The Yin and Yang of the queue...

I just thought it was funny that the two Netflix DVDs I received in the mail today were Team America: World Police and The 400 Blows (Truffault).

I watched Team America tonight and I have to admit that it was pretty damn funny. This didn't surprise me as I love South Park. Tomorrow I'll watch The 400 Blows. I've seen it before, but it's been a very long time. Time to go to bed. I've got to work early tomorrow...

Cheers,
Jason

How do you spell "dag nabit"?

Both Australia and Switzerland were eliminated in the World Cup today. It's sad. Australia's loss was questionable because of bad call whick ended up allowing Italy's only goal and Switzerland and the Ukraine both went scoreless for 120 minutes until Ukraine scored 3 penalty kicks. My faves are out of the running. I was really rooting for both. Switzerland really had a chance and Australia surprised everybody. Until today's game Switzerland was the only team to allow no goals at all this series. The only goals were scored on penalty kicks. Great job Australia and Switzerland! I'm really proud of both of you! There's always next time!

Cheers,
Jason

Kudos to the rich people...

I have to say that I'm pretty pleased with the recent news that Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffett will devote much of their time and/or money to philanthropic efforts. The fact that Warren Buffett plans to give $37 billion in stock before he dies to multiple foundations is staggering. Simply the fact that he has $37 billion is staggering. Makes my charitable contributions look like chump change, but then again I'm poor. Anyone want to start a foundation to help me? But seriously, good job guys. It makes me proud and hopefully it sets an example to other rich folks. It'll help out with their taxes even more with write-offs and all... But I don't think that philanthropy is considered in Dubya's tax plan...

Give what you can!

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

What a relief! I had to think about a few of them (trick questions). I don't feel that smart.

Short Attention Span

I really have nothing of note to post about, so here's some crap...

I was flipping through channels the other day when I saw the girl that starred in that shit series Out of This World. You won't claim to remember it, but I know you know what I'm talking about. Hmm...she's still acting. Peter Coyote was also in the movie. Is it just me or is Peter Coyote narrating EVERYTHING these days? It's actually a good thing. Now I wonder whatever happened to the girl from Small Wonder?

I warned you it was a slow news day. Here's some random info from the new Entertainment Weekly...

Sad news...
Apparently there's going to be a remake of Akira Kurosawa's brilliant Seven Samurai. It's already been remade fabulously as The Magnificent Seven. The newest version is being written by the guy who penned the Young Guns movies. Say it ain't so...

Apparently the jeweler who keeps some of the biggest hip hop stars decked in bling, Jacob the Jeweler, was arrested and indicted in New York on federal charges of helping a Detroit-based drug ring launder more than $270 million. Hmm... I didn't even here about that in local Detroit news. Maybe that's because there are no drugs in Detroit. ;)

Have you been watching Supergroup at all? Sebastian Bach is such an undeserving alcohilic diva. Shut up! How can you think you're cool now if Skid Row was never cool?

Yay! The new season of Reno 911! starts on July 9th. Even better, there's a film in the works.

Apparently Paul Reubens is currently writing his "long rumored 'dark Pee Wee' movie". Awesome!

Pretty funny! Go to the Brawny Academy for a good laugh. (Yeah. The paper towel company.)

Splurge of the Week- I just ordered my ultimate dream kitchen gadget online. I've been dreaming about a Kitchenaid stand mixer for years, but they're so damn expensive. I found a factory-reconditioned one for half the price. It's a 5 quart Professional model with a 475 watt, 10 speed motor that comes with a flat beater, a spiral bread hook, AND a wire whip. Dang!!! On top of that I also got an extra $25 taken off in promotional codes. Woo hoo! The only drawback is that it's white, but I'm not going to complain for the price. I could have gotten black or silver (reconditioned), but they had lower wattage or fewer attachments. I don't know if I'll actually bake more now, but my salivating can stop...for now.

Sorry for the lame post kids!

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

You Are A Martini

You are the kind of drinker who appreciates a nice hard drink. And for you, only quality alcohol. You don't waste your time on the cheap stuff. Obviously, you're usually found with a martini in your hand. But sometimes you mix it up with a gin and tonic. And you'd never, ever consider one of those flavored martinis. They're hardly a drink!

What Alcoholic Drink Are You?

You Are 71% Indie

You're a very indie person, and admit it, you look down a little on people who strive to be normal. You'll indulge in a little mainstream pop culture every now and then. But for you, anything not indie is a guilty pleasure!

How Indie Are You?

Two more movies under my belt...

I saw the best bumpersticker yesterday! It said "I Never Thought I'd Miss Nixon". That's pretty funny.

I posted about Capote a couple of days ago and I've finally seen two more Oscar nominees after the fact. I can now add Brokeback Mountain and Good Night, and Good Luck to my list. I really enjoyed both of them. The photography in Brokeback was simply stunning and the acting was very good. The dialogue in Good Night was tremendous and David Strathairn was amazing. I think that Capote was maybe a weaker film than both of these, but Phillip Seymour Hoffman's performance rose above the rest of it. However, I think that David Strathairn should have gotten the Oscar. He really nailed it! I still think that Crash was the best of all the nominees and deserves its win. But I'm happy to say that they were all great films. Munich is in my Netflix queue. I'll report on that eventually.

