August Screening Log

It was a tough month, but movies were still watched. It was a few less then last month but I still was able to see some good ones.

1) His Name Was Jason / Netflix Instant/ C+
2) Ink / Netflix Instant/ B
3) Hot Tub Time Machine / DVD/ B-
4) Law Abiding Citizen/ Netflix Instant/ B
5) The Pianist/ Netflix Instant/ A
6) Pirate Radio/ DVD/ B+
7) Dinner for Schmucks/ Theater/ B-
8) Mac and Me/ DVD/ D
9) I'm Reed Fish/ Netflix Instant/ C-
10) Sudden Impact / DVD/ B
11) Scott Pilgrim vs. The World / Theater/ B+
12) Jaws/ Theater/ A+
13) Cheerleaders Beach Party/ On Demand/ F
14) The Ghost Writer/ DVD/ B-
15) Piranha 3-D/ Theater/ B-
16) Finding Neverland/ DVD/ B
17) The Losers/ DVD/ B

Stand out movie of the month was Pirate Radio, it was a really well done movie that had some great acting, I would rent it for sure. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it was much as I did.

Tribute

I usually stick to movies or sports on this site, the reason for those passions? My father.

My father passed away and I couldn't help but want to honor a man who was not just a great father but also a friend. I recently inherited a dvd shelf of his and decided to pay tribute to him by placing his urn on the shelf, I know he would be smiling knowing he is next to do many movies (many of which are his). Here are some pictures:

Flea Market Report

So I was able to go to the Capitol flea market today. The weather was perfect and tons of sellers were out. A perfect day to rummage through some peoples junk. I ended up going with my usual flea partner Dennis and old co-worker Steve came along with us as well. As usual my quest is to find anything I want which usually comes down to Cd's, Dvd's, and most notably classic video games.

As for today's loot, I ended up with four video games. The first pair was some Genesis games I saw. The lady was not a usual seller, so that's always a good sign. I asked her how much and she said $2, which is not bad at all. I am more of a Nintendo fan though and these were Genesis titles. NBA Jam was the game that caught my eye. I decided it was okay and started to walk away but Dennis came over to look and then they lady said $1 each game so I ended up picking up NBA Jam and Sonic the Hedgehog 3 for the Sega Genesis.

Recently I received a Nintendo and Super Nintendo player, its a system that allows you to play both games in on system. So now I am looking to add to my SNES collection. I saw what is considered the best SNES title ever Super Mario World. I asked how much and they seller said $5, at first I thought it was too much. Dennis told me that he has seen the game sell for upwards of $25. I walked away and ended up seeing the exact same game a few booths away. For fun Steve asked how much and they said $10, I immediately thought that I had to have the game, after all $5 isn't that bad. So I went back and handed the seller my money and got the game. I saw the game a few more times during the day and Dennis or someone else would ask how much, it seems the usual price is $7-10 bucks, so I feel I got a good deal, plus it is a great game(and works!).

After the Super Mario World find things went cold for a while. There is a good seller who has tons of stuff, but his stuff is in no order. You have to really sift through everything to find something. This makes it a) really hard to find similar items and b)makes you feel a great sense of accomplishment if you do find the item.I was looking on my own and regrouped with Steve who laid out a bunch of games he found. He pulled out a Batman for NES, a game I have often heard is good. I ended up getting it for only $2. I played it already and it is a good game, I am glad I got that.

So that was my hull for the day. Got some classic games to play and they all go nicely with my collection.

July Screening Log

I have now started to keep track of what movies I have seen in a month, I wish I started this sooner as I have been seeing more and more movies thanks to netflix instant watch and my new roommate having a PS3, ah got to love technology (I can also watch them on my new high def cpu as well).

1) Deep End/ DVR / B+
2) Commando/ DVD / C
3) Julie & Julia/ DVD / B
4) She's Out Of My League/ DVD / C+
5) Cashback /Netflix Watch/ A
6) The Rainmaker / DVD/ B-
7) Krull / Netflix Watch/ D
8) Stan Helsing / Netflix Watch/ D-
9) Driving Miss Daisy / Netflix Watch/ B
10) Return to Sleepaway Camp / Netflix Watch/ D+
11) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen / DVD/ B
12) The Road / DVD/ B
13) Monsters,Inc. / Netflix Watch/ A-
14) Toy Story 2 / Blu-Ray/ A
15) Predators / Theater/ C+
16) Inception / Theater/ A-
17) Despicable Me / Theater(3-D)/ B
19) Cop Out / Blu-Ray/ B-
18) Rambo:First Blood Part II / DVD / B-
20) Ratatouille / Disney Channel & DVR / A-

Stand out movie of the Month:(tie) Cashback and Inception. See them if you haven't already.

