"One Geek's Voice"

My love letter to the Parks and Rec Cast

2015-02-27T15:36:00.000-05:00

     There have only been a few shows in the history of television that have evoked an emotional response out of me when they left. The one that sticks out the most was "Cheers". The reason Cheers was such a great show was that every single member of that cast could make you laugh. Every member could carry an entire episode. You really began as a viewer to care about these fictional characters. I guess when you think about it, it's kind of silly. Silly or not, I felt that way this past Tuesday night when Parks and Recreation ended its 7 year run. I felt like my dog died. I really held back tears that night. I thought to myself, "Bill get ahold of yourself man, this is just a TV show." Fandom is a weird thing. There are extreme fans who are psychotic and stalk celebrities and there are fans like my friends and I who often are able to bond just by discussing the past weeks episode. There are always characters that you relate to on a show, there are characters that you despise on a show, and there are always characters you root for on a show. The Parks and Recreation cast was the type of show where I rooted for every character on that show (Excluding Jeremy Jamm of course).
     Hollywood and actors are a mixed bag these days. Despite being a fan of a considerable amount of TV shows and movies out there, you always hear about the actors personal struggles and it somewhat tarnishes the product. The clearest example of this is Two and Half men. Im sure that 90% of the people that work on that show are talented, well adjusted, people. The problem is that you have the Executive producer and Charlie Sheen going at it through the media and quite frankly it ruins it for the viewer. The show ran for 12 years and couldn't even come together to give their fans a decent ending. Personally I wasn't even a fan of the show but it was one of the first shows my wife and I watched as a couple. The point of this is that I never felt that way with the people at Parks. They always seemed to love their job and they seemed like a family. I'm sure there were things that didn't go well on set but you never heard about them if they existed. I have seen many interviews with the cast and producers and they always just seem to be full of joy and genuine love for one another. That's a very refreshing thing to see when you hear about so many bad working relationships in the business.
     The writing on the show was brilliant. Most shows lose their "mojo" about half way through their run. This show stayed consistent from the opening bell until the very last episode. The quirkiness of each character made every episode worth watching. Every actor on Parks was spot on with their comedic timing and I loved each and every one of their characters. I truly believe that this is perhaps the best ensemble cast in the history of television. I never understood why the show didn't get killer ratings. I know amongst my group of friends that it is ranked way up there and deservedly so.
     The cast was outstanding and of course it has to start with the charming and brilliant Amy Poehler. Amy has been a star with me since her early SNL days. She is definitely one of the best weekend update anchors ever and her seemingly tireless energy was something to behold. My friends and I had a joking conversation one time whether we were Poehler people or Fey People. It was a joking conversation of course because we are fans of both but Ive always been more of Poehler guy. I liked 30 Rock but loved Parks. Leslie Knope is one of the true great female characters of all time. Leslie was goofy of course but there seemed to be a very determined inspirational character in there. I think she deserves to be up there with all of the other strong female tv characters of all time...strike that, men or female characters.
     I loved Amy's character but if I had to pick my favorite character it would have to be Ron Swanson. I had no clue who Nick Offerman was before Parks came along. I certainly know him now. The guy is absolutely genius in that role.  Ron Swanson has had so many memorable quotes over the run of this show. The funny thing is that I'm nothing like the character Ron. Im kinda a nerdy guy but there is just something about his "extreme" manhood that is just addicting to watch. Having Megan play his wife was great and their interactions are some of the funnies physical comedy I've ever seen.
      Chris Pratt is the man. The guy is just comedy gold. Ive always thought that when an actor can pull off a character like that they have to be either really hard worker or just a naturally blessed physical comedian. I think there is a little of both there. I remember Andy in the first season and I was almost a little annoyed with him but he soon found his groove with me and he became one of the funniest characters on the show. His chemistry with Aubrey Plaza was spot on. Johnny Karate, Burt Maclin, etc....all things I will always remember about this show.
     Aubrey Plaza is smoking hot. I think all fellow geeks like myself have a small crush on her. The thing about her is that she seems to be a budding star. She is an amazing presence on the screen. Her looks can bring down the manliness man. Her interactions with Rashida Jones were priceless in the first few seasons. I am excited to see what the future brings for her. Her French kissing Jim O'heir at the end of the Seth Meyers show Tuesday night was one of the funniest things Ive ever seen.
     I am so glad that both Rhetta and Jim O'heirs characters made it into the main cast of the show. I loved her relationship with Tom. Treat yo self was one of my favorite episodes. I loved her interactions with the entire cast. She was like the cool person in the cast. Tommy wanted to be cool but she was cool.
       Aziz Ansari is one of the funniest stand up comedians out there today. My wife and I saw him in Indianapolis about a year or so ago and it was amazing. Tommy Haverford so wanted to be a serious baller and watching him on that journey was pretty hilarious. Him and John Ralphio were great as a team and watching the rise and fall of entertainment 720 was fun
       Adam Scott is one my favorite comedic actors out there today. His dry humor and facial expressions to the camera were some of the highlights of the show. His nerdy character Ben Wyatt of course rung very close to home.   I feel bad for him as an actor because im sure he will feel the wrath of the geek nation asking him stupid questions for the rest of his career. Especially about that Cones game.
       Rashida Jones and Rob Lowe were my biggest surprises on that show. Being a product of the80s I was very familiar with Rob's resume. Ive enjoyed the majority of his work and I knew he had comedy in him from watching the Waynes World movie but I was so impressed with his character on the show. He actually at times was the Literally the funnies part of the show. Rashida Jones is very easy on the eyes and has always been but she was so important to the chemistry on the show. I remember her short stint on the office and she was great on that as well. She played so well off of Amys Knope that it was kinda sad to see her go early. She was sorta like the female version of Ben with the looks at the camera.
      Lastly I want to talk about Jim O'heir. Not because he was Jerry and should be last but because he may be my favorite actor in the cast. I recently joined Twitter because my son had monopolized our mancave and while he plays video games, I sit on the computer. One night when I was on Twitter I exchanged a couple of messages with Jim O'heir and asked him if he could do me a favor. I asked him if he had anything I could give a friend of mine who is a fan of the show for his upcoming wedding. Im not in the habit of doing things like that but I was actually shocked that a celebrity was responding to my tweets. I was even more shocked when Jim replied "what kind of thing are you looking for?" He eventually offered to make a short video to give to my friends who are getting married. I can't tell you how appreciative I was that someone who didn't even know me would take the time out of their very busy schedule to do something so nice. I actually at first was afraid it wasn't really him or someone that ran his twitter account but as I exchanged tweets with him I learned that it was probably him. A couple of weeks later he delivered on his promise and send me the video. I was able to give this video to this said friend and they were floored by it. I know it was only a 20-30 second video but to them it meant the world to them. It will forever be apart of their wedding and it just shows what a good human being Jim is. That being said Jerry Gergitch was priceless. What a fuck up! A loveable fuck up though. The fact that the entire cast ripped him to shreads was just hilarious.
      The last thing I want to talk about is the city of Pawnee. The city itself was a huge character in this show. The writers did a masterful job of creating a unique ridiculous community that was almost as funny as the main cast. From Ethel Beavers to Perd, they were all awesome. I remember just laughing so hard at the paintings that were hung up in the government buildings. The little things like that are what makes this show stand out from the rest. I will eventually find a new favorite show. It will be sad for a few months. I just wanted to write this to say thank you to everyone that was involved in making this amazing show. I hope to see all of you in your future projects. Pratt of course is a huge movie star now and being a comic book nerd, Jurassic park fan ,and fingers crossed Indiana Jones fan Im sure to see him a lot in the next few years. You guys are all talented and I wish you nothing but future success.

Why the end of the Undertaker's streak is probably the best thing for the WWE.

2014-04-09T00:26:00.000-04:00

     The Undertaker's streak was broken this past Sunday at WrestleMania XXX and like so many others I was completely shocked when it happened. I wasn't shocked like I was when the New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants during their undefeated season but shocked nonetheless. Professional wrestling is predetermined, unlike the NFL, and quite frankly that streak belongs more to Vince McMahon than anyone else. Vince could have ended this years ago if he really wanted to but he recognized the money he could make with it. The Undertaker isn't my favorite wrestler of all time but I probably respect him as a performer more than any other. He knows how to put on a good show. Unfortunately like any good athlete, age has caught up with the guy. I think that even though Vince could have ended the streak at any time, he probably has left it up to Mark Calloway to decide when he wanted to end it. I sat there in disbelief when Brooockk Lesnar got the three count on Sunday, It really made no sense to me why the WWE would not give the streak to a young talented wrestler to progress their career. I deliberated it for a while and realized that perhaps this was the best thing for the company. These are my theories on why this happened now.
     My first theory is that Calloway probably was ready to end the streak. The taker is a shell of his former self and despite the fact that he can roll his eyes back in his head with the best of them, he cant hide the fact that he is almost 50 and keeping up this streak has been more of a nuisance than anything positive. I try to look at it from his perspective. He knows this is not a legitimate physical accomplishment. He only wrestles one event a year probably because his body can only take one event. They have probably only kept this streak going this long because the WWE was in an off period of popularity and the Streak was one of the few matches people would tune into. There was also talk a couple of years ago that Taker wanted to give the streak to Lesnar. Would I have picked Lesnar? Hell no!...He is a part timer who probably only gives a shit about a paycheck. The thing I realized though, especially after watching Raw this past Monday, was that the streak was given to Paul Heyman just as much as it was to Brock Lesnar. Paul Heyman is the WWE's number one heel. They realize how valuable he is and giving him the streak can only help the future. His speech on Monday was one of the most brilliant promos ive seen in years.
     My second theory is that the WWE used this WrestleMania, HHH/Stephanie's first, as a way to pass the torch to the young wrestlers. There is one constant complaint among wrestling fans for years now and it has been that older wrestlers wont just retire and let the young guys run with the ball. So lets examine what happened at WrestleMania XXX. They opened the show with the older wrestling legends in non wrestling roles. The opening was iconic without having to put one of them over at the expense of a current wrestler.  Daniel Bryan defeated HHH. The Shield defeated the veterans Kane and the New Age Outlaws. Cesaro and the Big Show were the last two in the Andre the Giant Battle royal. I thought for sure Big Show was winning and sure enough Cesaro dumped big show and won the trophy. The Wyatt family despite losing to John Cena, were the clear cut fan favorite in the match and just facing Cena after really only a year under their belts is huge. Finally Daniel Bryan won the title. This was a message to the young wrestlers that this is their time. Its a gamble but it looks to be paying off. Lets not forget now that there is a one more match for younger talent at wrestlemania now that there is no more streak.
     I think that this is a step in the right direction for the WWE. It will now allow the young talent on the roster to shine. It gives the best mic guy in the business the credentials to build a stable of young guys and deliver the proper heels that the company needs. I look at professional wrestling as a tv show, nothing more. I get invested in the characters like anyone else but I realize that its time for a changing of the guard. The Undertaker may well be done and he had a great career. Id probably put him in the top 5 or 6 ever but its time for him to go. I could possibly see him do one more match with someone like Sting. Evidentily he was pretty seriously concussed at WrestleMania, enough that Vince rode in the ambulance with him so that might have been it for the phenom. Time will tell. Im look forward to the future and kudos to HHH/WWE for having the balls to do that. The future is here, hopefully these guys can make it fun. Now all we have to do is get rid of Cena!

