This past week, I finished a wine appreciation course on old world wines through the LCBO. I even received a diploma to prove it, which I am considering framing and putting up in my parent’s basement with my “real” degrees, as it is arguably the best time that I have had learning about something!
Wines of the Old World was a four week course that covered the wines of four countries – France, Italy, Spain and Germany. I believe that it is offered throughout the year at various LCBO locations that are equipped with a tasting room. This class was a lot of fun and some wines that I would likely never find or buy, were sampled.
A class would basically run like this:
- The instructor discusses the region and its grape varietals, wine making techniques, laws and governing wine regulations for the country
- 8 wines are sampled and discussed (note sheet provided). For France, Spain and Italy, it was 2 whites, 5 reds and 1 dessert wine. For Germany, it was 4 whites, 3 reds and 1 dessert wine.
- Questions are answered. As always, some are better than others....I would guess/hope that the wine consumed probably influenced some of the questions.
- Class dismissed, which also meant that suddenly 30 or so people who had just sampled 8 different types of wines are unleashed on a huge LCBO. Apparently, after the class on Italy, our class spent over $1,000 at the store, between 8:30 at the end of the class and 9, when it closed!
The class was lead by a LCBO Vintages Consultant named John, who pretty much has the sweetest life ever. In the winter/spring, he works for Vintages, tasting and advising on wines to bring in to sell and teaches classes like Wines of the Old World. In the spring/summer, he goes home to his native Greece to help his family by working in their vineyards. What a life!
My favourite region of the course would have be Italy. we got to sample a $91 bottle of Brunello, which I would undoubtedly buy if I had $91 to spend on a bottle of wine!
All in all, it was a great 4 week course and a really great way to spend a Thursday night. I would highly recommend this as a gift and I hope to move on to the Wines of the New World class that is offered.
Oh, Stephen Harper....
Harper and the Tories attempted to BUY the vote of a terminally ill MP, Chuck Cadman in 2005. From thestar.com:
A biography of Cadman, to be published this month, charges that two Conservative party officials offered Cadman, who was critically ill with cancer, a $1 million life insurance policy if he voted against the then-Liberal minority government in a confidence vote on May 19, 2005. If he had voted with the Conservatives, the government would have fallen, forcing an election.
Man, that is just low. Are politicians the dumbest people on the planet, or are they just so arrogant that they don’t think that they will get caught or held responsible for their actions. Allegedly, Harper is one of the people who actually made “the ask” to Cadman. You would think that Harper would have a minion to do the dirty work for him!
Here are some Random Thoughts:
Vacation
We are currently trying to decide what to do with our vacation this year. We are really in a win-win situation. We are stuck between Greece and Vietnam.
Where do you think we should go? Vote in the top right corner and let me know what you think!
Radiohead – Scotch Mist Sessions
I’m not sure what this is all about, but Radiohead has posted a bunch of live and in some cases alternate takes from their In Rainbows album. They are all good, some are great. Here is
Here is one for “Faust Arp” It looks like they were up all night, waited for sunrise and recorded this in one take. Also, some weird dialogue at the beginning.... I am looking forward to seeing these guys this summer!
Books Read(ing)
I finished reading the Rick Mercer Report Book. Man, what a cash-grab! The book is simply a regurgitation of past Rants and skits that Rick has done on his show. I felt a bit ripped off. It was a quick read and was mostly Rick’s thought’s on Canada and Canadian politics. I just started reading The End of Mr.Y by Scarlett Thomas, which has been quite enjoyable, in a quirky kind of way, although I am only about 50 pages in!
Where in the World is Osama Bin Laden?
Supersize Me and 30 Days creator Morgan Spurlock is back and is trying to do something that the US Government is having a really hard time with.
Live News Bloopers
I love scanning Youtube for live TV bloopers like this one! I am considering making this a reoccurring Blog topic. Damn you Canadian Brown Finches!!
That's it for another blog. Keep it real!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Total Randomness this Week....Laundry Etiquette, Gum Tasting, Foo Fighters and Found Footage!
So I took a look at my blog today (thanks to the five of you who have made comments!) and I realized that it has been much more than a week since my last entry. I need to start keeping a book with ideas to write about. Plus, staying on top of this thing weekly is tougher than I thought it would be.