I hope that Switzerland beats South Korea and advances in the World Cup...

I hate this nasty-ass humid, hot weather. Thanks global warming! Don't forget to see An Inconvenient Truth! I'd probably be comfortable in an Ice Age...if I wasn't dead. I know that summer just started yesterday, but I'm ready for it to be over...

It's been a weird week. One person in the local wine business that I know died this week. He had cancer. He had kicked it almost miraculously and naturally a couple of years ago without explanation. It came back with a vengeance. I didn't know him extremely well, but he was a really nice and very talented guy. He will be missed. Also this week I saw a friend from the local wine business who had had a stroke a few months ago. He is doing remarkably well and I am stunned and thrilled with his improvement. I'm so glad. Strokes can be devastating. A wonderful aunt of mine had a stroke over 10 years ago and is mostly paralyzed and still has great difficulty speaking. She is doing remarkably well, but her stroke was much worse. She's a very talented artist and manages to paint some very beautiful pictures. She amazes me. I smile every time I look at one of them.

Well...that's all for now kids! Have a great weekend!

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

Cheap filler...the hot dog of posts.

Just a useless quickie...

I finally saw Million Dollar Baby the other night. It was a good movie and the acting was just fine, but I don't feel it was Oscar-worthy in any category. Sorry...

Tonight I finally saw Capote. It was pretty darn good and Philip Seymour Hoffman certainly did a wonderful job, but again I don't think it lived up to all of the hype. Sorry again...

The second season of Hell's Kitchen is on and I have to say that I just don't like ANY of the contestants. I actually had people to root for during the first season and Dewberry was always good for a grin. None of the people this season seem worthy of getting their own multi-million dollar restaurant. I'm really curious to know how Michael (last year's winner) is doing in his apprenticeship in London. He was my kind of guy. Other Gordon Ramsay news here about his winning a libel suit.

Apparently some people still do read the newspaper. I'm still getting customers saying they saw me in the paper a couple of weeks ago. The average age of said customers is about 70, but at least they still believe in old fashioned ink on paper for their news (and coupons). They say the picture looked good, but I know they're just being polite. Luckily the picture was small and their eyesight is not 20/20. It's sweet of them to say though...

Sorry. That's all I've got after a rough day of work...

Cheers,
Jason

Embarrassed by the country I love...

Just a follow-up comment on yesterday's post...

Before An Inconvenient Truth started I heard a few people commenting to each other how they didn't believe in global warming. I was shaking my head, but I figure that's what the film is for. After the film I heard someone comment how she still doesn't believe in global warming or in the facts that were presented in the film. I really shook my head in dumbfounded amazement...

I've mentioned before how worried I am about the current state of affairs in this country (VERY). It's unfathomable to me how the "red states" took the election for Dubya. They didn't actually, but that's another topic... Anyhoo, it's amazing how many "dee dee dee" retarded (ala Carlos Mencia) people there are in this country. The film essentially presents NUMEROUS undeniable facts and people still don't believe the validity. I'm awfully glad I don't live in their world. It's hard enough living in this one.

And I live in a "blue state"...

I'd like to see some raw data in graph form comparing consumption of Skoal Bandits, schnapps, Pabst, and Little Debbie snack cakes between "red states" and "blue states". I'd then like to see how those rates increase during NASCAR races...

I am truly disheartened right now. The current national administration is more evil and backhanded than one could imagine and the local Michigan economy is in the absolute shitter. There's not a lot of hope in sight. I love this country but I'm starting to question my own citizenship. In the title of my blog it's obvious that I'd rather be somewhere else. When Americans can't even believe or support the obvious truth or question authority it's a really sad day. I don't want to give up. Hopefully natural selection will weed out the "dee dee dees". Fear tactics orchestrated from Washington DC and implemented through local and national news are destroying this country. Why doesn't anyone question government any more? That's our right. Next time I hear someone say that global warming is a liberal fabrication I'm just going to slap the fuck out of them, make them watch An Inconvenient Truth in the Clockwork Orange style, and then chain them to posts during the upcoming ice age leaving their genitals exposed to ice and migrating killer bees.

It's a double-edged sword to think...
I recently bought a new Ford vehicle although the mileage and emission standards do not even come close to those of the Japanese, Koreans, Chinese, and Germans. By choosing an American car I am not doing my part to slow down global warming. I feel really guilty about this. At the same time I bought a Ford out of local guilt. The Michigan economy is in the crapper and doesn't see a reprieve in the near future. The immediately local economy (Dearborn) is a Ford economy. In this case I had to support the local economy because it so frightfully bad. It's a tough decision. It's even worse because my American car is assembled in Mexico. Outsourcing wins again...