Star Tours 1987-2010

I just found out yesterday that Star Tours, a Star Wars based ride at Disneyland is closing its doors for a new ride, Star Tours II. This makes me feel both happy and sad. I am sad to see a beloved ride leave. Star Tours opened in 1987 at Disneyland, at that time I was a 7 year old kid so I was of the perfect age to love the ride, which I did.




I can somewhat recall my first time on Star Tours, the wait seemed to take days... and that was just to get inside. The first time I went on the ride I believe hearing the wait was 3 hours. Once you finally got inside the actual Star Tours building you are greeted by a replica of the Starspeeder 3000 (the ship you ride) being repaired and C-3P0 and R2D2. It was a lot to take in as a kid, seeing actual characters from the Star Wars movie! I remember also the first time I rode Star Tours that it threw me around with all its twists and turns. As I grew up I would always long for the feelings of that first time, not knowing which way the ship would turn and being small enough to not be able to hold on. Of course I couldn't write this blog without mentioning Captian Rex, the man in charge of the Starspeeder 3000. Until recently I never knew he was voiced by Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Herman. His famous line always is worth a chuckle. "I know this is probably your first flight, and it's mine too, ha ha."

Check out this commerical for the ride,badass!


As I grew up the ride was always a favorite of mine but as other attractions got put in the park, the lure of a ride I had been on tons of times lost some of its luster. I would always still go on the ride of course, but the small lines and my memorization of the entire ride made it loose a lot of the fun it once held. As you leave Star Tours, you see all these posters with other planets, I would often start wondering when do we get to see these other places? I guess I am getting that answer next year. Dinseyland announced that Star Tours II is coming in 2011. I am happy that the ride is getting an upgrade, Star Tours II will feature new technology and use 3D in the ride. As is set to take place sometimes between Episodes III - VI. You can see that announcement here as well as a clip from what the new ride will feature:


If you live the area, I would suggest going on one last trip on the ride. I wish I could! But now I am 100% going to make sure that I am going to Disneyland next year to ride the next chapter of Star Tours. I just hope that it can live up to the fun that I had when I was a kid.

RIP Party Down

Party Down is a great show that had been on Starz for two seasons. It was produced by Paul Rudd and Rob Thomas (not the singer but the same person who created another show called Veronica Mars). Sadly since the show offered a fresh look on comedy and was a great show it has been canceled.

The show had an impressive cast of young talent. Adam Scott (who is now on Parks and Recreation) , Martin Starr (Knocked Up, Adventureland, Freaks and Geeks), Ken Marino (Role Models and The State), Lizzy Caplan, Ryan Hansen, Megan Mullally (Will & Grace), and Jane Lynch (Glee).

The cast seemed to all be from impressive comedy groups. Marino from the State group, Starr, Lynch and Caplan from the Apatow group, Hansen was a main character on Veronica Mars and Lynch, Marino, Scott appeared on Veronica Mars. The producers no doubt had a connection to the actors as Rudd was in Knocked Up (as was Scott) and 40 Year old Virgin (Lynch was also in 40 Year Old Virgin). Lynch also left with two episodes left in the first season because she signed on to do a little show called Glee, she was replaced by Jennifer Coolidge for the last two episodes and then Mullally took over for season two.

Another connection I saw was from the cult show the State. Marino was in the show and throughout the two seasons many guest stars showed up from The State and I know Rudd was in the film The Ten, which featured many former cast members from The State. Also we had a strong Veronica Mars connection, which include Kristen Bell showing up in a few episodes but she was a very important to the plot of season 2. We also had appearances from Ken Jeong, J.K. Simmons, Jennifer Coolidge, and Joey Lauren Adams among others.

