Brain Stew

Mitt Romney for President in 2008

2006-09-07T10:26:00.000-04:00

"A New England Democrat cannot win in the South." Truer words were never spoken. A New England Republican, however, is a different story. I am officially throwing my cap into Mitt Romney's ring. I haven't heard too much about him in recent months, but i think that the Republican Party would do well to not forget its conservative right wing. Instead of choosing Mayor Guiliani for its Presidential candidate, they should go with someone more conservative like Romney. I would also not mind seeing the former Speaker Newt Gingrich get back on his political horse and make a run for the nomination. He should be proof that not all politicians are "dirty" (he is a dirtbag for cheating on his wife), but at least he has the moral sense to step down from a position of authority after making a "moral" mistake. I think Guiliani would win the Presidential race handily if he was nominated by the GOP, but I don't think that should be the end all in deciding who will be your Partys candidate for an election. The GOP need to select someone who represent the greatest majority of her constituents. I think Mitt Romney fits that bill. He is pro-life, pro-family, anti-bigg-er government, and he has the New England credentials to appeal to a wide variety of people. He has done some amazing work over his one term as Governor of Massachusetts, and I think that people should recognize that. He is media savvy and his convictions are strong...anyway thats my bit. Here's hoping someone, somewhere is listening!
Peace.
BTW here are a couple of good sites to learn more about Mitt:
http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/
http://www.americansformitt.com/

Brain Stew:Why all the fighting online?

2006-02-23T15:15:00.000-05:00

Ever wondered why there's so much fighting online? As a recent research study shows, while 80% of us send an email confident that the receiving party will understand the tone what's being said, only 50% of the time do they actually get it right (HT: Wired News). In other words, only half of the time will someone you send a comment to accurately interpret your tone. I guess emoticons are pretty useful after all.And in case you're wondering, the tone of this post is :-)
Brain Stew: I like to watch men run around and get sweaty!!

I like to watch men run around and get sweaty!!

2006-02-22T23:10:00.000-05:00

I love it. The thing that always gets me excited about the upcoming season is Fantasy Baseball. You start to talk trash, dream about your team going all the way, planning the big draft. I am in 4 fantasy teams this year. It is a little much, but I will handle it. I can't wait for another disappointing year from the Mets. HA HA!! I am very excited about the Yankees. I am a little apprehensive about the pitching but I think it will come around in time for the season. I am going to overdose on baseball this year. I am 99% going to get the baseball pass on DirectTV. That is unless my wife divorces me first. Which mean more baseball. HA HA I am of course only kidding. It would mean more baseball,football,basketball,hockey and of course movies. So see my wife doesn't have to worry about another woman. Because I like to watch men run around and get sweaty and I love it. HA HA. Not in a sexual way of course you perv. In all serious though I will miss her.

Ok I once again am going to skip movie reviews. I have a bunch to do. I will get to them, but I have to tell you about maybe one of the best 10 movies ever. Maybe even top 5. I just recently watched On The Waterfront.
This was one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. It was absolutely incredible. It has one of the best scores ever. Leonard Bernstein is a genius. Incredible acting from all. Especially good is Marlon Brando and Lee Cobb. It has a great plot. This movie works so much better in black and white then it would have in color. The cinematography is gorgeous. It is nearly flawless. The only thing that some people might not like is that some of the dialogue seems silly and lame compared to today's movies. The thing is that back then people didn't swear in movies like today. I don't think that this hinders the movie in any way. I just think some people might think so. This movie is a MUST see. I recommend it to anyone. ANYONE!! If you have a pulse you need to see this. Right away!! Chow Ming

send all care packages to Guantanamo Bay!!

2006-02-20T23:33:00.000-05:00

Well tonight was my first of 4 fantasy baseball drafts. I think it went good overall. My pitching is sick. I think best in the league. I missed out on Manny which makes me very sad, but I got Teixeira who is no scrub. I love the drafts they are so tense. I sit there and yell at the screen that the guy before me doesn't take my pick. Today I was screaming for Zach Duke. I got him in the 11th round. I passed him up in the 10th, but then I got nervous. So with 5 guys in front of me he was one of the better pitchers left. So I started getting very anxious. I know this is really insane. It is only a game. I have way to much wasted energy. I'm starting to think 4 teams might be a lot to handle. I guess we will see.

I like that we have 2 of the 3 contributors posting. The 3rd one will soon, but she is in the middle of mid terms at college. I can't wait for her to debate the other 2. It should be funny. Speaking of which today we were AIM each other and I was talking about terrorists. So she said you are going to get us both arrested. Then I remembered who our President is and I got really scared. This damn Patriot Act is going to ruin America and all the freedoms that we have enjoyed up until the last few years. So anyways if I disappear and never come back you know where I will be. Guantanamo Bay!! Please send me movies and my IPOD. Do you think they get Netflix there???

