think he lacks is an ability to go beyond his rolaes and try to improve his ability. Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DeCaprio(among others) have the ability to tranform themselves, bringing them rolls and accolades that TC may never earn. It's good to know that TC has the ability to read, but that's the next paragraph:)
So have we seen enough of Tom Cruise lately? Between the impending release of War of the Worlds in which he stars, the Oprah brain fart, the Today show fiasco, and the Katie Holmes thing(related to the Oprah thing) he has been all over the entertainment news recently. The Oprah show thing is kind of interesting http://waxy.org/random/video/Tom_Cruise_Kills_Oprah.mov , maybe not THAT interesting but silly none the less. Tom Expressed his love for Katie and was seen jumping on the couch explaining that he just can't control himself. I see it as more of a marketing/promotion thing for both TC and KH. You see that any publicity is good, and with both KH and TC having new releases on the market, Tom with War and Katie with Batman, you'll understand the reason for all of this. Now the TODAY SHOW interview was funny http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8343367/ , it was also quite absurd. You see that Tom is into a religion/cult called Scientology and has been pushing it pretty heavily recently, going even so far as having a booth on set while filming his movies. I won't try to explain Scientology, but suffice to say it's pretty much a list of do's and don'ts that is supposed to help you with your life. If that were true though why would KH give up all of her friends and be seen with a Scientology advisor on a regular basis lately? Tom also seems to be trying to debunk Physciatry lately, explaining that he has read up on things and knows more than Matt Lauer, and that Broooke Shields was wrong for taking drugs for post partum depression. Going so far as to say Brooke could have taken Vitamins or done exercises to deal with the depression ..... OK!! you go Tom!
We'll end this by saying ...Katie Holmes said that when she was young her dream guy was Tom Cruise. What would you do to be with your dream guy or girl?? even if they are CRAZZZY!
CRAP CRAP CRAP
I won't ever enter text into this F'ing thing. 2ice I've finished 2 full paragraphs when I accidentally pressed the wrong thing and erased everything. From now on I'll be writing my blog in Wordpad and pasting it here.
Next entry coming soon.
Next entry coming soon.
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Well it's a start!
This blog is set up friends and family to read about my amazingly unfulfilling life. Actually I'm a pretty happy guy that figured out it's the little things that make people happy and I refuse to forget that.
Back soon with a few quick movie reviews and my thoughts on Home theater, the government, and even a joke or two.
Goo
Back soon with a few quick movie reviews and my thoughts on Home theater, the government, and even a joke or two.
Goo
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