Well, 3 teams in the top 5 five fell this past week. LSU, Missouri, and Oklahoma bit the dust. Anyone for a college football playoff??
I still believe that USC will play Florida when it's all said and done. I'm sorry, but I picked Bama over Texas for my #1 spot. I think that the single biggest fact about the Tide is that they have not trailed at any point all season. Let me repeat, 6 games and they have yet to be behind even 3-0. They have also not yielded a point in the first quarter this year. If there was another team that could boast that, plus whipping Georgia, Clemson, and Arkansas on the road is pretty good too. Now, lets take a look at some of my predictions.
Current record (7-8) **That is so bad, I should just let my dog Willie pee on the sports page to pick these games, but I still think Ill end up winning 60% before it's over.
Alabama 35
Ole Miss 21
Georgia 24
Vanderbilt 10
Tennessee 17
Mississippi State 7
Texas 42
Missouri 31
Kentucky 28
Arkansas 24
Now, the new TOP 25 (if you are a Tennessee fan, you are wasting your time..ha)
1- Alabama (Wow, there's no place like home)
2- Texas
3- Penn State
4- USC
5- Oklahoma
6- Oklahoma State
7- Florida
8- Texas Tech
9- Georgia
10- Ohio State
11- LSU
12- Kansas
13- Utah
14- Wake Forest
15- Virginia Tech
16- Minnesota
17- South Florida
18- Boise State
19- North Carolina
20- Pittsburgh
21- Vanderbilt
22- Georgia Tech
23- Ball State
24- Kansas State
25- Notre Dame
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Who out there has a 2nd Mom????
Funny question huh? Cmon, you know what I mean. Your #2 Mom kinda kicks you in the butt as you go along. She's the one that tells you "hey, listen to your mother....or I'll whip your butt myself." It could be a grandmother.....grandmother's are really good candidates for the Vice President Mom. Heck, it could be a good friend....maybe even someone the own sex. You can tell a second mom by the way they are never wrong, never! My Nana had my back, but I always ended up agreeing in the end. I think my Nana had...excuse me, still has Jedi like powers, but she was not the one. She just ended up being the "Nana" The Godmother of Hiwassee Avenue.
Well, my second mom let me know that on a previous blog I had left her out when talking about loved ones. It was a blog that's central idea was about how sometimes your own family wasn't right in the head, and why did other family members have to deal with it?
Well, in that blog, in an effort to make a point about the people close to me...I didn't quite call the entire roll. This was the third time someone had mentioned this to me, so there is a call for action here at thomaschavis.blogspot.
So, I want to acknowledge some folks that have been near and dear to me for a long time that are definetely in my inner circle.....but first, an enlightening story about this.
Right after I wrote the blog in question, I got a call from a close family member. After a brief conversation, my blog came up. At first, I was shocked to hear from this person about my blog at all. I would have bet this family member to not even know what a blog was...or how to it get to mine, but he had help. I was, for a brief moment...proud.
Well, the truth of the matter was that this person just wanted to let me know how upset they were that their NAME had not graced my little article. This person actually read what I had written back to me, as if I would not remember what I had penned myself. The sad fact that I had not been included them in that brief paragraph was because they did not meet the requirements that I set out. This person did not love me unconditionally.....and I didn't love them either. It was a sad moment that was many years coming, but I feel better now. I wish that person well and hope they lose what binds them.
Wow, that was heavy. I try to leave names out of these little notes, but that is my problem sometimes.
Now, Bobbi Jean is my very own second mother and a cast iron bond lives between us. She knew my mother and knows how to tap that energy within myself. My Mother-in-Law, Miss Jan is the very salt of the earth. She has taken to my daughter as she would her own, and I am thankful. Kevin Kerr kept me from burning the sky with my own rage. He literally pushed me through school, and he fed me..took me in. Greg Wanderman will always be my best friend. An unwavering star that I have always been able to count on. Roxanne....what can I say? And, the one man that can make me laugh til I'm happy, Mr. Messier.
So, I have listed everyone now. Congratulations on being "outed." I don't want to hear any more complaints.
Truth is, it's nice to have to expand a list like this. Makes you feel a litte warm...maybe fuzzy. Nah, fuzzy is for chicks.
Thanks for reading.
Well, my second mom let me know that on a previous blog I had left her out when talking about loved ones. It was a blog that's central idea was about how sometimes your own family wasn't right in the head, and why did other family members have to deal with it?
