On Trek

I feel the idiotic need to post something, but since I’ve been bogged down with work, I’ll just give you the latest update on J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek movie. Actor Bruce Greenwood (above) has been cast as Captain Christopher Pike, the first captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The rumors had been that Abrams was looking at either Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama, Glory Road) or Tom Cruise for the part. Greenwood is a character actor who has most recently appeared in the cancelled HBO series “John from Cincinnati,” Déjà Vu (with Denzel Washington), and Capote (with Philip Seymour Hoffman).

Greenwood will reprise the role originally played by Jeffrey Hunter in the never-aired original pilot to Star Trek, “The Cage.” The Pike character was scrapped and William Shatner’s James T. Kirk was born when the series was picked up and Hunter was unavailable. The footage from “The Cage” was worked into the episode “The Menagerie,” which, coincidentally, airs on select movie screens Tuesday night, November 13 in a promotion of the original Star Trek series’ release on HD-DVD.

In other Abrams Star Trek news, the role of Spock’s mother has been cast as well. The new movie covers the beginnings of the Star Trek universe as we know it, and Zachary Quinto has been cast as a young(er) Spock (Vulcans live for several hundred years). Spock is the offspring of a Vulcan father, Sarek, and a human mother, Amanda Grayson. The role of Sarek has not been cast yet, but the role of Amanda Grayson goes to…

Winona Ryder.

Billy Gillespie Job Watch: Day 1

To be honest, I’m not following college basketball a ton right now, being more absorbed in producing the 2007 Big West Women’s Soccer Tournament for the Big West’s video streaming initiative, BigWest.TV. However, with the first shocker of the college basketball season coming last night, I have to chip in my two cents.

No. 22 Kentucky lost to Gardner-Webb last night, 68-84, the first time that Kentucky has lost to a mid-major program since 2001 (Western Kentucky). It’s also the first time since December 3, 2005 that the Wildcats lost a non-conference home game to an unranked team (North Carolina). The loss was in the regional “finals” of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, which was set up to pit Memphis, UConn, and Oklahoma against each other in New York next week. So just like Butler did last year, Gardner-Webb crashed the party.

So this would make today Day 1 of the Billie Gillespie Job Watch. Gillespie took over the UK program this year from former coach Tubby Smith, who “decided” to move on to Minnesota. Kentucky fans are notoriously fervent, so losing to Gardner-Webb is a major step on the way to having the fans want your head (and I’m sure that some of them are already questioning Gillespie’s hire). See, I’m a big fan of mid-major basketball, but even I have to admit losing to a team that was 9-21 last year and seventh (SEVENTH!) in the Atlantic-Sun Conference (Belmont, Campbell, East Tennessee State, Florida-Gulf Coast, Jacksonville U., Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina-Upstate, and Stetson) is like trying to commit suicide with a dull spoon. Even if Gardner-Webb improves to finish in the top three of their conference (you generally don’t go from seventh to first), it still looks bad.

Now, I’m also a supporter of coaches in general, who aren’t out there to lose, so I have to say that it’s early in Gillespie’s tenure as the Wildcats’ head coach. Also, mid-majors are getting better with good athletes who stick around for four years and learn to play the game while top programs have athletes that defect after two or three and can rely on their athleticism to get things done (brains vs. brawn, in a sense). So I wouldn’t go throwing rocks at Gillespie’s house or key his car just yet. He turned around a Texas A&M program the last few years, and before that, made a splash with UTEP. I’m sure Kentucky will continue to challenge for the SEC title (except for Tennessee is pretty good) and have to deal with “only” getting to the Sweet 16 or Elite Eight in March, I just thought I’d jump on the media bandwagon and put some pressure on Gillespie right away. Heh.

Oh, and that picture at the top? That’s the new Billy Gillespie wallpaper from the UK website.

Happy Halloween!

Don't forget... only those who truly believe will see the Great Pumpkin!

Worst Defense (or Best Offense) of the Day

Okay... this is just stupid crazy. And it probably is a better play than one from Cal-Stanford in 1982, but the ending isn't as good as the Cal player tomahawking the Stanford trombonist.

Dumbledore's Secret!

In a special event for winners of a Scholastic Books contest, author J.K. Rowling outed Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore! The question of Dumbledore’s love life came up in the Q&A session, and Rowling responded, “I always saw Dumbledore as gay.” She even mentioned that in a draft for the upcoming sixth Harry Potter movie, Dumbledore had a line reminiscing about a girl, which Rowling had to write a note to the director correcting the situation.

Read all about it in this Entertainment Weekly article. There are spoilers in the article (which they neglected to mention), so read just the first three or four paragraphs if, like me, you haven’t read the latest and last Harry Potter novel.

Oops.

So much for South Florida at No. 2 in the BCS standings (they lost in their first week ranked in the top three to Rutgers, 30-27 Thursday night). Guess you knew it couldn’t last, but still, I had to pull for the mid-major football school. I just want to believe that a smaller program can be at the top, but maybe that’s unrealistic, and that’s really disappointing.

Boldly Going?, Part 2

So it seems that the cast is complete for J.J. Abrams’ new Star Trek film, due out next Christmas. Shooting is supposed to begin next month, and the final piece of the puzzle seems to be confirmed, as the new James Tiberius Kirk has apparently been cast. Here are the cast comparisons between The Original Series (TOS) and The New Movie (TNM).

THE ORIGINAL SERIES

(L-R), William Shatner as James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, DeForest Kelley as Leonard McCoy, James Doohan as Montgomery Scott, Nichelle Nichols as Uhura, George Takei as Hikaru Sulu, and Walter Koenig as Pavel Chekov.

THE NEW MOVIE(L-R) Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin.

Here’s a rundown of the characters and new actors:

Captain James T. Kirk – Chris Pine

Pine, 27, is best known for his roles in Smokin’ Aces and Just My Luck (opposite Lindsay Lohan). He’s pretty much a newcomer without too much screen experience. He’s fairly in line with the fans’ original choice for Kirk, Matt Damon.

Lt. Cmdr. Spock – Zachary Quinto

His claim to fame among the geek set is his portrayal of the villain Sylar on Heroes. The 30-year old actor also had a recurring role in Season 5 of 24, among other TV credits. He was the first actor confirmed for the new Star Trek and seems a relatively logical choice (heh). The fans originally wanted Adrien Brody, and it will be interesting to see Quinto act alongside the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, as the two Spocks will work together in the film.

Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy – Karl Urban

The biggest “movie star” in the cast, the 35 year-old Urban is no stranger to sci-fi/fantasy roles, having appeared in two of The Lord of the Rings movies (The Two Towers, Return of the King), The Chronicles of Riddick, and Doom. He’s also appeared in both Xena: Warrior Princess (as Julius Caesar) and Hercules: The Legendary Journeys (as Cupid and Julius Caesar), and starred in Pathfinder and The Bourne Supremacy. The New Zealand native is bit of a surprise for the role that fans clamored for Gary Sinise to take.

Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott – Simon Pegg

The oldest cast member at 37, Simon Pegg has a cult following from his movies Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. You may also recognize him from a bit role in Mission: Impossible III (directed by new Star Trek director J.J. Abrams). Another interesting cast choice, at least they’re getting closer to casting an appropriate actor to play the Scottish engineer: the original Scotty, James Doohan, was Canadian; Pegg is British.

Lt. Uhura – Zoe Saldana

29 year-old Saldana’s biggest roles to date have been parts in Pirates of the Carribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (small role as a pirate) and as the love interests in Guess Who? (with Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac) and Drumline. A solid choice for the role of Uhura, she’ll be a fanboy favorite if Star Trek and the project she’s currently filming, James Cameron’s Avatar, are both as big as they are anticipated to be. In a curious bit of television crossover, the original Uhura, Nichelle Nichols, recently joined the cast of Heroes (alongside original Sulu, George Takei). FYI, I didn’t forget Uhura’s full name; she has no official first name.

Lt. Hikaru Sulu – John Cho

You probably know him best as “Harold” from his comedy hit with Kal Penn, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle. The 35 year-old is also starring in the Harold and Kumar sequel due next year, has had roles in the similarly goofy American Pie and American Wedding, and has appeared in various TV shows (the most recent being an episode of Ugly Betty airing October 18). Cho was also one of the stars of the Asian-American movie Better Luck Tomorrow (which you should see if you haven’t already). Cho is of Korean descent, unlike original cast member George Takei, who matches Sulu’s Japanese heritage. Some are puzzled by Cho’s casting, probably due to his H&K days.

Ensign Pavel Chekov – Anton Yelchin

Matching Chekov’s Russian heritage, as well as his youth (Yelchin just turned 18), Anton Yelchin is best recognized from his role in Alpha Dog (with Justin Timberlake), but has also starred in the movie Charlie Barlett and has appeared in numerous TV shows (ER, Judging Amy, The Practice, Without a Trace, Curb Your Enthusiasm, NYPD Blue) dating back to when he was 11. Yelchin was the second confirmed cast member, with most people not really knowing what to expect from him.

As for the villain in the film, Aussie actor Eric Bana has been cast, reportedly as a Romulan named Nero. The 39 year-old Bana has previously starred in Munich, Troy, Hulk, and Blackhawk Down and was most recently seen in Lucky You with Drew Barrymore.

No announcement has been made about a possible cameo character, Captain Christopher Pike, the original captain of the starship Enterprise. Rumors are that Abrams was looking for Tom Cruise to fill the role. The character of Pike was the ship’s captain in the original TV pilot which was never aired. The footage was mixed into a later episode of the series, “The Menagerie.” FYI, for you geeks out there, in order to celebrate the release of ST:TOS on HD-DVD, there will be special showings of “The Menagerie” at movie theaters across the country on November 13. Go to www.fathomevents.com for more information. I’ve already got my tickets. =)

Remembering Jason Ray

You might remember the story of Jason Ray, the University of North Carolina student who also doubled as Ramses the Ram, the UNC mascot. Ray was killed in a hit-and-run accident during the NCAA tournament last March. ESPN.com released a great story on Jason Ray’s legacy today, so go check it out when you get the chance.

What the...!?

How crazy have the last three weekends in college football been? Three weeks ago, five of the top ten teams in the nation lost and the top team in the nation, USC, slips to number two despite not losing. Two weeks ago, new No. 1 LSU survives a scare from No. 9 Florida, and new No. 2 USC loses to Stanford, an upset that many think is bigger than Division-IAA Appalachian State beating then-No. 5 Michigan (mostly because people don’t think that Stanford can beat Appalachian State and Michigan isn’t nearly as good as USC was thought to be).

To top that off, this week, No. 1 LSU AND No. 2 Cal both lose on the same day, LSU in triple-overtime against No. 17 Kentucky and Cal to unranked Oregon State. This is the first time since 1996 that the top two teams have lost in the same week. So now, Ohio State sits atop both the AP and the Coaches’ Polls at No. 1, and SOUTH FLORIDA sits at No. 2 in the AP Poll and No. 3 in the Coaches’ Poll – after never, EVER, having been ranked in their history before this year.

South Florida is a top-three team in the nation?!?! That’s nuts. I have to admit, I really don’t think that South Florida is among the top three football teams in the nation, even though I’m a big fan of mid-major schools. No offense to South Florida, but it’s still crazy.

I’d say that this year’s college football has been just as much fun as almost any NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and reminds me of the 2005 NCAA Tournament where little George Mason out of the Colonial Athletic Association, using just 6.5 players, made the Final Four. Unfortunately, just like 2005, I expect a big school to win the national championship. Which school? I have no idea, and neither does anybody else.

Funny Spam of the Day

"A great offer from Cingular, the new AT&T."

Just found it amusing. Wonder how many people opened it.

Star Wars Fan Video of the Day

It's a little long, but the main bit and the last five seconds are funny.

Pet Peeve of the Day

The Pet Peeve of the Day is talking on your cell phone while in the bathroom. And not a bathroom at home, but a PUBLIC bathroom. I just saw a lady walk out of a bathroom here at work talking on her cell phone, and I ran into a guy in the guy's bathroom talking on the phone just as he was finishing his business. Unbelievable and downright nasty. If you get a call while in the bathroom, finish your business, then call the person back. Or if you're on a call and you have to go to the bathroom, either hold it or finish the call. Nobody wants to hear you pee, and nobody wants to listen to you talk while they pee.

Found My Halloween Costume

Human Transformer - The most amazing videos are a click away

Don't You Wish You Could Do This, Just Once?

Bathroom Break - Click here for more free videos

If I Were 10 Years Younger...

I'd totally be into this...

Halo 3 for the Xbox 360 goes on sale Tuesday morning at 12:00 midnight.

That's Crap!

As of October 2, 2007, families with children under the age of four will no longer be able to board before other passengers on Southwest Airlines. Those with “A” boarding passes will board first, and then families who do not have “A” boarding passes will be allowed to board the airplane before passengers with “B” and “C” boarding passes. This is presumably in accordance with Southwest’s first-come, first-served boarding pass and seating procedure, but probably has a little more to do with appeasing business travelers, who are more apt to purchase last-minute higher-fare tickets.

While I understand Southwest’s desire to make a buck, and I love Southwest Airlines in general, this is a bunch of bulls#!%. Does anybody in charge of these decisions actually travel with their kids? I’ve never flown with Danica by myself, but Kindra has, and I’m sure it’s pretty difficult. I’m sure it’s worse if you’ve got more than one small child. Giving families a small advantage is a nice way of taking care of them.

However, I will admit that if the “A” group isn’t too large, there probably will be ample seating for families to stay together if they board before the last two groups. I’ll also admit that I don’t really see the point of getting on a plane super early, since all you’ll be doing is sitting around and waiting for everybody else to get seated. It’s almost easier to let Danica run around the waiting area before we get on the plane than try to keep her in the seat once we get on the plane. The only advantages are not having to cram your stuff into the overhead compartment and being able to find the seat that you really want. Of course, all of this applies to business travelers as well, so why do they care so much about when they can get on a plane? They’re still going to have to sit on their butts and listen to any kids that happen to be whining… I also notice that a lot of them like the aisle seats, so do they really want to be knocked and bumped by parents carrying all the crap that you have to have when you travel with a child?