Half way point of the NFL season

2012-11-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

         This has been an interesting season so far in the NFL. I really love the way the National Football League is compared to other major sports. You don't really have a team like the Yankees, Lakers, or Celtics that dominate yearly. The way the league is set up you really have few dynasties and the makeup of contending teams changes every year. An example of this is the Indianapolis Colts, who were abysmal last year and are 6-3 now. I can't help but to pull for them. Andrew Luck has probably had more pressure on him to succeed than any players in the last couple of decades, well perhaps Aaron Rodgers from a couple of years ago. Other surprises include the Falcons and the Bears who are 15-1 combined. These two teams were good teams last year and undoubtedly playoff teams but 15-1....that's pretty amazing. There are a few story lines and players that I would like to discuss and give some opinions and/or predictions on what will happen the rest of the year.
        Peyton Manning - If there was any doubt in any ones mind how good Peyton Manning is then this season should be clear cut evidence that he is one of the top 3 QBs of all time. The guy is a winner and can single handily raise the play of the players around him. Try and think of 3 other Bronco offensive players...its hard to do. The guy is alot like Magic Johnson was in the 80s to the LA Lakers. The guys drive to win is so strong that it is contagious. I truly believe that Peyton will bring the Broncos to the AFC Championship game. I don't believe they will make it to the Superbowl but it would not surprise me.
          Atlanta Falcons - The Atlanta Falcons are the leagues only undefeated team and they have a bunch of talent but my main problem is that they can't ever bring it together playoff time. I sense that the Falcons may suffer the same fate as the Packers did last year. The Packers looked unstoppable in the regular season but then fell flat on their faces in the post season. I sometimes think its counterproductive to win most of your games early in the season because you begin to become arrogant about your play and then when you do lose its panic time. Obviously you don't want to lose any games but sometimes it helps your team to lose one every now and again. The patriots were undefeated all the way into the Superbowl with the Giants and we all know what happened there. They obviously have the talent and Matt Ryan is having an MVP season but I don't think they will win the Superbowl.
          Baltimore Ravens - The window is closing for this team. I think sometimes a team can just get by on the spirit of one of their great players. Ray Lewis is the Peyton Manning of defense. Other players want to excel for Ray Lewis but with him sidelined with the torn triceps i think the Ravens will start to tank soon. I think that Joe Flacco is decent QB at best and is way too inconsistent at the position. They have one of the top all purpose running backs in the league with Ray Rice but I just don't see this team going far in the playoffs. I fully expect the Steelers to eventually outlast them for the division title.
          Michael Vick - I think that Michael Vick is the most Overrated football player maybe of all time. I have never thought of him as a top tier Qb. The guy is an athlete but that doesn't translate into wins in the National Football League. He reminds me of a low rate Randall Cunningham. The guy is getting older and he is just too careless with the football. I don't blame him for all of the Eagles problems because that offensive line is atrocious. Andy Reid is the longest tenured coach in the NFL but its time to let him go. They have very talented skill players on offense that would be doing way better with a different offensive scheme and QB. I predict this is the last year for both Vick and Reid.

          I'd like to now take some time to discuss my hometown Bengals who have yet again underachieved this year. I think the biggest mistake the Bengals made this year was not attempting to being in a more established running back that Benjarvis Green-Ellis. The lack of a running game and the non existence of a second go to receiver has doomed the Bengals. I cant remember more than maybe one run play this entire season that was over 20 yards. Green Ellis just falls forward for 4 yards and that's it. I'm sure it has something to do with the O-line but good running backs find a way. Cedric Benson was a way better option. I just find it frustrating because the Bengals have always struggled over the years but they usually had a decent running back...James Brooks, IckyWoods, Harold Green, Corey Dillon, Rudy Johnson....but this year it is painful to watch. The defense is good enough to win games but the offense is falling flat on their face as of late. The defense is not perfect, their secondary is way too old and i can almost guarantee what they will be drafting come draft day. I think the perhaps the Bengals biggest problem is game planning and that falls on the shoulders of Marvin Lewis. I think its time to say goodbye to Marvin. I liked Marvin when he was first hired but it just seems like he has the inability to motivate the team for games that either they should win or big divisional or playoff games. I thought it was funny that he called out recently Dalton and Rey Maluega (sp?) when in reality he needs to be called out. There is no excuse for the Bengals to lose to both the Rookie led Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns in consecutive weeks. I know that some of it has to fall on the players executing but I think that Marvin has to be able to call a better game. I also think that Marvin needs to use better judgement on using that damn red flag for replays. The Bengals are not making the playoffs this year and for a team that is as young as it is, they need to not fall back on the losing mystique of the Cincinnati Bengals. Mike Brown needs to get rid of Marvin and bring in someone like Tony Dungy to come in here and fix some the glaring problems of this team. Draft Secondary, Running Back, Offensive Line...Pick up a decent wide receiver in free agency. Perhaps the Bengals will be able to turn their season around but I'm not counting on it. If they do I will admit I'm wrong about them but with the final four games being Dallas, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Baltimore I just don't see a playoff scenario. The game against the Giants today is a make or break game for the Bengals so I hope I'm wrong. Who Dey!

Casting Star Wars today.

2012-11-09T23:45:00.001-05:00

          The big news this past week was the acquisition of Lucasfilm by the Disney Corporation. I have to admit that I was utterly shocked that Watto err George Lucas sold his baby to someone. I have made it pretty clear over the years to my friends of my general distaste of the Disney corporation and some of their tactics over the years. I will have to concede though that Disney has done a fairly good job with the Marvel properties and to be totally honest I would rather Disney be at the helm of a new Star Wars trilogy that Lucas himself. I feel that Georgie Boy had just lost touch with audiences and became kinda lazy depending on entire CGI set pieces. Lets not forget his ability to write dialogue either.
          I got to thinking about a new trilogy and how they should approach it. I can't make up my mind if I want to see recasting or really old versions of the characters from the original trilogy. Of course noone even knows if it will follow them but I have a feeling there will be some mention. I thought it would be fun to just pretend like they were casting the original trilogy all over again and who in hollywood today could fill those shoes. This is complete list of characters from the original trilogy and who I think could pass for them now.

Luke Skywalker - I would personally go with Aaron Johnson from Kick Ass fame and Savages. I think he would be the perfect age and could definitely show the young nieve side and later the hardcore jedi side.

Princess Leah-   I know she is the "predictable" choice here but I do like Emma Stone. She a good actress and easy on the eyes.

Han Solo- This one is a hard one for me. I would no doubt pick Nathan Fillion but would the chemistry between an aging Fillion and a young Stone work....whatever thats my pick. All younger actors really get on my nerves these days and I think he embodies who Solo was. Plus Harrison was 14 years older than Fisher and Fillion is 16 years older than Stone....not a big difference

Obi Wan- Another hard one. I want someone old looking but with the sense that they could kick your ass if they had to. My first thought is sort of an unconventional one. I really like Gary Oldman. I believe he would make a good one but you would defintely have to age him a little.

Emperor Palpatine-The only actor(non voice) from all three trilogys that could play the role without anyone noticing aging. Ian McDiarmid is still my choice for this role.

Lando Calrisean- This was the hardest one for me. Jamie Foxx, Terrence Howard, Don Cheadle....all could probably do it....I think I would go with Cheadle....but frankly wouldnt Michael jai White be awesome at it....

So theres my big 6......the rest really can be done by anybody...would love to hear some other choices....I did this on the fly so Im sure I will miss some people.

Thank god thats over! My last political post until 2016

2012-11-08T10:22:00.001-05:00

         The election is finally over! Everyone can stop being nasty to each other, take a breath, and now we can get on with our lives. I really can't remember an election that created such a split among my friends and family. I have personally been soured by the whole electoral process and did not bother to vote. I know, I know...horrible!....Well when there comes a time where I feel that voting for someone will result in actually getting something done then I will get out there and vote. I blame BOTH Republicans and Democrats for the state of this country and until they can somehow work together and get something done I will continue to pass on voting. Unfortunately I do not see that happening anytime soon. I think that people should vote and its a very American thing to do, especially if one candidate represents your best interests. I just dont feel like anyone really is working for me and my family.   They are just concerned about getting their agendas over and burying the other party. Perhaps I should vote for the lesser evil but I have a hard time justifying doing that. I would probably lean more democrat but the lines seem to be blurring more and more these days. I think elections now boil down to one thing..The widening gap between the Rich and the middle and poor classes is getting so large that when people vote they associate Republicans with the wealthy and Democrats with the middle and poor class. Candidates like Linda Mcmahon spends upwards of 100 million dollars on their campaigns and that doesnt go unnoticed by the people. The Republican party has lost touch with a portion of the country and really needs to reevaluate how they approach the next election. I'm certainly not rooting for them but it's obvious that their line of thinking needs to be adjusted. Democrats are certainly not innocent in all of this. They spend tons of money on campaigns as well. They, as well as Republicans, refuse to really work as a cohesive governement body that actually looks to improve the country. They both are more concerned about getting credit and being the party that accomplishes the feat rather than just doing it together. I personally hope that the House and the President can pull it together and get some things accomplished. Phillibusting and stonewalling each other into oblivion really doesnt accomplish anything but losing the confidence of the American people. I'm a huge advocate of a significant third party but realize that will probably never happen. I think the Checks and balances system would be more effective if a third viable option for people was there.
          I really hope that the President learns from his mistakes and can get some things accomplished. He really tried to do too much too soon when he was first elected and perhaps underestimated the unwillingness of the Republicans to work together. I felt like when I watched the debates this year that he was the more genuine of the candidates. I still felt like I was watching two used car salesman though. I get this overwelming feeling during election time that the candidates insult out intelligence with the things they say. They always mention some recent factory worker they had met by name and talk about their struggles and how "their plan" will change that. Unfortunately I think this Ra Ra campaigning works for alot of people. I tend to look more at what they promise and what the end result is. People get too hung up on promises and not results. I can promise to dunk a basketball in the next 4 years but I guarantee that my fat ass wont accomplish that feat. I fully believe that this country's people could fix alot of the problems themselves if the government could show that they could work together. Its hard to get motivated when you hear about the unwillingness to help one another.
       This country is changing and if the politicians dont figure this shit out soon there will eventually be an uprising. This gap that keeps widening will eventaully cause the poor to rise. It might not be in my lifetime but its coming. There were some postive things that happened this election year. Gays are now allowed to marry if a few more states. Personally I have never understood the beef religious people have with this. We are all "Gods" creatures so why deny a certain group happiness. I've always said to nauseum that if you want to judge people then turn your judgement toward Heterosexuals since the divorce rate is now over 50 percent. Its not Homosexuals who are ruining the institution of marriage, its heteros....The institution is already falling apart. I don't believe in God but respect people who do. I just feel that religion should be used to give you and your family peace and happiness and not used to judge others and the way they live. The bible has tons of things in it that dont apply in todays society so why do .....ya know what...why bother?...noones changing their opinion on this. I think it all boils down to the fact of how you were raised. If you have had no real relationship with a gay, black, hispanic, etc then you probably rely on stereotypes and other things you have been taught throughout your life. If you think that a homosexual is an "abomination"then thats your right to think that, but once you vocalize that and publicly denounce a person or group thats when I feel like you are overstepping. I have relatives that do not believe in gay marriage but they are very respectful of the their beliefs and do not use derogatory terms to get their points across. Thats the beauty of this country, unlike others, is that we can express ourselves freely. Homosexuals deserve to be happy just like any other people in this country and to insult them with a civil union is discrimintory and quite frankly just unamerican....but thats just me.
        Also marijauna is now legal in a couple more states. I have never, nor will ever try Mary jane but I feel like its something that needs to be legalized because it is helpful in pain treatment and quite frankly is not much different than alcohol. I think they should either legalize pot or go back to making alcohol illegal. We know thats not happening. People are going to smoke it so it might as well be regulated. Tax it....I know I know ....where do we stop? Coke, heroin.....Pot is way different then those drugs. You cant die from one use of Pot. I dont advocate drugs....but really why does alcohol get a pass and pot doesnt.
      Anyway now that Ive pissed off half my facebook page...haha I guess I will end this rare political post. I know it probably seems hypocritical to talk about politics even though i didnt vote but my reasoning for not voting to me is a valid one. I can still care about my country and not vote. If i did vote it probably would have been for an independent. I was just soured on the whole process. I have voted before and I will vote again. Probably for specific issues that effect my family but if the politicians get their act together more and a candidate comes along then I will revisit voting for president. I kinda compare it to my love for baseball. I loved baseball growing up. I knew all about eveyr player on every team. I used to play it everyday as a child. I collected baseball cards, played table top baseball, and watched all of the reds games. The steroid scandal hit and immediately I lost interest. I have unfortunately never gone back to something I loved so much because even now players are continuing to find a way to cheat. Eventully my interst will come back, just like voting. Unfortunately alot will have to happen to show me that its worth my vote.