I'm embarrassed by the country I love.

I'd rather be in Kalangadoo. For the record I am looking for an Australian woman to marry me so that I may get Aussie citizenship... All enquiries will be considered...

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

So that's what a weekend is like...

Hey kids!

I actually had two days off in a row. That's really freakin' weird. I've been working 6 days a week for several years, but I'm temporarily laid-off from the restaurant for a couple of months so I've only been working 5. It's been a real treat. (I still work about 47 hours a week though.) For some reason or another I got Saturday off from the full-time job (I had to work today however). But that still means that I had two days off in a row. I had Friday and Sunday off and it was just great. Friday was full of errands but ended in fun. Apparently my regular Secretary of State office in Allen Park has closed. That really sucks! The AP office was like a little known secret. It was usually pretty quick and the service was fast and friendly. I had to resort to going to the Dearborn office and boy oh boy did that suck. The Dearborn office is SLOW!!! I'll try to find a better office. Among other errands I also got my car washed. My new car is all purty when it's shiny. I've been going to Classic Auto Wash in AP for years. Great service! It was pretty hot out so I wrapped up the errands run with a Coke Slurpee. A great reward on a hot day.

I did end up going to dinner with a good friend on Friday. I was hoping to see the Al Gore flick, but no one responded to my e-mail so I made other plans. My friend and I went to Zingermans's Roadhouse in Ann Arbor and I had one of the best meals I've had in a long time. I've been there before and really enjoyed it but this meal was just fantastic from start to end. I had a Founders Dirty Bastard on draft at the bar while my friend had a Short's Ale while we waited for our table. I started with the the soft shell crab special appetizer and it was honestly the best soft shell crab that I've ever had...

Excuse me...there's a skunk outside as I type this. EWWWW!!!

Back to the meal...
The soft shell crab was killer! They always offer chili (great!) and they also had a cream of mushroom with porcini and cremini (VERY TEMPTING!), but I opted for a cup of New England clam chowder. DAMN!!! It was quite honestly the best New England clam chowder that I've ever had! Absolutely delicious! It was the perfect balance of briny clam and cream. The top-notch applewood smoked bacon just set it off! It now replaces Mo's Seafood in Lincoln City, Oregon as the best New England clam chowder in my book. Sorry Mo's! I then went for the snapper on our server's recommendation. It was fantastic. It was a whole roasted snapper from Tobago (caught the day before). It was as moist and tender as can be. It was served with some wonderful stewed organic tomatoes and Carolina rice. Delicious! My friend got the homemade cheesesticks for her app. By homemade I mean that they made their own homemade fresh mozzarella and then lightly battered some cubes and fried them to golden perfection. Yum! All of the desserts looked fantastic, but I opted for the donut sundae. It's pretty popular and I hadn't tried it yet. Imagine the very best still-warm cider mill style donut topped with a fantastic vanilla gelato, caramel, Virginia roasted peanuts, and a cherry... Damn skippy! That was damn good! I tried my friend's Key lime pie and it was just perfect! All of that and a killer bottle of syrah made for a great evening. It was a bit of a splurge, but damn if it wasn't worth it. Go to Zingerman's Roadhouse now!!! Thanks to Debbie for great service!

Saturday started out lazy for me. I read some magazines and some of the new Anthony Bourdain book until I met some friends for dinner at another restaurant. It was passable. No Zingerman's... It was then decided that my friends all wanted to see the new shitfest starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock...
Um...yeah...not gonna do it. I decided to go see An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore by myself instead. My friends came out of the theater complaining about how bad their movie was and I was quite content with myself for making the better choice. While I've heard most of the stuff in An Inconvenient Truth before present in a different manner it was by all means an important film. I recommend that everyone in the country see it. It was presented very well even if Al Gore did uneccesarily grandstand a bit. I know that he said that he's not going to run for President again, but this film maked it look like he was posturing himself for shot. At this point it probably be the best Democratic shot. I would vote for Hillary Clinton, but I know a lot of people wouldn't simply because she rubs a lot of people the wrong way. I hope that Mr. Gore does decide to run again. His film should be required viewing for the entire voting populace. There were the requisite jabs at Dubya, but the film did concentrate on the fate of not only our country, but our planet. If we don't start taking the little steps we are going to be screwed in the next 50 years. It's already happening...

Please visit this site- www.climatecrisis.net
Do whatever it takes!

Brazil beat Australia 2-0. No surprise there, but I was really hoping for an Aussie upset. At least they made it this far. Switzerland plays Togo tomorrow. Of course I hope that Switzerland wins, but I'd really be happy for Togo too because of this story. It's great to hear stories like that. It's nice to know that good sportsmanship still exists in this day and age.

Basketball finals are on, but I'm not watching. I guess I'm pulling for Dallas.

I'm digging the new Sonic Youth album Rather Ripped.

I finally got Jesus Is Magic on DVD. Sarah Silverman is the funniest and hottest woman alive! She's so frickin' dirty...