Still… Southwest allows check-in online twenty-four hours prior to departure, so I’m pretty sure if we fly with them that I’ll be doing that. It still irks me, though, so for now I’m boycotting Southwest.

For My All-Important Female Demographic

Here’s news for you that is unrelated in anyway to any of the male-centric stories and thoughts that I have and normally write about: the first first shot from the Sex in the City movie being filmed in New York.

In fact, the film began shooting this week and is being directed by the series’ executive producer, Michael Patrick King. All the cast regulars are back, including the men in their lives, and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson (Dreamgirls) is also a part of the cast, supposedly as an assistant to Sarah Jessica Parker’s character, Carrie. The movie is due out sometime in 2008.

Sorry, I know nothing of the plot, nor do I know what SJP is wearing the in photo. I’m pretty sure it’s not from her Steve & Barry’s collection, but I could be wrong.

Early Thought of the Day

I realize I don't keep up with a ton of stuff in the sports world (despite working in it), but who the heck let Keyshawn Johnson on ESPN... as a reporter? It wasn't bad enough that we had to listen to him as an NFL player?

Actually, I didn't even know he wasn't playing anymore.

Oh well... at least it's not Terrell Owens.

Sam Bowie - The Next Generation?

If you're a sportswriter covering NBA basketball and haven't made this connection yet, you're brain dead. But when news that Greg Oden, the Portland Trailblazers' No. 1 pick in this past June's 2007 NBA Draft and No. 1 pick overall, will miss the ENTIRE 2007-08 season with microfracture surgery on his right knee.

If you’re wondering what this has to do with a guy named Sam Bowie, Bowie was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers as the No. 2 pick in the 1984 NBA Draft, behind a guy named (H)Akeem Olajuwon and right before a guy named Michael Jordan. Bowie was a 7-1 center out from Lebanon, PA, who was one of the most highly-recruited players ever. He was the last player ever chosen for the United States Olympic Men’s Basketball Team without any college or pro experience (he was a member of the 1980 squad). While playing at the University of Kentucky, Bowie had a serious leg fracture that led took most of his junior year and some of his senior year to rehabilitate, played in 76 games as a rookie with the Blazers, and then just 63 more over the course of the next four years. Over his 11-year NBA career, Bowie had five surgeries on his legs and missed two entire seasons. He was a good NBA center, but not the Greatest Player of All-Time.

I'll confess that I felt sure that Oden HAD to be the Trailblazers' pick, because you can't pass up an opportunity for a dominant big man. The point guard and center spots are the two hardest spots to fill on a basketball court, so if you’ve got an opportunity at a big, you have to go for a big. Too bad Oden wasn't dominant. Not that he had a horrible one-year stint as a college basketball player at Ohio State. He averaged 15.7 points and 9.6 rebounds, most of it while dealing with an injury to his right wrist (so much so that he shot free throws left-handed - yes, he's a righty - for a good portion of the year and ending with a respectable .628 FT%). The real issue is that Durant was incredibly dominant offensively. Durant is a rare offensive talent, Oden is a mobile big man with good defensive skills and some offensive limitations. Still, scoring forwards can be found. Mobile bigs are not. For a more cohesive argument, read this article by Bill Simmons on ESPN.com where Simmons lays out his reasons that the Blazers should’ve gone with Durant, even without recent developments.

Of course, beyond the wrist injury (which he had surgery for) and the current knee injury, Oden was also diagnosed with a bulging disk in his back just before the draft, tonsillitis that sidelined him after two games in the Las Vegas Summer League, and withdrew from the Olympic Team trials because of “fatigue.” He’s (supposedly) nineteen years old! Maybe the Blazers should’ve thought twice. But again, it was a sound basketball decision, if not a fantasy basketball decision.

So is Greg Oden Sam Bowie redux? It’s too early to tell. Bowie went through some seriously crazy and ridiculous injuries, while Oden just seems to be a nineteen-year-old going on fifty. The Phoenix Suns’ center, Amare Stoudamire, underwent similar surgery two years ago, and he returned this past season as an All-Star. So, there is hope.

I like Oden. He seems like a good kid and could be pretty good. I don’t necessarily think he’s a basketball player at heart, unlike Durant perhaps, but would’ve been great for the league and the Trailblazers from a marketing and fan perspective. Hopefully he’ll play in the 2008-09 season and we won’t have to talk about Oden-Durant like we do Bowie-Jordan.

Line of the Day (or Last Night)

Comedienne Kathy Griffin won an Emmy last night for best reality TV show, My Life on the D-List. Here's part of her acceptance speech:

"A lot of people come up here and thank Jesus for this award. I want you to know that no one had less to do with this award than Jesus. Suck it, Jesus. This award is my god now."

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA... you have to know her style to find that funny and not offensive, but she makes a living being slightly nuts.

9/11

I suppose I would be remiss if I didn’t mention something about 9/11. That was six years ago, can you believe it? MSNBC was running the actual news coverage they did in real time tonight, and I caught some of it. It really was surreal to watch it again, since I remember watching it all live back then.

I was also in a meeting today that the moderator asked us to start with a moment of silence. He relayed the story of his daughter who worked in the World Trade Center at the time of 9/11, and how he and his wife spent the entire day wondering if their daughter, who was eight months pregnant at the time, and her husband, who worked near the WTC, were okay. Fortunately, his daughter had a cancellation in her schedule, and she was at a doctor’s appointment instead of at the WTC. Her husband was okay, too. It’s hard to ignore a man who tells a story like that.

Somebody’s gonna blast me for this, but there’s a part of my brain that thinks the Bush Administration let this happen. Regardless, America still hasn’t taken a hard enough look at our foreign policy to understand how our actions abroad affect how we are perceived, even if some of those perceptions are based in the radicalized faiths of a few nutcases. *Step off soapbox*

In any case, God bless those families who lost loved ones, the families who found loved ones safe, and I’ll be thankful for being in a country where, if we try hard enough, we can do things right and help each other along the way.

Maybe It’ll Grow on Me… Like "The Phantom Menace"

That’s the title to the new Indiana Jones movie, due next year. Seems like the title of a Choose Your Own Adventure book or an Indy novel. Leave it to George Lucas to come up with something that is right out of a 1930’s or 40’s serial.

Here’s a picture of the cast, with director Steven Spielberg. L-R, Shia LaBeouf (prounounced la-BOOF), Spielberg, Ray Winstone, Karen Allen, and Harrison Ford. Also in the movie, but not pictured, is Cate Blanchett.

* * *

And c'mon!!! Blue Harvest!

Family Guy - "Blue Harvest"

‘Nuff said.

Of course, if you don’t get the “Blue Harvest” reference, Google it and you’ll understand.