The Halloween Post: My top 10 Horror movies of all time.

2012-10-31T21:00:00.000-04:00

I like to make lists so here goes. My top 10 favorite scary horror movies of all time. These are the movies that scared me the most. I have a different list of horror that includes the cheese factor but I wanted to post the ones that actually scared me a little. Most of these are from my childhood because I dont scare easy now. Im sure i will miss some because this was done on the fly.

10. Paranormal Activity - The original was a classic. The sequels just follow the same formula and at times are creepy but the thing that works so much for the original is that it had never been done. We know how the scares are coming now but that first legitimately made me uneasy.

9. Creepshow - This movie scared the shit out of me as a child. I didnt even know who Ted Danson and Leslie Neilson were back then. I just remember watching it on HBO and then not being able to sleep the next day. The cockroaches still to this day creep me out. The sequel was pretty lame.

8. Halloween- Michael Myers has been cemented as one of the great horror icons but frankly most of the halloween movies are dumb. I actually think the second scariest one was halloween 3 which had nothing to do with Mike Myers. The original though was great and even though it doesnt really scare me now, back then it did the trick. I still can't believe that is a William Shatner mask.

7. Glitter- Mariah Carey is frightening as a annoying up and coming singer with only one goal.....making it big and making everyone's head explode listening to her music.

6. Saw- This is another movie that had terrible sequels but the original was a fantastic horror movie. Jigsaw himself in the first movie was such a change from the usual horror movie main characters.

5. Nightmare on Elm Street- Freddy Krueger in the first nightmare on Elm Street was the scariest thing I had ever seen on film. I was a kid when the first one came out and wow...going to sleep after that was not fun. Freddy has become kind of a joke now but originally he was pretty scary.

4. Exorcist- Linda Blair ...nuff said

3. Texas Chainsaw Massacre- Leatherface is just ridiculous. Him waving that chainsaw around like a lunatic really scarred me when i was younger.

2. The Shining- Jack Nicholson was just about as perfect of a psycho as you could get. The setting was so creepy and the tone of the movie just amkes you uneasy. I am not a Kubrick fan but he knocked this one out of the park.

1. Poltergeist- Easily my scariest movie from my childhood. Nightmare on elm street had freddy but they didnt have Zelda Rubinstein.....That creept little lady scared the bejesus out of me and she wasn't even evil. Little kids talking to tvs, maggots, and Craig T Nelson..What more could you want.

These are some of my favorite scary online videos ..the last one gets me every time......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=aU3xvOraJng

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fey4kU8Ldho&feature=player_detailpage

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb4bsAuNmz8&feature=player_detailpage

Bill's Pop Culture Hall of Fame

2012-10-29T10:06:00.000-04:00

          I have decided that there needs to be a record of the greatest Pop Culture Icons of all time (According to me..haha). Every week I will induct 4 members into this Hall of Fame and have 1 member voted in by the 3 people who visit my blog. My initial induction will include eight names and two inducted by my viewers. Eligible nominees could come from a variety of interests....Comics, Actors, Roles, Musicians,etc.....My list will not include an order...I am not ranking them so my opening list isn't my top icons they are just an opening group. Some of my top ones will be saved for future installments. I will list the nominess for blogger voted ones in the actual blog and in a poll on the left side of my blog. There will be a week of voting for each of the blogger voted in icons.


My first inductee into Bill's Pop Culture Hall of fame is...............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=1EpCvdHDrQk

My Second inductee......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9e8nPkT3rg&feature=player_detailpage

#3.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHFnc_eV4Lg&feature=player_detailpage

                                                   or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOGWbzUM-y8&feature=player_detailpage

Four.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDMMYT3vkTk&feature=player_detailpage

                                                  or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLGxWPtgodo&feature=player_detailpage

                                                   or maybe even this....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&list=PL252A5D943990B3A8&v=171FURqSIQc

5th inductee.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuiTymAJPU4&feature=player_detailpage

Number 6...........Had to have this person

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5OEXbaJHDkE

                                               or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o0Vv8lr41w&feature=player_detailpage

                                               or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4IrfObVzJo&feature=player_detailpage

#7.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bz5T93lJ6jQ&feature=player_detailpage

                                              or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujfC1wCvVBk&feature=player_detailpage

Ocho........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cc1XPPA1fbc&feature=player_detailpage

                                            or

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUORL-bvwA0&feature=player_detailpage

                                            or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=fC8WesJH1Vk

That completes my inductees.........The two voted in Inductees will be divided into two categories. Pick one from each category.....Whatever ones are not picked will be forever banned from the Hall of fame....choose wisely

Video games

Super Mario

Sub-Zero

Link

Pac-Man

Cartoon Character

Homer Simpson

Wil E Coyote

He-Man

Stewy from Family guy

My very first WTF were they thinking.....

2012-10-28T01:03:00.000-04:00

I will be from time to time sharing my thoughts on some of the most miscast roles in Hollywood History. Sometimes you've just got to ask WTF?

Episode 1: Everyone Chill!

          The Batman films over the years have given us some great actors filling some big comic shoes. I remember thinking when I first heard of Michael Keaton as the title role in Tim Burton's 1989 Batman I was thinking ..."what?" I thought, " they are using the actor that played Mr. Mom and Beetlejuice to play one of the most iconic comic hero roles of my childhood. I was far from convinced that this would work. Was John Candy going to play the riddler? I loved Michael Keaton, dont get me wrong, the guy was funny in the 80's. I just couldn't see the tough dark side that he would have to be. I was 16 years old when it came out and to be honest, I was completely wrong about Keaton. He did a pretty good job with the role. Was it perfect? ..No, but I thought it was going to be far worse. This may be shocking to hear but I still don't think we have had a great Batman, someone who has completely embodied the character. Christian Bale probably has come the closest but I still think that perfect guy is out there.
          The next 23 years or so has given us alot of A-List Hollywood names lending their talents to the Batman universe. Some of them include(With my opinion on their grade as the role):

Michael Keaton-Batman (B)
Jack Nicholson- The Joker 1989  Batman - (B+)
Michele Pfiefer (sp?) Catwoman/Batman Returns (A-)
Danny Devito- The Penguin/ Batman Retunns (C- I hate the character too)
Jim Carrey - The Riddler/Batman Forever (C+)
Tommy Lee Jones- Two Face/ Batman Forver (D+)
Val Kilmer- Batman/Batman Forever (B-)
George Clooney- Batman and Robin (C+)
Christian Bale- Batman Begins,Dark Knight, and DKR (B+)
Heath Ledger-The Joker/The Dark Knight (A+)

          There are many more but there was always one that stood out as a complete mistake. A casting that was sooooo terrible that the movie was ruined from the instant he uttered one word....thats right ladies and gentleman, my first WTF were they thinking actor was none other than the" Muscles from Brussels" Arnold Schwarzenegger as Mr. Freeze. Joel Shumacher had to be on acid or something when casting this role. Hmmm Let's see.....I have a role for a big Muscular Brute of a man called Bane and the role of a Scientist/Cryogenist called Mr. Freeze.....Oh hi Arnold.....you be Mr Freeze....Shumacher you putz! I can't entirely blame Arnold for this debacle....The lines he was given to deliver were just atrocious. Don't get me wrong, the movie is Hilarious. THe Batman series had already waved byebBye to any credibility as soon as Good Ol Joel took over. But COME ON! There were plenty of perfect candidates for that role...I personally always liked the often rumored Patrick Stewart as a genius scientist but thats just me. The movie was a trainwreck!
         I think I heard that Arnold got paid like 25 million for the role...geez...that's like a million per terrible ice pun. I was thinking about this as I was writing..I think this movie role may have pushed him into that illicit affair with his housekeeper Anthony Munoz or whatever her name was. I cringed at the scenes where they showed him in his lab pre Freeze and he was pretending to look all intelligent. The whole time he was thinking about cheating on that Skeletor of a wife....i know harsh..but geez she really looks like skeletor! Im sure she's a nice lady....
          This role was the beginning of the end for Arnold.  I love Arnold, he is definitely in my Mt. Rushmore of Action stars.  He is dispicable human being but the guy has some of the best one liners in history. Which under man law forgives him for being a terrible, egotistical, over the hill, prick.   Unfortunately though he also has some of the worst one liners thanks to this role. To be fair though, he wasn't the only horrible casting in that movie. Uma (Mutant Feet) Thurman playing Poison Ivy was really bad, and lets face it Alicia Silverstone and her puckered up face was pretty unbearable as Batgirl. Chris O'donnell = Douchy Robin, but to be fair to him...Robin is universally kinda lame. All in all though Arnold was the cream of the crop when it comes to a WTF moment. I kinda root for Arnold and his "Comeback" but I really think that it's over for him. Some guys just dont age well. Sean Connery, now he was a pimp....and probably could have been an excellent Mr. Freeze. I did hear lately that Arnold was going to reprise his iconic Conan role. I hope this wont be the Conan I saw in a speedo on the beach about 5 years ago....geez man ...you need to get back on those Sly Stallone Horse Roids.   I will leave you with this......My name is Freeeezee, Leurn it Well...for it is the chilling sound of your dooooom.

The Return of the Blog!!!