Anyways on to movies. I recently made a big change in my life!! HA HA!! I decreased my Netflix from 6 movies to 3 movies. Here is the shocker..... I joined Blockbuster online. I always swore I wouldn't but here is the deal. I now have 3 out at a time with Netflix and 3 out at a time with Blockbuster. Now a laymen would ask why the hell would anyone do that right? Well this is the thing. When you are a heavy user with Netflix or Blockbuster they start to what's called "throttle" people. Which basically mean that they start to not give you first choice on newer movies and they delay your shipping by usually a day. Now to a normal person this might not matter, but to me this is blasphemy. I am considered to them a "heavy" user. So I decided that if I split it up between the two companies I can rent a lot more. Plus Blockbuster now gives once free rental a week at one of their "brick and mortar" locations. So now on top of both services I get an added bonus of 4 more movies. This is key for the few New Releases that I do watch. So now everything is solved. Why I do not like Blockbuster I have found a way around the system. As much as I love Netflix they are still a business and they are just trying to save themselves a couple of bucks on the OCD customers. Which I understand. I will NEVER quit Netflix though because they still have the BEST selection around. One thing I have noticed about Blockbuster is that they don't have a lot of the titles that I can find on Netflix. So they both serve a purpose.

I have watched a lot of movies since last time, but I have to go to bed. I will talk in length about them next time. Before I go though I saw one of the my top ten favorite of 2005. Oldboy. It was amazing. It was VERY weird and had a VERY weird twist at the end. This movie is violent and graphic. Not for everyone, but if you enjoy action, violence, drama, suspense and an original script this movie is for you. Warning: this movie is Korean and it has subtitles. Highly Recommended!! (but not for all) Chow Ming

Brain Stew

2006-02-20T13:26:00.000-05:00

Just a passing thought...I'd rather go hunting with Dick Cheney than drive with Ed Kennedy.

Religion of Peace?

2006-02-18T10:57:00.000-05:00

"Eleven people were killed and an Italian consulate was burned in Libya on Friday night during protests to denounce the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed, sources in Libya said."
"Denmark is urging its citizens to leave Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, citing a threat from an extremist group over the publication of drawings of Islam's Prophet Mohammed in a Danish newspaper."
"MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Police fired in the air Monday to disperse stone-throwing protesters demonstrating over a cartoon deemed offensive to Islam, triggering a stampede in which a teenager was killed in northern Somalia."
"We are determined that they are punished. They should prepare themselves for whatever may happen," he said. "Those kinds of things are uttered by enemies of Islam and Muslims."
"DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- Muslim demonstrators in Damascus torched the Norwegian Embassy and the building housing Denmark's embassy because newspapers in those countries published what the protesters consider blasphemous depictions of Islam's Prophet Mohammed."
"In Damascus, protesters set a bonfire outside Denmark's embassy, using chairs and furniture from its offices, and protesters clashed with police and shattered windows with stones. The building also houses the embassies of Sweden and Chile."
"JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Palestinian gunmen Thursday shut down the European Union's office in Gaza City, demanding an apology for German, French and Norwegian newspapers reprinting cartoons featuring the prophet Mohammad, Palestinian security sources said."
"A prominent Iranian newspaper says it is going to hold a competition for cartoons on the Holocaust to test whether the West will apply the principle of freedom of expression to the Nazi genocide against Jews as it did to the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed."

Alright, maybe I am just an unwitting American boy who has no idea about what happens in the real world. But why does our President keep saying that Islam is a religion of peace? Or, that the extremists are the ones destroying this peaceful religion? It seems to me that the only place that Muslims who are extremists is not the norm, is here in the US. It seems like all over the rest of the world they are pretty extreme. Even in France, a nation of spineless oil-for-food embezzlers, these "peaceful" people riot.
It's not that I mind outrage. OUTRAGE is GOOD! We should get outraged at certain things, there is evil in this world and we should get very, very angry. BUT where is the outrage when an innocent reporter who may or may not agree with the country he/she is reporting for gets kidnapped and then has their head chopped off with a dull, rusty, machete? Where are the protesters, where are the marches? Where are the Mullahs with their fists in the air screaming that allah is good? I will tell you where they are...they are in front of their tv's saying, "Good, they got what's coming to them". I have known some good Muslims in my life, nice people with good manners and a steady responsible day job. They had happy families, and gave money to charity, and were supportive of us in Afghanistan. But they are NOT the norm. American Muslims are NOT the norm. Guys like John Walker-Lindh they are the norm, they train to kill Jews and anyone who supports them in little dirt camps in the Middle East and Africa...or in jungles in the far east...or maybe in cities in the United States. These "extremeists" are not extreme...they are the norm...the moderate...they are what Islam is really about.
Check out the history books.
Peace. No, really...peace.

Is it just me?