Anyway, on to my first blabbering...Laundry Etiquette
My theory on laundry is that the wet laundry of others should not be touched. This means that if you go to your laundry room and someone else has done a load of laundry, but hasn't moved the laundry tot he dryer, the person who has the wet laundry in the washing machine MUST move the wet laundry. He/She may also have another load to do and since he/she is already using the washing machine, they have dibs on the washing machine until he/she is done with the washer. The person waiting for the washer does not have the right to move the wet laundry. He/she must wait until the original person doing the laundry is entirely finished his/her wash before beginning the next "laundry cycle"
This theory was violated this morning, when I got up early and started our laundry at 8:30 a.m., as with Family Day, I expect the laundry room to be quite the happening place today, so I wanted to get a jump. There are 3 machines in the laundry machine in my building, but one is out of service, so I took the 2 and figured that I could plow through the 5 or so loads that I have waiting before anyone else is up.
So after 30 minutes, I go to move the laundry into the dryer and start another load and there is this old guy down there moving my wet laundry on top of the dryer and beginning his own "laundry cycle"! Not only does this go against the theory, but he is totally touching my wet laundry, which really bugs me for some reason.
I have no problem with once a load of laundry is done in the dryer, someone moving the clothes out of the dryer, but since the clothes are wet and the "laundry cycle" has been broken, I am a bit preturbed.
Does anyone else share my view on the laundry cycle, or am I just crazy?
Anywhoo, I guess it serves me right for waiting to do the wash until I have 5 loads of laundry to do!
New Gum
I am a big fan of Extra gum. In fact, Extra probably should also have been listed on my previous brand list. This weekend, I bought a pack of "Stride" the new gum that claims to last a ridiculously long time with its flavour. Here is a brief comparison of the two:
Packaging
Extra comes in what I like to call a "gum suitcase." Stride comes in a "gum book" that opens up with a fold in the middle. Maybe it was my man hands, but as soon as I opened the pack of Stride, the book ripped in half!
Taste
Extra has a hard hitting minty taste. Stride is more of a sweet minty taste that after awhile just tastes like you are chewing sugar.
Longevity
I will give Stride the nod in this category. I chewed a piece during a drive from Toronto to Waterloo and the gum still had its flavour by the time I hit Highway 85.
The Winner
...and still champion, Extra, even though the ads with the little scottish piece of gum annoy the hell out of me!
Here are some Random Thoughts (although after writing about laundry etiquette and reviewing gum, this post seems entirely random!).
30 Rock
This is the funniest show on TV right now hands down. Each character on this show is incredibly funny and has their own type of humour. Alec Baldwin has always impressed me when hosting SNL. Although his comedic movies have never been great (see fun with Dick & Jane? Me neither). His Jack Donaghy character proves that he has the comedic chops! Tina Fey and her writing team do a great job of writing good comedy for women, as well....or so I am told.
"Reodorize"
OK - that is it for what is undoubtedly my most random blog so far.
Peace Out!
Anyway, on to my first blabbering...Laundry Etiquette
My theory on laundry is that the wet laundry of others should not be touched. This means that if you go to your laundry room and someone else has done a load of laundry, but hasn't moved the laundry tot he dryer, the person who has the wet laundry in the washing machine MUST move the wet laundry. He/She may also have another load to do and since he/she is already using the washing machine, they have dibs on the washing machine until he/she is done with the washer. The person waiting for the washer does not have the right to move the wet laundry. He/she must wait until the original person doing the laundry is entirely finished his/her wash before beginning the next "laundry cycle"
This theory was violated this morning, when I got up early and started our laundry at 8:30 a.m., as with Family Day, I expect the laundry room to be quite the happening place today, so I wanted to get a jump. There are 3 machines in the laundry machine in my building, but one is out of service, so I took the 2 and figured that I could plow through the 5 or so loads that I have waiting before anyone else is up.
So after 30 minutes, I go to move the laundry into the dryer and start another load and there is this old guy down there moving my wet laundry on top of the dryer and beginning his own "laundry cycle"! Not only does this go against the theory, but he is totally touching my wet laundry, which really bugs me for some reason.
I have no problem with once a load of laundry is done in the dryer, someone moving the clothes out of the dryer, but since the clothes are wet and the "laundry cycle" has been broken, I am a bit preturbed.
Does anyone else share my view on the laundry cycle, or am I just crazy?
Anywhoo, I guess it serves me right for waiting to do the wash until I have 5 loads of laundry to do!