Random poll #1- Who's your favorite basketball player of all time?
(Mine is Clyde Drexler)

Random poll #2- What's the best smell? Coffee brewing, cinnamon rolls baking, food on the grill, or bacon sizzling?
(Actually, my favorite smell is the smell of leeks sauteeing in butter. I'm a foodie. I'm a freak. Sorry.)

Random poll #3- If you had two scoops of vanilla ice cream what one topping would you most like to put on it? (You are not allowed to change ice cream flavors) Sprinkles, peanuts, hot fudge, caramel, butterscotch, whipped cream, cherries, fresh fruit, chocolate chips/shavings, or something else?

Hope you had a nice Father's Day...

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

Thank goodness...

You Are 0% Redneck

I'll slap you so hard, your clothes will be outta style. You ain't no redneck - you're all Yankee!

How Redneck Are You?

Au Bon Pain in the ass?

Too soon to tell.

This in regard to a new Au Bon Pain that just opened up in town (very close to work). Today was the official first day open. I fully understand that opening day anywhere is going to be a giant clusterfuck and I will be forgiving, but here's my first impression. I arrived late (after work) to give them a try. I cringed a bit as I walked in to see a bunch of eagerly inept high school kids staffing the joint. This is probably the first job for many of them. They were very friendly, but they're also very inexperienced. I know that this will change in time and they may become assets to the company, but it's generally not a great idea to have them represent 90% of the staff during opening week. The cashier was very friendly and only had minor issues with my order. I decided to try a few things. I ordered an iced caramel macchiato, a Mediterranean veggie panini, a chicken pot pie, and a brownie. It took about 10 minutes to get my food to go (respectable, especially on opening day). It took about 15 minutes to get my iced caramel macchiato. Not so cool. They didn't have any lids (yet) for it so they dumped it into a regular beverage cup as they have lids on a side station. No they didn't actually. Forgivable and understandable during opening week. The caramel macchiato had decent flavor but the ice melted right away. For the record,the A/C wasn't on or working. It was a little warm in there. There were two salads sitting in the window the entire time I was there (about 20 minutes). I wanted to find the appropriate diners and serve them their salads, but the fly hanging out on the Caesar dissuaded me. (The dining area was almost empty). My being in the service industry for so long makes me sensitive to certain scenarios. (Whenever I go out to eat I try to guage the situation. ie. The number of servers, service times, and various other details.) I'm a stickler for efficient and proper service because that's what I like to provide. I wanted to approach the manager and rattle of a list of about 20 things that they could do to improve the place without sounding like an asshole. It was opening day though, and they do understandably have some bugs to work out. I got my food home and I stared on the panini. The roasted veggies in my panini were zucchini, underripe tomato, and red peppers. It also had hommous and goat cheese on it. The vegetables were over-roasted and soggy and I was hoping for a little more variety. The flavor was fine. The addition of the hommous and goat cheese were helpful, but the hommous could use more garlic (that's just me being picky). The biggest problem was the bread. A proper panini should be grilled so that the bread has a nice bite that could cut your gums if you're not careful. The bread barely had grill marks and was exceedingly soft. Better luck next time on that one. The chicken pot pie had a unique presentation. It is not served in the traditional "bowl" style. It is a square shaped entity that is encased entirely in a wonderfully flaky puff pastry. Unfortunately there's a lot more puff than poulet. It had a nice flavor, but the chicken/veloute filling was barely there. I'm a person that will plunk down some major coin on a meal, but the $7.00 asking price for the pot pie is a bit excessive for the setting. In its defense it did come with an accompanying salad. The salad was quite large (probably 5 times heaver than the pot pie), but lackluster. The greens were soggy and overwhelmed by a mystery house dressing which resembled ranch in color/texture, but was unidentifiable in flavor. It also had underripe tomatoes and sliced red grapes tossed in it. This salad just doesn't quite work for me. The brownie had decent flavor but the texture was a little light. I'll definitely go back and give them another try. Every place has bugs to work out when they first open. It's a matter of figuring out what just went wrong and what corporate presentation is supposed to be. I'm a sucker for soups so that'll be my next try. Maybe even tomorrow. Soup and pizza maybe? I hope that there will be some improvement and I'm sure that there will be. Opening week anywhere is mass confusion, especially when there are a bunch of teenagers involved. The only management/trainer types appeared to be on the floor and not behind the line supervising the actual ordering and production process. I'll have a follow-up soon. In teenagers we trust?

Here's a link to the "25 Most Controversial Films Ever" from Entertainment Weekly. It's pretty interesting.

Another great editorial from Jack Lessenberry here from the new Metro Times. Jack Lessenberry for President!

I'm hoping to see Al Gore's global warming pic An Inconvenient Truth this week. I also want to see A Prairie Home Companion.

Tonight on CBS they aired the AFI's 100 Most Inspirational Films. I'd say that the list is pretty darn good. The AFI only includes American films so obviously films like Au Revoir les Enfants , Europa, Europa and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert were not included. I was hoping to see Meatballs, My Bodyguard, and Revenge of the Nerds on the list (seriously!). It's a good list though. What do you think of it?

