Wicked Awesome Star Wars Clips

After watching the Clone Wars movie this summer, my zest for Star Wars hit an all time low. Here are two videos from youtube that helped me get that warm fuzzy "feeling" back.

This is random, but interesting. Yea San Francisco.

Trading Concubines

Growing up in the Mile High City, I attended the LDS church in the morning and then went home to watch the church of John Elway in the afternoon. There were many highs and lows, but the Field General, John Elway was constant. He could always be trusted to win, and bring glory to our fair city. But I now have serious doubts about our once great General, who rode the White Bronco.

After retirement, Elway has done a bunch of things, Car Dealerships, Restaurants, AFL (Area Football League), Canned his wife of 18 years, preyed on Cougars, etc... But he has now crossed the line. Word is out that Mr. Elway will be marrying a former Raider's cheerleader.

INCONCIEVABLE!!! Could Carl Meckelnburg, Steve Atwater, Jene Lang or Simon Fletcher do this? Yes. They are not a fixture of Denver sports and the city. But "John" is the husband and the city of Denver is his wife. We have loved him for years after he stopped working and making us smile. Like a rejected wife, we have gone on cherishing what he once was and have kissed his butt despite the lack of success, post football. I now know how a woman scorned feels. This is heinous treachery.

Perhaps "John" is upset that we have a new Bo in the wings (Jay Cutler) and is lashing out at us. So be it. Its time for us to move on and get a young, virile husband that can make us feel alive, special and maybe even better than you once did. Good riddance "John." I've rent my clothes, ripped out my facial hair and covered myself in sackcloth and ashes. You are dead to me.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/John-Elway-is-marrying-an-ex-Raiders-cheerleader?urn=nfl,110869

Just Another Move

I answered the call to help someone move furniture this evening. It seemed normal enough, until I got the back story on it. (Dan - you'll love this since you may be able to tell who told me this story).

We were helping a young lady move in with her mom. Why? Her husband had gone to jail for some scam and she divorced him. Once he got out of jail, they got back together. But this time, he ran a new scam and racked up $750,000 in illegial credit card debt doing shady stuff. To top it off, this guy is some sort of expert on Samurai swords and apparently stole 2 from the National Museum in D.C. that had been given to some U.S. general. The dude took them to San Francisco and sold them. He just got a work visa to Britan and informed his now ex-wife he will not be returning. Hence, the need for this unfortunate move.

We whispered like little school girls about it during the move. I've never had so much fun.

Question - HOW DID THAT GUY GET A VISA??? - You go Big Brother.

I found this artice on the web that kinda/sorta substatiates the story.

http://www.geocities.com/alchemyst/tojo.htm

Its a weak source, but still good for some grins. Apparently this guy also was involved with some papers about Hilter as well. Go figure.

What's the moral? When you get involved and help people, you get the best entertaiment available. Crazy people!

Fletch on Media

I, Fletch F. Fletch, have been doing my usual routine of watching flicks, reading books and listening to music. Here are my shocking opinions:

Music - Most of you have heard Snow Patrol's song "Chasing Cars"(If I lay here...) and like me are probably ready to puke when you hear it. Sure its a good song but it needs a serious break. However, I heard a bunch of music from the rest of the album, Eyes Wide Open and was pleasantly surprised. I've added "You could be happy" to my musical montage on the left if you care to listen. Either way, a good band to check out.

Next, a lesser know band, called Keane. It a British piano band, and I admit their sound is a bit of an acquired taste, but it has grown on me. I inherited a copy of their album Under the Iron Sea, from Kroc and have been enjoying it. I've put a sample song, "Atlantic" on the left.

Movies - The latest comedy I've watched was "Baby Mama" the SNL flick about a woman with a bad uterus (Tina Fey) using a surrogate (Amy Poehler) to have a baby. These two are funny and do a great job. But my favorite part of the movie? Steve Martin. Yes. I actually found something funny from Steve Martin in this decade. He plays a hippie lettuce loving CEO who has no concept of personal space or modesty. I'd say watch this just for his performance.

Another recent viewing was "Ms. Pettigrew Lives for a Day." This didn't seem to get much publicity, but it was a fun and entertaining movie set in London in the 1920s. Amy Adams (princess from Enchanted) was wonderful and plays a 20's gold digger perfectly. BTW, Adams grew up in Castle Rock, CO (10 miles south of me) and was raised LDS. This movie had plenty of laughs, charm and moves at a good pace. Great date night rental.

Books - So I thought I was done with the Twilight SAGA. Until someone leaked a draft copy of Midnight Sun onto the Internet. This book rehashes the first book (Twilight) from Edward's perspective. Meyer was so upset about the leak, she said on her website that she may never finish the project (riiiight...) and that its not what she wants to put out there, with typos, errors, etc. Here is the worst part: I liked it better than all of the other books combined. Sure, it has the same drag as her other books, but not as much. It was very interesting to see Edward reading everyone's mind and going nuts trying to figure out what Bella is thinking, a very common thing for men to do. HAHA!! even the great uber-fantastic Greek god Edward can't figure out what his woman is thinking. Writhe and despair all ye women who read this!! Even though the author hates this, I loved it.


Question - Any of you noticed the great proliferation of "Templar / Female Goddess / Mason / Secrets of Jesus" books that have come out since the DaVinci Code? Here are two that try to capitalize on this new found genre.

The Last Templar - Because I'm not going to recommend this, I'll give the plot away. Hate me if you wish. This is about a modern archaeologist (of course way too hot to be one) and a wounded FBI agent trying to find an ancient Templar relic that proves Jesus was just a carpenter with some good ideas and the Templar's apparently wanted to unite Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Yea. I've basically heard it all before. If you must read a book about secret societies harboring "earth shattering" evidence that Jesus is not Divine, then read the originator, not the imitator.

The Witch of Portobello - After reading The Alchemist, I was eager to read something else from the talented Paulo Coehlo. So I blindly grabbed this. It is written like a documentary, with interviews about the main character, Athena who we are told at the beginning of the book is a witch and died for her practices. It starts out great, but got very tedious with all of its lectures about living life with no rules, calming down, dancing, embracing the Mother, dieting, work, etc. I imagine some people really like the book and more power to them. Way too much new age, let's dance wildly by the fire, get naked, roll in the dirt and stare into people's souls stuff for me. I know some people think I'm just as nuts for following my religion so all I can say is "to each his/her own."

Talk Like a Pirate Day

Today, September 19 is international "Talk Like a Pirate Day." I wish I could say this holiday had been sanctioned by President Bush and the mighty U.S. Government, but who knows? Maybe it will be someday. Pirates of the Caribbean grossed some huge numbers and taught us the truth: pirates are the good guys!!! Thanks to Johnny Depp and Legolas, we all love those adorable rascals and we should have a day to celebrate their vernacular.

