Super Bowl XLV (the post script)

As a Chicago Bears fan I was equal parts disgusted and happy that the Packers came out on top of the Steelers to win this years big game.

The die hard in me hates when the Packers, Vikings and even Lions do anything good (granted I am secretly pulling for the Lions to not SUCK as bad as they have lately). But, the football fan in me respects what they did to win.

It's not easy in a team sport to lose your starting running back in the first few weeks of the season. Then to slowly lose key players all the way through the rest of the season including one point in the Super Bowl where your two best defensive backs in Woodson and Shields were both in the locker room! The fact that Aaron Rogers didn't get a single vote for league MVP is a joke in my opinion. In the long run I think he'd take the Championship and Super Bowl MVP in lieu of league MVP honors.

So I say congrats to the Packers and their fans...but look out next year (if there is a next year) the Bears will be beating down your door.

Now, on to the real highlights of the game...not the game itself, not the commercials (although I did like a lot of them), but the movie trailers!!

Every year the summer blockbusters premier their teasers/new trailers. This year was only slightly different. In the age of social media we got to see some directors, most notably Jon Favreau,  released links to the Super Bowl trailers via Twitter and Facebook. Which, while I think is a good marketing strategy to reach more people...probably lessens the impact of the Millions of dollars you spent for the air time during the game.

That being said I did see some great trailers.

Cowboys and Aliens-- Cast; Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell and directed by the aforementioned Favreau

Captain America: The First Avenger-- Cast; Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci and Directed by Joe Johnston

Thor-- Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Anthony Hopkins, Idris Elba and Directed by Kenneth Branagh

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides-- Cast: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane and Directed by Rob Marshall

Rango-- Cast: Johnny Depp, Timothy Olyphant, Bill Nighy, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone and Directed by Gore Verbinski

Limitless-- Cast: Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Abbie Cornish and Directed by Neil Burger

Super 8-- Cast: Ron Eldard, Elle Fanning and Directed by J.J. Abrams

All movies look great from the trailers. Limitless was a nice surprise as I had no idea that movie was in the works. Also, the new Super 8 spot was fantastic and strange at the same time. The music in the spot gave it a different feel. Last years teaser was very gritty and dark. I got a different vibe off this trailer. Granted it still looks awesome and J.J. Abrams is amazing, but it was a different feel!

Movie Review -- Unthinkable (2010)

Unthinkable -- 97 minutes of torture.

If you were put off by the interview tactics of 24's fictional Counter Terrorism Agent Jack Bauer this movie is not for you.

Imagine if a terrorist built three nuclear bombs and planted them in three different cities across the United States. He then sent a tape to the government advising about the threat. Those bombs were set to explode at the same time four days after the tape was sent. Now that you have that picture... imagine if the same terrorist then shot a cop to get noticed and allowed himself to be captured. Are you with me so far?  Well, that's the basic set up for Unthinkable.

***if this sounds like a movie you would like to see...don't read any further as there will be spoilers***


From there we see the lengths that two different individuals will go to in search of the truth about the bombs. The first is FBI Agent Helen Brody, played by the talented Carrie-Anne Moss. The second is master interrogator Henry Herald 'H' Humphries, played by Samuel L. Jackson.

Agent Brody is the by the book lead agent in the FBI's Los Angeles office. "H" on the other hand, as we come to find out, is under the protection of the CIA. It turns out that his skill with interrogation has led him to make some seriously bad enemies through the years. When these two are brought together under the guidance of the military to get answer from terrorist Steven Arthur Younger (Michael Sheen) we get a clash of ideals and methods.

"H" is the master of physical interrogation, otherwise knows as torture. While Brody is opposed to torture on both a personal level and a legal level. The two go back and forth on what needs to be done in order to get Younger to give up the locations of the 3 nukes.

When I say that "H" is comfortable with the torture aspect I'm not talking about stress positions, sleep deprivation, and loud noises. No, I mean TORTURE. Electric shock, pulling finger nails (and then removing fingers) and that's not even the Unthinkable portions of his methods.