1 IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
2 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962
3 SCHINDLER'S LIST 1993
4 ROCKY 1976
5 MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON 1939
6 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 1982
7 THE GRAPES OF WRATH 1940
8 BREAKING AWAY 1979
9 MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET 1947
10 SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 1998
11 THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES 1946
12 APOLLO 13 1995
13 HOOSIERS 1986
14 THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI 1957
15 THE MIRACLE WORKER 1962
16 NORMA RAE 1979
17 ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST 1975
18 THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK 1959
19 THE RIGHT STUFF 1983
20 PHILADELPHIA 1993
21 IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT 1967
22 THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES 1942
23 THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION 1994
24 NATIONAL VELVET 1944
25 SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS 1941
26 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
27 HIGH NOON 1952
28 FIELD OF DREAMS 1989
29 GANDHI 1982
30 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1962
31 GLORY 1989
32 CASABLANCA 1942
33 CITY LIGHTS 1931
34 ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN 1976
35 GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER 1967
36 ON THE WATERFRONT 1954
37 FORREST GUMP 1994
38 PINOCCHIO 1940
39 STAR WARS 1977
40 MRS. MINIVER 1942
41 THE SOUND OF MUSIC 1965
42 12 ANGRY MEN 1957
43 GONE WITH THE WIND 1939
44 SPARTACUS 1960
45 ON GOLDEN POND 1981
46 LILIES OF THE FIELD 1963
47 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY 1968
48 THE AFRICAN QUEEN 1951
49 MEET JOHN DOE 1941
50 SEABISCUIT 2003
51 THE COLOR PURPLE 1985
52 DEAD POET'S SOCIETY 1989
53 SHANE 1953
54 RUDY 1993
55 THE DEFIANT ONES 1958
56 BEN-HUR 1959
57 SERGEANT YORK 1941
58 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND 1977
59 DANCES WITH WOLVES 1990
60 THE KILLING FIELDS 1984
61 SOUNDER 1972
62 BRAVEHEART 1995
63 RAIN MAN 1988
64 THE BLACK STALLION 1979
65 A RAISIN IN THE SUN 1961
66 SILKWOOD 1983
67 THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL 1951
68 AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN 1982
69 THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS 1957
70 COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER 1980
71 COOL HAND LUKE 1967
72 DARK VICTORY 1939
73 ERIN BROCKOVICH 2000
74 GUNGA DIN 1939
75 THE VERDICT 1982
76 BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ 1962
77 DRIVING MISS DAISY 1989
78 THELMA & LOUISE 1991
79 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS 1956
80 BABE 1995
81 BOYS TOWN 1938
82 FIDDLER ON THE ROOF 1971
83 MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN 1936
84 SERPICO 1973
85 WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT 1993
86 STAND AND DELIVER 1988
87 WORKING GIRL 1988
88 YANKEE DOODLE DANDY 1942
89 HAROLD AND MAUDE 1972
90 HOTEL RWANDA 2004
91 THE PAPER CHASE 1973
92 FAME 1980
93 A BEAUTIFUL MIND 2001
94 CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS 1937
95 PLACES IN THE HEART 1984
96 SEARCHING FOR BOBBY FISCHER 1993
97 MADAME CURIE 1943
98 THE KARATE KID 1984
99 RAY 2004
100 CHARIOTS OF FIRE 1981

I just the new Sonic Youth CD today from Glen the Good. I can't wait to give it a listen. They're coming to Detroit in August with the Flaming Lips. I LOVE Sonic Youth and have for a long time. I like the Flaming Lips a lot, but their albums are a little more hit or miss. The new one??? It's okay. It should be a great show, but I don't know if I want to risk the contact buzz from the Lips fans.

Gary Numan is coming to town too. Maybe...maybe. I saw him years ago and he was bloody brilliant. I was lucky enough to meet him after the show, get an autograph, and a picture taken with him. Really, really nice guy!

The newest Entertainment Weekly also ran an article with pictures of some of the people in the entertainment industry that have succumbed to HIV/AIDS since it was first mentioned by the CDC 25 years ago. The pictures shown are just a small fraction, but there are some real memorable folks. There are some people that I not only didn't know that had HIV/AIDS (ie. Isaac Asimov, Herb Ritts), but sadly didn't even know had passed away (ie. Tom Villard). Let's keep up hope and pray that a cure is found. Advances certainly have been made in the last 25 years, but not enough.

The rest of the world is watching World Cup soccer right now. Go Switzerland! They tied France the other day and play Togo next. Schweiz! Schweiz! Schweiz!
(Remind me to tell you about the time that World Cup soccer was happening in Pontiac. I think it was '94.)

Random poll- What are you looking forward to most this summer?

Random poll #2- What's your favorite way to drink tequila?