Thought of the Day

Do you ever find yourself wishing your life was like a book so that you could skip to the end and find out if it’s a fairy tale or an Edgar Allen Poe story?

Hail to The Chief

Happy 54th birthday to NBA great Robert Parish. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003 and named one of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of all-time, “The Chief” played fourteen years with the Boston Celtics, and twenty-one years overall (four with the Golden State Warriors out of college, two with the Charlotte Hornets, and one with the Chicago Bulls). He owns the record for most games played (1,611) and is the third-oldest player to play in an NBA game at age 43 (Nat Hickey of the Providence Steamrollers and Kevin Willis of the Dallas Mavericks are the two ahead of him). Incidentally, his Celtics teammate Cedric Maxwell gave him the nickname after the character in the novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest because of Parish’s stoic nature.

Also, it would have been baseball great Ted Williams’ 89th birthday today. Others celebrating birthdays: tennis player Andy Roddick (25), actress Cameron Diaz (35), bazillionaire Warren Buffet (77), and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly (would’ve been just 210).

Boldy Going?

I write a lot about movies, television, and pop culture in general, mostly because I’m a product of growing up in the 80’s and 90’s. Now, people my age are in charge of the pop-culture machine so there are a lot of things in development that I’m interested in. I also blame it on a lack of proper education (as my wife points out, what the heck are you actually supposed to do with a degree in Asian-American Studies?) and proper media coverage of actually important events. Regardless, I continue on, for my own enjoyment and possibly yours.

You may have heard that J.J. Abrams (see above), creator of Felicity, Alias, and Lost, is working on a new Star Trek movie for release Christmas 2008. So far, all anybody really knows about it is that it will feature a young James T. Kirk, Spock, and Bones McCoy, and that the principal actors are Leonard Nimoy (reprising his role as Spock), Zachary Quinto (Sylar from Heroes, as a young Spock), and Anton Yelchin (from mostly small TV roles, as a young Pavel Chekov). Other actors rumored to be wanted by Abrams are Tom Cruise (as Captain Christopher Pike, the original captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise) and Russell Crowe (as the unspecified bad guy). Matt Damon was the fans’ choice for a young Kirk, and Ray Liotta the choice for a young Bones McCoy, but those look doubtful. And although people are clamoring for William Shatner to reprise his role as Kirk, even in a cameo, that does not seem to be happening either.

The big mystery is what the story is going to be. In a recently posted article on Ain’t It Cool News, the new rumor is that there will be some sort of time-travel twist to the movie, in which Romulans from the future find themselves transported into the past. This leaves them with the ability to alter history, by eliminating a key historical figure. What historical figure? James T. Kirk, of course. But if an older Spock were to know about this possibility, he would then be put in place as protector of the timeline… Very Back to the Future: Part II, as the article states.

Regardless, I think that whatever Abrams does, it’ll be pretty good. I’m not sure of the whole divided-timeline idea, but it might actually better serve the “reimagining” of the Star Trek universe. The fans are excited to see Quinto as a young Spock, and he certainly looks the part, but it’s definitely going to be difficult to fill the shoes of a man who was Spock, much more so to me than William Shatner is Kirk.

Hmm… it seems to be difficult to convey the sense of interest I have in the story without writing a lot about the Star Trek mythos and history. Just thought I’d keep those of you on the outside informed.

Geek... out.

* * *

Quick update: the role of Uhura has supposedly been offered to actress Zoe Saldana, who has appeared in Abrams' short-lived ABC creation Six Degrees and Pirates of the Carribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. She also has a role in James Cameron's upcoming sci-fi epic, Avatar.

Across the Universe

Okay, in light of the fact that I’ve been feeling very cynical the last few days, here’s a trailer for a new movie called Across the Universe, which is a story about a young man from Britain who moves to the U.S., the girl he meets, and the turbulent Sixties era they live through. I have to admit, the reason I first saw this trailer is because I read that the music in the movie was that of The Beatles, probably the greatest band to ever record an album (and I don’t care what kind of music you prefer, you probably agree with me). Anyway, it seems like an okay movie, but the soundtrack really helps:

* * *

And because I can’t help but write something a little negative, it was reported on AICN (Ain’t It Cool News for the uninitiated – http://www.aintitcool.com/) that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson will be taking Eddie Albert’s role in a remake of Escape from Witch Mountain. Now, I haven’t seen the movie since I was a kid, but I did love it when I was younger, so I’m not really sure how I feel about this. Especially in light of the fact that The Rock will be a taxi cab driver, instead of a grandfatherly figure driving a Winnebago. Hmm.

I actually like The Rock. He seems like a decent dude and would be good if he stuck to Schwarzenegger-type roles (action and action-comedy). He seems kinda likeable in the upcoming, sure-to-be-a-flop The Game Plan, in which he stars as a star quarterback who suddenly finds out he has a ten-year-old daughter. He’s also starring the upcoming Get Smart, based on the old TV show, with Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin, and Terrance Stamp that’s due out June 20, 2008. Here’s the trailer:

Well… that wasn’t as negative as I thought it was going to be. =)

Miss Teen USA… NOT. Or, Feeling a Little Masochistic?

WHAT?!?!

Dude, she finished as the THIRD RUNNER-UP. What the hell?

Here’s the transcript, just in case you didn’t catch all of that:

Question:

"Recent polls have show a fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is? "

Answer:

"I personally believe… that… U.S. Americans are unable to do so because… that some… people out there in our nation don’t have maps and… uh, I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and the Iraq everywhere like such as and I believe that they should… our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S…. err, should help South Africa and should help the Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future. "

I know you just read that about ten times... People CLAPPED for that. Okay, there’s polite, and then there’s recognizing that a girl needs to be in really special ed. Maybe it was her Make-A-Wish. She didn’t even have the decency to just pack it up and go home. I woulda just dropped a light fixture on her and ended her misery. You gotta know when to hold ‘em, and you gotta know when to fold ‘em.

Her explanation was that she “completely misunderstood” the question. “I wasn’t expecting (the question). I lost my train of thought.” Sweetie, your train took off a loooooooooong time ago.

AND, she ended up on The Today Show! I LOVE Matt Lauer’s second question to her. Here’s the clip, in which she has a second chance to answer the question (skip the first part – it’s the clip from the Miss Teen USA show, because to watch it again would be completely insane):

It’s killing me, too, because she wants to be a special FX artist? Oy. Look out Appalachian State. And we should not let her move to SoCal – we have enough trouble with the blonde airhead image already.

FYI, I had to watch the clip seven times to make sure I got all of it. I think my brain is deteriorating as I write this…

Ghetto Move

Ah-HA! Proof that Oprah is Harpo:

Oprah is planning a benefit dinner on September 8 for Barack Obama near her Santa Barbara estate. The problem is that she wants her guests to stay at the nearby San Ysidro Ranch, which is totally booked by a wedding party. According to MSNBC.com, Oprah’s people have been contacting the bride to either move or cancel some of the rooms to accommodate Oprah’s guests. The bride, who is an attorney, is refusing. Oprah’s people deny that any calls have been made, but the ranch has confirmed that the wedding party has cancelled some of the rooms without a cancellation fee because “there was such a demand for the rooms that weekend.”