This reminds me of one of my all-time favorite "would you rather..." hypothetical questions posed by Tyler Beck, the greatest layman of this special line of inquisition. He asks:

"Would you rather have to end every sentence with 'Arrrr' (like a pirate) or talk with a heavy lisp?"

90% of the time, people take the lisp. Its easier to explain away. Talking like a pirate just means your are crazy. Or perhaps a really big fan of the Seinfeld "pirate shirt" episode or obsessed with some remarkably clever inside joke. The taking of the lisp stops now. Here on International Talk Like a Pirate Day, I challenge each of you no longer accept the lisp and proudly speak like a pirate on this newly especialized day. For more on this madess:

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

I highly recommend the translator and the survey to find your "inner-pirate." Being a right swarthy mate myself, I took the survey and was found to be "The Cap-n." Now get back to work you scurvy dogs!

A Dish Served Cold

I'm not fired up for the Broncos / chargers game this Sunday. Why? Isn't this a rivalry? Shouldn't I be jazzed? NO. Its time the balance of the football universe swung back to normal. Broncos = Good. Chargers = Sad. That's just how it is. Now that roid boy blew out his knee and LT is showing signs of the beating he has taken over the last several years, Norv Turner is ready to take his place as the inept coach everyone believes he is. I guess 64-6 over the last two meetings makes up for a decade of hopeless futility. Justice is about balance and this Sunday it will be restored.

.

Strongbadia & Some RAD Videos

I owe the real-life Harry Potter many thanks for introducing me to the world of Strong Bad. He is a crazy macho Luchadore that answers emails with comedy sketches - yep, right up my alley! To give you a taste, here is a clip of techno music. As a former creator of techno music, I was particularly moved:

I totally reccomend nightlife as well on his site. If you'd like to go see more of Strong Bad, here is the link: http://www.homestarrunner.com/sbemail.html

Next, here is an AWESOME video from Music & Lyrics (old post in Feb 2007) that mocks all 8os pop music videos.

OK, I admit it, I finally leared how to embed a video to the blog. Hope you had as much fun as I did.

Are the Olympics Overrated?

Like many of you, I saw much of Michael Phelp's run at history with eight gold medals. It was thrilling as some of the best sports entertainment I've had in a long time. Especially the come from behind relay. I was doing some serious fist and chest thumping (in a relatively subdued manner so as not to wake the children). Same goes for the Gold Medal round and the Redeem Team in Basketball. And yes, I actually stayed up till 2:30 AM to watch the game live. When it was all done I thought to myself, "why only do this once every four years?"

Official Answer: Out of respect for the historical tradition of holding the games every four years. Real Answer: We only give a rip about swimming, ping-pong, track, divining, trampoline and gymnastics once every four years. - Any more than that would be overkill.

As rabid as the media is to sell us entertainment, if someone thought they could sell us a world championship of swimming annually, then I bet it would be marketed accordingly. I'm sure such a thing exists, but I never hear about it. Maybe swimming, track and gymnastics needs a David Stern (NBA Commissioner) to cram these sports down our throats like the WNBA.

My final thought on the Games. The Redeem Team is awesome, but its still not as good as the original Dream Team. This isn't just nostalgic pride. In the international game, shooting and passing are king. The Dreamers played authentic 80s ball that blows the Redeem crew out of then gym. But the Dream Team was boring to watch and they never were tested. That game against Spain was in jeopardy. It was fantastic to watch our best and brightest rally together and play team ball. They won many haters over, on and off the court; myself included. As good as this was for American Basketball, a writer from ESPN 2 pointed out this was a big deal for the African American community and a feel good story - for a sport that matters more than once every four years.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=hill/080822

The M Word

Until the retired Rugby star, John Blaser got his career started in the wide world of appraisaling, MOIST was a word that only meant good cake - Seriously. Is there anything worse than a dry cake??? And on the other side of the coin, nothing is quite as delicious as a moist cake, especially yellow with partially hydrogenated chocolate frosting... Soooo goooood. And let's not forget the tall glass of ice-cold milk. I'm satisfied that most guys think of cake or food when the hear the dreaded M-word.

But this innocence was not meant to last. One fateful day at the office, I dropped the M-bomb in Mr. Blaser's presence and he informed me that I had just spoken one of the vilest words in the English language. Most heinous to women above all else. Shocked and happily amused, I began to apply the word to almost anything, anytime, always getting a twisted chuckle out of it.

The other day, I saw the pinnacle of corruption with this word on the show, How I Met Your Mother. Go figure this was the first and only episode I've ever seen. One of the characters, played by the now grown Doogie Howser, decided to perform a one-man off-off-off-off-off Broadway show just to spite his friends, especially one female in particular. The show starts, and he comes out in black jeans and a black turtle neck (of course), puts a leg up on a chair and begins repeating the word, "Moist...Moist...Mmmoooist, Moist..." Needless to say I was in tears at this point. The show says this takes place for 20 minutes. Many women would beg for the electric chair before the end.

So what's the big deal? I'm not sure, but this word never ceases to crack me up. I assure you, I'm not thinking dirty thoughts when I say it, I'm just getting a kick out of watching people squirm. But if you must know more, here is a link discussing the phenomenon of the M-word.

http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2007/10/29/moist/

ARNOLD's Top 5

The other day I had a random thought. Big surprise. What is the greatest Arnold Schwarzenegger (aka Anti-Christ) flick of all time? I've queried a few bright minds, but have come to my own conclusion in the form of a top five and some honorable mentions and unmentionables. Without further ado, here is the list.

1. Predator - This movie embodies male masochism to 98th degree. Elite military forces, massive guns, explosions, evil aliens, jungle survival, the hunt, death, yelling, cursing and some classic lines: "This stuff will make you a sexual Tyrannosaurus!" - "Stick Around" - "If it bleeds, we can kill it" "GET TO THE CHOPPAH!" - "KILL ME, KILL ME!!!" The primal struggle of the hunter and the hunted is fantastic in this movie. Remember the scene where they do nothing but shoot the jungle with crazy guns for like 5 minutes? Awesome. Everyone dies and Arnold is the last man standing. This movie is seething in testosterone. If you ever loose your mojo, watch this, go run in the woods for 5 minutes, cover yourself in mud and you'll be back in business (maybe not with the Lady, but nothing's perfect).

But more astonishing than the film itself is the cast and their later accomplishments. I bet a few more people would have gone to see the film in curiosity if they had known that 2 governors of major states would come out of this beefcake casserole. Arnold went on to become the GOVENATOR and Jesse the Body became THE GOVERNING BODY. In a much lesser known vein, Billy (the Indian tracker) aka Sonny Landham ran for Governor of Kentucky. Plus this movie had Apollo Creed. Best. Arnold. Flick. Ever.