Brody would be the carrot to H's stick. The honey to his vinegar. The talking to Younger like a person to H's beating him like a rented mule.

The movie is constantly asking the question, "Does the ends justify the means?" If this terrorist has to lose a few fingers and endure hours of pain in order to same millions of lives...is it worth it? The longer it draws out the more blurred the line between right and wrong becomes.

At one point, a few days into the torture and only a day until the nukes are set to blow, H turns to Brody and tells her, "if you tell me to stop, I'll stop. Just say the words." Brody, who up to this point has been the moral compass, has no response and the torture continues.  H is a machine and he will do anything to achieve the desired outcome. This drive and mechanical nature when it comes to his "work" is what has landed him in the protective custody, and employ, of the CIA.

Without giving away the ending lets just say the UNTHINKABLE is not what he does to Younger's mind or body.

If you do find yourself watching this movie you'll find yourself identifying with one camp or the other. The real question is given the tactics and the potential risk will you keep your conviction? Does, the life and rights of one person outweigh the loss of millions of lives?

 I also suggest that you watch the regular ending of the movie and then watch the extended alt. ending. Both have an impact, but for different reasons.

Overall it was a good drama that didn't make you think to figure out what is going to happen next. But, it does make you think. I would recommend this direct to DVD release to any fan of drama. Michael Sheen, as usual, gives a stand out performance. Fans of Jackson and Moss won't be disappointed either.

Top 2011 Super Bowl Spots Pt 2

Overall it was a fun game to watch. Congrats to the Packers. Makes me feel better that my Bears lost to the Super Bowl champs.  commercials were a mix of really good and totally unmemorable. My last two favs from this year are below with an old school favorite from about two years ago

Pepsi Max -- First date



E*Trade



Past favorite....
MasterCard

Top 2011 Super Bowl Spots Pt 1

Doritos Ad:



Pepsi Max



Volkswagon -- Favorite spot that's not a Movie trailer!

Super Bowl XLV

Steelers Vs. Packers
Big Ben Vs. Aaron Rogers

The Game Vs. The Spots

Personally I love this game. I would enjoy it more if the Bears were playing. But, the one thing you can usually count on is that the game will be fun to watch...or at least most of the commercials will be fun!!

Through two commercial breaks I have to say that the Doritos spot with the guy licking the other guys finger and Pepsi Max spot that ends with the girl getting hit in the face with the can seem to be the early favorites.

Bud Light usually comes out strong but the "Hack Job" spot was just that...a hack job. But there's plenty of game left so we shall see!

Movie Review -- Skyline (2010)

First my alternate movie tag line: 
Skyline -- Hang around for the pretentious ending!!

Not really going to spend a whole lot of time on this movie since I don't want to put anyone off the alien attack genre since there seems to be a generally bad ass movie in Battle: Los Angeles coming out soon.

If you read anything about this movie while it was released in theatres... it probably wasn't good! I'm usually one to shun the critics advice and learn to hate a movie on my own. Now I didn't hate this movie...not the first 87 minutes or so at least.

What you get in Skyline is a nice War of the Worlds type movie. Granted in this case it's more along the lines of Earth: Ass Whoopin' 2010. 

The effects are really what makes the movie fun and there are a ton of them. According to IMDB the film features over 800 VFX shots which are more than most franchise tent pole films (think IronMan and Batman Begins).

The whole film was shot in and around a single apartment building (where co-director Greg Strause had a condo) and boasts a good cast of veteran actors. Donald Fason (Scrubs), Eric Balfour (24, Haven), David Zayas (Dexter).

Visually the movie is pretty cool...and up until the very end I was ready to rip the haters. But, then there was the ending. The soul crushing, mind numbing, rape of good intentions.

***SPOILER***

Without giving too much away -- when you think the movie is over for Eric Balfour and Scottie Thomson's characters...shut the movie off. Trust me you'll thank me for that bit of advice should you ever watch the "full cut". Save yourself the heartache...especially if, like me, you have been enjoying the movie up to that point.