2006-02-15T21:37:00.000-05:00

I am watching the Winter Olympics (and I love the Olympics) but weren't we just calling Torino, Turin? I am pretty sure that every time I had ever heard of this town before the Olympics we always called it Turin. The shroud of Turin which was in the town of Turin, Italy? While I am at it...why does Starbucks insist on calling small/medium/large -- tall/grande/venti? Before starbucks did anyone know what venti meant? And doesn't calling the small size tall count as false advertising? The first time I ordered a "tall" I was fairly ticked off that I had apparently just spent 5 bucks on a small coffee. Calling small, tall is like calling figure skating a sport. Which brings me to this...does this Johnny Weir (ice skater) freak not bother anyone else? The guy drives me crazy...he rambles worse than me. I don't even think he believes half the stuff he says. It sounds like he says stuff just for shock value, to tick people off. Guys like that should not be allowed to talk, they should just compete in their "sport" and not get a platform to speak about anything...other than what they are "competing" in. I would cheer for the Commie Chinkos (relax, I am a chinese) over that fruitcake...and I hate the commies. Go USA!!! (except for Weir)

Happy Valentines Day All

2006-02-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

I have been crazy busy. The wife had her 26th birthday Monday. Then Valentines Day today. AARRGGHH!! Next time around I need to plan this better. My spouse should not have a birthday to close to V-Day, Christmas, or Anniversary. It's to much work and money. But anyways we had fun. I like that she is getting old to. So I don't feel so old myself. I can't believe I am going to be 28 this year. That is so freaking old.

I had to do training today for work. I had to sit in a conference room from 9 am to like 3:30 pm. I don't know how my wife does it all day. She literally runs from meeting to meeting all day. I am so glad that I don't have to deal with all the corporate nonsense. Like I realized today that no matter what I never want a job where I "HAVE" to get dressed up every day. I would kill myself. Like I love the fact that I can where shorts to work in the summer. If I couldn't wear sneakers I would be really bitchy all day.

I am happy that I have 3 writers to this blog. I don't know how often they will post. I am not censoring what they write. So anything could happen. It is fun it will add variety. We have two conservatives and one liberal. So it should be funny. I hope that there will be some heated debates in the future. I will not participate or take sides. I may comment but that would be the extent of it. Chow Ming (that is how I am going to say goodbye from now on. It's what one of my sales reps says whenever say goodbye. so Chow Ming

Brain Stew

2006-02-12T01:25:00.000-05:00

The following is from a tree hugger:

"Dear Red States:

We (the state of California) have decided we're leaving. We intend to form our own country, and we're taking the other Blue States with us.

In case you aren't aware, that includes Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and all the Northeast. We believe this split will be beneficial to the nation, and especially to the people of the new country of New California.

To sum up briefly: You get Texas, Oklahoma and all the slave states. We get stem cell research, the Great Lakes, and the best beaches.

We get Elliot Spitzer. You get Ken Lay! We get the Statue of Liberty. You get Dollywood. We get Intel and Microsoft. You get WorldCom.

We get Harvard. You get Ole' Miss. We get 85 percent of America's venture capital and entrepreneurs. You get Alabama.

We get two-thirds of the tax revenue, you get to make the red states pay their fair share.

Since our aggregate divorce rate is 22 percent lower than the Christian Coalition's, we get a bunch of happy families.

You get a bunch of single moms.

Please be aware that Nuevo California will be pro-choice and anti-war, and we're going to want all our citizens back from Iraq at once.

If you need people to fight, ask your evangelicals. They have kids they're apparently willing to send to their deaths for no purpose, and they don't care if you don't show pictures of their children's caskets coming home. We do wish you success in Iraq, and hope that the WMDs turn up, but we're not willing to spend our resources in Bush's Quagmire.

With the Blue States in hand, we will have firm control of 80 percent of the country's fresh water, more than 90 percent of the pineapple and lettuce, 92 percent of the nation's fresh fruit, 95 percent of America's quality wines (you can serve French wines at state dinners), 90 percent of all cheese, 90 percent of the high tech industry, most of the US low-sulfur coa! l, all living redwoods, sequoios and condors, all the Ivy and Seven Sister Schools, plus Stanford, Cal tech and MIT.

With the Red States, you will have to cope with 59 percent of all obese Americans and their projected health costs, 92 percent of all US mosquitoes, nearly 100 percent of the tornadoes, 90 percent of the hurricanes, 99 percent of all Southern Baptists, 100 percent of all televangelists, plus Rush Limbaugh, Bob Jones University, Clemson and the University of Georgia.

We get Hollywood and Yosemite, thank you. Additionally 38 percent of those in Red States believe Jonah was actually swallowed by a whale, 62 percent believe life is sacred unless you are discussing the death penalty or gun laws, 44 percent say that evolution is only a theory, 53 percent that Saddam was involved in 9/11 and 61 percent of you crazy bastards believe you are people with higher morals than we lefties.

