I usually don't like Letterman. I think he's not that funny, and would ten times more rather watch Jay Leno than him. But, how can you deny the beauty in these clips?
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26885532#26884600
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/26885532#26902602
Friday, September 26, 2008
Palin declares victory in Iraq!
Oh thank God! I thought we had lost that war!
Excerpt from the Seattle Times:
In an interview with CBS' Katie Couric that aired Thursday night, Palin said that "a surge in Afghanistan also will lead us to victory there as it has proven to have done in Iraq," adding that "we cannot afford to retreat, to withdraw in Iraq."
So there you have it. First, we accomplished the mission. If anybody had any doubts on whether that accomplishment was a success or a failure, we have Palin, here, to put to rest all those doubts.
Compared to her, Dubya is a Rhodes scholar. Seriously. She didn't even know that she did indeed meet with a foreign leader. She had met with Iceland president Olafur Ragnar Grimsson just this last October. But when Charlie Gibson asked her in the ABC interview on September 11, she said she had not met with any leader of a foreign nation. When asked about it, Palin's Alaska press secretary, Bill McAllister confirmed that Palin, as Alaska governor, had met with the president of Iceland, but he said that he thinks that Palin thought that Charlie was asking her about major events and leaders like Putin. (Oh, you meant ANY foreign leader, well why didn't you say so in the first place, Charlie?)
She also referred to McCain as her running mate in some of her speeches. No. The VP is the running mate, not the other way around. She also referred to the Republican ticket as Palin/McCain. Again, no. It's McCain/Palin, you Neo-Con dimwit.
She has no clue. How can she be the 2nd in line to be America's president?
Excerpt from the Seattle Times:
In an interview with CBS' Katie Couric that aired Thursday night, Palin said that "a surge in Afghanistan also will lead us to victory there as it has proven to have done in Iraq," adding that "we cannot afford to retreat, to withdraw in Iraq."
So there you have it. First, we accomplished the mission. If anybody had any doubts on whether that accomplishment was a success or a failure, we have Palin, here, to put to rest all those doubts.
Compared to her, Dubya is a Rhodes scholar. Seriously. She didn't even know that she did indeed meet with a foreign leader. She had met with Iceland president Olafur Ragnar Grimsson just this last October. But when Charlie Gibson asked her in the ABC interview on September 11, she said she had not met with any leader of a foreign nation. When asked about it, Palin's Alaska press secretary, Bill McAllister confirmed that Palin, as Alaska governor, had met with the president of Iceland, but he said that he thinks that Palin thought that Charlie was asking her about major events and leaders like Putin. (Oh, you meant ANY foreign leader, well why didn't you say so in the first place, Charlie?)
She also referred to McCain as her running mate in some of her speeches. No. The VP is the running mate, not the other way around. She also referred to the Republican ticket as Palin/McCain. Again, no. It's McCain/Palin, you Neo-Con dimwit.
She has no clue. How can she be the 2nd in line to be America's president?
McCain and the economy
Just a quick thought, for now, but isn't McCain saying that he needs to suspend his campaign so that he can run back to DC to fix the economy, the same as a janitor shutting down his bucket or a parking lot attendant suspending the entrance gates at a nuclear power plant because they must run to the control room to fix the meltdown?
Ichiro!
Yes, I'm starting with a sports related post. I can't apologize for being me!
In case you haven't heard, the Seattle Times yesterday published a report that said that some Mariners players wanted to kick Ichiro's butt around May this year. Why? Apparently he was playing hurt, he had some hamstring issues, and so he wasn't as fast and couldn't get to fly balls the way he normally would have. Some national media outlets even picked up the story, since I saw it on ESPN.com and MSNBC.com.
When did Major League Baseball become 2nd grade recess? That is wrong on so many levels.
Here's the thing, almost all professional sport players play hurt and through pain at one time or another. Heck, even weekend warriors, people who are not getting paid to play sports, play through bumps and bruises and tweaks and sprains. I did that. Why? Because of the love of the game. It doesn't matter what sport you play, there is an elevated possibility of getting hurt. To tell you the truth, if a professional player starts complaining about HAVING to play through pain, then that's a player that your team probably doesn't need, and would probably be better off without that player.
Let's dissect that sentiment a little further. A teammate wanting to go kick another player's ass because that player is playing hurt. I cannot see that statement coming from a position player, just because they themselves might get hurt at one point and would have to play through the pain, so they wouldn't even be thinking about taking another player out just because they're playing hurt.
So did this come from a pitcher? Most probably. A reliever wouldn't have the same prima-donna attitude as starting pitchers, so I would say this came from a starting pitcher. This year, only two new starting pitchers were added to the M's staff: Bedard and Silva. Bedard doesn't talk to anyone in the clubhouse, he's as quiet as a mouse (even though I've had a mouse in an old apartment that kept me up at night because of its incessant running back and forth across the ceiling, but that's a different post for a different day). So that leaves Silva. And yes, I can see Silva saying that.