I've never gotten physically upset with a movie ending before this movie. But, after the point where I would have ended the movie I found myself saying out loud things like. "REALLY", "BULL SHIT", "GIVE ME A BREAK".

A really fun low budget action film, shot for $500,000 with about $10,000,000 in visual effects. I'd say that overall the first 87 +/- min. get a  rating of B+ 

The bell curve that I'm using to gage the impact of the ending is pretty damn harsh...for the full 97 min version of the film I would say that the ending drags it down to be a D.

Essentially, the ending is like a kick in the balls. As if the directors were saying, "Thanks for enjoying the majority of the film! Thanks for giving us your hard earned money! But I would prefer if you left the theatre in pain and misery!" 

Movie Review -- The Green Hornet (2010)

The Green Hornet -- it's a fun Seth Rogan film....and there lies the problem (for me at least).

First and foremost I do enjoy Seth Rogan. I think he's a great comedic actor and if this was the type of Green Hornet movie I was looking for he would have been a great choice.

The movie was way to camp for me. Now, it wasn't original TV Batman campy...but it wasn't a straight up comic book action film either.

The only article that I read about the movie going in was an interview with Rogen who said that he based his pre-green hornet Britt on a male Paris Hilton. That alone should have sent off warning bells. 

I have no problems with a comedic injection to my comic book/super hero movies. Ironman was a perfect mix in my mind of a film that both rocked and didn't take itself too seriously at the same time.

While I didn't care much for Rogan as Britt...Jay Chou as Kato was a fantastic choice. He has the skills to do justice to a part that is owned by Bruce Lee (we even get a nice nod to Bruce when Britt is reviewing Kato's sketch book).  For a 30 year old virtually unknown actor he was amazing. In fact I kinda wish they'd gone that route with the Britt Reid character.

Chou, to me, mixes the bad ass style of Bruce Lee and Jet Li with a good comedic timing a la Jackie Chan. Not a bad mix and something that Hollywood is needing right now...a new Asian martial arts star!

Cameron Diaz is waisted in a throw away role that really could have been filled with by anyone. Tom Wilkenson is great as always even given the fact that his role is really only to show up and die!

For me the star was Chou...but in a close second was Academy Award Winner Christopher Waltz.

Right from his first appearance until the end of the movie Waltz makes the character of Chudnofsky his own. You know that being a comic book bad guy he's going to be a little unhinged anyway. But, he does boarder line bat shit crazy like the king himself...Nic Cage!!

Style wise the movie looked good. Michael Gondry is a director that I enjoy usually. Be Kind Rewind was fun and The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind was AMAZING.  Green Hornet was just okay for me. It didn't bend or break any rules but it was still a clean looking film.

It had good action, a decent pace, and good actors. Overall it wasn't a bad movie. I think a totally unknown cast would have been better. It would have been a little less prone to the knee jerk reaction of some people (myself included).


In the end when the credits rolled I didn't find myself looking forward to a sequel. Granted if they do one I will probably check it out because I like the character...but I won't be mad if it's a long time until we see Britt, Kato and the Black Beauty on screen again.
 
If forced to give it a grade I'd say a solid: C

Movie Review -- Hudson Hawk (1991)

Hudson Hawk -- Don't hate it until you tried it....

Bruce, Bruce, Bruce!  What were you thinking? Once you've tried this movie..don't hate it too hard!

My first memory of this film goes hand in hand with one of the first times I ever had a drink.

As I noted the other day when thinking about my memory of NWA this film played a part. Drinking Mt. Dew and Citrus Vodka and watching a VHS copy of this film as an underage youth may have contributed to its lasting charm in my book.

Basically a comedic caper film that finds Eddie "Hudson Hawk" Hawkins getting out of jail and wanting nothing more than a good cappuccino. Alas, that doesn't work out for him.

