So, watching USA Network's latest two-word-titled original series, "Necessary Roughness"... this, of course, follows "Royal Pains", "Burn Notice", "Fairly Legal" and "Covert Affairs"... yes, "In Plain Sight" has three words, but "Psych" only has one, so it averages out.
Powell, Dr. Dani, Nico and T.K.
"Necessary Roughness" is the story of Danielle Santino, a lovely 30-something wife and mother who is a licensed therapist, helping people to quit smoking, halting their addictions and generally helping those clients stop their own self-destructive behavior.
Of course, Dani's own family is falling apart when she discovers her hubby is a total sleaze, which is partly only that has her husband got him another woman, but also that he's got several another womans, her daughter is continually busted for skipping class and her son, though seemingly sane, is following after his dad with his own array of women that he's dating.
Enter Coach Powell (Marc Blucas), an assistant coach (and possible love interest) for the pro football team The Hawks (I missed the city, I think), who has a star player, Terrance King, who is paying tens of millions of dollars but can't hold onto the ball... so Dani is brought on to be T.K.'s therapist--who, of course, doesn't want a therapist.
Now, Dr. Dani Santino is a therapist of the overpaid prima donna players of a professional football organization. And that's where we start the storyline for the entire show.
I've tried to watch "Burn Notice" and "In Plain Sight", but ended up missing a few episodes here and there and just gave up, but I think the element of the unusual storyline (football therapist?) mixed with the football culture, which I enjoy, plus a strong cast (Callie Thorne is awesome)... and Nico (Scott Cohen), who's title isn't defined, but is somewhat of... security? Agent? Who knows, but Nico is pretty darn cool.
The first episode's main plot is somewhat wrapped up in the episode itself, but I'm hoping this won't be the case... I like procureal (that is, story per episode, very little bleeding over to next week) in "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" and "Law & Order", but when it comes to shows like this, I like the stories that continue... makes for interesting watching.
It's on DVR, and I didn't delete it, I'll just tell The Lovely Steph Leann to give it a shot. Otherwise, I'm in. At least til' I miss a few episodes and give up.
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Now, here's a little shameless self-promotion... so, I'm huge in Denmark. Don't ask me why.
On blogspot, you can actually check your stats and see a number of things... readers and page visits over different time periods, "most read" posts, and where your traffic is coming from. Also, you can find out what countries are visiting your page.
It would make sense, and thus comes as no surprise, that this page is mostly viewed in the United States of America... but if you look at the country with the 2nd most loads its... Denmark? Like, overseas, this page has been loaded and viewed almost 3,000 times.
Now, I'm not under any illusions that there are a hundred people in Denmark that checks this page every day, or even a dozen, but I'm assuming that my page comes up under a various assortment of search terms, due to the wide variety of subjects that I talk about on Clouds in My Coffee... but hey, Denmark! Go Danes!
Also viewed in the thousands would be the United Kingdom, Germany and Canada!
Speaking of shameless self-promotion, you can also look at traffic sources, and where people are going first to find your website... for some reason, BoldLeather.com and GenesisRealityGroup.com keeps coming up, though after visiting both sites and looking around, I can't figure out why.
But... there is some user name Wilt that I must send a big thank you too... on the website PhantasyTour.com, which I think is a site for the band Phish, they were discussing the concert dubbed "The OJ Show", a concert held on June 17th, 1994... and the message boards were tossing back and forth the thought of doing a show on that date, and how the band apparently had yelled to the crowd "Run OJ Run!"... and some user named Wilt simply posted "Crazy Day", and then gave this link:
Another source of referrals for this site is a blog called Happy Harper Stories, and this chick that goes to my church, Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), writes it a few times a week, and truly, its become one of those sites that I routinely check. Its a bit hypocritical to ask my own readers to check back every day, when I only check some blogs a few times per week, but I do look at that one.
I've discussed it before, and the Jamie, the author, and I don't really know each other beyond the blogosphere more than "Hello!" and "How are ya" as we pass by each other at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship), but we apparently have alot of the same readers, because I get more an a little traffic from her own site.
Her sight is definately a website with a chick perspective, but encouraging nonetheless. I do think that she and I share a common bond, and that is we are known as "the blog people" at church. That's not to say there aren't other blogs at church, but there are certain other people who are known for what they do, whether professionally or as a hobby--Sarah Cook is known as The Photographer. There are other photographers, but I hear her name and see her pics on Facebook more often than not. Hope is known as the Cake Lady. Karin, and now Justin Fisher, are known as The Authors. The Lovely Steph Leann and I have a reputation for being The Disney People (though that's really only within our circle of friends and a slight outlying layer--there are others that are as big of Disney fans as we are). I'm sure there are others, but I would venture to say that Jamie's blog and my own blog are two of the most familiar to people at church.
Could be wrong. I am jealous, though, of the layout she's got... not that I want an owl family in a tree with stripes for my sight--works for hers, not mine--but I do wish I were a little more astute when it came to web design.
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Random thoughts I'm having while watching "Inception" for what feels like the 400th time--and still loving it.
Ever wonder why the world "palindrome" isn't one?
Just once, I'd like to hear the automated chick voice say, "Our options are exactly the same, so if you know what you need, just go ahead and press the appropriate button"
I feel like if milk came in a solid steel container, there would still be that random milk ring on the counter after I move the jug. How does milk seep through anything?
Sometimes, when I'm in the shower, I toss my hand up on the glass and drag it down, leaving that weird, smudgy handprint... just like Jack and Rose in the backseat of that old car in "Titanic"
If you are in the Wal-Mart checkout line, carrying an iPad, talking on your iPhone with your hand that has designer nails, while your kids are holding Blu-Ray movies while wearing their own designer clothes, only to get into anything other than a hatchback or a car thats a minimum of 5 years old, you should not be allowed to use WIC or be receving a welfare check.
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And finally... we have now begun the official process of turning The Cabana Extended Stay Suites and Resort Spa into The Cabana Playskool and Daycare. The Lovely Steph Leann and I sat down in our expensively nice futon upstairs and began to make lists for our guest room into nursery process... what to do with the hundreds of CDs we have, the hundreds of books we have, cleaning out a closet and possibly trimming down my comic book collection by maybe half, and all the other stuff.
First task? Pull out the old computer, plug it in, fire it up and start deleting stuff. This might take a while.
So, this is the stuff I was thinking about while watching Episode 7 of Season 6 of "Grey's Anatomy", sitting at my table with my laptop, while The Lovely Steph Leann stretches out comfortably on the couch...