If that's the case, if Silva was the one who wanted to kick Ichiro's ass, then I would advise Mr. Silva to take a look in the mirror. First, he wouldn't like what he would see, girth-wise. Boy is huge! Second, didn't he, himself, play hurt a few games this year and couldn't even get out of the 2nd or 3rd innings? Perhaps other M's should have kicked his ass. Problem is, you would need a really big foot to do so.
And what about Ibanez last year? Didn't he play hurt throughout the first half of last season? his power number didn't start going up until after July. However, there was no mention of any ass kicking threats. Ibanez might have cost the Mariners even more last year. Think about this: If Ibanez had admitted that he was having back problems, perhaps the organizations would have let him rest his back for a while and called up Adam Jones to play left field. Perhaps Adam Jones would have put up some decent numbers and when Ibanez was ready to come back, then both would have stayed in the lineup (I'm sure the M's would have found a spot for Ibanez in the lineup, they need his productivity), and if you all remember, last year the M's had 88 wins and were very close to earning a sport in the playoffs. Perhaps the above scenario of playing Adam Jones and Ibanez would have produced a couple more wins, and put the M's in position to remain a contender for a playoff spot down the stretch. Not too far fetched, is it? Still, no talk about any Ibanez ass kicking. Go figure!
I would rather have Ichiro play at 90% than a lot of the other Mariners playing at 100%, except for Ibanez and Beltre, because he would still be better than those bums. All of them.
So whoever is saying those things about Ichiro, just shut it. Yes, I'm looking at you, Silva. Don't make me come down there (is Shaq available?)
In case you haven't heard, the Seattle Times yesterday published a report that said that some Mariners players wanted to kick Ichiro's butt around May this year. Why? Apparently he was playing hurt, he had some hamstring issues, and so he wasn't as fast and couldn't get to fly balls the way he normally would have. Some national media outlets even picked up the story, since I saw it on ESPN.com and MSNBC.com.
When did Major League Baseball become 2nd grade recess? That is wrong on so many levels.
Here's the thing, almost all professional sport players play hurt and through pain at one time or another. Heck, even weekend warriors, people who are not getting paid to play sports, play through bumps and bruises and tweaks and sprains. I did that. Why? Because of the love of the game. It doesn't matter what sport you play, there is an elevated possibility of getting hurt. To tell you the truth, if a professional player starts complaining about HAVING to play through pain, then that's a player that your team probably doesn't need, and would probably be better off without that player.
Let's dissect that sentiment a little further. A teammate wanting to go kick another player's ass because that player is playing hurt. I cannot see that statement coming from a position player, just because they themselves might get hurt at one point and would have to play through the pain, so they wouldn't even be thinking about taking another player out just because they're playing hurt.
So did this come from a pitcher? Most probably. A reliever wouldn't have the same prima-donna attitude as starting pitchers, so I would say this came from a starting pitcher. This year, only two new starting pitchers were added to the M's staff: Bedard and Silva. Bedard doesn't talk to anyone in the clubhouse, he's as quiet as a mouse (even though I've had a mouse in an old apartment that kept me up at night because of its incessant running back and forth across the ceiling, but that's a different post for a different day). So that leaves Silva. And yes, I can see Silva saying that.
If that's the case, if Silva was the one who wanted to kick Ichiro's ass, then I would advise Mr. Silva to take a look in the mirror. First, he wouldn't like what he would see, girth-wise. Boy is huge! Second, didn't he, himself, play hurt a few games this year and couldn't even get out of the 2nd or 3rd innings? Perhaps other M's should have kicked his ass. Problem is, you would need a really big foot to do so.
And what about Ibanez last year? Didn't he play hurt throughout the first half of last season? his power number didn't start going up until after July. However, there was no mention of any ass kicking threats. Ibanez might have cost the Mariners even more last year. Think about this: If Ibanez had admitted that he was having back problems, perhaps the organizations would have let him rest his back for a while and called up Adam Jones to play left field. Perhaps Adam Jones would have put up some decent numbers and when Ibanez was ready to come back, then both would have stayed in the lineup (I'm sure the M's would have found a spot for Ibanez in the lineup, they need his productivity), and if you all remember, last year the M's had 88 wins and were very close to earning a sport in the playoffs. Perhaps the above scenario of playing Adam Jones and Ibanez would have produced a couple more wins, and put the M's in position to remain a contender for a playoff spot down the stretch. Not too far fetched, is it? Still, no talk about any Ibanez ass kicking. Go figure!
I would rather have Ichiro play at 90% than a lot of the other Mariners playing at 100%, except for Ibanez and Beltre, because he would still be better than those bums. All of them.
So whoever is saying those things about Ichiro, just shut it. Yes, I'm looking at you, Silva. Don't make me come down there (is Shaq available?)
I'm back!
It's been a while since I've posted anything, but seeing as today's Friday, and I have already mentally checked out for the weekend, I'll be putting up some new posts today. If everything works out, I'll have a couple of sports related and a couple of politics related posts.
Stay tuned, if you must!
Stay tuned, if you must!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Movie Review: Made of Honor
Even though the trailers for this movie did raise a red flag or two, my wife and I decided to rent the movie on DVD and give it a go. Bad mistake. Bad, bad mistake. I think not even 15 minutes into the movie had passed that I realized that this was going to be a weak movie. Julie gave it a little bit longer to pass judgement. Judgement was swift afterwards: worst. movie. ever. Pretty harsh, ain't it?