Well, in that blog, in an effort to make a point about the people close to me...I didn't quite call the entire roll. This was the third time someone had mentioned this to me, so there is a call for action here at thomaschavis.blogspot.
So, I want to acknowledge some folks that have been near and dear to me for a long time that are definetely in my inner circle.....but first, an enlightening story about this.
Right after I wrote the blog in question, I got a call from a close family member. After a brief conversation, my blog came up. At first, I was shocked to hear from this person about my blog at all. I would have bet this family member to not even know what a blog was...or how to it get to mine, but he had help. I was, for a brief moment...proud.
Well, the truth of the matter was that this person just wanted to let me know how upset they were that their NAME had not graced my little article. This person actually read what I had written back to me, as if I would not remember what I had penned myself. The sad fact that I had not been included them in that brief paragraph was because they did not meet the requirements that I set out. This person did not love me unconditionally.....and I didn't love them either. It was a sad moment that was many years coming, but I feel better now. I wish that person well and hope they lose what binds them.
Wow, that was heavy. I try to leave names out of these little notes, but that is my problem sometimes.
Now, Bobbi Jean is my very own second mother and a cast iron bond lives between us. She knew my mother and knows how to tap that energy within myself. My Mother-in-Law, Miss Jan is the very salt of the earth. She has taken to my daughter as she would her own, and I am thankful. Kevin Kerr kept me from burning the sky with my own rage. He literally pushed me through school, and he fed me..took me in. Greg Wanderman will always be my best friend. An unwavering star that I have always been able to count on. Roxanne....what can I say? And, the one man that can make me laugh til I'm happy, Mr. Messier.
So, I have listed everyone now. Congratulations on being "outed." I don't want to hear any more complaints.
Truth is, it's nice to have to expand a list like this. Makes you feel a litte warm...maybe fuzzy. Nah, fuzzy is for chicks.
Thanks for reading.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Dieting Machine.......
Hey, I'm the first person to admit that I am obese and need to lose at least 50 pounds, but my argument is not with whether people need to lose weight. My beef is with the dieting industry. I think that it's a scam and people end up worse off than before.
Webmd.com has 281 sites in just the overview when you type in "Losing Weight." I mean, if Webmd can't give a straight answer about what is going on, then I will. It's simple. Eat less and exercise more often. Yep, I don't have a video or a book coming out, but that's the gist everyone. Put the fork down and go for a walk. I don't think there is a physician on the planet that could argue.
The thing that gets me is that so many people (myself included) that just don't want to admit that they have a hard time with the burgers and are lazy to boot. Personally, I eat like crap and don't exercise very much. Then...Presto! For a few weeks, I'll push my plate away and walk nine holes of golf or even walk around the mall three-four times a week, and I lose weight. It's just really hard to do those things. You get home from work, you're tired, you eat, you go to bed. There is nothing to be ashamed of. The mind pushes the body, not the other way around. If your mind is not focused on whatever you set out to do, then you can't trust your body to pull your through.
I cannot even begin to go into all the junk that's out there, so I'll be fair. I'll use what is in my household to illustrate that "diets" are not the answer, no matter how hard you try. According to my family physician Dr. James Stanko, most people who participate in a crash diet or a program will eventually gain that weight back,and in some cases GAIN EVEN MORE!!!!! His advice was to try and lose 2-3 pounds a month over 12 months. Hey, that adds up to up to 36 pounds, which would put me close to my ideal weight. Hey, maybe doctor's aren't crazy.
I know, I know, I'm a guy...I can't possibly understand, but facts are facts. As I sit and write this....I'm looking at a pad of paper that's just crazy. For the sake of being a guinea pig, Bonnie has allowed me to use my blog to illustrate the craziness of dieting. The only condition is that I do not exaggerate in attempts to be humorous.
We have 4 books with different diet plans and one cookbook for such a plan.
We have a membership to "The Rush" that we have not gone to in over a year.
Bonnie has been to a "Diet Doctor" in order to get the "good" diet pills.
Bonnie is taking has taken over the counter diet pills infrequently.
Bonnie has sworn off meat. She eats these veggie patty things.....uch.....gross.
Bonnie carries around a 2 foot drinking device full of water at all times.
Bonnie ordered a "Billy Blanks" video using our Blockbuster account.