He's not Colin Firth, but he's Top Five for The Lovely Steph Leann
She loves her some Dr. Bailey, and Patrick Dempsey is a key member of Firth's administration in The Colin Firth Club, while I think Mark Sloan rocks, and dig Arizona Robbins... wait, did I just say any of that? Forget I wrote that...
Speaking of Disney World...
So, here's the reason I've been so lagging in blogging in the last few weeks. About a month ago, our pastor at Valleydale Church (an sbc fellowship) and his family asked The Lovely Steph Leann and I for some pointers on Disney World. Pastor Calvin and his wife, daughter Hillary and her hubby and 2 year old girl and daughter Alissa and hubby Joey and their two boys are all headed that way, and its a combination of "never been" and "haven't been in a few years" and "haven't been in a long time"...
Well, after a three hour lunch meeting, we were just getting going. Alissa had written about five pages of jumbled notes and such, and I'm not sure she understood everything we were saying (she had Mickey's PhilharMagic spelled Mickey's Filler Magic... I laughed heartily) so at the end, when we were running out of time, I said, "Let me write your notes."
And over the course of a month, I wrote some notes. And more notes. And more notes. And I added sections. And then chapters. And then a table of contents. And at the end, it was a 53 page not-even comprehensive guide to Disney World from our perspective.
The Lovely Steph Leann took it to edit, and after three days of assembly, it was bound in a folder, with the great title "DISNEY ON A DOLLAR"... that was the name she created for the Disney Travel Agency that we had discussed...
Personally, I think its a great guide. And The Lovely Steph Leann says simply, "We aren't giving this out to anyone. If they want it, they have to hang out with us. Maybe treat us to dinner!". So there ya go.
But that's a completed project, so I'm back! Rock on.
Speaking of syrup on the fingers...
I hate having my hands sticky. Like, really sticky. Or even partly sticky. When I'm standing at the espresso bar, and I reach over and pump four shots of vanilla, it sometimes drips on the back of my hand. Or I have mocha on my fingers. Or moving the frappuccino pumps around, it drips on my palm. Hate it, hate it, hate it. I consider that to be one of the things I'd probably hate most about being on Survivor--my hands getting sticky and not being able to wash it off.
Don't get me wrong.. I don't mind "dirty". I can put my hands in mud and dirt, I've potted many plants and cleaned many drains and scrubbed many toilets and so on, so I have no opposition to getting my hands dirty. As long as they aren't sticky.
Speaking of making messes...
I would love to tell you the following is a fake, but its not. I would love to tell you that the following is needless and silly, and maybe it is... but I can see the use for it.
Its called The Slobstopper, and its a real commercial, and sure to be found at Target, Kohls and Wal-Mart in that crazy "As Seen On TV" aisle and/or end-cap soon enough. What is the Slobstopper? Its a bib for adults.
Sometimes for a mid-afternoon, or an after work snack, I'll drop by Daylight Donuts and grab a donut and a small bottle of whole milk, and what I've learned the hard way is when you open the whole milk, it spills out the top. Its done this twice, in my car as I was driving. The first time, I had a nearby cloth towel and was able to wipe most of the mess away. Of course, it was good that I had that cloth because I was also munching on a coconut cream filled turnover, and that cream splurted out onto my shirt, my shorts and on the fairly new seats of Red Robin.
If I have a complaint about my Kia Soul, and I have very, very few, one would be that the seats get dirty really easily. Just add coconut cream. And whole milk.
The second time, I was less prepared, and though I had no coconut cream filled turnover, the milk spilled even worse, and I only had a Starbucks apron within reach. I guess there is no use crying over it.
But had I Slobstopper? My problems would melt away... as would the milk and coconut cream.
Speaking of being tired...
You know you are tired when you wake up at butt-thirty in the morning and are already looking forward to laying down in the afternoon for a little rest spell.
Speaking of doing puzzles...
I'm not much of a "fighting style" video game guy, like "Red Dead Redemption" and "Halo" and all that rot. Not that I don't really understand them, its just too many buttons on most controllers. My fingers aren't that dexterious.
However, I do like puzzles and puzzle games on video. And in a book. Mazes rule. I love mazes. Crosswords are fun too.
Word searches are fun, but only if the list is fun. Like, when I pick up a word search puzzle, I'll flip past "Architectural Designs" or "French Military Victories", but if I see something cool like "Russell Crowe Movies", I'm like "Where you at 'Gladiator'?!".
By the way, the "French Military Victories puzzle has like, one or two things to find.
Speaking of holding your breath...
When I'm watching a film and a character has to swim underwater, I always hold my breath as long as they do to see if I would make it. I usually die.
Speaking of good food...
Had dinner the other night at a joint called Rags downtown, in the Lakeview District. Let's be honest, I only know its the Lakeview District because when we pulled up, I was told that it was the Lakeview District by our double dates for the night, Melanie and Chris Z. It was Chris' birthday, so he was in fine spirits, Melanie looked great as always, The Lovely Steph Leann is always nice to have on the arm, so it was a great night.
The food was reasonably priced, and the atmostphere was fun. Its a former hair salon turned into a bar/cafe, which contains a bar and five tables. We had to wait for a table for a few minutes, but we were able to sit down and munch on Italian type food and appetizers.
After we all shared a big plate of fried green beans, I ate shrimp pesto pasta and it was really great. Dinner with friends is always great.
Speaking of The Deucecast...
In case you don't know me or haven't heard me, we done been starting us a podcasty thing. A podcast called The Deucecast. You can find it on iTunes under "The Deucecast" and download individual 'casts (I recommend Episode -1... that's negative one... and Episode III: Podcast of the Sith) or subscribe to all of them.
You can also find it on our website The Deucecast, and get show notes and download shows, see a few pics, and find some other fun stuff as we progress. Find us on Facebook and like us, too.
What's it about? Pop culture stuff. Movies, music, entertainment news, gaming stuff, and lots of humor. Hosted by Mikey, Matty and myself, new episodes are usually available for download on Fridays by midday. Come join us!
What a glorious day here at The Cabana. Its my day off, so I was able to sleep until around 10ish this morning, after staying up until 1am watching almost 3 hours of American Idol and another hour of Survivor: Redemption Island, and sometimes when you sleep late, and you do that groggy, wobbly stumble to the toilet for your morning relief, then that shower that comes after is just wonderful. Got out, had me a quick lunch, then set about the task of finishing the laundry that had been piled up for five days now... well, heck, we were gone for twelve days, so everything we owned was dirty.
