Jason L. Maier is CRAZY!!!

Baby Pics (part 3)...

2010-05-01T02:23:00.000-04:00

Now we'll have to see...

2010-04-30T15:59:00.000-04:00

It is going to be interesting to see how Kenneth Branagh handles this. Thor has been one of my favorite Marvel characters of all time. I hope that the movies will do justice to the comic books. On a side note, Josh Whedon (my favorite media creator) is going to be directing THE AVENGERS movie. That is going to be a blast. J.J. didn't do too bad with STAR TREK and Faverau did a good job with the first IRON MAN. Speaking of which, IRON MAN 2 will be my son's 2nd movie (first being KICK-ASS), 2nd comic book movie as a matter of fact. Less than a week away.

P.S. - Happy 3rd week to my son Nicholas Alan.

Now that's a good idea...

2010-04-27T13:34:00.000-04:00

from the HOUSE OF IDEAS!

This is exciting because even if they make them STV or they do get in the theatre...they should be able to make most of their money back. This opens a whole lot of possibilities and some are going to suck, but at least you are going to please us geeks.
Mark wanted to collect ALL comic book movies...that could prove to be challenging and expensive.

Mike and Shane...

2010-04-25T21:37:00.000-04:00

this one's for you!

Check out this website:

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

So we're past two weeks old already...

2010-04-25T19:31:00.000-04:00

If anyone reads this that is going to become a Dad at any point in your life. Talk to the fetus...I did for a little while and then, like everything else, I fell out of habit with it. Now it seems (to me at least) that he doesn't recognize my voice. I am going to change this and I have some ideas of how to do so, but the fact remains he almost always looks towards Letha when she says anything...and every now and then looks my way. It could be because of the fact that she is the feeder and I'm just the guy who gives him his baths (which he doesn't like at all). I know at some point he's going to know who I am, but right now it doesn't seem to matter who you are unless your his mother.

Things are different but not as radically as everyone said they'd be. For Letha it's a lot different (anytime he stirs she wakes up) because she feeds him and changes him (and while I'm sleeping). My wife is amazing...as her thought process is since I'm working, she attempts to take care of him while I am sleeping. When she reaches a point when she is really tired, she'll wake me up to help out. We are also hoping to get more on to a schedule in the next week or so. Things are only going to get better and I hope I can remember with the next pregnancy to talk to my unborn child A LOT more. Maybe Nick will be talking to the baby too.

I am also very grateful for the help that we have received from Letha's Mom and Jason McNear. It's making the hours at my job a lot more tolerable.

My favorite things that Nicholas currently does are his smiling (it's so damn cute) and his squeaking. He squeaks quite often while he's sleeping (and it's usually followed by a smile). The first time I heard it I was sitting on the couch and thought Kaylee or Drake had their squeaking toy bone. Nope that was in the middle of the living room floor. Then when I looked down at him again, out came another one. I had one of those moments where you are the only one to witness something so you start looking around seeing if anyone else was present for such an event...then you realize you were the only one. No camera in reach either...dang it.

I will add some more pictures in the next couple of days.

Baby Pics (part 2)...

2010-04-10T13:53:00.001-04:00

Mr. Nicholas...

2010-04-10T08:13:00.003-04:00

So I have known for 9 months that these days were more than likely coming (unless something horrible happened), but I wasn't ready. Heck I don't feel like I'm ready now and the little guy is here. It is all very surreal.

So Wednesday, April 7th the wife was brought in at 7:30 PM to do prep work for her induction. At 9 PM they gave her drugs to start it all up. On Thursday, she started getting contractions at 5 AM. She was dealing with them quite well for the first 8 1/2 hours then got the epidural around 1:30 PM. The only issue with her body not feeling the contractions as hard is she stopped progressing. So at 7 PM they gave her a drug to help her contractions start again.

The Doctor told us at 7, that if we didn't progress any within a few hours that we would have to discuss "other" options (meaning a cesarean), which we weren't interested in. Luckily at 10 PM she was almost ready. Then a little after midnight Letha got to start REALLY pushing.

Nicholas got stuck on her pelvis, and he was facing sideways, so it was a little more in depth than it should have been. But the little guy was born at 2:11 AM on Friday, April 9th. He weighed 9 lbs and 4 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long.

We were lucky he was born without a cesarean because he was so big (average babies are 6 -8 pounds). The Doctor proclaimed that Letha didn't birth a baby, but a toddler. I get to look at the little guy all the time and still can't believe it. Letha and I are very lucky and are trying to enjoy the here and now...although I am REALLY excited about the times he'll be able to walk and talk. My friend Lee told me after the birth of his little girl, that he was trying to experience every moment with his wife and child because everything moves so fast. I like this advice and am going to try and think of it that way.

I am going to try to put stories about the little guy on here as much as possible. So keep an eye out.

Baby Pics (part 1)...

2010-04-09T10:27:00.002-04:00

Gonna wash that...

2010-03-18T20:10:00.002-04:00

So we had over 10 inches of rain hit us last weekend. That is over the total of normal amounts of March and April combined. Letha was somewhat worried about the basement flooding (she's been through it before) but me not so much. Saturday, Sunday and Monday morning were all the normal couple of inches (when it rains) then we got home on Monday evening, that's when the levees broke...

My dogs would have loved the indoor swimming pool we came home to. If it weren't for the possibility of gasoline in the water I might have let them. Never the less the 2 feet of water ruined a lot. That night I thought it was mostly replaceable, except for all of my video tapes (especially from my years in high school).

Then I was taking some of it to the curb this evening only to open a box of books. Not just any books...my senior year book, my senior signing book, my scripts, my card collections and all of my drawing pads from when I was really young.

It just sucks that all of these things got destroyed at once. I couldn't even convince myself to throw all of it away.

Baby Stuff

2010-02-21T14:34:00.002-05:00

We have been setting the apartment up for when the baby comes. We also bought a small baby doll to get Drake and Kaylee ready. We walk around the house carrying the doll and also put it in the baby cradle too. We are hoping that exposing them to these things now will make it easier on them when Nicholas does show up. They seem to not mind things too much. I know there will be an adjustment period...here's to an easy time caring for the dogs as well as the baby.

Winter 2009

2010-02-21T14:19:00.004-05:00

We've gotten our fair share of lazy days during this winter...

These were the stockings, Drake and Kaylee's are on the left. As you can see they were very interested in their assorted treats and toys were fun to watch them play with (or destroy).

The wife didn't dissapoint again this year. She bought me a gift certificate to Barley Corn Brewing where I get to make my own beer. You cook and do all the crafting in their store (so you don't get your house messy) and they store it for the 6 week period. Then you go back and make your own beer labels. I am looking forward to doing it very soon.

This was the worst snow storm we got hit with during winter of 2009. Yep that's my Impala on the left.

But as you can see Kaylee and Drake didn't mind the snow at all.

Stuff...

2010-01-08T13:02:00.004-05:00

So I was thinking that there isn't enough time in the day, I have to work and there are so many other things I want to do...and what do I do with my days off?

I want to learn how to play guitar and piano. I don't know why I didn't try to learn when I was growing up. I guess I just wanted to do the things I already knew how to. I think I am going to talk instruments up to my kids more and more. Then maybe they can teach me a couple of things. It sucks because I liked Music Theory when I was taking it at IUPUI and now most of it escapes me.

I also want to find the time to create movies. I had a lot of fun making films and want to make more. Everytime I get the itch to start writing I have nothing...gotta work on this.

The hard part is to be there for my wife and child(ren). I know I have to make time for me, but I enjoy spending time with the family as well.

I don't know...maybe I will find a lot of money or win the lottery. Then I can learn the instruments I want to learn and make movies I want to make and still have the resources to take care of my family.

I just have to flex some creative muscles...and find a way. That and stop playing so many video games...

Football...

2009-12-28T11:02:00.002-05:00

Here we are near the end of the football season...this means two things. Sundays will soon be free for me to do whatever I want and Spring is coming.
I had some fun yesterday...yes we beat the Jags, which isn't a huge task, but we are starting to look like a team that can contend for a Championship. Tom's form is coming back as well as his confidence.

As far as The Colts (or as some people I know call them...The Peyton Mannings)...I don't agree with the choice they made yesterday. They proved they don't have a team without Manning. I was worried (and even made the comment after we lost to the Colts, "There goes our 16-0 record.") they were going to win all their games and go on to be the only team to go 19-0. I think they had the potential to do so. But the mental toughness to take a loss when you don't have to? I saw a lot of dissapointment on Peyton's face yesterday (he kept his helmet and pads on for a reason), it'll be an interesting postseason...

Got to keep an eye on those Chargers as well...

For Shane M. White...

2009-10-27T13:27:00.001-04:00

A real American hero (part 2)...

2009-08-11T11:53:00.000-04:00

this is some good stuff...

The Ballad of G.I. Joe from Olivia Wilde

A real American Hero...

2009-08-08T23:36:00.005-04:00

The movie is nothing but a silly forget it takes place in any reality, turn off your brain and enjoy kind of film. Lots of things when looked at from a real stand point are rather ridiculous and down right stupid. But this is a movie that makes me feel like a kid again. Hell some of my favorite cartoons are unwatchable now, but I loved them as a kid. I might not ever own this movie, but it was cool to see. I'll make sure if it's on cable to turn it on in the background...

2 1/2 out of 5 stars, with a smile from my childhood on top.

Big Papi...says it ain't so...

2009-08-08T23:18:00.005-04:00

Okay, I will admit that I am biased, especially when it comes to my teams. But I am ready to admit when people screw up...Belichick DID cheat (although he certainly wasn't the only one) and he got caught.

When it comes to David Ortiz, I will believe him. He stated today that he NEVER took steroids, but took MANY over the counter supplements. Why wouldn't he have come forward if he had taken them?

Look at what has happened to A-Rod and Manny...NOTHING and they both have come forward about their steroid use (or taken their suspension). Hell Manny came back to a standing ovation...

So why would Big Papi come out and continue to deny using them if he had in fact used them, it doesn't make any sense to me...

Here are a few articles from the Boston Globe (one editorial and one blog entry) I found worth a read, you know...if you give a crap about baseball.

2/3 through the year...

2009-07-30T10:34:00.003-04:00

and my Top 10 Movies (so far) are...

1. Up
2. Star Trek
3. Taken
4. The Hangover
5. The Hurt Locker
6. Moon
7. Public Enemies
8. Fast & Furious
9. Defiance
10. I Love You, Man

This list is on enjoyablility which is all the matters to me anymore. Who cares if it is made well but I don't connect emotionally to any character...

Now, I have only seen 25 movies since the year began so the list is a little less than half of what I have seen. God only knows how far some of these movies would have fallen if I still saw over 100 films a year.

What are your Top 5? Is there something I missed that was just amazing?

So, my dog is a pothead...