WHAT IN THE HELL???? I'm sorry, but she looks awfully good to me! Blond, blue eyed, bombshell, and I hit triple 7's to be with her.
Girls, you wanna know what us boys really think. We'd rather you be happy and weigh a little more than your ideal weight because watching the torturous actions you take is really awful. It stinks. There is NO WAY a guy can make a girl feel better about her weight, because unless she feels secure.....then we are just being sweet.
And that really makes us mad. Most guys are not prolific with their compliments, but when we say you look beautiful, unless that guy is in trouble, it's sincere. This blog serves no purpose and I'm not on a crusade. I just think those that are dieting need to know that your partner is probably in a world of.......chocolate.
Webmd.com has 281 sites in just the overview when you type in "Losing Weight." I mean, if Webmd can't give a straight answer about what is going on, then I will. It's simple. Eat less and exercise more often. Yep, I don't have a video or a book coming out, but that's the gist everyone. Put the fork down and go for a walk. I don't think there is a physician on the planet that could argue.
The thing that gets me is that so many people (myself included) that just don't want to admit that they have a hard time with the burgers and are lazy to boot. Personally, I eat like crap and don't exercise very much. Then...Presto! For a few weeks, I'll push my plate away and walk nine holes of golf or even walk around the mall three-four times a week, and I lose weight. It's just really hard to do those things. You get home from work, you're tired, you eat, you go to bed. There is nothing to be ashamed of. The mind pushes the body, not the other way around. If your mind is not focused on whatever you set out to do, then you can't trust your body to pull your through.
I cannot even begin to go into all the junk that's out there, so I'll be fair. I'll use what is in my household to illustrate that "diets" are not the answer, no matter how hard you try. According to my family physician Dr. James Stanko, most people who participate in a crash diet or a program will eventually gain that weight back,and in some cases GAIN EVEN MORE!!!!! His advice was to try and lose 2-3 pounds a month over 12 months. Hey, that adds up to up to 36 pounds, which would put me close to my ideal weight. Hey, maybe doctor's aren't crazy.
I know, I know, I'm a guy...I can't possibly understand, but facts are facts. As I sit and write this....I'm looking at a pad of paper that's just crazy. For the sake of being a guinea pig, Bonnie has allowed me to use my blog to illustrate the craziness of dieting. The only condition is that I do not exaggerate in attempts to be humorous.
We have 4 books with different diet plans and one cookbook for such a plan.
We have a membership to "The Rush" that we have not gone to in over a year.
Bonnie has been to a "Diet Doctor" in order to get the "good" diet pills.
Bonnie is taking has taken over the counter diet pills infrequently.
Bonnie has sworn off meat. She eats these veggie patty things.....uch.....gross.
Bonnie carries around a 2 foot drinking device full of water at all times.
Bonnie ordered a "Billy Blanks" video using our Blockbuster account.
WHAT IN THE HELL???? I'm sorry, but she looks awfully good to me! Blond, blue eyed, bombshell, and I hit triple 7's to be with her.
Girls, you wanna know what us boys really think. We'd rather you be happy and weigh a little more than your ideal weight because watching the torturous actions you take is really awful. It stinks. There is NO WAY a guy can make a girl feel better about her weight, because unless she feels secure.....then we are just being sweet.
And that really makes us mad. Most guys are not prolific with their compliments, but when we say you look beautiful, unless that guy is in trouble, it's sincere. This blog serves no purpose and I'm not on a crusade. I just think those that are dieting need to know that your partner is probably in a world of.......chocolate.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Stephanie reviews the Fall TV lineup........
There’s Only One October!
- Stephanie Shipp
Sorry, no, I am not talking about baseball. Although, I must say I am so relieved that this year's baseball playoff commercials do not have Dane Cook saying, "There's only one October!!" in his voice that makes me want to punch through my TV screen.
I am here to guest blog about the fall premiere shows that start in October (Ok, a few at the end of September). I do love TV shows, and trust me, I watch enough to be considered a subject in a teen violence research study (ah… the Media is the devil). However, I can not watch ALL of them, so I will be skipping some fall premieres. I cannot bring myself to watch Heroes or Desperate Housewives especially… maybe Bonnie can help. Plus, I need to make sure I leave time to feed my addiction for embarrassing displays of humanity, i.e. Reality TV.