Peace out,
Blue States"

And this is the response:

Dear New California (aka "Mexifornia"):

In response to your letter, you may happily take all the blue states. But to be fair, you should return to the red states all the red voters from your blue states. In exchange, of course, we will send you all the blue voters from our states. In other words, you can have all of our welfare recipients, criminals, union members, and professors. Indeed, we INSIST you take them. We get law enforcement, captains of industry, and pretty much anything incorporated (including Microsoft, who, despite the claim you stake, will likely not want anything to do with your country after the Clinton administration's assault on them). In addition:

You get the trial lawyers. We get the doctors.
You take the blacks and hispanics. We get the asians.
We'll take the crazy right wing ministers off of your hands. You can have Scientology and the child molesters from Boston and Philly.
You can have your $5 coffees and neighborhood bookstores. We get Walmart and Barnes & Noble.
We get gas powered cars. You get electric cars and monorails.
We get the NYSE. You get Nasdaq.
You get vegetarians. We get vitamins.
You can have that institutionalized daycare system that this country calls "public schools." We get vouchers, and we get to fail kids who don't deserve advancement.
You get affirmative action. You'll need it.
We get prisons. You get parolees.
We get to profile. You can wait in line all day and still get blown up.
We get to secure our borders and deport illegals. You may not.
We get Guliani. You get Nagin, Marion Barry, and Dinkins.
We get McCain. You get Dean.
We get Lincoln. You get Douglas.
You get Castro, Stalin, Lenin, Hitler, and Mao. We get the second amendment.
You get Marx. We get Adam Smith.
You get abortions. We get children.
You get the gays and Micahel Moore. Free of charge.

As to the single moms that you mentioned, we'll actually have to split those because while it is true that we have a higher divorce rate, that's only because we choose to get married in the first place. In other words, we get "fathers", you get "my baby's daddy." The only difference is that our single moms actually collect child support from their ex-spouses. You'll have to support yours with your welfare system.

And it's a good thing you're anti-war because you won't have many enlisting in your military.

I suspect if we divide the country up that way, we won't have that unfortunate problem of you collecting such a disproportionate share of the tax revenue, because your states will not have OUR people to tax. I say "our people" because after all, the Republicans are supposed to be the party of the rich, right?

Fair enough?

Very truly yours, The Red States.

It's been a while

2006-02-11T17:27:00.000-05:00

I have been lazy. This is nothing new in my life. I have watched a lot of movies since last post. I'll do a quick overview and then review the best ones. I am going to add a new rating for Script. OK here we go!

Soldiers Pay Direction: 6 Cinematography: 7 Acting: this is a doc Script: doc Overall: 7 If you are pro war or a W lover you will not like this.

Thumbsucker Direction: 7 (pretty good for the R.E.M. bandmate Mike Mills first full length picture. Cinematography: 7 Acting: 8 Script: 7 Overall: 7 1/2 I enjoyed this movie. It was nice to see Vince Vaughn do something different for once. He was good in a more serious role. Lou Taylor Pucci in his first acting role was very good. I think we will see a lot from him in the future. Tilda Swinton and Vincent D'Onofrio were both solid as Justin's (Lou) parents. I liked this movie overall. I mean there were things that I didn't love but unique and fresh in a sea of mediocre movies. Recommended if you like unusual quirky films.

M Direction: 6 Cinematography: 8 Acting: 5 for Lorre a 8 Script: 8 (very controversial for the time) Overall: 8
Once again Peter Lorre is just brilliant in this film. This has to be the first movie I can think of that dealt with pedophiles and serial killers. Very very good. Warning this movie is in German so you have to actually pay attention and read the subtitles. This movie is supposed to be serious but listening to German people speak is comical. No matter what they are saying it sounds like they are pissed off.

Layer Cake Direction:8 Cinematography: 8 Acting: 7 Script: 8 Overall: 8
If you are a fan of movies like Snatch or Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels you will really like this film. This is the movie that Guy Ritchie only dreams that he could make. This is much better than the two mentioned above. Very good.

Prozac Nation Direction: 2 Cinematography: 4 Acting: 2 Script: 3 (from what I have hear the book is good.) Overall: 3
I was so disappointed in this movie. I had been looking forward to seeing this for years. Well I wish that this movie had never been made. This movie was just bad from beginning to end. I can't recommend this movie to anyone. ANYONE!! Don't watch this by any means. I was very surprised that Christina Ricci took this role! I mean I like her a lot and this was probably the worst movie she has done. ( I have not seen Cursed which actually if possible looks worse.)

Hell House (DOC) Direction: 6 Cinematography: 5 Overall: 6
This documentary makes crazy off the wall charismatic Christians look as silly as they really are. This movie is comical in a lot of ways. Some of the things you hear are shocking to hear. Not a true picture of what Christianity is supposed to look like. There skewed view of the Bible is just that skewed.

A Certain Kind of Death(DOC) Direction: 7 Cinematography: 7 Overall: 7 This is not for the squeamish. There are some shots in this that are just absolutely disgusting. This doc is about people who die who have no next of kin. Basically the state has to research to find family. If they find none then they have to dispose of the body and assets accordingly. How these coroners do there job is beyond me. To have to see this stuff on a daily basis must be depressing.