2. Terminator / T2 - I throw these two together because I'm a cop-out. James Cameron (director) gets most of the credit for these movies. This is where Arnold got his signature line going, "I'll be back." Although not Oscar worthy, it was a great performance as a machine and villain. Plus this flick got us thinking about A.I. and the future... something hard to do for the average Arnold fan (trust me). T2 was awesome for its ground breaking CGI work on the T1000 and let's face it, Arnold with Guns & Roses was a triumph for a 90's metal head.

3. Running Man - Stephen King novel... This flick was way ahead of its time, showing us how sick reality television could get. The 80s cheese is off the charts in some areas (good thing in my mind), and in many ways it has the same hunter/hunted vibe as Predator. Its a futuristic Gladiator with some colorful characters, especially the opera singing, sumo sized electric dude. The deaths in this film were very creative and made you laugh instead of cringe (at least blood thirsty teenage boys think so). This movie also had Jim Brown, Jesse the Body and some really skinny nerd. Plus, we got the atoning message from Arnold that steroids are bad. Classic.

4. Total Recall - I rank this one high due to its unusual plot and psychological intrigue. It reminds me of the same enjoyment I got from The Matrix. Are we in reality or just a dream? How would you know the difference? I loved the full wall television, video phones, lame cars, and weak glass on a planet with no atmosphere. Although this was a very violent film, it had a message about reality and your true identity. Hard things to come by in the average Arnie flick.

5. Commando - This movie embodies everything people love to hate or simply love about Arnold. High Body Count, gratuitous violence, senseless nudity, ridiculous plot, sick violent jokes, lots of tough talk, 80s cheese out the yin-yang, a totally lame villain with no business taking Arnold on and a ludicrous love interest. The Unintentional Comedy factor is through the roof on this flick. Which is what makes it funnier on each viewing. Heck, just his name alone makes me grin. John Matrix. I think if this film were made today, some anti-Colombian defamation group would have stopped the production due to the extreme number of latins killed (and so easily I might add) in this film. Wait... this film would not be made today, which makes it a treasure in the Arnold Pantheon.

All of my picks come within the Golden Era from 1984 to 1990. Forgettable before that stretch, and action legend piling up less memorable films after that. But that's why we call it the "prime" of your life, career, etc.

Honorable Mention - Pumping Iron: documentary where Arnold takes on Lou Ferigno in the Mr. Olympia contest. Arnold smokes weed and has no problem showing us just what an ego-maniac he is. True Lies: Hard to leave this one out of the top 5. The interrogation of his wife was hilarious. Conan The Barbarian: [Mongol general asks] "Conan! What is best in life?" [Conan answers] "To crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentation of the women." And let's not forget Darth Vader was in this movie also...

Hall of Shame - Junior: Arnold does not get pregnant. I find no humor in this. Red Sonja & Conan the Destroyer: Not even Ivan Drago's wife and Wilt Chamberlain could save these flicks. So awful they are funny to watch, but still painful. The Last Action Hero: This movie was so full of itself it just stunk up the joint. Had some great comedic moments, but pitiful compared to the body of Arnold's work. Almost Unmentionable, Batman & Robin: I actually fell asleep watching this. Darkest moment of Arnold's career. The lines, the delivery, OH THE SHAME!!! I can't think of it anymore.

Clearly I'm on vacation and had way too much time to think about this. If you finished this post, I give the line of another ardent Arnold fan who shared most of these memories with me, "I commend you for your diligence."

Breaking Dawn - Unexpected Ending

Yes, I have finished the final installment of the Twilight SAGA, Breaking Dawn. For once, I’ll actually get into some serious spoilers, so don’t go any further if you don’t want the surprises ruined. I heard a song the other day on a CD given to my kids after a birthday party that made my blood run cold in fear. Listen to it if you wish on the sidebar (See You Again - near the bottom). I have renamed it, Bella’s Theme. Since it is a Hannah Montana song, it becomes even more relevant to the teenage boy-crazy theme of the SAGA.

First off, I think this was my favorite book. The Edward obsession was thankfully dialed back big time and there was more plot development. However, if you read a lot of suspense books, the action in this book is still painfully slow, but entertaining nonetheless. I actually re-read two chapters I particularly liked: New and First Hunt.

Curveball #1: The Pregnancy. This didn’t surprise me too much, but I felt like the justification for it was a bit lame based on the rules she had created for her world. At least it spared us from Izzy Swan going to Dartmouth and being insanely jealous over every chick that ogled Edward in his letterman’s sweater. The Honeymoon stuff was pretty funny, we never got much from Superman and Lois Lane, so it was certainly novel reading. Knowing how intense some women are about their young, I wasn’t too surprised by her 180 on having a kid. Anything from Eddie is to DIE for.

Curveball #2: The Imprinting on the Loch Ness Monster. This still creeps me out. I remember saying DAAAANG! as I read it, but it was fun. “So mom, remember when you used to make out with my soul-mate and he was totally obsessed with you?” Yeah. Good times. I guess it felt OK by the end of the book. She still seemed like an exorcist baby to me. I kept waiting for her to flip out and feast on someone.

Curveball #3: The TOTALLY HAPPY ENDING (Yea!). This was a bit hard to swallow, being the bitter, cynical, sarcastic dude that I am. Tragedy mystically makes things meaningful and helps us feel better about how much our lives stink. Uber-happy endings are too sweet. Like eating an entire ball of cotton candy, with that clenching pain in your jaw. Bella got everything she wanted. So did Eddie and Jake and Nessy and Alice and Charlie and his dog and the Vamps from Ireland. Only one salty chick of no consequence died. I guess this is teenage girl fantasy land, and in that world none of the people you like are on the chopping block.

Either Mrs. Meyer was writing the stuff that genuinely makes her happy or she was just trying to mess with all of us. I’m betting on the first, it seems consistent with the way The Host ended. I bet Meyer's husband has dreams of killing Edward, or loves him for making his family millions...

Did Meyer just finish a best-selling series that tells young girls that everything in life is centered around getting swept off your feet and married to a hot guy, having babies and ignoring your education and anything mature in life? Probably. Am I trying to rip on Utah women? No, but I’m sure many will not be pleased with the outcome of this book and its total lack of feminazi principles. And let’s not even get started on this being a let-down in terms of great literature. Come on people, this is FANTASY!!! I don’t expect to get accepted to Hogwarts any day soon, I won’t become a super-hero, dungeon master, or a transformer. Let’s live a little.

Maybe the reason girls went gaga over this SAGA is because it gave them everything they yearned for, forbidden by our feminist/politically-correct culture. Gotta fight the power. You go Bella. Chasing down those perfectly chiseled dreams and making them yours. GO TEAM EDWARD!!! WOOOO!!!

!PREDICITON! – If any movie has a shot to beat the insidious $600M mark set by Titanic, Twilight is it. Never underestimate the power of teenage female movie goers with daddy dearest’s $$$. Good thing my daughters are too young for all this. Anyhow, The SAGA is now over for me and I can get back to being a greasy, swarthy, Star Wars guy.