2012-10-27T15:24:00.001-04:00

          I have been away from blogging for quite some time now. I use blogging for a kind of therapy for myself. Life has been quite a roller coaster as of late and my anxiety issues have flared up. The need for a creative release has compelled me back to the Ipad. I completely realize that perhaps 3-4 actual people may take the time to read one of my posts. I am about as consistant when reading other friends blogs but like I said it's more of therapy for me. I feel an urge to write and that's what I'm going to do.
          I thought I would take this time to update some things in my life because I know several relatives like to keep up with what's going on here in the Cayton homestead. My foster son Jeffery had his 3rd birthday this past August and we have officially had him longer than his birth parents had. The permanent custody hearing for Jeffery is at the beginning of November and I will be testifying at the hearing. This of course is a time of cautious optimism. Things seem to be going our way but you can never count out a last minute hail mary to throw a wrench in everything. Jeffery is coming along very nicely and is currently enrolled in pre-school and doing really well. Robin and I are making it despite the ups and downs of being in the foster system. Our case worker, who had been our case worker for over a year, just up and quit with no notice about a month ago. That has concerned us greatly just because she was the one person who knew our situation the most and now it feels like we are going in blind. I am very nervous about testifying but very determined to get my point across that he is in a better place. That kid is everything to us now and I will do anything humanly possible to keep him safe. The parents have been non-existant since February but did show up to find out there would be a trial. They have threatened to have the paternal grandfather come in and try and adopt but we think its more of just them being desperate then that actually coming true. It's very hard but hopefully we are in the home stretch.
          There are many other stressers going on in my life, illnesses in the family, stress over finances around Christmas, things that are probably going on in most families but that still doesnt make it any easier. Stress has been one of those things in my life that I have had a hard time dealing with. Anxiety is at times crippled me and believe me when I say this....this recent patch of stressers almost took me down but fortunately I have a great family and great friends who make it easy to fight those overwelming feelings and continue to focus on the important things...like Jeffery. There are times in life when you get dumped on alot, so much so that you feel like it will never end. That is the shit cloud that is currently stationary above my head. I will get through this, my family will get through this, and hopefully eventually we will get a good cycle. Until then, whoever braves my blog will be treated to wonderful and mostly pointless posts about a variety of topics. I am honored to bore you with my opinions and twisted sense of humor. Enjoy!

The "Not so" Amazing Spiderman review

2012-07-07T22:53:00.000-04:00

The annoucement that they were going to reboot the Spiderman franchise really did nothing for me. The Sam Raimi Spiderman movies were still freah on my mind and it seemed like a potential disaster. The Raimi Spiderman movies were just ok in my opinion, with the highlight being Spiderman 2. They were however my only impression of what a Spiderman movie was. I really wasn't excited at all for the movie but then the trailers started popping up. I liked the look of Andrew Garfield as Spiderman and the special effects looked decent enough to peak my interest...... I should have stuck with my gut. The Amazing Spiderman wasn't a terrible movie. Actually there were things I enjoyed more in this movie in comparison with the Raimi Flicks. The problem was there wasn't enough of that and after thinking about it, I still prefer the Raimi Spiderman. This review is going to be a breakdown and comparison of the two movie incarnations of Spiderman. I will grade each movie on several different categories with an overall grade at the end.

The Acting: Raimi Spiderman - I never had a real problem with Tobey as Spiderman but he did seem a bit too old for the role. The comic book always made me feel like Peter Parker was a smart ass punk kid and Tobey really never embodied that. I absolutely hated Kirsten Dunst as Mary Jane. I really never bought into their chemistry. The rest of the cast were great in their supporting roles. Cliff Robertson was a pretty good Uncle Ben especially after witnessing Martin Sheen's lackluster performance in the Reboot. I actually enjoyed Willem Dafoe as the Green Goblin even though I think they dropped the ball when they killed him off. There are so many more storylines that could have been told with him and he fell prey to the popular "Kill the main villain pattern" that so many comic movies adopt. I even enjoyed the cameo of Macho Man Randy Savage as "BBBBBOOONNNEEESSSSAAAWW!" The highlight of the casting was J. Jonah Jameson. It really seemed like he was taken straight from the comic. Overall the acting was fairly good but nothing great. GRADE B-

Reboot Spiderman- Andrew Garfield was a better Spiderman. This can't be fully attributed to him(the CGI and fight sequences were closer to what Spidey is all about) but his dialoge and delivery under the mask was spot on what Spiderman should be. Peter Parker on the other hand was not as well executed. I found him to be a bit over emotional and perhaps he was guilty of a little over acting. Dennis Leary was great as always as Captain Stacy and Emma Stone was perfect as Gwen Stacy. The problem was that the rest of the cast was just flat out boring. Martin Sheen and Sally Field were just dialing in their performances and quite frankly I could care less about the Lizard and the guy who was playing him. The character was just flat out boring. Sometimes and actor can overcome the role and make it memorable but the Notting Hill dude did not. GRADE C

The Action: Raimi Spiderman- The action in the original Spiderman was just ok for me. There were a couple of cool scenes with Spiderman and the Goblin but frankly they stuck to a full out origin story and that kinda took away from the action. Sam Raimi used  several quirky elements that appear in most of his films but the true action took place in the sequel with Doc Octopus. I enjoyed the climatic battle with the Goblin but it wasnt as epic as it should have been. This is Spidermans #1 nemesis for gods sake. GRADE C+

Reboot Spiderman- I truly enjoyed the majority of the action sequences in the movie. The movements of Spidey, especially his use of his web shooters were an upgrade to the Raimi movies. I unfortunately didn't care about the villain and when that happens in a movie, the action doesnt matter as much to me. GRADE B-

The Story: Raimi Spiderman- This is where the Raimi original has a clear advantage over the reboot. Sam Raimi knew he was doing an origin story and he stuck to his guns. Granted it was easy for him because noone had done a Spiderman movie before.   The story wasn't groundbreaking but it stuck pretty closely to the comic origin. I enjoyed the Uncle Ben tragic death, the working at the Daily Bugle, and for the most part his interactions with the Green Goblin. GRADE B+

Reboot Spiderman- This is why you wait longer before rebooting a franchise. They were stuck with the predicament of whether or not to spend a considerable amount of time with an origin story that everyone already knew. Unfortunately they decided to rush through the origin and in doing so, they made the film seem incomplete. I understand why they would do that but if you are going to make that decision you better have a great bad guy and an amazing story to cover up the rushing of the origin. They did not. I didn't care about Uncle Ben dying and I didn't buy that Peter Parker's relationship with him was that strong. They tinkered a bit with the origin which didn't really bother me that much. I just wished they had a great pay off at the end and it just wasn't there. GRADE C

Overall Grades: Raimi Spiderman B    Reboot Spiderman C

There were some other things that I could have written about (like the ridiculous use of technology and debating the webshooters) but it is late. I will watch a sequel if one is made because there is enough there to give me some hope but unfortunately I have no desire to watch this one again anytime soon.

Project X review (spoilers)

2012-03-04T09:25:00.000-05:00

I really don't know what posseseed me to go and pay 10 bucks to go see Project X. The trailer for the movie underwelmed me and frankly the subject matter is pretty unrelatable. As a teenager I was pretty squeaky clean in regards to alcohol or drugs. I was too involved in sports and video games to worry about "getting laid". I think that I have probably been drunk maybe once in my life. I dont have any high moral beliefs against drinking, but I grew up in a family that never drank so it really never interested me. That being said, I really do enjoy well made party movies. Animal House, Weird Science, Can't Hardly Wait, and Superbad are just a few party movies that I can remember that have made me laugh. I guess when its all said and done I figured perhaps Project X would fall into that category. I also wanted to get out of the house and it's one of the few movies my friend Aaron and I could agree on. We were both terribly wrong.
The movie begins fairly predictable as you are introduced to three teens who are looking to make their mark at their school by throwing the Ultimate party. There is one teen that is the shy likable one whose parents are going out of town and leaving the house to him to be responsible(Risky Business). The second kid is a dorky fat kid who is clumsy and is desperate to get laid before the conclusion of this epic party. Finally and most annoyingly the last member of this group is a loud obnoxious Jewish kid who is the catalyst for the whole party and chaos that ensues. His character is trying so hard to be the Jonah Hill character from Superbad but fails miserably because you instantly hate this guy. The movie starts off with them trying to score drugs for the party which is pretty typical for this kind of movie. They score some pot from a psychotic fellow in a really bad part of town and end up pissing him off by stealing a garden gnome out of his house. The whole sequence is just borrowed from other films and just feels unoriginal.
The party finally starts and people begin filing in and of course it begins to get out of control. I will save you from all the details but primarily the scenes are mostly naked women, hardcore drinking, and a midget that punches everyone in the crotch. Perhaps it's my age and perhaps it's because I'm a father now but none of this was entertaining. I actually just think it's lame filmmaking. I saw Superbad a few years back and thought it was great. I think this movie just glamorized drug use a little too much. There's a scene in the movie where the Garden gnome breaks and it is revealed that it's filled with ecstasy. The entire party begins taking the pills and thats when the party becomes ridiculous. There is also a scene where the Jewish kid is pushing the shy one into taking a pill. The scene just was uncomfortable to watch. The movie really felt like an advertisement for drug use and perhaps i shouldn't overanalyze it but when I was watching Superbad I felt like the drinking took a back seat to caring about the characters. This movie the drugs and alcohol are the stars.
The ecstasy changes the party into a full fledged riot where believability takes a back seat. There are riot police, a pissed off drug dealer with a flame thrower torching the entire neighborhood, and just a bunch of nonsense. The whole neighborhood gets trashed and the main characters house is destroyed. Perhaps the most ridculous thing happens at the end where the parents come home and the dad is talking to son and basically shows admiration because he didn't think his son had it in him to throw a partly like that....Really? My dad would have murdered me...The icing on the cake was the lack of moral message. All of the kids were basically rewarded for destroying a whole neighborhood, drinking, and hardcore drug use. I'm sure none of the audience will go out and try to imitate some of the things in this movie. Yes I know there a lot of party movies that end this way but the ridiculousness of the events and the drug use was presented in a way that was just morally wrong. It wasn't a movie about kids being wacky and blowing off steam, it was a movie about obnoxious criminals who got away with being jerks.
I don't think I have to tell you if I recommend this movie. The funniest thing about the movie experience actually wasn't even in the movie. The movie theater that we went to was carding all the kids going into the theater. My friend and I who are obviously 17 or older (I'm 39 and he is 36) came up the usher and he asked my friend for his ID....I then went up to the usher and he just told me to go through.....I was relieved I didnt have to get my license out but then though....HEY!!! I guess i just dont pass for a 17 year old anymore....lol. Anyway avoid this movie at all costs. It's not funny or clever and I should have just stayed home that night. Rent Animal House or Superbad.

Bill's Entertainment rant.....March Edition

2012-03-01T10:13:00.000-05:00

I have been neglecting my blog as of late because I've just been too busy with the little rugrat. There are alot of entertainment topics I was dying to write about so I've turned my cable box to PBS and Ive parked Jeffery in front of the tv. Let's do this!

Bill Murray a no go for Ghostbusters 3- Dan Ackroid has made it official that Bill Murray will not be a part of Ghostbusters 3. I have very mixed feelings on this. I think that Bill Murray is kinda an asshole for holding up the process for so long. We get it Bill, your a serious comedic actor now and unless Wes Anderson or a lame cartoon cat come calling you are content showing up on golf course and making wealthy white men laugh. I understand his feeling that old fat Ghostbusters are not that appealing but frankly just say no 4 years ago. They wrote a script involving you because you just wouldnt say no and now you have left them in limbo. My opinion on a Ghostbusters movie is that they need just to reboot it with a very limited involvement from the original cast. I will always prefer an original movie to a remake or reboot but if they are going to do it anyway then limit the fat old guys to 10 minutes of screen time. I would love a new Ghostbusters unit of Jonah Hill, Paul Rudd, Jason Segal, and Seth Rogan. I like the dynamic of these actors and they have all worked together. Maybe Ackroid can play Slimer this go around.