2009-07-17T11:17:00.004-04:00

Nope not this one...

this one. So the story begins on Wednesday evening. Kaylee got sick 4 times after dinner. We weren't sure what caused it...but Letha had taken both of them to the park earlier in the day. Yesterday (Thursday) we came home from the park and I found a weed bud in the back seat of the car partially hidden under the blanket we cover the backseat with. I also noticed very green drops of dried up slobber all over the backseat as well. I can only guess since everything was dried that it had been from the day before. So that's our guess as to why my dog threw up all over the place on Wednesday night.

Good thing I didn't get pulled over on my way home from work yesterday..."honestly officer, it's my dog's not mine."

You have to watch this...

2009-06-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

Movie talk...

2009-05-29T23:36:00.011-04:00

This topic was started by Troy and followed up by John...so I thought I would give it a shot...

What is the first film you ever saw?

The first film I ever remember was RETURN OF THE JEDI. I don't remember a whole lot of the experience...I do remember the lightsaber fight between the green Skywalker blade and the red Vader blade clashing and making the entire auditorium light up like crazy. It is a priceless memory...maybe that's why I feel like my mind was raped by George Lucas and his ATTEMPT to make the "new" trilogy.

What is your favorite film of all time?

This is a tough question...I will have to say STAR WARS (Episode IV: A New Hope). There is something magical about the way that first movie is. I know that EMPIRE is better made, but you feel the magic with the first one more than any of the others.

What is your favorite line in a film?

"I could make a better sex-ed film with my mom!" - GIRL NEXT DOOR

What film made you realize that film was an art?

SCHINDLER'S LIST...I never watched black and white movies when I was younger because they weren't in COLOR. I remember watching SL and being in awe of what was being done with the camera work and the coloring of the little girl's coat.

What movie do you consider your guilty pleasure?

VARSITY BLUES...the performances aren't great the script even less so...but Van Der Beek's monologue at the end of the movie is a great one for any sports movie...I DON'T WANT YOUR LIFE...

Who is your favorite movie character of all time?

Han Solo (pre-Special Edition)...there's nothing better than a bad ass ready to shoot first and ask questions later...and when his character turns around for the better it actually means something. Without him you wouldn't have Malcolm Reynolds...and he's a bad ass the world of cinema and television shouldn't be without. It's obvious what I watched most when I was growing up isn't it...

What is your favorite movie snack food?

Popcorn...hands down, it's not the same without some kettle popped corn. Microwave and air popped be damned...

Who is your favorite director of all time?

James Cameron...he is not the best but the question is FAVORITE. I will see any movie of his and have seen all but PIRANHA II. All of his movies do everything I want a good director to accomplish in a movie...on top of that, they are fun films to see. TERMINATOR 2 is my most seen film...ever.

Who is the most impressive filmmaker working today?

Christopher Nolan...all of his movies have a "real" feel and most of the time have a great story to go along with it. I hope he sticks to his guns and doesn't let anyone ever dictate his films for him.

What quality do the best directors share?

An ability to make the characters and the world in the film come to life. It isn't just their doing either...the editor makes a lot of difference to. I can remember watching SUPERMAN RETURNS and the movie is good (not great...not even the best of the series) but the airplane scene is the best of the entire film. I was watching it on IMAX (my 3rd time seeing the movie in the theatre) in 3D, and feeling the music bringing me up and down with what was happening on screen. Bryan Singer uses John Ottman as his editor and film composer, which I think is brilliant. He must be somewhat composing the movie while he is editing it. A lot of good directors to the same thing while filming...the are already thinking of how they are going to edit the film together.

Who is your favorite actor/actress of all time?

I will replace favorite actor of all time with my most liked actor...Tom Hanks. He is enjoyable to watch in everything, my favorite is when he is in a comedy...THAT'S GOOD ADVICE!

Who is your favorite actor/actress working today?

Gary Oldman always disappears when taking on a role. He takes acting to another level...I still don't know what that man looks like in real life. Second for me...Leonardo DiCaprio.

Who would you cast in a film about your life?

People say I look like Seth Rogan...and he is funny enough to pull off a Jason Maier...so why not...

Finish these sentences:

If you could remake one movie...I would remake a lot of them...mostly sequels that raped my memories of the originals. T3, T4, Episodes I, II & III...I could go on but you see my point...

I never wanna watch a movie with...people who aren't there for the experience. But hey, I watched SCREAM 2 on opening night at Eastgate...just for the crowd...

The perfect movie is...one that takes you on a ride of emotions with the character(s) in the film...

My own personal question to add is...

What director is the biggest disappointment?

M. Night Shyamalan...I loved THE SIXTH SENSE but have either just liked or extremely hated every other film he's made. You spend 6 or 7 years fine tuning a script and make a breakthrough hit...then everything else is just crap comparatively...take 6 or 7 more years off and see where THAT script can get you.

The suckwad that is Hollywood...

2009-05-26T15:28:00.006-04:00

has produced another HORRIBLE sequel to a GOOD franchise (I would have said GREAT, but T3 was already made).

I have seen not too many bad comments about the pile of crap that is SALVATION, yet nobody is saying it's a "good" movie. I keep hearing, "the effects were good" (which they were...for the most part) and "what did you expect from a Terminator movie?"

I'm sorry...the first 2 films (both done by James Cameron) actually had some emotion and realism to them. I constantly find myself going back to discussions I have had with my brother Michael, about movie staying REAL in their own realm. No time travel and man sized killer machines DON'T exist, but Cameron's films gave you the feeling of them possibly existing. I watch this turd of a movie and think of how ridiculous some of the story line (what little there is of one) is. You feel NO EMOTION for anyone (including John Connor) at any point in the film.

The other part that kills me is Hollywood. Yes, it's a business and they want to pack the auditoriums...but you hear a lot of actors (Christian Bale) and directors (McG) talk about it being art. Some people have theories that SUMMER movies aren't art but just cash cows...this is one of the movies that proves that point true. Look at last year...THE DARK KNIGHT, IRON MAN and THE INCREDIBLE HULK...summer movies that could be considered art but at least they were fun. TERMINATOR: SALVATION was the worst summer movie I have seen this year as of now(and I won't be surprised if I still say that at the end of the summer) and I would put it up with one of the biggest disappointments of the last couple of summers (Indy 4 is also up there).

The last thing that has been bugging me about T4 is the one particular scene (no spoilers here). At some point Hollywood thought it would be a GREAT idea for one "accident" to become 8 more "accidents" and then ending up helping out the main character...this isn't good or clever writing, especially when it is so predictable...

I am a main stream movie goer that loves working at the art house for the atmosphere...maybe I should learn to LOVE the product we show at my theatre...oh wait, I saw that piece of crap T4 at my theatre...

A good weekend with friends...

2009-05-17T22:29:00.005-04:00

For Letha's LAST birthday present of this year...I got her friends (from L to R) Cara, Matt, Baker and Deb to come out and hang with us at our Grandparent's house on Cape Cod. We went to Provincetown and climbed the Pilgrim Mounment. This was the first place the Pilgrims landed in North America.

This is what the stairwell to the top looks like from the bottom.

This is the view from the top of the monument.

It was a good couple of days relaxing. Thanks to all that came to celebrate Letha's birthday, I know her and I had a lot of fun and I hope you did to. We don't get to hang out with a whole lot of friends here in Massachusetts and it was good to have some chill time with some close friends. I wish more people could have come but there is only 1.5 bathrooms at the house.

To Letha, till next year...Happy Birthday!!!

Art from our cruise...

2009-05-17T22:19:00.004-04:00

These are the 4 oil paintings we got while we were on our cruise...

I told Letha to buy whatever she wanted to. She first purchased the framed pic of Venice...she said she loved the way the colors danced on the canvas. Then came the black and white pictures of France. Letha spent 9 months teaching English as a 2nd language in France. The really cool thing about these paintings is the 3D effect the oil has. It had been painted with a knife to give hard rigid edges and deep cuts in the thick paint. They are some good looking pieces...plus we got one of them free from a raffle that was thrown.

And just for Mike...

2009-05-09T14:44:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I have posted any new pics of Drake and Kaylee...so here you are Mike!

Wakefield wins 2...

2009-05-09T14:29:00.005-04:00

with the Maier's in attendance...

While in Florida after our cruise my wife suggested we go to the Red Sox versus Rays game. We both enjoy watching ball games, especially when one of (if not both) our teams are playing...and decided when we go on vacation we should see if the local team of our locale is playing.

So Tim Wakefield was pitching in Tampa Bay while we were in Florida (and was the only win from the series). It was cool to be a visitor for a sporting event again...the cool thing about Tropicana Field is they have a HITTERS HALL OF FAME named after the BEST hitter in all of baseball TED WILLIAMS.

Then we also had tickets 5 days later for a game at Fenway, that Wakefield pitched again. 2 starts in a row, both attended by Letha and me, 2 wins for Wake...maybe were his good luck charm or something... :-)

Great Vacation...

2009-05-09T14:19:00.005-04:00

the first of many for Letha and I out of the country...was to the Bahamas (only for 9 hours).

We got on the ship in Florida, sailed all night and got to the Bahamas around 8 AM. We went snorkeling and then did a little bit of shopping and sailed back to Florida at 5 PM. It was a really good and well deserved vacation.

Only 9 more REGULAR days...

2009-04-18T19:44:00.003-04:00

until Letha and I are on vaction. The Bahamas, Florida and another trip to Universal Studios...I'm so freakin' excited. This will be Letha and I's first vacation since our wedding. Of course, I'm not counting the trips to Indiana for weddings or quick trips to New Hampshire...but I think it very well deserved.

On another note...I have lost 23.6 pounds since February 24th. I have been getting my body in shape to go to the beach...of course I still another 18 pounds to go before I am at my goal weight, which is the lowest I have weighed in my adult life. But little steps will get me there...

I'll make sure to post pictures of our vacation when we get back...

Some people are CRAZY...

2009-04-18T12:56:00.005-04:00

but these guys are NUTZ!

On Thursday I got a call from a manager in the city that told me about this movie. Letha had read a RUNNER'S WORLD article about one of these guys. It sounded crazy when she told me about it, but it was nuts to watch the movie about their journey. We only saw 90 minutes of their journey...but it was awe inspiring. To see what they saw (even small portions) was amazing.

They had planned to run 80 days and averging 2 marathons a day...I have done 2 half-marathons (a year apart) and I don't want to do another one EVER. But to do 4 times the amount I did...a day for 2 and a half months? Then we you start the journey...it ends up taking an extra 31 days. They averaged a 9-10 minute mile for 4300 miles through 6 countries.

It was a very inspiring film to watch and I don't run. Letha found it a lot more inspiring and has decided that she wants to do another marathon at some point down the road.

Here's the trailer to the film:

Chicks and Lightsabers?

2009-04-18T12:53:00.000-04:00

Can you do this...