ABC
Ugly Betty – Hi, My name is Stephanie and I love Lindsay Lohan celebrity gossip. I only watched Ugly Betty because I was interested to see LiLo’s performance. I watched a lot of it last year because it came on before Grey’s, but I was never really that intrigued. This season is starting off o.k. The season premiere brought a lot of change for the characters, took them out of their elements, and it had a pretty good plot. I don’t really care for this show though because it teeters between reality and…. Ummm that would never happen. So it kinda bothers me. It gets a C.
Grey’s Anatomy – Oh the love of my life, how you hurt me so. I live for Grey’s Anatomy… it is definitely at the top of my list. And I was like a kid at Christmas when I saw the commercials for the premiere. McDreamy/Patrick Dempsey might be killed in a car accident??? His ex-girlfriend is going to be pregnant with his baby?? But yet he asked Meredith, the real girlfriend, to marry him???!!! Then the show starts…. April fools!! Turns out the death was a dream and the pregnancy and marriage proposal were just the characters joking around. What the hell? So what was the premiere about, you may ask. Nothing. It gets a C-.
Pushing Daisies – This show is so unique. The writers really had something different the public had never seen before: a guy who can bring people back to life, but only for a certain length of them, can’t touch his girlfriend or she will die forever…. It’s really a lot of stuff to deal with. However, it just doesn’t work. If anyone watches this show you would know it’s CSI meets Dr. Seuss, and no one is interested in that. We don’t want magical murder mysteries solved. This is America… we want to see the blood, guts, and gore with scary serial killers and creeper stalkers. So Pushing Daisies gets an E for Effort.
Private Practice – I thought I wouldn’t like this show because it would be too much like Grey’s Anatomy with the outside drama being medical problems, and the inside drama being the crazy love triangles that exist amongst the characters. Well, that basically is the show as it turns out. But instead of the medical drama being a tree coming through the middle of a person because of a car wreck, it’s more of a couple wanting to get pregnant and come to find out they are brother and sister. So it is very different. And I think it’s a good show to watch. It gets a B+.
Cashmere Mafia – Sorry ladies, this show was canceled L Aw… I know, you were excited that something sort of maybe kind of resembled your memories of Sex and the City. Oh well, we got something better of it: another bangin’ star joining the cast of the best show that no one is watching. Which brings me too…
Dirty, Sexy, Money – The Holy Grail of the fall season!! Great cast, great plot, and great drama. You want to hate these people for ruling all of New York (well, it’s more jealousy). But then you LOVE them… you love their devious deceitful behavior. The season premiere was all it should be and more. It set the stage for the rest of the season, which is what a premiere should do. If you don’t watch this show now is the time to start. I promise it will not disappoint you. Dirty, Sexy, Money gets an A, duh.
Dancing with the Stars – Just shoot me. Just take a gun to my head and put me out of my misery. Why is everyone obsessed with this show? My best friend back home watches it; everyone I know watches it, and I am at a loss for words. I am not entertained by Kim Kardashian or some old lady with big boobs or football players trying to dance the mambo. They suck at it. And they aren’t even celebrities that I would care to see make fools of themselves. And the judges make me about as angry as Dane Cook saying, “There’s Only One October.” This show gets a big fat WTF as their grade.
NBC
Lipstick Jungle – Eh… this is ok. The premiere got me a little bit hooked, but the second week kinda let me down. I don’t think I will be continuing to watch this show. If it wasn’t for DVR I wouldn’t be watching it at all since it comes on at the same time as Dirty, Sexy, Money. I thought it was going to be a little Sex and the City-ish, but it’s more Desperate Housewives-ish with Brooke Shields and her poor display of acting skills. This show gets a D.
The Office – Where did this show go? It was “The Show” last year, and now I haven’t heard a word about it.
CW
Gossip Girl – Oh dear Lord. Just what we need: another O.C. Please TV God, make it stop. This show makes me hate my life for not being able to wake up in the morning looking like I just stepped out of Vogue Magazine. Please go away… F.
One Tree Hill – A nanny turned murderer? Huh? The CW is just never going to be the same again. Unless… ahem… bring back Gilmore Girls!
Reality
The Hills – I love watching Speidi as they continue their on-going efforts to make absolute certain that they rot in hell. The End. This show gets a C.
Paris Hilton’s My New BFF – I love this show almost as much as I loved “Flava Flav” or “A Shot at Love”. It’s just pure gold. How could you not love Paris ordering around a bunch of drama queens, making them dye their hair to her specifications, making them party until they puke and then not letting them retouch-up their makeup? It’s just wonderful. This show gets an A.