Just when he thought he was out they pulled him back in! And by they I mean: his parole officer, a couple of low level mafia flunkies (the Mario Brothers) and the CIA. What could they want that is so important that a recently release man can't get some freaking coffee in his system? Stealing various artifacts owned by and related to Leonardo DiVinci. These items hide pieces of a device "La Macchina dell'Oro" that was supposedly built by DiVinci and perfects the alchemy process of turning metals into gold.

The Hawk recruits former partner Tommy "Five-Tone" Messina to help with the heists. The thing that makes their partnership unique is that their timing is based on the song lengths of pop standards a high point being a version of Sinatra's "Swinging on a Star". Once the heists start the movie is equal parts caper and slap stick comedy.

The cast is not bad: Andie McDowell plays Sister Anna Baragli a secret operative of the "Vatican Organization"  who is tasked with ... helping Hudson. (or is she there to stop him?) Then we have Richard Grant and Sandra Bernhard as the evil Darwin and Minerva Mayflower, the money and insane power behind the plot. Their henchmen include Kit Kat and Almond Joy played by, David Caruso (CSI MIAMI), Lorraine Toussaint (Saving Grace).

To call the movie absurd would be an understatement. This is the type of movie that walks the fine line between really bad and so bad it's good. Not sure which side of that fine line the movie should fall. I know for most it falls on the really bad side.  For me though I can't escape the charm and good, albeit hazy, childhood memories of the movie.

Bruce is the charm, Andie is the eye candy, and Sandra Bernhard is just flipping nuts. Together that combo works for me!

Musical Memories

“Music is the language of the spirit. It opens the secret of

life bringing peace, abolishing strife.” Kahlil Gibran

About a month ago I was thinking about the impact that music can have on your mind and mood. Today I got to thinking about the lasting effect of music and the memories that are associated with certain albums and songs.

Most of the memories that hit me first started with the time around my high school years.

Up until my freshman year I was pretty oblivious to most modern music. Since my dad worked at an oldies radio station I essentially grew up on the music of his youth. I was a fan of the Beatles, Stones, Association and the Beach Boys before I was a fan of ... well ... any artist from the 80's and 90's!

Memories of High School music involves a lot of Aerosmith, Bush, No Doubt, Gin Blossoms, Pearl Jam and more.

For the most part I really haven't kept listening to the music that I liked in the years before during and after High School. Sure Gin Blossoms "New Miserable Experience" is still a really good album. I still break out some Pearl Jam "Ten" from time to time. But, very few albums and artists have stayed in full rotation from those good ol' days. But the ones that did last have some happy memories attached to them. Most were given to me by old girl friends or just old friends. Some of my favorites are:

Boys II Men -- II -- This was the first music related gift from a girl friend. It was also the first gift from a girl friend that I kept once that girlfriend turned into an ex-girlfriend. I remember people asking me "Are you going to keep it or throw it away?" ME: "Throw it away...why would I do that? It's a good album!" Them: "But, won't it remind you of her?" Me: "Maybe, but it's not like I hate her or anything!!" To this day I associate this album with high school yearbook and that girlfriend...thank Ellen!

David Gray -- White Ladder -- This was the first time I ever got a CD/movie from two different people at the same time. As a kid this happened with toys. But, as I grew it didn't happen as much. For my birthday back in either 1998 or 1999 (can't remember) I got this album from my buddy Ryan who told me he had a great album that he knew I would love. He promised that if I started listening to this record I would then need to run out and find his other three albums. At the same time he was building me up for this album my friend Heather told me that she had the perfect birthday gift for me. She wouldn't give me any hints...but when she gave me the CD wrapped present she assured me it was actually a CD...and a really good one at that! I'd have to say both Heather and Ryan were right on this one! I still have both copies of the album and have purchased every new album he has released since.