What? You can’t keep a few house guests at your estate, Oprah? It cost $64 million, fer cryin’ out loud! And there aren’t a few guest rooms? Sheesh. That’s pretty low of her to ask a BRIDE to move her wedding party for a fundraiser. Two things: 1) I’ll bet the bride is white, and 2) I’ll also bet that Oprah never would’ve asked if the bride was black.

Remember When You Used to Do Things Like This Just for Kicks?

Seventeen-year-old George Holz of Glen Rock, NJ has done what the entire geek community has been waiting for: hacked the iPhone. Holz and three collaborators managed to unlock the AT&T-exclusive iPhone so that it will work on other cellular networks. According to Holz, it took five hundred hours of work (equivalent to eight hours a day, everyday, from the June 29 launch of the iPhone) to hack the device.

Holz then made a deal to trade it to Terry Daidone, co-founder of CertiCell, a Louisville, KY-based cell-phone repair company. The deal reportedly was for a Nissan 350Z (!, see below) and three standard 8GB iPhones, which Holz said he will be giving to his collaborators.

Daidone said that he had no plans to commercialize Holz’ work.

Read the original article here. Here’s a pic of the car the kid is now rollin’ in:

Finally! Doing Something Worthwhile with the Space Shuttle

When the crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery lift-off in October, the one thing they can be sure of is that they’ll be well-armed. In honor of the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars, the crew will carry Luke Skywalker’s original lightsaber into space with them.

The lightsaber will begin its journey today in a ceremony at Oakland International Airport, where Chewbacca will hand over the lightsaber to NASA officials. From there, it will fly aboard a special Southwest Airlines flight that will be pushed back from the gate by Chewie, Boba and Jango Fett, and other characters from the movies. It will arrive in Houston, Texas at 4:20 PM CDT to be greeted by a squadron of stormtroopers, R2-D2, and others at William P. Hobby Airport. From there, it will travel via a fleet of Hummers under police escort to Space Center Houston where it will be on exhibit through Labor Day.

Universal Tie-In

Just in case you’re bored or an insomniac, there will be a total lunar eclipse tomorrow morning, beginning at 4:51 AM EDT, reaching totality about 5:32 AM EDT, and ending at 7:22 AM EDT. The only views of the total eclipse will be in the Western Hemisphere, since the moon will have set in Europe, Asia and Africa by the time the eclipse begins. The best views are where I am, on the West Coast, but I’m not counting on being awake. It would be neat, though.

FYI, the next total lunar eclipse will be on February 21, 2008 and will viewable from the Americas, Europe and Asia. Mark your calendars now.

* * *

Interesting how this eclipse coincides with the release of NBC’s Heroes DVD, since a total solar eclipse played a prominent role early in the series and in the marketing (see picture, above). The significance of the eclipse in the show hasn’t been revealed yet, but I believe they are supposed to touch on it this season. I wouldn’t put it past the marketing guys to have chosen the release date based on eclipse. Regardless, I’m running out to purchase it tomorrow. I know – you’re hardly surprised.

The choice I have to make is whether or not to buy the first season of Friday Night Lights, as well (a steal at $19.95). It’s a great show that got mediocre ratings last year, but I’m sure the low price on the Season 1 DVD set is a way to generate some interest. Go rent or buy it if you’ve never seen it. Even Kindra likes it, and she was wary of watching it because it was supposedly “just about football.” It’s actually a very well-done show. I wrote a little about it last year here. The show deals with all the ups and downs that are associated with high-school life (and life in general) not just for students, but for their parents and their community as well. It just happens to be set around a football-obsessed town.

* * *

* -- Universal is the studio that produces Heroes, just in case you were wondering what the title had to do with anything.

A Rocket Classic

I just saw this AT&T commercial with Roger Clemens:

Classic!

When It's Late and You're Trashed...

Harold & Kumar 2


Totally gonna see it...

Drunk.

Chocolate Reign! Long Live Vader's Son!

For those of you who don’t spend all your time on the internet…


That’s Tay Zonday, a twenty-five (25!) year-old grad student, who’s the internet’s newest sensation. He calls himself a singer-songwriter-musician and has a few videos up on YouTube, but this one has garnered nearly five million hits.

If you think he’s faking his voice, he’s not. Check out this clip from Jimmy Kimmel for proof (jump past the song to the short interview clip). It’s craaaaaaaaazy.



His popularity is proven by the number of remixes and mods of the song available on YouTube. It’s been remixed as an 8-bit song, into a Darth Vader remix, and covered by Green Day’s Tre Cool. And for good measure, the John Mayer remix featuring Sherrod Small:

Creative Rehabilitation

I found out about this while looking through Yahoo!’s photos of the week. These are the prisoners at Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center in the Philippines. These were put together and filmed by the head of the detention center, Byron F. Garcia. For those of you who don’t really know Filipino culture, dancing is basically imbedded in their genes.

Murphy's Law

Saw the above picture on eBay Wednesday afternoon.

I also caught an interview with the owner of the 756 ball, Matt Murphy, on The Today Show yesterday morning. He definitely seemed like a 22-year-old. He stated that he is leaning towards keeping the ball, but that he would first continue on his vacation to Australia and sort it out when he gets back. It also happens that the reason he was traveling to Australia for vacation was because his friend’s sister is there shooting a movie.

Who’s his friend’s sister, you ask? None other than Abigail Breslin, the fifth-youngest actress ever to be nominated for an Oscar. Still wondering who she is? She’s the little girl in Little Miss Sunshine (her Oscar-nominated role), has had roles in M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs, Raising Helen with Kate Hudson and her brother Spencer Breslin, Grey’s Anatomy, and is currently starring in No Reservations with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart (well, it’s probably out of theaters by now).

* * *

While looking for some more info on Matt Murphy, I also found this article on how NBC nabbed their interview with him. It’s interesting how many people and things are involved in getting a hold of a person in a situation like this. Check it out.

* * *

I just read a quick bit in the Washington Post saying that if Murphy does decide to keep the ball, he could owe taxes on a reasonable estimate of the ball’s value. It also stated that capital gains taxes could be levied as the ball appreciates in value over time, but that if the ball’s value were to somehow drop (i.e., Bonds is found guilty of steroid use), Murphy could claim a loss.

Somehow, this sorta makes sense to me, but it still blows. He caught a frickin’ baseball, fer cryin’ out loud. It’s worth whatever the special baseballs that MLB was using during Bonds’ at bats is worth. Sheesh. Definitely a case of Murphy’s Law.

The Dream Team

I can’t believe I missed it! Yesterday was the fifteenth anniversary of the original (and really, only) Dream Team winning the gold medal in Barcelona, Spain. That was, in all probability, the best team ever in the history of basketball. But, looking at the picture, the one thing that comes to mind is: which one is not like the others? Heh.