New Gum
I am a big fan of Extra gum. In fact, Extra probably should also have been listed on my previous brand list. This weekend, I bought a pack of "Stride" the new gum that claims to last a ridiculously long time with its flavour. Here is a brief comparison of the two:
Packaging
Extra comes in what I like to call a "gum suitcase." Stride comes in a "gum book" that opens up with a fold in the middle. Maybe it was my man hands, but as soon as I opened the pack of Stride, the book ripped in half!
Taste
Extra has a hard hitting minty taste. Stride is more of a sweet minty taste that after awhile just tastes like you are chewing sugar.
Longevity
I will give Stride the nod in this category. I chewed a piece during a drive from Toronto to Waterloo and the gum still had its flavour by the time I hit Highway 85.
The Winner
...and still champion, Extra, even though the ads with the little scottish piece of gum annoy the hell out of me!
Here are some Random Thoughts (although after writing about laundry etiquette and reviewing gum, this post seems entirely random!).
30 Rock
This is the funniest show on TV right now hands down. Each character on this show is incredibly funny and has their own type of humour. Alec Baldwin has always impressed me when hosting SNL. Although his comedic movies have never been great (see fun with Dick & Jane? Me neither). His Jack Donaghy character proves that he has the comedic chops! Tina Fey and her writing team do a great job of writing good comedy for women, as well....or so I am told.
"Reodorize"
It's a word I made up to describe the re-application of deodarant. "After work, before I go out, I need to reodorize"
Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin
I don't watch a lot of music videos anymore. Probably because I am out of MuchMusic and MTV`s demographic and MuchMoreMusic doesn`t really show videos, but I stumbled across this one for the latest single off the latest Foo Fighters record. The song and video reminded me that there are still some bands with mainstream appeal that make good videos.
(sorry for the ad - this is the only embedable version that I could find!)
The Road by Cormack McCarthy
As enjoyable as it was, I thought that after reading `Slash` that I should more of a literary heavy hitter. Cormack McCarthy`s The Road is a gritty story about a man and his son searching for safety after an unknown apocalyptic event. They trek down the road in search of the coast and other `good guys` and in the process encounter a cast of shady characters and interesting obsticles. The book had sort of a western type of feel and was a very dark, brooding story. I later found out that Oprah had picked this book for her book club. Please don`t hold that against The Road. It is definitely worth a read.
Found Footage Festival
Two guys travel all over the US in search of random videos in garage sales, thrift stores, old production studios, peoples garages. They then edit these found gems together and write some comedy bits in between and hilarity ensuses. I guess these guys have taken this show all over the world. I first heard about this on The New Music. My sister hooked me up with Vol. 1 and 2 for Christmas. If you are into this type of humour, it is totally worth watching!
OK - that is it for what is undoubtedly my most random blog so far.
Peace Out!
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Superbowl, Brands and Exploding Whales
It’s Superbowl Weekend, which for many means the biggest sporting event of the year. It is also an advertiser’s dream, with way more people watching an event on TV than usual. Usually, the audience for the Superbowl is about 130 million people worldwide. Advertisers are paying 2.7 million for a 30 second spot, all in an attempt by companies to get people to buy things and to increase loyalty to a brand.
A few nights ago, I had a discussion with my wife about brand loyalty (that was not spurned by a Superbowl discussion, but my love for a certain brand of coffee). How many brands are you truly loyal to? Think about it for a second. If Starbucks, Tim Horton’s, Second Cup and Timothy’s were all within a 2 minute walking distance and you were going for a coffee, is there one that you would go to every time? This is how I define brand loyalty. You would consistently buy a particular brand and never look to vary your choice. There are not many instances where this happens. There are not that many things, let alone commodities in life that one person is truly loyal to. Bands and sports teams don’t count. Here are a few that we came up with:
Starbucks. I answer to the beacon of the “green lady.” Seriously, this one is not even close. My parents got me a $25 Tim Horton’s gift card for Christmas and I was disappointed because it wasn’t Starbucks. We went to Barrie for New Years and after dinner, we wanted a coffee. While we didn’t know the city of Barrie, we knew that there was a Tim Horton’s on the way back to the highway and a Chapters down the road. What lovely, Seattle based chain is in most Chapters stores? That would be Starbucks.
