Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull

My excitement is reaching an all time high.  I haven’t been this geared about getting to the theatre since Lord Of The Rings: Return Of The King or Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith.  What can I say?  I’m a sucker for classic action-adventure trilogies.  In any case, this will probably  be the final coup for Harrison Ford as Indie, though he’s said several times over the years, so long as there is a role written under the name Indiana Jones, he would play it.  What I suspect is there will be a lot of Danny Glover/Lethal Weapon getting to retire jokes about, but undoubtably no one could ever imagine Indy actually giving up his adventures, just like his father.  In any case, we have reached the countdown at 25 DAYS! The Temple Of Doom, Raiders Of The Lost Ark, and The Last Crusade hold high standards for this film, and many like me are salivating for it’s return.

Semi-Pro Bear Kills Trainer

The 7 and a 1/2 foot, seven hundred pound Grizzly Bear named Rocky that had a cameo in the recent comedy Semi-Pro starring Will Ferell mauled his trainer to death on Tuesday.  Rocky was being put through obedience training in Big Bear, California when the incident occured.  There are tapes being reviewed to determine whether the incident was an accident or not.  Rocky will be euthanized if it was considered intentional.

Many wild animals that have either been born into captivity or saved and acclimated to it are still considered dangerous and this incident proves why.  No matter how much these creatures love and adore their human companions, they still have the native instinct of a wild animal.  Bears in particular are noted for this trait of unpredictability.   Even Siegfried and Roy had an accident with one of their Tigers, and though it wasn’t the fault of the animal, a massive injury was the result.  There is no doubt these animals love their owners, but nonetheless it simply isn’t natural for a wild animal to be held captive, and so long as they are, be it for their well being alone or not, these kinds of accidents will continue to happen.  It’s a real shame considering the trainers of these animals suffers injuries and even death like Stephan Miller, from the animals that they loved so dearly and dedicated so much of their lives to.

Megan Fox Is The Sexiest Woman Alive

According to FHM Magazine Megan Fox is the sexiest woman alive for 2008.  After, 9 million votes were cast, here were the results:

1 Megan Fox
2 Jessica Biel
3 Jessica Alba
4 Elisha Cuthbert
5 Scarlet Johansson
6 Emmanuelle Chriqui
7 Hilary Duff
8 Tricia Helfer
9 Blake Lively
10 Kate Beckinsale

Some stunning ladies in that grouping, but the Transformers star edged them all out!  She has that old Hollywood stunning beauty to her, yet a vivacious youthful thing that makes her feel contemporary all the same.

For more details read here.

The Real World Hollywood-Episode Two

Season Twenty Drama Continues!

Word of the day? BOOBIES!

Sarah/Will Love Triangle:This episode starts with Sarah on the phone telling her boyfriend that Will has approached her in earnest about crushing her.  Immediately her boyfriend gets defensive and Sarah projects the entire situation on Will, even though she was the obvious instigator of their interlude.  Her reaction to his absence at her birthday celebration only furthers her obvious attempt to manipulate the male sex.  Whether she has any intentions to cheat with Will, her intentions at least require his attention and crush on her to stimulate her desperate ego.  Ladies, playing and using men that way, is just as dirty as men using women sexually and then hitting the road.  Don’t complain if you’re going to do the same dirty right back them.

Dave is a slut?!?  Honestly, how naive does one have to be to not understand inside of five minutes that Dave is a slut and not just your average slut, the kind that calls a woman’s breasts, tits, cans, ta-ta’s: BOOBIES.  That’s right.  Dave is the guy who calls them boobies!  What haven’t you understood Kimberly about the big giant sign he has written across his head that says SLUT.  It’s not as though he’s coy about his intentions, and flirting and toying around with you certainly isn’t going to stimulate the Boobies mans needs.  Trashy girl or no, he just wants some play.  As a bartender, you’d think Kimberly could spot these guys a million miles away.