Hope you enjoyed Steph’s Fall Show Review. And now, as Paris would say to a BFF loser who didn’t make the cut, “TTYN bitches.”
- Stephanie Shipp
Sorry, no, I am not talking about baseball. Although, I must say I am so relieved that this year's baseball playoff commercials do not have Dane Cook saying, "There's only one October!!" in his voice that makes me want to punch through my TV screen.
I am here to guest blog about the fall premiere shows that start in October (Ok, a few at the end of September). I do love TV shows, and trust me, I watch enough to be considered a subject in a teen violence research study (ah… the Media is the devil). However, I can not watch ALL of them, so I will be skipping some fall premieres. I cannot bring myself to watch Heroes or Desperate Housewives especially… maybe Bonnie can help. Plus, I need to make sure I leave time to feed my addiction for embarrassing displays of humanity, i.e. Reality TV.
ABC
Ugly Betty – Hi, My name is Stephanie and I love Lindsay Lohan celebrity gossip. I only watched Ugly Betty because I was interested to see LiLo’s performance. I watched a lot of it last year because it came on before Grey’s, but I was never really that intrigued. This season is starting off o.k. The season premiere brought a lot of change for the characters, took them out of their elements, and it had a pretty good plot. I don’t really care for this show though because it teeters between reality and…. Ummm that would never happen. So it kinda bothers me. It gets a C.
Grey’s Anatomy – Oh the love of my life, how you hurt me so. I live for Grey’s Anatomy… it is definitely at the top of my list. And I was like a kid at Christmas when I saw the commercials for the premiere. McDreamy/Patrick Dempsey might be killed in a car accident??? His ex-girlfriend is going to be pregnant with his baby?? But yet he asked Meredith, the real girlfriend, to marry him???!!! Then the show starts…. April fools!! Turns out the death was a dream and the pregnancy and marriage proposal were just the characters joking around. What the hell? So what was the premiere about, you may ask. Nothing. It gets a C-.
Pushing Daisies – This show is so unique. The writers really had something different the public had never seen before: a guy who can bring people back to life, but only for a certain length of them, can’t touch his girlfriend or she will die forever…. It’s really a lot of stuff to deal with. However, it just doesn’t work. If anyone watches this show you would know it’s CSI meets Dr. Seuss, and no one is interested in that. We don’t want magical murder mysteries solved. This is America… we want to see the blood, guts, and gore with scary serial killers and creeper stalkers. So Pushing Daisies gets an E for Effort.
Private Practice – I thought I wouldn’t like this show because it would be too much like Grey’s Anatomy with the outside drama being medical problems, and the inside drama being the crazy love triangles that exist amongst the characters. Well, that basically is the show as it turns out. But instead of the medical drama being a tree coming through the middle of a person because of a car wreck, it’s more of a couple wanting to get pregnant and come to find out they are brother and sister. So it is very different. And I think it’s a good show to watch. It gets a B+.
Cashmere Mafia – Sorry ladies, this show was canceled L Aw… I know, you were excited that something sort of maybe kind of resembled your memories of Sex and the City. Oh well, we got something better of it: another bangin’ star joining the cast of the best show that no one is watching. Which brings me too…
Dirty, Sexy, Money – The Holy Grail of the fall season!! Great cast, great plot, and great drama. You want to hate these people for ruling all of New York (well, it’s more jealousy). But then you LOVE them… you love their devious deceitful behavior. The season premiere was all it should be and more. It set the stage for the rest of the season, which is what a premiere should do. If you don’t watch this show now is the time to start. I promise it will not disappoint you. Dirty, Sexy, Money gets an A, duh.
Dancing with the Stars – Just shoot me. Just take a gun to my head and put me out of my misery. Why is everyone obsessed with this show? My best friend back home watches it; everyone I know watches it, and I am at a loss for words. I am not entertained by Kim Kardashian or some old lady with big boobs or football players trying to dance the mambo. They suck at it. And they aren’t even celebrities that I would care to see make fools of themselves. And the judges make me about as angry as Dane Cook saying, “There’s Only One October.” This show gets a big fat WTF as their grade.