Here's the deal. I like chick flicks as much as the next heterosexual guy. However, every once in a while a chick flick rolls by that I truly enjoy, and I wouldn't even mind admitting to that in public (manly man disclaimer ends here).
This movie didn't quite pass the mustard. There was no chemistry between the lead characters, the script was awful, the plot was done (to a much better extent with gender reversal in "My Best Friend's Wedding" with Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz), and the "zingers" were as bad as they can be. Really, the one liner deliveries by Patrick Dempsey were horrible. It felt like he was reading from a cue card, which I think he was the entire movie. He is no leading man charmer, not in this movie at least. Dempsey had more charm in "Sweet Home Alabama" in his 15 minutes in that movie, where he was supposed to be the jilted suitor, than this entire movie. He must have read the script, thought it was a joke, then saw how much money he was getting paid for it, and decided to go for it, winging it! That's what I would have done. Reputation? Who cares? He has that little hospital drama on ABC, if you haven't heard by now, where he has his own nickname and all!
Michelle Monaghan did add a layer of respectability to the movie. It seems she at least tried to make it a real movie. I give her that much. But she had no help, and was doomed with the shoddy writing and horrible supporting cast (her other friends who were supposed to be the bridesmaids were as cliched as heck, and even they mailed in their performance).
One more thing that I abhor, is when the writers throw in sophomoric jokes in chick flicks, that fail miserably. The shining example is when one of the bridesmaids dupes Dempsey into hiring an exotic toys sales woman for the entertainment at the bridal shower, and the consequent "Beads of Thunder" joke that the writers stretch to its breaking point and beyond. Two words: NOT FUNNY. Or when Dempsey's dad, the wonderful and incomparable and the late Sydney Pollack, is negotiating the number of times he and his sixth wife-to-be will be intimate in a week ("I will give you 3 times a week and a 1 BJ a month") for the pre-nup right before they get married. Awful. Who writes this stuff? 13 year olds, with WILD imaginations?
Here are my grades for the movie, out of five:
Plot: 0.5 star. Been there, done that.
Script: 0.5 star. Downright horrible.
Direction: 2.5 stars. Nothing much to complain about there. Script and acting sink this movie.
Lead actor: 1 star. Dempsey's still nice to look, I'm told by the ladies!
Lead actress: 3 stars. I like Monaghan. She's likable.
Supporting actors, collectively: 0.5 stars. Busy Phillips, in particular, ZERO stars!
As always, let me know what you think!
Here's the deal. I like chick flicks as much as the next heterosexual guy. However, every once in a while a chick flick rolls by that I truly enjoy, and I wouldn't even mind admitting to that in public (manly man disclaimer ends here).
This movie didn't quite pass the mustard. There was no chemistry between the lead characters, the script was awful, the plot was done (to a much better extent with gender reversal in "My Best Friend's Wedding" with Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney and Cameron Diaz), and the "zingers" were as bad as they can be. Really, the one liner deliveries by Patrick Dempsey were horrible. It felt like he was reading from a cue card, which I think he was the entire movie. He is no leading man charmer, not in this movie at least. Dempsey had more charm in "Sweet Home Alabama" in his 15 minutes in that movie, where he was supposed to be the jilted suitor, than this entire movie. He must have read the script, thought it was a joke, then saw how much money he was getting paid for it, and decided to go for it, winging it! That's what I would have done. Reputation? Who cares? He has that little hospital drama on ABC, if you haven't heard by now, where he has his own nickname and all!
Michelle Monaghan did add a layer of respectability to the movie. It seems she at least tried to make it a real movie. I give her that much. But she had no help, and was doomed with the shoddy writing and horrible supporting cast (her other friends who were supposed to be the bridesmaids were as cliched as heck, and even they mailed in their performance).
One more thing that I abhor, is when the writers throw in sophomoric jokes in chick flicks, that fail miserably. The shining example is when one of the bridesmaids dupes Dempsey into hiring an exotic toys sales woman for the entertainment at the bridal shower, and the consequent "Beads of Thunder" joke that the writers stretch to its breaking point and beyond. Two words: NOT FUNNY. Or when Dempsey's dad, the wonderful and incomparable and the late Sydney Pollack, is negotiating the number of times he and his sixth wife-to-be will be intimate in a week ("I will give you 3 times a week and a 1 BJ a month") for the pre-nup right before they get married. Awful. Who writes this stuff? 13 year olds, with WILD imaginations?
Here are my grades for the movie, out of five:
Plot: 0.5 star. Been there, done that.
Script: 0.5 star. Downright horrible.
Direction: 2.5 stars. Nothing much to complain about there. Script and acting sink this movie.
Lead actor: 1 star. Dempsey's still nice to look, I'm told by the ladies!
Lead actress: 3 stars. I like Monaghan. She's likable.
Supporting actors, collectively: 0.5 stars. Busy Phillips, in particular, ZERO stars!
As always, let me know what you think!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)