Heinz Ketchup. I don’t know if it is the consistency of the ketchup or the taste, but I haven’t found a better ketchup than Heinz. There is that “country” brand, the name escapes me, but you’ll find it when you stop at truck stops on road trips, or in restaurants in northern Ontario. It comes in a wider, glass bottle and it just looks “country.” It’s pretty good, but sweeter than Heinz. President’s Choice brand is too runny. I have heard some people argue that the ketchup that McDonalds uses is the best. Guess what? That’s Heinz, too! Heinz all the way.
Subway. Despite the ridiculous “Resolution Time” ads that are on a ridiculous amount of times during any recent sporting event and are annoying as hell, I am a fan of the Subway. Quiznos is overpriced and the quality just isn’t great. The problem that I have with Mr. Sub is the lack of freshness with their bread, although Mr. Sub’s ad’s are kind of funny. I would take Subway over any other chain sub shops.
The question of true, unbridled brand loyalty is a tough one. Other than those 3 brands, I am struggling to come up with any more. I am curious as to what you think? Are you loyal to any one brand and if so, why is that?
Here are my Random Thoughts of the week:
TTC Metropass Sales
I am usually good at buying my Metropass before the first of the month, to avoid line ups on the first of the month. But for February, due to a series of unfortunate events, I was unable to buy one before the 1st. The morning of the 1st, I thought that I would beat the line and purchase my Metropass from the Dominion and Yonge and Eglinton. They were sold out. I went down to the station and they were sold out at the automated kiosk. The manned kiosk had Metropasses on sale, but sales were cash only and I didn’t have the $110 on me, so I had to pay a cash fare to get to work. Not the end of the world, but frustrating. You’d think that the TTC would know by now what the demand is for Metropasses and would have a surplus on hand. Everyone knows that the TTC isn’t known for its well thought out planning, I suppose.
The Exploding Whale
I lifted this video reference from Bill Simmons on ESPN.com who writes a very funny blog. This is what happens when a bunch of people have a problem that should involve engineers, but instead, just involves a bunch of Hillbilly’s with some dynamite. VERY funny...and a bit gross.
The Bees
A friend asked me last week about bands that I have been listening to a lot lately. I left The Bees of the list by mistake. Here is a live clip of “These are the Ghosts”, my (current) favourite Bees song. How come these guys never tour in North America?
Bob Marley
I stumbled across this clip last night and watched it 4 times in a row. Genius. Such a clean, comforting sound. This song chills me out and makes me happy every time I hear it.
Kobe Bryant
The man KILLED the Raptors by himself last night. There is not a better INDIVIDUAL player in the NBA right now than Kobe. LeBron? No, he is too much of a team guy. Kobe is an assassin.
Superbowl
So who am I cheering for on Sunday? Got to be the Giants (even though they are going to lose) for two reasons:
1 – The Patriots cheated. It has been argued that every team cheats. While this may be true, not every team gets caught. They are a great team, with lots of great players but I hope that karma prevails. Plus I can’t stand that cocky, arrogant Rodney Harrison. And I’m a Bills fan and the Patriots are division rivals.
2 – I feel for Eli. Every accomplishment that he has had has been overshadowed by his brother. Even on the field before one of the Giants playoff games, he was asked about Peyton’s team (the Colts) being eliminated from the playoffs. Playing in New York can’t be easy and Eli has gotten ripped a lot. Also, I love that the Giants have made it to the Superbowl without Shockey, who is not one of my favourites to say the least!
Enjoy the game on Sunday. Go G-MEN!!
A few nights ago, I had a discussion with my wife about brand loyalty (that was not spurned by a Superbowl discussion, but my love for a certain brand of coffee). How many brands are you truly loyal to? Think about it for a second. If Starbucks, Tim Horton’s, Second Cup and Timothy’s were all within a 2 minute walking distance and you were going for a coffee, is there one that you would go to every time? This is how I define brand loyalty. You would consistently buy a particular brand and never look to vary your choice. There are not many instances where this happens. There are not that many things, let alone commodities in life that one person is truly loyal to. Bands and sports teams don’t count. Here are a few that we came up with:
Starbucks. I answer to the beacon of the “green lady.” Seriously, this one is not even close. My parents got me a $25 Tim Horton’s gift card for Christmas and I was disappointed because it wasn’t Starbucks. We went to Barrie for New Years and after dinner, we wanted a coffee. While we didn’t know the city of Barrie, we knew that there was a Tim Horton’s on the way back to the highway and a Chapters down the road. What lovely, Seattle based chain is in most Chapters stores? That would be Starbucks.