I wouldn't say it was as great as Arrested Development, but like that show it was taken away from viewers way too early. A small uproar formed on twitter of fans saying they were going to cancel their Starz memberships because the show was canceled. I know I watched all the show on Netflix, they have it on instant watch. They have all of the episodes available to watch instantly right now, I suggest you go and watch this fresh and original series. Just don't get upset that you will never see more of it. Here is a clip:

My All-Star Picks

Every year I take a somewhat serious stance on all-star voting for the mlb all-star game. Every year a great player is sure to get snubbed, while a fan favorite who is not doing well makes the team. I understand that people vote in players they know by name or are on their team. I always was a stat based guy, it is what I attribute my success in fantasy baseball too. So when making my picks a lot of it is based of stats, but I also looked at what I thought would make a great overall team as well as what players I feel should go...So without delay here are my picks for the all-star game rosters. All stats mentioned are through 6/27/10

American League Starting All-Star Roster

1B - Miguel Cabrera - Detroit Tigers
Cabrera is off to a monster start so far. Batting .332/ 20HR/ 64 RBI. He leads all AL 1B in RBI and is tied for first in HR's with Paul Konerko, and is second in batting average. There are a lot of other good choices in this group of players but Cabrera stands out. Others who should make the team:Paul Konerko- White Sox, Justin Morneau- Twins, Kevin Youkilis - Red Sox


2B - Robinson Cano - New York Yankees
Cano is killing the ball this year and leads all AL 2B in Average (.359) , HR (15) and RBI (53). Not sure why there is any questions who else to vote for, it was probably the easiest choice I made this year. Others: Dustin Pedroia - Red Sox and Howie Kendrick- Angels


SS- Elvis Andrus - Texas Rangers
I am sure this pick is not most likely everyones choice, but hear me out. Andrus leads all AL SS (qualified) in Average (.291), Sb's (21), and Runs (51). I figure Jeter is a lock to make the team so why waste a vote on him, go for a guy who leads off for the best hitting team. He also has a great glove in field. Others: Alex Gonzales- Blue Jays and Derek Jeter - Yankees


3B - Adrian Beltre - Boston Red Sox
As much as I dislike this player this was an obvious choice. Beltre is having a monster year for the Red Sox. He is hitting .340/ 12 HR/ 52 RBI. Him and Evan Longoria have the same exact amount of HR and RBI, but Beltre is batting .340 and Longoria .297. Beltre also has one of the best gloves at 3b. Others: Evan Longoria -Rays, Michael Young- Rangers, Alex Rodriguez- Yankees.


C- Joe Mauer - Minnesota Twins
He is a fan favorite and is also having a great season, so I can't see why not to vote for him. He is hitting .304/ 3HR/ 33 RBI, he is third in AL Catcher's in RBI's. He also has a great glove and like I said he is someone people want to see in the game (including this blogger). Others: John Buck - Blue Jays, Victor Martinez - Red Sox, Kurt Suzuki - Oakland.


OF (3) - Josh Hamilton - Texas Rangers
Hamilton in just killing the ball this year, and is another fan favorite. But he really deserves to be an all star starter. He leads all AL Outfielders in Average at .346 and also has 18 HR/ 57 RBI.


Carl Crawford -Tampa Bay Rays
Crawford makes the team because he is a great fielder, runner, and base stealer. He leads all AL OF's in runs (56) and tied for second in SB's. He also has 7 HR and 38 RBI. Sorry Ichiro but there is a new guy in town.


Vernon Wells - Blue Jays
Wells has had a resurgence this year with the Blue Jays and is batting .285/ 19 HR
second in AL OF)/ 47 RBI as well as 44 runs scored. Wells numbers are just all around good, and I belive a Blue Jay should be starting this game based off how good the team has been hitting the ball. Wells also has one of the best arms in the game in the field.



Others: Ichiro - Mariners, Alex Rios - White Sox, Torri Hunter - Angels, Shin-Soo Choo - Indians

DH - Vladimir Guerrero - Texas Rangers
I know this makes 3 Rangers starting in the game, but they lead the the universe in offense and seeing Vlad come back to play in Anaheim should be fun sight. Plus Vlad really is deserving of the spot, he is hitting .327/ 15 HR/ 60 RBI/ 48 Runs.
Others: David Ortiz - Red Sox, Jose Guillen - Royals, Jose Bastista - Blue Jays