2009-03-13T13:25:00.000-04:00

I know I can't...

Cuteness...overload...

2009-02-20T16:37:00.003-05:00

And no...that's not Kaylee in the pictures...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...

2009-02-18T10:42:00.003-05:00

So I'm driving to work this morning and listening to the radio when I heard about this situation, I'm surprised I didn't run across this on Mike's blog.

Now...I am all for coming to this country to find a better way of life, LEGALLY. If you are an illegal you have no civil rights in this country. Here's a patriot of our country doing what is right, trying to get the vermin to stay out of this country. "...he began rounding up illegal immigrants after they started to vandalize his property...he said the immigrants tore up water pumps, killed calves, destroyed fences and gates, stole trucks and broke into his home..."

Now he has been found guilty of crimes against people who were trespassing on his property...this country is so idiotic. Next thing you know we'll be able to sue for spilling hot coffee on ourselves...or sue for cutting ourselves while breaking and entering...oh wait, those have already happened.

We deserve everything that is coming our way...because a lot of people in this country are looking for handouts and not using common sense.

A puppy...in Halo 3...

2009-01-17T10:04:00.000-05:00

Thundercats...HOOOOOO!!!

2008-12-23T19:29:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I've blogged about anything...but this is a pretty damn cool trailer using other movies as the basis...

Wonder Who?

2008-11-21T14:19:00.003-05:00

So I was surfing around and found this...

it is a hoax and a pretty good one at that. If you go to the guy's website that did this he explains why. It reminds me of this posting I did a while ago.

I have to admit the guy's reasoning for picking Megan Fox is right on par with how Hollywood thinks. If they had a good director they might be able to get a real performance out of her. The good news is that she is young enough to make a trilogy for WB/DC. I would be on board with watching a Wonder Woman movie...I watch every other book/comic interpretation on screen why not this one. I just wish Joss Whedon was still on this project...

So, have you ever...

2008-11-07T11:06:00.008-05:00

run 26.2 miles before? Well, I know I haven't, but I am married to someone who has.

This past Sunday, November 2nd, 2008, my wife, Letha Maier, ran the ING New York City marathon.

The trip started on Friday (Halloween) when we packed up the car, loaded the dogs and drove 3 1/2 hours to NYC. We got there and hung out with McNear and his roommates (thanks for letting us stay with you guys) until about 3 in the morning. . .

Doesn't Drake look like he could use a beer?

Woke up on Saturday and then headed to The Javits Center (convention center) for Letha to pick up her number and chip. We then headed to lunch at Chevy's and then came home for an evening of relaxing.

Then comes 3:45 am on Sunday morning. We decided I would drive Letha down to the library, then park the car close to the finish line and head back for a nap. I got back to the apartment around 6 am and took the dogs to the dog park (to run off some energy). We then headed down to mile 8 of the race, to see Letha for the first of 3 visits along the course.

She came running up to us, with the biggest smile and jumped on me while giving me a huge hug. After giving her orange slices (and getting a quick kiss), she was off and we were going to mile 18 to see her for the second time.

At mile 18 we saw her again, this time we gave her a bag of mini Oreos and a flat Coke. This is where McNear jumped in the race to help her get thru the parts that were the slowest and most boring. McNear ran six miles with her and then jumped out before going into Central Park. She only had a little over 2 miles left to go on her own.

I will admit while I was watching people finish the race, I was worried. I saw so much pain in some of the runner's faces that it would have been unbearable to watch Letha in that much pain. I had seen her in such good spirits before, I was hoping for the best but expecting the worst. Then after seeing COW MAN...

(people wear some weird stuff...there were even Ghostbusters out that day), Letha came across the 26 mile mark. I could see she was in the best of sprits and I was so happy.

I haven't been proud of a whole lot of people in my life (yet). But watching Letha complete a marathon was one of the most amazing things to witness and was very inspirational. She finished almost 12 to 13 minutes faster than she was planning. I know if she would have really pushed herself she could have beaten it by 40 minutes or even an hour. But her goal was to finish...and that she did.

I love you Letha and am so proud of what you accomplished.

I'm not for either...

2008-10-30T14:08:00.003-04:00

of our candidates. I am sick and tired of hearing some people act like Obama is going to save our way of life. Reality check people...it's going to get a LOT worse before it even thinks about getting better.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081030/ap_on_el_ge/fact_check_obama_ad

I haven't done a whole lot of digging on either candidate and I am not sure I'll be voting for either of them (Mickey Mouse would be better in my opinion).

Obama says we need change but doesn't really explain how that change is going to happen (see link above to see how much CHANGE is going to cost us).

McCain keeps saying he's been seasoned for the job with the tough job he's done in Washington. Yet he supports what we are doing in Iraq. Sorry, McCain we shouldn't be trying to force democracy down people's throat...no matter how much we want to. Vietnam didn't work and this won't either.

We started the mess in Iraq, we just need to stay there long enough to get something in place so we can leave and it not be taken over by radicals. I don't even care if it's a democracy or not.

I am sick of politics, both our candidates and the downfall of our great country because a few people are just THAT stupid.

The president can't to anything all by himself, he's needs other people in Washington and Washington has sold us down river without a paddle...

Animal the Speedster?

2008-10-29T11:26:00.002-04:00

My wife made me laugh a bunch this morning by forwarding on this blog about a crazy muppet...

http://arbroath.blogspot.com/2008/10/german-police-seek-speeding-british.html

A return to form...

2008-10-25T09:33:00.000-04:00

I can remember being little and watching Clint Eastwood movies. KELLY'S HEROES, numerous westerns, the DIRTY HARRY movies and one of my personal favorites of his HEARTBREAK RIDGE.

He has only gotten better (as a director and actor) since I've grown into a real movie fan. LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA is one of the best war movies...one of the best MOVIES period.

I had heard his latest movie was being kept under close wraps, that is until the trailer came out in the last couple of days.

It looks like old Clint is back...

Enjoy!

Anyone know...

2008-10-25T09:29:00.003-04:00

of a good girl recording artist?

I would like to pick up some music by a woman. I would prefer that the sound was more tame than balls to the wall.

I enjoy Michelle Branch for her voice not necessarily for her sound. I want to hear something that is almost relaxing.

John Peddie or Troy Myers are the ones I expect to chime in first, but I want everyone's opinion.

Thanks!

Congratulations...

2008-10-23T12:46:00.003-04:00

to my brother David and his wife Jennifer.

It has been 15 years ago today, that they took their vows (while I was in Washington D.C., still can't say sorry enough...but I did get to meet Sean Astin :-D and I was back in time for the reception).

Congratulations, you are an inspiration.

Hey...at least Mike didn't do what the guy below this post did...

Watch...

2008-10-17T22:56:00.003-04:00

laugh and enjoy...and then thank me later(or thank my wife as she was the one who sent this to me). :-D

Movies...

2008-10-15T11:10:00.007-04:00

that I have seen recently!

I finally found the time to watch THE KINGDOM. The movie stars Jamie Foxx and was directed by Peter Berg. Interesting movie that was saved by it's action sequences. I really enjoyed Ridley Scott's directing in BLACK HAWK DOWN and this movie reminded me of that one, action wise. The story is a little on the slow side but makes up for it anytime there is gun play (very realistic - or so it seemed to me) or explosions.

2.5 stars out of five

Then I think I made a mistake. I watched BODY OF LIES the same night as THE KINGDOM (both take place in the Middle East). This movie was also really interesting, as does the previous movie, it shows a little of both sides of the story. Leonardo DiCaprio and Russell Crowe are fantastic and the directing is top notch (another movie by Ridley Scott). I just wish they would have edited it down a bit. I don't need to watch people drive EVERYWHERE.

2.5 stars out of five

Then comes one of those films that is fun, gross and sweet all within 90 minutes. NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST is that movie. I do wonder what this movie would have been like without Michael Cera. He was good in it, but I think this movie would have found it's audience if it were in the art circuit. The movie is a lot of fun as you watch the main characters interact. This is going to be like EMPIRE RECORDS and a whole bunch of movie that are fun and involve a lot of music, it's going to live through DVD and be a cult smash. My favorite thing about this movie is how tastefully they handle the only "sex scene" in the movie. It keeps with the innocence of the film.

3.5 out of five

If you are looking for a movie to watch I recommend all three of these. KINGDOM for action, BODY for drama and NICK AND NORAH'S for comedy.

Enjoy!

I haven't watched SNL for a while...

2008-10-09T15:35:00.002-04:00

but maybe I should start again. Enjoy the following videos, I know I did:

I've been waiting...

2008-09-23T22:47:00.001-04:00

and I found what I was looking for.

Here's a bootleg of the WOLVERINE trailer. The movie comes out May 1st of next year, and it's one of the few that I am geeked up for.

Watch for yourself...

http://wolverine-trailer.blogspot.com/

ENJOY!!!

Patriots win? NFL week 2...

2008-09-15T13:21:00.007-04:00

I'm hoping this becomes a familiar sight...

We looked decent yesterday. I was not in the mood to write about what happened in Week 1, and I am going to watch the rest of the season hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

As far as Brett Favre...

He's the same ol' Brett. Did anyone (besides Letha and I) notice he's wearing a bright yellow shirt under his jersey and pads (look at the pic above)? Brett you are not a Packer currently...and I think they are better off without you. You are one of the best (I can't imagine the records Marino would have if he played this long), I just wish you didn't go to the team I hate.

Our defense played well yesterday, and are going to have to for the rest of the year is we are going to do anything. If nothing else I hope we mess up other teams plans for the post season, and if we still get there...cool.

Hey Colts fans...don't worry, your team is going to get out of this funk and start really kicking team's butts. Even while those Steelers are coming up behind you.

I also enjoyed watching the Chargers get their losses these last two weeks. Tomlinson has a lot of talent (but seems to be made of glass) and Rivers needs someone to put a good lick on him to get him to shut up.

Another good song...

2008-09-05T16:47:00.001-04:00

from my childhood...ENJOY!!!

For Shane and his puppy...

2008-09-05T11:30:00.000-04:00

and my brother Mike too...

I was recently told...

2008-09-05T10:31:00.003-04:00

by a pastor, that the END OF DAYS was coming soon.

He used the fact of the devestating storms that happen a lot recently.

Then I read this article today:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080904/us_time/whydisastersaregettingworse

Disasters have been happening ever since this world was created. I have been trying to find my relationship with GOD for a long time now...it just surprises me that people are being scared that the end of days is coming. Our spiritual leaders have been saying it FOR-EV-ER. I believe it is just a scare tactic. Live each day as if it is your last (very few can afford to do that) is the way organized religion tells you to live so MAYBE there won't be so many problems. If you think GOD is going to judge you tomorrow, maybe you won't do what you were going to do today.