Tori Amos -- Boys for Pele -- Again an artist and CD that was brought to my attention thanks to an old girlfriend. Can't remember the occasion that led me to listen. But, I know that the first song by Tori I ever heard was "Sugar" off the "Hey Jupiter" EP. I had bought a used copy for my then girlfriend Sara and decided on the way home from the record store to give it a listen. I was hooked from track one. From that one listen I began a love for her music that would outlast my relationship with Sara. Since then I have bought every album, box set, DVD and have seen her live twice. I can't help but think in some way about high school and those times when I listen to Tori...especially Boys for Pele which was the first album I bought for myself.

Those three are examples of the kind of broad stokes that music can paint. At the same time there are a handful of songs that trigger an immediate memory for me. They say that smell is the strongest memory trigger. But, for me I think music is just as strong.

Tori Amos -- Little Earthquakes -- China -- This song will always be associated with my Freshman year of college for some reason. I listened to a lot of music during those years. But, for me this brings up memories of passing out late at night. My roommate and I would always crash about the same time and would usually have a CD playing on the boom box on my desk. This song along with Leather from the same album always bring me back to those late nights in the dorm.

T.a.T.u -- 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane -- Nas Ne Dogoniat (They're Not Gonna Get Us; in Russian)  -- For me this song will always remind me of Los Angeles in the rain.  When I moved to LA back in 2001 I worked downtown at the corner of Wilshire and LaBrea for a casting agent.  Everyday at lunch I would either walk down the block to Subway and come back to the office to eat or I would grab some fast food and sit in my car and eat. One day I took a long lunch and headed downtown to a Best Buy in search of some new music. I bought this album because it was $5.99 and I was interested in something new. So, now when I hear the song I am brought back to a rainy day in L.A. sitting in my car listening to this CD and eating Jack in the Box.

N.W.A -- Niggaz4life -- Appetite for Destruction -- Granted this isn't a song that is just going to come on the radio. But, it does from time to time come up on random on my iPod and on my iTunes DJ mix. Don't judge me I love me some N.W.A , Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy..I have proper 90's white kid street cred when it comes to my musical tastes! Now this one brings two strange memories. The first of which is sitting in my room drinking a 20oz Mt. Dew mixed with a mini-bar size bottle of Citrus Vodka listening to a copy of the album on cassette tape that my friend Paul had made for me (strangely the B-side of the tape was Boys II Men!!?) After listening to the tape I then finished the drink and watched Hudson Hawk with Bruce Willis! Strange I know. 

 

The second memory attached to this song is me going on a church youth group trip to six flags. My friend Danny and I were crammed in the back of a station wagon listening to this on my Walkman when Pastor Pete asked if we wanted him to pop the cassette in the car stereo so we didn't have to listen to it sharing a set of headphones. Even at that age we realized that, while initially funny, would be a really bad idea!

 

Those are probably the strongest music related memories that I have. And Tori and David Gray are really the only artists to emerge from my High School/College years unaffected by time. I will always be thankful to Sara, Ryan and Heather for introducing me to those two artists. I also look forward to the next strong reaction to a song or artist that will get me thinking about this same subject. I already have a strong attachment to Rilo Kiley's "More Adventurous" album and Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins "Rabbit Fur Coat" so I would think they may play a part down the road. But, you never know where the connection will be made.

Los Reyes de La Torta

Man Vs. Food has done it to me again! Last week it was a trip to Chompies for their Jewish Sliders. This week I had to hit up another local favorite of Phoenix.


Los Reyes De La Torta. All I have to say is Hail to the king baby!!


While the restaurant serves a wide variety of traditional Mexican food they are best knows for their Tortas. The torta is a traditional Mexican sandwich and they come in a wide variety of choices. The one that drew me in from Man Vs. Food was the Torta del Rey.

This fantastic torta is made of: roast pork & Chicken, beef milanesa, cheese, ham, chorizo, hot dog, a friend egg, beans, onions, tomato, avocado, and chipotle!!! For my tastes I left off the avocado and tomato.


It is also served with a generous portion of chips. Had I known that the drink was going to be a can or bottle I would have ordered a regular Coke to go with this traditional meal. There is something about drinking Coke from a glass bottle that makes it that much  better. Kind of like beer from a bottle vs. beer from a can I guess.