Man Crush

Lately, I’ve been very annoyed with media hype and the recent circus over Brett Farve’s retirement fiasco. Sure, this is a compelling story. Legendary Quarterback, Gun-slinger and Tough-guy extraordinaire holds team hostage to satisfy his vain pride and ego. What Sports Writer can resist that? Not many. But must we think about it all day, every stinking day for 3 MONTHS? Does someone have to hide out in front of Brett’s house and in the Packer’s headquarters to track his every movement? NO!! Does anyone care that much? No. The media's obsession with Farve is best summed up as: A Man Crush.

Tyler Beck, one of the greatest layman pop-culture/sports commentators I’ve ever known personally taught me about The Man Crush when venting his anger over Brett Farve. He acutely diagnosed the sick media obsession that blossomed into the near-parody coverage of the recent “OOPS I DID IT AGAIN!!” moment from our favorite Tough Guy. How many times can you quit and come back until your reputation is destroyed? We now have the answer: Three. Maybe Brett and Brittany have something in common after all. Someone protect his kids soon.

Now for the academics. The Man Crush exists when a heterosexual guy admires or idolizes another guy to the point of it appearing he has a crush on the dude. Think Frodo and Sam in LOTR. Or the attitude of a love sick teenage girl that breathlessly waits and pounces on the object of her affection, giggling all the time. Despite obvious flaws, the object of affection can do no wrong. No amount of attention is enough.

By a twist of fate, I happened to just finish reading the TWILIGHT SAGA drenched in this OCD form of love. I’m calling out ESPN, FOX, etc as the Bella Swan to Brett Farve, the vampire who has sucked all the life out of my sports world.

Tim O’Brien, an expert on personal branding says Farve’s brand is Toughness. I say it has now changed to Prima-donna. How sad.

You can say I’m just an old Broncos fan who loves Elway and hates the rest. Fair criticism, but in head to head competition in the Super-bowl, Elway turned in a spectacular “helicopter” play and showed who really has more determination to win. Farve may have the records, thanks to playing on much better teams, with better talent and protection, but Elway can now take his rightful place as the Tough quarterback since Brittany Farve is too busy making out with the media and his ego to notice he has destroyed his legacy forever.

The Hostess with the Mostess

I recently read The Host, by Stephenie Meyer, the reigning queen of estrogen-powered vampire books and newest LDS pop-culture phenomenon. Unlike the Twilight SAGA, this book is written for adults and thankfully, the boy-crazy meter was dialled down from 1,000 to 500.

First, a few words about the SAGA, as they shaped my perceptions of the author and my outlook on The Host. I'll freely admit that I've read the first three Twilight books and enjoyed them. They are a quick read, and will keep you up at night turning the pages against your will. Its Harry Potter style marathon reading. I really enjoyed a different outlook on Vampires (at least from my past experience) and the plot presents an interesting pickle. Plus, the books are more about longing, passion and self-discovery than power, violence, murder and gratification, which is a refreshing change of pace from most vampire works I'm acquainted with.

Despite my enjoyment, I felt like an intruder in a strange country that I had no business visiting - a woman's mind. And a teenage one at that. Seriously. I thought boys were obsessed with girls in high school. Wow. If those books really are close to reality for the average teenage girl, I'm tempted to buy some chastity belts, a double-barrel shot-gun and a can of Bear Spray (just for good measure) right now.

Here is my one complaint with the SAGA and it consequently, my one issue with The Host: They all seem unnecessarily long. By the way, I'd never dare to complain about boy craziness, since men are much worse in their obsessions with women. Overall, I like the plots, the characters, storyline, but it just feels drug out, in certain spots. I'll give some background on The Host and explain.

The novel is set in the not-too-distant future were aliens have invaded and virtually conquered the earth. They didn't do it with guns and "Lasers" and they don't get sick from the common cold. Which was a good change. They are a species of silvery parasites that have conquered several planets and uses the host bodies of the most compatible species on the planet, in this case, humans. Once a host body dies, these Souls (as they call themselves) are re-inserted into a new host body, effectively making them immortal. These souls are very peaceful and altruistic. Most won't touch a gun and thought they were doing us a favor by wiping us and our barbaric lifestyle out of existence. The descriptions of how life on earth is after they take over are hilarious and I wish there was more of it. The Souls have one secret problem. The human minds of some older bodies don't want to let go and stick around to haunt or simply drive the invading Soul nuts hoping to regain control, but it is a terrible prison.

That alone got me to read the book. Trapped in your mind, with no control over your body and having to hear the occupier's thoughts. It makes for some great reading. Plus, it was from a woman's perspective, which made it all the more alien and interesting to me.

Another problem these invaders have is the emotional and carnal power of the body on the mind. We can all relate to this problem, which made the book thought provoking. It also shows some of Meyer's LDS roots. The Souls have never encountered a species with such strong emotions and memories - yes, they can remember everything from the host body's life. So, when a resistance fighter, Melanie is captured and attempts suicide, the Souls put one of their best in her body to discover her secrets and wipe out the last of the humans. Wanderer, the name of the Soul sent on this mission finds that she can't resist the memories and feelings of Melanie's former life and love. To make matters worse, Melanie is sticking around and forcing memories on Wanderer all the time in hopes of driving her to go find the man she loves and the brother she must protect. Wanderer is overwhelmed by this new body, its powerful emotions, memories and finds herself becoming one with its desires.

The book effectively becomes a love triangle with only two people. But its much more than that. The mental battle between the two women, and their interactions with others is very entertaining to read and yes, I was up late reading the book on several occasions. As I said, my only beef is with the plot being drug out in certain areas, and not enough in others. The portion in the middle, set in the desert could be condensed and other parts such as the new alien human culture should have been expanded. It reminds me of the stall in The Phantom Menace (Star Wars I) where the pod race story takes way too long. Maybe a second book will follow with more of what I crave. [Photo below is of Picacho State Park, a setting in the book]

I experienced a similar frustration with Harry Potter. I like mystery and out of school stuff, but spare me herbology and excessive quidditch competitions. As you can guess, the 7th book was by far and away my favorite. I'm hoping for a similar change in Breaking Dawn, the final book in...THE SAGA.

To any of the three dudes that read this blog and may contemplate reading this book, it still has a high-volume of boy craziness, but its not puppy love and I could identify with it. I'm guessing Meyer had to keep some of this element for her teenage girl fan base, or maybe she just enjoys writing about forbidden love, burning passion, etc, etc. It stays clean and I say more power to her. You go BYU Grad!

Overall, this was a great break from typical sci-fi novels because it was from a feminine perspective in a typically masculine genre. Plus, I genuinely like chick flicks and tearing up. As an unintential bonus, that scores me HUGE wife points. So go figure. I'd recommend this book to just about anyone.