There’s a nice article written by Dream Team Coach Chuck Daly at NBA.com if you want to read more.

756

Well, I suppose I should mention something about Barry Bonds breaking one of the most hallowed records in baseball, Hank Aaron’s career-homerun record. Bonds hit career homerun 756 off of Washington Nationals pitcher Mike Bacsik Tuseday night on a one-out, fifth-inning, full-count fastball.

I’ll say this: I don’t like Barry Bonds the person. I think he’s an ass, even if only ten percent of the crazy stories about him are true. Now, I think everybody’s an ass sometimes, but he doesn’t seem to respect anybody but himself. I know he’s changed his tune recently and has been more congenial, but he still seems like an ass. For that, I am disappointed that Bonds the person broke one of the greatest sports records of all-time.

As for Barry Bonds, baseball player, I think he’s a tremendous athlete whose career longevity is questioned by unconfirmed steroid use. Let’s face it: steroids do not help you hit the ball, and Bonds can hit. He’s got a good eye, an incredible swing, and phenomenal bat speed. Steroids may have helped him hit the ball harder, but their main effect would be to allow Bonds to hit with slightly more power more consistently over a season and to allow him to recover from the wear-and-tear of playing and travel.

Consistency is the mark of a great athlete – the ability to perform great feats over and over and over again. After all, anybody can do something great once. It’s how many times an athlete can do something that puts them on another level. As for recovery, look at Bonds over the past two years. I know he’s getting older, but after the Balco case broke a couple years ago, he spent all of 2006 out with a knee injury and has been rested more times this year than I can remember. I believe that medical science is improving and that athletes take better care of their bodies now than they did when Hank Aaron was playing. But for Bonds career to hit an upswing after age thirty-five is insane. Stay consistent? Yes, that’s possible. But to be so much better now? Questionable.

I also have to say that MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is an idiot for how he’s handled the Bonds situation this year. He was present when Bonds hit number 755 last Saturday night, but was not present at Tuesday night’s game. Selig said earlier this season that he didn’t know if he would celebrate 756, and stood stoically with his hands in his pockets when Bonds tied Aaron’s mark. Bud Selig is a fool. If you believe so strongly that Bonds has cheated, do something about it. But because Bonds has neither been proven guilty or indicted by Major League Baseball or any other legal entity, he still innocent. An ass, but innocent. If you are the commissioner of the sport, do not act like a spoiled child who is not getting his way. Be a man and a leader and either find a way to prove Bonds guilty of substance abuse, or applaud one of the greatest feats of the last twenty years.

Do I think Bonds took steroids? Yup. Do I think they helped him hit? Nope. Do I think they helped him extend his career to hit 756 and counting homeruns? You betcha. Should he be celebrated? Yes – unless he’s proven guilty of steroid use. This is the U.S.A., after all. We’re about being innocent until proven guilty. We’re also about mom, apple pie, and baseball.

* * *

Bonds 756 memorabilia is headlined by the ball, caught by 22-year-old Matt Murphy, of Queens, NY. He and his friend were on their way to Australia and had a one-day layover in San Francisco. They bought tickets right before the game, and now he owns a piece of baseball history worth an estimated $400,000 to $500,000. Just so you know, Mark McGwire’s 70th HR ball from 1998 went for $3.3 million; Barry’s 73rd HR ball from 2001 went for $450,000; the Bonds’ 715th HR ball went for $220,000 last August; and just recently, his 70th HR ball from 2001 went for only $14,000 (after being initially bought for $60,000). Bonds’ batting helmet, the strike-ball counter from the game, as well as a ball signed by the umpires of the game (?) were sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

* * *

Oh, FYI, the Giants lost Tuesday night’s game 8-6, to the Nationals. They also lost when Bonds hit number 755 off of San Diego Padres pitcher Clay Hensley last Saturday.

So Now I Know...

One of the things I love about where we live is that we have a nice balcony that lets us sit and enjoy the greenery of our complex. Unfortunately, we don’t take advantage of it like we should, since it’s kind of a pain in the butt to clean. I feel a little bad sweeping it because of our neighbors downstairs, and I really can’t take a hose to it because of the same issue.

Compounding the problem are the palm trees that are level with our balcony and hang over it. These palms produce spores that end up all over our balcony, table, chairs, and grill. Up until today, I though the debris and spores were from the wind blowing them over the deck. Possibly… but now I have a feeling that there might be another cause.

I was sitting at our dining table this morning when I heard a leaf blower start up outside. We’d just put Danica down to take a nap, so I was a little perturbed, but what can you do? Then, I hear it getting louder and some clunking above my head. I look out the sliding glass doors, and what do I see? Leaves, branches, and pine needles coming down off our roof to land on our deck, while the wind from the leaf blower is tossing the palm leaves (covered in spores) around like they were in a hurricane.

So now I know. Great. To the gardener’s credit (and to his detriment), he ended up holding onto the side of our balcony blowing what he could off of it, but it mostly ended up stuck on one side. Oy. Oh well, at least I live in Southern California. And I’m not going to feel guilty about sweeping all the crap off my deck, even if some of it does land below us. Is that bad?

Congratulations, Yao!

Congratulations to Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, who married his long-time sweetheart on Monday in Shanghai at the Pudong Shangri-La Hotel. His new bride, Ye Li, is a former Chinese National Basketball Team player who stands 6-2. The two met in 1999 when Yao was a member of the Shanghai Sharks. Though Yao has talked little of Ye publicly, the red wristbands he's worn during his stint in the NBA were made by Ye.

Because of the desire for privacy, the security guards (~100) outnumbered the guests (~70). In fact, at an impromptu news conference outside the hotel ballroom where the couple was married, reporters were given teddy bears with candy and CD's with wedding portraits taken last week. The AP reported the wedding cost $130,000 (they did it on the cheap, I guess... unlike Tony Parker and Eva Longoria). If you want to read more, go to the Houston Chronicle.

Can't wait 'til their kid is a 5-10 spaz who can't make a layup.

Decisions, Decisions

I just picked up my copies of the 300 DVD and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows on Friday and (gasp!) haven’t cracked open either of them. I know, I know… And now I find myself in a new bind, because a bunch my favorite movies have new DVD releases that are out.

The Monster Squad – 20th Anniversary Edition

I already covered this way back when. It was released on July 24, but I was in Iowa at the time and didn’t have time to pick it up. I’m sure it’ll be just like a lot of movies I’ve watched again since I was a kid – a little less cool – but it’ll still be fun to watch.

Hard Boiled – Ultimate Edition (August 7)

I covered Hard Boiled on John Woo’s birthday, but it IS Chow Yun-Fat and John Woo’s greatest (and last) collaboration together. Of course, I have a copy of the original DVD release, but who can resist owning another one, especially in the non-anamorphic 1.85:1 aspect ratio? Actually, I guess that the earlier Criterion Collection set has a great commentary, but it’s been discontinued, and from what I understand, there are a number of international releases of the film that have better extras (but obviously aren’t encoded for region 1). Out of these three releases, it’s probably in third place on my wish list. Still…

Flash Gordon – Saviour of the Universe Edition (August 7)

This release really flew under my DVD radar to say the least. I didn’t find out about it until this morning when reading a story on the Hard Boiled DVD set. With the new Sci-Fi channel Flash Gordon series premiering on Friday, August 10, this is obviously a ploy to drive the fanboy interest up. And it’s working.