Heinz Ketchup. I don’t know if it is the consistency of the ketchup or the taste, but I haven’t found a better ketchup than Heinz. There is that “country” brand, the name escapes me, but you’ll find it when you stop at truck stops on road trips, or in restaurants in northern Ontario. It comes in a wider, glass bottle and it just looks “country.” It’s pretty good, but sweeter than Heinz. President’s Choice brand is too runny. I have heard some people argue that the ketchup that McDonalds uses is the best. Guess what? That’s Heinz, too! Heinz all the way.
Subway. Despite the ridiculous “Resolution Time” ads that are on a ridiculous amount of times during any recent sporting event and are annoying as hell, I am a fan of the Subway. Quiznos is overpriced and the quality just isn’t great. The problem that I have with Mr. Sub is the lack of freshness with their bread, although Mr. Sub’s ad’s are kind of funny. I would take Subway over any other chain sub shops.
The question of true, unbridled brand loyalty is a tough one. Other than those 3 brands, I am struggling to come up with any more. I am curious as to what you think? Are you loyal to any one brand and if so, why is that?
Here are my Random Thoughts of the week:
TTC Metropass Sales
I am usually good at buying my Metropass before the first of the month, to avoid line ups on the first of the month. But for February, due to a series of unfortunate events, I was unable to buy one before the 1st. The morning of the 1st, I thought that I would beat the line and purchase my Metropass from the Dominion and Yonge and Eglinton. They were sold out. I went down to the station and they were sold out at the automated kiosk. The manned kiosk had Metropasses on sale, but sales were cash only and I didn’t have the $110 on me, so I had to pay a cash fare to get to work. Not the end of the world, but frustrating. You’d think that the TTC would know by now what the demand is for Metropasses and would have a surplus on hand. Everyone knows that the TTC isn’t known for its well thought out planning, I suppose.
The Exploding Whale
I lifted this video reference from Bill Simmons on ESPN.com who writes a very funny blog. This is what happens when a bunch of people have a problem that should involve engineers, but instead, just involves a bunch of Hillbilly’s with some dynamite. VERY funny...and a bit gross.
The Bees
A friend asked me last week about bands that I have been listening to a lot lately. I left The Bees of the list by mistake. Here is a live clip of “These are the Ghosts”, my (current) favourite Bees song. How come these guys never tour in North America?
Bob Marley
I stumbled across this clip last night and watched it 4 times in a row. Genius. Such a clean, comforting sound. This song chills me out and makes me happy every time I hear it.
Kobe Bryant
The man KILLED the Raptors by himself last night. There is not a better INDIVIDUAL player in the NBA right now than Kobe. LeBron? No, he is too much of a team guy. Kobe is an assassin.
Superbowl
So who am I cheering for on Sunday? Got to be the Giants (even though they are going to lose) for two reasons:
1 – The Patriots cheated. It has been argued that every team cheats. While this may be true, not every team gets caught. They are a great team, with lots of great players but I hope that karma prevails. Plus I can’t stand that cocky, arrogant Rodney Harrison. And I’m a Bills fan and the Patriots are division rivals.
2 – I feel for Eli. Every accomplishment that he has had has been overshadowed by his brother. Even on the field before one of the Giants playoff games, he was asked about Peyton’s team (the Colts) being eliminated from the playoffs. Playing in New York can’t be easy and Eli has gotten ripped a lot. Also, I love that the Giants have made it to the Superbowl without Shockey, who is not one of my favourites to say the least!
Enjoy the game on Sunday. Go G-MEN!!
Monday, January 21, 2008
Who is Making This Stuff?
I don't get this "spoof movie" craze. More accurately, I don't understand how these movies are so successful. My friends can attest that I enjoy lowbrow humour, but these movies (Epic Movie, Scary Movie and a bunch of others) take comedy to the lowest level possible.
Most recently, ads for "Meet The Spartans" have been popping up like genital warts (or so I hear). Every time I see these ads, I just shake my head and ask myself (or my wife) how can people find this funny?