Now, I'm just sitting on the couch, chilling out, relaxing all cool, you know, shooting some b'ball outside of the school... okay, thats not true. Thats too much excercise. It is a beautiful day outside, and some may criticize me for not being in it... but what would I do? Run? Go stand on the corner, inhale the fresh Birmingham/Hoover air and mutter out loud, "Wow, what a pretty day!"? Nah, I just like it here in The Cabana, all the windows open, the bright sunshine pouring in, and a bad Steven Seagal movie playing on the TV, on a channel with no HD, making it fuzzy, which probably makes it more enjoyable.
I guess "Bad Steven Seagal Movie" is itself an oxymoron.
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So, The Rock, who I have a total mancrush on, is back in the WWE. It was a glorious return on this past Monday Night Raw, and I watched the twenty minutes or so he was on about three times. He was in fine form, shouting out things like, "Layeth the smacketh down on your candy a#(@*" and "Know your role and shut your mouth!" and "All you jabronis..." It made me giggle. He rules. He... well, Rocks.
And of course, the big news is, he'll be "hosting" Wrestlemania XXVII, this time in Atlanta, Georgia, on April 2nd. Myself and my best mate Wookiee had been discussing going anyway, and we were tossing back and forth about a third like Danny Ocean talking to Rusty in "Ocean's Eleven"... "We need one more? You think we need one more? Okay, we'll get one more..."
So enter Big Tom Johnson, another former Deucemate. The discussion of whether we go to Wrestlemania XXVII shifted to overdrive when I found out that The Rock will be there, and a major part of it. Toss in the possibility that Kevin "Diesel"/"Big Daddy Kool" Nash may be there, as well as Booker T, and even the outside shot that WCW'er Sting might show up--highly unlikely, but then again, so was The Rock's return to regular WWE appearances... anyway, add all that in, and the discussion went from "are we going?" to "how fast can we get tickets?"
A visit to StubHub (stuuuuubhub!) today got us some tickets. Granted, we are in the upper upper deck, and granted we'll be about 10 rows from the top of the Georgia Dome, and granted everyone, Diesel, The Rock and The Big Show included, will look about an inch tall from our seats, but WE WILL BE AT WRESTLEMANIA. If you could get Super Bowl tickets, you'd take 'em, no matter where you were sitting. And at about $67 bucks a pop, you just want to say you were there. April 2nd, we will be. I rule.
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Speaking of The Rock, I just, in the middle of writing this blog post, left The Cabana, drove over to the ghetto and paid a buck at the dollar theater to see The Rock's latest film, "Faster". To say that "Faster" is a bad film is understating the words "Bad Film". This movie is flat out terrible.
The Rock plays a character only known as Driver, and that's not his name, that's apparently his role in a bank heist that ended up putting him in prison for ten years. He and his brother Gary were set up, Gary was murdered, and The Rock, er, Driver, is out to avenge his brother's murder, one by one. That's really all you need to know, because the plot doesn't get much deeper than that.
This picture in the corner of the screen would have been better viewing the actual movie. Just sayin'.
Oh, well there is some nonsense about a double cross, and a plot twist that I saw coming about thirty minutes into the film, there's Mr. Eko from LOST, there's Carla Gugino looking extremely Carla Guginoey, there's Billy Bob Thornton mailing it in and wearing a horrible hairpiece, and finally, I'd like to put forth a theory that any movie can be made better by inserting Maggie Grace in there somewhere. She's in this film, and thought I'm not sure why, it helped the scenery a hundred percent.
Matter of fact, I think that if you know your film is going to be a piece of crap--and I assure you that somewhere in production, the producers looked at each other and said something like "Wow, The Rock or no The Rock, this movie is going blow chunks"--you as a filmmaker have a responsiblity, NAY, a duty to the moviegoing public, at least the male ticket buyers, to just put a pic of Maggie Grace in her LOST bikini in the corner and leave it there, so we'll have something to occupy our time while the horrible film goes on.
Let's be real here. I only saw this because as a guy with a mancrush on The Rock, I try and support his films. Take out The Rock and insert Jason Statham or Vin Diesel, and I save my money. However, I can say that I have no problem giving The Rock my buck. Cause, The Rock rocks.
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One thing I have to keep reminding myself is... this blog is taking off. Seriously. Randomly, I look over and another person has become a "follower", or has left a comment making me say, "Who the heck is this?" Anyway, got some propz from a reader named Nutsy--no knowledge as to whether thats a cute nickname her hubby gave her or a statement on her mental awareness--who looks like she's from the Northeast. She added me to her own blogroll, so I felt compelled to do the same... her website is called "Miss Gracie: New Adventures on an Old Boat", and its worth a look. She seems to be like me... she just writes whatever strikes her fancy, and hopes that someone finds it worth a look.
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Wanted to mention another site too, started by a friend of mine, Scotty Latta and a buddy of his... its called "Joust", and its a brilliant idea, really. The tagline is "Pick Your Battles", and essentially, it lets you compete against other people in contests ranging from sports games to The Bachelor. I personally don't watch the latter, but I am already signed up for American Idol's league, which will come into play when the Top 24 is revealed. There is no money involved, there's very little gambling terminology tossed around (parlays and over/unders and such), its just picking your battles. Find it Joust at JoustNow dot com, or just click here.
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I'm flipping channels and stumbling upon a gem. "School Ties". Have you ever actually seen this movie? Its from 1992, and stars Brendan Fraser as David Greene, a teenager in 1955 Pennsylvania, who gets a scholarship to a hoity toity prep school in Massachusetts, St. Matthews. Problem is, David Greene is Jewish, and St. Matthews is Protestant, so the whole film is all about prejudice and stereotypes...
Here's Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Chris O'Donnell, along with Randall Batinkoff, who went from starring in this hit to... nothing.
So David Greene is on the football team, the star QB, the reason he was brought to the school, and everyone is cool with him, he becomes popular, gets him a chick on the swim team (Amy Locane, before the vehicular manslaughter) at a nearby chick prep school, and it seems like everything is awesome... until his secret is discovered. Then everyone turns on him, including implicating him in a big cheating scandal.
Appearing in this film are young versions of Ben Affleck(playing a guy named Chesty!) and Chris O'Donnell(before Robin) and Anthony Rapp(before "Rent") and Matt Damon (before anything), and its so bad its awesome. Not sure why they decided a shower fight scene between Fraser and Damon was a good idea (its PG-13, don't worry) but it just adds to the ridiculousness of "School Ties".