Starting Pitcher - David Price - Tampa Bay Rays
Price is having a season that shows why he was taken #1 overall in the draft. He leads the AL in wins with 11 and is second in ERA (2.44). He also has 84 K's and plays on a good Rays team. It would be nice to see some new blood starting in the game this season.
National League
1B - Albert Pujols - St. Louis Cardinals
This was the toughest choice I had to make, but its Pujols,,why shouldn't he make start? Well him, Joey Votto, and Adrian Gonzalez all have almost the exact same numbers, its almost scary how close they are. Pujols is batting .306, Votto .305, and Gonzalez .307. Pujols has 16 HR so does Votto and Gonzalez. Pujols has 51 RBI, Votto has 50, and Gonzalez has 49. Votto and Pujols also have the same exact number of SB, while Gonzalez and Pujols have the same amount of Runs (41)but Votto trumps them with (47). I give the nod to Pujols because he is a fan favorite, perennial MVP candidate, and leads in OBP. Others: Joey Votto - Reds, Adrian Gonzalez - Padres, Ryan Howard - Phillies.



2B - Brandon Phillips - Cincinnati Reds
Phillips leads all NL 2B in runs (57)and is batting .311/ 9HR/ 25 RBI/ 10 SB and unless you haven't watched the highlight he is always make some amazing catch or play in the field. The Reds are another surprise team who I would like to see get a starter in the game. Others:Martin Prado - Braves, Chase Utley - Phillies, Rickie Weeks - Brewers.


SS - Hanley Ramirez - Florida Marlins
Ramirez is my pick because he is having a great season once again, batting .296/ 11 HR/ 44 RBI/ 14 SB/ 41 Runs. Among qualified SS he is 3rd in batting, 2nd in HRs and 2nd in RBI (Juan Uribe leads in both those categories) . So why did I chose Ramirez over a player on my own team? Well as much as it pains me to say no one wants to see Juan Uribe start the All-Star game and Ramirez has a better average, stolen bases, and scores a tad more. Others: Juan Uribe - Giants,
Troy Tulowitzki - Rockies, Jose Reyes - Mets.


3B - David Wright - New York Mets
Wright is having a monster first half, much to my surprise. I looked at the stats and did not know he was doing so well this year. He is hitting .300/ 14 HR/ 61 RBI/ 13 SB/ 42 Runs. He is also the best 3B fielder in the NL and is another fan favorite and all around good player. Others: Scott Rolen - Reds, Casey McGehee - Brewers, Ryan Zimmerman - Nationals.



C- Miguel Olivo - Colorado Rockies
I bet no one else saw this pick coming. Catcher is a cateogry where most people pick players who they have picked every year before but I do not see why. Olivo is having a great season for the Rockies hitting .295/ 10 HR/ 34 RBI/ 31 Runs and even 4 SB. Among NL C's he is 3rd in runs scored, 2nd in HR, and leads all in RBI's, OPS, and SLG. He has the same Fielding % as Yadier Molina so he can field as well. Others: Brian McCann - Braves and Rod Barajas - Mets.


OF (3) - Andre Ethier - Los Angeles Dodgers
Ethier has had a big season for the Dodgers, a season where he missed a few weeks with an injury. But he is still batting .317/12HR/ 46 RBI. His numbers would probably lead the league if he wasn't out.


Ryan Braun - Milwaukee Brewers
Braun is becoming one of the most consistent players in the majors. He is having another great season batting .301/ 10 HR/ 47 RBI/ 11 SB/ and 47 Runs. I like seeing him play the game and would love seeing him start in the all-star game.


Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh Pirates
A Pirate starting??! Yep, I was looking at stats and he leads the NL OF in SB (19) and is second in Runs (48, Matt Kemp has 52), and he is on a terrible team! Plus he can play CF and is batting .301/ 7 HR/ 23 RBI.

Others: Colby Rasmus - Cardinals, Jayson Werth - Phillies, Corey Hart - Brewes, Chris Young - Diamondbacks, Shane Victorino - Phillies, Carlos Gonzalez - Rockies.

DH - Adrian Gonzalez - San Diego Padres
Again this could just as easily gone to Joey Votto, but the Padres have been the most surprising team in the majors this season. They do deserve to have a starter in the game and I am sure they will have a lot more pitchers represent them. Others: Joey Votto - Reds, Ryan Howard - Phillies, Corey Hart - Brewers, Troy Glaus - Braves, Adam Dunn- Nationals, Jayson Werth - Phillies,



Starting Pitcher - Ubaldo Jimenez - Colorado Rockies
I want my NL to win this year, having Ubaldo starting with his own catcher Olivo calling the signs would be nice. Plus let's face it this is one of the easiest choices I could make. Jimenez is having a season for the history books. He is 13-1 with an era of 1.60! Thats all I need to say.