Sarah says Dave is desperate!  This is easily translated as “Manipulator who hides her true intentions and personality is intimidated by the BOOBIES.”  Sarah is really just intimidated by the big breasted woman because she puts her true intentions out there.  That girl is screaming sex, meanwhile Sarah is a fake hiding behind walls and pretending to be something different to anyone she sees fit.  It makes her more comfortable to label Dave as desperate, but anyone with a brain can see it’s simply her own insecurities screaming out for attention and validation.  She’s jealous of the BOOBIES.

21st BDAY!  Apparently in the manipulating world of Sarah it is acceptable for herself, who has a boyfriend to  bring a guy back to the house, but Dave, the single ladies man, cannot.  Hmmm.  Wow.  Didn’t call that one.

Joey/Bri-  Bri is actually the most likable female in the house.  She doesn’t pretend to be something she’s not, she embraces her sexuality, she’s honest, and she has confidence, unlike the other two girls.  Her hooking up with Joey, the only real man in the house makes sense, and thus far I kind of like the idea of the two of them together.  Big shocker: the two grownup seek solace in one another

Sarah/Kimberly gossip about Bri-  Not that being a stripper is the best profession in the world, but at least Bri gets paid for being a tease.  Kimberly and Sarah do it for funsies and inflate their ego’s by it, Bri is doing it as a job and getting paid cash for it.  I’m still not condoning the job, but I certainly have more respect for Bri than the two bimbo’s that suffer from a plethora of hypocrisy already.

Will & Greg-  It’s nice that Greg is at least finding friendship in someone out of the group and Will being the ulimate friend is going to be more tolerant of Greg’s “idiosyncrasies” than the rest of the bunch will  be.  I’m still not sure why Will is continuing to pursue Sarah when it’s obvious she is a tease.

Kimberly/Brianna Fight-  Kimberly deserved to have her lights knocked out.  Unfortunately, it’s so dim in there it happens there is nothing to be knocked out.  She may have called Bri “ghetto” but all she proved is she is a dimmed witted ignorant white girl.  And then to top it off saying she’s not dealing with “inner city blackville”.  Unfortunately Will and Greg weren’t around to hear her comment, but I wish they were.  Her ignorant, hypocritical mouth is going to be trouble.  Maybe when she re-watches the video she’ll see she started to yell first, not Bri-and also that she was fuming afterwards while Bri was having fun with the rest of the house.

Greg as Mediator?  Wow, slap me and color me shocked.  Greg really seems to be making a genuine effort this episode to at least get along with “the peasants”, he even squashed the argument between Bri and Kimberly, though I see Bri’s insight to the future as a realistic one.  Good for Greg.

Final Thoughts?

If the rest of the season is this insane it’s going to be a long long ride.  So far I like Joey, Bri, and Will the most.   Dave and Greg are okay.  And Sarah and Kimberly need a good swatting.

BOOBIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

The West Wing-Pilot Episode

This is a show I’ve been meaning to watch for years now, but it’s also one of those shows I never really wanted to start in the middle.  Nonetheless, I acquired the first four episodes and have dove in head first.  In the inspiration of a much better writer than myself, the show had me at  hello.  Here’s my elaboration:

Show Synopsis

The show focuses on the Presidents closest officials.  For example Allison Janney as C.J. Cregg, the Press Secretary.  It shows both their personal and professional lives and how each interfere with each other.  Relationships are quickly established, and it becomes apparent that not everyone on the same team is friends, but they all do what they can to work for the same common goal.  Martin Sheen plays the President though the show is actually not structured around him or his Presidential responsibilities, but everyone  who responds and reacts to them.

My Reflections

From the pilot episode it’s obvious this show has a ton of possibility.  With a ridiculously strong cast, the actors fall into their roles naturally instantly.  There is no awkwardness involved.  It’s as though they’ve all been playing their character’s for years already.  The show is focused on the people who work for the President, and instead of names and faces these are real people exploring how their dealing with realistic Oval Office issues.

The character’s are all very intriguing and very complicated, but each is obviously very strong.  What some will take a stand on and some wont.  The things that are acceptable to some and aren’t to others is a constant topic of debate.  These character’s have a lot of manueverability and room to grow and change.  It’s apparent that some of their role structure’s have been set up to take plumits and rises.  It’s very compelling.