Now those skewers aren't there for show! This is not a small sandwich and structural integrity seems to  dictate that those skewers be placed there until it reaches your table. Once out of the kitchen and in front of you, the diner, it's now your problem!!

Prior to your first bite may I suggest that you form a game plan and try to map out how you will attack this wonder. I just dove in and got good and messy. 


The first thing that hit me was that you could taste all the different meats. It wasn't like the chorizo over powered the pork, or the chicken was lost to the beef. They were all there and they all came through loud and clear. 


Usually I'm not one for chipotle. But, since I had dropped the avocado and tomato from the sandwich I decided to let it ride as to not change too much from the signature sandwich. I was rewarded with a nice sweet burn, the good kind,  between the chipotle and the chorizo. 


When I was done the first thought that crossed my mind was, "Damn, when am I going to have a chance to come back?".


I got there about 5:00pm and there was no wait. I was seated right away and was promptly working my way through the menu. Lucky for me I already knew coming in what I was going to have....but I still looked over the menu to see what next time may bring.  Overall the food was excellent, the staff was friendly and the price was right. Heck, even the after dinner candies they gave me with the bill were great!! 


For my torta with chips and a diet coke I paid $12 (and that included tip). I couldn't even finish the chips or even think about a desert! I'd like to say that next time I'll try something different. But, I can't promise that.  I'm a creature of habit. I'll probably go back and get the exact same thing like I do at my other favorite local spot Chino Bandito (3Q, 7, Black Beans, Pork Fried rice and a snicker doodle...for the record)


So, if you find yourself hungry for traditional Mexican food then find a way to get yourself over to Los Reyes de la Torta at 9230 N 7th St in Phoenix and enjoy a Torta. 

Movie Review -- Buried (2010)

Buried -- I really wish I hated Ryan Reynolds so I could make a Dick in a Box joke...but I genuinely like him as an actor.

This movie was a total waste of time for me. I really don't know what I expected? But, this movie was not it.

If you had a problem with Tom Hanks holding screen time with Wilson the volleyball in Cast Away than this movie is not going to sit well with you.

Not to get too deep into the plot. Frankly I wasn't paying that close attention. Reynold plays Paul, a US contractor working in Iraq. When his convoy is attacked Paul is kidnapped and, you guessed it, buried in the desert in a box. Left with only a few items in his box, including a cell phone that gets better reception than my iPhone 4. Paul tries to get in contact with loved ones and anyone who can help locate and save him. All the while being toyed with via cell phone by his kidnapper.

I would have expected some kind of setup shots of the convoy being attacked, or a glimpse of the voices on the other end of the phone. Neither of which ever comes. I understand that this is probably done to help the audience connect more with Paul and the isolation that he is feeling while being buried alive. For me it just led me to want to turn off the movie.

In a Hollywood movie machine where originality is looked down on in favor of blockbuster remakes and sequels; this movie could have been a shot in the arm. Not sure if it was the script or the execution that killed this one for me. If I had seen this in the theatre, like I had originally planned, I would have walked out...for the first time ever.

My Top Ten CD's

Had a lot of top tens about a week or two back and it just hit me that I didn't look at my favorite cds of the last few years. I did hit a few with a top five of the moment post. Now, I'd like to expand on that thought. Some of the cd are the same and some have changed. So, here are my ten favs and a few special mentions. Most of these are within about the last 5-10 years with a few from earlier thrown in for fun. In no order my favs are:

1. Rilo Kiley -- More Adventurous
2. Tori Amos -- Little Earthquakes
3. David Grey -- Sell, Sell, Sell 
4. Idlewild -- The Remote Parts
5. Biffy Clyro -- Only Revolutions
6. Black Star -- Black Star
7. Florence and the Machine -- Lungs
8. Neko Case -- Middle Cyclone
9. Jenny Lewis & Watson Twins -- Rabbit Fur Coat
10. Oasis -- What's the Story (Morning Glory)

Special Mention: Amos Lee -- Mission Bell and Last Days at the Lodge, My Morning Jacket --Okonokos, Z (these two would have made the top ten .... if I had started listening to them earlier than a few days ago!), Marilyn Manson -- Mechanical Animals, Hole -- Celebrity Skin, Aimee Man -- Lost in Space, Live at St. Anne's Warehouse.

