...from these video releases. I had the misfortune of renting two duds last week. I think somebody owes me a refund of my money and my time.
The first dud was Christmas with the Kranks starring Tim Allen, Jamie Lee Curtis and Dan Ackroyd. Lord it was god-awful. I wanna smack whomever produced that trash. I was suckered in with a high energy, quick paced movie trailer a few weeks back. I assumed it'd be the perfect holiday, hijinks comedy that I love watching during this time of year that gives me that "aww" feeling. Well, no such luck. This movie fell well short of my expectations. It missed the mark in every category. The jokes weren't funny, the gags were very predictable, the acting was bad (especially Jamie), the storyline was beyond dumb, the chemistry was none existent between the actors and the story line resolution wasn't satisfying at all.
The second dud was War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. Before I dog the movie, let me first heap loads and loads of praise on little Ms Fanning. She is phenomenal. I have yet to witness a bad performance from this young actress. She makes the utmost of her screen time. For me, there is nothing more irritating than watching a really bad child actor that you can tell got the job because they had the cutest face or features. Fanning is none of that cute with no talent stuff, she's the real deal. Kudos! Now back to the bashing. What a load of crap. I expect way, way, way more from a Steven Spielberg directed flick. Maybe my expectations are too lofty but I feel cheated and robbed. I am really not that much of a Tom Cruise fan so maybe I shouldn't have watched this flick. His performance was hollow and left me wanting. I generally tell friends that I "don't do Tom Cruise" films but I am a Sci-fi movie fan and an action movie fan so I felt those points of interest would keep me entertained; not to mention I found Minority Report thoroughly enjoyable. I had hoped another Spielberg directed/Cruise starrring venture would be as enjoyable but it wasn't. I expected WotW to be action film with a sci-fi twist; instead, it was family drama with a sci-fi backdrop. What? Are you kidding me? is what I kept asking myself as I sat through this trash. Anyhoo, like I said, the movie is a family drama. But the family's drama never pulled me in. I never became invested in the characters. There's something about the 'petulant teenager that hates their parent' storyline that turns my stomach. I can not relate to it the way it's presented on tv or in film and that dynamic has been exploited so much it's worn my nerves thin. Since the filmmakers chose to make use of that dynamic they should have figured out a way to make it different than what we've seen in the past. I think the filmmakers made another mistake by not including a second or 3 storyline that wars against the main plot. I think the quality of writing was extremely poor. A whole lot of something was needed to make this movie better. WotW is about a man's personal journey while on a physical journey. I found neither journey compelling and would recommend everyone avoid this film at all costs.
Wednesday, November 30
Monday, November 28
So Good
On Thanksgiving I was suckered into cooking more than I expected. I prepared dressing, candied yams (thanks Trent for the tips) and green beans while my cousin prepared peach cobbler and a turkey breast. I was a little disappointed that I forgot to buy myself a Tofurky Roast - faux smoked turkey breast - to munch on with my dinner. Dinner was still great nonetheless.
I absolutely love yams but I never take the time to prepare them unless it's a major holiday. There's something about all the peeling and chopping that puts me in a bad mood. Anyhoo, I decided to be adventurous on the holiday and cook something new using yams that I'd never prepared before. My original intention was to make a batch of Sweet Potato Cookies. But the more I thought about how tedious measuring, mixing, batter sampling, baking, waiting then cookie sampling is I decided against making the cookies. I regrouped after a brief chat with a friend and we decided I should make a cheesecake using the yams. Thus, I concocted the following dessert - Sweet Potato Swirl Cheesecake.
Man, it was good. My basic recipe was swirling regular cheesecake batter together with sweet potato flavored batter then adding a swirl of caramelized pecans. Mm mm mmm! It was so good.
I know pictures can't capture the delicious flavor but take my word for it was good. In fact, I am thinking about selling dem joints during the Christmas holiday season.
I absolutely love yams but I never take the time to prepare them unless it's a major holiday. There's something about all the peeling and chopping that puts me in a bad mood. Anyhoo, I decided to be adventurous on the holiday and cook something new using yams that I'd never prepared before. My original intention was to make a batch of Sweet Potato Cookies. But the more I thought about how tedious measuring, mixing, batter sampling, baking, waiting then cookie sampling is I decided against making the cookies. I regrouped after a brief chat with a friend and we decided I should make a cheesecake using the yams. Thus, I concocted the following dessert - Sweet Potato Swirl Cheesecake.
Man, it was good. My basic recipe was swirling regular cheesecake batter together with sweet potato flavored batter then adding a swirl of caramelized pecans. Mm mm mmm! It was so good.