Moreso, it’s just plain interesting and entertaining.  Yes, it’s a very smart show meant for intelligent viewers, but it has a real wit and intellect about it that plays with the same clever sense of humour.  The comedy is often subtle, but it’s definitely there.

The Point

This is serious quality programming that I can see myself getting very hooked on.  The only negative issue I have is it has been on for many many seasons and a typical theme in shows like this is the plotlines stray from their simple story telling and venture into the world of outrageous events and unlikely character arcs.  As good as it seems on a first view, I hope it stays on the same path, because this is good tv.

The Real World- Episode One (Season 20)

It’s been at least a decade since I watched the show that was once so engaging I would spectate with salivating glands of curiousity.  The shock that so many years, and so many seasons have past since the original seven entered the loft in New York nearly sent me in a nostalgic coma.  The first four or five seasons were full of ethnically diverse people that all had really compelling back rounds and personalities and became a real source of human interest to watch how they interacted with one another.  This integrity seemed to slip away in replacement of one dimensional people that were obviously going to have a lot of conflict around season six or seven.  This train wreck was fun for maybe two seasons and then just wore thin.  Partying, fighting, and being ungrateful lazy people begins to get repetitive and certainly doesn’t stimulate the thinking mind.  However, I’ll never forget those adolescent years of enjoyment and pleasure at watching a show that really opened doors for reality television.

Cruising my apple box in need of some mindless entertainment I stumble upon The Real World-Season 20.  This show is still on?  How is that possible?  I thought all the past years of cast members parished in the gauntlet and destruction of overexposure.  I was wrong.  Apparently the appeal to watch good looking young people make out with each other and fight every two minutes will never wear thin.  I take a deep breath, purchase the first episode and prepare to cringe.

Usually the first few episodes of these shows people are careful around each other, and because they don’t know the other people or understand their temperants eggshells are a necessity. Nope, not in this house.  Everyone seemed to be getting along great, and then the “model” internet winner shows up in all his meglamaniac glory.  He’s too cool to do anything, and is already alienating the rest of the cast who seem to be mostly interested in hooking up, getting wasted, and hooking up.  Ooh, and did I mention partying?  The cast member’s of this season were obviously picked because of their good looks and ability to collide with one another.  Introducing Season 20:

Kimberly Alexander is a 25-year-old aspiring gossip talk show host from Columbia, South Carolina.  She is currently a bartender/party girl.   She is the house cast member that would be the most ignorant thus far as she said on the first episode: “Will is so good looking and nice.  I can’t believe he’s from Detroit.  It’s supposed to be this inner city bad place.  oh my god.  Can I say that?  Wait rewind.  Take it off.”  Then she collapses into giggles.  Obviously, the ideal of Detroit hasn’t changed in the U.S.  While Detroit might be “bad” I’m at least glad it’s not being represented in the way SC is with the drunk, dumb bottle blonde.

Joey Kovar is a 24-year-old aspiring entertainer from Evergreen Park, Illinois.  As a former body builder, recovering from an addiction to steroids, he is now a personal trainer that seems to be his own personal motivational speaker.  In a surprise he seems to be pretty mellow and down to earth until he is provoked by the annoying “chosen one” and his temper snaps.  Suddenly in 24 hours he’s become the guy that could go all “roid” violent.  I bet he doesn’t even realize he’s a foregone conclusion.

David Malinosky is a 22-year-old aspiring actor from Hagerstown, Maryland.  He isn’t sure he wants to be an actor, he just wants to be popular.  He’s the guy that jumped on the show for exposure and to get even more easy access to the ladies.  He’s got that all american boy look and seems to suffer from the stereotypical dumb jock syndrome.  So far all he seems to care about is partying and ladies.  Relatively harmless.  I doubt he has anything worth saying anyway.

Brianna Taylor is a 20-year-old singer from Warminster, Pennsylvania that also made it to the top 45 in one of the American Idol seasons.  So this girl out of the bunch actually seems to have a talent and drive and isn’t just there for the free room and board and vacation.  However, Brianna is unfortunately suffering from her own stereotypes.  In the first episode we discover she is an exotic dance.  She dresses like one and doesn’t seem ashamed of flaunting the fact when it suits her, though in contrast she says she can’t wait to get out of the business and hates it.  She also already is being called back to Philly for a court date because of a domestic assault issue.  So far things are not looking up for “the stripper”.