Life

"Sorrow makes us all children again - destroys all differences

of intellect. The wisest know nothing."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Every now and then you get a wake up call from life. A kinda Chuck Norris punch to the face. Be it news of a personal nature or a world event. Both can shake you up and make you rethink your outlook.

Think about how you felt when you saw the news about the Kennedy assassination, the Challenger explosion, and 9/11.  All three are events that defined not only single lives but also the lives of a whole generation.  Now think about how you felt when you got news that hit closer to home, on a personal level?

The Kennedy assassination is nothing more than a historical event to me at my age. Even the Challenger tragedy was so early on in my life that  while I know I saw it happen live, it didn't really impact me. September 11th, 2001 on the other had was a whole new experience.

When I was woken up that day by my roommate, who told me that a plane had hit the World Trade Center, it kicked off about 48 hours of continuous news coverage and sheer shock.  The scale of the event was something that I had never witnessed before. With the exception of maybe the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995.

That event changed my outlook for many months. A few weeks later when I was at a Chicago Bears game I found myself thinking about the event as a "soft target" and trying to plan out my "escape route". Both of which were thoughts that never crossed my mind before the attacks of 9/11. Heck, I'm not even sure if I knew what a "soft target" was? All I knew was these were the things I was thinking about as I watched the planes fly around Soldier Field.

Granted there were people who dealt with the events of that day on a more personal level than me. But, half a nation away I was still affected. It was an event that brought a global threat to a central stage. A strike at the country that American truly hadn't dealt with since the attack on Pearl Harbor

Personal tragedy can also be a shock to the system. A wake up of tectonic proportions. The end result of which is not necessarily loss of a loved one.

I still remember the day that my parents showed up at my work to tell me my cousin had died or when I was told at school by them that my grandfather had passed. 

When my parents showed up at my work to tell me about my cousin I knew it wasn't going to be good news since they were both teachers and since it was the middle of a school day there was no reason for them to both be stopping by. It's that kind of unexpected news that kinda rocks you the most.  For some reason I don't remember showing much emotion at the time I was told. But, about 8 hours later on my drive home I lost it...hands down no holds barred lost my emotional grip.

With the news that my grandfather had passed it was a little easier.

We knew he had been sick and was having surgery, but it wasn't expected for him to pass when he did. Even given the unexpected nature  was easier. Sometimes you get leveled with a wrecking ball. It knocks you down into a hole that you may feel you're unable to escape from. Other times it's just a minor course correction in your outlook.

You may feel like an event or news really has no impact on you...but you spend the rest of the day thinking about it. Or, you may wake up a few days or weeks later and think, "why didn't I react to that?" Grief is a funny animal like that. There is really no rhyme or reason to its impact.

In both cases I have found that it is important to surround yourself with good friends and family. Don't let the grief rule you. Embrace it, for a time. Allow it to help you realize that which you have. Don't discard it, learn from it.

My Top Ten Books

Hey I'm not just a movie fan...I read too. Well, I don't read a lot with substance. But, I do read. So I decided to switch gears and throw out a list of my favorite books I've read over the last few years. Now, there aren't a ton of books on my list that will rank as Literary classics. They are all fun in their own way. So lets get to the list...that like the movies is in no specific order (with some ties going to books by the same author in a series).