The Weather Underground(DOC) Direction: 7 Cinematography: 7 Overall: 7

Monsieur Ibrahim Direction: 6 Cinematography: 8 Acting: 7 Script: 8 Overall: 8
Dialogue in French: Subtitles in English

The Brown Bunny Direction: 5 Cinematography: 7 Acting: 2 Script: 2 Overall: 4
This movie was VERY boring. I don't recommend this movie. Unless you like watching Vincent Gallo driving across country. I usually enjoy his films. This one I didn't. It is artsy for the sake of being artsy.

The Polar Express Animation Overall: 8 This movie is the most beautiful animated movie I have ever seen. The animation and special effects are just absolutely incredible. While I am not amazed at the movie itself this movie is a must watch for the animation. Very Highly Recommend!! Especially for those who can appreciate animation.

So other than movies I have just been busy with work. On Thursday I sprained my ankle pretty bad. I went to the hospital today. They put a soft cast on it. This sucks I can't drive now. Oh well I will sit in the back and let everyone chauffeur me around. I guess the positive thing is that I will have to be waited on hand and foot. HA HA I will find out Monday if it is a tear. I hope it is not because I am supposed to go to Disney in March. That is all I have for now. I'll be back. I am going to update this again on a daily basis. Ben OUT

Brain Stew

2006-02-07T17:26:00.000-05:00

Bud Light was 4-for-4 in the Super Bowl commercials. The hikers / bear thing was hilarious.

(And the "Burger King" have it your way? Talk about a waste of $1 million in production costs -- probably more -- and $2.5 million in ad time. Good burgers, lousy ad.)

I think I read in history books that the Rolling Stones were the world's greatest band. That's probably true, But for the love of everything that's holy, don't ever let them perform live again. Awful.

Ohhhh, please don't let U2 turn out this way in 20 years.

Nothing

2006-02-01T23:35:00.000-05:00

I haven't had time the last few days. Will post in length tomorrow.
Ben OUT

Brain Stew

2006-01-31T22:28:00.000-05:00

I am not sure what it is, but when I see guys wearing these damn stupid bluetooth headsets I just want to walk up to them and POP them in the back of the head. People who wear these things either a) think that their crap don't stink, b) overvalue their importance to society or c) have incredibly small privates. By the way, I have never observed a woman wearing one of these, which seems to disprove my theory that women are supremely less intelligent than men.

Sure, I get the idea of wearing these things in your car. That makes sense. But why in the name of Kelly Clarkson do you need this thing strapped to your ear as you get your cup of coffee, or schlep around the mall or watch your kids ball game on a Sunday afternoon. Get over yourself moron. You really look like an idiot.

My head is going to explode

2006-01-30T22:57:00.000-05:00

Feeling like crap. I have stuff to say, but my head feels like it's going to explode. I will post again tomorrow. I watched a couple of good movies over the weekend. I will talk about them later. Ben OUT

I have Jolie fever

2006-01-28T17:26:00.000-05:00

Ok I take back everything I said yesterday. It is never worth it to watch a crappy movie to see Angelina Jolie. Mr & Mrs. Smith was probably one of the worst movies of 05'. Everything was just done wrong. Even the action scenes weren't that good. Don't see this movie for any reason.
Direction: 2 Cinematography: 3 Acting: 2 Overall: 2

I have to go. I have to go get ready to go to the game. I have a busy weekend. Tomorrow going to the parents. Then we leave and go out for Chinese new year. It's a yearly tradition. 8 days to the Big Dance.
Ben OUT

Meat Week?

2006-01-27T21:52:00.000-05:00

I didn't get a chance to finish M. I liked the first half that I watched. Tonight I'm going to watch Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Now listen I know this movie sucks. I won't lie I'm watching it for 2 reasons. My wife wanted to see it and Angelina Jolie. I mean come on who wouldn't want to watch her run around firing guns for 2 hours? I know this is shameless but I have to watch some crappy movies once in a while. If I'm going to watch crap I might as well enjoy the view. HA HA!! Well I have to run.

I had a thought today. I am a vegetarian. Well I read a blog where the guy was a veg for 10 years. One day he just started eating meat. Now he says he will never go back to veggies. So anyways I am considering eating meat for one week. The only catch is that I have to meet my goal weight. I am about 40 pounds off so it will not be until the summer. I am thinking I might make it the week of my family reunion. We will see. I think I will over think it and chicken out (ha ha get it chicken out.) If I do this I am going to just pig out on meat (another cheesy pun). AAAAAHHH I don't know if I should. If I do it is only for a week. I am going to make a list of everything that I like and eat every single thing. I have a while to contemplate this radical idea.

Going to see arena football tomorrow. It should be fun. Plus the tickets are free. Ben OUT

P.S. Jim Gaffigan is one of the funniest comedians there is right now. He has a special on Comedy Central Sunday at 9 p.m. I highly recommend it. Very Funny!