Death & Life - and - Life & Death

!SUGGESTION! - In order to get the full effect of this post, I suggest you play "La Petite Fille De La Mer" by Vangelis in my sidebar after you read this post. Don't blame me though if you cry... After watching The Dark Knight recently, I naturally got thinking about my own mortality. How long will I live? Out of habit, I went to the place with all the answers: GOOGLE. Which is starting to scare me, becuase I mindlessly plug queries into that search engine and often just accept what I see in the top 10 results. Wouldn't Bill Gates and Dick Cheney kill to have that power? But maybe they do already...

So who was at the top of the list for caluculating life expectancy? Our good friends at Wharton University. Are you going to question them? I didn't think so. Here is the link if you care to discover your own expiration date:

http://gosset.wharton.upenn.edu/mortality/perl/CalcForm.html

I shall forbear the details of my own entries. The results are what fascinate me. Here they are:

Life Expectancy: 84.39

Lower Quartile : 76.63

Median Lifetime: 86.87

Upper Quartile : 94.83

Not bad, assuming Julie can handle all of my bad humour, manners and unyielding flatulence for another 53 years. But wait! It gets better, I took the option of analyzing my health risks. I selected all of them since I'm hungry for precise, indisputable information about my future.

ANALYSIS RESULTS [Law & Order sound]

-Not smoking is a great choice! Your life expectancy is maximized by not smoking

-If you have 2-3 drinks per day, your life expectancy would be 0.26 years longer

-If you do not drive, your life expectancy would be 0.34 years longer

-If you do not have any stress listed in the table, your life expectancy would be 0.51 years longer

-If you become a conditioning exercizer, your life expectancy would be 0.59 years longer

-Consuming all 5 classes of food everyday has maximized your life expectancy

-If you do not have any sexual partner, your life expectancy would be 0.34 years longer

-If you sleep 7 hours a day, your life expectancy would be 0.30 years longer

If all of the above choices are adopted, your life expectancy would be 2.11 years longer.

That's it?!? Two measly years if I start drinking, quit driving, eliminate all stress, exercise like a fiend, abstain from my wife (that one really hurts), and stew in bed for one more hour per day.

Talk about a bad commercial for healthly living. Maybe the statisticians and actuarial scientists that cooked these calculations are just trying to justify their current slothful, beer-filled, sleep-in lifestyles and show that change is futile. And maybe it is. After all... (I'm kinda serious here) the world may not make it to 2061. Nuclear holocaust, global warming - brought on by Buy n Large (the satanic corporation in Wall-E), hostile alien invasion, or religious events such as the Second Coming or End of the World. Why bother saving for retirement, changing lifestyle habits or abstain from skydiving?

If none of the above happens. I get two more years. Honestly, it dosen't seem worth it. Like Austin Powers, "I also like to live dangerously." So I say: ROCK ON, go to Disneyland, climb Long's Peak, Hang 10 on a pipeline, go cliff diving, splunking and fight crime as a vigilante - Assuming you can get away from your desk job for long enough to do that stuff.

In honor of this auspicious discovery, I have added a widget on my side bar that will now track the days I have left on this beautiful planet (Unless I am compelled to take it off the site by forces much more powerful than me). The painting on the right is entitled, Obscured by the Passge of Time by David Luksha. It helps make this post seem much more deep than it really is. In closing, let us say as as Cameron from Ferris Buller's Day Off : "Have a nice life..."

The Dark Knight

"Nothing. No name, no other alias. Clothing is... custom. Nothing in his pockets but knives and lint." This essentially sums up the Joker. He is a mystery, unique and completely evil. Heath Ledger has given us a rare moment in moviemaking. He left us with the performance of a lifetime.

However, before going any further, I should say the Director, Christopher Nolan has out-done himself. What makes this movie so strong is Nolan's belief in bending reality just a bit, but not too much. He avoids CGI, directs every shot (dosen't use a second crew with an assistant director), does not use story-boards - which allows for pure creative energy on set (just may have something to do with Ledger's performance), and co-wrote the film with his brother. He has themes and ideas he wants to communicate. In Batman Begins, he told us about fear. This time, he shows us Chaos.

The Joker sums up the plot of movie with, "This is what happens when an unstoppable force (Chaos) meets an immovable object (Batman)." He later tells Batman, "We could go on like this Forever" Which is indeed what the comics do. The endless struggle between Batman and the Joker. Fight fire with fire.

Everyone is saying Ledger and Oldeman just disappear in their roles. But don't overlook Christian Bale. I thought he did the same with Batman. He really is getting the character down, especially the Bruce Wayne side. Oddly enough some of the best humour in the moive comes from him.

Despite the loathing I felt for the Joker, you just can't get enough of him in the film. He has an almost other-worldly persona, like he was sent straight from hell. If the Joker were to exist in reality, he'd be close to this incarnation. Some of his stunts are just too well planned, but very interesting and entertaining. His jokes are purely sadistic, yet you find yourself laughing. I may be wrong, but I think the character was hugely influenced by the Saw movies (which I have not seen - I'm not a horror guy), which revolve around placing people in situations where they have to make terrible choices. Bottom line: if this performance does not win an Oscar, then I don't know what would. Give Heath the credit he is due.

Take away the masks, make-up and gadgets and it feels like this story could be real. I read one review that call this movie The Untouchables with the Joker as Al Capone and Batman as Elliot Ness. Almost no one can be trusted, anyone can be bought or sold. This movie is dark, demoralizing and wildly entertaining.

One performer in the film we never see is the music and it was terrific. It did such a good job of heightening the tension, bleeding emotion and spicing up the action, yet you forget it is there, but I realized after it was over, just how well crafted it was. Hats off to Zimmer and Howard. All great movies have unique and memorable scores.

Finally, I think this move hits home on a deeper level as it deals with curent issues of terrorism and how to fight it. I daresay this movie was practically propaganda for the Patriot Act. Shunned of course within the film, but it raises the question, how far would you go to stop a bomb from expoloding in a hospital? Would you kill someone to save others? What does it really take to win a war with people who only want one thing - death? This is where Nolan finds a way to give us our popcorn and food for thought as well.

Wall-E & The Haters

I'm back in at the anvil of critical justice...and sparks will fly. I just saw Wall-E, the latest PIXAR creation last night and I'm overwhelmed with mixed feelings. For real, I'm going to do some serious spoilers. I can't imagine who would be worried about them, but I feel it my duty warn you gentle reader to the perils below. Let's start with the good and then go to the jagged pill.