Now back to disasters, why is it that people were surprised when Katrina happened? It's not like people in tornado alley are surprised when tornados come knocking on our doors (use to live in it myself). If you live on the coast, ANY COAST, it is a possiblity. If you live in California, don't be surprised when the ground shakes.

Common sense people...use it.

Roger Corman...

2008-08-25T12:26:00.003-04:00

should be proud...

DEATH RACE was awesome!!! They changed the premise but it was still fun as hell to watch. Paul W.S. Anderson has made some REALLY BAD movies in his career, but this isn't one of them.

It is EXACTLY what you think it will be...and still more than I was hoping for. Sadly this version, it is a loose remake of the cult classic DEATH RACE 2000, doesn't go around running poor unaware people over. It all takes place in a prison. Silly movie no great dialogue but lots of fun once the movie gets to the prison...which doesn't take long since the movie is only 90 minutes long.

It gets:

3 stars out of five

So...

2008-08-20T11:34:00.002-04:00

I have been up to a lot recently.

First, Drake did only have one testicle removed and is going under the knife again. Thanks Alliance for Animals...or should I say TORTURE for Animals? How hard is it to count to 2? On top of that, he also has some skin issue right now, that we have to go back to the vet for...there's another $100 most likely.

Second, I had fun in Indy while there last weekend. Got to meet Lee and Laura's baby Layla. She's a cutie and has some really beautiful eyes. We had lunch with Shane and McNear before heading up to Anderson/Pendleton area. We did the rehearsal thing and then watched Michael Phelps win his 7th gold medal (thanks to DVR). Then Saturday came and I was the photographer at my sister-in-law's wedding. I had a lot of fun, and would think it would be a great job...lining people up, telling them how to stand and when to get the hell out of the way.

Third, the fantasy football draft is this weekend...looking forward to picking a good team, hopefully.

Last, Justin and Fallon (with Giles) are coming to visit at the end of this month. We hope to have a lot of fun while they are in town.

Poor Drake...

2008-07-23T18:11:00.004-04:00

So Drake has had some complications from his surgery. It is possible that they only removed 1 testicle from him. We have to go back to the Vet next week to find out for sure. Right now, we are only hoping that he gets better and that the Doc is wrong. I don't want to take him back to the shady place (Alliance for Animals, a clinic) to finish a job they should have done right in the first place. What's worst (for them) is that now Letha's pissed. One person you don't want on your bad side is a smart woman who (along with me) treats her dogs like her kids. She was a premed major and for fun pokes around at legal stuff.

Still hoping for the best...not just for us, but mainly for the little guy.

Wonder Woman...

2008-07-21T16:15:00.002-04:00

lives with me...her name is Letha Maier. My wife is an amazing woman, this is just fact. I just wanted to let everyone know! :-D

The Dark Knight...

2008-07-19T23:05:00.003-04:00

If you like these kinds of movie...believe the hype. If you don't and you are only slightly interested, do yourself a favor...go see it. Heath is not noticable as the Joker and he is exactly how I wanted the character to be...just insane from the beginning to the end.

I hope you enjoy.

Hey Mike...

2008-07-18T14:26:00.000-04:00

I found your hat!!!

Funny political stuff...

2008-07-16T11:28:00.002-04:00

Check out my brother's blog:

Mike's Blog

Watch the video under the title Yo Joe!

It was published on Tuesday, July 15, 2008.

If you like that you might read his other blog entry:

Perfectly Brillant!

It was published on Saturday, June 28, 2008.

He's a funny guy...

Joss Whedon is my master now...

2008-07-16T10:35:00.003-04:00

So if you like Joss Whedon, musicals, Neil Patrick Harris, or Nathan Fillion then make sure to catch:

DR. HORRIBLE'S SING-A-LONG BLOG

Neil plays an evil genius (Dr. Horrible) trying to become a part of the Super Villian Super Team. He must prove himself, but Captain Hammer (Fillion) steps in and makes a mess of things. Also there is a love triangle over course...funny stuff.

It's only free on the website for a limited time, but then you can download it on I-Tunes. Act I is available now, Act II tomorrow, and Act III on Saturday.

Enjoy!

Top 5 Marvel Films...

2008-07-14T14:53:00.012-04:00

So it is no secret that I really enjoy the book HIGH FIDELITY, that's why I use the top 5 format for some stuff...like this.

This is a count down and will start at #5 and you will have to scroll don to #1 (I hate list that show you #1 first...there is no build up or suspense). There were 19 movies considered for this list (not including the straight to video version of THE PUNISHER).

The list is taken from the following:

SPIDER-MAN 1, 2 & 3

X-MEN 1, 2 & 3

FANTASTIC FOUR 1 & 2

Both versions of THE HULK

GHOST RIDER

DAREDEVIL and the follow up ELEKTRA

THE PUNISHER

BLADE 1, 2 & 3

HOWARD THE DUCK

IRON MAN

#5 - SPIDER-MAN

The first story of Peter Parker to hit the screen was a lot of fun. Relied to heavily on CGI at some points, but it was so much fun swinging around NYC with the webhead.

#4 - X-MEN

A movie I had waited to see since for almost 10 years (when James Cameron was rumored to be the director) was everything I was hoping it would be. Bryan Singer was the perfect choice for this movie and treated with respect while bringing the first REAL comic book movie (for Marvel)to the screen. I remember watching it with Mark Buckwalter (another huge X fan) and just looking at each other and being amazed at what we were watching.

#3 - SPIDER-MAN 2

The first movie for Spidey was a lot of fun, but this movie brought in the drama too. It was a lot of fun to watch the great exposition. Doc Ock was a lot of fun to follow as well. It felt like the first movie but was just flat out better.

#2 - IRON MAN

From beginning to end it wasn't boring. There are so many little things in the movie for the fans (still haven't seen Captain America's shield yet) that are done with grace as to not pull non-fanboys out of the movie. Great casting, great acting and great directing made this one of the best comic book movies of all time.

#1 - X2: X-Men United

This is the BEST movie that Marvel has put out to date. The opening scene with Nightcrawler is amazing! It does drag on at some points but has lots of storytelling and is just a lot of fun. My favorite comic book franchise didn't dissapoint until the crap third installment.

The honorable mentions:

THE INCREDIBLE HULK
BLADE
FANTASTIC FOUR

James Bond or not to James Bond...

2008-07-03T11:03:00.002-04:00

This is the newest trailer for the latest James Bond film: QUANTUM OF SOLACE.

For a funny laugh...watch this...

More pics...

2008-07-01T13:46:00.003-04:00

I love you guys...
Mommy's girl...
I CAN fly, I can FLYYYYY...
I like to contemplate my existence...
When do I get my food...

Pics for Mikey...

2008-06-25T20:49:00.008-04:00

You scream, I scream...we all scream for ice cream...

I was being a good boy Dad...

It was her fault, she started it...

So...can I tell you MY version...

Well then you came home...

#17...

2008-06-25T12:28:00.004-04:00

Many of my friends are quite surprised that I hadn't written a blog about the Celtics win yet.

I didn't know how to go about it...

Letha and I went to the last regular season game against the Nets and I turned to her and said, "I've got a good feeling about this team. I think we're going to win it all." It had been a long time since anyone saw the kind of team. They didn't just win, they crushed teams (much like the Patriots did last year). It is suppose to be bad form when a team doesn't let off the gas...why? Why should Doc put in his reserves and LET a team come back within striking distance? You don't let up...you never know what could happen.

That's what's wrong with society now. "Hey, sorry you didn't win a single game all season in your little league...here's a trophy, because you tried so hard." Bull crap!!!

You don't win, you don't reap the benefits. Winning makes people happy, but losing builds character. It's only when you lose things, that you really find out who you are. Look at Reggie Miller, sure he wanted to win while playing...he even had a chance to come and play for the Celtics and get a ring, but he didn't (even though I wish he had, because I liked Reggie a lot an thought it was not his fault he didn't have one). But his character was built around the fact that he was an INDIANA PACER. That mattered more to him than winning a championship...and I respect him for that.

I respect what P.J. Brown did for our team (even if he signed at the last possible second), but Sam Cassell hardly played and got a ring for it.

So here The Celtics are winning #17...the most of any NBA franchise. I also want to pat myself on the back as I also won the brackets that my friends and I filled out on NBA.com...Celtics over Lakers in 6 games. The Celtics looked completely different this year than last...and even though our starting 5 won't change next year, I know our bench will. I am very interested to see what happens.

WARNING: Too cute...

2008-06-25T12:05:00.003-04:00

I wish I would have met Drake when he was this small. I picked Letha up from the airport (she flew home with Kaylee) last September and even when I saw Kaylee from a far distance I was so excited to have a puppy of our own. She was so much fun and we were so happy to have her.

These two are adorable and I can't imagine life without the other. They turned 1 year old on June 23rd. We celebrated by taking them to a specialty store for dogs called the Polka Dog Bakery. Here you can buy everything you need for a dog (toys, beds, food, treats). They even have birthday cakes for them. We decided to buy them each a special cookie (King/Queen for a day) and a bag of treats. It's a nice place, and realize the neighborhood it's in is a nice place for it. It's a little pricey...

So...happy birthday to my dogs...I hope to celebrate many more with them.

Take my love, take my land...

2008-06-24T12:34:00.006-04:00

Take me where I cannot stand.

I don't care I'm still free.

You can't take the sky from me.

Take me out to the black,

Tell them I ain't comin' back.

Burn the land and boil the sea,

You can't take the sky from me.

There's no place I can be since I found Serenity,

But you can't take the sky from me...

Now I have tried to tell as many people as I know about a little show called FIREFLY. I stand by the fact, that if this would have gone on for 7 seasons (like BUFFY) or even 5 (like ANGEL) it would be my favorite show of all time.

I didn't jump on this TV show until waaaaayyyy after it had been cancelled and about a year before the movie SERENITY came out.

This is one of my all time favorite movies...it's a good movie if you don't know the back story, but it's an amazing movie if you watched the TV show.

It is no secret that I love Joss Whedon's writing. I wish he would do stuff a little more often (DOLLHOUSE, which starts this upcoming January), but this movie did in two hours what I think he would have done over 7 or so seasons on TV.

So the reason for this post is to talk about the showing of SERENITY that I went to this past Saturday night at the Coolidge Corner. I paid to see it on the big screen again (I think this is the 4th times seeing it in the theatre and the 2nd time I paid for it) on Joss' birthday to help out a charity called Equality Now.

Letha and I got there early, and saw lots of people dressed up in costumes for the occasion. There was a guitar and violin player playing music from the 'verse, giveaways and trivia. Once inside there was a raffle for a bunch of Joss and SERENITY stuff (BUFFY comics signed by Joss, Alliance money props from the movie and a costume used during filming), then it was time to watch the movie.

After being released almost three years ago and countless viewings of the film, I found myself getting excited, scared and emotional, it was almost as if I was seeing it again for the first time. The print was in really good condition.