I know pictures can't capture the delicious flavor but take my word for it was good. In fact, I am thinking about selling dem joints during the Christmas holiday season.
Sunday, November 27
Internet Frauds and Scams Continue
I just don't understand why people persist on using the internet to prey on people. I believe most internet users know by now not to fall for this internet scam but I thought I'd post the following doc anyway just remind us all to be careful.
A buddy of mine received this email a few days ago with the subject line: Hello (my buddy's) Surname
Good day,
My name is Mr.Benjamin Douke, a banker and accountant with an International bank here in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. I am the personal accounts manager to Engr. John (my buddy's) Surname, a nationale of your country, who used to work with an oil servicing company here in Cote d'Ivoire.
My client, his wife, and their three children were involved in the ill fated Kenya Airways crash in the coasts of Abidjan in January 2000 in which all passengers on board died. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but has been unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the internet, to see if I could locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.
Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank, where the deceased has an account valued at about ($16 million US dollars).They have issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or the bank will declare the account unservisable and thereby send the funds to the bank treasury. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for the last 3 years now, I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account valued at ($16million US dollars) can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. If you can handle this with me, include in your reply mail your full name, complete address date of birth as well as telephone and fax number.
Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation.
Benjamin Douke.
A buddy of mine received this email a few days ago with the subject line: Hello (my buddy's) Surname
Good day,
My name is Mr.Benjamin Douke, a banker and accountant with an International bank here in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. I am the personal accounts manager to Engr. John (my buddy's) Surname, a nationale of your country, who used to work with an oil servicing company here in Cote d'Ivoire.
My client, his wife, and their three children were involved in the ill fated Kenya Airways crash in the coasts of Abidjan in January 2000 in which all passengers on board died. Since then I have made several inquiries to your embassy to locate any of my clients extended relatives but has been unsuccessful. After several unsuccessful attempts, I decided to trace his last name over the internet, to see if I could locate any member of his family hence I contacted you.
Of particular interest is this huge deposit with our bank, where the deceased has an account valued at about ($16 million US dollars).They have issued me a notice to provide the next of kin or the bank will declare the account unservisable and thereby send the funds to the bank treasury. Since I have been unsuccessful in locating the relatives for the last 3 years now, I will seek your consent to present you as the next of kin of the deceased since you have the same last names, so that the proceeds of this account valued at ($16million US dollars) can be paid to you and then you and I can share the money.
All I require is your honest cooperation to enable us see this deal through. I guarantee that this will be executed under all legitimate arrangement that will protect you from any breach of the law. If you can handle this with me, include in your reply mail your full name, complete address date of birth as well as telephone and fax number.
Thanking you for your anticipated cooperation.
Benjamin Douke.
Thursday, November 24
Free Tivo 40 series2
Found at dealnews refer to post
CompUSA.com again offers the TiVo Series2 40-hour Digital Video Recorder, model no. TCD540040, for $150 with free shipping. A $150 mail-in rebate (valid only with service activation) yields a net price of $0. That's the best price we've seen for a 40-hour TiVo. This item is only available for delivery (you can't pick one up at a local store). TiVo service is $12.95 per month or $299 for the lifetime of the unit. Expires 11/24 at 11:59pm
CompUSA.com again offers the TiVo Series2 40-hour Digital Video Recorder, model no. TCD540040, for $150 with free shipping. A $150 mail-in rebate (valid only with service activation) yields a net price of $0. That's the best price we've seen for a 40-hour TiVo. This item is only available for delivery (you can't pick one up at a local store). TiVo service is $12.95 per month or $299 for the lifetime of the unit. Expires 11/24 at 11:59pm
Wednesday, November 23
Lafave's Sentence
By now everyone's heard that Debbie Lafave, ex-middle school teacher, plead guilty to two counts of lewd and lascivious battery will serve three years of house arrest and seven years probation and must register as a sex offender.
I'm sure by now everyone's familiar with Lafave's lawyer's declaration "To place Debbie into a state women's penitentiary, to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hellhole, is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions. I'm not sure Debbie would survive," during pre-trial, right?
Last night, I just happened to watch The Situation with Tucker Carlson for the first and last time (what an obnoxious prick; and the bow tie? are you kidding me?) and he had the following discussion about Lafave:
CARLSON: Speaking of law and order, Debra Lafave. Twenty-five years old. Had sexual relations with a boy 14 in her class. They met on a school trip to Sea World in Orlando.
She has just been sentenced. Three years of house arrest, seven years of probation.
MADDOW: Yes.