NBC
Lipstick Jungle – Eh… this is ok. The premiere got me a little bit hooked, but the second week kinda let me down. I don’t think I will be continuing to watch this show. If it wasn’t for DVR I wouldn’t be watching it at all since it comes on at the same time as Dirty, Sexy, Money. I thought it was going to be a little Sex and the City-ish, but it’s more Desperate Housewives-ish with Brooke Shields and her poor display of acting skills. This show gets a D.
The Office – Where did this show go? It was “The Show” last year, and now I haven’t heard a word about it.
CW
Gossip Girl – Oh dear Lord. Just what we need: another O.C. Please TV God, make it stop. This show makes me hate my life for not being able to wake up in the morning looking like I just stepped out of Vogue Magazine. Please go away… F.
One Tree Hill – A nanny turned murderer? Huh? The CW is just never going to be the same again. Unless… ahem… bring back Gilmore Girls!
Reality
The Hills – I love watching Speidi as they continue their on-going efforts to make absolute certain that they rot in hell. The End. This show gets a C.
Paris Hilton’s My New BFF – I love this show almost as much as I loved “Flava Flav” or “A Shot at Love”. It’s just pure gold. How could you not love Paris ordering around a bunch of drama queens, making them dye their hair to her specifications, making them party until they puke and then not letting them retouch-up their makeup? It’s just wonderful. This show gets an A.
Hope you enjoyed Steph’s Fall Show Review. And now, as Paris would say to a BFF loser who didn’t make the cut, “TTYN bitches.”
Monday, October 6, 2008
Movie Review- "Burn after Reading"
Most people have seen the preview for this movie and gone "huh...Clooney and Pitt.....what's it about....I don't get it"
Well, your omnipotent movie reviewer did not care about Clooney or Pitt....or John Malcavich(sp)...or Frances McDormand...or Tilda Swinton. That's 3 oscar winners there people. I was excited to see this movie because it was written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. These guys are on my "Who do I want meet?" section of my MySpace page. Blood Simple, Fargo, No Country for Old Men ,and my personal favorite....The Big Lebowski.
Now, I grant you that these movies are they types you either hate or love. I think Quentin Tarantino movies are the same.......it's either a religious experience like Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs or a "what in the hell was that" experience like Jackie Brown or the Kill Bill movies.
**For the record, Tarantino's movies should be put in a time capsule. He is a friggin genius man.....how could you not like Pulp Fiction?........I better stop.
Right, the movie I'm reviewing is Burn after Reading. The premise is pretty simple for Coen standards. Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt (he does a really good job in this, and I hate him) work at a health club called...get this...."Hardbodies!" She wants to get massive cosmetic surgery, I mean the whole buffet and Pitt is just witless. Somehow, they come across a CD filled with what think is top secret CIA crap. You know...the actual whereabouts of Bin Laden...Kennedy Conspiracy..that kinda junk. Well, they try to black mail Malkovich into giving them cash for this secret disc....and then all falls down.
Malcovich (playing an enraged alcholic) doesnt want to play ball and muddles things up. Clooney comes along as a spy himself that brags the he's never fired his weapon (you will get the inside joke of that if you see this film.) Clooney's role is not effective and lost on me. Long story short, everything goes wrong for everybody and that's supposed to be funny. It was....in parts.
The last movie I rated worth a crap was Tropic Thunder and Im wondering if something better is ever going to come along. Burn after Reading really didn't have a punch line. Pitt acting a fool was funny, but there wasn't much else. I think this movie had too many movie stars in it. I felt like everyone had to have a scene...then we'd move onto another scene with the next superstar in line. It's a bad habit Big Budget movies do.....put a crapful of great actors/actresses in a movie and then don't give them anything worthwhile to work with.
Anyway, it wasn's all that bad. Maybe Im being harsh because of the Coen Brothers, but this was more "The Ladykillers" than "Raising Arizona." B-
Well, your omnipotent movie reviewer did not care about Clooney or Pitt....or John Malcavich(sp)...or Frances McDormand...or Tilda Swinton. That's 3 oscar winners there people. I was excited to see this movie because it was written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. These guys are on my "Who do I want meet?" section of my MySpace page. Blood Simple, Fargo, No Country for Old Men ,and my personal favorite....The Big Lebowski.
Now, I grant you that these movies are they types you either hate or love. I think Quentin Tarantino movies are the same.......it's either a religious experience like Pulp Fiction and Resevoir Dogs or a "what in the hell was that" experience like Jackie Brown or the Kill Bill movies.