I had a really good time watching it on the big screen...and I am going to try to go every year it happens, not just for a good cause, but also the way the movie speaks to me. My hope is that maybe other fans will join me next year as I sit and enjoy one of my favorite movies. I hope if you read this and haven't seen it, that you make it a point to watch FIREFLY and then enjoy SERENITY.

"From here to the eyes and the ears of the 'Verse, that's my motto, or it might be if I start having a motto."

One away from...

2008-06-13T10:22:00.004-04:00

#17!!!

I am going to admit I turned off the t.v. not once, but twice last night. I turned it off right after Doc's technical foul (which was deserved, but he had every reason to be heated after his team was molested then clearly tripped in 2 possessions) for about 5 minutes.

Once I turned it back on, I tried to watch as I felt we got hosed by the officials in the first 6 minutes of the first quarter. I thought it was too much for us to overcome and I was right, until mid way thru the third. At the beginning of the third quarter we just weren't playing defense...so I turned it off a second time and headed to bed with Letha. I was so heated I was restless...I had to turn the game back on and see how bad it was.

That's when The Celtics were only down by five near the end of the 3rd. Mind you they were down by 20, let me repeat that...20 points when I turned it off and went to bed. The officials somewhat redeemed themselves in the second half and seemed to call it pretty fairly. So I missed the bulk of one of the greatest comebacks in history because I was so emotionally invested...and it was 11 p.m. and I was tired. Letha and I watched the rest of the game and I fell asleep so easily after the game. Thanks Doc, Paul, Rayray and KG for giving me a good night's rest...and if it's not asking for too much, can you put me to bed in a happy mood on Father's Day?

It's Sweeney...it's Sweeney Todd...

2008-06-12T12:22:00.003-04:00

the demon barber of Fleet Street. To read more go here.

So I tried to get into this musical a few years ago when the Revival Cast did it in 2005, but something wasn't working for me. The actual music is something that took me a while to warm up to, and I didn't...not until after I watched the movie with Johnny Depp.

The movie was entertaining...but I'm so use to the way that Tim Burton's STYLE is, that I didn't really care about it. Johnny Depp was great as the barber and the rest of the cast was good except Helena Bonham Carter. I understand that this is Burton's long time girlfriend but that doesn't excuse bad casting. You couldn't understand her singing...and imagine in a musical needing to understand the song to know what's going on (insert sarcasm here, oh wait...I already did).

So I found that after watching the movie, which helped clear up some stuff for me, that I really enjoy this musical. Patti LuPone is terrific as Mrs. Lovett, as I would imagine that Angela Lansbury did an amazing job when originally on Broadway as well. So I now find myself wanting to listen to it more and more often.

Until I find my next musical to obsess about...

You won't like this...

2008-06-12T12:20:00.001-04:00

unless you play Halo. But it is funny for the people who do...

2 down...2 to go...

2008-06-09T15:16:00.005-04:00

if the Boston Celtics are going to hang banner 17 up this year.

Last night's game made me happy (when we up by 22 points in the 4th quarter) and very sad (when up by only 2 with a minute and some change left).

Four of our starting 5 played with such intensity for 40 of the 48 minutes of that game. Perkins who can't be included (because of his foul troubles...which were inexcusable, the fact that he committed them not that he was called for them) in the horrible last half of the 4th.

I saw Pierce with a smile on his face a couple of times after The Lakers scored soaring on a 31-9 run. Smiling...really, did you wait 10 years to make it to The Finals and smile while Kobe and team dismantles your ridiculous defense. Oh wait, that would mean they were playing defense...which they weren't until the last 40 seconds. They were lucky they didn't get embarrassed on their home court like that. I would have said The Lakers would win the series in 6 or 7 IF that would have happened.

I just don't think that The Lakers can play with us under the basket at all...they can shoot jumpers, but The Celtics defense is just TOO GOOD.

My prediction for this series is Celtics in 6, if they can keep up the intensity until they can celebrate.

Let go Celts...BEAT L.A. BEAT L.A.

Everybody was KUNG FU FIGHTING...

2008-06-09T14:35:00.006-04:00

okay not everybody...just a Panda, a Tiger, a Mantis, a Crane, a Leopard, a Turtle, a Red Panda, a Viper and a Monkey.

This is a movie that warrants a blog. I just thought that it was going to be one of the "WALK THE LINE" family films like SHREK, but it's not...and it's so much better for it.

I never thought of the SHREK movies (I've only seen the first 2) as being a big deal. Yet, the more I thought of the fact that it was a cartoon for adults, the more it bugged me. The cartoon aspect of the films appeals to a younger audience but the subject matter and the jokes were very much for the older audience. Now...there is much to be said for a movie that can entertain both children and adults, but if it's written well enough it should do that anyway.

THAT'S what KUNG FU PANDA is...well written and a whole lot of fun to watch. I don't care what age you are, I think everyone would enjoy this movie. It reminds me a lot of what Disney movies were like a long time ago. For instance, THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time (I still need to purchase a copy of it for myself) and it still holds up to this day. I remember liking it a lot when I first saw it in Germany...and now I enjoy the movie for it's fun writing and simplicity.

Jack Black as Po (the Panda) is a great casting job. I have enjoyed most of Black's work to date and PANDA is no different.

I heavily recommend this movie:

4 stars out of five

Perhaps it is because Letha and I are planning to start a family soon, but I keep thinking of how bad SEX, DRUGS, and ROCK N' ROLL (or HIP HOP) sell EVERYTHING in this country. I think of little girls watching skank material like Lindsay Lohan or Britney and getting ideas. Not that people should be sheltered from such things...but I am more concerned for the parents who WON'T take the time to see what their kids are doing. I am going to do my best to not become one of those parents.

More pics for Mikey...

2008-06-03T08:11:00.003-04:00

Game two...

2008-05-22T11:16:00.003-04:00

Tonight is game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals against The Pistons and man did The Celtics look GOOD the other night. I am looking forward to watching tonight's game. I am hoping The Celtics win the series in 5.

We took a play out of LeBron's playbook and started the pick n'roll with Pierce and Garnett. It has been a lot of fun watching the games (besides the officiating) this post season. I was so happy to see that Paul Pierce has become the Captain of our squad. I had been complaining that it was nice to have the big 3, but someone needed to step up and take over. I thought it was going to be Garnett, but I was wrong.

How about them Lakers...coming back from 20 points down in almost record time. I fell asleep after the beginning of the 4th quarter, but what I did see was a good game.

Pics for Mike...

2008-05-12T22:21:00.002-04:00

Ladies and Gentlemen...

2008-05-11T14:25:00.005-04:00

I have a new dog, and his name is Drake. I hope to post some pictures of him soon.

We got home from Indiana on Wednesday morning at 4 AM and with us came a new puppy. My sister in-law was going to surrender him to the pound...Letha and I didn't like that idea and had my brother Mike watch him till we got there (since we were driving to town for the half marathon).

Drake is a bundle of energy. He loves his sister, Kaylee (his ACTUAL sister, same litter), and his female owner Letha. He is over protective of both of them. I believe he looks at me as the Alpha Male in the house hold and really tries to not upset me. He doesn't always deliver. For instance, he has started waking my wife and I up at all EARLY hours in the morning (the poor guy was never housebroken) to take him out. I do prefer that he do this instead of pee his crate and lay in it for hours...but it's taking it's toll on us (both of us are getting sick caused by lack of sleep). He use to sleep through the night at Mike's, but we know he was being underfed (by accident) and I suspect that he was dehydrated (by accident too, but with good reason, as he would have just peed all over Mike's kitchen) which if there is nothing in his system to get rid of then he wouldn't need to go to the bathroom so much.

The issue is that we have to treat him as if he's a puppy. We just got Kaylee to the point where she's fun and trained...and we have to start all over from scratch with Drake. All because (some) people don't think things through before they commit to them, they are only it for their own selfish needs. Dogs (or better yet puppies) are a LOT like children. It is a commitment for the dog's life (10-15 years). You don't just get a dog and then get rid of it...you should be researching what kind of dog you should get for your house, but America is a society of the non-committed. "I don't like ___, it doesn't matter how long we've been together (or how longed I've owned said item), I don't like ___ anymore." If the going gets rough, don't push through and triumph, just give up and go a different way.

It's the American Way!!!

Now don't get me wrong, I like Drake a lot...and one day I'll be proud to say I love the little guy but it's just taxing right now. The good news about the situation is that I can tell he's happy to be with Letha and I (not that he wasn't with my brother Mike, but I didn't see a whole lot of him then). I can't help but think of all the dogs that ARE surrendered to the pound because someone made a quick decision. At least when Letha gets pregnant, I'll have months of reading and prep work before the baby comes. (Most) People don't take the time to find out what kind of animal fits their lifestyle.

The whole experience has been an eye opener...can't wait to see the dog Drake is going to be.

WARNING (nice PICS)...

2008-04-25T15:04:00.005-04:00

GEEKGASIM!!!!!

So these are 2 images I've come across in the last week...and man to they look sweet. The Batman poster is amazing...it's implication that nothing exsists except choas is GREAT!!!!

The scond pic is of the girl who is playing Scarlett in the live action G.I. Joe movie. This is the second great picture of this movie so far. I really hope Sommers can pull it off.

Saw FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL last weekend and loved it. It shows all of the emotions that guys go through when they are involved in a break up. The last scene with Sarah is priceless...because it's what every dumped guy wished he would have said to the girl that broke his heart. Jason Segal is a lot of fun to watch, except I'm always thinking of him as Marshall from HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. I'd love to see him play a crazy man in a horror movie or a bad guy in something...that's when you can usually see how good of an actor someone is.

Seeing HAROLD & KUMAR 2 tonight, I'm hoping it's as funny as the first one was. When the first one came out I watched it with Justin and was missing Letha's laughter during it...this time it's going to be the complete opposite. I just wish the 3 of us could watch a good comedy (for the first time) together again.

Heading back to Indy on Wednesday...so I most likely won't write again until we get back and I've seen IRON MAN. I'll let you know what I thought of it.

Movies...

2008-04-12T12:31:00.002-04:00

Soooooo...I get to this article today and I think, who would I want to direct a movie as massive as the JLA?

James Cameron?

I really enjoy all of the movies this man does...but what I would be afraid of is him turning it into a Superman and/or Batman movie with other people thrown in. I really like ALIENS (but it's Ripley's movie with great supporting characters), TERMINATOR 2 (it's the Terminator (Uncle Bob)'s movie with good supporting characters) and TITANIC (shows two different sides from two different characters...but the movie is almost three hours long, too long for a comic book movie).

Now that I think of it...almost all movies are about 1 or 2 MAIN characters and everyone else is just peppered in...

I think that it would be better for them to stay with movies that aren't too big...or make an animated feature (use the same method they used with the FINAL FANTASY movie)...at least then they aren't limited in what they can do.