This was my first “cult” movie. It was cheesy and had crappy special effects, but I remember watching it as a kid in TAIWAN of all places. I think I was with my mom and one of my cousins (though I can’t remember who, of course), and I remember (and this is a child’s memory) the theater being HUGE –sort of like an IMAX theater. I’m fairly sure it wasn’t, but who knows? I loved it, and it did help that the movie was in English with Chinese subtitles. I have a vague memory of that being the second time I saw the movie, but I’m not sure.

There was an original DVD release of this when DVD first started to get really popular around ten years ago, but I never got my hands on it. I found a VHS copy at a swap meet a few years back, which I gladly shelled out $5 for. But now there’s this, with the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, but apparently lacking in extras. I guess I’ll have to live with this one. Oh well, at least it’s got an Alex Ross cover. For those of you not in the know (or not a giant, geeky fanboy like myself), Alex Ross is a very popular comic illustrator who loves the movie and supplies a featurette on the DVD.

Fortunately, since the movie came out in 1980 and they missed the 25th Anniversary, he next target time to release an edition is 2010 for the 30th Anniversary. I can’t wait to hear Queen belt out the theme song: “Flash! Ah-ahhhhhhhh!!!!! He’ll save every one of us!”

Also, though I’m not as big a fan of these movies, both The Dark Crystal (25th Anniversary) and Labyrinth have new-release DVD sets as well (both August 14). As a side note, the Labyrinth release is the “Anniversary Edition,” though it’s the 21st anniversary this year. The movie came out in 1986. Hmm…

* * *

Oh, and I just saw Remember the Titans again on TNT over the weekend and finally realized that three of the bit players in the movie have gone on to have terrific film and television careers: Kate Bosworth, Ryan Gosling, and (a very young) Hayden Panettiere.

News of the Day

Usually in the morning, I check my e-mail and see what Yahoo! has on its front page, since it’s my default homepage. It usually has some fun stories, so I thought I’d share a few since I haven’t written that much recently. Think of it as SNL’s news segment, without the famous faces and laughs.

Boy Rescued After 6-Hour Dead Sea Ordeal

An eight-year-old Israeli boy was found alive floating in the Dead Sea after he was carried away by the current, unbeknownst to his father and two brothers. They were swimming at a remote part of the beach for ultra-Orthodox Jewish men, who do not bathe in the presence of women. His family exited the water and didn’t notice him missing until late in the day. Fortunately, the Dead Sea has such a high concentration of minerals that the boy was able to simply float along with the current until police found him two miles offshore.

Boy Feels "Ripped Off" By Cougar Attack

A twelve-year-old boy in Canada who was camping with a friends’ family had his vacation cut short when he was attacked by a mountain lion as he was headed to a restroom. The boy was on a five-day trip when the mountain lion attacked him. A man was able to pull the lion off the boy, but not before the boy suffered lacerations to his head and upper body. Fortunately, the boy is okay, but feels that he was cheated out of his vacation. I suppose the only thing that would’ve made it okay is if they let him shoot the damn thing when they found it.

Teen Falls Six Stories, Walks Away

Seventeen-year-old Matthew Savage fell six stories from his hotel balcony after trying to retrieve a bathing suit that a fallen from the eleventh story to the balcony above. Apparently, he hit a couple of other balconies on the way down, landed on a slanted rooftop, slid into bushes at the bottom of the hotel, thought nothing of it, and started walking back to his hotel room. Paramedics at the scene instead slapped him to a body board and took him to the hospital where it turned out he actually was fine.

Okay… I’m guessing that 1) the “bathing suit” was a bikini and 2) he got a great reward when he got back to the hotel. I am wondering, however, after this fall, skater Jake Brown’s fall at the X-Games, and biker Matt Hoffman’s subsequent miscue, what kind of shoes they’re all wearing. Cuz you know it’s got to be the shoes.

Bad Thai Cops to Endure Kitty Shame

Police officers in Thailand caught committing misdemeanors such as littering or arriving late will now be forced to remain at their division office for the duration of their shift and wear a “Hello Kitty” armband featuring Hello Kitty sitting atop two hearts. The officers will not be forced to wear the armband in public.

Indian Police Get to the Bottom of Necklace Case

A thief who was found to have swallowed a necklace he stole from a businessman’s wife was ordered by Indian police to remain on a diet of bananas until he produced the necklace. On advice from doctors to use the bananas as a laxative, police fed the accused thief fifty (50!) bananas to no avail. Finally, they fed him a meal of rice, chicken and bread which led him to pass the necklace on his fifth attempt. A sweeper was paid fifty rupees (ONE dollar) to fish the necklace out, and the thief was forced to clean the necklace for its appearance in court. I can’t believe they’d have him wash it but not pull it out of the toilet or whatever. Ew. And if some dude is willing to fish a necklace out of crap for a dollar in India, I'm not surprised that companies are outsourcing jobs there. That's seriously cheap labor.

I love the internet. Who needs tabloids? All I’m wondering now is how I can get paid finding crazy stories over the AP wire and posting them…

Though... This is Pretty Cool, Too*

* -- (Edited Sunday, August 5, 2007) This was the Iron Man teaser footage that was shown at San Diego Comicon 2007. Unfortunately, Paramount pulled rank and had the footage taken down from You Tube. There is, however, a possiblity that I have the footage for viewing... It was pretty kick-ass, though, as usual, there were some parts that I didn't care for.

Iron Man is based on the Marvel Comics property created by Stan Lee, Larry Lieber, Don Heck and Jack Kirby. Directed by Jon Favreau, it stars Robert Downey, Jr. (Tony Stark), Gwyneth Paltrow (Virginia "Pepper" Potts), Terrance Howard (Jim Rhodes), and Jeff Bridges (Obidiah Stane), with cameos by Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Hillary Swank, Leslie Bibb and of course, Stan Lee. Get more information at the MySpace.com Iron Man Movie Group, which was set up and is maintained by Jon Favreau himself.

The film is set to be released May 2, 2008, so you can imagine what we'll be doing for Danica's 2nd birthday.

Absolutely THE COOLEST

Totally something I would've done back in the day, if I'd thought of it and had the discipline to do it. Oh, I'm sooooooooooo jealous that these guys pulled it off.

Iowa CAN Be Fun!

Having a little fun with Kindra's mom.

Don't Hassel the Hoff

International superstar David Hasselhoff turns 55 today. What happened to him? He’s fallen so far since his days doing Knight Rider and Baywatch. Ah, the bigger they are… At least he has America’s Got Talent.