One TV ads for Meet The Spartans really makes me laugh…of course, not at the movie, but at the absurdity of the "humour" in the scene:
Spoof "Rambo" says "Say Hello to my little friend:", which is a parody of Scarface, then, when Rambo moves out of the way, there is a "mini-Rambo" behind him, which is a spoof of Austin Powers/Mini Me. 3 spoofs in one 6 second clip, not to mention the fact that the whole mini-me Austin Powers thing has been done to death.
Sanjaya or whatever his name yelling "I'm not gay" and falling into the pit from "300," "Donald Trump", "firing" Spiderman and then losing his hair…talk about hilarity!
The formula is simple. Take cartoonish pop culture figures and juxtapose them into other scenes from movies/tv/pop culture and hilarity ensues. Meet The Spartans is going to make HUGE money at the box office.
Maybe I will take a stab at writing one of these films. It will be called "Oh no you didn't??!?!" and spoof slasher horror movies and Barbershop/Beautyshop (sequal to Barbershop, in case you couldn't figure that one out).
"What's that Michael Myers? You killed my best friend at the BARBERSHOP! OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!"…I think I could be on to something here.
Speaking of horror movies…
Cloverfield
So, I went to see it on Sunday and I am happy to report that there were no cell phone or laser pointer toting punks in the crowd. Maybe 12:45 on a Sunday is the best time to see a new release movie! While I didn't love the film, I did enjoy myself tremendously. It was a fun-filled, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride for 90 minutes. Apparently Cloverfield only cost $30 million to make and it already has pulled in $41 million in its first week of domestic release, so I wouldn't at all be surprised to see some type of prequel/sequel made. I wonder how many times New York City has taken a beating in movies?
What I didn't like:
- The acting was SO cheesy, especially "Rob"
- some of the decisions made by the characters to be questionable at best. Would one really try to walk across town, through the path of a gigantic monster to find someone when the entire city is being destroyed? 3 out of the 4 of us who went to see the film said no chance in hell!
- It took a bit too long to get to the Monster trashing city part, although the music in the party scene was pretty good.
- Where do you buy a video camera that has a light, night vision capabilities and can take a beating like the camera in Cloverfield?
What I liked:
- The way that it was shot. The filmmakers really did a great job of putting you in heat of the action.
- The Monster. It was kick ass, from all angles. My favourite shot was when Hud is capturing the carnage from the helicopter and it really puts the monster in perspective, along with the destruction that it is creating.
- The fact that the film doesn't let tell you everything. Not enough films do this, or leave things up to your imagination.
Here are my Random Thoughts ™ for the week:
- Oranges. Florida Oranges are great this time of year. Sweet and delicious. I've had 3 in the last 24 hours. No scurvy for me!
- Semi Pro. Saw a preview before Cloverfield. Looks great. Also proof that I enjoy lowbrow humour! Here is the "R" rated trailer. Love that Will Farrell:
- Blogging. Turns out there is lots of cool things that you can add to your blog, like the poll on the side of the screen. Help me settle a bet with some of my friends by voting in the poll!
- Slash. I am enjoying his autobiography. The guy was (and still is) an animal! Here is a classic GNR clip from 1988, about where I am in the book...I bet he was really high when he was playing Rocket Queen, one of my favourite GNR songs of all time.
- Superbowl. Man, I can't believe that Favre and the Packers blew it, leaving us with a less than desirable matchup and likely a 19-0 Patriots team.
- PS2 Upconverted to HD - I bought a $12 PS2 component cable and I can not believe how much better PS2 looks on my HDTV. If you have an HD and a PS2, you should definitely order it. I got my cord here:
- Bad Fight Scenes. YouTube is a wonderful place. Especially for wonderful for things like this amazing fight scene:
Well, that's it for Blog #2. Let me know what you think. Sorry for wasting your time!
Most recently, ads for "Meet The Spartans" have been popping up like genital warts (or so I hear). Every time I see these ads, I just shake my head and ask myself (or my wife) how can people find this funny?
One TV ads for Meet The Spartans really makes me laugh…of course, not at the movie, but at the absurdity of the "humour" in the scene:
Spoof "Rambo" says "Say Hello to my little friend:", which is a parody of Scarface, then, when Rambo moves out of the way, there is a "mini-Rambo" behind him, which is a spoof of Austin Powers/Mini Me. 3 spoofs in one 6 second clip, not to mention the fact that the whole mini-me Austin Powers thing has been done to death.
Sanjaya or whatever his name yelling "I'm not gay" and falling into the pit from "300," "Donald Trump", "firing" Spiderman and then losing his hair…talk about hilarity!