Avengers or Dark Knight- This will definitely go down as one of the most anticipated movie summers on record. A reboot of Spiderman, Men in Black 3, Expendables 2, the list goes on and on but it really just comes down to two movies Dark Knight Rises and Avengers. The nerd in me is so pumped for both of these movies. My question to all of you is which movie are you more excited in seeing. My answer to that may be a little shocking to people I nerd up with. I am more excited for the Avengers movie. Do I think it will be better than Dark Knight?....No, probably not. The thing is that I know what to expect from the Batman movies. They are amazing movies and the Dark Knight was probably the greatest comic movie of all time. The Avengers though is a comic movie that as a child I would never have expected to ever become a movie. The cool factor just trumps anything Dark Knight has to offer. I also have worries that despite the skill of Christopher Nolan to craft perfect Batman movies can he really improve on the last one. The novelty of most of the Avengers having already had their own movies and are now joining up is just flat out great. I feel that Dark Knight Rises will be the better movie but the Avengers will be more fun.

I am officially over George Lucus Star Wars was probably the single most important movie experience of my life. The movie and toys were the catalysts for my life as a big old nerd and I will always hold the original trilogy in the highest regards. The creator of these movies, George "no neck" Lucus has lost his ability to relate to audiences. His obsession with the latest technology in CGI has made him a lazy filmmaker. The prequels were awful and i can't even sit through them. They recently re-released the Phantom Menace in 3d and I had 0 desire to see it. He replaced real sets with completely fake CGI ones and the movies just felt heartless. The dialogue was so stiff and terrible that I'd rather listen to Gilbert Godfried filibuster congress then listen to one more line of dialogue. After the stinkquels he then decided to ruin another franchise. Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull was a movie I was so looking forward to. Sometimes you just have to leave movies alone and just remember them for how great they were. An almost 70 year old Indiana and terrible unnecessary CGI just ruined the movie. I really do believe now that Lucus was more lucky than talented back in the 70's. I recently read an interview with him and he talked about how he is retiring from blockbuster filmmaking because of the criticism of his latest movies. The tone of the interview almost seemed like he wants to "punish" us for not like his movies....retiring from directing will not punish us George....no one cares. The original Star Wars will always have a special place in my heart but having Lucus not directing anymore films is perfectly alright with me.

Twilight Eclipse pt 1 review- Robin and I watched the lastest Twilight movie on Valentines Day. I have seen all of them and should have my geek membership card revoked for doing so. They have all been terrible but this one was the citizen Kane of shittyness. I actually almost enjoy watching them just to see how bad they can get. The first hour of this movie was nothing but them hanging out on a honeymoon. Absolutely nothing was happening! I will never understand why a Vampire and a Werewolf would be fighting over Kristen Stewert. She is just not attractive to me. Now if they were fighting over that future seeing vamp Ashley Greene then maybe I could see it. Robert Pattison or however you spell his last name is quite annoying but nowhere annoying as the whining bitch Taylor Lautner. If that Douche bag was in my wolf pack I would have euthanized him. The acting is so terrible and the CGI wolves are god awful. How can a movie make so much money and still have shitty CGI wolves? I would pay good money to break Wesley Snipes out of prison so he could do a cross-over blade movie and slaughter all of the Cullens and the brooding teen douchey wolf pack. That being said...I can't wait for part 2.

Well that's it for now and I apologize ahead of time for spelling and sentence structure...I write these on the fly on my iPad and don't really proof read them.

What's going on with Bill!

2012-02-29T09:14:00.000-05:00

I haven't written on this blog in quite sometime and decided that it was time to share some of my brilliant insights with all of you.....haha...Life has been quite a roller coaster the past year. Robin and I have had a lot of great experiences as a result of receiving our first foster child. Jeffery has brought so much fun to our everyday life. He is so animated that it is hard to keep up with him sometimes. I always worried how good of a father I would be, still do to an extent, but this experience has given me confidence that I can be a good one. I struggled with the thought of being a Mr. Mom.....as a man you want to be the bread winner in the house and that can take a toll on your psyche. I have realized that at this current juncture in our lives me staying at home with Jeffery perhaps is the best thing for him. Once and if we adopt him I can then think about going back to work or school. We struggle financially but Jeffery is getting alot of one on one attention during the day and he might need that structure because he definitely was not getting it from his birth parents. I also wanted my wife to not be stressed out because she has started a new job that requires alot more of her. Robin began teaching at the Martin Luther king academy near over the Rhine and it has definitely been an adjustment. I am tremendously proud of her because she went from a class of privileged kids to a class of children who come from broken homes and have very little to be excited for in their home lives.
The biggest adjustment for Robin and I has definitely been dealing with Jeffery's birth parents. They are drug addicts and dealers and having to interact with them is torture at times. They always play "the victim" and that they have done no wrong. We suspect that there is alot of domestic violence going on between the two and I can't tell you how hard it is to look n the eyes of two people who possibly could have been abusing your son. We try to maintain a positive relationship with them but that becomes increasingly harder every week that goes by. The thought of Jeffery going back to them makes me sick to my stomach. Robin and I may go crazy if that ever happens. I have sympathy for people who become hooked on drugs if they are trying to fix their problem but his parents have done nothing but try to fool the system. They were recently caught with frozen urine which they were using to fool thecmandatory drug tests they are given. They just stopped coming to the weekly visitations with Jeffery without calling or letting anyone know why so for about 4 weeks in a row i would get Jeffery all ready and take him all the way up there just to find out they weren't coming. I could go and on with the things they have done but the more I write about it the more furious I get.
I feel that over the past year or so that I have definitely grown as a person. The new addition has really changed alot of things. I think seeing the dark side of parenting every week you realize how good you had it growing up. Just sitting in the lobby at the visitations breaks your heart seeing all of these children without parents. Clermont County is so overrun with drugs right now that they can't keep up with all of kids that are in the foster system. Robin and I have given thought to another one but want to get Jeffery adopted before trying. Dealing with two foster kids isn't what scares me, it's dealing with two sets of birth parents. Yeah no thanks......
I am looking forward to the future. I really hope that future involves Jeffery as our son. No matter what happens he will always be my son....I can guarantee you that Robin and I will do everything in our power to keep him here. I will be updating my blog on a more regular basis for all my relatives and friends who want to know what's going on in our lives.

Being a Foster Parent.....6 months in.

2011-09-29T09:44:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it has already been 6 months. Jeffery really has come a long way since he first walked through our door. He came in with a bottle of sweet tea and smelling like a pack of Marboros. He wasn't malnourished but I suspect that his diet consisted of mostly sugar and caffiene. I remember the crazed look on his face when he saw a coke can as if he was a zombie and a plate of brains just dropped in front of him. The first week he was there he would actually go to the fridge and open it and try to get food out. The poor kid probably was used to having to get his own food.....at 18 months....No kid should have to be like that. I can't imagine what little Jeffery saw in his actual home. His parents have an illness, they are hooked on drugs and I won't pretend to understand what that's like. I have never tried a drug or even had a desire to. I attribute that to having a good family and good friends. A support group that Jeffery's family probably didn't have. I imagine at some point Jeffery has handled some drug related items in his parents house. Those types of things run through my mind constantly, especially realizing that we may have to give him back. That is what makes Fostering so hard.
Jeffery has really excelled in the last 6 months. His communication skills have improved dramatically. He is a little behind with his speech but his comprehension and motor skills seem to be where they should be. He has been able to attend a pre school 3 days a week and I think that has really benefitted him. He gets up in the morning and immediately understands that he is going to school. He pulls his little suitcase behind him oncthe way to the car. I really can't explain how cute this kid is.....I know everybody thinks their kid is cute but my god we got so lucky. Robin uses Jeffery as a little Ken doll. She comes home every day with a new outfit for him.....An example of this is that the kid has 3....yes I said 3 Halloween costumes.....Batman, Frankenstein, and a huge lizard....to say the kid is spoiled would be an understatement.
The experience so far has had a lot of ups and downs. Going straight into the terrible twos has been a challegnge. He does have some extreme raging fits....because this is our first child it is hard to tell if they are normal fits or it's associated with maybe some issues he is dealing with. Either way we manage them. The first couple of weeks the screaming is intimidating but after a while it becomes secondary noise. Boy does he have a pair of lungs on him. He had issues with his eyes when we first got him. He hadcbeen taken to Children's Hospital with his birth parents but they never followed up for him. We immediately took him there and scheduled a surgery. Surgery day was extremely stressful. A small child having surgery is scary enough but to have to spend 4 hours with the birth parents....that was painful. I can't decide if they are really concerned about Jeffery o just putting on an act. They sat in the waiting room loudly discussing their drug and personal problems....it was quite embarrassing. I remember thinking to myself "how can you continue to act like fools when you have such a wonderful child?". Jeffery got through the surgery without a hitch and has since got a pair of glasses. He looks like the little kid from Jerry Maguire. If there is one thing that Robin and I have accomplished with him is that he has his eyes fixed.
The most frustrating thing by far is dealing with the birth parents. At first I was under the mindset of giving his parents the benefit of the doubt and hope that they can get their lives together. They really seemed to be doing well but things quickly changed. I don't know if this is consistent with most drug users but they take no accountability. They blame everyone but themselves. They think that we will actually buy their bullshit. The mother probably weighs 85 lbs and she tries to convince you that she is not using. They constantly miss visitations with Jeffery that totally infuriates me. You say you want your child but then you miss half your opportunities to see him. The best thing is they wait to the last minute to cancel...so we are already there waiting. When they do come they bring pop guns and sugar filled candy for Jeffery. We recently learned that during their random drug tests that they may be actually filling up a pee filled balloon and hiding it within the female anatomy and popping it with her fingernail just to manipulate the test. That is where they no longer get the benefit of the doubt. Now it's US VS THEM. The Ultimate goal that the foster care system promotes is of "reunification"..... I was on board at first but I will be damned if we are going to just hand this kid over to these people without a fight. We will adopt Jeffery if the opportunity presents itself...there is little doubt about that...but we are now a lot more interested in finding out if the birth parents are just trying to play the system.
No matter what happens now, Jeffery is our SON....We are in it for the long haul. My wife has been amazing with him. She is definitely his biggest advocate. I am very proud of her. Being a parent is very difficult and even more difficult when you are constantly worrying if he will leave soon. There are so many children that need foster parents. I wish more people would do it. These kids can't help themselves and need good role models even if it's for a little bit of time. It can be stressful sometime but I wouldn't change anything. Jeffery is now a part of our family. He now has grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles that love him and will always be there for him.

What I would do with the Bengals if I was Mike Brown.

2011-07-21T09:16:00.000-04:00

The NFL lockout is more than likely coming to an end this week and the Bengals will have to make some tough decisions regarding their roster. There will be a frenzy of free agent action following the lift of the lockout. The Bengals will more than likely not participate heavily in the free agent market as usual. Things have to change with the Bengals, they've had to change for 20 plus years now but at some point Mike Brown has to swallow his pride and make some wholesale changes. I thought to myself what changes would I make if I owned the team. These are some suggestions for good ol Mike.