The wrath of the evil nuns

2006-01-26T22:58:00.000-05:00

The Magdalene Sisters was horrendous. I don't see how anybody could enjoy this film. I did not like this movie on any level. The whole thing from beginning to end was just poorly done. I couldn't really find one thing positive about this film. In it's place I would recommend Girl, Interrupted. A similar story, but much more interesting. The problem with this movie is that there was no emotional connection to any of the characters. There was a brief explanation to why they were sent to this "asylum"/rehab center and then that was it. I didn't have a problem with the subject matter. It was just like who cares if these girls are abused and demoralized. Next. I can't recommend this movie to anyone unless for some reason they had family who experienced the wrath of the evil nuns. Direction: 2 Cinematography: 1 Acting: 1 Overall: 1

So in the coming future I might have a couple of guest bloggers. So we will see how that will go. I am looking forward to some fresh views. One more week until "Big Ben" can shine. That one is for you Johnny boy.

Going to bed to watch a classic M. It stars one of my favorite actors Peter Lorre. Who I feel is one of the best actors of his generation. He had such good comedic timing and a truly original voice. He had the ability to make you laugh at moments when you shouldn't be laughing. He stars in one of my favorite comedies of all time Arsenic & Old Lace. If you haven't seen this classic run to your local video store or Netflix it right away.

Tomorrow the dreaded treadmill for me. 3 times a week and then I will change it to everyday. Come February I have to switch into attack mode with my weight loss. I am going to win this thing unless it kills me first. Ben OUT

I do it with my knees

2006-01-25T22:35:00.000-05:00

Today was just a long blur. Once again we were 2 guys short at work. It is annoying. Found out some cool news today at work. Our largest manufacturer is doing a promotion. For every 25 units you sell the company gets an entry into a pool for a new Jeep Wrangler. We decided that if we win we will sell it and split the money. I could use 2500 bucks for doing nothing.

So today I tried to hula hoop. My wife made me do it. Well I found out that I do it better with my knees. This isn't the conventional way, but hey whatever works right? I am pysched I finally went on the treadmill. Yeah!! I shouldn't get very excited. I ran for 15 minutes. Hey I'll get to an hour like I want.

Last night I started to watch Magdalene Sisters. I just couldn't get into it. I am going to finish it tonight. I have a feeling I am not going to like it. We will see. Hey Cristela! If you are reading this yes I did have an "accident" on Christmas Eve. What can I say?

I really don't watch TV that much anymore. All my entertainment time is devoted to Netflix. The only shows I watch are American Idol, Miami Ink, FUEL (skateboarding shows), and the best one is Wife Swap. This show is amazing. The families they get on here are a bunch of wackos. It is so great because they always pair them up with their worst enemy. If you have not seen this show you have to give it a try. Ben OUT

I am John Smith

2006-01-24T23:37:00.000-05:00

I saw a beautifully shot film today. Although I am told by my history teacher friend that it is not historically accurate, but I really don't care. I enjoyed this film a lot. After leaving the film the more I thought about it the more I liked it. The New World was not just a movie, it was an experience. I loved the way this film was shot and edited. It is definitely Oscar worthy in that department. What amazed me was the maturity and ability of this new 15 year old actress Q'Orianka Kilcherhttp. Her scenes with Farrell were very intimate and sincere, but not in a dirty way. Their love for each other was very believable. Isn't she gorgeous? I like the way this movie was directed. It really made you feel like you were back at this period in history. Mallick really made up for that mediocre film he last did The Thin Red Line. Now just to warn everyone this film is long, running at 2 1/2 hours. I don't feel like the movie dragged. Everything in this film is necessary to get you to the point of understanding the situation and the characters. I applaud Mallick for not depicting the Indians as ignorant or blood thirsty savages. Bravo on this whole film. One of my top ten favorites of 2005.
Directing: 9 Cinematography: 10 Acting: 7 Overall:9

Today was cool jetted out of work early. Went to see The New World. Then got some very good pizza at Ciro's in Happaugue. Now I'm going to watch The Magdalene Sisters. Ben OUT

I thought I was going to die!

2006-01-23T23:44:00.000-05:00

I have to go over a couple of movies I have seen recently. I'm not going to go in depth with all of them. Who am I kidding. HA HA. I will give a rating though.

Now I have nothing against political movies or movies that want to make a social statement. If anything I am all for them. After saying this though I recently watched The Life of David Gale which I kind of liked. I had heard very good things about this movie. The thing that I had a problem with is that Spacey's character is not a likeable guy, so it is very hard for the viewer to really care that this guy is going to die. Like in Dead Man Walking you got to know Penn's character and you cared about the guy. I don't know it just seemed like everything was kind of thrown together. I like Laura Linney but I always like her. Even with her though you didn't really feel like you knew her, like all of the characters in this film. I guess I enjoyed the film on a lukewarm level. I didn't like the ending it totally didn't fit. So I guess unless you really like the actors or have a strong opinion about the death penalty then this movie probably isn't for you. Direction: 5 Cinematography: 5 Acting: 6 Overall: 5.5