**For the record, Tarantino's movies should be put in a time capsule. He is a friggin genius man.....how could you not like Pulp Fiction?........I better stop.
Right, the movie I'm reviewing is Burn after Reading. The premise is pretty simple for Coen standards. Frances McDormand and Brad Pitt (he does a really good job in this, and I hate him) work at a health club called...get this...."Hardbodies!" She wants to get massive cosmetic surgery, I mean the whole buffet and Pitt is just witless. Somehow, they come across a CD filled with what think is top secret CIA crap. You know...the actual whereabouts of Bin Laden...Kennedy Conspiracy..that kinda junk. Well, they try to black mail Malkovich into giving them cash for this secret disc....and then all falls down.
Malcovich (playing an enraged alcholic) doesnt want to play ball and muddles things up. Clooney comes along as a spy himself that brags the he's never fired his weapon (you will get the inside joke of that if you see this film.) Clooney's role is not effective and lost on me. Long story short, everything goes wrong for everybody and that's supposed to be funny. It was....in parts.
The last movie I rated worth a crap was Tropic Thunder and Im wondering if something better is ever going to come along. Burn after Reading really didn't have a punch line. Pitt acting a fool was funny, but there wasn't much else. I think this movie had too many movie stars in it. I felt like everyone had to have a scene...then we'd move onto another scene with the next superstar in line. It's a bad habit Big Budget movies do.....put a crapful of great actors/actresses in a movie and then don't give them anything worthwhile to work with.
Anyway, it wasn's all that bad. Maybe Im being harsh because of the Coen Brothers, but this was more "The Ladykillers" than "Raising Arizona." B-
Top 25 (October 6th Edition)
Pretty uneventful week for college football fans. Obviously, I was shocked to see Vanderbilt beat Auburn. I mean, if someone would have said to me in early August that Vandy would be 5-0, Bama would be ranked #2, and UT staggering at 2-3...I would be homeless. I would have bet everything I owned. Oh well.
We are officially half way through the season and I still predict it will be USC and Florida when the dust settles. Oklahoma is awfully good, but I think either Missouri or Texas gets them. LSU is wicked good too, but they lose this week to Florida. So, with that, I give you the latest Chavis Top 25 and my humble predictions for this week.
Current Record (5-5) That's just straight up! I'm terrible.
Tennessee 17
Georgia 16 (BIG UPSET PICK HERE....hey UT has owned Georgia lately and the Dawgs are pretty beat up0
Oklahoma 38
Texas 24
Wisconsin 20
Penn State 17
Florida 31
LSU 21
Wake Forest 24
Clemson 13
Top 25
1- Oklahoma
2- Alabama
3- Missouri
4- LSU
5- Penn State
6-Texas
7- BYU
8- USC
9- Texas Tech
10- Georgia
11- Florida
12- Ohio State
13- Utah
14- Vanderbilt
15- Oklahoma State
16- Kansas
17- Wake Forest
18- Virginia Tech
19- Notre Dame
20- South Florida
21- Wisconsin
22- Boise State
23- North Carolina
24- Pittsburgh
25- Auburn
We are officially half way through the season and I still predict it will be USC and Florida when the dust settles. Oklahoma is awfully good, but I think either Missouri or Texas gets them. LSU is wicked good too, but they lose this week to Florida. So, with that, I give you the latest Chavis Top 25 and my humble predictions for this week.
Current Record (5-5) That's just straight up! I'm terrible.
Tennessee 17
Georgia 16 (BIG UPSET PICK HERE....hey UT has owned Georgia lately and the Dawgs are pretty beat up0
Oklahoma 38
Texas 24
Wisconsin 20
Penn State 17
Florida 31
LSU 21
Wake Forest 24
Clemson 13
Top 25
1- Oklahoma
2- Alabama
3- Missouri
4- LSU
5- Penn State
6-Texas
7- BYU
8- USC
9- Texas Tech
10- Georgia
11- Florida
12- Ohio State
13- Utah
14- Vanderbilt
15- Oklahoma State
16- Kansas
17- Wake Forest
18- Virginia Tech
19- Notre Dame
20- South Florida
21- Wisconsin
22- Boise State
23- North Carolina
24- Pittsburgh
25- Auburn
Car Flags, magnets and other dumb stuff.
Has anyone living in the Chattanooga area noticed how few Tennessee fans are celebrating their team with crap on their cars? Of course, after starting out 2-3, Id put my Big Orange windsock back in storage. As a matter of fact, I don't see much Georgia stuff either after that whipping they got a week ago.