Flat out, this is one of the best, if not the best PIXAR film to date. The animation was fluid, the colors were vivid, the audio was crisp and powerful and the soundtrack was moving. Wall-E is such an endearing character you can't help but love the guy. He is a hard worker, kind, thoughtful, curious and most of all a hopeless romantic. The opening 10-15 minutes of the movie is almost entirely free of dialogue as is much of the movie. I find it actually makes the story more emotional because it allows you to just see and feel what is going on instead of processing dialogue. The screenplay is excellent. Each scene is well crafted and draws out laughter, suspense or sometimes sadness. It reminds me of how hard I used to laugh watching Wile Coyote and the Road-runner. No dialogue, but tons of humor. I will even volunteer that I actually "welled up" at one point in the movie. The scene where Wall-e and Eve fly around the spaceship is so beautiful and carefree, I really did forget about all my troubles for a spell. Simply put, this is great film making.

The robots in the film are well crafted and inventive. The contrasts between Wall-e and Eve (the female gun-slinging protagonist) are interesting as well as a commentary on the differences between men and women. Wall-e is dirty, old, clumsy and deals in garbage all day but has a heart of gold. Most of all, he has proper respect and fear for his woman. Eve is a beautiful, smooth, sleek and hot tempered woman that can fly and will blow away (with extreme prejudice) anything that threatens her. I find these two emulate popular contemporary views of men and women nicely. It was funny and entertaing to watch, although I'm not entirely thrilled about the characterizations. But what the heck, it's just a cartoon right?

WRONG. All entertainment has a message whether we like it or not. Even Charles Barkley came around and admitted he was a role model whether he liked it or not. PIXAR is a Bay-Area company and let's face it, this was the equivalent of An Inconvenient Truth in animation for kids... and adults. This movie rails on corporations, consumerism and bad environmental practices. So effectively, this is a Socialistic critique of Capitalism carried to its extreme.

In this film, we see that if we allowed corporations the power to eliminate the government, they would pollute the earth to an uninhabitable degree, force robots into slavery to fix it and blast us into outer-space where we would turn into nothing but fat, bloated, idiotic, weak-boned, pleasure seeking hedonists that lay around on floating carts all day doing nothing but drinking liquid hamburgers and watching TV endlessly. Did I miss anything?

Perhaps I'm a bit defensive, but this is basically the contempt that socialist tree huggers have for America. The land of the obese, indolent, polluting capitalists that would sell their planet for a buck. On a whole, I could not escape the feeling this was an extra-sugar coated pill of hate for America (or the right half of it).

In a perfect world, we'd have the government run everything for us - because let's face it, no one does things more efficiently or fairly than bureaucrats. Big Brother would monitor our carbon footprint within an inch of our lives and make sure the earth never got trashed by the likes of Ken Lay and his buddies at Enron.

I'm sure if you asked the people who made this movie, they would say they have contempt for current environmental standards and if we don't act now this could be our future. They probably feel they are doing us a favor by opening our eyes and hearts to the cause of environmentalism, which in my opinion has become the new religion for Atheists and Agnostics. I bet there are a number of people that will show this movie to their kids in a pseudo Sunday school fashion. I'm well acquainted with people treating me with contempt for choosing to be different in my religious views. I follow my convictions because I believe I am making a difference in my life and those I love for the better by following the principles of my religion. The blessing in this life are great, but the payoff in the life to come is far beyond what I can comprehend.

Likewise, I've known people that do not follow religion or are just spiritual, but downright intense about their carbon foot print. They do "weird" or "unusual" things to make a difference. Is it all that different from religion? One chooses to put faith in God, others faith in Science... and Al Gore. Here is an interesting article from Time about indulgencies for modern followers of the Green Faith:

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1599714,00.html

I try to recycle, use cleaners that don't violate the earth, avoid littering, shut off the water when I brush my teeth and live by sunlight as much as possible. But I'm no saint with my carbon footprint, just as I'm no perfect saint in my religion either. However, I will always put my religious convictions ahead of other considerations. Why? I've come to understand the big picture and realize that some things are not as important as others. Some truths are eternal and some ideas and so called "facts" are constantly changing.

OK. I got carried away. Let me just say this: I love my country. Despite its flaws, some of our history and current policies. It is a great place to live and has afforded many the protection and opportunity to enjoy life and the pursuit of happiness like never before in the history of the world. We are not all gun-toting, fat, intolerant morons that are out to destroy the earth for our own gratification. Corporations are not entirely evil. Competition is generally a good thing. We have brought some wonderful things to humanity and it makes me sick to see such consistent, subtle attacks on our way of life. Will I buy this movie? Yes. It is a fantastic film. Am I thrilled with some of the implied messages? Obviously not, but to be fair, protecitng the earth, staying fit and avoiding runaway corparate greed are good things. Maybe I'm just a Communications major that should be quiet, eat my popcorn and enjoy the movie.

Viva la Ambition

Like my subject, I'm going into new territory. I usually blog on movies and books or insane predictions, but I'd like to touch on another medium of art, music. Like many who have hit the age of 30, I've begun to think all good music was from my generation (decade of my teenage years) or the ones that went before. To put it bluntly, I think the general state state of contemporary rock/pop stinks. Most of it is a rip-off of old sounds, fashioned in a new way. Are there great bands and artists out there today? Absolutely, and I intend to discuss one. Coldplay.

I would not say I'm a serious fan of the group. Heck, I can't even name the other three members of the band outside of Chris Martin, the lead singer. I don't give a rip about their politics either. However, it is the one band I've gone to see in concert in a long time. I was not a big fan of their first hit "Yellow" and had forgotten the band existed until I heard "The Scientist" on headphones at the record store back in 02 or 03. I barely recognized the name of the band, but loved the music and have since listened to what they put out. I think what I enjoy most about them is their "soaring" sound, and lyrics that usually abstain from teen angst or fornication. As a former metal head, this is great easy listening music with some soul and intelligence.

I recently purchased Coldplay's most recent album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. I had heard the band tried to expand their range and do new things musically, playing in Spanish Cathedrals, different instruments, new sounds...and the results are wonderful.

Did everything go well? No. Regrettably, there are a few tracks on the album that are not their finest moments. But on a whole, I think the change in their sound is impressive, while still keeping their roots. I've read they have been roundly criticized for not branching out and it appears they took their critics seriously. OK, let's cut to the chase. If you don't intend to buy the album (which is completely fine in my opinion) here are some tracks to download should this band be your cup of hot chocolate.

1. Life in Technicolor - Instrumental, short. It sets the tone well for their undertaking, like a new day dawning.

5. Lovers in Japan / Reign of Love - This stuff hearkens back to their older sound, but with a certain care free rhythm. It stops in the middle and moves to a wonderful soft piano ballad. They could be (should be) stand alone tracks, but whatever. Good bang for the buck on a download.

7. Viva la Vida - This is the one from the itunes ad. Very catchy, and a complete departure from conventional rock. Violins and symphony are the main characters, with an upbeat tempo. I have no intention of analyzing the lyrics. I enjoy this track for its fresh new sound, something hard to come by these days.