CARLSON: Pretty tough sentence. She's—have to register as a sexual predator. There she is on the screen. Here's my question, very simple, who exactly is harmed by this? To the extent that it justifies her registration as a, quote, “sexual predator,” and three years of house arrest? I know people are saying, “Oh, she's gotten off easy.” I don't think so at all. I want to know exactly who she's hurt to deserve this.
MADDOW: If it was a male teacher and a 14-year-old girl, would you feel differently?
CARLSON: Of course I would. I would be rooting for a lifetime behind bars, along with every other American. But it wasn't.
MADDOW: The age of consent should be different for boys than for girls?
CARLSON: I think in real life, it is much more harmful to a 14-year-old girl to have sexual relations with an adult teacher than it is for a 14-year-old boy.
MADDOW: Now we're talking about a legal case where we've got an adult who had sex with 14-year-old, and we have to decide what the legal standard's going to be. Are we really going to argue about the legal standard for age of consent, that it should be legal to have sex with a 14-year-old boy, no matter what age you are, but if you have sex with a 14-year-old girl, life in prison? That's a pretty hard thing to argue.
CARLSON: No, no. I think—I think, however, you ought to—it is a hard legal argument to make. You're right. But I think you ought to have to show harm before you sentence someone, you pull someone out of society, and sentence him either, in this case, her to prison or home confinement and brand them for the rest of their lives.
I was a bit shocked to hear him suggest that she had not committed a crime and further imply that male and female sexual predators should be treated differently in the court system. Personally, I think his assertion is ludicrous. As much as I understand the fantasy that every young man has of having sex with an older, attractive, experiened, seductive woman (I had plenty myself) the fact remains that in reality it's illegal to engage in sexual relations with minors who haven't reached the age of consent. I believe the aoc is 17 yrs age in most states. I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject. I pose the question to you: Do you think male sexual molesters should be thrown under the jail while female offenders are slapped on the wrist?
I'm sure by now everyone's familiar with Lafave's lawyer's declaration "To place Debbie into a state women's penitentiary, to place an attractive young woman in that kind of hellhole, is like putting a piece of raw meat in with the lions. I'm not sure Debbie would survive," during pre-trial, right?
Last night, I just happened to watch The Situation with Tucker Carlson for the first and last time (what an obnoxious prick; and the bow tie? are you kidding me?) and he had the following discussion about Lafave:
CARLSON: Speaking of law and order, Debra Lafave. Twenty-five years old. Had sexual relations with a boy 14 in her class. They met on a school trip to Sea World in Orlando.
She has just been sentenced. Three years of house arrest, seven years of probation.
MADDOW: Yes.
CARLSON: Pretty tough sentence. She's—have to register as a sexual predator. There she is on the screen. Here's my question, very simple, who exactly is harmed by this? To the extent that it justifies her registration as a, quote, “sexual predator,” and three years of house arrest? I know people are saying, “Oh, she's gotten off easy.” I don't think so at all. I want to know exactly who she's hurt to deserve this.
MADDOW: If it was a male teacher and a 14-year-old girl, would you feel differently?
CARLSON: Of course I would. I would be rooting for a lifetime behind bars, along with every other American. But it wasn't.
MADDOW: The age of consent should be different for boys than for girls?
CARLSON: I think in real life, it is much more harmful to a 14-year-old girl to have sexual relations with an adult teacher than it is for a 14-year-old boy.
MADDOW: Now we're talking about a legal case where we've got an adult who had sex with 14-year-old, and we have to decide what the legal standard's going to be. Are we really going to argue about the legal standard for age of consent, that it should be legal to have sex with a 14-year-old boy, no matter what age you are, but if you have sex with a 14-year-old girl, life in prison? That's a pretty hard thing to argue.
CARLSON: No, no. I think—I think, however, you ought to—it is a hard legal argument to make. You're right. But I think you ought to have to show harm before you sentence someone, you pull someone out of society, and sentence him either, in this case, her to prison or home confinement and brand them for the rest of their lives.
I was a bit shocked to hear him suggest that she had not committed a crime and further imply that male and female sexual predators should be treated differently in the court system. Personally, I think his assertion is ludicrous. As much as I understand the fantasy that every young man has of having sex with an older, attractive, experiened, seductive woman (I had plenty myself) the fact remains that in reality it's illegal to engage in sexual relations with minors who haven't reached the age of consent. I believe the aoc is 17 yrs age in most states. I'd like to know your thoughts on the subject. I pose the question to you: Do you think male sexual molesters should be thrown under the jail while female offenders are slapped on the wrist?
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