If you come across this film close to the beginning, watch it, enjoy it and dig it. Didn't even need Maggie Grace in the corner (course she was nine at the time...ew...) but toss The Rock in there and you go from ridiculously awesome to ridiculously awesomer.
Finally got me an iPhone. Not that I needed one... truly, who actually needs an iPhone? I mean, if you think about it, do we really need portable phones? I got by for 28 years without one, and sure, its nice to be able to call someone and say, "Hey, I'm on the way" or send a text really quickly to say, "Remind me again what time the movie is" or "Can you pick up some milk?" but really, do we need one?
The answer? We do now. Its become an intregal part of life. We'd survive without it, but why do we have to? That's like saying, "Well, yeah, we'd get by if every Baha Burger or Chipotle closed its doors forever" but why would we want to do that?
iPhone 3gs 8gb
So, it stands to reason that naturally, I don't have a phone tonight. Well, technically, I do have a phone. I have two sitting in front of me, but neither have service.
The Lovely Steph Leann's phone has been dying for a few days, dropping calls, not connecting and so on. It was time for an upgrade, so I went with her to AT&T to do just that, for both of us. Initially she tried to lead me left side of the store, to the "buy one get one free" phones for like, $10. But, of course, I'm having none of that, and found myself wandering to the right side of the store where the "smartphones" were on display.
And then, I found myself standing in front of the iPhones. I had resisted the iPhone for a while because when they first came out, they were just so doggone expensive, and the plans were reeeeeediculous. But as time has gone by, the prices have dropped, as with just about everything. The 4G came out earlier this summer, which meant the 3GS was down to about $100 or so. The Lovely Steph Leann put up a slight resistance, but I think she kinda knew it was a lost cause... kinda like me putting up a slight resistance to expensive dining room chairs. Its going to happen. Just go with it.
As we got in the car, The Lovely Steph Leann turns to me and says, "Okay, so we've got you caught up on technology for a while. We're done."
She got another Nokia, her being a Nokia kinda girl, and I got an iPhone ordered. They were out, so it was to be shipped to The Cabana and delivered some time this week. And being off yesterday, today and tomorrow (Thursday), I used Tuesday as my lazy as crap day, Thursday will be my get stuff done day, and today was my for errands. And in my errands, I stopped at the Hoover Public Library, got some audiobooks and subsequently checked my email while there... and discovered that my iPhone had been delivered this afternoon.
Racing home, I found it sitting on the end table, as The Lovely Steph Leann was home for lunch while the FedEx guy stopped by. I tore it open like a kid tearing into a Christmas gift, pulled out the box, opened it with my teeth and picked up my black 3GS iPhone... and plugged it in.
A few hours later, I pulled it off the charger, synced it with iTunes and called the number to get it activated. It cut off service to my old Motorola Razr. That's fine, don't need service on two phones. Turned off my iPhone and waited the 5 to 10 minutes it asks you to wait, then turned it on. No service. Turned it off again, waited a few more minutes, turned it back on. No service.
Went to church, as we came back, turned it on, no service. Figured we'd go by the AT&T store, get it solved. Well, the store closed at 7pm. And its 754pm. Called AT&T, and was told that I had to go back to the store upon which I purchased the phone. So, at 9am, I have to go. Until then, no service. No phone.
Is this something annoying, or should I enjoy my freedom from connection?
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Watched two movies yesterday just on a whim...
"College" stars Drake Bell(from Nickelodeon's "Drake & Josh") and Chicken Little from American Idol, Kevin Covais. Anyway, Drake plays Kevin, and he and his buddies Morris (Covais) and Carter (Andrew Caldwell) go spend a high school senior-checking-out-the-school weekend at Friedmont University, fall for some sorority chicks, get in trouble with the bad boy fraternity on campus, and hilarity ensues.
Well, not really hilarity, just a lame attempt at such, with your expected booby jokes, chick jokes, and teen humor. I laughed one single time at about the hour fifteen mark. Terrible film, not Emmy Turnbow approved.
"Lower Learning" stars Jason Biggs, Eva Longoria Parker and Monica Potter. Bottom line, Biggs plays an assistant principal who is trying to stop the mean, corrupt principal (Rob Corddry) from tanking the school and getting it shut down. Eva plays a school inspector, and Monica Potter is a teacher and... you know what, it stunk. Wasn't nearly as crude as "College", but didn't try nearly as hard. At least "College" gets a B for effort.
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I oftne make fun of Alabama Adventure, and mostly because it kinda deserves it, but sometimes the comedy just presents itself...
No evidence that this guy spread the parasite. Its merely a picture.
BESSEMER, ALABAMA-- The Alabama Department of Public Health is investigating reports of several people getting sick after visiting the water park at Alabama Adventure in Bessemer.
The state health department, in a statement Friday afternoon to FOX6 News, said it was investigating a, "cluster of ill persons" associated with the Alabama Adventure Water Park in Bessemer. The health department said these individuals tested positive for a parasite that causes an illness called cryptosporidiosis.
"Cryptosporidiosis" is a frightening word. So sez Wikipedia: Cryptosporidiosis, also known as crypto,[1] is a parasitic disease caused by Cryptosporidium, a protozoan parasite in the phylum Apicomplexa. It affects the intestines of mammals and is typically an acute short-term infection. It is spread through the fecal-oral route, often through contaminated water;[1] the main symptom is self-limiting diarrhea in people with intact immune systems.
Not sure its the worst job in the whole world, but "PR Guy for Alabama Adventures" has to in the Top Ten, at least for now.
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A good way to get a date is be a professional athlete. All the rest of us had to work slightly harder... this guy made it happen, though...
OAKLAND -- Jacki Lynch walked into her first A's game Thursday night with no other itinerary than to take advantage of a free ticket and enjoy the company of some college friends.
Kevin Fennell, however, had a different plan for her, although both didn't know it at the start.
The 21-year-old A's ballboy, stationed near Oakland's bullpen throughout the game, spotted Lynch nearby in the stands and, after putting his glove on a foul ball, passed by a line of fans and handed it to her.
"He looked at me and pointed," Lynch recalled. "I said, 'Me?' and he came over and gave me the ball."
Later in the game, an eventual 4-3 Oakland win over Tampa Bay, Fennell did it again, at which point the A's television crew caught on to the act and shared it with its audience -- including those friendly with Lynch.
"People kept texting and calling me," Lynch told MLB.com by phone on Friday. "I thought it was so funny. I can't believe how much attention this has all been getting."