Will Gilbert is a 25-year-old music producer from Oak Park, Michigan which is right next door to Detroit itself.  Will is not at all a ghetto thuggish ruggish boy that some people would expect an African American from Detroit to represent.  He’s intellectual, extremely handsome and well groomed, seems to have a real talent, and is totally out for romance.  First he wanted Brianna until he discovered her occupation, and then he was already making moves on Sarah.  Will seems the most mellow of the bunch, and the most likely to avoid conflict. 

Sarah Ralston is a 21-year-old aspiring reporter who actually went to college to achieve this dream.  She is beautiful, book smart, and a complete manipulator.  She is ready to cheat on her boyfriend that has been with her for years within 12 hours of entering the house.  This girl tries to put on the appearance of dignified respectful suburian princess, but in reality she is a trampy slut just waiting to lay herself out across the Sunset Blvd.

Greg Halstead is a 20 year old model from Queens, New York, but the way he describes himself you’d think he was born of literal royalty.  He is arrogant, boring, and obviously thrown into the house so get under everyone’s skin.  After the first night everyone hates him.  He has no redeeming qualities and has the brain power of a knat.  He thinks he’s very clever and special but in reality he’s boring and common.  Here is our drama instigator.

So…….I don’t know if I can stomach more than one or two more episodes here, but I’m going to try and give it a fair shake with the hopes that the show becomes less about the drama and more about the people.  Well, that was naive of me. I guess realistically I hope that the drama is at least fun and interesting.  Season 20 officially has begun.

 

Tag is Outlawed!

That’s right.  In a time where keeping score is no longer necessary and everyone makes the team in Little League, and to help harbor the ”gentle” psych of children, political correctness has now expanded to recess.  Dodgeball has been eliminated from schools all over because it’s considered  too violent, but the reason behind Tag being banned from some Massachusetts schools is because some kids will feel left out?  Who are we kidding?  It’s no wonder kids these days are so reliant on their parents!  It’s no wonder it’s completely acceptable to move back home or stay there until the age of thirty.  It’s no shock grandparents and daycare’s are predominantly raising the children of today instead of the parents who are too busy focusing on their careers or still going to the bar every weekend because they still have the mentality of an adolescent.  The word of the decade is “coddle.”

This generation and some following after have lost the ability to think for themselves.  No one has a voice anymore, because there is nothing but grown up children walking around looking to their parents for direction, or what the politically correct news says they should think instead of doing it for themselves.  Why has this happened?  Because of banning games like tag.  Because of forgetting to keep score.  it sounds trite, but think about it.  In attempting to shelter kids and soften them instead of teaching them to be vigorous independent thinkers and preparing them for the real world, we are molding a sense of personality that requires them to be dependent and afraid.  This epidemic starts at a young age when the morals and ideals about life and instilled in children, and coddling at a young age does not prepare them for the adult world that is cutthroat.

It’s okay to protect our children.  It’s our nature, but this is nearly abuse in my opinion.  The adults of today need to grow up and stop relying on their parents for everything because they are modeling that same behavior to their children who in a world where “tag” is an unnacceptable game, they need to strong voice and strong image to show them how to be independant.  Yes, how to fight!  How to defend yourself.  How to perservere!  It says a lot more to say keeping a score is wrong, than trying to win the game.  Try to win.  A healthy competiveness is good.  You need that in school and college and life to succeed.

Here is the article I read from the Los Angelas Times that evoked this rant.  Life is getting more and more outrageous everyday.  Those that can’t or don’t think for themselves are afraid of those that do, and unfortunately are too lazy because they aren’t competitive enough to stand up and think for themselves.  When my kids are old enough the first movie I’m going to sit them down to watch is Dead Poets Society and show them what true inspiration and independence and creativity is about.  God, by then I may be one of those crazy hippies that’s homeschooling.  At least then, they’ll get to play normal children’s games.

In the words of Maynard Keenan James:

Think for yourself, question authority.