Carson Palmer: I can't believe how fast my opinion can change on a guy. I respect what he did with the Bengals. He wasn't an elite QB but he was good enough to carry us through the playoffs. The thing that irritates the hell out of me about Palmer is this "trade me or I will retire" crap. I understand that playing in Cincinnati can be extremely frustrating but you signed a long term contract that has made you a wealthy man. He was so arrogant about it that he put his house up for sale as a sign of how serious he was. I really believe that Carson thinks he is an elite QB and deserves the right to just void his contract. Mike Brown has been the cause of a lot of crap here in Cincy but last year was the players fault. Carson didn't perform well last year and he needs to come to grips with that. I never thought I would say this but Big Ben has far surpassed Carson as a QB. Ben may be a rapist, a moron, and basically a big child but the guy can lead a team. The guy can make a play when his team needs it. Carson always talked a big game but never really delivered on the field. My heart says make Carson Palmer retire. He hasn't earned the right to hold a team hostage. Unfortunately making him retire doesn't really help the Bengals and I have to run this team soooo trade him for a second round pick or possibly for a veteran QB. Ideally I would trade him for Kevin Colb but it would have to be a three team trade. It does set a bad precedent but as you will see with most of my moves, I am a big fan of cleaning house.

What to do with Ocho Cinco? There are a lot of fans that have a big problem with Chad Johnson but i am not one of them. That being said I still would trade him for whatever pick I could get for him. He just doesn't fit here anymore and it's time to change the overall make up of this team. The guy led the AFC in receiving yardage for 5 straight seasons and there haven't been many receivers that have done that but that Chad Johnson is long gone and it's time to move on. His antics were acceptable to me when he was leading the league but now it just wears on me. His work ethic is unquestioned. The guy works when he on the field but distractions and age just get in the way now.

No tolerance policy: Frankly it is time to cut ties with the players who can't stay out of trouble with the law. I am not against giving guys second chances but not 3,4,5 chances. This team is embarrassing this city and making Mike Brown look like a fool. I know that it's not easy and financially feasible to release players because of their transgressions but you can start not bringing these guys in. Players like Adam Jones, Cedric Benson, and Tank Johnson need to shape up or ship out. Cincinnati is like a safe haven for players who want to remain being immature and irresponsible. I would implement a second offense suspension of 3 games and a third offense 8 game suspension. Obviously Im sure the players association will have a beef with that but you need to send a message.

HIRE A GENERAL MANAGER!!! Mike Brown did not inherit Paul Browns football knowledge. He needs to realize this and understand that he will never be able to step out of that shadow. I think that silly pride and the desire to make a name for himself has clouded his judgement on what is best for this team. He is a business guy not a football guy. He needs to hire someone like a Bill Parcells to come in here and build a team. They need to hire more scouts and start over. I know that sounds horrible to start over YET again but the make up of this team needs to change. The Steelers reload every year and the Bengals REBUILD. The Steelers always have a good defense and a good running game.....is that a coincidence? They have had 3 coaches in like 35 years....that is something that the Bengals need to pay attention to. You need a football guy running the show.

Bengals hall of fame: the Cincinnati Bengals need to have a ring of honor. There have been enough players in this franchise to warrant recognition. Real NFL franchises spend the money and recognize their great players and the Bengals need to follow suit. I would recommend the names of Paul Brown, Anthony Munoz, Ken Anderson, and perhaps Boomer Esiason later. These are Bengal icons that need to be recognized. Give this franchise a sense of pride instead of embarrassment. Mike you need to spend some money!

Well that's a small list of what I would do. The Bengals only have a couple years to keep my fandom. I have stuck with this team for almost 30 years of my life and I'm at a breaking point. I will choose a new team if things don't get better because football is too awesome of a sport to have to support such a shitty team. Maybe I will pull for the Steelers......NOPE it will never be that bad!

Bill's Entertainment Round up: Episode 2.....The summer of good not great movies.

2011-07-17T09:40:00.001-04:00

I am devoting the majority of this blog to the summer movies I have seen so far. This summer has been a bit of a mixed bag. I would best describe it as "the summer that could have been". Almost every movie that has come out this summer was enjoyable but lacked that extra something that would have made them special. I wanted so many movies this summer to be great but they just didn't do it for me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed Thor,X-men,Green Lantern,Harry Potter,and Super 8, but there was just something missing.

Thor - The first comic book movie of the summer actually was better than I expected. The trailers that I had seen for the movie underwhelmed me but for a comic character that I really could care less about, it ultimately entertained me. I particularly enjoyed the scenes in Asgard and thought they were really well done. Chris Hemsworth was pretty effective as Thor and now I couldn't imagine someone else playing him. The biggest problem with the movie was the supporting cast. Thor's merry gang from Asgard sort of annoyed me once they arrived on Earth. I got a "Masters of the Universe" feel when they were roaming the streets. The climatic battle wasn't epic but it was good enough to make me want to see a sequel.

X-men: First Class - (haven't seen Captain America) This is probably my favorite movie of the summer. I would have never predicted that going into the summer but this really worked for me. I really enjoyed Magneto's story arc and felt that it surpassed anything Iam McKellan had done in the other films. The movie is far from perfect though. Kevin Bacon is completely over the top as the villain of the film. I really was expecting him to have Mr Bigglesworth from the Austin Powers movies sitting in his lap. The cameo from Wolverine was hilarious. They played a little too much with the continuity and history of the x-men but they quickly made you forget it with some of the action sequences. I would definitely be up for another installment.

Hangover 2: The original Hangover is one of my favorites ever and when I heard the sequel was coming I kinda knew it would not be able to duplicate what the original accomplished. There were funny parts but the overall feel of the movie was that of something being forced. Zach Galifinackus man boy act may be getting a bit old. I still laughed through most of it but I'm not sure they should make this a trilogy.

Green Lantern- I won't lie, I was super pumped for this one. Green Lantern is probably my third favorite comic character behind Superman and Batman. Although I was eagerly awaiting this movie I was a little worried. I wasn't sure how Ryan Reynolds would be as Hal Jordan. I always imagined Reynolds as the Flash because of his sarcasm. The negative reviews of the film really began to make me worry but ultimately I enjoyed the movie. Could it have been better?..Yes!....but it wasn't a horrible movie like so many reviewers had said. Reynolds did a good job as GL but the movie lacked a competent villain. The introduction of Sinestro and the hint of things to come will allow me to forgive any shortcomings of this film. I just wish that comic movie directors would realize that you can have a heavy action and have an origin film in the same film.

Super 8: I love J.J. And Spielberg and was really looking forward to this movie. I love the mystery of not entirely knowing what a film is about before going into it. Unfortunately the movie just didnt deliver on the goods for me. The casting of the kids in the movie was perfect and in my opinion wasted. The kids had so much chemistry and were thoroughly entertaining but the plot was predictable and alien was underwhelming. My opinion is probably the minority but if you are going to attach names like Spielberg and J.J.to a film then it should deliver entirely. The kids just couldnt carry the lackluster 3rd act of the film. I didn't hate the film but going along with my theme, it just could have been better.

Harry Potter 7: I will start this off by saying that I read not one of the books and probably would have a different opinion of the finale if I had. I really have enjoyed the movies quite a bit and i was right there will all the lunatics that attended the midnight showings. The trailer was action packed and sort of misrepresented itself. I was expecting a balls out action filled finale and it seemed to fall short. The climatic battle between Harry and Voldemort had its moments but for a series ending battle it seemed watered down. The destruction of Hogwarts also seemed to be watered down and perhaps they knew a lot of kids would be there and they took the high road. The revelations during the movie really worked though and that gives it a pass and the series as a whole was one of the better ones.

Well that's it for what I've seen so far. Captain America and Cowboys and Aliens are really the only other films I'm interested in seeing this summer. The sad thing is that all of the movies I listed above were enjoyable but just lacked something. I think in some ways it's worse to have a summer like this one then to just have a terrible one. I obviously didn't review Transformers because it was over the top and ridiculous as usual. Next summer will bring Dark Knight Rises and the Avengers and hopefully they will get it right.

Harry Potter and the Deathyly Hallows pt 2:

Bill's entertainment round-up. Episode 1.....Arnold is back....but does anyone care?

2011-04-30T08:48:00.001-04:00

This is my inaugural episode of my weekly entertainment news blog. The majority of the topics that I will be discussing will involve recent developments in television, movies, video games, and pretty much anything that interests me on an entertainment level.

Donal Trump's accusations about Obama- The first thing I will say is that I'm not an Obama supporter. He has had a fairly unsuccessful presidency so far. I don't know that anyone could have had succeeded after the train wreck that was George Bush. Donald Trump has been rumored to be making a run at the presidency in 2012 and has made it his personal crusade to crucify the president for "not being a U.S. Citizen". The democrats have to be smiling right now. Trump is a joke. There is no other way to describe him. He has always participated in these petty back and forth attacks with people of the years and in my opinion just makes him look stupid. Jerry Seinfeld recently pulled out a benefit hosted by one of Trumps hideous sons because of of the comments by Trump. Trump, in true Trump style, immediately said that he was "never a fan of his work" and that Jerry was letting down the charity. These are the same tactics he used when fighting with Rosie O'donnell and frankly they just seem so childish. The Obama comments are just pathetic though. He even went as far as saying that Obama benefitted from affirmative action when getting into an Ivy league
school. Republicans are cringing right now because they already don't have a good front
runner for nomination and now Trump will more than likely divide the party somewhat and make
the whole party look like a joke. I believe that as it stands now I would be more than
willing to give Obama another term instead of taking a chance on the Republicans. Do we really want a President that has faced Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania......well I would vote for Stone Cold.

Arnold back as the Terminator- Arnold is finally finished playing Governor and has begun looking over scripts again. Unfortunately for Arnold his run as the top dog in California was fairly unsuccessful. The "Oak" found that charisma and good intentions does not have much weight when trying to fix one of the biggest economies in the world. This was probably a hard pill to swallow because of his tremendous success in both the bodybuilding world and in Hollywood. Anyway, he is back! I have cautious optimism about an Arnold comeback. The guy really hasn't made a quality motion picture since True Lies and the apparent signing to do another Terminator movie has me a bit skeptical. A 63 year old terminator just doesnt excite me. I will go see it, don't get me wrong, but this is definitely not what he should be doing. He needs to hook up with a good director that cast him in a supporting role that has a lot of meat to it. A role that makes him stand out. A grizzled bad ass old man that has to get back into action one last time. Ideally Quentin Tarantino would be his perfect director. Tarantino was able to revive Travolta's career and basically launch Sam Jackson's. Arnold probably can't front an action movie any more. He seems to be a little out of shape and I'm not sure he could even get close to his old form. I guess he could always go the HGH route like his friend Sly. I sadly think his time might have passed. It seems that directors like James Cameron aren't interested in collaborating with Arnold anymore. The new Terminator will be helmed by the director of the latest couple of Fast and Furious movies. They need to just leave those movies alone if Cameron is not involved. I really hope I'm wrong about Arnold but either way I will continue to watch his movies no matter what they are.

Steve Carrell leaving the Office-Arnold is coming back and one of the greatest TV bosses is riding off into the sunset. No matter who they replace him with the show will never be the same. The last few episodes leading up to the departure of Scott have showcased Deangelo Vickers played by Will Ferrell. I am not sure what they were trying to go with when bringing on Ferrell but it is not working at all. His character is frankly boring and unless he eventually turns out to be the Scranton Strangler it seems to be a waste of his talents. The writers couldn't come up with something better? The season finale will have multiple cameos that will be interviewing for the open position of office manager. The cameos include James Spader,Ricky Gervais,Ray Romano,Will Arnett, and Jim Carrey. I believe that none of these guys will actually replace him but if I had to choose one it would be Arnett. Arnett is one of those guys that is tremendously funny but hasn't found the right vehicle for his talents. He was hilarious on Arrested Development and with the mostly competent writers on the Office he should shine. I have some guys on my wish list...David Koechner who already plays Todd Packer on the show would be a perfect fit because he already has chemistry with the cast and is mostly hated. I think that Dwight would also be a good fit and I even think they have been hinting at it by going out of their way to show how Dwight has been slighted. I would really like to see them go with someone like Jonah Hill( wishful thinking). Jonah's excitability would be a great dynamic and a eventual rivalry with Ryan could be funny ( both of them being young successes at Dunder Mifflin). That's not going to happen but it would be something I would like to see. I hope that they can recapture the magic that Office once had but my heart says the show has "jumped the shark". Whatever they do it will not be the same. I can't believe I won't be hearing "that's what she said" anymore.