Although video only shows Fennell handing off two balls, he admitted the count actually grew to four. Lynch, though, says she walked away with five balls, the last of which came via messenger from the bullpen, reading, "How about a phone number for our Ball Man, Kevin?"
Fennell not only received the digits, but he's also already communicated with Lynch via text message to set up a date.
Flipped channels just now to Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1997 epic "Double Team", co-starring Dennis Rodman. I think I liked it when I was 22. Now? The movie is horrendous. First, how is Van Damme's thickly accented character even named Jack Quinn? Shouldn't it be something slightly foriegn? Secondly, its just a terribly acted movie. I was actually surviving it until Dennis Rodman came onscreen, and it went from worse to catastrophic.
I'm not sure which is worse--the acting in this trailer, or the narrator desperately sounding like he's trying not to laugh.
It was so bad that I flipped about four channels north to Steven Seagal's"Fire Down Below", also from 1997. While a bad, bad film, its a good bad, craptastic if you will. Kris Kristofferson as a villian, a strangely hot pre-CSI Marg Helgenberger, current in the 90s country stars Randy Travis and Mark Collie and Steven Seagal working as... an EPA agent? Really?
I told The Lovely Steph Leann earlier, "Over 300 channels right now. And still... nothing on."
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There's a tendancy that television has to copy. When one show does successful, a ton more pop up just like it. Its bad in scripted tv, with Friends being popular and "Coupling" coming the next year (and tanking). Melrose Place was a hit, and "Central Park West" tanked. When LOST blew everyone away, we had a ton of similiar shows like "The Nine", "Invasion" and "Threshold" that came on the next year. And went away pretty quickly.
I love watching Rick (middle) talk about stuff if only because he makes the same hand motions every time, and it cracks me up.
This trend is especially bad in reality TV, with American Idol paving the way for America's Got Talent and The X-Factor. Cake Boss and Ace of Cakes and a few other cake making shows are now on, and while midget shows tend to be a little short on character, the formula works enough to make several shows.
And Pawn Shops is no different. Pawn Stars premiered on the History Channel... what its doing on the History Channel, I have no idea... and its one of the networks highest rated shows. And I love it. Last week, I had an afternoon at home and ended up watching three hours of it... everything from a star-studded autographed quilt to a airplane glider to a Lou Gerig signed jersey to vintage film of FDR, its so random and I think its great. The guys that run the shop are hilarious, and even The Lovely Steph Leann finds herself watching and laughing, and to her caring nature, feeling terrible for those people who sell stuff cheap only for the pawn guys to find out the stuff is worth a ton of money.
And to catch the pawn craze, the channel truTV (formerly CourTV) has their own show called Hardcore Pawn. For all the fun and entertainment that Pawn Stars provides, Hardcore Pawn is the opposite. The guys are a little angry, they are rude to people, there are way to many bleeps in the language and the show is just not good.
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Why yes, I subscribe to this podcast. Why do you ask?
In all the channels we get, Pawn Stars makes that short list of programs that, when I flip through and see them, I will check it out to see if I've seen the episode, and I can flip to it mid-show and its still enjoyable. That's a good list to be on.
Other shows that make that list are any Dateline NBC shows on Investigative Discovery, Mythbusters on Discovery Channel, Clean House on The Style Network, and anything with Samantha Brown in it on The Travel Channel.
Let's be real, though. I don't watch it often, but when I happen to catch "The Harry Reid Show", I laugh out loud every time. Might be a guy thing.
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Reason #5,499,901 of why the terrorists hate us. Holly Madison.
Found myself watching "Holly's World" on E!, sort of like leathernecking on a freeway at a car wreck on the other side. She just bought a house, but was careful to say that she didn't want to go too big, she wanted a house she could afford and not be a slave to her mortgage.
She then showed off her Disney kitchen. I'm not sure how to feel about the fact that Holly Madison and d$ have the same scattered Mickey placemats. I'm totally not kidding.
They are throwing Holly a housewarming party with cotton candy, a bouncey house and a petting zoo. I'm sticking with it, mildly amused and then... Carrot Top showed up. I just lost 17 IQ points. Gotta turn it.
"Whip It" is Drew Barrymore's first shot at directing, and its all about Women's Roller Derby. I remember watching Roller Derby when I was like, 9 or something on ESPN, back when ESPN was showing anything that possibly resembled sports in an effort to fill their airwaves.
There is actually a roller derby team locally... I keep meaning to go, if only for the blogging material
Anyway, the flick tells the story of Bliss Cavendar (I turned to The Lovely Steph Leann and suggested 'Bliss Dollar' as a girl name, but immediately dismissed it with 'nah, that sounds like a terrible stripper') who is played by Ellen Page. She lives in Bodeen, Texas, with a well-intentioned but overbearing mom and a loving but bumbling dad, and looks for a little more out of life... and she stumbles upon the Hurl Scouts, a Roller Derby team in Austin. She makes the team, and ends up having the time of her life.
Trouble's a brewing, though, as you'd expect her parents not to approve (they don't), her best friend to feel betrayed (she does), rivals to pop up (they do) and more.
Overall, however, I thought this was a great film. It was smart, it was funny, it was paced well and both The Lovely Steph Leann and I found ourselves laughing and enjoying it. Its got a little bit of language, and a pool make out scene where nothing is shown and there's a bit of smooching, though what happens next is implied. The Roller Derby chicks are in somewhat small outfits, but there aren't any wardrobe malfunctions to see and there's lots of skating and smashing into each other. I recommend it.
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Don't you hate it when you are driving, and you are cruising along, maybe got your cruise control set, and you are coming upon a car ahead of you that you'll easily be able to pass but there's a car coming up behind you in the left lane, traveling fast, and that's not a problem because by the time you get to the point where you'd have to move to the left lane or step on your brake and breaking your cruise control speed the car coming up behind you will be way past you because of his speed...
...but the car in the left lane slows down just enough where you can't safely get over in front of him, and the car ahead of you is driving at such a speed that you now have to break your cruise control speed so the car in the left lane will in fact pass you so you can get over in the left lane, and when you get over, to top it off, the car in the left lane speeds up again and goes really fast, leaving you to try and reset your cruise control.
Its the "dog days" of summer.. and I've been taking a few days, or several days, off from writing. Can't say I've been busy, and I can't say I don't have stuff to write about, I just enjoy take a week or two from it every now and again. Its hard work, I tell ya!
But I know there are people who check this site every day, so I wanted to give you something... so here...