1. Of Mice and Men -- John Steinbeck
2. The Name of the Rose -- Umberto Eco
3. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood pal -- Christopher Moore
4. I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell -- Tucker Max
5. Killing Yourself to Live -- Chuck Klosterman
6. Messiah -- Boris Starling
7. Red Dragon,Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal -- Thomas Harris
8. A Time to Kill -- John Grisham
9. Fool -- Christopher Moore
10. Angels & Demons, The DaVinci Code, The Lost Symbol -- Dan Brown

SPECIAL MENTION to: Growing Up Doughnut -- Don Shields (you're welcome dad), every other book written by Christopher Moore,

The Second Sign the End is Near....

Four words sum this one up:

1. "Snooki"
2. Best
3. Selling
4. Author

I think this book being on the best seller list may be more than a guy can handle!

Now before you start hating on me...I fully admit I haven't read the book. Also, I have no intentions of reading the book.

To me it's kind of like the fad of the mid seventies (and even today) where a successful person in one area will attempt to harness that current "it" status to branch out into other areas.

Consider that this usually involves releasing an album. Some of my personal favorites of those past attempts at crossover success are:

1) Leonard Nimoy -- The Legend of Bilbo Baggins
2) William Shatner -- anything (Common People was actually a great track though)   for double your fun there is this best of album that features both Kirk and Spock!
3) Tim Curry -- Fearless
4) Sissy Spacek -- Hangin' Up My Heart
5) Bruce Willis -- The Return of Bruno

More recent fare has been of better quality but none the less unexpected:

1) Minnie Driver -- Everything I've Got in My Pocket
2) Christian Kane -- The House Rules
3) Ewan McGregor -- Moulin Rouge
4) Gwyneth Paltrow -- Glee and Country Strong
5) Jared Leto -- any 30seconds to Mars release

I understand that Ewan and Gwyneth are both related to movie projects. But, both actually have great voices in my opinion. Personally, I'm not a huge 30 seconds to mars fan but they sell albums and put butts in seats.

I was shocked that I thoroughly loved the Minnie Driver album and the follow up Seastories.  Christian Kane for those of you who aren't big TV fans was a regular part of Angel back in the day and is currently kicking ass as Eliot Spencer on LEVERAGE.  As a rule country is not my style...but I got sucked in when I heard a single from the album on iTunes and was hooked from there.

But, back to the whole Snooki's a best selling author thing.

This leads me to think about how consumer driven we are as a society now. We buy things we don't need based on the recommendation of people we don't actually know!

There was a point in history where the only way that a product became a top seller was if it really worked. Or, if it was actually a good product. Word of mouth has been replaced with the celebrity endorsement. We're now taking advice on what to buy from TV personalities and sometimes the use of the word "Personality" is truly ironic.

When it comes to TV personalities who I trust to sell me food/products that could end up killing me I would count...um...0!! Now I may take a recommendation for a band or a book from a celebrity that I like. But, those few people are people that I pay closer attention to than just what their character does on TV. AKA: I know the actors real name!

Nothing was more annoying then when I worked in retail and someone would come in and I'd have an exchange like this:

Them: "Do you have that CD that _____ (character name) was talking about?"
Me: "was it during the show?"
Them: "Nope, it was on Letterman."
Me: "You do know that _____ (character name) isn't their real name right?"
Them: "What does it matter?"
Me: silently ..."you suck!" out loud "Let's Check"

As for the whole Snooki thing I chuckle because for some reason I think of a rerun of Family Guy I just watched the other day.

After years of toiling on his "novel", and having it fail miserable, Brian (the family dog) gives up on writing. Only to write a second book on a dare once he reads a self help book.

Brian gets loaded and writes a book in one night that jumps to the top of the best seller lists making him an overnight celebrity. The best part is that the book is almost 90% blank pages. What you get is a chapter like "setting your goals". The book tells you to write down the goals that you want to set for yourself to help make you more successful. Then the book has you write down ways you plan on achieving your goals.

It is the pet rock of books! And it sells. The sad part is that I am convinced that a similar book would sell for real.

In the end people will always buy things they don't need, based on the recommendations of people they don't know. Truly though, if you can't count on a "Star" like Snooki to sell you a good book? Who can you trust?