Random poll #3- Who do you want to win the World Cup?

Random poll #4- What would you do for a Klondike Bar?

Cheers,
Jason

You Are 20% Sociopath

You're empathetic, loyal, and introspective. In other words, there's no way you're a sociopath... but you can spot one pretty easily!

Are You A Sociopath?

A Tale of Two Lists: A Comparison in Funny

Recently Bravo listed their 100 Funniest Movies. I’ve decided to compare them to the AFI 100 Funniest Movies. The Bravo list is seriously flawed in that it doesn’t seem to realize that films existed before the 1980's. There are certainly some really funny movies on the list, but some of the all time classics aren’t even listed. Obviously the Bravo list is skewed to a younger generation. The AFI list is all-encompassing in regard to the history of film and I’d have to agree with it more as a whole. It is missing some of the newer instant comedy classics, but that’s forgivable as it recognizes and respects black and white.

Listed below are the AFI 100 Funniest Movies on the left (all-caps) and the corresponding 100 Funniest Movies from Bravo are on the right. Movies that I’ve made bold are movies that I believe belong in my top 100 funniest movies.


1. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) / Animal House
Both are wonderfully funny classics, but my funniest fave is History of the World: Part 1
2. TOOTSIE (1982) / Caddyshack Tootsie is a very funny movie, but Bravo is actually dead on with this one! Caddyshack rules!
3. DR. STRANGELOVE OR: HOW I LEARNED TO STOP WORRYING AND LOVE THE BOMB (1964) / Shrek
Who the Funk and Wagnall let Shrek on this list? Dr. Strangelove is a masterpiece!
4. ANNIE HALL (1977) / There’s Something About Mary Woody Allen trumps here. Although there’s always room for gross-out humor.
5. DUCK SOUP (1933) / South Park: Bigger, Longer, Uncut
Duck Soup is a deserving classic. South Park is a breath of vulgar air. Love it!
6. BLAZING SADDLES (1974) / Airplane
Two of the funniest movies ever!
7. M*A*S*H (1970) / The Wedding Singer
M*A*S*H is an Altman comedy classic. The Bravo folks are smoking crack on here.
8. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934) / Blazing Saddles
Both are awesome!
9. THE GRADUATE (1967) / Ace Ventura: Pet Detective
The Graduate is a no-brainer. Ace Ventura is a brain fart. WTF?!?
10. AIRPLANE! (1980) / Arthur Both are a laugh-a-minute.
11. THE PRODUCERS (1968) / Pee-Wee's Big Adventure
The Producers is also a no-brainer, but shoot me for thinking that Pee Wee belongs here. It’s damn funny.
12. A NIGHT AT THE OPERA (1935) / The Producers
Haven’t seen A Night at the Opera. The Producers is funnier than Abe Vigoda in Vasectomy.
13. YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) / Naked Gun Series
Mel Brooks has the magic touch! The Naked Gun movies were funny, but the series was funnier.
14. BRINGING UP BABY (1938) / Napolean Dynamite
Napolean Dynamite is funny, but not Top 100 funny. Sorry.
15. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY (1940) / Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Fast Times would be in my top 10.
16. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952) / Old School
Both are great, but not quite...
17. THE ODD COUPLE (1968) / M*A*S*H The Odd Couple is laugh-out-loud hilarious. M*A*S*H is terrific!
18. THE GENERAL (1927) / Stripes
Haven’t seen The General. Sorry Stripes, but you don’t make my cut.
19. HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) / Wedding Crashers
Both are good, but not Top 100...
20. THE APARTMENT (1960) / The Jerk
I love Jack Lemon! Remember when Steve Martin was hilarious?
21. A FISH CALLED WANDA (1988) / Shampoo
Kkkkkkkkkkk’en. Would you like some ccchhhhips? Great movie!
22. ADAM'S RIB (1949) / Beverly Hills Cop
23. WHEN HARRY MET SALLY… (1989) / Big
24. BORN YESTERDAY (1950) / Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
25. THE GOLD RUSH (1925) / Meet the Fockers
26. BEING THERE (1979) / Wayne’s World
27. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT MARY (1998) / A Fish Called Wanda
28. GHOSTBUSTERS (1984) / Annie Hall
29. THIS IS SPINAL TAP (1984) / Legally Blonde
Spinal Tap should be higher. Maybe number “11".
30. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (1944) / The 40 Year Old Virgin
"Chaaaarrrrrge!"
31. RAISING ARIZONA (1987) / The Big Lebowski
Love the Cohen brothers...half of the time.
32. THE THIN MAN (1934) / Groundhog Day
33. MODERN TIMES (1936) / Clerks
34. GROUNDHOG DAY (1993) / Rushmore
35. HARVEY (1950) / Beetlejuice
36. NATIONAL LAMPOON'S ANIMAL HOUSE (1978) / Good Morning Vietnam
Animal House is criminally low on the AFI list.
37. THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940) / Dodgeball
38. CITY LIGHTS (1931) / Best in Show
Best in Show makes you laugh so hard you’ll hiccup.
39. SULLIVAN'S TRAVELS (1941) / Mrs. Doubtfire
40. IT'S A MAD MAD MAD MAD WORLD (1963) / Monty Python and the Holy Grail
These are two of the funniest movies ever made. Both should be in the top 5. Insanely low!
41. MOONSTRUCK (1987) / Austin Powers
42. BIG (1988) / Harold and Maude
Harold and Maude is very special.
43. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973) / What About Bob?
44. MY MAN GODFREY (1936) / Sixteen Candles
45. HAROLD AND MAUDE (1972) / Raising Arizona
46. MANHATTAN (1979) / The Incredibles
47. SHAMPOO (1975) / 9 to 5
48. A SHOT IN THE DARK (1964) / American Grafitti
49. TO BE OR NOT TO BE (1942) / American Pie
50. CAT BALLOU (1965) / The Princess Bride
Both are awesome!
51. THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955) / National Lampoon’s Vacation
Vacation is criminally low!
52. NINOTCHKA (1939) / Meet the Parents
53. ARTHUR (1981) / Dr. Strangelove
54. THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK (1944) / Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
55. THE LADY EVE (1941) / Bull Durham
56. ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948) / Young Frankenstein
57. DINER (1982) / Swingers
58. IT'S A GIFT (1934) / Private Benjamin
59. A DAY AT THE RACES (1937) / Police Acadamy Series
60. TOPPER (1937) / When Harry Met Sally
61. WHAT'S UP, DOC? (1972) / Election
62. SHERLOCK, JR. (1924) / The Pink Panther
63. BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984) / Manhattan64. BROADCAST NEWS (1987) / This Is Spinal Tap
65. HORSE FEATHERS (1932) / Office Space
66. TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN (1969) / Dazed and Confused
67. MRS. DOUBTFIRE (1993) / Kingpin
68. THE AWFUL TRUTH (1937) / Broadcast News
69. BANANAS (1971) / Blues Brothers
70. MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN (1936) / Nutty Professor (Eddie Murphy)
71. CADDYSHACK (1980) / Roxanne
Only number 71? AFI is insane!
72. MR. BLANDINGS BUILDS HIS DREAM HOUSE (1948) / Moonstruck
73. MONKEY BUSINESS (1931) / City Slickers
74. 9 TO 5 (1980) / Trading Places
When Eddie Murphy was funny. I miss those days.
75. SHE DONE HIM WRONG (1933) / Dumb and Dumber
76. VICTOR/VICTORIA (1982) / Ghostbusters
77. THE PALM BEACH STORY (1942) / Flirting With Disaster
78. ROAD TO MOROCCO (1942) / Bananas
79. THE FRESHMAN (1925) / Three Amigos
80. SLEEPER (1973) / Lost In America
Woody Allen and Albert Brooks are geniuses!
81. THE NAVIGATOR (1924) / Half Baked
82. PRIVATE BENJAMIN (1980) / Tootsie
83. FATHER OF THE BRIDE (1950) / Sister Act
84. LOST IN AMERICA (1985) / Silver Streak
85. DINNER AT EIGHT (1933) / Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
86. CITY SLICKERS (1991) / Zoolander
87. FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH (1982) / The Kentucky Fried Movie
88. BEETLEJUICE (1988) / Team America
89. THE JERK (1979) / Slapshot90. WOMAN OF THE YEAR (1942) / Clueless
91. THE HEARTBREAK KID (1972) / Revenge of the Nerds
92. BALL OF FIRE (1941) / Father of the Bride
93. FARGO (1996) / The Aristocrats
94. AUNTIE MAME (1958) / Waiting For Guffman
Waiting For Guffman should be way higher.
95. SILVER STREAK (1976) / Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle
96. SONS OF THE DESERT (1933) / Four Weddings and a Funeral
97. BULL DURHAM (1988) / Happy Gilmore
98. THE COURT JESTER (1956) / School of Rock
99. THE NUTTY PROFESSOR (1963) / The Birdcage
100. GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM (1987) / Anchorman

Although both lists share many of the same movies both lists are completely different. The Bravo list is obviously aimed at my generation, but it forgets about Hollywood’s past. There are travesties on both lists as History of the World: Part 1, Erik the Viking, The Life of Brian, and Bad Santa are on neither. And guilty pleasures like Top Secret. Where’s The Muppet Movie?

Anything involving Monty Python, Mel Brooks, or Christopher Guest should automatically qualify for the top 100...

Anyway...there you have it. What do you think?

ITMFA!
Cheers,
Jason

A useless post...

I was going to post yesterday, but Blogger seemed to be having some issues. Now I don't remember what I was going to post. Oops! I can't think of anything now...

The newspaper article with me in it is going to be in tomorrow's paper. That'll be interesting. The photographer came a day late and that extra day decided to give me a big ol' zit on my forehead. Not looking forward to that...

I'm probably going to see The Proposition again tonight. I do need to see it again on the big screen. Great film!