Now to a very good film. One of the most overlooked movies of 2002 Spider. How this movie did not receive more recognition is beyond me. Ralph Fiennes is once again excellent. This is probably his best role ever. He is very believable as a mentally ill person. The story is very complex. Multiple viewings of this movie would probably be wise. Cronenberg is once again genius. He doesn't point you in one certain direction but lets you almost become spider. The story is subjective so everyone who watches this film will have a different opinion. Some reviews have said it is similar to Memento but I don't think so at all. Two totally unique movies but not that much alike. I love the coloring of the scenes and the way this movie was shot. VERY VERY GOOD!! This movie is not for those who want action, fast paced dialogue or anything typical. This movie is far from typical. If you like Hollywood movies you will NOT like this movie. Direction: 8 Cinematography: 7 Acting: 8 Overall: 8

Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills
This is one of the best doc's I have seen. It is chilling to think that these kids were probably wrongfully convicted. It just goes to show how unjust our system is. These kids are poor so they are guilty. O.J. Simpson is a millionaire and he is innocent. Oh well definitely worth watching. Very interesting. Direction: 8 Cinematography: 8 Acting: even though this is a doc there a lot of funny characters in here that you would hope were acting but they are not. Overall: 9

Melinda and Melinda This movie was just awful. Now I'm not saying this because it's a Woody Allen movie. I like Woody. This movie doesn't work on any level. Amanda Peet is a terrible actress. She should not be allowed to make movies anymore. How does she still continue to get work? I mean are directors really that desperate to find actors? Everyone else sucks, the script sucks, the acting sucks, the movie sucks. C'mon Woody we all know you are capable of better than this. Direction: 4 ( I know a 4 seems high after everything I just said, but this is Woody I can't be to harsh on him as a director. Cinematography: 3 Acting: 2 Overall: 3

So I'm out doing the grocery shopping and there is like nobody there. I get in my car and start to drive away. Now this is a HUGE parking lot. I pull out of my spot and start driving. When I turned my car on a green camaro pulled in by the light. Well I'm driving down one lane and he is driving on the next lane over. All of a sudden he just pulls right in front of me and I had to hit my brakes pretty hard. I thought I was going to die! This was one of the strangest things that has ever happened to me while driving. I mean literally out of nowhere he just pulls across parking spaces towards the front of my car. For no reason. I flashed him and gave him a few choice words and then continued to drive out of the parking lot. I figured if this guy is crazy enough to do that, then he is probably capable of doing a lot worse. So bizarre. I swear if I had a beater I would have smashed right into him. I hate people who drive camaros. What a joke. Ben OUT

Big Ben

2006-01-22T23:15:00.000-05:00

This is the best time of year for sports. The NFL playoffs are so enjoyable to watch. I was half right on my predictions. Big Ben had another truly great performance. It is amazing that he is a 2nd year QB. I mean I didn't think Seattle would win let alone dominate the entire game. This should make for a pretty good Super Bowl. I am rooting for Pittsburgh. I would like to see Bettis win one in his final year. He deserves it more than anyone else on either two teams.

Well short post I am going to go to bed early. Have to get up in about 7 hours. Ben OUT

Never Again

2006-01-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

Today I experienced the movie equivalent of the deepest parts of hell and than rose up to heaven. Let me explain. For Christmas I got a ton of gift certificates. I got 3 movie gift certificates which I loved. Anyways today me and the wife decided to go see 2 movies. I got to pick one and then she picked one out. Let's start with mine. I chose Capote which was great. Philip Seymour Hoffman is my hero. I love him. He completely transforms himself into every character he gets to play. I mean you don't even know your watching him. He should win every award there is for acting. This was a very impressive first movie for director Bennett Miller. It will be hard to top this one. I enjoyed this movie a lot. Catherine Keener and Clifton Collins Jr. gave a couple of nice performances as well. Direction: 8 Cinematography: 8 Acting: 10 (mainly for Philip) Overall: 9

Now for the second movie. If this had been the first movie I had ever seen I would never watch another one again. This movie could make you lose complete faith in the movie making process. Tristan & Isolde was absolutely horrendous. The surprising thing is that this is from the director who did The Count of Monte Cristo which I loved. Everything was wrong about this movie. The cinematography was just plain bad. The script was like an after school special. The acting was lousy. Probably one of my biggest movie pet peeves is bad accents. Ok this is supposed to be the Irish against England. Ok from the Irish side only one person had a good accent. Isolde who is supposed to be the Princess of Ireland doesn't even have a hint of an Irish accent. Not even close. Then there is Franco who is from England. His accent is so bad. It goes in and out. It's like are we really supposed to believe that these are people from their respective countries. Note to any directors who are going to do a period piece from another country. At least hire actors who are from those countries. Or spend money on a voice coach. The best part of this movie was watching two hot actors in James Franco and Sophia Myles. Direction: 2 Cinematography: 2 Acting: 2 Overall: 2 Please do yourself a favor and never watch this piece of garbage.