Lindsay Lohan getting sentenced to 120 days in Jail- Finally some accountability for being a pathetic, drug using, whining little skank. I hope she meets some real "mean girls"in the slammer.

The Royal Wedding I really could care less. I actually tuned in early in the morning because Jeffery got up at 4 and immediately turned the channel. I really don't understand the fascination....I guess every woman dreams of a wedding like that but you know most of those "fairy tale" weddings turn out to be shams. I would rather see paint dry than tune into the whole ceremony. Oh yeah...I'm not a big fan of British people either. James Bond, Benny Hill, Mr Bean...yep thats the only ones I like. Broadcast Mr. beans wedding and I will tune in.

Week 1 of being a foster dad.

2011-04-13T23:06:00.000-04:00

Robin and I welcomed a young little boy into our lives last week and it has been a whirlwind of crappy diapers and sleepless nights. The kid is a wonderful little boy who has obviously been dealt a rough hand in life. I am not allowed to talk details about the child but you can probably deduct that his parental situation was not ideal. Robin and I thought we were prepared emotionally but quickly found out that it's a lot harder once you make that connection with a child. Robin and I ideally want to adopt a child but the process may see us have to give a couple of children back to their parents and there lies the real challenge. You give your blood, sweat,and tears for a child that may end up back with the family who harmed him in the past. The thing you have to realize is that you are helping the child get through a rough patch in his/her life. This is without a doubt the hardest thing that I have ever had to do but looking into that kids eyes and realizing that we are helping him is well worth the work. I would have to say it has definitely been a eye opening experience. I changed my first diaper ever that first day and 30 diapers later I am a professional. I didn't realize babies crapped that much. I changed 3 poopy diapers in about 3 hrs. I have tried so many wonderful baby foods this week. I got to hold down the child while a doctor gave him 5 shots and drew blood from him. That was fun as the child screamed bloody murder directly in my ear. Poor guy, he wasn't up to date on any of his shots and had to have them all at once. The experience has had it's ups and downs but we are making it. We will be here for that little one no matter how long we have him. Someone needs to be an advocate for this child and the hundreds of kids just like him in this area.

The State of Professional Wrestling

2011-03-14T04:34:00.001-04:00

I have been thinking about the different eras of professional wrestling and where exactly this current era ranks with them. I'm only going to go as far back as the early to mid 80s because let's face it that is when wrestling really burst onto the scene. The wrestling that is presented today is a shell of what it should be. The athletes are probably better and the exposure is on a much larger scale but there is one major problem...Wrestlers are just terrible at promos. The great wrestlers of today like A.J. Styles, Randy Orten, etc are just plain boring. They are tremendously talented physically but just have no charisma. I always think it's funny when fans of wrestling complain about old wrestlers hanging on too long. The reason they hang on is that these wrestlers of today have no ability to build up a rivalry. There is nothing I would like see more than the AJ Styles of the world be able to succeed in the business but the guy is just plain boring. The wrestling business is the most successful when you have guys who can talk or they at least have great charisma like Hogan or the Warrior. I really feel like the pro wrestler of today needs to not only go to these wrestling schools but they also need to go to acting classes. I have no misconceptions about wrestling...it's entertainment....I know it's not real in the same way that I know 24 and Lost were not real. When they cast those shows I'm sure they just weren't casting the look of the characters, they hired people who could act. There needs to be a balance of the two. Wrestling needs to take more time in recruiting personalities. This was never more evident than a couple of weeks back when The Rock returned from a seven year hiatus and cut a promo that was better than anything either company had produced in years. I hope that Vince Mcmahon and Dixie Carter took note on how a wrestler that hadn't been around in seven years turned a whole crowd of Cena lovers against their own guy in less than 15 minutes. It was like wrestling fans had walked in a desert for seven years without water and the Rock emptied his canteen for us. This is definitely a down era in wrestling. I still enjoy it but I can't follow it like I used to. I dvr the two major programs every week and probably watch about 20 percent of it. I know there will be a time when I will follow it more closely but I am getting older and my patience with crap wears thin. I figure that I will never outgrow it seeing I'm almost 40. I have a good solid 30 years of fandom in and it still makes me laugh every so often. I just hope that they start bringing in some personalities. I will end this with my top 25 wrestlers that are currently either wrestling for TNA or WWE.

(no specific order)

1. Wade Barrett
2. CM Punk
3. AJ Styles
4. Robert Roode
5. Jay Lethal
6. Kazarian
7. Mr. Anderson
8. Kurt Angle
9. Alberto Del Rio
10. Samoa Joe
11. Randy Orten
12. Edge
13. John Cena (didn't say my favorite)
14. John Morrison
15. Daniel Bryan
16. Sheamus
17. Jack Swagger
18. Justin Gabriel
19. The Pope
20. The Miz
21. Sabin/Shelly MCMG
22. Dolph Ziggler
23. Santino Marella
24. HHH
25. Taker

These have a mix of all things...some can wrestle,some can talk, some do both

Get well soon Uncle Dean!

2010-11-07T20:51:00.001-05:00

We have now lived in Ohio for about 30 years and being away from family sucks sometimes. My great Uncle Dean has been in the hospital now in North Carolina for over a week and being so far away is frustrating. Although I probably haven't seen my Uncle Dean in years, he made a great impression on me when I was a kid. Uncle dean co-owned a local store that has been around for many years and I remember going to the store when I was a child. He was such a kind man to me and my sister. I used to collect bottle caps off of glass bottles of soda....yes for you youngsters out there soda used to be in bottles....and I would go over to the store and he would give me all of the bottle caps that his store patrons would leave. Don't ask me why I collected bottle caps but that was a highlight for me when I was little. You can just tell sometimes by the demeanor of a person that they are a kind hearted man. That is how i felt about Uncle Dean. I used to visit NC when I was younger and I always looked forward to going in the store. There are no old country stores in Ohio and it's was cool buying atomic fire balls and little debbies when I used to visit. I have also heard stories of how he helped my grandma when she was raising my mom and my aunts and uncles. They didn't have much back then and that help really meant alot to all of them. Uncle Dean is just a good ol country boy and that is hard to find now a days. I just want my relatives to know that my wife and I are thinking of them and we hope he is able to make a full recovery. As I get
older I start to feel a little bit of guilt for not visiting my relatives but economically it
hasn't been in the cards. I am glad that all of my family down south is giving so many
facebook updates on his condition. It really is a testament on how strong the family is.
My mom is on her way down there and Robin, Jenny, My dad, Chase and I are all thinking about all of you and tell Uncle Dean that we love him and hope he gets better.

My favorite 25 Video Games (franchise)of All Time (in no specific order)

2010-11-06T01:33:00.000-04:00

I have played way too many video games in my 38 years of life. These are my favorite games that I have PLAYED....so don't get all mad when God Of War or some other Playstaton 3 games isn't on here.

Call of Duty
Mass Effect
Red Dead Redemption
Super Mario Brothers
Borderlands
Madden
NBA LIve
Tecmo Bowl
Mike Tyson's Punchout
Metroid
Mortal Kombat
Street Fighter
Mario Kart
Smackdown
Contra
Halo
Gears of War
Bioshock
Arkham Asylum
Grand Theft Auto IV
Legend of Zelda
Sonic the Hedgehog
Goldeneye
Rockband
Resident Evil

My Views on Religion

2010-10-25T11:17:00.000-04:00

This is definitely a topic that I thought twice about writing about. Religion is one of those subjects that sparks a tremendous amount of heated debates and hard feelings between the debaters. I will start this off by stating that I am not a religious person. I have not attended a regular church service in about 25 years and have really no intention to unless my children (when we have any) decide that they may or may not want to go. I will not go as far as saying I do not believe in God or a higher power because I have no proof that there isn't one and somethings in life can't easily be explained away. The thing that I do have a problem with is the bible and what SOME people use it to preach about. The Bible used in the right way can be a wonderful tool in guiding a society in the right direction of how to live a peaceful and fulfilling life. I have friends and family who both are extremely religious and use religion in a positive way..the way it should be used. The problem is that a considerable amount of people use the Bible and God's "teachings" to advance their own self serving agendas and distort the messages to alienate groups of people. Religion throughout history has really been a double edged sword in that it gives millions hope and joy in their lives but on the other hand it has been the root of many of this worlds deadliest wars. My personal choice of not going to church or reading the bible is because I am confident that I can make my own decisions on what the right way to live my life is. I don't feel that I need the guidance of a book that was translated by man in God's voice thousands of years ago to guide the way I live my life in 2010. I am not arrogant about my views though, I am completely aware that some people in society need religion and enjoy going to church and being part of a community that lives their life through God's teachings. I understand that. I get that. It's not for me but I respect people who use religion in the right way. I realize that if I pass a fellow man that is hurt or is in need of assistance that I don't need religion to tell me that i need to help that man. It's common sense to me...It's the right thing to do. I think my biggest problem with the Bible is that people don't take into account on when it was written and how the world has evolved since then. The attacks on races and homosexuality are really just the words of people who lived in a time when those things were hugely associated with being non-god like and the world has changed. It has changed for the better. If there really is a God and he is the ultimate creator then he is fully aware that he has created these people who are different and he would love them just as much as any other person he created. People just fear what they don't understand. If you grow up in a family that has always hated gay people then more than likely you are going to hate gay people. Its easy for people to do that. If you have prejudices against a certain races its probably because your family did. It amazes me to this day how powerful religion has a hold on the views of most Americans. Our society is way too easily swayed not just by religious affiliation but by government manipulation of our interpretations of history. We always praise Christopher Columbus for discovering America but rarely is it talked about how thousands of Native Americans were slaughtered on the way to doing so. That is swept under the rug because we want to treat this Icon as someone valiant and someone worthy of the accomplishment. I get angered just watching the televangelists on Television lining their pockets with money from senior citizens who can barely make a living just because they say "with their donations we can keep the word of God spreading throughout the world" The majority of these Televangelists are driving around in Bentleys and have multiple luxurious homes in God's name. I just don't understand why people can't just do the right thing without having to have a book to show them the way. Maybe I am foolish to think this way and perhaps I am wrong and there is a God and he wants us to alienate Jews and Homosexuals. If that's the case then I want nothing to do with THAT god. I couldn't recite to you one piece of scripture from the bible but I know not to murder people, not to steal what is not mine, not to cheat on my wife. Those things to me are common sense and if you have a good heart then you wont participate in such actions. I don't want to anger my friends and family who do go to church and follow the bible because from what I have noticed is that on a local level the church works well in teaching our children right from wrong. The extreme hate speech is more of what I am talking about. The bullying of people to be a certain way or to vote a certain way or you will be sent to hell. The constant wars that continue to take place because of the different views of what God is. Religion should have never evolved into this. It all boils down to what a specific people believe in and we as people should just respect their religious views instead of preaching to them on how their God is wrong. WHO CARES! Just live your life by what you think is right. I know that I have already spoke about this in another blog but if two men or two women want to have a gay marriage then let them. Marriage is about love and shouldn't have to follow some out of date guidelines of a book that couldn't even comprehend that idea when it was written. Over half of the heterosexual christian marriages end up getting divorced so maybe concentrate educating all people in church about the hardships of marriage and don't spend so much time and effort hating on gays for just wanting to be a part of normal life. They are not ruining anything by getting married, people just don't want to recognize them as equals. It's the same thing that went on with African Americans when they were considered 2/3 of man and when women didn't have to vote. Plain and simple..its a society that wants to keep a section of it down so they can feel superior. That's why we assimilated "savages" in the new world because we couldn't have anyone having a different belief structure that was different than ours. I think it's hilarious that we make such a big deal about Gay marriages but we have countless priests molesting children on a weekly basis and for the most part the Vatican turns a blind eye to it. What's the bigger evil here? Bottom Line: If you and your family go to church and it is a positive experience and God helps you get through your life then I applaud that because that is what it's meant for. If you use God as a crutch to preach to people on how they should go to church or they will go to hell for not going then I think you should re-evaluate why you go. I truly believe that if there is a God, then he will be fine with me for not actively going to church because I have lived my life the way I feel a good person should. I love my family, I love my friends, and I love my fellow man (not a huge fan Glenn Beck though).