Well...I've got to go waste a few hours at the Secretary of State office...

Have a great weekend!

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

Even better/worse than the first...

There's now a Second Edition of the Loose Change documentary. It's even more damning than the first. Please take the time (over an hour and twenty minutes) to watch this. Maybe I'm a conspiracy theorist, but I believe that Dubya and the government were behind 9/11. This documentary is a real eye-opener. Scary shit! Be very afraid of your current government. Be very afraid. I'll update the Loose Change link on the side soon. Listen to reason and see what the government is trying to cover up. I'm expecting a Brazil style home invasion soon after some of the stuff I've been posting. Monitor this assholes!

Watch it and form your own opinion...while you're still allowed one.

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

If you weren't pissed off enough already...

I've been subscribing to Rolling Stone magazine now for the last 18 years now uninterrupted. It's not just about music. Sometimes it's great articles like this one about how Dubya and his evil minions stole the 2004 Presidential election. Did I mention that it's written by Robert F. Kennedy Jr? Thank goodness there are still some Kennedys out there to look out for the greater good of the American people. You've probably heard a lot of this info already, but this laces everything together. Imagine waking up on Christmas morning to discover that your house has been broken into, you've been robbed, your pets have been slaughtered, and you and your family have been raped. That's pretty much what Dubya and his henchmen have done to our country in the 2004 election. Scary, scary shit. Do whatever you can to take this country back! Please read this important article! Pass it along until everyone is properly pissed! Unfortunately I'm disappointed in John Kerry for not fighting the election more vocally. It's taken a Kennedy to motivate this country before, let's hope that it happens again...

Get pissed!

Take back our country!

ITMFA!

Cheers,
Jason

I propose you see The Proposition...

Thankfully this week has been a little lower-key. Not much to report, but I'll come up with something...

This last Friday I went to see a noon showing of The Proposition at the Maple. Of course my review may be a little biased as I'm a HUGE fan of Nick Cave. Nick Cave is not only an amazing musician, but he's quite a talented writer. He did write the novel And the Ass Saw the Angel and he's a renowned musical lyricist, but now he's written a screenplay as well. Just imagine a movie written by Nick Cave...eerily beautiful, dark, intense, violent, and thought-provoking. Just like his music. Among others it stars Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Emily Watson, and John Hurt. I've never seen John Hurt as such an intense and grizzled character. Guy Pearce did an amazing job, but Ray Winstone really stood out as the police captain. I don't know much about Danny Huston, but damn he's one to watch for. It takes place in 1880's rural outback Australia. It's a dangerous, desolate, and God-forsaken ugly beauty of a place. The photography is absolutely beautiful. At times it's surreal, but the environment actually looks that way. I won't give a plot summary (click the link), but I will say that's it's brutal, intense, and beautiful. The soundtrack (by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis) is eery and beautifully matches the harsh outback environment and the story. I guess my warning is that this film is very realistic. It portrays the outback as a brutal shithole of a place...especially in the 1880's. I was one of about 10 people in the theater at the noon showing (the first showing in Michigan). I hope that it sticks around a while as I'll probably see it again. Great, great frickin' movie! It's already gotten some very good press. Let's just hope that it wins some deserved awards. As far as I'm concerned Nick Cave never disappoints.

Nick Cave. Coolest former heroin addict ever? Probably...

I've been temporarily laid-off from the restaurant so I've got my Friday evenings off for a while. It's kind of odd. I've been working Friday nights for pretty much the last 15 years. I'll miss the little bit of money, but I'll enjoy the temporary Friday night freedom. I was actually able to hang out with friends at BST's house on Friday. It was lots of fun as always to hang out with my college friends. Something I don't get to do as often as I should/want. Lots of laughs as always...

Today I finally ate at Slow's in Detroit. It's a newer hipster BBQ joint near the REAL Tiger Stadium. It was pretty good. There was a long wait, but there was a very impressive beer list to satiate me. By the time we got a table they were out of about half the stuff on the menu (really!). My first choice was the brisket, but they were out of so I got the North Carolina style pulled pork. Tasty! I got black eyed peas and mac and cheese for my sides. Double tasty! The chili wasn't too spicy but had a great, rich, homeade flavor. I tried a neat appetizer of split pea and okra fritters. Tasty again! I asked about dessert...but they were all sold out. I'll try to go again when they have more stuff in the kitchen. Good BBQ is as the name implies...slow. Their BBQ is wood smoked. I'll just try not to go after a Tiger game again. I'm still dying to get to Vicente's downtown...

Did you hear about the Pope? He's got the bird flu.

He got it from a Cardinal...

Sorry for that one...

Sorry for the boring post too...

Cheers,
Jason

You Are Strawberry Ice Cream

A bit shy and sensitive, you are sweet to the core. You often find yourself on the outside looking in. Insightful and pensive, you really understand how the world works. You are most compatible with chocolate chip ice cream.

What Flavor Ice Cream Are You?