Other thoughts for director? Bryan Singer? Anyone have any good ideas?

Stuff...

2008-03-28T11:44:00.002-04:00

Well I am sitting at work and check the Celtics blog from the Boston Globe and got to a great entry...KG for MVP!!!

It's great to hear a guy talk about WE instead of ME, I have always enjoyed Garnett. This year has opened my eyes to why everyone wanted this guy on their team. Sure he's a great player...but his intensity and leadership is above and beyond anyone else I have ever watched (including MJ and the Birdman).

Tonight Letha and I are heading down to New York. Our main purpose is that we know someone in an Off-Broadway show, I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE!

OFFICIAL WEBSITE

I saw the show once in Indy and it was great.

New Movies Coming Out...(part 1)

2008-03-24T10:37:00.006-04:00

This Friday begins the movie "season" for me. I really enjoy seeing films in the theatre...but I also have learned to stay away (mostly) from cinema in the usual slump times (February - April & September - October) in my recent years.

21 - opens this Friday

A movie based on the book BRINGING DOWN THE HOUSE, about a group of MIT students that take Vegas for Millions. Sean, at work, said it was horrible, but I still think it looks good, so I'm gonna give it a shot.

LEATHERHEADS - next Friday (the 4th)

George Clooney doing comedy (like the good old days of FACTS OF LIFE and RETURN OF THE KILLER TOMATOES) is a lot of fun, and I loved Renee Zellweger in DOWN WITH LOVE. Plus it's a football movie...it'll be fun to watch this comedy I think.

FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL - April 18th

Jason Segel (HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER & KNOCKED UP) wrote and stars in this comedy about a guy trying to get away from his ex, only to end up at the same resort as her.

HAROLD AND KUMAR ESCAPE FROM GUANTANAMO - April 25th

The stoners are back and causing trouble on their way to Amsterdam. The first one is still a lot of fun to watch.

Then the summer opens up with:

IRON MAN - May 2nd

This looks like a really good, fun, popcorn flick. Robert Downey look like he had a lot of fun playing Tony Stark. The armor looks amazing, and I haven't hated anything Jon Favreau's directed. I can't wait to see it, as it will be my first experience at the new AMC Castleton in Indianapolis.

SPEED RACER - May 11th

Based on the cartoon and done by the Wachowski Brothers, this movie looks like it isn't going to have a whole lot os substance...but man does it look cool and fun. Emile Hirsch looks great and so does Matthew Fox.

INDIANA JONES AND THE KINDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL - May22nd

The latest movie involving this great character...it brings back good memories of when I was younger. I just hope it can live up to the hype I have for it.

KUNG FU PANDA - June 6th

A fun looking kid's movie about a panda learning kung-fu...it doesn't get any better than that.

THE HAPPENING - June 13th

The latest film from M. Night Shyamalan. this guy has been very hit and miss for me, but can anyone forget the way you felt the first time you saw THE SIXTH SENSE? Plus, Mark Wahlberg is in it... I really enjoy watching the movies he chooses to do.

THE INCREDIBLE HULK - June 13th

Now this movie looks worst than the first one (effects wise)...but I will go and see it, since it's a comic book movie. I'm hoping they do a better writing job than the first one.

GET SMART - June 20th

Steve Carell has saved the comedies of this decade, since his bit part in BRUCE ALMIGHTY. Anne Hathaway is really a beautiful woman and can do comedy pretty well. I remember watching the old t.v. episodes with my parents growing up.

WALL·E - June 27th

Looks like another great instant classic from Disney and Pixar.

Well this covers until the end of June, what I want to see. Stayed tuned for more...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...

2008-03-21T13:49:00.003-04:00

Okay...I thought TRANSFORMERS was a really fun movie...but I just had a geekgasim. If this is just the beginning of the G.I. JOE movie, I can't wait.

In case you didn't know...that is Ray Park (Darth Maul and Toad) under that costume, and he looks F'in Fantastic!!!!

This comes from this article on ComingSoon.Net, which also has another picture of him.

As for the director, I really enjoyed Sommers first MUMMY movie. The second MUMMY and VAN HELSING were almost good. I hope he gets this right.

Netflix Reviews...

2008-03-14T11:22:00.005-04:00

- MYSTIC RIVER -

I had never seen this movie...I use to go through these phases when I didn't want to see THE MOVIE everyone was talking about. The weird thing is that I really enjoy Clint Eastwood movies, most of the time. So I avoided this movie until last night.

The beginning is very sad (with the car ride), and then the rest of the movie takes off. I was never bored during the film and if I had seen it in the theatre, I think I would have really gotten into it (Kaylee was chewing VERY LOUDLY on a hoof, as a result I couldn't get caught up in the story). Also, like GONE BABY GONE (another book, by the same author, turned movie) it was enjoyable to see locales near where I live. Sean Penn was good (MAYBE not Oscar good), Kevin Bacon was great, and Tim Robbins was sensational. I also enjoyed the rest of the supporting cast, Laura Linney was amazing with the little amount of face time she had.

- 30 DAYS OF NIGHT -

This was a movie I really wanted to see in the theatres, and would have if I could still get called in to the local AMC (when management changed, so did their sign-in policy).

Very much a B movie, but it knows it. Lots of blood and gore (exactly what you want out of a vampire story), it also doesn't hurt that it takes place in snow covered Alaska. So when the blood spurts happen you really see it all. Josh Hartnett's character is so human, and watching him transform with the situations he's put in is interesting. I also didn't see the ending coming, but it is AWESOME!!! It's something I could see myself doing (possibly) if in that situation.

- INDIANA JONES TRILOGY -

I got all 3 movies because Letha hadn't seen all of them...and I wanted to get reaquainted with them before the fourth one comes out. These movies are so much fun to watch, if you haven't seen them lately, please enjoy them for yourself once again.

RAIDERS - The first and best one of the series...it is a fast movie that never lets up for long. Something I noticed about this series...Indiana talks more and more as the trilogy goes along. The first movie he doesn't have TONS of dialogue and he's a man of action, but he's still a MAN. Entertainment Weekly (this week) has an article about Indiana Jones and why everyone loved him so much, because he's a normal guy. Kind of like John McLaine in DIE HARD...the odds are stacked against him, he's way outnumbered, but he's gonna find a way. I just hope that they don't mess up the fourth IJ movie the way they screwed up the fourth DH movie.

DOOM - The second movie and the one MOST people don't like. Spielberg has gone on record saying this was his least favorite IJ movie. I actually like this one quite a bit (except the magical dance number at the beginning that comes from nowhere). Sure the girl and kid are annoying, but the movie still has the same charm about it that the first one does. Done only 3 years after the first film it's FEEL ws still intact.

CRUSADE - The last movie and MY least favorite. Lucas has some serious Daddy issues (Darth Vader and the too busy Henry Jones, Sr.). This one lost the charm the other 2 had and made Marcus into an idiot (he could have still been the comedic relief without being stupid). They focused too much on the father/son aspect of the story, in my opinion.

SIDENOTE: Indiana's mother is only mentioned in the 3rd film. It talks about her keeping her "illness" from both Jones'. I wondered if she was keeping quiet hoping that Sr. would find the Grail and save her...before she passed.

Here's to hoping that the 4th one will be good enough...

- FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS -

The first of Clint Eastwood's war epic films. I didn't like the movie a whole lot, it is very character heavy and analyze's how the World War II effected a certain group of soldiers. My mistake was watching LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA first. I think it was an okay movie, worth watching but not worth owning.

- LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA -

The second movie, which I watched first. This movie was gripping and tense through out the entire length of time. It's the battle from the Japanese perspective, which at times was gruesome. Ken Watanabe was great to watch, he seemed to really jump into the role. There were some scenes that were hard to watch. Great film and worth owning to lend to people, not sure how many times I'd watch it.

Rajon Rondo is CRAZY...

2008-03-06T13:11:00.006-05:00

So after dog class night, Letha and I came home and watched the rest of the Celtics game. They were playing the Detroit Pistons, and it was a great game to watch (we got in during the 3rd quarter).

Not only is it fun to watch this year's BIG THREE, but the other guys are so much fun to watch. Glen "BIG BABY" Davis is so clumsy and looks like he has no control over his body, but he still comes up with BIG rebounds and some good put backs or dunks.

I would have to say that my FAVORITE part of this year is watching Rajon Rondo. I watched last year's Celtics when I could, and I would say this kid didn't look like anything special. This year he was told the team was his to run, and run he does. He his turning into a hell of a point guard...he still has plenty to work on, but the fun is watching him turn into the player he is becoming. If you didn't see the dunk he did last night, then watch this... :-)

Editor's Note: The original video had been removed from You Tube...so here's a highlight reel for Rondo from that night's game.

What I've been up to...

2008-02-28T10:52:00.007-05:00

Well this past weekend I finished a book, MARLEY & ME by John Grogan.

If you have a dog (or ever had a dog or even wanted a dog), then this book is for you. It's a great story about John and how he had a wonderful dog named Marley. I won't lie...it is the entire life of the dog including his death. I was crying so hard at this point, I couldn't read the book...I would have to calm down enough to continue, only to end up sobbing a few sentences later. It took me a while to finish that chapter.

The only reason I was having such a difficult time, was because I kept thinking of Kaylee the entire time.

Speaking of Kaylee...she got spayed 2 weeks ago and is recovering nicely. She is lively as ever...I will put up some pics of her in her cone (to keep her from getting at the stitches) in the next couple of days...

I saw FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS and THE LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA on DVD at home. FLAGS was an okay movie...not Eastwood's greatest, but LETTERS was great. For being a movie from the Japanese perspective...I thought it was done superbly.

On other movie news...Letha and I are watching the Indiana Jones trilogy currently (she hasn't seen all of them). I also wanted to see all of them before the new movie coming out this summer. We watched RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK...still a great film over 20 years later. We just got TEMPLE OF DOOM in the mail, and we're going to watch that one in the next couple of days...

Speaking of movies and rentals...Letha and I are members of NetFlix. This service is awesome, I don't accumliate anything that takes up space (mind you, that I will still buy movies if it's something special). We got a subscription for Christmas (Thank you, McNear) and it's been great since we started watching DVDs at home more than going to the movies.

Biggest choke...

2008-02-04T12:16:00.000-05:00

Yep...that's right, the Patriots (who went undefeated for the entire season) lost on Sunday night to the Giants. If that game were played 10 times, I would say the Pats win 7 of them, but this is a ONE game championship...and the G Men were the better team last night.

This loss goes up there with the New York Yankees collapse in the '04 post season, the Red Sox mess up in '86, the Bills making it to 4 Super Bowls and NOT winning, and the Patriots collapse last year in the AFC Championship.

BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!! THIS JUST IN...