In more interesting news (is it ever really interesting?), on this date in 1955, Disneyland opened its gates for the first time. FYI, Disneyland cost $17 million to build back in the day. $17 million!?!? $17 million is what it costs to take a family of four to Disneyland for the day.

Of course, they’re building a new Harry Potter theme park in Orlando as part of Universal’s Islands of Adventure at the Universal Orlando Resort. Read more about the “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” here, and don’t forget that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is released at midnight this Saturday morning. I’m still debating whether or not to go and get the book at midnight…

Mission Accomplished

Number 10,000 is in the books. Yup, the Philadelphia Phillies lost 10-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday night, at home no less. The Cards hit six homers total in the game, and Philadephia’s Adam Eaton took the loss. FYI, the Boston/Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves are second all-time in losses, with 9,681, and the Chicago Cubs are third, with 9,425.

10,000

I just saw this on FOX:

The Philadelphia Phillies are nearing their 10,000th loss all-time. No other major league franchise has as many losses. The Phillies were founded in 1883 and are currently on loss 9999. At least they’ve won one (1) championship.

Go Phils!

I'd Go See It...

I've never played the game nor do I even have extensive knowledge of the backstory, but I really like the visuals. This is some footage from the guy who was slated to make the movie, but ended up having his funding pulled. It's now footage for Microsoft...

I'd watch this guy's movie.Footage from Bungie.net. Just in case you don't get it, it's Halo 3.

Did You Get the Memo?

Saw this on our way back from San Diego last week:

Kindra snapped this when she saw it; the guy saw her taking a photo and pulled ahead of us to let us try to get a better shot. Plates were from Georgia, just in case you wanted to know.

Big Birthday

Happy birthday to one of my favorite actors, Tom Hanks. Hanks’ career has come a long way, having gone from television with Bosom Buddies to being only the second actor in history to win back-to-back Best Actor Oscars, for 1993’s Philadelphia and 1994’s Forrest Gump (Spencer Tracy was the first actor to accomplish the feat in 1937-38). Other notable works that Hanks has been in are Splash, Bachelor Party, Volunteers, The Man with One Red Shoe, Big, A League of Their Own, Sleepless in Seattle, Apollo 13, That Thing You Do!, Saving Private Ryan, The Green Mile, Cast Away, Road to Perdition, The Terminal, The Polar Express, and The Da Vinci Code. Beyond being a successful actor, he has also directed and produced a number of pieces, most notably the HBO mini-series From the Earth to the Moon and Band of Brothers.

Hanks is supposedly related to James Hanks, the possible father to Nancy Hanks and grandfather to President Abraham Lincoln. If true, Hanks would be the fourth cousin, four times removed, of the former president.

Hanks is next set to reprise his character from The Da Vinci Code, Robert Langdon, in a prequel to the movie, Angels and Demons.

Just for kicks:

* * *

For you sports trivia buffs, one-hundred thirty years ago today, the very first lawn tennis tournament was held by the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club at Wimbledon. One-hundred thirty years later yesterday, Roger Federer won his fifth straight Wimbledon title over Rafael Nadal, equaling Bjorn Borg’s record. It is Federer’s eleventh Grand Slam title, putting him behind only Pete Sampras (14) and Roy Emerson (12). In addition to his five straight Wimbledon titles, he’s also won three straight U.S. Opens and two straight Australian Opens. He has appeared in nine straight Grand Slam finals, winning seven, and if he continues on his pace, he’ll surpass Pete Sampras’ titles record in 2008, at the age of 27, four years younger than Sampras when Sampras won his last title. I guess I should sit up and take notice. Federer may be the greatest of all-time.

Also on this day thirty-nine years ago, the first MLB All-Star game to be played indoors was held at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. This year’s All-Star festivities in San Francisco start tonight, with the Home Run Derby, sans Barry Bonds, I might add. Loser.

Rocky and the Knucklehead

Happy birthday to Rocky himself, Sly Stallone, who turns 61(!) today.

It’s also President George W. Bush’s last birthday in office. The President turns 61 as well. How about that? Rocky and the President are the same age. Hmm.

Other notable birthdays today include actor Geoffrey Rush (Shine, Shakespeare in Love, Pirates of the Caribbean series), who turns 56, and actor Ned Beatty (Deliverance, Superman, Superman II, The Big Easy, Rudy) who is 70.

Happy 4th of July!

Answers to “Match Game”

Here are the answers to my celebrity birthday match game from June 22.

Top Row (L-R): Ed Bradley, Cyndi Lauper, Bruce Campbell, Kris Kristofferson

Middle: Amy Brenneman, Erich Maria Remarque, Meryl Streep, Lindsay Wagner

Bottom: Billy Wilder, Tim Russ, Amy Pollan, Carson Daly

And the answers to their credits:

Ed Bradley – 60 Minutes

Cyndi Lauper – WWF Rock and Wrestling

Bruce Campbell – Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie for Theaters, Army of Darkness, Old Spice commercials, Spider-Man 3

Kris Kristofferson – Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, Big Top Pee Wee, Blade

Amy Brenneman – Heat, Judging Amy, N.Y.P.D. Blue, Private Practice

Erich Maria Remarque – the novel All Quiet on the Western Front

Meryl Streep – Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, Stuck on You, The Devil Wears Prada, The Hours

Lindsay Wagner – Playboy After Dark, Sleep Comfort commercials, The Bionic Woman

Billy Wilder – Sabrina, Some Like It Hot

Tim Russ – Live Free or Die Hard, Spaceballs, Star Trek: Voyager

Amy Pollan – Family Ties

Carson Daly – Last Call with Carson Daly, (MTV’s) Total Request Live

Oh, There Will Be Some Pictures Tomorrow…

I just found out that it’s Lindsay Dee Lohan’s 21st birthday today, which means that there will be pictures of her either 1) partying, 2) drunk, 3) high, 4) in some manner of undress, 5) with some other Hollywood party girls, or 6) partying drunk and high in some manner of undress with some other Hollywood party girls.

If she knows what’s good for her, she’ll stay home tonight and just get drunk and high there. FYI, I guess it was just released that she had two times the legal limit of alcohol in her body as well as traces of cocaine in her system when she was arrested for DUI in May. I love that the police use the phrase a “useable amount” in reference to the cocaine found in her vehicle. I am wondering why the discussion of Lohan being UNDERAGE AND DRUNK isn’t also in the discussion…

What happened to the cute kid from the remake of The Parent Trap?

In other birthday news about redheads (sort of), it would have been Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas’ 75th birthday today. Thomas founded the chain in Columbus, Ohio in 1969 and named the restaurant after his daughter Melinda Lou, who was nicknamed “Wendy” because she couldn’t pronounce her own name when she was young. Unfortunately, the original Wendy’s closed earlier this year on March 2, 2007 because of slow sales. Thomas passed away on January 8, 2002.

How Did Those Hoof Prints Get on the Ceiling?

Here’s the latest trailer for The Simpsons Movie. Fantastic!
I love the end… Heh.

Starting to Look This Way, Eh?

'Nuff said.