The formula is simple. Take cartoonish pop culture figures and juxtapose them into other scenes from movies/tv/pop culture and hilarity ensues. Meet The Spartans is going to make HUGE money at the box office.
Maybe I will take a stab at writing one of these films. It will be called "Oh no you didn't??!?!" and spoof slasher horror movies and Barbershop/Beautyshop (sequal to Barbershop, in case you couldn't figure that one out).
"What's that Michael Myers? You killed my best friend at the BARBERSHOP! OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!"…I think I could be on to something here.
Speaking of horror movies…
Cloverfield
So, I went to see it on Sunday and I am happy to report that there were no cell phone or laser pointer toting punks in the crowd. Maybe 12:45 on a Sunday is the best time to see a new release movie! While I didn't love the film, I did enjoy myself tremendously. It was a fun-filled, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride for 90 minutes. Apparently Cloverfield only cost $30 million to make and it already has pulled in $41 million in its first week of domestic release, so I wouldn't at all be surprised to see some type of prequel/sequel made. I wonder how many times New York City has taken a beating in movies?
What I didn't like:
- The acting was SO cheesy, especially "Rob"
- some of the decisions made by the characters to be questionable at best. Would one really try to walk across town, through the path of a gigantic monster to find someone when the entire city is being destroyed? 3 out of the 4 of us who went to see the film said no chance in hell!
- It took a bit too long to get to the Monster trashing city part, although the music in the party scene was pretty good.
- Where do you buy a video camera that has a light, night vision capabilities and can take a beating like the camera in Cloverfield?
What I liked:
- The way that it was shot. The filmmakers really did a great job of putting you in heat of the action.
- The Monster. It was kick ass, from all angles. My favourite shot was when Hud is capturing the carnage from the helicopter and it really puts the monster in perspective, along with the destruction that it is creating.
- The fact that the film doesn't let tell you everything. Not enough films do this, or leave things up to your imagination.
Here are my Random Thoughts ™ for the week:
- Oranges. Florida Oranges are great this time of year. Sweet and delicious. I've had 3 in the last 24 hours. No scurvy for me!
- Semi Pro. Saw a preview before Cloverfield. Looks great. Also proof that I enjoy lowbrow humour! Here is the "R" rated trailer. Love that Will Farrell:
- Blogging. Turns out there is lots of cool things that you can add to your blog, like the poll on the side of the screen. Help me settle a bet with some of my friends by voting in the poll!
- Slash. I am enjoying his autobiography. The guy was (and still is) an animal! Here is a classic GNR clip from 1988, about where I am in the book...I bet he was really high when he was playing Rocket Queen, one of my favourite GNR songs of all time.
- Superbowl. Man, I can't believe that Favre and the Packers blew it, leaving us with a less than desirable matchup and likely a 19-0 Patriots team.
- PS2 Upconverted to HD - I bought a $12 PS2 component cable and I can not believe how much better PS2 looks on my HDTV. If you have an HD and a PS2, you should definitely order it. I got my cord here:
- Bad Fight Scenes. YouTube is a wonderful place. Especially for wonderful for things like this amazing fight scene:
Well, that's it for Blog #2. Let me know what you think. Sorry for wasting your time!
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
New Years Resolutions
So this year, I made three resolutions for the New Year;
1 - Read more books.
Taking the TTC everyday gives me the opportunity, but since I subscribe to Sports Illustrated and my ride to work is about 15 minutes, it usually would take me about 3 or 4 days worth of rides to get through a magazine. I decided not to renew my subscription and have started reading more books. Currently reading "Slash" (hey, I said books, not necessarily GOOD books). Very fun and interesting read, though.
2 - Drink more Scotch.
Yup. It's going to be a tough resolution. I've got a pretty good collection (about 7 bottles), but only ever seem to crack any bottles when certain friends are over. Time to get drinkin'!
3 - Start writing a blog.
Why the hell not? It's a good excuse to write/talk about things. Whether or not anyone reads it or cares is another matter altogether, but since I do enjoy writing and have been waking up early lately (more on that in a later blog), let's give it a crack. Who know's how often I will write something. I am going to try for once a week. Expect bad grammar, poor taste, classlessness and spelling errors!