Tiki Barber just released a statement to the press. According to him, he NEVER actually filled out his retirement papers and the Giants never released him either. He his now owed his entire salary and his Super Bowl ring. "I felt I should keep this news close to my chest until the proper time, WE'RE SUPER BOWL CHAMPS!!!!!," was the way he chose to end his press release.

And now back to reality...

Our defense was amazing last night...but a defense can't play the whole game without making some mistakes. The Patriots D was present for 50 minutes of last night's defeat. The offense is another mess...they might have shown up to play for 10 minutes last night. That's half of the the game, and we were in it till the end. Tom looked horrible all night long.

Congrats to the NEW YORK fans...to the rest of you that are celebrating (like your team won it all) when someone else's team wins...you should be ashamed of yourselves.

Hey...I'm not too sad, the Red Sox won the World Series, and baseball season is coming up shortly...the Celtics will make it deep in the playoffs, most likely...and we only have 6 months until preseason starts all over again.

And on to Arizona...

2008-01-21T13:33:00.000-05:00

So as I watched the last two games of the Patriots I have tried to not get SO emotionally attached. I remember how I felt after last year's AFC Championship, heck I got the flu right after watching our last regular season game this year. I get so into the games (Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics) that I boil over one way or another. This is something I am attempting to control. I enjoy the game, I just don't get so mad or sad that I get sick anymore...or so I hope.

Now if the Patriots don't win the Super Bowl...I will be the first one to say we choked. Do I think that the Giants have what is needed to beat the BEST team in the HISTORY of the NFL? No! What everyone (who's watching) is experiencing is history. This is the BEST offense EVER. We have an amazing defense and THE best coach to ever coach the game.

People want to just judge his on the field antics (Spy Gate included), but this coach does so much more. He's the one who wanted Sammie Morris, Wes Welker, Randy Moss, Adalius Thomas, Corey Dillon, Junior Seau...the list goes on and on. He's a great coach who doesn't draft the best. We have had a lot of bad picks since he's been here. The people he has put around him to coach the players that he gets for this team have performed at such an amazing level this year.

Now the Patiots are on their way to their 4th Super Bowl in 7 years. I wanted to win last year so that we could be the second team to win 4 in 6 years (the Steelers did it in the 70's), but we folded in the second half of the AFC title game. Not this year...we have been hurt, like a lot of other teams by the injury bug (Scott, Colvin, Morris and Thomas) all impact players, but we have made it thru to the title shot. Our linebackers have been amazing during the playoffs. Who would've thought that the oldest linebacking core in the NFL would be able to do what they've done? When Colvin got hurt, I was really worried about it. Now it seems that they have made sure that years and wisdom have over come speed and youth, one more game to go.

The last thing I wanted to address was the running game. If not for our running backs we would have not made it to the AFC Championship. Maroney has silenced most of his critics by having 2 122 yard games, by running down hill. I hope he keeps it up next year as well.

And the HERO of the game was Kevin Faulk. The guy that when he touches the football, my brother and I both go, "DON'T FUMBLE!!!!!!!" He was known to cough up the football quite often early in his career, but not anymore.

The other thing that was interesting is that the Giants made it to the Super Bowl. Letha commented to me that she was happy because they made it without Tiki Barber. The guy who did nothing but be as selfish as possible for the entire last year he played. Then after he left he wanted to sling more mud. I hope he feels stupid for being a selfish football player (the ultimate TEAM sport) who's team made it to the big game the year HE decided to leave.

And a happy new year...

2008-01-03T14:28:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone...it has been a while, with the birthdays, christmas, busy time at work, and getting sick something awful...I haven't posted in a while.

So the new year is here and the first topic is...

16-0, BABY!!!!!

I have only missed one Patriots game all season long (the first one against The Bills) and I have been a serious fan of the NFL for around 8 years now...I would have to say that this year's Patriots team is THE BEST regular season team EVER.

No other team has EVER gone undefeated in the regular season while breaking as many records as the Pats did this year. The most points scored by an offense, most TDs by a QB, most TD catches by a WR.

Some people like to point out that we played in a weak division (to which I agree), but that is not an excuse...we have also played 6 teams in the playoffs. The 1972 Dolphins had a cake schedule as well, funny how no one talks about that anymore...

And is there a more dynamic player than Randy Moss?

This guy is amazing...I was one of the people who thought he had a bad attitude and I wasn't sure if he'd fit in right...but he proved me (and a lot of other people) wrong. His one handed grab against the Colts, was one of the best catches I have seen in the last couple of years (as well as the grab Marvin Harrison had against us last year in Foxborough). But the one I will remember for a LONG time is the catch that took him and Brady past the record books. He streaks as fast as he can and Brady underthrows him...so what do the Pats do? They go back to the same route and THIS time Brady hits him in stride. It was beautiful...the cornerback was so wasted (from running with Randy the first time) he didn't have a prayer of keeping up with Moss this time (see picture).

He's so far gone that the people on the sidelines can't believe it...look at how their mouths drop in awe...

The second topic is the Playoffs...with the AFC teams being...

The Patriots
Colts
Steelers
Chargers
Jaguars
Titans

Now the first match ups are Jags at Steelers and Titans at Chargers.

Game: Jacksonville Jaguars at Pittsburgh Steelers:

Everyone gives a lot of credit to the Jags (and they should). I normally wouldn't believe they could go into Pittsburgh TWICE in one year and beat the Steelers, but the Steelers did lose their BEST weapon for the season (Willie Parker) and I don't see Big Ben winning this game on just his arm. Game Winner: Jags

Game: Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers:

The best running back in the NFL (LT) is going against a good defense. The key to this game is taking away LT and making Rivers beat you with his questionable arm. This kid is still green and gets rattled VERY easily. Tennessee...put 8 men in the box and keep your eye on LT, while you blitz the hell out of Rivers, make him hurt. Don't let LT get on a roll, or you'll be in trouble with the play action, which I do thing will happen against the Titans. Game Winner: Chargers

If the playoffs go this way...then the next games would be...

Game: San Diego Chargers at Indianapolis Colts:

The Colts defense showed up this year...just as important as their offense at some points. The key is the same as it would have been for the Titans...STOP LT. The Colts can I think better than the Titans. Plus, if you get in a shoot out who do you want on your side? Manning or Rivers... Game Winner: Colts

Game: Jacksonville Jaguars at New England Patriots:

The Jags are the one team that we haven't played in our conference this year, that I wished we did. Their running style is amazing and poses the biggest threat in the playoffs for the Pats. If they can control the clock and keep Brady off the field, they have a very good chance of beating us. On the flipside, Brady and Moss don't need much time to get it down the field. If the Jags get up by more than 2 TDs in the second half, than I would think they could hold on. Do I think they can get up that much on THESE Patriots in the playoffs? I don't, and Brady has proved many times that all he needs is a little over a minute to get down the length of the field. Game winner: Patriots

The AFC Championship (the way it should be this year)...

The Colts and Pats have matched up so many times since they stopped being divisional rivals, they might as well be in the same division. THIS will be by far the HARDEST game to play for the Pats. These two teams are so evenly matched, you might as well flip a coin. But since I am a Pats fan, I say that Gostkowski is going to kick the winning field goal as time expires... Game winner: Patriots

and the NFC teams being...

Cowboys
Packers
Bucs
Giants
Seahawks
Redskins

Let the games begin...I don't know much about the NFC (as I'm a Pats fan and the wife is a Colts fan) I watch mostly AFC games. But I think that the Giants beat the Bucs, the Skins beat the Seahawks, the Giants lose to the Cowboys, the Packers lose to the Sins, then the Cowboys beat the Skins to make it to the Super Bowl.

We have already played them once on their field...(and I hope not to make you mad Justin, Noah or Joel, if you read this) but I think the Patriots are playing on a higher level this year. I think it will be a close game for most of it, but at some point the Patriots are going to turn on the afterburners and win by 10-14 points.

Now with all of this being said...it is of course my opinion and watch my Patriots make an arse out of me and lose in the divisional round, while the Titans win the whole thing. That is after all why we watch, so we may be entertained. So no matter what team you root for be happy...it's playoff time.

Terminator 4?

2007-11-30T13:22:00.000-05:00

Why...oh GOD, WHY!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

But then I saw this article on Comingsoon.Net.

I can only hope that one of the men that SAVED the Batman franchise can also save the Terminator franchise. Just ditch the NOW storyline and fast forward to when humans are hunted down by SkyNet.

It's sort of like what I want with an Alien vs. Predator movie. Give me the colonial marines in the middle of a battle of Aliens and Predator(s), that is something you could make kick some arse. I don't get why the war is ALL OF A SUDDEN happening on Earth every couple of years. It doesn't have to happen now, give me a story line of some marines that get in a sticky situation while Ripley is asleep (for 75 years).

Cool movie...

2007-11-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

I hope they do something like this for the HALO movie...whenever it comes out.

9-0...

2007-11-05T11:36:00.000-05:00

it's nice to be undefeated.

A couple of things from the game on Sunday:

Randy Moss' one handed catch was one of the nastiest catches I have ever witnessed.

Our defense played REALLY well (I'll go more into it below).

Joseph Addai ATE us UP. But, it might have been the idea all along. Let's take Manning's receivers away from him. Let's let their running game beat us. Which is different than we've played Manning before. It was always...stop the run and make Manning throw it all day long.

But it does come as a curse as well, there are 2 sides of my fandom. One side that wants to see my team win and is very happy when it happens. The second side that wants to not have to beat my wife's team to make me happy.

It is no secret that I am a Patriots, Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins (although I don't watch Hockey as much as I would like to) fan. My wife is a New York Yankees and Indianapolis Colts fan. This means that during MOST key match ups in the 2 seasons, that one of us is usually unhappy afterwards. It's harder for me with football than baseball. While I loath the Yankees, I have gotten use to seeing my team lose to them (I was worried to see them in the playoffs this year). I dislike the Colts a lot too, but the Patriots have been able to handle them a lot better than the Sox/Yankees. It's also tough for us because we enjoy football more than any other sport.

But since we live near Boston and Letha never really cared about basketball, she has decided to be a Celtics fan. So now we have one team we can both care about. As a side note, the Pacers are looking better than anyone thought they could (myself included). I didn't think they would be the worst in the East, but I didn't think they would be in the Top 10 either. I got to give it up to my boy Shane for calling it. I will admit that I have always been a Celtics fan , but always hoped the Pacers did well. I loved Reggie Miller, he's the only player on any other team (other than my own) that I liked.

AVP...

2007-11-02T13:48:00.000-04:00

the really cool version.

Double standards...

2007-11-01T14:45:00.000-04:00

no, of course not, not in the NFL.

"How's this for a four-game stretch of NFL greatness?

W, 49-14
W, 41-10
W, 41-9
W, 51-24

That quartet of one-sided scores comes to you courtesy of the 2004 Indianapolis Colts from a November-December period during which Peyton Manning and Company annihilated the Texans, Bears, Lions, and Titans, respectively. And, you know it's funny, I don't remember one person whining about them running up the score."