THE BELOIT COLLEGE MINDSET LIST
MILWAUKEE — For students entering college this fall, e-mail is too slow, phones have never had cords and the computers they played with as kids are now in museums.
The Class of 2014 thinks of Clint Eastwood more as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry urging punks to "go ahead, make my day." Few incoming freshmen know how to write in cursive or have ever worn a wristwatch.
These are among the 75 items on this year's Beloit College Mindset List. The compilation, released Tuesday, is assembled each year by two officials at this private school of about 1,400 students in Beloit, Wis.
The list is meant to remind teachers that cultural references familiar to them might draw blank stares from college freshmen born mostly in 1992.
Of course, it can also have the unintended consequence of making people feel old.
Ever worry about a Russian missile strike on the U.S.? During these students' lives, Russians and Americans have always been living together in outer space.
Being aware of the generation gap helps professors craft lesson plans that are more meaningful, said Ron Nief, a former public affairs director at Beloit College and one of the list's creators. Nief and English professor Tom McBride have assembled the Mindset List for 13 years. They say it's given them an unusual perspective on cultural shifts.
Before we were married, The Lovely Steph Leann gave me what, at the time, was the ultimate gift of love. The Beavis & Butthead Collection on DVD. She rules.
For example, as item No. 13 on the list says, "Parents and teachers feared that Beavis and Butt-head might be the voice of a lost generation." With far edgier content available today, such as "South Park" or online videos that push the envelope, there's something quaint about recalling the hand-wringing that the MTV cartoon prompted, Nief said.
"I think we do that with every generation – we look back and say, what were we getting so upset about?" he said. "A, kids outgrow it and B, in retrospect we realize it really wasn't that bad."
Another Mindset List item reflects a possible shift in Hollywood attitudes. Item No. 12 notes: "Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry." A number of incoming freshmen said they partially agreed with the item, noting they were familiar with Eastwood's work as an actor even if they hadn't seen his films.
"I know he directed movies but I also know he's supposed to be sort of bad-a**," said Aaron Ziontz, 18, from Seattle.
Jessica Peck, a 17-year-old from Portland, Ore., disagreed with two items on the list – one that says few students know how to write in cursive, and another that suggests this generation seldom if ever uses snail mail.
"Snail mail's kind of fun. When I have time I like writing letters to friends and family," she said. "It's just a bit more personal. And yes, I write in cursive."
Peck did agree with the item pointing out that most teens have never used telephones with cords. "Yes, I've used them but only at my grandparents' house," she said.
That's the sort of comment that can make a person feel old. McBride jokes that he's not immune from feeling ancient just because he compiles the items. But the 65-year-old said the lists can also reveal a larger truth about tolerance.
The "Beavis and Butt-head" item suggests that maybe parents shouldn't overreact every time a controversy arises, he noted. For example, maybe it's no big deal if college freshmen misspell words when they text, and maybe their attention spans will be just fine even though they grew up in the Internet age, he said.
"There's something about the resilience of human nature that renders these gloom-and-doom prophesies moot after a while," he said. "I can't say for sure, but it looks like the track record of these very anxious prophets has not been impressive over the years." ___
Most students entering college for the first time this fall - members of the Class of 2014 - were born in 1992. For these students, Benny Hill, Sam Kinison, Sam Walton, Burt Parks and Tony Perkins have always been dead. Remember when Dr. Jack Kevorkian, Dan Quayle or Rodney King were in the news? These kids don't.
1. Few in the class know how to write in cursive.
2. E-mail is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail.
3. "Go west, young college grad," has always implied "and don't stop until you get to Asia and learn Chinese along the way."
4. Al Gore has always been animated.
5. Los Angelinos have always been trying to get along.
6. Buffy has always been meeting her obligations to hunt down Lothos and the other bloodsuckers at Hemery High.
7. "Caramel macchiato" and "venti half-cafvanilla latte" have always been street corner lingo.
8. With increasing numbers of ramps, Braille signs, and handicapped parking spaces, the world has always been trying harder to accommodate people with disabilities.
9. Had it remained operational, the villainous computer HAL could be their college classmate this fall, but they have a better chance of running into Miley Cyrus's folks on Parents' Weekend.
10. A quarter of the class has at least one immigrant parent, and the immigration debate is not a big priority unless it involves "real" aliens from another planet.
11. John McEnroe has never played professional tennis.
12. Clint Eastwood is better known as a sensitive director than as Dirty Harry.
13. Parents and teachers feared that Beavis and Butt-head might be the voice of a lost generation.
14. Doctor Kevorkian has never been licensed to practice medicine.
15. Colorful lapel ribbons have always been worn to indicate support for a cause.
16. Korean cars have always been a staple on American highways.
Perhaps she's not as hot as that other Fergie, no doubt this one has a little more class. I actually spoke to her on the phone once. No joke. She was extremely pleasant.
17. Trading Chocolate the Moose for Patti the Platypus helped build their Beanie Baby collection.
18. Fergie is a pop singer, not a princess.
19. They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.
20. DNA fingerprinting and maps of the human genome have always existed.
21. Woody Allen, whose heart has wanted what it wanted, has always been with Soon-Yi Previn.
22. Cross-burning has always been deemed protected speech.
23. Leasing has always allowed the folks to upgrade their tastes in cars.
24. "Cop Killer" by rapper Ice-T has never been available on a recording.
25. Jay Leno and David Letterman have always been trading insults on opposing networks.
26. Unless they found one in their grandparents' closet, they have never seen a carousel of Kodachrome slides.
27. Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM disk drive.
28. They've never recognized that pointing to their wrists was a request for the time of day.
29. Reggie Jackson has always been enshrined in Cooperstown.
30. "Viewer Discretion" has always been an available warning on TV shows.
31. The first computer they probably touched was an Apple II; it is now in a museum.
32. Czechoslovakia has never existed.
33. Secondhand smoke has always been an official carcinogen.
34. "Assisted Living" has always been replacing nursing homes, while Hospice has always been an alternative to hospitals.
35. Once they got through security, going to the airport has always resembled going to the mall.
36. Adhesive strips have always been available in varying skin tones.
37. Whatever their parents may have thought about the year they were born, Queen Elizabeth declared it an "AnnusHorribilis."