9. Strawberry Swing - Here is the sleeper on the album and my favorite track. Once again, it has a new sound and has a wonderful progression from simple themes to a full charge of joyful energy. It reminds me of playing at the pool or park as a kid, running with all of my old friends from the neighborhood in the thick of summer without a care in the world. I hope my children will know many such days.

10. Death and All His Friends - Once again, good progression music that does remind me of earlier works, but a different feel. It wraps up with a refrain of "Life in Technicolor" signaling to me the the band felt the entire album was a complete work and concept.

Oh and by the way, the name of the album, translated to "Long live life!" came from a painting done by Frida Kahlo (mono-brow chick) below. I guess once you eat a really tasty watermelon, you want to jump for joy and proclaim your happiness or make an ambitious rock album. That's one awesome watermelon.

Testosterone, Divorce and a Triathlon

In this post I'll be discussing "Iron Man," a recent movie release and an old book from C.S. Lewis titled, "The Great Divorce." If you hate spoilers, get off my cyber-space real-estate before you hurt yourself.

Iron Man - Everything you have heard is true. This is a great movie and IMHO (I just love text talk), it should be seen in the theater to be appreciated. I'm not a big fan of breaking the bank at the box office, but some movies are just better in the theater.

For example, Jurassic Park. At the theater, I forgot to breathe watching that movie. Remember the booming sound of the T-Rex approaching? The screams of the Dinosaurs, seeing a head and teeth on screen that really looked big enough to eat you? At home, this movie is still good, but not even close the feeling of the theater. Iron Man is a movie with lots of explosions and deals with heavy equipment that makes loud sounds. Another layer of depth in the film is missed without that sound. And the visuals are always more impressive when they consume most of your field of vision. Those items won't be the same at home unless you are one of those crazy people that owns a projector and a really powerful sub woofer.

ILM (Industrial Lights & Magic) is a special effects company created by George Lucas that did the effects for this film. Star Wars is their calling card, but check out the other great projects they have done:

1. Indiana Jones (all 4)

2. Harry Potter and The Eight Long Films about Him

3. Jurassic Park trilogy

4. Several of the Star Trek movies

5. Back to the Future Trilogy

6. Ghost Busters

7. Transformers

Not to mention a department from ILM was spun off and became PIXAR, which has changed animated movies for ever.

Alright. I'll talk about the movie. Obviously the special effects are great. But what makes this movie work? Simply Robert Downey Jr. I think he may have beaten Will Smith (Hancock) to the punch on presenting a reasonably believable superhero with no innate super-powers. He was funny, quick, charming, and yet very serious and dramatic when need be. All good qualities to have when you are wearing an iron suit. Truth be told, the suit is around enough, but not all the time. Downey/Stark embodies every man's dream of what they would do if they were brilliant, single, mechanically gifted and full of charisma: Hook up with supermodels, have a high-tech house overlooking the ocean, have Gwyneth Paltrow as a "Personal" assistant, drive awesome cars, build weapons, fly in a high-tech suit, and blow-stuff up. Yes, a true testosterone dream.

Guys - my best friend saw this with me said she loved it so this will fly as a date movie. Don't cop out on that excuse.

The movie is very much rooted in the problems of today. It deals with terrorists, patriotism, weapons companies, war and what would you do if you could set some things straight? The first 30 minutes of the film are engrossing but there is no let-up on comedy, or action till the end. This movie will look dated in 10 years, so I'm glad I saw it in its prime. If only the technology in this film existed today. It would be AWESOME.

Yes, awesome. Once they get the suit going in this movie, you find yourself saying, "awesome" "sweet" "cool" "rad" "wicked" etc. over and over under your breath. I think that just about sums it up. Have a good time and if you do see it in the theater, your money will be well spent.

The Great Divorce - Two days ago, I was handed a copy of this book with an odd disco design on the cover. Despite the cover, I know the author and was looking for something new. I'm familiar with C.S. Lewis, not like some people in the religious department at BYU, but this was a book of his I'd only heard of once or twice. Usually we think of Mere Christianity, Screwtape Letters, Narnia, Problem of Pain, A Grief Observed - my personal favorite... until this one.

The Great Divorce is is a mere 127 pages and I finished over the course of one round-trip flight to Gillette WY. Good times. It started quick, never let-up and was provocative and enlightening.

The book is a work of fiction and fantasy and is not intended to be entirely doctrinally accurate. In the Preface Lewis made this point emphatically and says he is just trying to stir up thought on the after-life. What if dammed soul from hell could take a bus ride to the outskirts of heaven, talk to a few people there and decide to leave hell behind and go into heaven? Lewis is a Catholic and this would represent souls moving from Purgatory to Heaven, not exactly and LDS doctrine but we do believe in a somewhat similar concept of missionary work on the other side. I have a personal conviction this is what my father, Gary Fletcher is doing right now. So naturally, I found this to be very interesting.

In order to leave hell, what do these people have to do? Give up all attachments to it. This book covers the main character watching several "Ghosts" or damned spirits conversing with Angles, or resurrected "Solid People." What I love about this book is that the Ghosts think they have been good people and are blinded by serious flaws that developed in their characters that make them incompatible with Heaven. The root of all their problems is selfishness. Hence the book focuses on what would these Ghosts need to give up in order to receive Heaven.

A particular scripture from the Book of Mormon came to me several times while reading. It is from the book of Alma in Chapter 22, verses 17-18, when Aaron is teaching the King of the Lamanites and the king is ready to believe: "the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying: O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day."

C.S Lewis gives a quote from Milton that sums the problems of these Ghosts nicely: "Better to reign in hell than serve in heaven." Until we turn everything over to God, it will be hard to endure his presence and that is why many of these Ghosts refused to enter heaven.

The book starts in Hell and give a very different view of it. Then the bus ride to heaven occurs and finally the discussion with the Spirits on the outskirts of heaven. The imagery in the book is sublime. I found my self painting wonderful landscapes and images in my head while reading. To be short, this would make a fantastic movie. The resurrected people are fascinating to read. You really get a sense they are beyond the pain of this life. It was both wonderful see such joy and sad to read of the misery of these Ghosts. Each Ghost and their problems could be studied for several days and we could ask ourselves "is there any of that in me?" And if so, how with God's help can I overcome it?

Maybe you have guessed this book is not about marital divorce and speaks little of it; although one conversation does involve a couple that was married on earth. If you are looking for a book to give you a fresh sense of wonder, curiosity and urgency about life after death, I very highly recommend this book.

Triathlete - Yes, I've become one of the elite Sprint Triathlon doers of the modern era. This last Saturday I engaged in my own triathlon at 24 hr fitness. Of course I am in no condition (or ever will be) to do an actual Triathlon, which consists of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles (marathon) consecutively. No, my Jello-frame can only do the Sprint version, which is a 0.5 mile swim (35 laps in a yard pool), 12.4 miles biking and a 3.1 mile run.