This was written by Eric Wilbur for the Boston Globe, please feel free to read the rest of the article here, it's interesting.

I still don't know how I feel about the Patriots doing what they are doing. On one hand I think they should do whatever they want. Then I also wonder why they're doing it this way?

I can't wait for Sunday to be over.

Happy Birthday...

2007-11-01T13:18:00.000-04:00

to my brother David.

To the man that did Letha and I's wedding ceramony....

Happy Birthday to You.
Happy Brithday to You.
Happy Birthday dear David, Happy Birthday to You.

I love you brother, see you Sunday.

Honeymoon...

2007-10-31T13:20:00.001-04:00

So when panning to come to the Boston area we found out that Niagra Falls conveinantly was right in the middle (8 hours from Indy and 8 hours from Boston).

We arrived on Monday night around 9:30. When checking in they informed us that they over-booked our room type. So to apologize they were bumping us up to a suite. The suite was NASTY (in a good way), I mean NASTY!!!! It was two floors (16th and 17th), 2 full bathrooms with a hot tub...and EACH floor had a GINORMOUS window overlooking the falls. It was a nice place to spend our first night there, the only down fall was that we had to move to one of OUR type rooms the next day.

The next morning we went down stairs to get our new room. We were then informed that we could stay in the suite for an extra $150 a night. It was nice...just not that nice. We get to our regular room (mind you that it's a queen bed with a hot tub and another HUGE window over looking the falls) and open the window to another beautiful view. Afterwards we walked down to the Falls. It is such an unreal place, it doesn't look like it could really be real. It is awe inspiring to watch as the water flows over the side. I think for the 61 hours we were there, I must have watched the falls for a good 16 of it. After gawking at the waterfalls for a while we did a little bit of shopping and then hit one of the casinos. We walked out $30 richer, not a whole lot, but we were there for less than an hour and only played slots. After we got ready at the hotel we headed out to the TOURIST AREA (I'm not kidding, they actually mark it as THE TOURIST AREA) and went to Marvel Adventure City. It was a lame attempt to cash in on the tourists (Imagine what use to be Block Party, half the size and everything has Marvel Comic characters on it), I was such a sheep that night. It would have been cool to go with my neice and nephew, they would have LOVED it.

The next day we did the ADVENTURE PASS.

First on the adventure pass was the JOURNEY BEHIND THE FALLS. You get to go down and be almost parallel with the river, right next to the falls, pretty impressive. Also, they have tunnels that they have dug behind the falls to light it up at night, you get to walk down 2 of these tunnels and see the water rushing in front of you (it's basically a white wall of loud moving water), but it was cool to see.

Second was the MAID OF THE MIST. This is where you get on a boat and you get kind of close to the American Falls before going in the middle of the Horseshoe Falls. You get soaked but it is also something to marvel at.

Third was the WHITE WATER WALK. This part of the pass takes you down the river and brings you back down towards river level to show you how massive the rapids are (they are classified as a Class 6, some of the deadliest in the world). It was really cool.

That evening we went to eat at Wolfgang Puck's restaraunt (really good food for a high reasonable price) as our dress up dinner for the trip. Afterwards we headed back to the casino, only to lose $100 in less than an hour. That's when we called it an evening. I also found that evening Kinder Eggs, which I use to get ALL the time when my family and I lived in Germany.

The next day was just us backing up and heading home. It was a great time and I was glad we did it for the Honeymoon.

Your 2007 World Champion...

2007-10-29T12:57:00.000-04:00

RED SOX!!!!!

I stayed up until 1 in the morning (Why is baseball so stupid? The game could have been started at 4 P.M. You lose any chance that kids could enjoy the game. Stupid commissioner, real stupid.) watching baseball related television. I do have to apologize to the skipper. While I didn't agree with the way the second half of the season went, it played out exactly the way they hoped. I'm done critizing Francona. 2 championships in 4 years after an eighty-six year drought is fantastic managing.

Then to top it all off, we have a ton of YOUNG players that are only going to get better.

Lester pitched a beautiful game, one year after finding out he had cancer.

And Jacoby Ellsbury is just NASTY. My brother David has been raving about this kid for a couple of years now. I STILL think the Sox should keep Crisp somehow, but hey...this front office has done some amazing things so far.

I enjoyed watching my Red Sox win the whole thing again, and I hope they can do so when I have kids old enough to care. Maybe by then it will be at an appropriate time slot.

The other thing that popped into my brain today was this:

The Patriots were the first of my friends teams to win the Super Bowl recently. Then the Steelers added their 5th and the Colts their first. I wonder if this means the Pirates and the Cubs are due for World Series wins...interesting.

In other baseball news, A Rod has opted out of his Yankee contract. I hope he goes somewhere that pays him a lot of money where he can break the home run record and never sniff the World Series again. I don't like this guy, and while he's an amazing player, never would want him to be a Red Sox player...EVER!

The BIG day...

2007-10-28T21:37:00.000-04:00

so it started with a trip to Dunkin' Donuts. I had a breakfast sandwich and a Boston Creme doughnut. Then we went and got the whispering generator (it was awesome and VERY quiet). We set up the chairs (thanks everyone) and the audio equipment, then I was off to get ready.

I honestly didn't get nervous until it seemed all things were going to fall apart an hour and 30 minutes before the ceremony. I got there and took some pics before it happened.

Then the beginning happened. Our mothers lit the unity candles, the bridesmaids came down followed by the flower girl and ring bearer. Then the beautiful bride (escorted by horse and carriage) began walking down the aisle.

I can't explain to anyone how it feels to watch the woman walk down the aisle to you. You're worried, excited, scared, and anxious all at once. It wasn't a hard choice to marry Letha, it was just hard to believe it was actually happening (heck, I still can't believe it happened). I messed up during the exchange of rings (I thought I put her ring on her wrong hand, we were miked up and everyone heard my worry), I just smiled and chuckled with the rest of the crowd.

Letha and I took some pics afterwards around the ceremony site. Then came one of my greatest moments ever. I asked Letha (right after we got engaged) if we could walk in using the Superman music, she agreed. What she didn't know was I had planned something fun for everyone in attendance. I had gone to the "bathroom." I put my Superman shirt on underneath my tux. With my tux shirt unbuttoned I stopped after entering and pulled open my shirt to show off MY logo. I will put a picture up as soon as I have one.

We then had a great time at the reception with everyone. The food was good and the cake looked amazing.

After that we all got to hang out at Lee and Laura's house for a little after party. It was a very long day, but one of the best of my life.

Top 25...

2007-10-28T21:33:00.000-04:00

Awesome Action Heroes?

This is an article that was on EW.com. It has some good points, but I don't agree with it all.

#1 is right on the money. Enjoy looking thru them, I know I did.

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20153598,00.html

Happy Halloween Week...

2007-10-28T21:06:00.001-04:00

My brother David sent me this great Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strip. Calvin was a popular comic strip in my houselhold growing up. I think that my parents thought I was alot like Calvin.
So this brings back some really good memories.

Thanks Dave.

P.S. - Anyone ever notice that Zits looks like Calvin 10 years later?

One week...

2007-10-28T19:05:00.000-04:00

until the showdown in the dome. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

The 2 last undefeated teams in the NFL (The Patriots and the Colts, the best 2 teams in the league for the last couple of years) are going to meet on November 4th.

Brady is leading the highest scoring offense vs. Manning leading a team that can score at will.

It's hard to pick who will win this game. As a Patriots fan I hope and expect them to win. As a football fan I think the Colts are one hell of a team, that is going to be hard to beat. I'm not too worried about it, no matter who wins...there will be a rematch in the playoffs.

Brady was absolutey nasty today. He threw for 3 TDs and ran for another 2. I was more mad about us giving up points compared to scoring so much. I'll see how much I am willing to write a blog after next week's game. We will be celbrating the birth of David Maier next Sunday. His birthday is Thursday this week.

If you like...

2007-10-26T14:41:00.000-04:00

Marvel or DC comic book movies you should check out these knock offs of the Mac/PC commercials. Some funny stuff (the After Hours are better than the regular ones).

The day before...

2007-10-26T13:38:00.000-04:00

the wedding was relaxed for the most part. Letha, Phil, Justin and I cleaned up the ceremony site a little in the afternoon (people leave trash all over the place).

We had the rehearsal at the gazebo (where the ceremony was being held) that evening and then headed to dinner at Buca Di Beppo (ummmm...yummy... :-P). It was here that Letha and I gave all of the wedding party and our parents their presents.

Letha and I also exchanged gifts that evening too. I gave her a set of sapphire jewelry and a jewelry box that she liked. She then blew me away (she's good at giving presents) by giving me a Breedlove Guitar: The Atlas Plus Edition. I have wanted to learn an instrument (I've messed around with the keyboards a couple of different times) and figured this was something that is easier to travel with. The really cool thing about this guitar is that it has a built in tuner. So thank you very much Letha.

Editor's Note: My version doesn't have the built in tuner.

After dinner some of us headed up to Noblesville to a brewpub (they brew their own) called Barley Island. Good food and my friends (Rebuilt) were playing that night. I walked thru the door just in time to hear the 2ND half of their last song, which sucks because I wanted to hear at least a couple of songs. I use to see them almost anytime they played, but hadn't seen them since I moved to Massachusetts. But we all hung out there for a couple of hours and had some fun.

Then a few of us crashed at Justin's apartment that night while we watched The Monster Squad, ahhh the good ol' times. This movie is written co-written by Shane Black (and I'm friends with Shane WHITE, coincidence...I think NOT), and was a BIG flop in the theatres. Imagine The Goonies with classic monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, The Mummy, Frankenstein's monster) in it. The movie found life on T.V. and VHS, and people begged for years (at least to me) that they release it on DVD. It was released not too long ago and I bought it (well Shane WHITE bought it for me and I paid him back).

The Bachelor Party...

2007-10-26T13:21:00.000-04:00

was down in Orlando. Joe goes to mechanics school down there (he's learning to work on motorcycles). So when I land in Orlando (everyone else flew in from Indy), I get to the bar and everyone is pretty good (just a little drunk). I sat down and had a couple while waiting for Mike.

Once Mike arrived we went and got the rental car (Dodge Charger, don't bother with this car), hung out at Joe's and played Guitar Hero II (I love this game), and then headed to our condo that Lee found for us (Thanks Lee!).

This place was huge and slept all of us comfortably. It had it's own small pool on the back deck and gave us access to the clubhouse.

The next day we went Universal Studios. It was a blast, we rode almost every ride and got to go to both sides of the park. My favorite part of Universal Studios was Terminator 2 in 3D (it made me excited to see a GOOD part of the sega, not the abomination that was T3 or what will be T4). The coolest part of Adventure Island is The Hulk roller coaster.

Then our last day was spent chilling at the housing development's pool (it had a water slide).