I must admit that I do have a car flag....and a magnet, but I have not displayed them on Saturday's thus far. Im deathly afraid some State Trooper is going to pull me over and then plant a kilo of blow under my seat. Then Ill be Roll Tiding it straight to the pokey. Hey, Ive been to the pokey (Knoxville, class of 2004) and it stinks. I spent roughly 48 hours at the Knoxville Detention Center for a DUI and that was enough for me.
Jail is not what you think. I was in no danger of "dropping the soap," or getting a swastika tattoo on my butt, nor did I get to shank someone that slighted me in the "yard." It was really like staying at a really bad hotel. The bed was hard, the food was bland, and the TV only had 3 stations. Fortunately, I was able to read to my heart's content and they had a basketball goal, so I survived.
That DUI changed my life actually. I was very messed up at the time. I was smoking dope like Cheech and drinking like Joan Crawford. I had long ago ran out of medication so sleep was an afterthought. I had barricaded my own life. I lost some really good friends and betrayed the trust of dear family. Desperation leads one to do things that they would not normally do. I fancy myself a smart guy, but I was hitting a 6.5 on the richter scale of stupidity.
I got cleaned up and ended up back in my hometown, which I pledged to never do. There were some family and friends that helped me get on my feet, but I had to do the heavy lifting myself. There were, and still are bridges that were burned. Even 4 years later, I am still bandaging those self-inflicted wounds. You can't unring a bell.....
Im writing this because there was one bridge in particular that I have been trying to traverse for a long time, and I think Im getting close. What brought on this communication with my oldest friend......COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!!! Yep, he's a Notre Dame guy and they are having some success as is my dear Crimson Tide, so hopefully these two teams will continue to win so I can continue the long process of winning back a dear friend. Go Irish.
In closing, everyone has something in their past they are not proud of. Maybe some more than others, but it's never over. 4 years after hanging out with some other DUI offenders and not having a pot to piss in...nevermind the window, I am going to be writing for The Chattanooga Times pretty soon, plan on going to law school.......and have a perfect daughter.
There is an old saying that I remind myself of......"Luck favors the prepared mind." I've been lucky.
I must admit that I do have a car flag....and a magnet, but I have not displayed them on Saturday's thus far. Im deathly afraid some State Trooper is going to pull me over and then plant a kilo of blow under my seat. Then Ill be Roll Tiding it straight to the pokey. Hey, Ive been to the pokey (Knoxville, class of 2004) and it stinks. I spent roughly 48 hours at the Knoxville Detention Center for a DUI and that was enough for me.
Jail is not what you think. I was in no danger of "dropping the soap," or getting a swastika tattoo on my butt, nor did I get to shank someone that slighted me in the "yard." It was really like staying at a really bad hotel. The bed was hard, the food was bland, and the TV only had 3 stations. Fortunately, I was able to read to my heart's content and they had a basketball goal, so I survived.
That DUI changed my life actually. I was very messed up at the time. I was smoking dope like Cheech and drinking like Joan Crawford. I had long ago ran out of medication so sleep was an afterthought. I had barricaded my own life. I lost some really good friends and betrayed the trust of dear family. Desperation leads one to do things that they would not normally do. I fancy myself a smart guy, but I was hitting a 6.5 on the richter scale of stupidity.
I got cleaned up and ended up back in my hometown, which I pledged to never do. There were some family and friends that helped me get on my feet, but I had to do the heavy lifting myself. There were, and still are bridges that were burned. Even 4 years later, I am still bandaging those self-inflicted wounds. You can't unring a bell.....
Im writing this because there was one bridge in particular that I have been trying to traverse for a long time, and I think Im getting close. What brought on this communication with my oldest friend......COLLEGE FOOTBALL!!!!! Yep, he's a Notre Dame guy and they are having some success as is my dear Crimson Tide, so hopefully these two teams will continue to win so I can continue the long process of winning back a dear friend. Go Irish.
In closing, everyone has something in their past they are not proud of. Maybe some more than others, but it's never over. 4 years after hanging out with some other DUI offenders and not having a pot to piss in...nevermind the window, I am going to be writing for The Chattanooga Times pretty soon, plan on going to law school.......and have a perfect daughter.
There is an old saying that I remind myself of......"Luck favors the prepared mind." I've been lucky.
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