Sprint is not a appropriate way to describe how I performed. Rather, it was like watching a pasty-white, has-been jock flail around in the pool, ride a stationary bike like a maniac, followed by a pathetic attempt to keep a 6 mph pace on the treadmill for 3.1 miles. So I officially rename this event to: THE DESK-JOCKEY TRIATHLON! Perfect for any dude that is out of shape, but willing to spend enough time a gym to do something that sounds cool. Not counting the changing in between, I was at an 1:27. Not bad in my estimation, but not great either. Hopefully I can best it next month.

Counicoupia of my mind

I have several things I'd like to blast into cyberspace today. Are you ready to begin?

SUCCESS with SAUCE - In my last blog, I mentioned the deep emotional distress caused by leaving behind the Café Rio salad dressing. So I busted out a CD of Flamingo Guitar music to inspire the creative juices and went to the kitchen. Here is the recipe:

1. Packet of Buttermilk Hidden Valley Ranch (make according to directions)
a. 1 cup mayo, 1 cup buttermilk, mix in with packet contents
2. Two Tomatillos
3. 1 bunch of Cilantro
4. 2 cloves of Garlic (smash em a bit to get the juices out)
5. Juice of 1.5 Limes
6. 1/2 Jalapeño - no seeds. This is about the same heat as the restaurant

Purée the items above in a food processor and generously pour on your salad.

Movie Review: Indiana Jones 4 - After watching a visually stunning film with great action sequences, I was left a bit dissatisfied. Perhaps this is a case of self-fulfilling prophecy, but I think I've figured out why this one does not resonate.

Let me first say I did not care for the Temple of Doom. I find it to be one of the most evil films out there without an "R" rating. Sacrificing children in a pit of fire and ripping their hearts out is not something I want to see. While Crystal Skull was not like that, it had one significant thing in common with the Temple of Doom.

Lack of Biblical Archeology. I think if you polled most people they'd say 1 and 3 are their favorites. And bingo! Both are about biblical artifacts.

This of course sounds very biased, and all cultures should have their legends dug up by a guy with a whip and an iconic hat. But the stories that resonated with me had to do with stuff that came from my religious background.

Plus the Nazis are way better antagonists that some Hindu Cult or a Communist with a bad haircut.

Constant Annoyance - Overuse of Cobwebs. How can there be so many, and yet so few spiders? ARRRH!

For the record, I don't buy into the plots about the Ark or the Grail either. Overall, I liked the plots better, and they feel more significant to me since they were within the realm of my beliefs, which made them more engrossing.

I'm wondering if Spielberg caught a case of nostalgia for his old movies. It seems we got E.T., Close Encounters and the Indy Trilogy all mixed into one movie. No complaints, just an observation. Maybe he's tired and wanted it all done at the same time? Much cheaper that way.

Overall - this was still a great popcorn movie. Probably much better in the theater than at home.

Book Review: John Adams - I just finished the book by David McCullough, which was recently made into an HBO miniseries. Flat out, this is one of the best books I've ever read. It was entertaining and enlightening. I feel like I have a much better grasp of the American Revolution and the early years of our country thanks to this book.

Perhaps what I liked best about this book is the portrayal of John Adams, often juxtaposed with Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and other founding fathers. It gave me a sense of how unique he was, coming from obscurity to make such an impact on history. And he did it with morals this country was built on: hard work, sacrifice, education, family and God. Can you imagine the President today retiring from office to go perform back breaking labor on his farm to make ends meet? Wonderful book. I highly reccomend it. Did I mention it won the Pulitzer? If you can't stomach reading history, maybe the mini-series is for you.

Leaving Las Vegas & Eatin up Denver

Before I said good-bye to Las Vegas, I had to make sure I had one last go at the restaurants I love best and could not get in Denver. Being a simple grease-hound, and considering that Corporate America ensures I have the same chains in every town, the list is short. One, many of you know. The other I am pleased to say is less well known.

Cafe Rio - This is a throwback to my college days that made its way down to Las Vegas (officially) in 2008. For most patrons, there is only one menu item. The chicken salad. A flour tortilla, beans, rice, chicken, romaine, pico, guac, parmesan, and a hint of cilantro. But what makes this salad amazing? The cilantro ranch sauce. As Ferris Buller would say: "I love eating it. If you have the means - I highly recommend picking one up." I am so distraught over missing this one-of-a-kind sauce that I've looked up the recipe from some disaffected Utahn that probably stole it after a fight with management. This is definitely one food I would like to be buried with (topic for a whole other post).

BTW - When you are stuck in the Sheridan WY municipal airport, you are treated to "exfoliating" toilet paper and Johny Cash playing on the audio system. Needless to say, I have that "rough and ready" feeling that only Sheridan's fine facilities could inspire.

Cappriotti's - This is a lesser know sandwich shop that has its roots in North East grinders; the true hot sandwich capital of the known Universe. To prove my point, they offer Tasty Cakes, a local favorite of Philladelphians. Their signature sub is basically hot thanksgiving with cranberry sauce on nearly perfect east coast bread. Yes, its all about the bread [I hate you Subway]. But what I love best is the Capistrami. This is your typical hot pastrami, but the twist is that they pile on COLESLAW??? Yes....and it is sooooo goood. This provides a satisfying crunch to the grinder that makes for a variety of textures and flavors creating a unique-tasty and filthy-greasy experience. If you are in Vegas, leave the crap table and go get real with these guys.

CAPITAL CITY CUISINE

Garbanzo - My first unique culinary experience was at Garbanzo, a Mediterranean version of Chipotle. I hooked up with pita the size of Egypt, filled, with hummus, lamb, chicken, veggies, some sort of slaw, cilantro sauce and some other sauce. May sound weird, but it was FANTASTIC. I highly recommend this joint.

Pho Fusion - Pronounced "Fuh." For those of you that wish to escape the chain gang of P.F. Chang's, Pei Wei, Pick up sticks and Panda, I have a great mile-high option. This place serves a massive bowl of pure Asian goodness. The signature dish is Pho, a Vietnamese staple, which is a large bowl of soup, with rice noodles and chicken. It comes out in about 3 minutes, with a side of fresh cilantro, mint, basil, limes, bean sprouts and peppers. Mix what you want in, add in some Hoisen sauce, death-spice red sauce and soy. Makes one eye-watering bowl. (literally, I hit way too much of the red chili pepper sauce and it was a punishing meal). Julie scored the Vietnamese noodle bowl, which essential has the same stuff, but has peanuts and a fish broth. Yes, the fish broth is quite tasty. Once again, if you have the means - do it. Just do it. Is it in you?

P.S. - I'd like to give a give my bro. Ryan a big congratulatory shout-out on passing his state certification exam. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Way to go Russ, you are a champion.