Here are my random thoughts of the week:
- Kings of Leon. How come nobody told me about this band a long time ago? I find their two earlier albums to sound a lot like The Strokes (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), on their latest album "Because of the Times" they find their own sound and are definitely on to something. It's worth a listen!
- Raccoon Poo. Yes, Raccoon poo. As in "oh my god, is that racoon poo right by the back door of my apartment." At least I really hope that it was racoon poo and not Hobo poo. It's gone now. I think that I can add photos on this blog thingie. Too late for the racoon poo, but I will keep this in mind, moving forward. - Cloverfield. OK, Monster destroys city is a concept that has been beaten to death, but this time it looks different. Hopefully. The delivery of the concept is what will make the movie good. Hopefully. I am going to see the movie on Sunday and, hopefully, there won't be a lot of cell phone-toting, laser pointer pointing punks in the movie theatre. Hopefully, it will be better than the last monster movie that I saw opening weekend. I actually fell asleep during Godzilla. It may have been an alcohaul induced sleep, but it was sleep nonetheless!
- High Definition Television. Welcome to 2005, Dave! Finally, I have HDTV capabilities of my own and I honestly can say that I don't know I watched TV in regular def for so long. Night and day. Sports especially look great. You've probably already heard this, but its really cool.
- Dexter. Just finished watching season one. It took about 3 episodes to get me hooked, but once that happened, it was quite addictive. Well written, acted and VERY creepy. The Ice Truck Killer story was so good.
http://www.icetruck.tv/ - a cool viral video promoting season two (which I am very excited to start watching!)
So that's it for blog number one. Any suggestions for further blogs, other than to stop writing them?
Sorry for wasting your time!
1 - Read more books.
Taking the TTC everyday gives me the opportunity, but since I subscribe to Sports Illustrated and my ride to work is about 15 minutes, it usually would take me about 3 or 4 days worth of rides to get through a magazine. I decided not to renew my subscription and have started reading more books. Currently reading "Slash" (hey, I said books, not necessarily GOOD books). Very fun and interesting read, though.
2 - Drink more Scotch.
Yup. It's going to be a tough resolution. I've got a pretty good collection (about 7 bottles), but only ever seem to crack any bottles when certain friends are over. Time to get drinkin'!
3 - Start writing a blog.
Why the hell not? It's a good excuse to write/talk about things. Whether or not anyone reads it or cares is another matter altogether, but since I do enjoy writing and have been waking up early lately (more on that in a later blog), let's give it a crack. Who know's how often I will write something. I am going to try for once a week. Expect bad grammar, poor taste, classlessness and spelling errors!
Here are my random thoughts of the week:
- Kings of Leon. How come nobody told me about this band a long time ago? I find their two earlier albums to sound a lot like The Strokes (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), on their latest album "Because of the Times" they find their own sound and are definitely on to something. It's worth a listen!
http://www.kingsofleon.com/ - Standout tracks include "Charmer", "Ragoo", "Arizona"
- Raccoon Poo. Yes, Raccoon poo. As in "oh my god, is that racoon poo right by the back door of my apartment." At least I really hope that it was racoon poo and not Hobo poo. It's gone now. I think that I can add photos on this blog thingie. Too late for the racoon poo, but I will keep this in mind, moving forward. - Cloverfield. OK, Monster destroys city is a concept that has been beaten to death, but this time it looks different. Hopefully. The delivery of the concept is what will make the movie good. Hopefully. I am going to see the movie on Sunday and, hopefully, there won't be a lot of cell phone-toting, laser pointer pointing punks in the movie theatre. Hopefully, it will be better than the last monster movie that I saw opening weekend. I actually fell asleep during Godzilla. It may have been an alcohaul induced sleep, but it was sleep nonetheless!
http://cloverfieldclues.blogspot.com/ - Good non-spoiler "hype-site"
- High Definition Television. Welcome to 2005, Dave! Finally, I have HDTV capabilities of my own and I honestly can say that I don't know I watched TV in regular def for so long. Night and day. Sports especially look great. You've probably already heard this, but its really cool.
- Dexter. Just finished watching season one. It took about 3 episodes to get me hooked, but once that happened, it was quite addictive. Well written, acted and VERY creepy. The Ice Truck Killer story was so good.
http://www.icetruck.tv/ - a cool viral video promoting season two (which I am very excited to start watching!)
So that's it for blog number one. Any suggestions for further blogs, other than to stop writing them?
Sorry for wasting your time!
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