38. Bud Selig has always been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball.
39. Pizza jockeys from Domino's have never killed themselves to get your pizza there in under 30 minutes.
40. There have always been HIV positive athletes in the Olympics.
41. American companies have always done business in Vietnam.
42. Potato has always ended in an "e" in New Jersey per vice presidential edict.
43. Russians and Americans have always been living together in space.
44. The dominance of television news by the three networks passed while they were still in their cribs.
45. They have always had a chance to do community service with local and federal programs to earn money for college.
Being a broke college student, I remember buying "Nevermind", and selling it. Then re-buying it, then selling it again. When I finally got into the world and had a little money, I bought it. And kept it.
46. Nirvana is on the classic oldies station.
47. Children have always been trying to divorce their parents.
48. Someone has always gotten married in space.
49. While they were babbling in strollers, there was already a female Poet Laureate of the United States.
50. Toothpaste tubes have always stood up on their caps.
51. Food has always been irradiated.
52. There have always been women priests in the Anglican Church.
53. J.R. Ewing has always been dead and gone. Hasn't he?
54. The historic bridge at Mostar in Bosnia has always been a copy.
55. Rock bands have always played at presidential inaugural parties.
56. They may have assumed that parents' complaints about Black Monday had to do with punk rockers from L.A., not Wall Street.
57. A purple dinosaur has always supplanted Barney Google and Barney Fife.
58. Beethoven has always been a dog.
59. By the time their folks might have noticed Coca Cola's new Tab Clear, it was gone.
60. Wal-Mart has never sold handguns over the counter in the lower 48.
61. Presidential appointees have always been required to be more precise about paying their nannies' withholding tax, or else.
62. Having hundreds of cable channels but nothing to watch has always been routine.
63. Their parents' favorite TV sitcoms have always been showing up as movies.
64. The U.S, Canada, and Mexico have always agreed to trade freely.
65. They first met Michelangelo when he was just a computer virus.
66. Galileo is forgiven and welcome back into the Roman Catholic Church.
It's the capital S, oh yes, the fresh N double O P D O double G Y D O double G ya' see
67. Ruth Bader Ginsburg has always sat on the Supreme Court.
68. They have never worried about a Russian missile strike on the U.S.
69. The Post Office has always been going broke.
70. The artist formerly known as Snoop Doggy Dogg has always been rapping.
71. The nation has never approved of the job Congress is doing.
72. One way or another, "It's the economy, stupid" and always has been.
73. Silicone-gel breast implants have always been regulated.
74. They've always been able to blast off with the Sci-Fi Channel.
75. Honda has always been a major competitor on Memorial Day at Indianapolis.
Sometimes I just have random stuff to say, and Coffee Drinker Mindy D'A is always quick to tell me these posts are her favorites...
As the figure skating comes out, someway, somehow, at least once during the night I will shout (sometimes to The Lovely Steph Leann's annoyance) "Toe Pick!" in a high, shrill voice, just like that "Cutting Edge" movie.
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When I see figure skating pairs, I'm convinced that the two are romantically involved... but I'm equally as convinced the guy is gay. How does that skating paradox work?...
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So... men's figure skaters. Is is a shirt? Is it a blouse? Is there a difference in the two?
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In that contest where you can win a trip to the Olympics for the rest of your life, I'm picturing every executive on the edge of their seats when the winner is drawn... "What? He's 88 years old? Whew! That would have totally been crappy if some 27 year old won this thing!"
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After years of announcing the Olympics, Bob Costas must know more random, useless geography facts than anyone in the history of the world. "And here comes the Dutch team. Of course, we know that the Dutch town of Leeuwarden can be spelled 225 different ways..."
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We were having dinner at The Campbell Home a few nights ago, and The Lovely Steph Leann noticed in a Wal-Mart flier that "The Biggest Loser" for the Wii game was on sale for $29.99. I just happened to have a $30 Wal-Mart gift card burning a hole in my pocket, so a few days later, I purchased it. The next night, I pointed it out to her, told her that I thought she might like it, we could do it together and so forth. And what did we do later that night? You guessed it.
Sat on the couch, ate Girl Scout cookies and watched television, Wii game still in the wrapper on the end table.
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My latest "Crappy Movie With Mikey" movie was "Law Abiding Citizen". This film stars Gerard Butler as Clyde Shelton, a man who watches his family get senselessly murdered in a robbery, then watches the leader of the crime roll over on the not-as-violent partner and essentially get off on a technicality. Years later, he sets out to get revenge on everyone who allowed this to happen. Jamie Foxx portrays Nick Rice, the fledgling district attorney who is trying to stop him from killing more people.
The first part of the movie is intriguing... a man set on vengeance for the slaughter of his family, he's in prison, yet how is he still getting these assassinations completed? The game is afoot. The second half of the film, when Clyde's resources and back story is revealed, sort of... well, completely falls apart. It goes from a "What would I do in this situation? Would I want revenge too" kind of thinking movie to a "Wow. That's kind of a stretch. Wow, now that is really a stretch. Wow, that's kind of ridiculous" kind of thinking movie.
Its full of violence and F-Bombs, and really, its 2 hours that you could spent elsewhere, unless you are just jonesing to see this movie or Gerard Butler. It does have a really cool death, though, involving a cell phone and a judge.
And what happened to Gerard Butler, anyway? Remember him in "300"? He was this awesome dude that was in "Phantom of the Opera", and he was this guy that we all just knew was going to have a rockin' big career full of action flicks and great starring roles... and then he did "P.S. I Love You"... and then he did "The Ugly Truth"... and then he did "Nim's Island"... really, Gerard? Really?
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Ever seen the movie "Creepshow"? Its not a terrible film, its meant to be a little schlocky and campy--its a series of vignettes from a horror comic book, with the screenplay written by Stephen King. My favorite of the stories is entitled "Something to Tide You Over", and it features Leslie Nielsen (!) as a bad guy who, at least in the beginning, gets the best of Ted Danson and his woman.
The most disturbing of all of the shorts, however, is the last one, called "They're Creeping Up On You". Essentially, a mean, bad man who suffers from Mysophobia and lives in a sealed off, germ-free apartment has a problem with roaches. A very, very big problem.
Though in now-over 2 years at The Cabana, I have yet to see a roach, we'd routinely see them at The Deuce. Its not that our apartment was dirty (stop laughing), but in the neighborhood, plus with the roommates and the rest of the world visiting, it happens. Even then, though, when I saw a cockroach in The Deuce, I could get it sometimes... other times, it would escape behind behind something and disappears. So I'd go to bed, knowing that cockroach was alive and well, sometimes in my room. And, thinking back to "Creepshow", I just knew that that stupid roach was talking with talking with 4,000 of his children and friends, making plans for a revolution. Viva la 'cacaroacha!