Anchorman: Why can't this movie get a sequel?

2010-10-21T16:16:00.000-04:00

Anchorman may be the most quoted comedy that has come out in the last 20 years but for some reason Hollywood thinks that it doesn't warrant a sequel. The director was up for doing it and the stars including Will Ferrell and Steve Carrell had offered to do the movie for a discounted rate. Despite everyone being on board to do the sequel, the studio has decided to pass on the project. WTF? This is by far Will Ferrell's best movie and the other actors were brilliant in their roles. Paul Rudd was awesome as field reporter and ladies man Brian Fantanna. I still laugh at the scene where Fantanna goes in to his specialized cabinet of colognes and pulls out the lethal "Sex Panther" cologne that was made with "bits of real panther". I then loved the reaction of the coworkers as he strolled through the office "Whats that smell?"....."Smells like Bigfoot's Dick". Steve Carrell was also brilliant as the semi retarded weatherman Brick Tamblin. I just loved when Brick would out of the blue just say something ridiculous like the scene when they were discussing what love was and Brick just picked things out of the room to love.."I love lamp". I also liked the role of womanizing sportscaster Champ Kind played by the always funny David Koechner. Will Ferrell's iconic performance of Ron Burgandy was perhaps one of the funniest characters ever seen on screen. There is no funnier scene that watching Ron describe the history of San Diego to Christina Applegate.while on their first date. I am actually not a big fan of Ferrell's movies because few have compared to Anchorman. There are so many scenes in Anchorman that are memorable. Perhaps the most memorable is the street brawl between the different news channels of the city. The cameos of Vince Vaughn, Tim Robbins, Luke Wilson and the cameo machine Ben Stiller were priceless. I just loved watching Steve Carrell kill a guy by stabbing him in the heart with a trident. All of these great scenes but the studio would rather keep pumping out those terrible spoof movies like Vampires Suck. I just don't get it. That should show you that Hollywood has no clue what the people really want. I guess they think we want yet another terrible Katherine Hiegl romantic comedy. I really just want to punch the people who make these decisions. Anchorman is a movie that warrants a sequel....Step up and The Fast and the Furious do not. I blame annoying teenagers who continue to flock to those stupid piles of crap. How many times can Paul Walker and Vin Diesel team up and race cars to solve a crime? Romantic comedies are the worst though. Women will always tell a guy how stupid their action or sci fi movies are. Have you seen the crap that you women watch? My wife tells me all the time that her movies are about real life? Are you kidding me? Real life? Here let me see if I can sum up all romantic comedies.....prudish girl meets wild guy .she come from a family of money and he is from the wrong side of the tracks, they are complete opposites and they argue at first.....after speending time with each other in some wild scenario they find out that they truly love each other. The whole time they were perfect for one another......did I mention that they are both really hot and genetically perfect. Give me an F'n break! That's not realistic at all. That stuff might happen in real life but not with good looking people. You really think a fashion model will fall for a plumber or trashman in real life...nope! The sad thing is that these movies make a ton of money. Romantic comedies have to be the easiest things to write, cheapest to make, and the women will flock to them no matter what the story is. Just plant Katherine Heigl, Reese Witherspoon, or Sandra Bulolock in them and women will go. I'm a little off topic but it irritates me to no end that a great comedy like Anchorman can't get a sequel but they hand movies out left and right to douche bags like Aston Kutcher and Hugh Grant. How much would a movie like Anchorman 2 cost to make? I wish that Will Ferrell and the gang would just produce the movie themselves. I guess in the meantime I can pass the time by watching Notting Hill 2 or More Fried Green Tomatoes. Stay Classy Internet.

Why the Scream awards are better than the Oscars....

2010-10-19T23:45:00.000-04:00

I am not a huge fan of awards show. The main reason is that I think they usually take themselves a little too serious. My friend hosts an Oscar party every year and it's fun to get together with friends and celebrate film. We even have an Oscar winning contest every year where we predict the winnersand someone wins a trophy. The thing that I noticed though lately is how boring the Oscars are. I truly believe if it weren't for the fact that we all get together for it then I would probably not watch it at all. I still recognize the Oscar as the ultimate award for a film/actor/director but the ceremony itself is soooo boring. I just got done watching the Scream awards on Spike TV for the first time. The Scream awards are hands down the most entertaining awards show. I'm sure that I feel this way for the most part because I am a geek and this awards show caters to the geek/nerd/dork crowd. The opening award was for best comic book writer and it deservedly was given to Geoff Johns who is a basically a genius when it comes to comic writing. It's nice to see some recognition for the comic book community. The great thing about the Scream awards is that it is voted on by the fans. The show does a great job being entertaining to the people that are fans of the genres they cover. They opened the show with a musical tribute to Inception with some cool visual effects that were projected on stage of the city folding in on itself. The Scream awards also do a masterful job of promoting the very films that will probably be featured on next years awards. Throughout the broadcast they gave the audience sneak peaks of upcoming films that will be coming out in the next year. The thing that really brought me to watch the awards this year was the reuniting of Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of Back to the Future. I just love that their is an awards show out there that celebrates everything geek. This year they game away a lifetime achievement award to best heroine Sigourney Weaver for her roles in movies like Aliens, Ghostbusters, and Galaxy Quest. They wheeled out a huge Alien Egg that she pops out of it and accepts the award. I can't believe that Sigourney Weaver is 60 years old...she looks like she is 40. Another thing that the Scream awards do that I think is great is that they have unique categories such as the "Holy Shit moment of the year" which was won this year by True Blood. The funny thing is that was exactly the feeling I had when I saw that scene in True Blood where Bill Compton twists his female nemesis head completely around during a sex scene with her. You won't see an award like that on the Oscars. I know that the MTV movie awards are very similar but it does seem like the Scream awards are more geared toward the geek crowd and the MTV movie awards are geared toward screaming twilight fans. Perhaps the highlight of the night was when Zombieland won an award and Bill Murray accepted the award in a full Peter Venkman Ghostbusters outfit. I don't know if a third Ghostbusters movie will happen but it was cool to see Bill don the outfit one more time. True Blood, Inception, and Twilight were the big winners of the night. I'm not a huge Twilight fan but I do love True Blood and it was nice to see them win some awards. The end of the show involved announcing the award for the most anticipated movie that will be coming out in the near future. They went through the nominations of Harry Potter, Cowboys and Aliens, and then they announced the winner and a huge 20ft Green Lantern rolls on to the screen and as it turns around Ryan Reynolds appears on the back of it. I thought to myself "why is this the first time I've seen this awards show?" I got to see Michael J Fox and Christopher Lloyd next to a Delorian, my favorite female action star Sigourney Weaver get a lifetime achievement award, a tribute to the last season of Lost, Bill Murray in a Ghostbusters outfit, and I got to see a 20 ft Green Lantern....I was in Geek Heaven. I understand that the Oscars will always be the most important awards show but it's nice to just have fun with an awards show. I hope that maybe someday we will have a Scream Awards party because I had more fun watching that tonight then the last 3 or 4 Oscar ceremonies. If you haven't seen the awards try to catch a replay of it on Spike this week.

Should they make another Ghostbuster's movie?

2010-10-18T23:18:00.001-04:00

Dan Ackroid is really trying. Every other month I hear a different story on how Ackroid is hard at work trying to bring a second sequel to the hit 80's classic The Ghostbousters. I would love to see another Ghostbusters movie if it is done right. The problem I am having is that from every indication that I have heard Bill Murray is not exactly excited about being in another one. The rumor going around is that if Bill Murray is apart of the new movie it will be more of a cameo than anything. I love Dan Ackroid and Harold Ramis but if Bill Murray isn't on board with a new movie then just don't bother. I don't want to see a lack luster Ghostbuster movie that attempts to bring in a whole new crew of young 20 something guys. The magic of the original was the chemistry between the Ghostbusters and lets be honest Bill Murray was the glue that kept that together. Bill Murray seems to be more interested these days trying to win Oscars than being that witty guy that we all loved in the 80's. I understand that maybe he wants to expand his acting resume and maybe distance himself from the goofball comedies that he is famous for. I just miss the guy <tear>. I have to admit reading some of the interviews lately with Bill it seems almost if he ashamed of his comedic roles of the past. The guy can act...there is no denying that. I just wish every so often Bill would give us a comedy again. I realize the guy is 60 years old now but if Zombieland is any proof then he is more than capable of still making us all laugh. He has always been hesitant to do another Ghostbusters movie but in the meantime he has done two Garfield movies. Those movies are terrible. I just don't get it. Why would you turn your nose up at a new Ghostbuster movie and then go and do a horrendous piece of shit like Garfield? I will never understand that. I guess some of the writers from the Office TV show are now helping Ackroid wirte another Ghostbusters movie. The rumor going around is that Bill Murray's role will be as a ghost of Peter Venkman. I don't want to see a 10 minute cameo of the best part of the Ghostbuster movies. There seems to be alot of talk about Siguorney Weaver's son in the movie turning out to be one of the new breed of Ghostbusters. If they end up making the movie, of course I will be there if Bill is in it or not. I will always give a successful movie from my childhood a chance to prove that they can recapture that magic. I guess if they chose a new cast very carefully then maybe the movie won't be a total train wreck. It will never be as good as the original though. I have thought about this for quite a bit and if I had to sit through a new cast for a Ghostbusters then this is what my my dream team of "busters" would look like.....I feel that you have to have a Venkman type and I personally would go with Paul Rudd. I think he has got the sarcasm thing down and I just love his work as a whole. I then would probably go with Jonah Hill because of how excitable he is and that fact alone would be a great formula for encountering ghosts. My next choice is perhaps a stretch but I would like to see Tracy Morgan as a Ghostbuster. The guy is just flat out insane but of course he probably couldn't pass for a scientist type so he would probably be more like the Ernie Hudson role (and not because he is black). I think my final role would go to someone like Jay Baruchel. He would be a decent choice for the nerdy guy. I think that would be good foursome but like I said I don't think they could recapture the magic of the original. Overall I have mixed feelings about a new one. I'm guessing it will eventually happen because Hollywood has become lazy as of late and they have had a hard time coming up with original material. Either way I will be there will bells on if it happens.