Well overall today was a good day. I slept till 11:30. Watched a great movie. Had good food. Won a bet with my wife. She went to a shoe store in between movies. I saw a pair that I really liked but she explained how she couldn't wear them because the heel was too big. So I left it alone. During dinner I brought them up again. Well once again she explained that she would never wear them because they would make her taller than me. Which isn't true. Anyways she said that it was a 5" heel and I said no way it was like 3" or 4". So the wager was on. She set it at $40 which I immediately agreed to. We bought a ruler then headed back to the shoe store for the big measurement. Well it came in at 4". I was right and she is out $40. I guess her ability to judge size is a positive for me HA HA. I told her the moral to this story is don't gamble with me because you will lose. BWAHHHAAAHAAHAHA

Looking forward to the football games tomorrow. My prediction is Pittsburgh and Carolina move on to the Big Dance. Ben OUT

I love Birds!!

2006-01-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

I finished two incredible docs last night. The first was The March of the Penguins. This movie was not as good as the hype. But after saying that I truly enjoyed this film. This sounds like a contradiction, but I can explain. The critics hailed this movie as the best doc ever. It was not. So lets try this rating thing. Direction: 8 Cinematography: 8 Acting: hello people these are animals. Overall: 8

The second film was Winged Migration. Now this movie was even better than the aforementioned. I can not get some of the sequences out of my brain. This was an absolutely incredibly shot film. Probably the best of all time for a doc. I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes nature. The only drawback (slight as it may be) is that the film is a little slow. Direction: 9 Cinematography: 11 Acting: we already went over this. Overall: 10

So there you have it my two first movie reviews. Hopefully in the future I can perfect this process a little more.

Still feeling like crap but things are getting a little better. I have to have to have to get on the treadmill this weekend. Ben OUT

P.S. I can not even begin to describe how much I am in love with the new Ms. Apple's CD. It is heavenly. Buy it now if you have any sense left in you.

2006-01-19T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today is going to be a short post. I feel like a pile of poop today. I have a bad head cold. I can barely breathe. I just want this to go away.

I am doing this contest at work. We are copying the Biggest Loser. There are ten contestants who all put in $20 towards the final prize. Basically the person who loses the biggest percentage of body weight wins the whole pot. We started on Jan 3rd and as of yesterday I was down 11 1/2 pounds. Which is pretty good. I could do better but I have not been able to run on the treadmill because of this stupid cold.

Well I'm going to run. I have a couple of movies I'm going to attempt and finish. March of the Penguins and Winged Migration. So far I am half way through both and they are quite good. Ben OUT

My First Blog

2006-01-18T19:12:00.000-05:00

Ok I still am undecided as to how the format of this blog is going to end up. So for now it is going to be lame. Nobody will read this anyways so basically I can write whatever I feel like jabbering on about at that given time. Now I can move on.

I would like to write reviews about movies, music and games. But since I have no review writing skills I probably will try to come up with a rating system. What the scale to rate these things will end up being I have no idea. I think for movies I would like to break it down into different categories. For example: Directing, Acting, Cinematography, Script, Overall. I hate when you see two movies and they both have 3 stars. So basically to a layman these movies are on equal footing. Like I can see a movie where the acting is incredible but the overall movie is horrendous. Like for example: I just recently watched Hustle & Flow. I didn't like the movie overall, but I would say that Terrence Howard was very good. So while I might rate the movie a 3 ( on a scale of 1-10) I would probably give the acting a 6 or 7. I think this is a much better way of rating a movie.

Now as for a CD it would probably just be one overall rating. With a video game which I probably will only put on here if it is REALLY good or REALLY bad will probably have categorized ratings.

Wow I thought that I lost this entire thing. I am still new to this so I went to preview it and I tried to go back I couldn't find anything. I hate that I don't know everything about this site yet. I read all these other blogs and I am envious of there mad skills.

I would like to possibly have a few friends also write reviews or just jabber and whine about nothing at all. I would like to have John F. write a political rant when he feels so inclined. To any future readers John is a W lover. So be kind to him. At least he is a Yankees fan which in my book is a free pass.

Ok how about those JETS!! I love Mangini!! Ok while I am definetly overreacting ( which is a necessary quality in a TRUE Jets fan ) this is a huge step in the right direction. I have to get this picture thing down. Oh well I will be better in the future.

Speaking about football what a wild game in Indy. I have never witnessed such a bizarre game in my entire life. You have to read this article. That is really funny. I have probably seen 95% of all NFL playoff games for the last 15 to 16 years so I have seen a lot of amazing games. This one is right up there. I couldn't be happier that Mr Manning got his come up-ins. ( I am hoping that his "little" brother Eli will always have the same luck come playoff games. Eli= 0-1 playoffs!!) I am looking forward to this weekends games. It should be fun.

Anyways enough about sports. I am going to wrap this one up. I am going to try as hard as possible to be faithful to posting every day. So as not to upset the masses (HA HA!!). Ben OUT