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When I go onto the iTunes store, I look at the section that says "Recommendations For You". I'm assuming iTunes bases this on music I've listened to recently, and maybe listen to on a regular basis. This time around? They recommend the soundtrack to "Kung Fu Panda", albums by Madonna, The Police, and They Might Be Giants and singles by Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Julie Andrews, The Kinks and some guy named Marco Marnengeli. So not only am I actually 14 years old, I'm apparently living in 1986.
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If you actually punched some random guy after seeing one of those new Volkswagens, chances are you'd get punched back, regardless of the color.
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Anyone remember Gatorade Fruit Punch, or Grape, or Lemon Lime? Life was easy then. Now its all kind of weird flavors and concoctions like G2 and Elite and Mountain Blast and Shock & Awe. I miss Fruit Punch.
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Along that same lines, anyone remember when The Prevue Channel existed? Covering most of the screen, it did nothing but scroll what was on every other channel... and when nothing was on TV, you left it on The Prevue Channel--for hours at a time. It would show commercials and trailers for movies coming on HBO and network television, but it was great background noise.
Says EW.com.... It's TV more hypnotizing than Peter Jennings' baritone. More riveting than bouncing Baywatch body parts. It's the Prevue Channel -- that excruciatingly slow scroll that lists what's on the tube's every channel. All My Children... Tennis...Pictionary...and on and on. Some folks tune in for actual information -- and tear their hair out with impatience. Me, I like the Prevue Channel as a mesmerizing end in itself -- my own electronic lava lamp. I savor the endless, repetitive looping. The fun bubbles of red that denote premium channels. The cryptic, haiku-like movie descriptions. (''Deconstructing Harry: A prominent author is plagued with writer's block and numerous personal problems.'') But my favorite moment has to be when the Prevue Channel scrolls by the listing for the Prevue Channel itself, and I learn that I am watching... previews. What a gorgeously self-referential moment! What a brilliant metaphor for our onanistic media culture! -- from 1998
Now? We have The TV Guide channel, and I can't watch it. The scrolling part--which is why you'd turn it on the TV Guide channel in the first place--takes about 1/4 of the screen, showing maybe 3 or 4 shows at a time. Then, they've got their own programming, plus they show other channel's shows, so you end up getting caught up in this girl who's makeover is going to have her end up looking like Reese Witherspoon, even though she looks, and will look, nothing like Reese Witherspoon, you watch anyway, and then you realize you were waiting to see what was on TNT, and you realize you just missed it, and you have to wait for it to scroll again...
Or you can just pick up your remote and use the guide function and look to see what time "Law & Order" comes on. I can answer that, though... probably 10am, 2pm, 3pm, 7pm and 9pm. That's just a guess.
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When you are trying to merge in front of me, you have about 2 or 3 seconds to do so. Then, I'm moving up, cause I got stuff to do. Hey! Don't merge in front of me now, you had your chance, so back off.
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Dear seatbelt... please note the difference between "about to hit a brick wall head-on" and "trying to adjust in my seat".
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For that matter, Dear Automatic Flushing Toilet... please note the difference between "I'm done here" and "trying to adjust in my seat". That water is cold.
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So, Vera Farmiga. She's one of the two lead actresses in "Up in the Air"... I say "lead", even though she and Anna Kendrick are both nominated for an Academy Award for Supporting Actress. I loved this film, every single minute of it, and though its rare for me to feel this way, I would have been happy with a few more minutes.
It tells the story of Ryan Bingham, played by also-nominated George Clooney, who's job is to travel all over the country and be the mediator when a company wants to lay people off. Natalie (Kendrick) is a new recruit who's developed a system of eliminating the travel--firing via satellite. Bingham convinces their boss (a great Jason Bateman) that Natalie needs to learn how its really done, so she's sent with him across the country to teach her how to do it face-to-face.
Along the way, Ryan keeps running into Alex (Vermiga), who is another frequent flier, and they develop a relationship in hotel rooms and where ever they can find a place... but of course, there might be real feelings there after a while. Jason Reitman, director of "Juno", wrote and directed this flick.
On December 29th, 2009, I realized I had not seen this film, and wanted to get it in before 2010 began, mostly so I could include it The 100 Coolest Things of 2009 (and its on the list, high up). The only night available that week? New Year's Eve. So, sometime later in the evening, with no particular New Year's Eve plans (remember when what you were doing for New Year's Eve was a big deal? Like, you had plans for weeks of who's house to be at during the stroke of midnight, or when you were single, who you'd be with or hope to be with, or maybe you'd have the big bash at your house, hoping all your friends would come over, and maybe, just maybe The Official Clouds in My Coffee Troy State Crush Tiffany Abbott would show up and... where was I? Yeah...) we figured, why not go see the film.
It was a 2+ hour movie, with a start time of 10pm, and much to our delight, the theater was empty. Completely empty. We kicked back, threw our feet up and enjoyed being able to talk louder... until someone walked in, a woman who came in and sat about four rows ahead of us, all by herself. Don't know how it happened, who knows how stuff like this happens, but The Lovely Steph Leann and I ended up chatting with her, and finally, I said, "...you're Andrea Lindenberg... NBC, right?" She said, "Yeah, that's me!" and I shared with her that I worked there for a while, and we chatted about that and so on.
It seems that Andrea's kids were seeing something else, but she didn't want to see it so she came in here. The movie began, and about 2 hours later, I looked at my watch and said aloud, "Happy New Year" to chuckles from the woman four rows ahead of me and the woman to my left.
Back to the movie... it does have language, and one seen where you see a nude woman's back, but that's it... and yeah, I loved it. I am eager to see it again when it hopefully comes to the Ghetto Theater here in town. Not only did it have airplanes and airports, which I strangely am fascinated with, it had George Clooney, who like Brad Pitt, I contend if given the right material is a phenomenal actor, it had the cutie-patootie Anna Kendrick, who was the only thing that kept me alive during the movie "Twilight", it had great writing, it had likable, if not sympathetic characters, it featured appearances from the cool voiced Sam Elliott, the comedic Danny McBride, the always awesome JK Simmons, "The Hangover"'s Zach Galifianakis and the I-am-strangely-enthralled-with Melanie Lynskey, and... it had Vera Farmiga.
So, Vera Farmiga. I think I'm categorizing her with Jennifer Garner and applying the McGriddle Effect. I cannot decide if Vera is drop dead gorgeous or just pretty at all. There really is no in-between.
Alright. Gotta go to The Happiest Place in the Mall.
